President Trump has withdrawn the US from an important arms control treaty with the Russians. He did this Saturday, when everybody’s attention was fixed elsewhere.

Was this action justified? Is it wise? Does it increase our security? To tell you the truth, I don’t know. Trump says the Russians are cheating, and we are getting swindled, and for all I know he might very well be right. The Russians are certainly capable of pulling a fast one and cheating on a treaty. But the point is, I don’t know. I just don’t trust Trump to be telling the truth.

Maybe the Russians aren’t cheating. Maybe its the Chinese that are developing new weapons and in order to counter them we must abandon agreements that we made with other powers. Maybe Trump is just trying to fire up his base before the elections and he’s making all this stuff up. Maybe he wants to distract us from something else. Maybe the Russian treaty is out of date and needs to be re-negotiated to take care of new technological or strategic developments. Maybe Trump just wants to cast some lucrative development contracts to his pals in the Defense industry. Maybe one of nutjob advisers is queer for missiles.

Maybe his move is legitimate, but is based on bad or conflicting advice, and we need to debate and study it both in government and in the public arena; after all, even diligent and technically competent men in positions of high counsel will have honest differences of opinion. The WMD debate under Bush and the Iranian nuclear deal controversy should have taught us that by now. Maybe hearings should be held, maybe Congress should be involved. Maybe the press should have a look at this issue.

The point I’m making is that I don’t trust our President with those kind of judgments any more. I don’t think he’s a smart man, and I don’t think he’s a good one. And I certainly don’t think his government is willing or capable of stopping him if he’s mistaken.