LIES, EXAGGERATIONS AND DECEPTION
TOLL IS NOW BAKED IN FOR YEARS
We now live in era of massive lies, exaggerations and tactics to deceive and demonize. The consequences are now becoming evident everywhere. Of course, in our personal lives we would quickly avoid those who would engage in this behavior, whether it was in personal relationships or business. It is sad to observe that these tactics are now predominant in foreign relations and often in business relations. While this behavior in personal relations is disappointing and costly in business, in foreign policy it may be catastrophic for long term relations. Leaders and politicians come and go but unsavory tactics can live on for decades or even centuries.
Of course, I am primarily observing the relations between the United States and the rest of the world. Often these tactics are used to gain popular support for war or other political objectives, demonizing others to rally the country for aggressive tactics. Narratives to divide, stoke racial division, or some purported slight. We have all witnessed the increase and blatant use of these tactics.
We have seen attacks on negotiators while engaging in negotiations. we have seen the objectives changed when one side is ready to agree to the stated priorities, Iran had essentially agreed to most of the objectives in Geneva the day before the Feb. 28 attack. The US and UK scuttled the talks in Istanbul in 2022 that would have allowed Ukraine to be intact. Iran had also agreed to end enrichment except for energy and other commercial purposes and the Israel insisted that they have no right to commercial enrichment.
Now Iran will not begin serious negotiations until the US puts up good faith, including unfreezing it assets and removing sanctions. Same for Russia, no ceasefire without a comprehensive agreement that will be a long term security arrangement in Europe.
Both Iran and Russia can only assume that there is no willingness for a serious negotiation, only another attempt to gain advantage through negotiations and only defeat is the goal of its counterparts.
These examples are not lost on the rest of the world, who can only assume that there is no credibility when dealing with the US, not only with Trump, but with the nations foreign policy, no matter who is the president. It is the same, Republican or Democrat and will only end when confrontation is no longer militarily or economically possible.