Chicago Tribune needs to confront the ghastly criminality of Trump’s second criminal war this year

Chicago Tribune needs to confront the ghastly criminality of Trump’s second criminal war this year

 

The Trib’s long editorial on Trump’s unprovoked, immoral, criminal war on Iran gives tacit approval to it without a hint of its murderous criminality. “Trump and his Israeli partners knew what they did not like in Iran and we don’t disagree.” That sure sounds like an endorsement of criminal war that should have Trump and his partner, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the dock at The Hague for war crimes.

 

Trump’s attack had nothing to do with defense of America’s national security interests. Alleging Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei led a repressive, theocratic, medieval regime is not a justification for launching preemptive war.

 The Trib accuses Iran of sponsoring terrorism when, unlike Trump, Ali Khamenei didn’t bomb 7 countries in 2025 killing untold thousands. If the Trib is concerned about sponsors of terrorism, a good starting point is Donald J. Trump. 

 The Trib notes that Ali Khamenei “threatened the security of Israel,” but fails to note that Israel killed over a thousand Iranians in their 12 day preemptive war last June. Ali Khamenei and Iran were never a threat to Israel’s security. They represented a potential rival to Israel for Middle East dominance that had to be eliminated with American firepower and now American blood. Being a hegemonic rival is not grounds for preemptive war.  

 

Trump’s ongoing, murderous war aside, the Trib focused instead on Ali Khamenei’s “plans for a nuclear weapon.” Why does the Trib ignore that Ali Khamenei not only forbid nukes, he signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015 which guaranteed Iran would never get one. Guess who blew up that signature Obama achievement? Donald Trump in 2018. Reason? The JCPOA prevented regime change demanded by Israel to be implemented by the United States.

 It took 8 years but that regime change is underway in a grotesque criminal war that will kill many thousands, possibly destabilize the Middle East and likely drive up energy prices in America to recessionary levels. 

Now with 3 Americans dead and 5 seriously wounded due to Trump’s criminality, the Chicago Tribune might consider a follow up editorial titled ‘We will not miss the President of the United States. His only plan was endless, senseless war.’

Walt Zlotow  West Suburban Peace Coalition  Glen Ellyn IL 

Obama Center defiles Jackson Park, Hyde Park, Chicago

Obama Center defiles Jackson Park, Hyde Park, Chicago

 

Lived in Hyde Park for 10 years and marveled at its architecture, both old and new. Uplifted by the famed UChicago campus every day I traversed it 4 years as an undergrad. The surrounding Hyde Park neighborhood was filled with architectural gems.

 

While visiting my Hyde Park sister Saturday, we took a quick mile hop to see the Barack Obama Presidential Center. As we approached by car I exclaimed “Is that ugly slab arising out of Jackson Park the BOPC?”

 

It sure was. We exited the car for a closer look. With each step it became uglier than first viewing. The inscription halfway up intended to inspire was so scrunched together as to be near unreadable.

It was the most hideous public building I’ve observed in my 81 years. As one always offended by ugly buildings that will last beyond our lifetimes, I’m thankful I will never see it again. It takes top prize in buildings I wish were never built, surpassing previous contenders for ugliest, the Thompson Center in the Loop and the renovated Soldier Field on the lakefront.

 

I have no quarrel building a presidential library. I’ve visited those of Honest Abe, James Garfield (located in his home), FDR, Truman, Ike, JFK and Gerald Ford. All were decent to inspiring (Fords') architecturally and were befitting of the president they honored. The Barack Obama Presidential Center is not.

 

I do hope the completed BOPC will benefit the community and serve historical presidential and American scholarship.

 

But a word of caution to Joe Biden, Donald Trump and the architects they select to design their presidential libraries. Don’t do ugly.

 

Walt Zlotow   Glen Ellyn IL

Schumer, Jeffries blink…Senate, House to vote on War Powers Resolution next week to stop Trump’s criminal war on Iran

 Schumer, Jeffries blink…Senate, House to vote on War Powers Resolution next week to stop Trump’s criminal war on Iran

The two Democratic leaders in Congress failed in their attempt to quash a bi partisan War Powers Resolution demanding Trump hold off any war on Iran till he makes the case before Congress. That’s not just morally required, it’s constitutionally required.


Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries would much prefer Congress to remain constitutionally silent. They both would like to see Trump demolish Iran on behalf of Israel, while self-destructing his presidency when the toll of senseless war visits the homeland. But they’re now on board, bowing to pressure from congressional Democratic peace advocates and the majority of Americans who loathe the rush to war to serve Israel’s regional hegemonic interests, not America’s national security interests.

