All for This?

Glad at what appears to be some progress, appalled by how we got here:

Of course, we have until Friday before the deal is signed. Given the volatility of the cease-fire thus far, it would hardly be surprising if events interceded between now and then to upset the accord.

Israel and factions of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) are undoubtedly seeking opportunities to play spoiler. An interim deal has already been signed pending the full accord on Friday, but words are wind and the apple cart is still in danger of being overturned.

So why accept this deal now?  The White House was faced with no good options. This is only a good deal insofar as it reduces the chances for an immediate resumption of the conflict. This war was not good for the United States; indeed, it placed the US in an actively worse position.

This is not to say that Iran won, exactly, as it suffered dreadful infrastructure damage and severe economic trauma. But the object in war is to obtain a better peace, and a better peace has not been obtained. Iran now has the prospects of gaining more effective tools for achieving an economic recovery than at any point this century.

See me mix that metaphor there? You’re damn right it’s a good mix.

Anyway… I don’t know what to make of all of this, but I’m pretty sure that every member of the Trump administration is more confused right now than I. One point I want to focus on: This is a really bad deal for Israel, and Jerusalem is going to be looking for ways to revise its terms.

Photo Credit: By Student News Agency, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=135410556