By Sid Schwab / Herald Columnist
Question: If you facilitate a peace plan in the Middle East, but foment brutal reprisals against your political opponents at home and murder people in boats in international waters, do you deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?
Because pacifying the Middle East has eluded prior presidents, it’s worth asking, despite those mitigating factors. If the Donald Trump-involved peace plan proves durable, and if displaced Palestinians find permanent, acceptable homes where they can thrive, hand him the prize. Trump being Trump, he flew to Egypt and Israel to bask in praise, much of which he lavished on himself. Also being Trump, he glorified the area’s dictators, admired their unrestricted power (Daily Beast: tinyurl.com/diktat4), and disgorged his usual grievances about people he dislikes back home (NJ.com: tinyurl.com/hegottaBhe).
Nevertheless, the exchange of 20 Israeli prisoners held by Hamas and about 2,000 Palestinians held by Israel is an achievement for which Trump deserves credit, whatever his role within the team that pulled it off. But, knowing Trump to be the grifter he’s been since his simulacrum of adulthood, there are justifiable concerns. In particular, the board of overseers created to supervise the redevelopment and management of Gaza, to be headed by Trump. It’s unknown whether or what he offered to the surrounding states that have signed onto the deal, but we know Trump et fils have been proposing Trump hotels and golf courses there for years, turning the area into a remunerative paradise. Grifts я him. As proof, amidst it all, the “president” of the United States is hustling overpriced, low-quality watches (Daily Beast: tinyurl.com/2scamU) like a carnival barker. It’s embarrassing (Trump Watches:tinyurl.com/2time4u).
It’s reasonable to assume Qatar, for one, will get a piece of the action for its $400 million high-flying gift, and after the Trump-approved military “facility” is completed in Idaho. We refer to the project about which Pentagon Pete exulted, “I’m also proud that today we’re announcing we’re signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emeri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho. The location will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots.” After the appropriately shocked response, even from MAGA, America’s highly qualified SecWar clarified: “[T]o be clear, Qatar will not have their own base in the United States — nor anything like a base.” So, OK. Nothing like a base. A facility. Within an American military base. With planes and pilots. And buildings. Definitely not base-like, though. Welcome in, Hamas-funders but not Hispanics (Counter Extremism Project: tinyurl.com/2extreme4u).
If, a year from now, peace prevails, Hamas is defanged, the rebuilding is something other than a cash cow for Trump, sheiks, princes, and emirs, and Palestinians and Israelis are happy and secure, I’ll nominate him if no one else will (Daily Kos: tinyurl.com/daPrize4u).
Now that he solved the world’s most enduring geopolitical problem, as opposed to its most existentially grave one, climate change, which he’s intentionally making worse, it’d be great if he’d devote the rest of his term(s?) to brokering peace within the United States, by ending his verbal and military attacks on Democrats and lies about liberals. A nice start would be to acknowledge that this weekend’s nationwide “No Kings” marches are constitutionally protected, essentially American forms of protest. Even better, he could take its message to heart.
But that would require cerebral processing power; something it increasingly appears he’s lacking. Like when he posted that “the Biden FBI” placed 274 agents within the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol crowd at a time when it was he, not Biden, in office. A lie, or dementia? Does it matter?
Instead, we have Holy Mike Johnson, who takes directions directly from God, which means one of them is a liar and I’m guessing it’s Mike, characterizing the marches as “a hate America rally” run by “the pro-Hamas wing and antifa people.” Right. To advocate for free speech, fair elections, equal rights, unsuppressed education and constitutionally contained leadership is to hate America. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, a comical downgrade from Pete Buttigieg, said they’re paid protestors. I’ll be there. Where do I get my paycheck? Or cash? Will George Soros be there, handing it out?
Declaring antifa a terrorist organization, Trump, who is demonstrably working to overthrow the United States government, law enforcement, and our system of laws, issued a proclamation stating, “Antifa … explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law.”
Explicitly? Where? Is there a manifesto? Read us, Dear Leader, those explicit words. Where are the terrorists’ headquarters? Why haven’t they been raided? Yes, there have been people dressed in black, mixed in with and far outnumbered by peaceful protestors, calling themselves antifa. Some have done bad things. Some, according to the FBI when it was credible, were rightwing provocateurs (Reuters: tinyurl.com/poseurs4u), So some people call themselves antifa. That doesn’t make it an organization by any definition, terrorist or otherwise.
America’s “president” is desperate to create violence to justify a permanent, military-backed, authoritarian takeover. Resistance, then, like “No Kings” marches, becomes a zero-sum game. It will end, one way or another.
Email Sid Schwab at columnsid@gmail.com.
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