Alas, the vote next week could be seven long days from now, plenty of time for Trump to act unilaterally, the Congress, the Constitution, the American people be damned.

Walt Zlotow West Suburban Peace Coalition

Democratic congressional leaders are working to stop War Powers Resolution opposing Trump’s criminal Iran war

Democratic congressional leaders are working to stop War Powers Resolution opposing Trump’s criminal Iran war

Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are horrified that a bipartisan War Powers Resolution to stop Trump’s planned criminal war on Iran might actually come to a vote this week.

The last thing they want is for Democrats, including themselves, to go on record to stop Trump from his dastardly planned attack. Why? Both leaders, like many fellow Democrats, support the likely upcoming Trump attack but are loathe to admit such. They either truly believe the nonsense Iran is seeking nuclear weapons and represents a threat to the homeland…or they are simply aligning themselves with Israel’s interests, not America’s, due to the millions pumped into Democratic campaign coffers by the Israel lobby.

Neither Schumer nor Jeffries utter a word about their pro Israel, pro Iran war beliefs. They know a large majority of voters reject Trump’s rush to war to cater to Israel’s military interests over America’s national security interests. Schumer and Jeffries stay silent so Trump can self-destruct when US body bags arrive home from Iran’s missile killing fields.

Unlike pro Israel Republican lawmakers who brag about their fealty to Israel and the need to topple Iran into failed state status, Democratic lawmakers want it both ways. Destroy Iran while laying the blame for all the lethal blowback killing Americans on Trump’s doorstep.

Schumer and Jeffries had no issue supporting the War Powers Resolution to stop Trump from invading Venezuela to kidnap its president. That resolution neither affected Israel nor was likely to incur massive US casualties. Voting for the resolution, bound to fail due to solid Republican support, brought no political fallout.

Schumer and Jeffries will not publically oppose bringing the Iran War Powers Resolution to a vote. They can’t leave any fingerprints on their opposition to it. Behind the scenes they offer process concerns, objections and caucus unity arguments to slow down the march to a vote; indeed possibly prevent it before Trump launches possible the most catastrophic war this century.

Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries want their cake and eat it too. Destroy Iran and the Trump presidency by remaining AWOL from the most critical issue they have ever faced. You cannot get more cynical than the Schumer, Jeffries tag team allowing Trump to blunder into catastrophic war to serve a foreign government.

Walt Zlotow

West Suburban Peace Coalition 

Republicans and Democrats on loving US wars worldwide: Tweedledum and Tweedledee

 Republicans and Democrats on loving US wars worldwide: Tweedledum and Tweedledee

There is only one issue upon which Republicans and Democrats generally agree. War.

In the first 26 years of century 21, two Republican and two Democratic presidents have followed the hallowed American mantra that war is the health of the state. Not for the people, just the leaders who practice war.

George W. Bush killed hundreds of thousands including, over 5,000 Americans, in his made up Afghan an Iraq wars. Barack Obama killed thousands turning Libya into a failed state, weaponized Islamic terrorists to destabilize Syria, and fueled Saudi Arabia’s four year war destroying Yemen. Joe Biden enabled Israeli genocide in Gaza and largely destroyed Ukraine in his senseless proxy war to weaken Russia. Donald Trump bombed 7 countries in 2025 killing thousands and is now on the cusp of igniting the most massive war this century to destroy Iran.

Presidents use war to goose the economy by destroying other lands rather than uplifting the domestic commons. War extends their control over other countries and their resources. It serves to distract from unsolved domestic problems, even deflect from personal failings and scandals. It expands the imperial presidency.

Republicans, more than Democrats, glory in starting endless wars and boasting about them, but not by much. While Trump and his war loving advisors march a massive armada off Iran and tout their ability to destroy Iran to please Israel, Democrats remain largely silent and AWOL from the urgent need to prevent what could add thousands of Americans and Israelis to the massive Iranian body count incurred should Trump attack.

Instead of calling Trump’s rush to war a deranged, criminal war that should get him prosecuted as a war criminal, Democrats confine their criticism to Trump’s refusal to have Congress declare war. Democrats basically agree with Trump’s war justification that Iran is building nuclear weapons and represents a direct threat to US national security interests. They imply that Congress would greenlight the war if Trump would only allow them to do their constitutional duty.

