Happy New Year! 2018 is here, and 2017 closes out the first year of Trump, a devastating hurricane season, more mumble rap, and of course another installment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise. Using the “Fast and Furious” franchise as a reference serves multiple purposes. Not because I’m a fan or non-fan, or because I even think the “Fast and Furious” franchise is good. It’s because it’s a good reference when comparing highly predictable actions and others that are completely unnecessary. No “Fast and Furious” movies needed to be made after the very first one back in the ancient year of 2001. Given all “Fast and Furious” movies have the same reoccurring scene with a car flying and Vin Diesel jumping out of it, and not even getting a paper cut in the process, the “Fast and Furious” movies aren’t the most surprising and cerebral movies to watch.
Now back to Happy New Year celebratory feel goods.
2018, will be much like 2017. Don’t be fooled. You just saw “Fast and Furious” 6, don’t think “Fast and Furious” 7 is going to turn into “Saving Private Ryan.” It’ll be another year of a company introducing a new phone and trying to convince us that the phone we already have is worthless, another year of a blockbuster flop and a blockbuster surprise, more mumble rap, a good sports story, a bad sports story, and then there’s Trump. Trump will have a profound effect on the political world, and I when I write world, I mean actual world affairs.
Trump’s first year largely swirled around domestic issues, he couldn’t help himself from not doing anything international. Trump in careless remarks or actions did the following: opted the United States out of the international Paris climate change treaty, one that even North Korea is on board with; during a photo opt shoved world leaders out the way to get in the front row of the picture, and engaged in a Drake/Meek Mill twitter battle with Kim Jong-Un. 2018 Twitter fingers may turn into trigger fingers (to quote Drake), and only Trump will be to blame.
Just like in the “Fast and Furious” movies Vin Diesel and company will not only save the day and get the girl, but will do it in even more of an exaggerated fashion than the previous installment, Trump’s hostile words and eventual actions towards rouge state leaders is getting worse and will continue to get worse by the Tweet.
North Korea is really a sideshow beef for Trump. His true objective is the last truly anti-American state with actual power and influence, Iran. UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and Trump in the final weeks of 2017 quietly gave the “whole world is watching” spills regarding recent protests of the government in Iran. Also, remember Trump campaigned against the Iranian nuclear agreement made under the Obama administration as being a terrible deal. Trump probably doesn’t know where Iran is on a map, but he does know that not much American business is being conducted there and that’s a problem for him. The extreme right, which Trump is clearly a part of, will lead you to believe Iran is a threat to the American way of life and the world is in danger. Akin to fear-mongering and the drumming of danger portrayed by George Bush in 2002, Iran is as much of a danger to the United States as “Fast and Furious” 7 will be nominated for the academy award picture of the year.
Iran really is an energy superpower with geographical and cultural importance that stands in the way of a complete American influenced middle east. Since 1979, and the fall the American-British propped Shah monarchy, Iran has been circled for revenge. Iran has never been surrounded geographically by American favoring states like it is now. Also, Iran had a strong relationship with Russia, one in which could easily go away with an American led and Russian backed military option against them. This is where 2018 could go from terrible Tweets and tax deals to actual boots and blood on the ground. Any unprovoked military and/or sanctions against Iran from the actual United States is completely unnecessary and can be avoided, just as I avoided “Fast and Furious” 7 for the longest until I saw it on HBO. [It was free, so don’t blame me.
Luckily, the 2018 midterm elections might stop the momentum. The Dr. Dre beats drumming for war can easily go to Great Value headphones if war hawk support for actions against Iran is defeated in November. In the meanwhile, in 2018 enjoy a terrible Super Bowl halftime performance, a viral meme, a catchy mumble rap song, and of course plans for another “Fast and Furious” movie. Things won’t change in Washington, especially with Trump in office.