War with Iran could activate Trump's darkest impulses

[marmar]

War with Iran could activate Trump's darkest impulses
If Trump sent troops to Los Angeles, what might he do as a wartime president to quell opposition?

By Heather Digby Parton
Columnist
Published June 23, 2025 9:37AM (EDT)


(Salon) In the run-up to the disastrous war in Iraq, a senior British official made a dry observation to a Newsweek reporter: "Everyone wants to go to Baghdad. Real men go to Tehran." There's no evidence that anyone whispered those words in Donald Trump's ears last week, but you can be sure he would have appreciated the sentiment. On Saturday night, Trump joined Israel's war against Iran, hitting their nuclear facilities with massively powerful bunker-buster bombs and, with Iran declaring "all options" on the table for a response, sparking fears in the region — and here at home — about what could come next.

It's more than a little ironic that the argument Trump used in the 2016 election to inoculate himself from George W. Bush's Iraq war debacle — that Bush knowingly lied about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction — is the same one Trump is using now to justify his own military action. Like Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney 23 years ago, Trump has already moved beyond his original rationale for the bombings to muse about regime change in Tehran.

....(snip)....

Trump has already assumed dictatorial powers in a myriad of ways — disregarding court orders, attacking the legal profession, threatening judicial impeachments, targeting journalists and suing media outlets to name but a few. He has already put armed troops on the streets of Los Angeles, and he has threatened to do the same for other cities that refuse to unquestioningly follow his orders.

....(snip)....

So we are already on the road to full autocracy, only awaiting the final verdicts of the courts and Trump's decision as to whether he will abide by them. But his executive overreach and abuse of power so far are nothing to what he can do as a president at war. ..............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/06/23/with-iran-could-activate-darkest-impulses/

[Passages]

1. We're already there.

[Midnight Writer]

2. He's tasted blood. If he doesn't face consequences. or his approval goes up, he will lust for more and more.

The ultimate high for a malignant narcissist is people shedding blood in his name.

[C_U_L8R]

3. His cowardice trumps all.

Plus Bush was a better liar.