Trump stands only for himself and his peculiar personal needs. He is a frightened, weak, dangerously confused old man burdened by personality disorders, dementia, and a series of physical ailments kept meticulously secret from the public.
I couldn’t resist. The above description of President Trump,
offered by a highly intelligent and highly educated individual who comments
here frequently, encapsulates what many call TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome),
an unfortunate term used to describe an extreme hatred of the man.
I would not say that people who harbor feelings like this
are deranged. But I would concede that their assessment of every aspect of the
president borders on the irrational—whether it is his character, his mental or
physical health, his interactions with political or personal enemies, or his
policies. Everything is described in exaggeratedly negative terms that they are
convinced are absolutely true.
The reverse is also true. There are some people who consider
the “D” in TDS to stand for devotion. They can see no wrong in his presidency.
Everything he does is cast in a positive light, no matter how unethical or
demonstrably wrong it may be. I am not going to list either the good or the
bad, but anyone with an open mind can see what I see.
Thankfully, I do not suffer from this inaptly named TDS
syndrome in either direction. I try to see things for what they are and
evaluate them accordingly.
It’s true that the Trump presidency is ego-driven. I do not,
however, believe that every decision he makes is self-serving. I think he
genuinely believes that all of his decisions are good for the country—and even
for the world—in the long run.
Which brings me to the president’s latest decision. He
announced yesterday that Iran has agreed to the terms of a peace deal
acceptable to the United States, one that will be signed later today (or in a
few days, according to Iran). The Strait of Hormuz will be opened immediately
thereafter to all traffic.
The reaction by Trump’s detractors and supporters was
predictable. His detractors are saying that this deal amounts to a watered-down
version of President Obama’s JCPOA agreement—the very agreement Trump tore up.
Only now, they argue, it comes after a costly war, damage to the U.S. economy,
the deaths of American soldiers, and a more dangerous Iran.
Some detractors (who also tend to dislike Prime Minister
Netanyahu) accuse Israel of deliberately undermining the agreement through its
continued bombing in Lebanon. This is a false narrative. Israel is not
attacking Lebanon; it is attacking Hezbollah. Iran has reportedly tied any deal
to Israel ceasing its attacks against Hezbollah. Netanyahu’s critics claim that
continued military operations are the only way he can retain power.
This is the mantra one constantly hears from Trump and
Netanyahu detractors who wish to drive a wedge between the two nations. That
will not happen under the current administration.
Objective observers do not jump to these conclusions. The
United States recognizes Israel’s right to defend itself against its mortal
enemies, one of which is Hezbollah. No sane person would deny Israel that right. Thus
far, the U.S. has not said a word about Israel’s daily attacks on Hezbollah
targets in Lebanon.
What about the deal itself…
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