Wait...Two Weeks?
Donald Trump pulls a 'Money Pit.' Also, why love isn't 'all' you need.
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As a Jewish person, I feel like any time I talk about Israel, I have to throw out nearly a dozen disclaimers to prevent both pro-Israel Jews and pro-Palestine folks (Muslim or otherwise) from attacking me.
So here we go again:
Iran is ruled by a despotic regime (Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei).
A trigger-happy war criminal, Bibi Netanyahu, is the prime minister of Israel
I support the Israeli people
I support the Palestinian people
I support the Iranian people
I believe in Israel's right to exist, but I also believe that the Palestinian people have a right to exist under a two-state solution.
I believe Netanyahu’s treatment of Gaza and the people of Gaza is criminal.
Unlike many Jewish-Americans (including much of my extended family and numerous former college classmates), my support for Israel is not unequivocal. My loyalty will always be to the United States (and the Constitution) first. But that's a personal decision. Israel has never meant as much to me as I know it does for many, many Jewish people in my life. And I respect their love for Israel.
Okay, I think that's it. So now let's get to the latest problem at hand: A possible impending war with Iran, where the United States would join our ally, Israel, in destroying Iran's purported nuclear weapons.
Donald Trump, in true TACO form, is stringing the U.S. along once again. On Thursday, the White House announced the president will provide an answer on whether or not the U.S. will join the conflict — in two weeks.
I get it if your knee-jerk reaction was of the WTF? nature. But if you really think about it, this cliffhanger of an announcement tracks. First of all, Trump has been giving the “two weeks” non-answer for years:
“Two weeks” = “I have no fucking clue what I’m doing.”
Secondly, I mean, you can’t get more reality TV than, “We’ll find out the winner of American Idol…after this commercial break!”
(I’m sure my fellow Gen-Xers will also agree the “two weeks” comment is giving The Money Pit, amirite?)
I don’t want the U.S. to enter the Israel-Iran conflict because I don't believe Bibi Netanyahu's flimsy intelligence that Iran is just a few weeks away from having nuclear weapons. Why? BECAUSE HE'S BEEN SAYING THIS SHIT SINCE 2012 (if not longer). Don't believe me? Just watch (starting at 6:25):
Before I continue, please, do yourselves a favor and read/watch the below reporting on this issue by political experts that actually know what they’re talking about:
Also -- and this was argued far better on
’s Wednesday show (see below) -- but have we all forgotten the early 2000s, when President George W. Bush stormed into Iraq on the suspicion of Saddam Hussein having weapons of mass destruction?Psst! There were no WMDs.
But you know something? All of this is irrelevant.
Because the United States government isn't competent enough to wage war with anyone.
Think long and hard about this: Do you really, really think that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, a guy who can't even keep his Signal chats private, should be in charge of World War III?
Do you really, really think that Donald Trump, a guy who makes global defense decisions depending on how bruised his ego is that day, should be dragging us into another war?
Some quotes from our illustrious commander in chief on the subject:
“I may do it, I may not do it, nobody knows what I’m going to do.”
“I have ideas as to what to do. I like to make a final decision one second before it’s due.”
It’s the old “concepts of a plan” approach, with absolutely no concern or compassion for, you know, the Iranian and Israeli civilians who will suffer the most. (I know, I know. It’s foolish to expect Donald Trump to care about ordinary people.)
This should be an easy answer for anyone, even those of you who barely follow politics: It doesn’t matter if you want to support Israel or Iran in this conflict, because the United States should not enter a war — any war — under its current administration. Full stop.
I mean, if you don’t want to believe me, feel free to listen to Tucker Carlson instead (excuse me while I go vomit after writing that sentence):
Please, call your senators and congresspeople -- because, BTDubs, someone also needs to remind Donald Trump that only CONGRESS can declare war -- and beg them to prevent U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict.
5 Calls has a script here.
We live in a country where not only ordinary people, but also our elected officials, are in danger on a daily basis. ICE raids, politically motivated assassinations, physical attacks, and unlawful arrests are now the norm.
If we can't trust Donald Trump to keep any of us safe here at home, how can we possibly expect him to keep the Middle East safe from nuclear destruction?
I also just wanted to reiterate how heartened I was to see so many people out on the streets last weekend in support of the No Kings protests. The idea that June 14, 2025, could be the biggest-ever single-day protest in American history fills me with hope and joy. Especially compared to the sparse attendance of Trump's womp-womp failure of a military birthday parade. You know what I also loved? My daughter wanted to come to the protest! I didn't fear for her safety, but I knew she’d ultimately be bored while Mommy fangirled over Carrie Coon, so I sent her to art therapy instead.
Finally, I wanted to reshare this Note from a couple of days ago:
I wrote this in response to a whimsical Facebook post someone published (surprise, surprise, it’s one of those friends I had to pull away from). It was one of those “love is stronger than hate” posts, which, in essence, I totally agree with, but I just couldn’t get past the author’s naivete.
I’m saddened that some people — many of whom remain in their safe, protective bubbles — still believe the evil and hatred stemming from people like Stephen Miller or Donald Trump can be overpowered with love.
Here’s the thing about bubbles. Bubbles pop. They can't keep you safe forever.
I wish love were the easy answer to hate, but it's not. Telling the angry, rage-filled American people that “love is all you need” is doing a great disservice to your audience (sorry, John and Paul).
Presented for your consideration: White House deputy chief of staff and immigrant mass deportation mastermind Stephen Miller.
This man is a monster. He has nothing but hate in his heart (if he even has one). How is love supposed to combat this man's virulent, racist hate for immigrants? (FYI, in case you weren’t aware: Heinrich Himmler 2.0 is Jewish.)
While I firmly believe that both Miller and Trump evolved into personifications of cruelty because they never received enough love as children, countering their hatred with love is a terrible strategy.
We don't defeat men like Stephen Miller and Donald Trump with love, compassion, and a hug.
How do I know this? Because love didn't defeat Hitler and the Nazis. It took strategy, courage, determination, cleverness, and strength to destroy the Third Reich.
You don’t “come to the table” with a group of men hell-bent on exterminating multiple ethnic populations. So why should the American people be expected to approach authoritarianism with doves and an olive branch?
I don't claim to have all the answers, and I’m still trying to figure out how we can successfully push back on hatred, but I do think a love-based approach only works when you call out the hatred by name. Otherwise, your words are empty — and your declarations of love are no better than bending the knee. So, if you want to talk about how much you “love” immigrants, you need to do so by calling out the government. Call them out for demonizing immigrants and the unlawful ICE raids permeating our country (including our baseball stadiums????).
As always, I thank you for reading,
—Sarene
P.S. If you’re a regular reader of my work and wish to support my endeavors, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Or, you can give a one-time donation by buying me a coffee.