Why are we now suddenly outraged into action? Because of the use of chemical weapons? As RL points out, that’s nothing new.

A few weeks ago…hell, a few *days* ago, Trump didn’t give a shit about beautiful babies in Syria. We can’t slam him *too* hard for that, though, because roughly 60 million of his fellow Americans didn’t give a shit about them either. But now, suddenly, he’s assuming responsibility for the well-being of those foreign babies?

Some thoughts. First, Americans don’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to children being shot. We certainly can’t point an accusing finger at anyone over that, as America has repeatedly demonstrated that it’s ok with kids being gunned down. We’ve left ourselves no choice but to hold our bile until children are killed by weapons we don’t like, instead of weapons we do like.

Second, Trump’s admin needed a distraction. Bigly. As if on cue, an atrocity in Syria that left kids dead–with the necessary absence of bullet holes–became that distraction. As a bonus, Trump could also look like he’s breaking it off with Putin. (It’s interesting to note, though, that the Russians decided not to use an available anti-missile system against the American assault. Should we ask Ivanka if that makes them look complicit?)

And what larger hypocrisy is there than bemoaning the horrors in one breath, and in the next banning them from escaping it by coming here?

One can only hope that most of the President’s campaign tweets see similar reversal when push comes to shove and the reality of the situation becomes real instead of campaign fairy tales.

Trump has solved a lot of his problems in one fell swoop. He has apparently pulled off a bold, decisive (and popular) military move with little cost to the US. (Think: The Rhineland, The Austrian Anschluss, Czechoslovakia.) He has distracted the country from his domestic problems, especially his love affair with Putin and the current Congressional investigations. He has been able to point out that Obama was weak and indecisive, and we know how his followers just can’t get enough of that.

But he also has managed to tell the Russians (and the Chinese, Koreans and Iranians) that he is capable of lashing out in a rit of fealous jage, which is something they need to be reminded of periodically lest they get a bit too uppity. Its something our allies need to be reminded of too, they have been losing confidence in us of late. But most important of all, killers all over this planet will think twice about using NBC weapons the next time. In fact, they’ll think twice about doing anything that might piss us off. Its no coincidence this little raid took place while the Chinese Premier was relaxing over a delicious dinner with the Trumps at their decadently luxurious W Palm Beach digs. And remember, this action was carried out by the Syrians (and Russians!) precisely to see if Trump was too weak or stupid to respond, and to humiliate him publicly in the eyes of the world. There is only one way to discourage a schoolyard bully. It may not always work, but doing nothing at all never works at all.

I agreed with the Obama policy of engagement and detente, I still do. It was humane and intelligent. But it failed due to the treachery and perfidy of just one man, Vladimir Putin. Now, he, and his constituency know that, and they know that we know. And they also know that there is nothing they can do to prevent it from happening again tomorrow.

Has Trump done something terribly risky, something with the potential of going south very quickly if its mismanaged? Certainly. I’m not sure he has the wisdom to guide us through all the consequences of this for the next few years. But he has bought us some time. On the whole, I think we’re safer now than we were a week ago. And we have learned a few things, too, that Obama didn’t tell us. There were still dangerous chemical agents stockpiled in Syria, and we knew about it, as did the Russians. Now everybody knows.

These are dangerous times to be sure, but sometimes times like these require taking risks, too.

Trump is still a fool, a boor, a bully and a thug; his domestic and economic policy for this country is disastrous, and his courting of the oligarchy and the fundowackos is suicidal. But in this instance either his animal cunning was right on, or someone gave him some very good advice. I support him.

Those bastards gassed civilians, and then bombed the hospital where they knew they would be taken for treatment. And they did this with weapons they had agreed by treaty to never possess, much less use. And they did it with the counsel of the Russian government, acting on its own geopolitical agenda. This is an act of terror, designed to demoralize and intimidate a civilian population, not carry out a tactical mission or achieve a strategic objective. Somebody had to do something.

-Trump tweet, September 5 2013