Pompeo, Volcanically Spewing Forth Trump

MIKE POMPEO, the ultra conservative former House of Representative member from Kansas, and now serving, at least for the moment, as President Donald J. Trump's thirty fourth Secretary of State, did something at once bizarre, funny, crazy ,and idiotic today, and to top it all off, he did it in Egypt. What better place to give a clear and present demonstration of the renowned American penchant for the peculiar? Pompeo's very name evinces images of unrestricted volcanic spew and, like all good Trump-ettes, he spewed forth violently, doing justice to his moniker. First, in front of an Egyptian university audience, near where Barack Obama eight years ago gave an eloquent, conciliatory, peace loving speech intended to help unite the Islamic and non Islamic worlds, the great prevaricating volcano spewed forth great invective against Obama's middle east policy of peace and cooperation, and Obama's policy of telling the truth about past American mistakes, by spewing that "the era of self inflicted American shame is over". As if honestly admitting American mistakes is indulging in self inflicted shame. For people of wisdom and integrity, none of whom happen to serve in the Trump administration, self inflicted shame is the best kind. These United States of Arrogance could use a touch of shame and humility, for atrocities past and present, as the integrity gifted understand, but, alas, Trump's administration prefers arrogance and bombast to class. To petty tyrants like trump and those who support him, demonstrations of high character, such as Obama consistently provided, are weakness, blow hard arrogance is strength, chaos is fun, and incessant dishonesty is the norm. Pompeo went totally crazy when he asserted that henceforth, America would proceed fro ma position of strength, and would work to ensure that all "Iranian boots" as he cleverly put it, are eventually evicted from Syria, even as Trump plans, or so he said, to remove all American armed forces from that beleaguered country. Precisely how the United States plans to controls matters in Syria and assert its will in the middle est while removing troops therefrom was not explained, probably because it can't be. the truly funny part of Pompeo's spew was his insistence that under Trump, American foreign policy is back on track, that bullies, tyrants and enemies are finally being conftonted, and that America's friends are being respected. Actually, quite the opposite is true. Trump cowers before an appeases people like Vladimir Putin, and people like the dictator of North Korea, while alienating America's traditional allies, such as NATO, by removing the U.s. from treaties such as the one prohibiting Iran from having nuclear bombs, and the one in Paris intended to fight climate change. Like all bullies and thugs, Trump verbally attacks friends, fearing no reprisal, and bows to the enemies he so fears. Of course, he has every reason to fear Putin, considering all the help the Russians seem to have provided Trump in getting the great prevaricator elected in the first place. Putin and the Russians have much leverage over Trump, but that's another story, one which will be told, in due time, by Robert Mueller.