On Tuesday, April 7, the moment of truth was at hand. After a number of postponements of a deadline by President Trump, the Iranians were confronted with a demand that they give up their one piece of leverage in this war --- the control of the Strait of Hormuz --- in return for a cease fire. Working indirectly through Pakistan as an intermediary, Trump and the Iranians presented positions that seemed completely irreconcilable.
In fact on Easter Sunday, Trump has sent the following message over Truth Social
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—-ing’ Strait, you crazy b--tards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
Following a disgusting tradition of sane-washing Trump’s statements, most of the major news media failed to reproduce the actual text, merely referring to the fact that the President of the United States had dropped an F-bomb.
[Sane-washing is defined as:
- Reframing Incoherence: Journalists may translate rambling or nonsensical speech into "cogent English," effectively "shearing off the crazy."
- Focusing on Policy Kernels: Outlets may elevate a single, brief mention of a policy—often assisted by a teleprompter—to a headline, while ignoring hours of unhinged rhetoric at the same event.
- Omission of Extremism: Critics point to the removal of controversial context, such as racist conspiracy theories or references to eugenics, to present a "neutral" summary.
- Normalization of Cognitive Issues: The practice often sidesteps or downplays what critics describe as apparent cognitive flaws or mental unfitness. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10] --- Click on those numbers for sources.
Here’s three recent examples
- The New York Times: Criticized for headlining an event about an "efficiency commission" when Trump's response to a childcare question was largely a rambling monologue on tariffs and fraud.
- Associated Press: Accused of "sane-washing" a social media post that threatened Iran with profanity by summarizing it as a "threat to hit Iran’s critical infrastructure."
- CNN: Reported on a Truth Social post about a debate as a straightforward news story, despite the original post containing insults and conspiracy theories. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] --- again, clicking the numbers will take you to sources.]
Note, Trump’s use of profanity was not in the privacy of his limousine or the oval office but for the entire world to see. In fact, the cursing in public is the least of the transgressions in that broadcast. References to power plant day and bridge day are promises to destroy civilian infrastructure which is in fact a war crime – we hanged people at Nuremburg for war crimes.
And what was Trump doing on Easter Sunday no less writing, “Praise be to Allah”? (Allah is the Arabic word for God by the way --- it is not a name for God like Jehovah or Jesus or Vishnu or Apollo). Was he expressing an appreciation for the third of the great Abrahamic religions? Or was he making fun of the religion practiced by most Iranians? Who know what goes on in his head. It fell to right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson to note the disgusting nature of promising wholesale murder and destruction on innocent Iranian civilians on Easter Sunday, the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ, the Prince of Peace.
So, as I prepared to record this commentary on Thursday, the world waited with bated breath to see if Trump would actually follow through with his promise to obliterate the thousands of years of Persian civilization. Make no mistake about it, should Trump order our military to bomb electricity plants destroying civilian infrastructure, the people who carry out those orders --- from the senior Admirals and Generals to the pilots and weapons specialists on the planes will all be committee outrageous crimes against humanity. All praise to those members of the military chain of command who would refuse to carry out those illegal orders.
And it looks like there are a few already thinking along those lines. Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling noted that senior military commanders were evaluating how to lawfully respond to potentially illegal orders from Trump, emphasizing that military personnel are obligated to refuse orders that violate the U.S. Constitution. For details see: https://www.facebook.com/firstpostin/posts/a-retired-us-army-lieutenant-general-who-spent-nearly-four-decades-in-uniform-ha/1462642015896781/
At virtually the last possible hour, Pakistan was able to persuade both sides to accept a temporary cease fire during which time, the Iranians would permit ships to traverse the Strait of Hormuz. I am sure the entire world breathed a sigh of relief. Here’s how the historian Heather Cox Richardson responded the next day:
At 5:06 this morning, [Wednesday] President Donald J. Trump posted on social media: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”
Trump has painted himself into a corner in his impulsive war against Iran. His job approval is dismal and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil travels, is sending the cost of oil soaring, squeezing the global economy. Always in his life he has had someone to fix his mistakes—his father, Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, the “adults in the room” in his first administration who distracted him from catastrophic errors, and so on—but no one was willing to bail him out of the global disaster of his war on Iran.
So he threatened that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” an open threat to push his current embrace of war crimes all the way to genocide. No one knew if he was gearing up for a ground invasion of Iran in a war that has never received congressional authorization, or a massive bombing campaign, or even the use of nuclear weapons.
Or if he was making yet another empty threat.
Within the announcement were signs that perhaps it was bluster designed to let him claim victory and walk away. Despite his claim, there has been no “regime change” in Iran: the regime is very much still in place, although it has changed leadership in the wake of the bombing deaths of previous leaders. The new leaders appear to be more radical than their predecessors.
There was also the unmistakable echo of television advertising in his announcement. Either “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” or “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, who knows? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World.”
