Deal Breaker

That we elected a man of abysmal character and zero sense of shame is, of course, an existential predicament for us as a nation. At 2:00pm today our problem again gets shared with the world. Trump never signed a contract he felt committed to abide by. Since becoming POTUS, he has foisted that ugly trait on numerous agreements signed by his predecessors. That his wretched core, and Republican toadies, seem to share a similar disdain for honorable national behavior should disqualify them from governance…more on that in November.

In addition to the US, the Iran Nuclear Deal has six signatories, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and Iran. All have made clear their visceral opposition to the US undercutting the pact’s terms, and warned such actions could spark regional Mideast chaos. Moreover, it has been implied publicly, and surely conveyed to Trump privately, that this is a biggie, abrogating the deal will fully discredit the US as a partner, let alone leader, in any collective approach to the region. Moreover, the other signatories could simply ignore the US and refuse to impose new sanctions, which would fully isolate us. Virtually every past US government official of note, Republican and Democrat, has voiced similar concerns. Nobody believes Trump will heed them.

And what is driving the President to yet again isolate us from our allies and fully breach US diplomacy? Surely he has a grasp on the pact’s details and understands its strengths and weaknesses. He would never risk so much unless his exhaustive analysis led him to the conclusion he simply, in good conscience, had no choice. Right?

Opponents of the deal were always in two camps, those with genuine concerns about its ability to impact Iran’s nuclear program, and GOP/Fox AMers against everything Obama and disdainful of any diplomatic outreach to Iran. Real critics questioned verification and pointed out Iran could still develop ballistic missiles, which could then be armed fairly quickly if Iran decided to ramp back up its program. After all, it only runs to 2030. The zealots quickly linked the pact to Iranian support of Hezbollah and other groups on the terrorist list, declaring that anything less than full disavowal of its current foreign policy made the pact a sham.

A big part of the carrot Iran wanted from the deal was the unfreezing of assets dating back to the hostage crisis of 1978. This was no small figure, totaling billions of dollars of Iranian financial assets seized and held for near 40 years, most in overseas accounts. Also important to the Iranians was $400 million they had paid the US for military equipment that was never delivered after the Shah was deposed. With accrued interest the new figure was roughly $1.3 billion that the US agreed to make good on as part of the nuclear deal.

From the beginning of talks the shit river misrepresented this part of the equation, and focused on it as an outrageous cave to Iranian extortion, more than implying the assets were actually US tax payer money, billions of bucks Obama was ready to pay out of our pockets for a deal. The Hannitys and Limbaughs et al were full throated in their relentless parroting of this lie, creating imagery of bureaucrats carrying suitcases stuffed with US citizens’ hard earned cash to planes bound for Tehran, where the mullahs would get paid. Of course the wretched core ingested every word…as did our President.

Trump never gets much past that suitcase full of our money picture when shrilly denouncing the deal. At rallies it is always the same, complete with him pantomiming carrying them on the tarmac. Any poll of Foxland would clarify an overwhelming majority believe this falsehood. Sadly, it has been allowed to corrode the mainstream perception as well, a casualty of false equivalence.

Yet and still, a clear majority of Americans support the deal and do not wish to see it abandoned. But Trump has his campaign promise to keep and he’s never been one to let facts get in the way of his nihilist herd. As for US treaty obligations…that’s for suckers. Does Trump still believe Hannity’s fantasy? Who knows? But at 2:00pm in the Rose Garden he likely will rely on it to cast us further adrift from a world we are supposed to lead, and then probably make a beeline to his TV, anxious for Ernie Gutfeld’s thumbs up. Pray for your planet. BC