Donor Matching Funds Announced!

A generous donor has offered to match all contributions dollar-for-dollar for the next $10,000 raised, doubling the impact of your donation and helping us reach our fundraising goal faster.

$18,010 of $60,000 raised

Ratcheting Down

by | Jan 8, 2020

Wednesday morning Trump announced new sanctions on Iran rather than sending in the B-52s in response to Iran’s missile attack response to America’s killing of their top general Qassem Soleimani. So that’s wrong but sure could be worse.

Then he declared that the UN Security Council powers must help him negotiate a brand new better nuclear deal to replace the last one; a total non-starter, and he must know that. So that just amounts to filler and bluster.

Trump then emphasized America’s energy independence from the Middle East. A great line about how now we’re leaving would have gone great right there. #Hope #Change

Surprisingly, he also emphasized Iran’s help in the fight against the Islamic State as a continuing opportunity for cooperation, which is another signal toward de-escalation.

This entire crisis has been precipitated by the Trump government, with a possible assist from ISIS. Americans of all political persuasions should make their voices heard now: We oppose conflict and support the U.S. taking all opportunities to talk to Iran and diffuse this crisis.

And remember the Horton rule: attack the left from the left and the right from the right. In other words, when calling or otherwise addressing Republicans, be conservative in your opposition and the other way around too.

Cross-posted at Antiwar.com.

Scott Horton

Scott Horton

Scott Horton is director of the Libertarian Institute, editorial director of Antiwar.com, host of Antiwar Radio on Pacifica, 90.7 FM KPFK in Los Angeles, California and podcasts the Scott Horton Show from ScottHorton.org. He is the author of four books. He has conducted more than 6,000 interviews since 2003. Scott lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Larisa Alexandrovna Horton.

View all posts

Our Books

libertarian inst books

Related Articles

Related

Restricting Production

"At the bottom of the interventionist argument there is always the idea that the government or the state is an entity outside and above the social process of production, that it owns something which is not derived from taxing its subjects, and that it can spend this...

read more

“Capitalism” Is about Freedom, Not Capital

"Why 'capitalism'? Words have an unfortunate tendency to confuse. Free market capitalism is not really about capital, it is about handing control of the economy from the top to billions of independent consumers, entrepreneurs and workers, and allowing them to make...

read more

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This