Donald Trump signed a useless piece of paper called a Memorandum of Understanding with Iran but there is no strategic value to his surrender

An interesting point of view. In summary, the MOU Donald Trump signed is a useless piece of paper.  If Iran can outlast the Trumpzi crumbling administration, the MOU will be as useless as used toilet paper.  Published in Al Jazeera by Adolfo Franco
Opinion|US-Israel war on Iran

The US-Iran MoU: A mirage of an agreement

Both Washington and Tehran know that current deal will not lead to lasting peace. It is merely a strategic pause.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) the United States and Iran signed is not a peace treaty. It is not even a credible framework for one. A vocal chorus of critics has rushed to portray it as a humiliation – evidence that Donald Trump was manoeuvred into negotiations and extracted a poor deal from a regime that outplayed him.

That reading mistakes a mirage for reality. The Trump administration entered these talks with a precise understanding of what the Iranian regime is, what it wants and what any agreement with it is actually worth. No one in that negotiating team harbors the illusion that Tehran intends to honor commitments that constrain its core ambitions. The MоU is not a peace settlement. It is a mutually understood pause – a tactical intermission chosen by both sides for reasons that have nothing to do with trust and everything to do with time.

The new MoU does not signal that Iran has changed. Its calculus remains what it has always been – survival and expansion, pursued through whatever tactical posture the moment requires. When pressure mounts, Iran negotiates. When pressure eases, Iran advances. Its negotiators are, by all available evidence, prepared to offer assurances they have no intention of keeping. This is not a failure of diplomatic craftsmanship. This is simply the nature of any negotiation with a regime like Iran’s.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Iranian nuclear program. As a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran has repeatedly committed to transparent cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. It has repeatedly broken those commitments, blocking inspections, constructing clandestine enrichment facilities, destroying evidence and systematically deceiving the international community. The pattern is not one of occasional noncompliance. It is deliberate, sustained deception in pursuit of a single unwavering objective: the acquisition of a nuclear weapon (although Iran denies this accusation).

A state genuinely committed to civilian nuclear energy has no need for a vast and enormously expensive domestic enrichment program. Nuclear fuel can be purchased – from Russia, among others – at a fraction of the cost and without the international confrontation such a program inevitably provokes.

Iran has chosen the far more costly and dangerous path for one reason: Enrichment is not a means to an end, but the end itself. Its rulers are committed to a nuclear weapon, and that commitment has survived changes in personnel, shifts in rhetoric and decades of pressure.

What this MoU represents is a mutually understood strategic pause, a breathing space both parties have chosen, for entirely different reasons, over immediate confrontation. Iran needs economic relief. A regime facing internal decay and a depleted treasury has strong incentives to buy time, replenish its resources and wait out what it calculates to be a finite window.

Tehran is acutely aware that Trump has roughly two and a half years remaining in office. From its perspective, survival through that period is itself a form of victory.

Washington’s calculus is different in kind. Keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is an immediate, non-negotiable goal – a choked strait means an energy price shock with global consequences. Beyond that, the US has its own repositioning to accomplish. Military inventories drawn down through recent operations are being restocked. Strategic options are being preserved and expanded.

A pause that enables that rebuilding, while avoiding a premature confrontation on unfavorable terms, is not a concession. It is preparation.

The question for Tehran is not whether American resolve exists but whether it can be outlasted. That is a wager the Iranian regime has made before and lost.

The international community will, as usual, observe from a careful distance. Many nations will urge Iran to be stopped while taking few steps to stop it, criticizing US action and inaction with equal facility.

Trump understands this dynamic. It is the foundation of his approach to alliances – the insistence that partners bear proportionate burdens rather than simply drawing on American resolve while contributing little of their own.

The MoU will not resolve the Iranian problem. It was not designed to. When its terms expire or when Iran decides it has served its purpose, the nuclear program will resume its advance, the proxies will be better resourced, and the Strait of Hormuz will once again become a flashpoint.

That outcome is not a possibility. Given Iran’s record, it is a near-certainty. 

Highland Park Illinois was an exceptional community: Innocence ravaged

On Twitter, there is a popular hashtag that pops up when the word #Republican is entered. Several derogatory slogans immediately come into the twitter screen. I usually choose this one:

#RepublicansAreDestroyingDemocracy 

Dateline Illinois: I worked in Lake Forest when my husband was stationed at the U.S. Naval Training Station in Great Lakes.  In fact, Lake Forest and Highland Park are sister and brother, side by side, exceptional communities. Patients from Highland Park frequently received care at Lake Forest Hospital, where I worked. Both communities are exceptional. They are the upper middle class exceptional suburbs outside of Chicago, conveniently on the train route from the city into North Chicago. Now, Highland Park has lost its innocence as being an insulated, friendly and patriotic neighborhood. Instead, the community has lost its "exceptionalism" because now it is among the places where American mass shootings have tragically erupted the souls of those who believed something like this could never happen in their community. Believe me, if a mass shooter can murder people with an automatic weapon while standing on a rooftop in Highland Park Illinois, then we are all at risk for being victims of random acts of murder. But, if you are reading this, then you are not likely a Republican because #RepublicansAreDestroyingAmerica.  The relentless attraction to the National Rifle Association is superseding and perhaps even eroding their respect for human life.

