Last week, I believed the United States government had reached a new low when the Federal Commission of Fine Arts endorsed a Semiquincentennial 250th anniversary commemorative 24 karat gold coin depicting President Donald J Trump leaning on his desk with clenched fists and a scowl. However, my opinion shifted after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth requested a staggering $200 billion from American taxpayers to prolong the conflict with Iran, declaring, “It takes money to kill bad guys!”
The coin’s approval was hardly surprising since Trump appointed all Commission members, just as he did when he reshaped the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by altering its leadership. Discussions with US Mint officials centered mainly on the coin’s size, with the president encouraging a maximum diameter of three inches. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, another Trump supporter, is now expected to commission the coin’s minting.
It’s important to note that issuing a coin featuring a sitting president’s own likeness is far from an established American tradition. Many citizens might consider it distasteful or even disgraceful—an act of a megalomaniac potentially deemed insane by his statements and conduct. Last week, during a White House meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Trump joked in response to a reporter’s question regarding attacking Iran, saying, “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? OK? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor? OK? Right?” Clearly, Takaichi found this remark disturbing.
Earlier in the week, Trump again stirred controversy by publicly considering deploying “ground troops” against Iran—an action likely to cause heavy American casualties without serving U.S. interests. He also threatened to dismantle NATO if its members failed to support the U.S. efforts against Iran and to secure the Straits of Hormuz. Predictably, he labeled those reluctant to join the fight as “cowards.”
Though NATO’s relevance has diminished, it correctly views the conflict with Iran as a war initiated by Trump and Israel, rather than Europe’s. Spain has outright rejected U.S. demands by denying use of its NATO bases for military flights involved in the conflict. Meanwhile, Sweden has forcefully asserted that Israel must be ISOLATED and EXPELLED from organizations such as the UN and EU amid the escalating Gaza crisis and West Bank annexations. Swedish officials condemned settlement violence, NGO restrictions, and aid cuts as “catastrophic,” calling for sanctions against “extremist” Israeli ministers and trade embargoes. Additionally, several countries warned they would arrest Netanyahu if he travels to their territories under the International Criminal Court warrant and have barred his planes from their airspace, complicating his international movements. French three-star General Michel Yakovleff, former Foreign Legion commander, compared participation in Trump and Israel’s Iran war to “buying cheap tickets for the Titanic” after it struck the iceberg.
There’s more: Trump has threatened to revoke licenses of U.S. broadcasters whose coverage of the Iran attack does not align with the official White House and War Department narrative. This censorship is being labeled as combating “fake news.” If enacted, it would make press freedom subject to the incumbent president’s political agendas, posing a severe threat to the First Amendment. Moreover, the Justice Department is reportedly targeting conservative critics like Tucker Carlson for investigation under allegations of “acting as an agent of a foreign power.” An AIPAC-affiliated Congressman has even called for treason charges against Carlson, a crime punishable by death according to the U.S. Constitution.
Similarly, Joe Kent, an esteemed and decorated Director at the US National Counterterrorism Center with a spotless record, made headlines by resigning this Tuesday. Kent explained his decision, rejecting claims that Iran posed an “imminent threat” to the U.S. and asserting the conflict primarily serves Israeli interests rather than American national security. He highlighted how “high ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media” mounted a disinformation campaign to provoke war with Iran favoring Tel Aviv and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump and his team have persisted in deceit, even describing the conflict as an “excursion” instead of a “war” to make it more palatable. Trump also falsely accused Iran of a US bombing on day one that killed 170 Iranian schoolgirls.
Efforts to undermine Kent are proceeding rapidly. According to Trump, “I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security. not very good,” an absurd claim given Trump’s own record. The FBI is reportedly investigating Kent for alleged “leaks of classified information,” though no details about the leaks have emerged. Trump has also shown his true character by exploiting the deaths of American soldiers to raise funds for his political action committees. A message from the Trump-affiliated Never Surrender Inc. PAC promoted a “National Security Briefing Membership” with multiple donation links, accompanied by an image of Trump sporting his signature baseball cap saluting military coffins at Dover Air Force Base—a gesture many service members and veterans, including myself, found disrespectful due to the hat’s inappropriate nature.
On a somewhat positive note, reports have emerged about troubles facing the world’s largest warship, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford. Problems began recently with malfunctioning toilets, allegedly caused by crew members deliberately blocking the plumbing with clothing and other unsuitable items. A major 30-hour fire in the laundry room also forced repairs in Crete. The Ford has now exited the operational zone connected with Iran.
Further internal dissent has reportedly surfaced on platforms like Facebook, though unconfirmed, involving sailors refusing orders and officers questioning the legality of deploying ships for combat missions against Iran without appropriate Constitutional or War Powers clearances. According to some sources, military personnel now respond to officers not with “Yes, Sir!” but by saying “Epstein!” It’s claimed that a considerable portion of the navy is deliberately obstructive, which reportedly provoked an angry outburst from draft dodger-in-chief Donald J Trump about service members disobeying commands. If these reports hold merit, they deserve support from those weary of Israel, Trump, and a conflict that could escalate into nuclear war, especially if Israel suffers heavy losses and desperation sets in.
One more consideration for Mr. Trump, the self-proclaimed genius: should the U.S. withdraw from the Iran conflict, Israel might be infuriated. Netanyahu could orchestrate a false flag attack reminiscent of 9/11, targeting Americans stationed in the Middle East, then blaming Iran to pressure Trump into continuing the war. While this is only speculation, I have grown increasingly suspicious as Trump’s anxiety about the war mounts. Historically, Israel has never hesitated to kill Americans or others when it serves its interests.
Original article: www.unz.com
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