Trump pulls out the Obama playbook to retreat from the brink of war (Politico)

[corbe]

Trump pulls out the Obama playbook to retreat from the brink of war

By Nancy Cook, Burgess Everett and Meridith McGraw
 
11 hrs ago
 
President Donald Trump started with over-the-top, machismo rhetoric toward Iran. He ended by backing down so far that he sounded more like his predecessor.

In a span of just 24 hours, Trump went from threatening to devastate Iran and bomb its cultural sites — a move widely considered a war crime and condemned by Republicans — to calmly delivering a measured address about slapping economic sanctions on the country, striking a new nuclear deal and urging an international institution — NATO — to become more involved in the Middle East.

“The fact that we have this great military and equipment … does not mean we have to use it,” Trump said in televised remarks late Wednesday morning, surrounded by a phalanx of men in uniform who stood in a half-moon formation behind his podium. “We do not want to use it.”

The about-face was classic Trump: ratcheting up the tough talk and then retreating with a conciliatory tone. It’s a playbook the president rolled out for China, North Korea, Iran and a long list of domestic policy concerns. And it’s dizzied some of his allies and adversaries who are still trying to make sense of a president who is wrapping up his third year in office.

Iran was just the latest example of a pattern of behavior in which the Trump administration acted boldly, ratcheted up a situation and then sought credit for extinguishing the crisis.

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http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-pulls-out-the-obama-playbook-to-retreat-from-the-brink-of-war/ar-BBYL9Im?ocid=ientp

[corbe]

   Food for thought.

[Cyber Liberty]

   Food for thought.

I suppose it would be, if the article came anywhere close to matching the headline.  No mention of how the actions of the past week or so is "Obama-like."  Just the usual nostrums about "reckless Trump."  The closest the author gets is "Trump is benefiting from Obama policies," without explaining what policies they're talking about.

This is like saying Obama's economic policies are why the economy has done well under Trump.  Obama's policies are like hitting oneself on the head with a hammer, and Trump's are the good feeling one gets when the hammering is stopped.

[240B]

I agree.
It's just another typical Trump 'hit piece', couched in amorphous undefined verbiage essentially praising Obama, for whatever reason, that Trump chose not to unleash Hell on Iran.

Remember, Saddam Hussein declared that he would roast the infidels stomach over the fires of hell.
Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, threaten to burn Israel down, and 'drive the Jews into the sea!'
My point here is that Muslim culture is somewhat like Klingon from Star Trek. They expect bold, exaggerated boasts and threats, even if there is no intention or possibility to carry them out. If anyone "retreated" it was Iran. Who only recently said they would set Europe, Israel, and America on fire, after the strike. To my knowledge, all they did was to throw a few rockets at the 'Green Zone' in Iraq, and have basically calmed down since then. (all thanks to Obama? of course)