The handmaiden of Israel

Hubris could be behind Trump's decision to attack Iran

- Oscar Van Heerden

The devastating bombardment of Tehran by Israel and the US is likely to continue, and escalation by both sides will unfold going forward/ Getty Images

(Getty Images)

Sit, fetch, bring, good dog. This is what the world is witnessing and how Israel's war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu is ordering Donald Trump around. And if that's not enough, both the owner of the dog and the dog itself want us to believe it is wagging its tail instead, when we all know the tail is wagging the dog.

So, why did Trump do it? Was he blackmailed with Epstein files? Did he simply not believe his generals? Or, was it vanity? After all, his mighty military got the job done in Venezuela.

What I mean here is that first, it was hubris. It refers to “excessive pride, extreme arrogance, or overbearing self-confidence that often leads to a person's downfall”. Originating in Greek tragedy as defiance toward gods, it now describes a fatal overestimation of one's abilities.

Second, it’s internal political calculus. Trump knows his approval rating is in the gutter. According to the Economist, Trump’s net approval rating is -19, down 0.6 points since last week - 38% approve, 58% disapprove, and 4% not sure.

It is almost a certainty that come November midterms, the Trump Maga Republican group is in for a hiding, losing the house (congress) and very possibly the senate as well.