Essay report published in Aljazeera, by Belen Fernandez

 The ‘terror’ in Highland Park: The US is exceptional, indeed.

But why is it that American ‘exceptionalism’ is now manifested in such uniquely unhinged episodes of mass murder?

On the morning of Monday, July 4, as the United States was gearing up for its 246th, annual celebration of independence from Britain, the National Rifle Association (NRA) – America’s ultra-powerful gun rights organization – offered the following inspirational reminder on Twitter: “The only reason you’re celebrating Independence Day is because citizens were armed”. The tweet ended with the hashtag “#FourthofJuly”.  

Maine Writer editorial statement here:  Proves my point #RepublicansAreDestroyingDemocracy

Senator Ted Cruz is drunk on the National Rifle Association's (NRA) kool-aid #RepublicansAreTheProblem

This was before Monday’s mass shooting in the affluent Chicago, Illinois suburb of Highland Park killed seven people and wounded dozens of others at July 4 festivities in what Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering described as an act of “terror that was brought upon us”. Parents with strollers and children on tricycles fled for their lives. And yet the horrific casualty toll was not even the tip of the iceberg in terms of things that can happen “because citizens were armed”.

As NBC Chicago reported before the clock had even struck 9a.m.,  on Monday, at least 57 people had already been shot in the city of Chicago alone over the Fourth of July weekend – nine of them fatally. Nationwide as of July 4, the US had registered no fewer than 309 mass shootings in 2022, according to the Washington, DC-based Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one with “a minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed, not including any shooter”.

Uvalde Texas Robb Elementary School Memorial

There are more guns than people in the US, and this is certainly a large part of the problem – particularly as states like Texas, which recently hosted the Uvalde massacre of 19 elementary school students and two teachers, ensure that it is essentially as easy to acquire a firearm as it is to acquire laundry detergent.

But why is it that American “exceptionalism” – which we have been hearing about since the 1830s, or so – is now manifested in such uniquely unhinged episodes of mass murder?

I am not saying, obviously, that humans do not kill each other in other countries. Of course they do, and, as luck has had it, the US itself has often been complicit in that killing – from the traditional right-wing slaughter of peasants in Latin America to the systematic terrorization of Palestinians, the kind that Israel undertakes under the guise of fighting terror.

Then there is the more hands-on “global war on terror” and other initiatives directly perpetrated by the US military – which, one could argue, have only helped instill in Americans the notion that life is a video game and that it is absolutely fine to go around slaying people.

And, therefore, while the majority of annual gun-related deaths in the US take the form of run-of-the-mill suicides and homicides rather than Highland Park-type spectacles, mass shootings naturally have a more terrorising effect on public consciousness.

In the latter category of event, as it turns out, there is also a frequent common denominator. In June, the Washington Post reported that, as per the paper’s own analysis of 196 mass public shootings since 1966, “nearly 98 percent” of the perpetrators were found to be men, with 40 percent of them between the ages of 18 and 29.

The Post went on to quote an observation by psychologist Peter Langman, an expert on school shootings, in The Journal of Campus Behavioral Intervention: “The sense of damaged masculinity is common to man196 mass public shootings since 1966, “nearly 98 percent” of the perpetrators were found to be men, with 40 percent of them between the ages of 18 and 29.

The Post went on to quote an observation by psychologist Peter Langman, an expert on school shootings, in The Journal of Campus Behavioral Intervention: “The sense of damaged masculinity is common to many shooters and often involves failures and inadequacies.”

To be sure, in a society predicated on violently patriarchal capitalism and mass alienation – in which collective, collaborative existence is abandoned in favor of a focus on dog-eat-dog individual triumph – it is perhaps less than shocking that perceived “failures and inadequacies” might sometimes produce violent, overly masculine responses.

This is no doubt especially the case with disillusioned young white men, who according to the American script are the ones supposed to be doing most of the triumphing. Indeed, in 2021, NPR cited statistics from the nonpartisan research group The Violence Project indicating that “white men are disproportionately responsible for mass shootings more than any other group”.

In the end, it seems that when young men are sufficiently alienated and isolated by a society whose expectations they have failed to fulfil – and vice versa – some opt to just shoot it all up.

