In response to claims of Trump greatness
While with the Marine Corps in Da Nang, Vietnam, I learned to hate fighting without clear strategic purpose. Now, President Trump has pulled troops from their mission in Syria, which, in part, was protecting Kurdish allies from Turkish assault. But, far from bringing them home, he has assigned them the duty of “protecting the oil.” From whom? The Kurds, who survive because of it? The Syrians, whose country it is? The Russians, Mr. Trump’s best friends? The Turks, in case their incursion into Syria becomes an invasion?
What we have here is a new mission without clear strategic purpose. Hopefully, it will not be the FUBAR that that other great president ordered in Grenada, but it is hard to be confident.
President Trump has promised his first quarter’s salary (which, at the beginning, he declared that he would not take at all) to the VA. He is a self-proclaimed billionaire, so the donation of $100,000 that he has already disclaimed is far from impressive.
Mr. Trump ordered that the USA recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, moving our Embassy there. The action received mixed reviews. East Jerusalem is still the capital of Palestine, and the boundary is in dispute. Israel still calls Tel Aviv its capital, so the recognition was as much a provocation as a move forward for Israel. The Palestinians are still in an uproar.
In North Korea, Mr. Kim has swelled in prestige from President Trump’s attention and praise while treating his people like his personal property. Mr. Kim has ramped up his nuclear program, and his missile program; but, because Mr. Trump has asked, he has shipped us some 65-year-old corpses that may or may not be US POWs.
Remember that the horrible condition of the VA care system was revealed under President Obama, and that it was the same horrible organization that he inherited from President Bush. The improvements Mr. Trump is claiming credit for were already under way during Mr. Obama’s watch. Almost all the VA improvements claimed by Mr. Trump were, in fact, implemented under Mr. Obama.
By the way, the Secret Service pays to stay at Mar-A-Lago. One set of invoices was for over $63,000for two months. Maybe that is how he covers his donation to the VA.
Bill Gillmore
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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