Will Trump Change US Imperial Policy? Hold the Cheers!

by Stephen Lendman

Trump won't end US imperial wars. America's military/industrial complex depends on them. Prioritizing global peace and stability would wreck its bottom line interests. Would he dare defy a far greater power than his own, perhaps assuring his demise if he rejects its demands?

Don't bank on it, but here's a partial wish list for positive geopolitical change - if achieved would make his tenure historic:

better relations with Russia, China, Iran and Venezuela;

halt color revolutions and wars for regime change;

end the threat of Washington declaring war on Syria, risking direct confrontation with Russia if launched;

wage real, not phony, war on ISIS and other terrorist groups; partner with Russia to defeat this scourge;

halt support for terrorists called moderates, Trump saying "we have no idea who these people are;"

prioritize diplomacy over endless wars; and

negotiate what Trump calls "the ultimate deal…the deal that can't be made…for humanity's sake" - Israeli/Palestinian peace after decades of endless conflict, dashing hopes for resolution, equity and justice.

Hopefully his ascension to power means fewer, not more, US wars, ending support for putschists waging war on Donbass freedom fighters, acting responsibly to clean up the mess US-led NATO made in Libya, and following through after saying he'll consider "let(ting) NATO go," adding:

"When we're paying and nobody else is really paying, a couple of other countries are but nobody else is really paying, you feel like the jerk."

He'd "call up all of those countries…and say 'fellas you haven't paid for years. Give us the money or get the hell out.' " 

"(Y)ou've gotta pay us or get out. You're out, out, out…Maybe NATO will dissolve, and that's OK, not the worst thing in the world."

Separately on Sunday, according to a Syrian military source, anti-government terrorists in eastern Aleppo were given 24 hours to lay down their arms and leave areas they control.

According to the source, "(t)hose who want to remain alive must lay down their arms and in return we ensure their security. After the deadline ends, our attack will start, using the most precise weapons."

"(R)ecent victories of the Syrian army and popular forces…caused the terrorists to grow hopeless, paralyzed and depressed…accusing each other of betrayal."

US-supported terrorists in eastern Aleppo failed to heed earlier calls to cease fighting. It's doubtful they'll agree now. 

A large-scale government attack on their positions, perhaps aided by Russian warplanes and naval forces offshore, may begin early this week otherwise.

Liberating Aleppo entirely may come sooner, not later, Washington perhaps doing nothing to stop it - with Trump succeeding Obama in January.

A Final Comment

Last year, Trump said, if elected, he'll cut all ties to his business and take no salary, not even a dollar. "That's not a big deal for me," he stressed. 

After becoming president-elect, he tweeted, "(a)s far as the salary is concerned - I won't take even one dollar. I am totally giving up my salary…"

Jack Kennedy took no congressional or presidential salary. Herbert Hoover donated his to charities and for extra staff compensation. All other US presidents took theirs. 

Today they earn $400,000 annually plus a $50,000 expense account, aside from what they get in lavish perks.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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