The promise Trump should have kept

Many supporters are lauding Trump for following through on campaign promises to dump regulations, cut taxes, end health insurance for the needy, appoint corporatist judges, lay off criticizing urban police forces, promote voter restriction laws, defund Planned Parenthood for starters. But the promise that peeked us peaceniks, scaling back the US footprint overseas, has been sorrowfully discarded for going full monty on rampant militarism. Let us count the ways far beyond the murderous, criminal bombing of Syria April 6:

• Trump had quietly expanded war zones for US operations  in Somalia and Yemen
• Making it easier to launch counter terrorism strikes anywhere in the world
• Accelerating drone strikes from one every 5.5 days under Obama to 1.8 days
• Loosening Obama administration guidelines designed to limit civilian casualties from illegal bombings
• Considering military requests for more canon fodder for America's never ending Afghan war
• Sending ships near North Korea to rattle sabers as well as considering putting nukes in South Korea; even assassinating North Korea's Kim Jong-un. 
• Ended the Obama administration policy of announcing new troop deployments in the Middle East and Africa. 
• Scuttled Defense Secretary 'Mad Dog' Mattis plan to board Iranian ships in international waters only when the story was leaked prematurely. 
• Promised the military a 10% budget raise of a cool $54 billion to ensure their allegiance for this madness. 

This is just the new warmongering we're aware of. Be very afraid for your children and grandchildren's future. With Trump it's every bad promise kept; the one decent promise dumped. 

Walt Zlotow

Glen Ellyn