The 18-year-old Uvalde shooter was bullied extensively during his youth; ditto for other killers whose visions of revenge against society have been greatly facilitated by easy access to weaponry.

For his part, the 21-year-old suspect in the July 4th, Illinois massacre is described by the Daily Beast as a “wannabe rapper” and apparent “video-game enthusiast”, whose social media operations suggested a predilection for “violent imagery and mass-shooting fantasy”.

In her remarks following the shooting, Mayor Rotering lamented: “On a day that we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we are instead mourning the tragic loss of life.” 

Indeed, while the tragedy and terror are very real, it bears remembering that July 4th, itself commemorates the “freedom” of a nation founded on genocide and slavery – another contributing factor, you might say, to America’s high degree of “exceptionalism”.

And as American violence proceeds unhinged, the truth of the matter is that it has all become tragically unexceptional.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

"Make you to shine like the sun": Congratulations President Elect Joe Biden and Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris

Joe Biden acceptance speech: Full transcript published in Al Jazeera 

President-elect Joe Biden outlines his policies and vision after winning the US election over incumbent Donald Trump.

My fellow Americans! The people of this nation have spoken. They have delivered us a clear victory. A convincing victory. A victory for “We the People”.

We have won with the most votes ever cast for a presidential ticket in the history of this nation – 74 million. I am humbled by the trust and confidence you have placed in me. I pledge to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify. Who doesn’t see red and blue states, but a United States.

And who will work with all my heart to win the confidence of the whole people. For that is what America is about: the people. And that is what our administration will be about.

I sought this office to restore the soul of America. To rebuild the backbone of the nation – the middle class.

To make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home. It is the honour of my lifetime that so many millions of Americans have voted for this vision. And now the work of making this vision real is the task of our time.

As I said many times before, I’m Jill’s husband. I would not be here without the love and tireless support of Jill, Hunter, Ashley, all of our grandchildren and their spouses and all our family. They are my heart.

Jill’s a mom – a military mom – and an educator. She has dedicated her life to education, but teaching isn’t just what she does – it’s who she is. For America’s educators, this is a great day: You’re going to have one of your own in the White House and Jill is going to make a great first lady.

And I will be honoured to be serving with a fantastic vice president – Kamala Harris – who will make history as the first woman, first African American woman, first woman of South Asian descent, and first daughter of immigrants ever elected to national office in this country.

It’s long overdue, and we’re reminded tonight of all those who fought so hard for so many years to make this happen. But once again, America has bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice. Kamala, Doug – like it or not – you’re family. You’ve become honorary Bidens and there’s no way out.

To all those who volunteered, worked the polls in the middle of this pandemic, local election officials – you deserve a special thanks from this nation.

To my campaign team, and all the volunteers, to all those who gave so much of themselves to make this moment possible, I owe you everything. And to all those who supported us: I am proud of the campaign we built and ran. I am proud of the coalition we put together, the broadest and most diverse in history.

Democrats, Republicans and independents. Progressives, moderates and conservatives. Young and old. Urban, suburban and rural. Gay, straight, transgender. White. Latino. Asian. Native American.

And especially for those moments when this campaign was at its lowest – the African American community stood up again for me. They always have my back, and I’ll have yours. I said from the outset I wanted a campaign that represented America, and I think we did that.

Now that’s what I want the administration to look like. And to those who voted for President Trump, I understand your disappointment tonight. I’ve lost a couple of elections myself. But now, let’s give each other a chance. It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric. To lower the temperature. To see each other again. To listen to each other again. To make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy. We are not enemies. We are Americans.

The Bible tells us that to everything there is a season – a time to build, a time to reap, a time to sow. And a time to heal. This is the time to heal in America.

Now that the campaign is over – what is the people’s will? What is our mandate?

I believe it is this: Americans have called on us to marshal the forces of decency and the forces of fairness. To marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope in the great battles of our time.

The battle to control the virus. The battle to build prosperity. The battle to secure your family’s health care. The battle to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country. The battle to save the climate. The battle to restore decency, defend democracy and give everybody in this country a fair shot.

Our work begins with getting COVID under control. We cannot repair the economy, restore our vitality, or relish life’s most precious moments – hugging a grandchild, birthdays, weddings, graduations, all the moments that matter most to us – until we get this virus under control.

On Monday, I will name a group of leading scientists and experts as transition advisers to help take the Biden-Harris COVID plan and convert it into an action blueprint that starts on January 20th, 2021. That plan will be built on a bedrock of science. It will be constructed out of compassion, empathy and concern. I will spare no effort – or commitment – to turn this pandemic around.

I ran as a proud Democrat. I will now be an American president. I will work as hard for those who didn’t vote for me – as those who did.

Let this grim era of demonisation in America begin to end – here and now. The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another is not due to some mysterious force beyond our control. It’s a decision. It’s a choice we make.

