The Point

Trump voters are the world's first warmongering isolationists.

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Long before the turn of the millennium U.S. oil companies wanted to build a pipeline that extended from the oil-rich Caspian region down through Afghanistan and Pakistan, all the way into the Persian Gulf.

The leaders of Afghanistan, the Taliban, were not interested in the plan. George Dubya Bush, America's new president and former head of an energy company, sent his ambassadors to meet with them and make this offer: "Either you accept our offer of a carpet of gold, or we bury you under a carpet of bombs."

The Taliban again said no, at which point the U.S. began drawing up war plans.

Then, like a miracle, eighteen Saudi Arabians hijacked American airliners on 9-11 for... reasons, and life in the U.S. changed. Forever. (Like, how the PATRIOT ACT made this a police state. But I digress.)

Dubya was ready for this moment. "It's them Talibans! Let's git 'em!".

Before the "Mission Accomplished" banner flew on that aircraft carrier the Unocal pipeline was already under construction.

Trump will do everything he can to get Iran's oil because that's what his rich friends want, even if it takes something worse than another 9-11 to convince the public it's a good idea. Hell, if enough Americans die Trump will leverage the public's need for revenge to start dropping nukes. And he will, because that shit gets him off.

It's always about the oil. Not freedom. Not democracy. Oil.

This is just a reminder that the actions by the White House do not happen in a vacuum but they point in the same historical direction, like your nearest gas station. Until we shake this bad oil habit, which we could, we are doomed to relive these horrors.

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One last thing.... there's a lot to despise about any conservative theocracy but I am beginning to admire the people of Iran just a wee bit.

To start with, the oil companies and the CIA overthrew their government back in 1954 and installed a despotic puppet head of state, the Shah of Iran. In 1978 a revolution primarily led by students rose up and threw him out of the country. (This is probably why Republicans hate higher learning) Too bad they chose a leader who believes in imaginary friends. Oh, well.

Ever since then Iran has been in the gunsight of oil hungry executives, who I am certain had a hand in Trump's attack on the country. And what was Iran's response?

"Bring it on, mutherfukkers!"

Awesome.

Fuck Trump! Fuck the oligarchy!

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One more thing.... in my young adulthood there were two musical artists whose every record had to be mine as soon as it landed in the music store bin.... Frank Zappa and Harry Nilsson. Their talented tunes currently hog the majority of the storage space of my personal media device.

I forgave Harry long ago for shredding his vocal cords trying to out scream Lennon but Frank's cigarette habit still makes shades my memory of him with melancholy.

- Lefty