From Mark Wauck: “If it’s Thursday, Are There Talks In Islamabad?

Sadly, I agree. Trump’s character flaws (mainly his narcissism) have gotten worse–much worse, to the point that they endanger the world economy, and GOP, and the U.S. standing in the world.

From Mark Wauck, “If it’s Thursday, Are There Talks In Islamabad?”

The problematic behavior he has exhibited throughout his adult life is, rather, due to character flaws that have long been on open display—especially a strong narcissistic streak that leads him to regularly gamble on risky actions to bolster his grandiose ego needs. These problems probably also explain the astonishing degree to which Trump indulges in wildly inappropriate rhetoric and even openly lies. It’s gotten to the point that it’s now difficult to distinguish what Trump truly believes from his deliberate gaslighting.

I certainly agree that it’s entirely possible, even likely, that aged based mental changes are exacerbating these tendencies and character flaws and leading to repeated disastrous judgment calls. I continue to believe that, within normal limits, Trump understands that his actions have led to disastrous results. However, in line with his character flaws and age related decline in his ability to take corrective action—especially recognizing his own responsibility—his reaction is twofold. First, he seeks devious ways to avoid responsibility and to manipulate those who oppose him. This is entirely in line with his past. However, second, he now—to a degree that is exaggerated beyond his past behavior—lashes out inappropriately against all opposition in counterproductive ways. Thus we see unstable and wild swings of mood and emotional reactions, tempered at times by a return to his shrewder past. The trend is clearly downward, and especially because his narcissism has led him to surround himself to an unprecedented degree with conniving and incompetent ass kissers—people who are willing to feed his ego, but often for their own fanatical purposes. And Jewish Nationalists figure they’ve just bought Trump and the GOP—and lots more war and killing:

Megatron @Megatron_ron

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JUST IN: Israeli megadonor Miriam Adelson gives $40 million to Republican super PACs for midterm elections.

For these reasons I’m very pessimistic about any peaceful resolution to Trump’s war on Iran. I believe that Trump is still quite capable of understanding that any attempt at a TACO in this situation will fool no one. No walkaway is possible without a huge loss of US strategic depth, both in purely military terms (loss of bases, logistic hubs, etc.) as well as in financial and diplomatic influence. Trump has well and truly boxed himself in. A TACO move may be theoretically possible, but seems very unlikely in view of Trump’s character flaws, which manifest in his adamant refusal to acknowledge mistakes, or even responsibility for his decisions and actions. He continues to double down on disastrous mistakes, to the extent that corrective action to reverse the effects of those mistakes is now impossible in the real world.

Continues…