Slate "The president withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal because of spite, ignorance, or both."

[NRaleighLiberal]

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/05/trump-iran-nuclear-deal-withdrew-out-of-spite-or-ignorance.html

Trump Has Wrecked One of the Most Successful Arms-Control Deals in Modern History
The president withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal because of spite, ignorance, or both.
By FRED KAPLAN

With his decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, President Trump has committed his most irresponsible act in foreign policy to date.

The move—which Trump took against the urgings of European heads of state, Israeli security officials, dozens of current and former diplomats, his own secretary of defense, and even the conservative chairman of the House Armed Services Committee—can only be attributed to one or more of three motives: a misunderstanding of the deal’s terms, a need to torpedo yet another one of President Obama’s accomplishments, or a desire to weaken or destroy the government of Iran.

Trump claimed in his televised speech today that Iran is cheating on the deal, but his own intelligence directors have said there is no evidence of this claim whatsoever. The International Atomic Energy Agency has certified Iran’s compliance 10 times since the deal was signed. Secretary of Defense James Mattis testified to a Senate committee last month that, after reading the 140-page agreement three times, he was struck by how “robust” the deal’s verification provisions were.

It’s also the case that the most influential backers of Trump’s decision—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, national security adviser John Bolton, and the Sunni Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia—are fervent advocates of regime change in Iran, by force if necessary.

snip - much more to read at the link above

[democratisphere]

1. BOTH spite, ignorance and his massive psychopathic narcissistic ego.

[BigmanPigman]

3. SPITE and revenge.

What an immature, racist ass we have in the W House. He is SICK!!! I hope he has a heart attack or stroke ASAP!

[Phoenix61]

2. There will be another deal

It will be exactly the same only it will have his signature on it. Since he never read the first one, it shouldn't be hard for saner heads to pull this off.

[CincyDem]

4. Or...to jack $$/bbl oil up to help the Russian economy.

The old phrase - when you hear hoofbeats behind you, think horses not zebras.

When Trump does something that doesn't make sense, think Russia not rationale thought.

Seriously, this guy's not stupid. We may all think he's the dumbest thing since sliced bread but let's get real, through hook or by crook, he's waking up in the WH every morning.

When he does chit that makes no sense, rather than thinking he's senile, he's vengeful, he's stupid...think clearly about it and ask "How does Mother Russia benefit from this decision". IMHO, when you do that, the illogic of his actions falls away and it's much clearer.

As Rachel says - watch the actions and ask "who benefits?"

[LuvLoogie]

6. You give him too much fucking credit.

He is aided and abetted by the GOP. The normal checks and balances don't apply, because we have a party full of bigoted nihilists in charge of reigning in a bigoted nihilist.

[CincyDem]

7. Maybe - but I've always found it beneficial to overestimate the abilities of my adversaries.

Cuz the alternative is always f'ing ugly.

[unblock]

5. there is a fourth possible motive:

that donnie and his primary backer want to diminish america's standing in the international arena?
that donnie and his primary backer do not have america's best interests at heart?
that donnie and his primary backer prefer he devote his energies to pitting americans against each other and undermining our public institutions?

[shanti]

8. Every decision he makes

is because of spite, ignorace, or both. And his ignorant, spiteful supporters lap it up.