Bunk. Democrats have no interest whatsoever in being consulted. Their War Power Resolutions, whether to prevent Trump from attacking Venezuela to kidnap their president or launching massive bombing on Iran, are empty virtue signaling. Democrats vote for them knowing they will fail. If Trump’s war goes well, such as with kidnaping Venezuelan President Maduro, Democrats simply move on to trash his domestic policies and character flaws instead of calling out the barbarity of his war polices. If Trump’s militarism backfires, Democrats play politics, falsely charging the resulting disaster would never had occurred had they been consulted.

Did congressional Democrats offer up War Power Resolutions to stop Democrat Biden from weaponizing and cheering on Israel’s genocide in Gaza or demanding Ukraine keep fighting Russia with tens of billions in US weapons when an early peace treaty was ready for signature? Of course not. Democrats scrubbed the word genocide from their vocabulary, saying those tens of billions in genocide weapons were simply for Israeli self defense.

And that hundred seventy billion to keep the war in Ukraine raging? Democrats concurred that was to keep Putin from recreating the Soviet Union, marching into Western Europe, maybe even threatening America. That was a bipartisan fantasy to justify senseless and failed proxy war.

When Democratic President Obama was enabling the coup that ousted Russian leaning Ukrainian President Yanukovych in 2014, Democrats were all in, proclaiming Russia was powerless to respond. When Russia finally responded militarily eight years later, Democrats bought Biden’s astonishing claim ‘no US provocation here...Putin woke up one morning and decided to invade’

As we head into the midterms that may bring Democrats congressional control, Democrats will utter nary a word about Trump’s murderous foreign policies bringing death to thousands, further destroying Ukraine, continuing the genocidal ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza and possibly crushing Iran. Why not? Democrats know they are Tweedledum to Republicans Tweedledee when it comes to endless war…the only thing on which they agree.

66 years of US sanctions and embargo degrading Cuba have become depraved under Trump

 66 years of US sanctions and embargo degrading Cuba have become depraved under Trump

President Trump just made one of the most depraved statements about destroying living conditions for a foreign people ever uttered by a US president. “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”

Trump doesn’t just talk depravity. He practices depravity. He’s ratcheted up America’s 66 yearlong campaign of economic sanctions and embargo to unprecedented heights. For the 11 million beleaguered Cuban people that means a new low in living standards from Trump’s cruelty.

Trump‘s criminal intervention in Venezuela allows him to cut off Venezuelan oil which suppled one third of Cuba’s oil. Not satisfied with that, Trump is pressuring Mexico to cut off the 44% of Cuban oil it supplies. If successful that would cut Cuba's oil supplies by 78%. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum cancel one oil shipment but says Mexico will still provide Cuba oil based on "humanitarian needs." Tho reducing oil shipments, Mexico is sending two ships containing 800 tons of desperately needed food, water and hygiene products. Hopefully Trump won’t mistake the Mexican ships for drug boats to be obliterated.

The oil shortage has already created a humanitarian crisis as less than half of Havana’s garbage trucks have fuel to cope with mountains of waste. Russia has ordered all its tourists out of Cuba. The collapsing tourist industry is destroying one of Cuba’s last economic lifelines.

But that is not good enough for Trump who’s considering a total blockade on oil imports to collapse the Cuban economy and depose the communist government. Last month Trump signed an executive order imposing tariffs on any country that sends oil to Cuba. Seeking to out-deprave the depraved Trump when it comes to Cuba, U.S. Charge d Affaires in Havana Mike Hammer told his staff “Now there is going to be a real blockade. Nothing is getting in. No more oil is coming.”

Nine years ago my wife and I visited Cuba for 10 days before newly elected Trump began dismantling Obama’s wonderful détente with Cuba. While his détente reestablished diplomatic relations and increased badly needed US tourism, it did not end the embargo which requires Congressional legislation. It was heartbreaking being there to ponder the madness of US policy inflicting such cruelty on such a beautiful country and its people for the past 57 years.

I’d been studying US Cuban relations since January 1, 1959 when news broke on Castro’s successful takedown of the brutal US supported Batista regime. I welcomed the news that 60 years of US exploitation of Cuba following our takeover of Cuba from Spain in 1898 had ended. Sadly, Ike rescinded his initial outreach to Castro within a year over US obsession in destroying any popular left wing government seeking to uplift its people suffering under colonialism.

My visit greatly expanded all I’d been studying about Cuba since 1959. It inspired me to develop a talk entitled ‘US Cuban Relations 1898 to Present: What They Didn’t Teach Us in School’ which I’ve presented many times. I end the talk imploring attendees to stay informed, support end to America’s cruel, heatless embargo, and visit Cuba to see for yourself its beauty and the need to end senseless US cruelty.

