By Walt Zlotow
One possible blessing from Trump’s criminal, failed war on Iran? Trump squandered so many offensive and defensive missiles in 39 futile bombing days, he’s doesn’t have enough left to provoke war with China over Taiwan.
At his recent Chinese summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Trump that a war with the US over Taiwan could erupt if the US does not tone down endless provocations over Taiwan.
But Taiwan is not the only issue provoking possible war with China. Ever since President Obama announced his ‘Pivot to Asia’ in 2011, the US national security state and military have been beating the drums about China’s growth making them America’s biggest potential enemy. Many in this cabal warn that war with China would be likely, possibly inevitable. They urged that US policy be prepared for war and build up US offensive and defensive capability for such eventuality.
But while Trump never officially pivoted back from Asia to the Middle East, his foreign policy did. By senselessly attacking Iran February 28, he set in motion the diminution of US missile stocks making war with China virtually impossible.
How diminished?
Trump squandered over 1,000 Tomahawk missiles on Iran in 39 days. It will take over 1,800 days to replace those Tomahawks in Trump’s over hyped trillion dollar weapons industry.
There’s more. Trump wasted roughly 300 THAAD interceptors and 1,000 Patriot interceptor to defend against Iranian missiles. It will take over 1,000 days to replace those at the current annual production rate for both.
More still. The US supplies Patriots to Ukraine and 17 other countries. We’ve not only run out of Patriots to supply them, we’ve had to claw some back. This will speed up Ukraine’s inevitable collapse and cause those other 17 nations to reexamine their reliance on the US for their defense.
Sensible folks in the administration and military looking at the near empty missile cupboard are telling Trump regarding possible war with China… ‘Faggedaboudit.’ That may be the only ray of hope for peace emanating from Trump’s criminal and failed Iran war.
Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition Glen Ellyn IL
Also by Walt:
Major reasons risk of nuclear war is becoming more likely
Israeli, US bombing of Iran a failure of epic proportions
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TACO Trumpery has an unhappy knack for everything he touches turns to manure. Perhaps as an 80 year old demented, geriatric convicted felon he should retire early before he further disgraces the USA (undemocratic Sewer of Apartheid).
Indeed, our Australian future lies in Asia as a non-aligned middle power rather than as a vassal 52nd state paying tribute for now second-hand subs to provide Scummo with a post-politics career at enormous Australian expense.
I sincerely hope that your “Ukraine’s inevitable collapse” statement is incorrect.
Certainly some reports suggest that Russian casualties are over 1 million and 350,000 deaths. This combined with a loss of export earnings of over $75 billion suggests the collapse is not inevitable.
I sincerely hope that your “Ukraine’s inevitable collapse” statement is incorrect.
Certainly some reports suggest that Russian casualties are over 1 million and 350,000 deaths. This combined with a loss of export earnings of over $75 billion suggests the collapse is not inevitable.
You would know that Trump would never start a war with Xi, if you have any understanding of the Trump v. Xi situation! Trump admires powerful dictators, and let’s them walk all over him (except anti- U.S. dictators like Maduro).
Trump wants a quick deal. The Chinese always play the long game.
This far away US writer lacks credibility and currency on basic geopolitical realities?
‘This will speed up Ukraine’s inevitable collapse and cause those other 17 nations to reexamine their reliance on the US for their defense’
Of course he cannot be challenged, but follows many Anglo faux anti-imperialist talking points of the Kremlin and old ideological left who avert their gaze from inconvenient facts?
He seems to suggest NATO, yet even Putin is not consistent, but he is consistent with the fossil fuel with Koch, GOP, Anglosphere, Israel and oligarchs’ right opposing the EU and their need to break up the EU; NATO and Ukraine are just proxies.
Many of the key influencers masquerading as geopolitical experts are also in the orbit of Mearsheimer (Koch/Putin), Sachs (Rockefeller), Galloway (Bannon) et al shared with Tony Abbott’s friends offshore?
Andrew Smith states “This far away US writer lacks credibility and currency on basic geopolitical realities?”
Smith, who touts himself as a Master of Education, needs to be educated in a field that should be his specialty — communication.
The quoted sentence is meaningless.
The question mark at the end sets adrift what could be something of substance.
Smith seems to think that by turning a bold assertion into a rhetorical question, he can avoid scrutiny and challenge.
Good luck with that.
The sentence can be given substance, by providing evidence of the alleged lack of credibility.
There is no evidence.
There is guilt by association — “talking points of the Kremlin and old ideological left who avert their gaze from inconvenient facts?” So where are these “inconvenient facts”?
Then we see this — “He seems to suggest NATO, yet even Putin is not consistent, but he is consistent with the fossil fuel with Koch, GOP, Anglosphere, Israel and oligarchs’ right opposing the EU and their need to break up the EU; NATO and Ukraine are just proxies.”
That is incomprehensible, as is the post.
So, to my humble eye, it seems that that idiot has had a success without even trying, all from a flawed idea and ideology.
Imagine that!
Thank you Steve. I saw Smith’s post late last evening and spent a moment or two pondering on a reply. It had occurred to me that Walt Zlotow was by and large widely admired for his essays and his many years of dedication to nonviolent peacemaking, but here comes Smith, the crystallised naysayer to most things good, and sticks the boot into Zlotow. He can’t seem to help himself. I accept that there are things about the mysterious Smith that may never be known… is he a dipsomaniac, suffering deeply and continually from painful gout to the extent that his mind is maddened, bilious, or worse, crippled and confined to a wheelchair, a deeply defined misanthropic wreck… surely a sane man wouldn’t set out to say the things he does, so logically there must be things amiss in the man’s makeup? Unless Smith chooses to respond, I suspect we’ll never know, and he’ll just keep on polishing turds as if they’re gemstones.