At a time when responsible leadership is vitally needed to deal with a national health and economic crisis, the US is led by an incompetent, self-serving, geopolitical know-nothing demagogue who’s indifferent toward public health, safety and welfare.
The US ship of state is rudderless, no courageous captain in charge to steer it safely through troubled waters.
Whatever the outcome of today’s unprecedented crisis in modern times, it’s highly likely that millions of ordinary Americans will be grievously hurt, many irreparably, because of an uncaring ship of state’s captain and crew — serving monied interests exclusively at the expense of the public welfare at a time when large-scale federal help is most needed no matter the cost.
Trump is the latest in a long line of US bellicose presidents — waging wars of aggression in multiple theaters, along with economic, financial, and medical wars on sovereign states unwilling to sacrifice their sovereign rights to US interests.
Iran is a prime target because it’s free from US control, hydrocarbon-rich, and Israel’s main regional rival.
Longstanding US plans aim to replace its legitimate government with pro-Western puppet rule — by whatever it takes for Washington to achieve its imperial objective no matter the human cost.
Along with his other faults, Trump is a congenital liar. On Wednesday, he turned truth on its head, tweeting:
“Upon information and belief, Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on US troops and/or assets in Iraq,” adding:
“If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price, indeed!”
Upon information and belief, Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets in Iraq. If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price, indeed!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 1, 2020
Fact: Iran, formerly Persia, hasn’t attacked another country in centuries.
Fact: Its leadership threatens none now.
Fact: Its geopolitical agenda features the pursuit of peace, stability, and mutual cooperation with other nations — hostile actions toward none.
Fact: In contrast, the US under both right wings of its war party is permanently at war with invented enemies threatening no one — at home and abroad.
Fact: No nations threatened US national security since WW II ended, clearly none today.
Are Trump and hardliners surrounding him planning belligerent actions against Iran and/or other invented enemies as a diversionary tactic to try shifting public attention from homeland economic and public health duress to invented barbarians at our gates.
The Trump regime is waging all-out war on Iran by other means.
Its “maximum pressure” aims to inflict “maximum” pain and suffering on the Iranian people to turn them against their leadership.
Time and again, reality shows it doesn’t work. When people face crisis conditions because of war or other dire circumstances, they most often rally around their government for whatever for whatever help it can provide — because who else can they turn to.
It was true in Britain during the Nazi blitz, true as well in Libya during US-led NATO aggression, and true now in Syria and Iran.
Instead of winning hearts and minds in nations worldwide, Washington’s imperial agenda turned countless millions of people into US haters.
The Pentagon reportedly is planning for possible war on Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) that are connected to the country’s military — falsely claiming they’re controlled by Iran, falsely calling Tehran a threat to US national security.
On Tuesday without supportive evidence, Pompeo accused “Shia militias” of attacking Americans in Iraq, falsely blaming Iran as a pretext for possible US war on Iraqi PMUs, along with stepped up hostile actions against Iran.
Separately, Pompeo’s spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus repeated the Big Lie that won’t die about an Iranian nuclear threat, knowing none exists.
She ignored repeated IAEA assessments and annual US intelligence community reports that Tehran’s legitimate nuclear program has no military component — in contrast to nuclear armed and dangerous Israel that gets no public attention.
In response to Trump regime threats, Press TV reported that Iran “stands ready to defend its interests in the region.”
Reuters cited an unnamed US intelligence source, falsely claiming that “a potential attack by Iran or Iran-backed forces had been building for some time” — citing no evidence because there is none.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi denounced hostile Trump regime rhetoric and policies, saying:
“While the (UN) secretary-general and the international community are emphasizing the need for halting the tension-creating and warmongering measures amid the outbreak of coronavirus, (US) moves are against the official and announced will of the Iraqi government, parliament and people, create tensions, and could steer the regional situation towards (greater) instability and catastrophic conditions.”
Mousavi called for the Trump regime to withdraw its destabilizing forces from Iraq as its government and people demand.
According to former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter,
“Iran is prepared to defend itself using the totality of its defense resources,” adding:
“Any US move against Iran would be a miscalculation with devastating results.”
“Recent military moves in the region indicate that the US is preparing for some sort of major action in Iraq.”
US forces in Iraq were shifted from smaller bases to two larger ones — Al Qaim and Al Asad.
Air defense Patriot missiles are being installed on these bases — on the phony pretext of defending against an Iranian attack not forthcoming.
No evidence suggests Iran intends to attack US or other foreign interests anywhere.
Indisputable evidence shows that Washington is an unprecedented threat to humanity at home and abroad.
Instead of pursuing global leadership in combatting the COVID-19 public health emergency, winning hearts and minds at home and abroad, Trump regime actions are polar opposite.
It failed to address the crisis with all-out efforts contain it domestically and treat its infected citizens and residents.
Instead, it prioritized an unprecedented wealth transfer from ordinary Americans to its privileged class while mobilizing Pentagon forces for possible escalated aggression abroad.
It let a golden opportunity to win allies worldwide and supporters at home pass it by — because it failed to come to the aid of nations and people everywhere in need.
Its ability to create unlimited trillions of dollars digitally enables it to do what other nations can’t accomplish on their own.
Instead of choosing a constructive path, its policymakers went the other way, largely ignoring public need in deference to wealth and power interests.
Meanwhile, a COVID-19 health crisis festers at home, worsening daily, outbreaks and deaths mounting steadily.
US states and communities are unable to cope because of lack of enough personal protective equipment (PPE) and woefully inadequate help from Washington when it’s most needed.
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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
