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IRAN CEASEFIRE - When you have two “B.S.” artists like Donald Trump and the Iranian Mullahs talking peace, one has to familiarize oneself with their personal ideologies and goals to realize what’s REALLY happening.
Because in the end, Trump KNOWS that regime change is the only way out with respect to Iran, and ditto for Israel, and ditto for all the Arab states who did and who didn’t (yet) sign the Abraham Peace Accords, and ditto for Europe.
Because in the end, the Iranian theocracy KNOWS that if it somehow survives this it can survive anything, and demands to be an equal with the U.S. and Israel (which for years it’s called for the destruction of both nations as “the Great Satan” and “the Little Satan”).
What Trump and the U.S. did NOT expect was for NATO to make the U.S. the villain in this recent conflict after Western Europe screamed for an end to the deaths of Gazans who were used by the tens of thousands as human shields (horrifying to observe how many living there were OK with that)…
…and then Western Europe and much of “the enlightened West” and the U.N. completely sent the memories of 30-40,000 Iranians slaughtered within a few days straight to Hades.
Most recently, Pope Leo XIV has spoken precious little about the Iranian slaughter, and chosen to blame President Trump and the U.S. as the aggressors (and Israel, to boot) for the current Iran/U.S. conflict.
Of course, it’s very easy for the “brave” Pope Leo XIV to take on Trump when he’s sheltered behind protected walls, and let Christians and Catholics remain persecuted, attacked and killed all over the world.
In countering Pope Leo XIV Trump. is again boorishly stating his case, saying things in the wrong way, and alienating many who otherwise would agree that Pope Leo XIV is perhaps part of the problem, and wondering which side he’s advocating for.
I suppose this is what “Never Again” looks like, and what “Iran Will Never Have Nukes” looks like, and with all the worldwide teeth-gritting and eyes-clenching in willful denial of the harsh realities, and heads-turning away, and victim-blaming…
…it’s no wonder why so many believe conspiracies that President Franklin D. Roosevelt either ignored, or even knew, about a potential attack on Pearl Harbor.
Because as with the capital of Israel being Jerusalem, and defending and promoting U.S. and Western cultures and survival, kicking the can down the road is what too many humans do best.
In the case of Nazi Germany, getting through the Depression of the 1930’s was just too much for the U.S. and the World to endure while military threats were growing with the Axis Powers (which originally included the USSR).
In the case of the Iranian Islamofascists, who scare the begeezus out of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and most the Arab Gulf states to push for open relations with their old enemy Israel, getting over the COVID Depression and an ever more competitive global economy is too much to endure while the Iran/Hezbollah/Hamas/Houthis loom large.
Meanwhile, the U.N. has just promoted Iran, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Sudan to civil rights, women’s rights, human rights, disarmament, and counterterrorism.
Was it smart on Easter for President Trump to throw out social media posts about ending a 6,000-year-old civilization, bombing Iran to the Stone Age, and praising Allah? Not really!
Did it get the world to finally get off its collective rear ends and realize that the Iranian intransigence was going to lead to a devastation of Iran that President Trump and the U.S. Military (and the suffering Iranian people) did not want?
Apparently so.
An honest broker, Pakistan (who has its own interesting history shielding Osama Bin Laden and many of the Taliban who resisted Afghanistan modernization during the American occupation), weighed in and offered a “tactful” and “face-saving” way out for both President Trump and the Iranian theocracy.
And for awhile, those who moaned and fretted about “Trump is going to bomb Iran back to the Stone Age!” then moaned and fretted about “we can’t do a peace deal with the Islamist/Nazis of Iran!”
First it was “Trump is Hitler!” and then it became “TACO!” because Trump Always Chickens Out”.
So which is it? What’s the reality? What’s the way forward? IS there a way forward?
Maybe. Hopefully. But it won’t be resolved by those who decided it was just easier for Jews throughout the world to die and live in fear, that it was OK for Iranians and other Arab peoples to die and live in fear, and who recommend kicking the can down the road and “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
I am not the only observer who’s watched the Mideast with concern and fear for most of his life, and who had a strong feeling that this “ceasefire” was just Kabuki theater.
Nonsense. Theatrics. Face-saving. Claiming to want peace when war and the defeat of one side or the other was the ONLY long-term resolution.
For those who want to continue deluding themselves, here’s a few factoids and opinions to consider:
1. When President Trump and many in the West told the Iranians to “rise up”, only to have the Iranians mullahs call in their Hezbollah troops from Lebanon and Syria and Iraq to slaughter 30-40,000 Iranian civilians within a few days in January of this year, it was OVER for the Trump Administration to seek anything but (ultimately, in one way, shape, or form) regime change.
2. When President Trump and many in the West wanted “no nukes, ever, Ever, EVER!” for the Iranian regime, and the regime said “we will die first” the concept of peace was OVER.
3. When the Iranians wanted to spin this as a victory on THEIR part, get reparations from the U.S. and have its assets unfrozen, the concept of peace was OVER.
So, to save face, Vice-President J.D. Vance went over to Pakistan, spent a lot of time, and made it clear no nukes, open the Strait of Hormuz, and stop the civilian killing were the talking points of the U.S.
So, to save face, the Iranian/mullah regime went over to Pakistan, spent a lot of time, and made it clear they WOULD have nukes, would NOT open the Strait of Hormuz, and demand reparations from the U.S. because THEY were the victims.
Enter a host of “allies” from NATO who know darned well that the U.S. and Israel are doing the dirty work they’ve run away from, and they’ll be happy to help after the conflict and the risks are over with, and the only path forward is that the U.S. will keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
Closer conflicts will occur between the Iranian and U.S. Militaries, and both sides will want to “bring it on”.
Both sides had a chance to proclaim, “WE wanted peace, but THEY do NOT!”
But at least this inevitable conflict will continue in earnest, as it was always tragically doomed to do…because the Iranian mullahs will choose death before defeat, and Trump is happy to give them just that…death.
And the face-saving peace talks and ceasefire. Sheesh—from Lebanon to Gaza to the Houthis to Iran, this is a “cage match” where only one will emerge victorious…
…and alive.
(Kenneth S. Alpern, M.D, is a dermatologist who has served in clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties, and is a proud husband and father. He was active for 20 years on the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC) as a Board Member focused on Planning and Transportation, and helped lead the grassroots efforts of the Expo Line as well as connecting LAX to MetroRail. His latest project is his fictional online book entitled The Unforgotten Tales of Middle-Earth, and can be reached at [email protected]. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Dr. Alpern.)
