The Dope

It saddens me to see so many folks support the squeeze that Donald Trump has foisted on the Palestinians. Official recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's eternal capital is a Pyrrhic victory at best. The Americans are no longer considered an honest broker in the Middle East peace process, and the Israelis enrage the Palestinian people needlessly, further deepening the latter's cynicism that they have a good faith partner in the former in the peace process.

We all long for peace in this part of the world, and it must be a just peace, one that is built one equity and respect for the dignity and rights of all people. Using the same tactics one would use to stiff a contractor in building a casino may not be the most appropriate for trying to mitigate and ultimately resolve a decades-long violent conflict. But what do I know? I'm just another fool who's wasted his time actually reading books and trying to ask questions.

Of course, the Donald just loves to stir things up - all for the adoration he gets from of his base whenever he sticks his little stubby finger in the eye of moral rectitude, decency and, in this particular case, decades of diplomatic efforts. Oh well; it's just another chunk of concrete out of the fast-eroding foundation of American credibility and leadership. I think I'm starting to get sick of winning.