America's delegate at the UN walked out in the middle of the Iranian president's speech during the UN General Assembly, which I found to be humiliating and embarrassing for us as a country, because the Iranian president would go on to put America on blast for war crimes before the entire world.
As Iran’s President Pezeshkian started his address, the lone US diplomat in the room stood up, grabbed his briefcase, and walked out (video below).
It caused a scene and was rather performative. What does walking out signal to the rest of the nations? That you won’t negotiate with a country whom you started a war with? A war which you are losing and cannot get out of? A war that your President promised he wouldn’t get us into in the first place? Or, does walking out signal that you’re too ashamed to hear the truth about what you’re country has engaged in?
Then
As the American delegate left the room, the Iranian president proceeded to call America out for committing war crimes, and bombing schoolchildren in Iran.
It, frankly, made us look terrible.
And when I listened to him speak, I couldn't help but think that he sounds a lot more reasonable than our president, who during his address at the UN General Assembly threatened to “annihilate” Iran and “drive them into hell.” (Basically putting it out there that he’s willing to commit more war crimes, proving the Iranian president's point.)
Leave it to Trump to cede the moral high ground to Iran, somehow making them seem like the sane and rational actors.
By the way
I’m not defending Iran or the the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, one of the most corrupt militarized terrorist organizations on the planet.
But then again, what have we become under Donald Trump, through the eyes of other countries?
The silver lining
This pointless war with Iran should be bad for Republican candidates heading into the midterms. Not because GOP voters care about war crimes. But because it’s making their gas more expensive.
Prices at the pump have gotten so undeniably high that Republicans are now messaging with some version of: “paying more for gas is worth it if it means stopping Iran from having a nuclear weapon.”
So much for promising to lower gas prices.
Anyhow
Here’s to hoping we get something out of this war, like a Senate and House majority. Happy Thursday, guys.