To the Editor:

The “world” has not chosen war, Martin. Israel and the US have unilaterally chosen to attack Iran without a verified, imminent provocatory threat, according to international and American intelligence agencies. It’s conceded that Iran is a nation of hateful ill will toward the West, Israel, and non-Muslims, yet Iran, Israel, and the US had been negotiating an agreement to monitor and control Iran’s uranium enrichment for nuclear power (Obama’s agreement which Trump invalidated), when Israel peremptorily attacked Iran. Like Japan’s peremptory attack on Pearl Harbor, a dishonorable chicken-feculent act that the free world despised.

A few days later, the US struck three nuclear sites in Iran, exactly what Trump denied he would do under “America First,” and “No New Wars.” Trump insisted that Iran’s nuclear sites were “completely and fully obliterated.” However, neither American intelligence agencies nor international sources would substantiate that claim without an on-site damage assessment.

Netanyahu pretend-groveled to congratulate Trump on the strikes, saying that, “the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history.” Bibi finally achieved his 30-year dream to involve the US in an attack on Iran. Trump avoids his betrayal of “America First” by accusing protestors of degrading the US military flying the mission. When that foolishness fails, it will be “sedition” to question Trump’s decision. Iran will go quiet for a while, Trump will declare his “military negotiation” a brilliant success but, tragically, this is not over.

When pushed to explain the lead-up to and results of the strikes, Trump II won’t explain and can’t justify his actions, because there was no imminent threat to Israel or the US. But (once again) why a military attack now? How did Trump get so influenced by Bibi? Why not attack Russia, as Putin continues the unfettered rape of Ukraine?

The Senate has adopted Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” It includes spending reductions for people in need, including children (SNAP, and other food support for children and infants), provides massive cuts to Medicaid insurance and hospitals, establishes a 10-year moratorium on state oversight of AI, all but eliminates federal FEMA assistance to states, approves sale of public lands, reverses governmental support for clean water, clean air, and clean energy incentives in favor of new fossil fuel coal subsidies (“Make America 1850 again!”).

To conceal the $5.5 trillion-dollar deficit for the billionaire tax cut (which will soon jeopardize Medicare and Social Security), Republicans will use “current policy” accounting to treat the 2017 Trump I tax cuts, expiring this year, as a base, and not a new MegaBill budget item. This falsely makes the Republican Budget and national debt look far less onerous. The 20-year Senate Parliamentarian’s determination that the Republican accounting method violated Senate Rules was ignored, and Trump called for her firing. Nobody can disagree with Trump.

The House now must now accept the Senate amendments, and they will, to get on a plane to celebrate, ironically, our Declaration of Independence from a King

Republicans have assured their congressionals, “Don’t worry about your constituencies fighting us on this Bill. They’ll get over it.” You have to ask why Republicans are so furiously committed to the welfare of the obscenely wealthy, and willing to do it at the expense millions of ordinary Americans and their families who are falling further into poverty and below Middle Class. It’s as if Republicans legislators believe that their constituents don’t fully understand what is happening or will, in fact, “get over it.”

Kelly Scoles,
Fillmore, Ca.