And if we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate. And I believe that this is part of the mandate from the American people. They want us to cooperate. That’s the choice I’ll make. And I call on the Congress – Democrats and Republicans alike – to make that choice with me.

America has always been shaped by inflection points – by moments in time where we’ve made hard decisions about who we are and what we want to be. Lincoln in 1860 – coming to save the Union. FDR in 1932 – promising a beleaguered country a New Deal. JFK in 1960 – pledging a New Frontier. And 12 years ago when Barack Obama made history and told us: “Yes, we can.”

We stand again at an inflection point. We have the opportunity to defeat despair and to build a nation of prosperity and purpose. We can do it. I know we can. I’ve long talked about the battle for the soul of America. We must restore the soul of America.

Our nation is shaped by the constant battle between our better angels and our darkest impulses. It is time for our better angels to prevail.

Tonight, the whole world is watching America. I believe at our best America is a beacon for the globe. And we lead not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.

I’ve always believed we can define America in one word: possibilities. That in America everyone should be given the opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them.

You see, I believe in the possibility of this country. We’re always looking ahead. Ahead to an America that’s freer and more just. Ahead to an America that creates jobs with dignity and respect.

Ahead to an America that cures disease like cancer and Alzheimer’s. Ahead to an America that never leaves anyone behind. Ahead to an America that never gives up, never gives in.

This is a great nation. And we are a good people. This is the United States of America. And there has never been anything we haven’t been able to do when we’ve done it together.

In the last days of the campaign, I’ve been thinking about a hymn that means a lot to me and to my family, particularly my deceased son Beau. It captures the faith that sustains me and which I believe sustains America.

And I hope it can provide some comfort and solace to the more than 230,000 families who have lost a loved one to this terrible virus this year. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. Hopefully, this hymn gives you solace as well.

In the last days of the campaign, I’ve been thinking about a hymn that means a lot to me and to my family, particularly my deceased son Beau. It captures the faith that sustains me and which I believe sustains America.

And I hope it can provide some comfort and solace to the more than 230,000 families who have lost a loved one to this terrible virus this year. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. Hopefully, this hymn gives you solace as well.

“And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings,

Bear you on the breath of dawn,

Make you to shine like the sun,

And hold you in the palm of His Hand.”

And now, together – on eagle’s wings – we embark on the work that God and history have called upon us to do. 

With full hearts and steady hands, with faith in America and in each other, with a love of country – and a thirst for justice – let us be the nation that we know we can be.

A nation united. A nation strengthened. A nation healed. The United States of America.

General Wesley Clark "Don't Wait for the Next War"

Al Jazeera America interview with General Wesley Clark explains how boots on the ground to fight evil ISIS must be negotiated from among threatened Middle East nations. He told Al Jazeera that ISIS wants to "sucker in" US military troops. America must not put boots on the ground in the Middle East because ISIS will use this potential escalation as a rallying call for even more ferocious jihad.


General Wesley Clark tells Americans that public opinion shouldn't dictate foreign policy. The former NATO Supreme Allied Commander says the executive branch has to lead public opinion rather than react to it.

http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Wait-Next-War-Leadership-ebook/dp/B00JZBABKO

With the end of the Cold War came the end of America’s sense of its strategic purpose in the world. 

Then, after a decade of drift, the US was violently dragged back into international conflict. Its armed forces responded magnificently but its leaders’ objectives were substantially flawed. We fought the wrong war (in Iraq)—twice—for reasons that were opaque, and few American citizens understood the cause for which their sons and daughters were fighting and dying. (There were no Weapons of Mass Destructions in Iraq.)

War is a poor substitute for strategic vision, and decisions made in the heat of imminent conflict are often limited by the emotions of the moment. In Don’t Wait for the Next War, Wesley K. Clark, a retired four-star general of the US army and former Democratic candidate for president, presents a compelling argument for continued American global leadership and the basis on which it can succeed—a new American strategy. America needs both new power and deeper perspective. The platform for American leadership is to use America’s energy resources to spark sustainable economic growth, building new strength to deal with pressing domestic issues like the deficit as well as the longer term challenges to US security—terrorism, cyber threats, the next financial crisis, China’s rising power, and climate change.

Such a strategy is not only achievable but essential, and it is urgently needed. This is the true test of American leadership for the next two decades, but it must start now, so America has the power and vision to deal with the acute crises that will inevitably come—in the Mideast, Europe, or Asia.

General Clark certainly provides clarity about the complex Middle East dangers.  He also challenges President Obama to communicate with the American people about the daunting challenges of destroying terrorism. Americans need to hear from President Obama about how he is negotiating with allies to launch an international war to defeat Al Qaeda and its subsidiaries.