{"id":29233,"date":"2026-01-17T12:47:56","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T12:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=29233"},"modified":"2026-01-17T22:45:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T22:45:15","slug":"politics-donald-trump-peacemaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=29233","title":{"rendered":"POLiTiCS: Donald Trump, Peacemaker?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
WTF!?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Donnie desperately wants adulation. Boy, does he ever get it. And, boy oh boy, does he know how<\/em> to get it. Amongst many other other things for which he earnestly craves adulation, he wants to be adored as a peacemaker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He clearly doesn\u2019t give a shit about individual human lives. As his policies elsewhere – see immediately below – make abundantly clear. And he\u2019s always banging on about loving \u2018strong men\u2019, and winners. So why this desperate desire to be seen as something he quite clearly isn\u2019t?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Narcissism. Plain and simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Also, and crucially, like most ultra-capitalists, his thinking about everything<\/em>, inc. problem-solving, is incredibly short-term and shortsighted. Appearances matter far more than substance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just look at his political appointees, particularly the ladies. Leavitt and Noem owe more to their physical allure than their competency in their roles.  And likewise his insults: \u2018Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?\u2019*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*re Carly Fiorina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unsurprisingly, the Orange Felon\u2019s constant bragging about ending eight wars simply doesn\u2019t stand up to scrutiny. In fact almost nothing in Trump\u2019s entire life does. It\u2019s all<\/em> about bravado, bluster, and bullying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we were to go by what comes out of Trump\u2019s mouth, then he would seem to literally believe that whatever he says is true. Not because it really is. But because he says it is. The ultimate in solipsistic narcissism. He thinks that if he says water is made of steel, the fact he said so makes it real. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now this is so incomprehensibly ridiculous to anyone with a remotely normal functioning brain or mind, that the immediate thought is – he can\u2019t possibly really think like that!? And perhaps beneath all his bluster he does know it\u2019s all BS?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the key thing is that whatever he really thinks, feels or believes, his public and outward persona is that of a kind of Old-Testament Biblical God: by His words, He maketh the World. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To rational free-thinking minds this is – and ought to be – a very very<\/em> frightening thing. But to legions of Americans, perhaps especially so-called Christian Americans (incredibly un-Christ like, but extremely zealously religious), this resembles the Saviour\/F\u00fchrer aspect of Nazism\u2019s peculiarly atavistic pseudo-religious appeal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the certainty of blind faith. Immovable belief in spite of the all too real facts. Anything that appears to be against the \u2018Holy Writ\u2019 (unholy rot, in truth), is Satanic. The work of the Great Deceiver. The levels of irony here are waaay off the chart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One can see this in how Caroline Leavitt responds to a journalist, when he asks about the \u2018correctness\u2019 of ICE\u2019s behaviour:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/v\/1ALFncweZe\/?mibextid=wwXIfr<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But let\u2019s return to the main theme, and list Trumps \u20188 Wars Ended\u2019 claims. They are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Israel and Iran<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Pakistan and India<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Thailand and Cambodia<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Armenia and Azerbaijan<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Egypt and Ethiopia <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Serbia and Kosovo<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Israel and Hamas<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Now let\u2019s take each in turn and see if these claims hold up\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    ISRAEL vs IRAN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Duration – 12 day conflict. \u2018\u2026 what we have is more of a de facto ceasefire than an end to war\u2026 There is no agreement on a permanent peace or on how to monitor Iran’s nuclear programme going forward.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    O\u2019Hanlon [who?]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Verdict – overclaim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    INDIA vs PAKISTAN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Duration – 4 days. \u2018Talks regarding cessation of military action were held directly between India and Pakistan under the existing channels established between both militaries.\u2019 Vikram Misri (Indian Foreign Secretary) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Verdict – overclaim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    RWANDA vs DRC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Duration – long-term (many years). \u2018There’s still fighting between Congo and Rwanda – so that ceasefire has never really held.\u2019 Margaret MacMillan, history professor (University of Oxford?) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Verdict – false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    THAILAND vs CAMBODIA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Duration – long-term; roots of conflict centuries old. Recent escalation, in 2025. The peace Trump boasts about (posting on Truth, 26\/7\/25) quickly collapsed: \u2018The agreement proved short-lived, however, as heavy fighting resumed in early December. A second ceasefire agreement was reached on December 27 following mounting pressure from the international community, though its durability remained uncertain.\u2019 (my italics) Enc. Brittania. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Verdict – overclaim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    ARMENIAN vs AZERBAIJAN <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Duration – c. 40 years of conflict. Leaders of both nations credit Trump with helping secure peace. Maybe we can give him this one? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Verdict – true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    EGYPT vs ETHIOPIA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Duration – no actual war! Tensions, yes. But not an actual National states conflict. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2018Egypt welcomed Trump’s words, but Ethiopian officials said they risked inflaming tensions. No formal deal has been reached between Egypt and Ethiopia to resolve their differences.\u2019 BBC<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Verdict – false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    SERBIA vs KOSOVO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Duration – no actual war! \u2018Serbia and Kosovo haven’t been fighting or firing at each other, so it’s not a war to end.\u2019 Prof MacMillan. Trump\u2019s claims are based on his threats to end trade with these nations if they did go to war. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Verdict – false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    GAZA, ISRAEL vs HAMAS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Duration – long-standing (years). Well, given the two parties are still killing each other, this one can\u2019t be counted a success!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Verdict – false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Soo\u2026 having looked beyond the soundbite rhetoric of Trump\u2019s self proclaimed \u2018world\u2019s greatest ever peacemaker\u2019, only one of these claims – Armenia vs Azerbaijan – stands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Besides this one truthful claim, we have three massive exaggerations, and four outright falsehoods. Not such a great record to boast of, frankly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What does this tell us? What I stated already. Trump\u2019s claims are at a very generous best hugely exaggerated, but – closer to the truth – largely mendacious. Their purpose is basically to act as good PR for his \u2018brand\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He\u2019s not thinking like a genuine peacemaker, but as a corporate salesman, looking to make himself look good. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Donnie desperately wants adulation. Boy, does he ever get it. And, boy oh boy, does he know how to get it. Amongst many other other things for which he earnestly craves adulation, he wants to be adored as a peacemaker.  He clearly doesn\u2019t give a shit about individual human lives. As his policies elsewhere – … <\/p>\n

    Continue reading “POLiTiCS: Donald Trump, Peacemaker?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"POLiTiCS: Donald Trump, Peacemaker?","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paGwUa-7Bv","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29233"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29233"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29242,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29233\/revisions\/29242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}