Situation Report: Peril

Some say Donald Trump's order to withdraw troops from Syria, effectively abandoning our Kurd allies, is impulsive. The fact is that he wanted to do this for over a year.

The cost of troop deployments in the Middle East and the protracted wars is immensely costly, creating a considerable strain on the nation's finances.  Since he and his Republicans have created a revenue shortfall by lowering taxes on corporations and the wealthy while driving up expenses, he now wants to cut military deployments.

Trump believes that he can pressure nations with economic sanctions as a substitute for boots-on-the-ground. US foreign policy and the State Department indeed drive 43% of the Defense budget. 

The trouble is that Trump fails to engage the CIA, State Department, and Defense professionals to assess his desires and policies. His simplistic approach ala the real estate model doesn't fit the situation. His plans are flawed, and his actions are incomplete, untimely, and too risky.

Face it; the Trump administration is on shaky ground. It is under duress and is facing impeachment. Now, it is not the time for Trump to make decisions of paramount importance because his mistakes have lasting and damaging consequences.

If the Republican Party and its elected representatives were responsible, they would rein him in. Mitch McConnell and the Senate tried to do that, except the horse got out of the barn. They forfeited their control, and the nation is stuck in a dangerous state.