Alas, at next presentation I’ll drop the third request they visit Cuba to see for themselves its beauty and its people. The current depraved US administration is making Cuba unlivable for its 11 million citizens and any tourist who dares visit.

Walt Zlotow West Suburban Peace Coalition Glen Ellyn IL

Trump buildup for war with Iran mimics George W. Bush’s buildup for 2003 Iraq war

 Trump buildup for war with Iran mimics George W. Bush’s buildup for 2003 Iraq war

Back in 2002 the US demanded Iraq give up its WMD, weapons of mass destruction, ostensibly to prevent another 911 attack a year earlier. To back up its demand the US threatened attacking the Iraqi regime to safeguard the Homeland.

Along with most Americans, I fell for the line that the US would stand down due to the weapons inspectors and intelligence resources in Iraq concluding Iraq had no WMD and was not a threat to America whatsoever.

Then in August 2002, I read a report buried deep in the Chicago Tribune describing America’s massive military buildup, concluding with the strong implication that such a buildup made attack on Iraq inevitable with nothing Iraq could do to prevent it.

At that moment I knew everything the Bush administration said about the Iraqi danger was a vicious lie in service of ousting Saddam Hussein and conquering Iraq. Seven months later, contrary to all the evidence, Bush did precisely that.

I’m getting the same ominous feeling when I hear Trump bragging out his massive buildup of air and naval forces near Iran poised to attack should Iran not capitulate to Trump’s non-negotiable demands that Iran give up its missile defense resources and cease supporting its regional allies.

Trump frames the ongoing negotiations as designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. This despite Trump’s bragging that he completely destroyed their nuclear program with his one-off bombing last June in support of Israel’s 12 day war on Iran that utterly failed to topple the Iranian regime.

The current negotiations in Geneva have nothing to do with Iran’s nuclear weapons program since, like Iraq’s imaginary WMD program in 2002, Iran has none. Indeed, for verification Iran is willing to negotiate limited nuclear enrichment for peaceful domestic purposes; even allow inspections to verify compliance But they will never negotiate away their missile program which is their only defense against further Israeli, US attacks such as they incurred last June.

Another similarity to Bush’s illegal invasion of Iraq 23 year ago? It had nothing to do with vital US national interests. It had to do with Israeli demands that successive US administrations bought up with Israel Lobby money, take out any Israeli rivals for Middle East hegemony.

Trump’s fealty to Israeli demands, encouraged by their near quarter billion in campaign support, fueled Trump’s blowing up Obama’s sensible 2015 Iran nuclear agreement in 2018. He lied to us then how the deal favored Iran by not ending its nuclear bomb program that did not exist. Trump is lying to us now on the urgency of destroying Iranian sovereignty which includes the right to self-defense.

But there is one huge difference between Trump’s trumped up Iranian threat likely presaging all out war today and George W. Bush’s falsified Iraqi threat in 2002. Unlike Iraq which had no defensive military means and no powerful allies to assist his defense, Iran has both.

They have thousands of missiles scattered thruout their large country capable of inflicting massive damage on US and Israeli forces. In addition they are getting defensive support from Russia and especially China in the form of intelligence resources to track approaching US bombers and provide accurate targeting information in retaliation.

History shows that sending a military armada near a pretend enemy never gets recalled. Its sole purpose is to attack and destroy based on a tissue of lies. And any lie and any ludicrous demand to negotiate an impossible deal in furtherance of war will be used to justify attack.

George W. Bush got 4,497 soldiers and 1,487 civilian contractors killed for nothing in his made up Iraq war. Trump’s march to war with Iran may make Bush’s folly pale in comparison.

Walt Zlotow West Suburban Peace Coalition Glen Ellyn IL

Very traumatic for whom Mr. Trump?

 Very traumatic for whom Mr. Trump?

President Trump recapped his sixth meeting this year with his real boss, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, by stating it will be “Very traumatic” for Iran if a nuclear deal isn’t reached soon.

With his vast military armada perched on Iran’s doorstep, Trump’s warning is clear. The US is preparing a massive attack to decapitate the Iranian regime and splinter Iran into a failed state. Of course this has nothing to do with US national security interests. It’s about Israel’s decade’s long demand that its US servants remove Israel’s last hegemonic rival for Middle East supremacy.

