Secretary Pompeo raged at Iran. The mainstream news media raged at Iran. Trump raged at Iran. But then a strange thing happened: nothing. The Iranians announced that they remained committed to diplomacy and would continue to uphold their end of the nuclear agreement if the Europeans and other partners were willing to do the same. Iranian and European officials then sought out contacts in defiance of Washington in hopes of preserving mutually-beneficial emerging commercial relations.
Washington responded to the European snub by threatening secondary sanctions on European companies that continued doing business with an Iran that had repeatedly been found in compliance with its end of the bargain. Any independent European relationship with Iran would be punished, Washington threatened. But then, again, very little happened.
Rather than jump on Washington's bandwagon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made two trips to Russia in May seeking closer ties and a way forward on Iran.
Russia and China were named as our prime enemies in the latest National Security Strategy for the United States, but both countries stand to benefit from the unilateral US withdrawal from the Iran deal. When the French oil company Total got spooked by Washington threats and pulled out of Iran, a Chinese firm eagerly took its place.
It seems the world has grown tired of neocon threats from Washington. Ironically the "communist" Chinese seem to understand better than the US that in capitalism you do not threaten your customers. While the US is threatening and sanctioning and forbidding economic relations, its adversaries overseas are busy reaping the benefits of America's real isolationism.
If President Trump's canceled meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong-Un remains canceled, North and South Korea have shown that they will continue with their peacemaking efforts. As if Washington was no longer relevant.
I've often spoken of the unintended consequences of our aggressive foreign policy. For example, President Bush's invasion of Iraq only helped Iran - our "enemy" - become more dominant in the Middle East. But it seems new consequences are emerging, and for the neocons they must be very unintended: for all of its bellicosity, threats, demands, sanctions, and even bombs, the rest of the world is increasingly simply ignoring the demands of Washington and getting on with its own business.
While I am slightly surprised at this development, as a libertarian and a non-interventionist I welcome the growing irrelevance of Washington's interventionists. We have a far better philosophy and we must work hard to promote it so that it can finally be tried after neocon failure becomes obvious to everyone. This is our big opportunity!
Comment: Short, sweet and to the point.
Ron Paul is the president Americans should have had but couldn't have because normal folk need not apply.
No matter; Trump's bellicosity - whether he intends it or not - is bringing about Ron Paul's vision for America: a return to isolationism, aka 'Being a Normal Country'.
Reader Comments
- you are the responsible
- you have the power
- you do not threaten your kids with power, (you do what you say - and say what you do) - (mostly)
- you do not use power against your kids
thereby, hopefully, you for the most part -gain their respect, and get things the way you want
in this regard, i think it might be an ok analogy to say this is how things used to be for the us
but honestly, lately?
(threatened with nukes/things not willing to do, used all the "sanctions"/tools in the book. so, what remaines? nukes on eu, russia, china, canada, south-america, india, pakistan, australia, s or n korea, iran?) not creditable. after crapping in the pants in front of the kids the school prom - what will be your next threat/(crap)/step?
sorry dude, you now have TEENAGERS in your household
Are they willing to give up their unipolarity hegemonic view of the US as world leaders?
i think they will have to suffer a great deal before having that awakening, unfortunately.
They have caused much suffering to millions on the planet, but they have yet to experience it.
I detect that drongo dislikes the AmeriKans he might have met; I hear our idiot citizenry, who, being uninformed, and still buying into the concept that the US is, (must!) be adored from all around the world, after all 'we' saved them from WWI & WWII, AND the Cold War, etc. wears older every year; especially as the truth indicates that such claims are just the historical lies of a typically - or perhaps an atypically more than typical - deceptive victor.
I do not forgive those AmeriKants/ AmeriC*nts their ignorance, nor their standard excuse (assuming they were more aware of truth than they are) "It's not our fault; it's what we were taught." Well, I, too, was taught that Pearl Harbor was a surprise (by far less culpable teachers) who had no reason to believe otherwise, (nor access to the truth to know that it was a planned scam* to get the U.S. into WWII, despite the US being 80% against getting into that war.); so what is AmeriKans excuse? They have no valid ones, nor claims to credits for what their ancestors 'MIGHT' have done; they only have now.
Our present teachers and students DO have access to truth, and far too many are being programmed into actually believing, if the MSM and the PTB deem it true, that 2+2 = 5. Given their real time access to the truth, their excuses are worn thinner than gold foil.**
R.C.
* See book, Day of Deceit.
** I recall reading that gold, as the most malleable metal, could be rolled into a hyper-thin sheet - which quick research reveals that it can be rolled so thin that it can be seen through. (I don't know how many atoms thick it might get to, though.)
RC
R.C.
I fear, however, that the blooddrinking PTB are getting thirsty, and that this current state of affairs will only be allowed to last so long. Given their proven economic weakness as shown above, I fear AmeriKa will now 'ramp up' its other option: the Military, and War. (There were recent headlines of stories I didn't read re increased Military spending, presence and plans, specifically directed at Iraq, and, via Poland, directed at Russia.)
In order to dump our BOR, it only took a few staged events. Now I think we're going to see an Operation Northwoods III*, to be conveniently blamed on Russia and Iran.
Remember the end goal, folks. A one world government. Keep this simple question in mind as regarding every new international development, "Does it get us closer - or could it be intended to get us closer - to a/an One World Government/NWO?**
R.C.
* Op.N. I, nixed by JFK. O.N. II = 9/11/2001; O.N. III.... coming? I pray not.
**Bush*t I's term, not mine.
RC
ON3 ... got that straight away ... Lusitania and Pearl Harbour were semi-Norwoods!
Except Ron Paul is a disaster in domestic policy.
Bernie Sanders is the president Americans should have had: good in domestic AND foreign policy. He has opposed all the US wars, threats, imperialism and bullying, but that often goes unnoticed in right-wing outlets like sott.
Instead we get this bs fake outsider Trump who was obviously vetted as we saw his cabinet start with swamp creatures from the start.
I don't think a real outsider will be able to get into office with this 2 party monopoly. If we had elections like in many European countries, other parties would have a shot because they do multiple levels of elections to narrow down the finalists. What we have is a forced choice between 2 people with the third parties not having a chance because of the fear that voting for them will give us the worst of the two main choices.
to me, it most of all looks like an idiot has been given the opportunity/funding of a whole people - to gamble against obviously smarter people in chess or poker.
i might offcource be wrong. anyway, i think we will have the answer from this game of "american roulette" soon.