Iran, Israel, Putin, Trump

And poker

The Israel Iran Show

Iran should not have agreed to a cease-fire so quickly--not at least without some assurances of good faith — given the bad faith demonstrated both by Israel and the US with past cease-fires in Lebanon and Gaza.

If Iran had continued its missile strikes on Israel another week or so, it could have broken the Israeli economy and diminished its military capabilities significantly.

And the US? If tiny, poor, and backward Yemen could defeat both the U.S. Navy and the US Air Force with F35s and B2s, how would the US fare against Iran if push really came to shove?

Trump would huff and puff but what could he do?

Despite all all the MSM propaganda, Israel was never able to achieve either air superiority or air supremacy in the skies over Iran – which is why it's early successes depended so much on sabotage and terrorism. Unfortunately for Israel, these efforts also exposed networks inside Iran built up over many years. Mossad and the CIA are not defeated by any means: they are still dangerous. But not as before.

Most of the strikes on Iran were carried out with standoff weapons outside Iranian airspace or just inside – or with drones, which testifies to the effectiveness of Iranian air defenses. That so many missiles and drones got through, however, speaks to the weaknesses of Iranian air defenses which need to be patched up with Chinese and Russian technologies, particularly in EW.

So it is that Israel is hurt – but not broken. Iran won the first battle— but not the war. Israel is still what is was — a dysfunctional state – a Nazi state-- rabid and dangerous.

It will use the cease-fire to rearm – and attack again in one form or another.

Notably, Israel has already been attacking Lebanon and Hezbollah, Syria, and of course the long-suffering Gazans.

Another week of missile strikes might have saved a lot of lives among the Resistance. and, later, Iranian lives as well.

Iran, I guess, must learn the hard way.

The Trump and Putin Show

MINSK, June 27. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has come a long and dangerous way to return to power, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said, adding that he has respect for his American counterpart.

"I have great respect for the current US president. He has come a very long, difficult, and dangerous way to return to power and the White House. We all know this well," Putin said.

He recalled that Trump had survived not just one, but two assassination attempts. "He is a courageous man, that is clear," the Russian president added, speaking about his American counterpart.

Putin also said:

I believe he truly wants peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, though it may be harder than he expected

WTF?

Trump is a bully and blowhard without much empathy and little altruism .

His defining characteristics are self-aggrandizement and vanity.

During the Vietnam War, there were a few officers or NCOs like this in the field. If their men were lucky these people got killed right away, They had “courage” — but the wrong kind. Their vainglory got others killed--which led to some of them being fragged or shot in the back.

Why is Putin praising Trump?

He is “working” him, as we say in PR. He needs to keep him in the game. If you are playing poker with a moron, make him feel like he is winning — until he has lost everything.

Putin recognizes that Trump's greatest weakness is his vanity. Yes, vainglory.

Of course, there is a teeny weeny bit of truth to what the Russian leader is saying—which is what makes it effective.

Danger?

Trump's return to power was difficult, even dangerous –although it would've been more dangerous for him to remain out of power, with the Democrats persecuting him abusing the power of the state.

Courage?

Those who have the courage to dare will perish.
Those who have the courage not to dare will live. Lao Tzu

Trump has courage. But it is the wrong kind. He is a bull in a China shop—in more ways than one, considering that most shops in modern America, and Walmarts too depend on Chinese goods.

When to “dare” and when not to is something those who study oriental martial arts understand. Which maybe is why martial artists usually walk away from challenges.

Encouraging Trump with this kind of flattery makes it harder to for him to walk away from his fake “dares” — his attempts at peace in the Ukraine and the ME, while making him vulnerable to attacks from the both the NeoCon Right and NeoCon left in the US.

In the end, one way or another, Trump will be “fragged”. Out of the game. But not for a while.

Trump, of course, was overjoyed by Putin’s comment-- without realizing that he is being set up.

Kindness

This husky is taking care of a kitten who is undergoing chemotherapy. Maybe we should be more like animals.

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