The Warrior King
Watching the parade of foreign leaders visit Trump on his gilded throne, I’m reminded of some of the great and terrible warriors of the past, like Genghiz Khan, Kublai Khan, Tamerlane or Alexander the Great.
When I lived in Afghanistan, people talked about these Eurasian conquerers in the present tense, as if they were still there. And, in many ways, their awful deeds were still very much part of the fabric of Afghan life.
They came, they conquered and moved on, leaving destruction in their wake. Much as Trump is doing now. He is shredding our democracy and wrecking the alliances with allies that have kept us safe since World War II.
Trump aspires to attain and may somehow actually attain the status of a great historical warrior, as John B. Judis argues in his provocative piece in NOTUS:
“(T)hose leaders — often propelled by megalomania — also overreached, then found themselves bedeviled by forces beyond their control. What Hegel described as “the cunning of reason” invariably caught up with them, making a mess of their ultimate ambitions. Alexander the Great swept through Egypt and the Middle East, but when he tried to conquer India, his troops revolted. Napoleon suffered a major defeat when he tried to expand his empire into Russia. He spent his final years in exile. And instead of solidifying the dominance of France, he bolstered Britain’s power and put Prussia on a path to becoming the continent’s preeminent military force.
“Does the pattern sound familiar? Trump has pushed us into a new stage of history. But it is a stage in which, because of his overreach, America may find itself diminished and disempowered. Whoever wins the White House in 2028 will inherit a fragmented international economy, ruptured alliances and emboldened adversaries, not to mention a divided and angry electorate. That president, and presidents for many years to come, will be operating in a difficult and perilous world — a world Trump remade.”
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The main point of this piece is even if the Democrats can regain control of our government eventually, it may be too late to undue the damage Trump has done.
HEADLINES:
“NOTUS Perspectives: Trump as Alexander the Great — A Theory That Explains Iran (And Everything Else)” (NOTUS)
Oil rises to $110 as Israel strikes Iran during Persian new year (CNN)
The attacked South Pars natural gas field is an energy lifeline for Iran (AP)
Stock markets rattled and prices soar after strikes on Qatar gas hub (BBC)
Israeli officials push back on US claim that Trump knew nothing about gasfield attack (Guardian)
Trump's administration is considering deploying thousands of US troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, as the US military prepares for possible next steps in its campaign against Iran. (Reuters)
Markwayne Mullin Slammed For ‘Anger Issues’ In Testy Confirmation Hearing (Forbes)
Hegseth on seeking $200 billion for Iran war: “That number could move” (Axios)
U.S. Intelligence Saw No Change in Iran’s Missile Capabilities Before War (NYT)
How the law of naval warfare applies to the Strait of Hormuz (The Conversation)
Economic fallout of U.S.-led war is hitting the rest of the world harder (WP)
On Iran, Gabbard Turned Intelligence Duties Over to Trump (NYT)
‘The United States is undermining itself’: China is ignoring Trump’s Hormuz request as the Iran war deepens and his Beijing trip slips (Fortune)
Voters grappling with unprecedented turmoil head to the polls in more than 50 countries this year, with the opportunity to make clear their views on their governments’ strategies for wars, tariffs and economic strife. (Reuters)
Trump Is Kicking the Economy While It’s Down (Atlantic)
I Was an F.B.I. Agent for 25 Years. Kash Patel Is Playing a Dangerous Game. (NYT)
The Supreme Court’s Birthright Citizenship Decision Hinges on a Case You’ve Never Heard Of (Slate)
Trump’s face on a gold coin? His hand-picked panel will decide. (WP)
Billionaires have a favorite in the California governor’s race — and it’s not even close (SFC)
Trade with Cuba collapses as Trump escalates pressure on Communist Party leadership (AP)
Japan rebels over $6bn fee for SoftBank under US trade deal (FT)
Meta is having trouble with rogue AI agents (TechCrunch)
Google Sits Pretty as A.I. Rivals Compete for Pentagon Favor (NYT)
Sobering...
Great reminder that we're a part of history, whether we acknowledge that or not. It's terrible to think that Trump has wrecked our country not just for his term in office, but long long after.