SLL has done its share of hypothesizing about what President Trump is up to. It’s fun to see somebody else’s hypothesis, rather than the ritual denunciations and commendations that come from most corners of the internet. From Charles Hugh Smith at oftwominds.com:
So perhaps the dominant wing of the Deep State is finally willing to cut a deal with Trump.
To many observers, the appointment of John Bolton as national security advisor is the functional equivalent of appointing the Anti-Christ–or maybe worse. Indeed, these observers would, when comparing the two, find grudging favor with the Anti-Christ.
Bolton is a founding member of the neoliberal, neoconservative, neo-colonial interventionist Globalist wing of the Deep State. The antipathy he inspires is partly due to the enjoyment he takes in wielding power. (Note that the Anti-Christ is not a victim–he enjoys being the Anti-Christ.)
This wing of the Deep State, unquestionably in charge until the election of Donald Trump, finds Trump, well, interesting. Trump can congratulate Vladdy Putin on his shoo-in re-election one day and eject a bunch of Russian diplomats the next.
This sort of non-linear, non-ideologically pure “policy” (or lack thereof) discombobulates the Deep State, which is accustomed to presidents rubber-stamping their agenda and supporting their narrative.
They’re having a tough time controlling Trump, as it’s difficult to read how best to play him: is Trump a master of the Crazy Ivan or is he just winging it? Assuming the latter leaves those acting on that premise vulnerable to a Crazy Ivan once Trump has extracted whatever value he sought from the person or policy.
So how do we decrypt the appointment of Bolton? Here are two possibilities:
1. Trump appointed bete noire Bolton to do the dirty work of cleaning house and ridding the National Security Council and staff of any loyalists to previous presidents or cliques. This Bolton seems prepared to do with both alacrity and relish. This appointment also throws a bone to those demanding a harsher, more interventionist foreign policy.
Once Bolton has cleaned house and disrupted or fired the status quo holdovers from the Obama administration, he’ll be fired like everyone else. Crazy Ivan!
To continue reading: Decrypting the Appointment of John Bolton
I like both options 1 and 2 and taking care of the Clintons. And firing Bolton within a year–the man scares me. I wonder how many times he has been wrong about the Middle East these last couple of decades?
Peter Zeihan on Bolton. 2 part article–1st part about the aluminum and steel tariffs (on primarily China) and then part 2 which is the role of Bolton in all this.
https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/bolton-in-a-china-shop?e=bf23fad182
I’ve lost count.