John Chuckman
COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE BY PATRICK LAWRENCE IN CONSORTIUM NEWS
“Don’t Hold Your Breath
“It would be nice to think the president has final say on foreign policy, given the U.S. Constitution. But the misleading troop withdrawal announcement, followed by Trump’s boastful tweet, suggests the exact opposite”
It’s news all over the Western world this morning, but I very much share the author’s scepticism.
It would be a very good thing, if true. Syria and Russia could get on with establishing a new peaceful order, and this beautiful land could set itself to rebuilding and calling its refugees home.
Of course, Presidents are not really in charge despite what it may say on the dusty old parchment in the National Archives.
And the Neocons now surrounding Trump have rather intense loyalties to Israel, as does Trump himself.
And a great deal of the impulse, as well as supplies and support, for the mercenaries in Syria came from Israel and its covert partner, Saudi Arabia.
The Pentagon’s new “full spectrum dominance” view of the world is not in keeping with withdrawal either. That is the view supporting Washington’s drive for an American imperial resurgence in all directions.
So, I’m not sure whether fundamentals for America have changed. And I’m not sure I see an ounce of courage in Trump to do anything against the advice of the Pentagon and Israel’s powerful lobbies.
It is a ridiculous position for America to be in, occupying part of a country against the will of its national government and training separatist elements.
But America has done a lot of ridiculous things in recent decades. And terribly brutal things.
Washington often resembles a crowd of rich brats playing in a giant sandbox, using other people’s lives as toys.
With all of America’s own immense problems ignored, almost all the attention of its leaders and available resources go to pushing people around in various parts of the world.
It’s brutal and in many ways senseless and extremely dangerous for the world, and America has yet to leave any of the places in which it interferes improved. No, they are left in ruins with bodies and military poisons such as depleted uranium spread across the countryside.
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In Aljazeera this morning, Putin is quoted as saying pulling out the troops was a good idea, but he also said, importantly, 'Nevertheless, Putin cast doubt on Washington's plans, saying "we don't see any signs of withdrawing US troops yet, but I concede that it is possible."'
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Response to another reader’s comment:
While I agree with the direction of your comments, you use the word “need” a couple of times.
Need from whose point of view?
That’s not intended as a flip or glib question.
The people actually running America have no desire for either major change – elections or the press – let alone “need.”
Things work nicely for them, an establishment of very wealthy individuals supported by” bought” legislators and an empire-supporting military-security monstrosity, so from where do we see an impulse to change?
Citizen wishes count for awfully little in the set-up.
Otherwise, there’d be a genuine national healthcare, proper gun control, and assistance to America’s worst hellhole slums, of which there are many.
