Scott Horton on Trump's Nuclear Threats Against Iran and US Foreign Policy

Criminality of Aggressive War

• ⚖️ Starting an aggressive war against a country not threatening the U.S. is criminal behavior, especially when that country has not pursued nuclear weapons.
• 💡 International law and historical precedents, like Truman not launching preemptive war against the Soviet Union or LBJ not invading China, highlight the unjustified nature of preemptive strikes.

Trump's Waffling and Nuclear Threats

• 🎭 Donald Trump's erratic behavior, oscillating between negotiation demands and posting terroristic threats on Truth Social, is treated as a trivial matter.
• 💣 A report suggested the White House ruled out atomic bunker buster bombs, but a subsequent statement reaffirmed that all options remain on the table, including nuclear weapons.
• ⚠️ The threat of a nuclear first strike against a non-nuclear state, which is a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty and poses no threat, is described as absolute terrorism.

Iran's Nuclear Program and Threat Assessment

• ⚛️ Iran has the right under the non-proliferation treaty to pursue nuclear energy, and the discussion questions the legitimacy of attacking them even if they were developing nuclear weapons.
• 🌍 While Iran's leadership is acknowledged as potentially problematic, the Ayatollah is described as mostly cautious in foreign policy, and not a direct threat to the United States.

Broader Critique of US Foreign Policy

• militarism and political theatrics drive American foreign policy, risking catastrophic consequences based on false premises.
• 🚨 Trump should be impeached and removed from office for his actions, which are seen as outrageous behavior.