When asked about a timeline for Iran to capitulate to every US, Israeli demand that would essentially nullify Iranian sovereignty, Trump said “I guess over the next month. They should agree very quickly.” Netanyahu echoed that delusional assessment stating “The president believes the Iranians now understand who they are dealing with” (and that) “conditions could emerge for achieving a good agreement.”

Trump and Netanyahu know full well Iran will never negotiate away their ballistic missile defense which will devastate both US military forces and Israel itself once Trump launches all out war.

Knowing no deal is possible, Trump and Netanyahu likely spent their 3 hour meeting discussing when and how to destroy Iran militarily. The Israeli news site Ynet, concurred, stating the two leaders discussed military options and that Israeli officials expect the US will eventually attack Iran.

Best we in the peace community can hope for is that someone close to Trump convinces him that the trauma Trump threatens Iran with will boomerang into unfathomable trauma for the US and Israel as well as Iran.

Walt Zlotow  West Suburban Peace Coalition 

Walking away on top better than being airlifted away from the top

 Walking away on top better than being airlifted away from the top

Experiencing world class athletic success must be the most exhilarating drug ever. Once on top, it’s difficult to imagine one’s body will eventually betray the prowess that allowed the inhabitant to experience the glory sports stardom brings.

But history is replete with fabulous athletes who didn’t know when to walk away. The Sultan of Swat Babe Ruth was so slow in his last full Yankee season, pitchers refused to take the mound if he was bumbling around in left field. When the Yanks unceremoniously cut him loose after the '34 season, the Braves picked him up as a gate attraction for the ’35 season. A shadow of his former greatness, Ruth staggered off the field with 6 dingers and a .181 average in just 28 games.

Bronx Bomber Joe Louis, heavyweight champion from ’39 to ’40, came out of retirement highly overweight in 1950 at age 36 to pay off tax debts. Failing to regain the heavyweight title, Louis suffered 2 of only 3 losses in 69 fights, the last of which was a merciless beating by Rocky Marciano in 951. Rocky learned Joe’s departing lesson well, retiring on top as undefeated champ at 46-0.

That brings us to world class alpine skier Lindsey Vonn. Few such athletes reached the pinnacle of success achieved by Vonn: four World Cup championships, three Olympic medals including first American woman to win Olympic downhill gold. Vonn retired twice due to injuries but the lure of Olympic fame at the current Cortina Games was too much to resist, prompting her second comeback last November at age 41.

Even a torn ACL nine days before her first event could not dissuade Vonn from attempting the unattainable. Thirteen seconds into her run she suffered a catastrophic fall severely breaking her left leg. Three surgeries later Vonn is in for a long road ahead to simply enjoy normal, pain free mobility with likely decades to live.

Vonn’s ordeal should be a lesson to all great and not so great athletes to leave on a high note….not on a high mountain.

Guthrie kidnapping coverage symptomatic of failed mainstream media

 

Guthrie kidnapping coverage symptomatic of failed mainstream media

 

There are critical issues that mainstream media must cover to provide an informed American public. Continued death and destruction of Palestinians in Gaza and their homeland. America on the cusp of war with Iran that may blow up the Middle East. Ukraine being systematically destroyed by failed US proxy war against Russia. Cutting off oil to degrade the Cuban people and force regime change. Obliterating small unarmed boats off Venezuela and the violent kidnapping of its president to score political points back home. Refusal of the Trump administration to release the Epstein files to bring justice to Epstein’s sex trafficking victims. Refusal of the Trump administration to investigate the brutalization, even homicides of innocent citizens in Democratic cities.

 

These just scratch the surface of what mainstream news must cover in depth to foster an informed electorate. But mainstream news is not about informing the public. It is about entertaining the public to bring additional vast riches to the rich folks who run media outlets.

 

Case in point is the lengthy coverage of the February 1 Nancy Guthrie kidnapping in Arizona. Had Guthrie not been the mother of NBC news host Savannah Guthrie, the kidnapping would have been unmentioned as the other roughly 2,100 violent crimes committed on Americans that day.

 

Of course, any crime involving a celebrity will be mentioned on mainstream news. But the Guthrie coverage was both lengthy and largely uninformative while it pushed infinitely more important stories aside.

 

 The other night while watching an important piece on congressional wrangling over release of the Epstein files to bring justice to Epstein’s victims, MSNBC dramatically interrupted coverage with BREAKING NEWS. Why? To spend about 20 minutes to tell we clueless viewers nothing of value. What was the breaking news? A “person of interest” was detained for questioning. That was it. A reporter rushed to the investigation scene to repeat over and over that no information was being released. All the while the door cam video of the masked man at the door was repeated on an endless loop. As they say in Hollywood…’That’s entertainment.’

