Donald J. Trump, in kicking off this war, may have committed the greatest strategic blunder in the history of the United States or maybe even Western history. Looking over the annuals of the history of the world I can’t think of a worst one. It’s right up there with Napoleon invading Russia, Uncle Adolph invading the Soviet Union and poor Nicholas II prematurely mobilizing the Russian Army in 1914.

One usually expects career military men to be jingos. Air Force General Dan Kaine, was a man Trump genuinely liked, In fact the president liked him so much that Kaine was brought out of retirement and it had to be arranged that the general get an extra star before being appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. When confronted with the “genius idea” to attack Iran, Kaine was horrified and tried to talk him out of it. The general took the rather extraordinary expedient of leaking to the press his opposition to the planned war. It didn’t work. In press conferences Kaine shows a certain lack of enthusiasm for the war and drones out tactical statistics, clearly embarrassed about what’s going on.

Fox News junkies and other ignorant yahoos may be joyful that “ragheads” are being slaughtered en masse. As terrible as the loss of life, both civilian and military, might be, this war will result in real suffering at home. I, personally, am doing fine. However, I live in an impoverished southern state, rather notorious for its lack of well-paying jobs. Its name is often mentioned in the same breath with places like Mississippi and West Virginia. I know people who actually can’t afford an extra twenty or thirty dollars a week in fuel costs to get to work. The cost of Petroleum-based fertilizers is going to raise the price of food significantly. High oil prices have a disastrous effect on the economy because all sectors use at least some. Inflation city folks!

Of course, the human suffering won’t be limited to the United States. Trump’s actions will cause poverty and want all over the world. While I prioritize our own people, I do feel sorry for what is going to happen to hapless people all over the world.

I think the main reason Trump is sending Marines to Kharg Island is to make them targets for Iranian drones and missiles. Trump hopes that the Iranians will then send fewer drones and missiles in the direction of Israel. After all, the attitude at the White House is that Jewish lives are much more valuable than the lives of Marines, most of them being “disgusting gentiles”.