This Carbon Based Life

By David Glenn Cox

It’s two, two pictures in one. Mr. Trump threatened and escalated on Friday. Then on Sunday, before the markets open, “Great Progress Made in Peace Talks!” It’s going to be alright! Mr. Trump isn’t going to do that crazy thing he threatened he was going to do all week. Relax, Mr. & Ms. Wall Street! Feel good! No reason to get your panties in a bunch or worry about the health of the financial system.

The other picture is one of the sheer imitation of a free and open media.

CNN – Trump says Iran war talks to resume Monday after he called off the strikes

BBC -Trump suggests new talks with Iran to begin again on Monday.

The New Yuck Times – Progress toward deal led Trump to call off the Strikes

NBC – Trump says new talks will start Monday after calling off attacks.

Now watch carefully!

Al Jazeera – Iran War Live. Iranian Foreign Ministry says, “No current talks with US.”

And then the bullshit meter went ding, ding, ding! According to Mr. Trump (Trump says) after threatening Iran with even more devastating airstrikes. Even worse than the last five months of devastating airstrikes! The Iranians were cowering in fear and trepidation and overawed by Mr. Trump’s majesty and began begging for new talks.

See? All of those headlines except one, could have been written by the same hand. It’s the “Trump says News.” And they just chew it up, add ink to and spit it right back out. No need to corroborate your lead story or anything. Fuck what they taught us at the old high school newspaper, “Trump said!”

Enter the Twilight Zone music. For your consideration, a musical tale of fantasy and imagination. As a lifelong conspiring criminal plays the Wall Street sharpies like putting a nickel in the jukebox. Aided by a slobbering doormat press. Mr. Trump says the Iranians can’t wait to make a deal, and it’s been five months and there’s no deal yet. What about it, Mr. Art of the Deal a meal? Whatever he says, no matter how outlandish or ridiculous, the media will print it verbatim or repeat it as gospel.

There simply isn’t a word of truth in Mr. Trump’s story. It’s simply a projection; it’s his best-case scenario of what Mr. Trump hopes will happen. He threatens and they fold, and Mr. Trump lives happily ever after. Mr. Trump is unable to grasp the concept of asymmetrical warfare. Unable to understand Iran isn’t going to fold. Mr. Trump is just beginning to understand he’s caught in a finger trap, but he doesn’t want you to know it. He shakes his mighty fist, and the Iranians cower in fear and hide under their beds.

He’s going to hit them so, so hard! Like no one will believe! Then, out of the goodness and mercy of his shriveled little black heart, Mr. Trump calls off the devastating air strikes! It had nothing to do with an armament shortage. Nope, Mr. Trump thought the Iranians had learned their lesson and out of his benevolence, Mr. Trump had decided to show mercy! It’s really embarrassing, but I suppose the media have mortgages and bills to pay as well. Some workplaces like it when you argue with the boss, most don’t.

You report the news. We tell you what news to report. Now! What did Mr. Trump say? “Trump says Iran war talks to resume Monday after he (Mr. Trump) called off the strikes.” So what’s the news headline? But Al Jazeera said… “Does Al Jazeera pay your salary?”

As long as the Strait of Hormuz is closed and oil traffic is impaired Iran is winning. As long as Tehran is over 6,000 miles from Washington D.C. As long as aircraft carriers cost millions of dollars a day to operate, Iran is winning. The Pentagon experts met with the President defect the other day and explained. Military airstrikes have done all that they can do. Mr. Trump swore them to secrecy. That kind of knowledge must never be allowed to escape into the general public.

The official story says we’re kicking the living shit out of them! We’ve completely destroyed their ragtag and largely non-functioning air force. A mixture of old Soviet models and a couple of F-14s they can’t get any parts for. Effectively, Iran had no air force. The Iranian navy is a handful of frigates and speed boats again aged. Pow! Zoom! Zowie! We destroyed them all! Do you guys give up yet? “Is the strait open? Then no, we don’t give up.”

We’ve got them right where we want them. And Mr. Trump can threaten Armageddon all week long, but come Sunday and the approaching business week. “Trump says new talks will start Monday after calling off attacks.” Does it matter if there is no truth to the statement? If a tree falls in the forest, is Wall Street too dumb to hear it?

What does Iran need to do to win the war? The Iranians have learned from Sun Tzu and seek to irritate Mr. Trump’s bowels at every opportunity. Yesterday they agreed, and today, they don’t. Back on the memo ran dumb of duplicity, the US agreed (possibly inadvertently) to Iran maintaining control of the Strait of Hormuz. To the US, that meant Iran was in charge unless the US chose to interfere at some point. Iran had issued orders “You will follow this path out of the gulf, or else.” Does that sound unreasonable to you? The traffic cop blows his whistle and points?

What does the United States need to do to win the war? Make Iran surrender! After a five-month bombing campaign costing billions of dollars with no surrender is in sight. The myth of the “easy” war rides again. “I’ll kick in the front door and the whole rotten structure will collapse.” The special three-day military operation. Venezuela was easy; let’s kick over Iran while we’re at it! It’ll be easy too!

“Hitler knows, he must break us in our Island or lose the war.” – Winston Churchill