 

This worthless use of 20 minutes could have been handled in 20 seconds. ‘A person of interest has been detained in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping. No further information has been released.’  

 

Mainstream news coverage of important stories is either non-existent or so superficial it’s worthless.

 

Today legions of Americans lament how 77 million voters can elect an authoritarian con man who, among other crimes, unleashed masked thugs on American streets to inflict senseless violence in the name of law enforcement. Spend a little time watching mainstream news and you’ll know how.

Sixth Trump meeting with his de facto boss…good day to fire him

 Sixth Trump meeting with his de facto boss…good day to fire him

President Trump’s de jure, constitutional boss is We the People. 77 302,580 of us, giving Trump 58% of the Electoral College, hired him November 5, 2024. Trump serves and reports to Us.

But during the past 13 months he’s dismissed his true boss to take orders from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Support the Israeli genocide obliterating Palestinians in Gaza with billions in weapons…check. Conspire with Netanyahu to sucker punch Iran with a sneak attack to decapitate their regime last June…check. Support Israeli provocateurs to infiltrate domestic Iranian protests to overthrow the Iranian regime last December…check.

Netanyahu is furious both his murderous Iranian regime change ventures failed. So he demanded, and of course got, his sixth sit down with Trump scheduled for today. Topic Number One? Iran, and not to make peace with Iran, likely the next and most massive attack that will finally achieve Netanyahu’s cherished dream of a decapitated, degraded Israeli rival for Middle East supremacy.

At Netanyahu's behest Trump has moved a massive military armada into the region. Pulling back is near impossible when Trump’s boss demands he pull the trigger on senseless war that could blow up the Middle East, indeed possibly the world.

It would take a psychiatrist, maybe a team of psychiatrists, to unravel why Trump allows Netanyahu to be his real boss. It may simply be the near quarter of a billion dollars Netanyahu’s Israel Lobby has provided Trump’s campaign coffers since 2020.

Regardless, someone in the Trump orbit needs to convince Trump who his real boss is. We the People do not want our treasure supporting genocide in Gaza. Nor do we want it used to launch massive war on Iran to please Trump’s de facto boss Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump needs to usher Netanyahu into the Oval Office today and immediately announce…’You’re fired.'

Walt Zlotow West Suburban Peace Coalition Glen Ellyn IL

Ghost of McGovern haunts Democratic Party foreign policy 2028 will be the 16th presidential election in my 81 years. The only true antiwar Democratic presidential nominee in my lifetime was George McGovern in 1972. He ran against pro Vietnam War president Richard Nixon, who claimed America could achieve peace with honor there. McGovern said ‘Bunk’ and pledged to end the war without, as Nixon’s policy guaranteed, getting hundreds of thousands more Vietnamese, and tens of thousands more U.S. soldiers killed. Result? The U.S. electorate rejected McGovern’s vision overwhelmingly, giving Nixon 49 states and a 23.2% vote margin. Democrats, traditionally less militaristic than Republicans, learned a hard lesson: never campaign for peace over war. In the 14 presidential elections since, including two years ago, Democrats dared not champion peace against war loving Republicans. In 2004, former Vietnam peace advocate John Kerry had the chance to call out George W. Bush for his illegal, immoral, criminal Iraq war. Instead he bailed, campaigning on winning the war, which was in tatters, by fighting it more intelligently than stupid Bush. In 2008 and 2012, Barack Obama hinted at withdrawing from senseless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Once in office, he not only didn’t fully end them, he added to America’s Wars of Shame, intervening in Libya, Yemen and Syria; helping turn them into failed states, with hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of refugees. Trump also campaigned against America’s forever wars in 2016, then dropped more bombs than Obama, assassinated a high ranking Iranian general, and nearly started massive wars against both Iran and North Korea. But rather than call out and campaign against this military bellicosity, Joe Biden campaigned for more military spending, more confrontation with China and Russia, adversaries he called “near peer powers”. Biden got off to a good start by quickly ending America’s disastrous 20 year war in Afghanistan. Then he doubled, tripled quadrupled down on other perpetual warfare thruout his first term. He provoked and enabled the Russian war in Ukraine, then sabotaged every effort to end it early on. Ukraine is now on US, NATO life support near collapse as the US Trojan House against Russia that came up lame. Hundreds of thousands are unnecessarily dead and injured. Millions have evacuated to safer climes. Biden expanded provocative rhetoric and military exercises against North Korea and China in the Far East. Worst of all he enabled and supported Israel’s grotesque genocide of Palestinians in Gaza following Hamas’ attack Kamala Harris, Biden’s Vice President and nominee successor in July 2024 when his mental decline could no longer be contained, followed the pro war Biden script perfectly. Not a word against his support of Israeli genocide and the utterly failed US proxy war destroying Ukraine. Result? Over 6 million 2020 Biden voters abandoned Harris They voted third party, some even for peace promising Trump, or simply stayed home. Biggest reason? Democratic war policies. Trump immediately pivoted from his peace pledge, going war crazy upon re-election. He’s bombed 7 countries including Somalia over 125 times. He continued suppling Israel with billions in weapons to obliterate Gaza, then ignored their daily ceasefire violations that have killed hundreds while denying the 2 million decimated survivors the necessities of life. He killed over 200 by bombing small boats off Venezuela, then invading outright to kidnap its president. He nearly triggered a Middle East regional war by bombing Iran in June. He’s also bombed Syria, Yemen, Nigeria and Iraq. Tragically for peace, the Democratic Party responded by ignoring the message that peace loving Democrats delivered the Party in November. Aside from independent Bernie Sanders who is unwelcome by party elites, no prominent Democrat calls out Trump’s deranged war mongering worldwide. Peace in the upcoming party platform. Not a chance. Democrats have clearly learned the lesson of 1972. In their warped view of good governance, promoting peace will not promote electoral success this November or in 2028. They’re helped by mainstream media which has largely banished US worldwide warfare criticism from their editorial pages. The Democratic Party will not give peace a chance, believing peace doesn’t sell with a war obsessed government and military fueled by companies selling hundreds of billions in weapons of mass civilian destruction. They continue to foster a clueless, compliant and complicit electorate. And astride Democrats’ shoulders, every blood drenched step of the way, is the ghost of George McGovern. Walt Zlotow West Suburban Peace Coalition

