I think #45’s relationship to war is a complicated one. He does not even know what he thinks about any of this. Everything points to an impulsive person easily goaded into action, if you push the right “ego/self-esteem” buttons. Who pushes those buttons? Neo-Cons, I think. Pompeo is chief among them. The attack on Iran is Pompeo’s baby…IMO.

I suggest going back over the headlines as the Mueller investigation was simmering. Almost every time #45 threatened to pull troops from Afghanistan or Iraq or Syria or go to NK, the Mueller investigation would heat up. It is crazy how connected the investigation appeared to be to #45’s stance on military deployments.

Besides the neo-cons, wartime profiteers are to blame. I think #45 knows and realizes that one of his chief constituents, the military, is becoming quite weary of the Forever War. Instinctively, #45 knows war is bad for business, but he also knows that “perceived weakness” is bad for his re-election chances.

#45 is a bonehead, but I fear it is a much more insidious crowd behind these actions. There are swathes of the economy in America built on war now and many jobs are tied to it. Unless we can break the connection between money and war, it will continue no matter who sits in the Oval Office.