At 6:32 this evening, we learned that the horrifying announcement of the morning was, indeed, cover for Trump to declare victory and get out of the crisis he has caused in the Middle East.
Trump posted: “Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.
“We received a 10 point proposal from Iran,” Trump continued, “and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate. Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated. On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honor to have this Longterm problem close to resolution. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
Michael Rios of CNN reported that Iran’s media is claiming it has achieved a great victory, forcing the U.S. to agree in principle to its 10-point plan, which includes the end of sanctions against Iran, the removal of all U.S. combat forces from bases in the region, and Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz. If these terms are correct, they leave the United States significantly worse off than it was before the war and leave Iran significantly stronger.
Trump called Rios’s story a fraud, and immediately sought to reassert his strength. He posted, “Authorities are looking to determine whether or not a crime was committed on the issuance of the Fake CNN World Statement,” and said that “CNN is being ordered to immediately withdraw this Statement with full apologies for their, as usual, terrible ‘reporting.’”
Political commentator Ben Rhodes summed up the situation: “In the best case scenario, Trump struck a deal to reopen a Strait that was open before the pointless war he started, with [Iran] demonstrating its control over the Strait and potentially extracting fees plus sanctions relief. Thousands of innocents—including hundreds of children—dead in Lebanon and Iran for no reason. U.S. troops killed and wounded. U.S. embassies and bases in the Middle East badly damaged. U.S. standing in the world obliterated. U.S. munitions badly depleted. Hundreds of billions spent. Prices up everywhere. More global economic fallout to come. Putin strengthened and enriched. Just a catastrophic situation even in the best of circumstances. A profoundly shameful episode in American history no matter what happens next.”
And then, a minute after midnight, Trump posted:
“A big day for World Peace! Iran wants it to happen, they’ve had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else! The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz. There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process. We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well. I feel confident that it will. Just like we are experiencing in the U.S., this could be the Golden Age of the Middle East!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP” Journalist Aaron Rupar of Public Notice wrote: “Trump went from making insane genocidal threats this morning to hyping the ‘golden age’ of Iran hours later, and he received no concessions in between. He’s an absolute basket case who needs to be removed from power before he follows through on one of his mass murder fantasies.”
The American people spent the whole day wondering if their mad king would destroy the world, only to find out he was terrorizing them in order to protect his ego after starting a disastrous war. Throughout the day, Democratic members of Congress have called for Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to recall the Senate and for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to recall the House of Representatives from break to end the war in Iran and start the process of removing Trump from office.
Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” was not just a reference to Iran. If he had destroyed Iran in our names, unhampered by the Republican Congress members who have vowed to defend the U.S. Constitution, it would also have been an epitaph for the United States of America,” according to Richardson.
By the way, here are the 10 points as stated by Iran …
- Non-Aggression Guarantee: The U.S. must provide a formal commitment to cease military aggression against Iran.
- Strait of Hormuz Control: Iran retains control over the Strait of Hormuz.
- Nuclear Enrichment Rights: Recognition of Iran's right to enrich uranium within its territory.
- Lifting Primary Sanctions: Immediate removal of all primary U.S. sanctions.
- Lifting Secondary Sanctions: Removal of secondary sanctions against third-party trade.
- Termination of UN Resolutions: Rescinding all UN Security Council resolutions against Iran.
- Termination of IAEA Resolutions: Terminating all IAEA Board of Governors resolutions.
- Compensation/Reparations: Payment of compensation for damages to Iran during the conflict.
- U.S. Military Withdrawal: Withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the region.
- Regional Ceasefire: Ending conflicts on all fronts, including in Lebanon. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
If Trump thinks this is a decent basis for negotiation the folks meeting in Islamabad will have their work cut out for them. Many of these demands by Iran will be rejected out of hand by the American side.
Unfortunately, after the initial sighs of relief, the drama did not calm down. Though Iran demanded an end to the war in Lebanon, the Israelis said this deal did not include Lebanon and launched a major air attack. That caused Iran to claim that before the talks even begin (scheduled for Saturday in Islamabad) there had already been three separate violations of the cease fire.
It is clear that the cease fire is already on very shaky grounds. Yes, the level of violence in Iran and in the Gulf States around Iran has fallen dramatically, and yes, at least three ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Nevertheless, we should not expect that it will be clear sailing to a real agreement. We can hope but we also have to worry.
Seventy Democrats are on record of demanding that Congress come back into session to consider impeachment charges against Trump --- my response is where are the rest of the Democrats? They should all be yelling and screaming. I mean Trump started a war without Congressional approval and threatened a serious war crime. Now is not the time for timidity. Meanwhile, of course, from the Republicans we get a deafening silence.
As Kurt Vonnegut wrote many times: “So it goes ….”
Michael Meeropol is professor emeritus of Economics at Western New England University. He is the author with Howard and Paul Sherman of the recently published second edition of Principles of Macroeconomics: Activist vs. Austerity Policies.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