 Ghost of McGovern haunts Democratic Party foreign policy

2028 will be the 16^th presidential election in my 81 years.

 

The only true antiwar Democratic presidential nominee in my lifetime was George McGovern in 1972. He ran against pro Vietnam War president Richard Nixon, who claimed America could achieve peace with honor there. McGovern said ‘Bunk’ and pledged to end the war without, as Nixon’s policy guaranteed, getting hundreds of thousands more Vietnamese, and tens of thousands more U.S. soldiers killed.

 

Result? The U.S. electorate rejected McGovern’s vision overwhelmingly, giving Nixon 49 states and a 23.2% vote margin. Democrats, traditionally less militaristic than Republicans, learned a hard lesson: never campaign for peace over war.

 

 

In the 14 presidential elections since, including two years ago, Democrats dared not champion peace against war loving Republicans. In 2004, former Vietnam peace advocate John Kerry had the chance to call out George W. Bush for his illegal, immoral, criminal Iraq war. Instead he bailed, campaigning on winning the war, which was in tatters, by fighting it more intelligently than stupid Bush.

 

In 2008 and 2012, Barack Obama hinted at withdrawing from senseless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Once in office, he not only didn’t fully end them, he added to America’s Wars of Shame, intervening in Libya, Yemen and Syria; helping turn them into failed states, with hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of refugees.

 

 

Trump also campaigned against America’s forever wars in 2016, then dropped more bombs than Obama, assassinated a high ranking Iranian general, and nearly started massive wars against both Iran and North Korea.

 

But rather than call out and campaign against this military bellicosity, Joe Biden campaigned for more military spending, more confrontation with China and Russia, adversaries he called “near peer powers”.

 

Biden got off to a good start by quickly ending America’s disastrous 20 year war in Afghanistan. Then he doubled, tripled quadrupled down on other perpetual warfare thruout his first term. He provoked and enabled the Russian war in Ukraine, then sabotaged  every effort to end it early on. Ukraine is now on US, NATO life support near collapse as the US Trojan House against Russia that came up lame. Hundreds of thousands are unnecessarily dead and injured. Millions have evacuated to safer climes.

 

Biden expanded provocative rhetoric and military exercises against North Korea and China in the Far East.

 

Worst of all he enabled and supported Israel’s grotesque genocide of Palestinians in Gaza following Hamas’ attack

 

Kamala Harris, Biden’s Vice President and nominee successor in July 2024 when his mental decline could no longer be contained, followed the pro war Biden script perfectly. Not a word against his support of Israeli genocide and the utterly failed US proxy war destroying Ukraine. Result? Over 6 million 2020 Biden voters abandoned Harris They voted third party, some even for peace promising Trump, or simply stayed home. Biggest reason? Democratic war policies.

