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Comment by cpursley | Hacker News Reader

Considering Trump made the decision not to attack Iran and start WWIII after Iran downed a US drone (despite immense pressure from neocons like Bolton), Trump actually deserves a little credit for being a relatively peaceful president.

He hasn't started any new conflicts and just recently started pulling US troops out of Syria. Can't say that for his predicessors. I understand that people don't like Trump due to his pompous and abrasive personality, but his foreign policy has been suprisingly sane (ignoring all his other policy).

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I guess I should of expected down votes. People's disdane for Trump is often visceral instead of logical (similar to people's feelings on Obama). But you know, sometimes people/orgs/etc that you don't like or support make some good decisions. But if you "feel" good about down voting, then go for it. I'll stick to the facts.

The dude also threatens nuclear war with NK on Twitter.

Next.

Saying sensational crap on Twitter (or any media) is just that. I'm sure the NK regime was shaking in their boots...

It doesn't help your case to just try and pretend you're logical and everyone else is just biased. The situation in Iran has been actively built up by Trump, partly through his hiring and support of John Bolton - one of the architects of the foreign policy disaster of the Bush years. Partly by completely unnecessarily walking away from the JCPOA against all the lobbying of his allies. Trump has been actively making the prospect of war with Iran far more likely since 2016 and giving him a Nobel prize for stepping back from a brink that he himself walked up to is pretty ridiculous in my opinion.

Fair enough. But he's still started fewer hot wars than Obama.

> Trump made the decision not to attack Iran and start WWIII after Iran downed a US drone > He hasn't started any new conflicts

He has started a (completely unnecessary, in the opinion of almost everybody) conflict with Iran. The violation of the treaty and the sanctions are an act of economic war- which is much cheaper and less bloody than a military attack, but almost equally devastating for the victim. Trump is very happy with choking a whole country and he wants it to die in silence, without making too much fuss. Should he get a Nobel peace prize for that? I don't think so.

Not to mention the fact that Iran isn't happy at all at the idea of being silently choked so it'll keep staging provocations until either it can get a relief from sanctions or Trump is dragged into a war of his own making.

Hey, I agree with you. I'm not a fan of economic sanctions (especially as an American living in Russia).

Also, I'm not suggesting Trump get the Nobel Peace Prize, just a little credit for showing constraint.

He's not showing restraint. He's trying to get what he wants without spending money, risking his ratings, and making the world notice. He's showing as much restraint as someone who, to avoid making noise, prefers strangling to shooting.

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