Heading toward a cliff

My (almost) daily quote of Kevin Williamson of “The Dispatch“:

“Washington effectively cedes much of the field to Moscow and Beijing—while demonstrating a persistent American inability to achieve American ends when confronting a third-rate power such as Iran. The American disability demonstrated in Iran began as a political fact rather than a military fact, but as the Trump administration wages relatively effective war against the American military—chasing out the most experienced and talented senior officers, depleting material resources, abandoning multinational training work, etc.—the American lack of resolve is becoming an American lack of capability. When we’ve run through all the missile interceptors without providing for their replacement, it will be of little comfort to know that our secretary of defense does a pretty impressive bench press for a middle-aged man. “

The lack of competence of this administration is really stunning. At least the first Trump administration had some competence and guardrails. This administration has no competence, except for competence in corruption and building up their own bank accounts. Best characterization I have read: “Donald Trump and his clown car of an administration” So true.

I am still not seeing a clear way out. Moscow, and particularly Beijing, currently have the upper hand and expect they will exercise that advantage soon (Taiwan, beware. Baltics, beware) Meanwhile our president occupies his time renaming bodies of water, micro-managing building projects and fighting to put his name where it doesn’t belong while “Rome burns…” Not exactly a great post to end the week. Is there any good news?