 

Trump immediately pivoted from his peace pledge, going war crazy upon re-election. He’s bombed 7 countries including Somalia over 125 times. He continued suppling Israel with billions in weapons to obliterate Gaza, then ignored their daily ceasefire violations that have killed hundreds while denying the 2 million decimated survivors the necessities of life. He killed over 200 by bombing small boats off Venezuela, then invading outright to kidnap its president. He nearly triggered a Middle East regional war by bombing Iran in June. He’s also bombed Syria, Yemen, Nigeria and Iraq.

 

Tragically for peace, the Democratic Party responded by ignoring the message that peace loving Democrats delivered the Party in November. Aside from independent Bernie Sanders who is unwelcome by party elites, no prominent Democrat calls out Trump’s deranged war mongering worldwide. Peace in the upcoming party platform. Not a chance.

 

                                                                                                         

Democrats have clearly learned the lesson of 1972. In their warped view of good governance, promoting peace will not promote electoral success this November or in 2028. They’re helped by mainstream media which has largely banished US worldwide warfare criticism from their editorial pages.  

 

The Democratic Party will not give peace a chance, believing peace doesn’t sell with a war obsessed government and military fueled by companies selling hundreds of billions in weapons of mass civilian destruction. They continue to foster a clueless, compliant and complicit electorate.

 

And astride Democrats’ shoulders, every blood drenched step of the way, is the ghost of George McGovern.

Walt Zlotow West Suburban Peace Coalition

Has Trump been trumped by large, powerful, resolute Iran?

 Has Trump been trumped by large, powerful, resolute Iran?

Last June Israel attacked Iran, got blooded bad enough to beg Trump to negotiate a ceasefire. Trump got a reality lesson as well. Iran responded with its own attack to Trump’s one-off strike that did not “obliterate” Iran’s nuclear program, damaging a US base in Qatar. The message was clear. Any all out US attack could bring home hundreds, possibly thousands of US body bags.

Both Iranian responses demonstrate Iran has enormous firepower to both defend any US Israeli attack, but also inflict enormous damage on its attackers. And that damage would not only be to US, Israeli forces, it would shut down the Strait of Hormuz, likely wrecking the US, Israeli; indeed world economy.

Did Trump get the message? At first no. He conspired with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in December to foment violent domestic protests to overthrow the Iranian regime. Trump planned a mid-January attack to push the protesters to victory. But when Iran crushed the protests, Trump backed down once again, realizing a strengthened Iranian regime would repel any attack just like in June.

That has left Trump in an impossible quandary. He’s put the massive US military armada on Iran’s doorstep knowing he cannot possibly succeed without incurring US, Israeli losses. But his credibility is destroyed if he admits defeat and withdraws the US armada.

What to do? Trump’s M.O. when cornered is to set up fake, negotiations with his adversary to buy time and seek trifling concessions so he can claim a complete, overwhelming victory. That won’t work with Iran. His upcoming negotiations with Iran will fail worse than his failed negotiations with Denmark and NATO to gobble up Greenland. Trump’s demands going in are so extreme, essentially guaranteeing end of Iranian sovereignty, they are a non-starter.

Trump is also not the master of his destiny with Iran. He knows Iran poses no threat whatsoever to US interests. But Trump also knows he’s subservient to his Israeli masters who demand he attack Iran to destroy Israel’s last Middle East hegemonic competitor. Even major US casualties could serve Israel’s agenda by forcing Trump launch all out war to avenge those casualties as not dying in vain. It’s even possible that Israel would use their own massive casualties to drop a nuke on Tehran. Once Trump pulls the trigger on his armada installed at Israel’s behest, there is no reversal of the inevitable catastrophe for Middle East peace; possibly world peace.

It was a snap for Trump to bring his military up to Venezuela’s border and slaughter a few hundred folks with boat strikes and outright invasion to score a presidential kidnapping. Bringing that same military up to Iran’s border will be a criminal war too far for Trump. Either he blows up the Middle East, destroying US and Israeli forces along with Iran in a conflict that could go nuclear, or he admits defeat, turns tail and sheds his warrior credibility.

By caving to Israeli demands, Trump has left himself no satisfactory way out. Has he met his match in large, powerful, resolute Iran? Sure looks like it.

Walt Zlotow  West Suburban Peace Coalition  Glen Ellyn IL