Donald Trump’s conflicts with Iran, China

This 10 May 2019 video by United States congresswoman and Democratic party presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard says about itself:

Increased Tensions Could Lead to Nuclear Catastrophe

It is critical that we understand the importance of engaging with other nuclear powers with respect and in a spirit of cooperation rather than conflict. As president I will work to end the cold war and decrease tensions that are bringing us closer to nuclear catastrophe.

With B-52s, carrier battle group in place, US war against Iran on a hair trigger: here.

The intensification of sanctions against Iran by the United States has produced sharp transatlantic tensions. In a joint statement, the European Union’s foreign policy representative, and the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Britain condemned the expansion of the sanctions: here.

Talks between US and Chinese trade negotiators in Washington broke up yesterday without any agreement following the imposition of additional tariffs by the Trump administration on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. No date has been set for further discussions: here.

Trump’s trade war prepares the way for a real war against China: here.

U.S. HOUSEHOLDS WILL PAY $1,000 PER YEAR FOR TRUMP TARIFFS Despite repeated assurances from Trump administration officials that U.S. consumers are not bearing the brunt of its tariffs on China, a new JPMorgan analysis predicts that the average American family will shoulder $1,000 per year. [HuffPost]

TRUMP’S WAR ON CHRISTMAS Trump’s trade war with China is turning into a different kind of “war on Christmas,” with expected higher prices for holiday decor. The Trump administration just increased tariffs to 25% on a wider category of goods, including holiday lights. [HuffPost]

The Media’s Shameful Handling of Bolton’s Iran Threat Claims Recalls the Run-Up to the Iraq War. Reports from U.S. mainstream media outlets basically served as a public relations service, simply repeating Bolton’s statement with little scrutiny across multiple mediums: here.

The abrupt trip staged by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Brussels to push Washington’s hard line against Iran, combined with the deployment of still more US military assets to the Persian Gulf, point to Washington’s calculated escalation of a war crisis in the region: here.

CAN CONGRESS PREVENT WAR WITH IRAN? The Trump administration’s sudden march toward armed conflict with Iran has top Democrats and even some Republicans attempting to rein in the president’s hawkish senior officials before potentially tens of thousands of U.S. troops are engaged in a bloody conflict in the Middle East. [HuffPost]

United States Senate Bill Warns Israel Against Taking Chinese Money: here.

DATA SHOWS TRADE WAR HURTING THE U.S. President Donald Trump said Chinese manufacturing would “crumble” if the country did not agree to the United States’ trade terms, as newly released data showed his trade war was washing back to American shores and hurting the factories that the president has aimed to protect. [New York Times]

Trump’s nominee for top US military commander calls for nuclear buildup to confront China: here.

Former US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger has warned of an inevitable “conflict” between the US and China, with potentially “catastrophic” outcome: here.