So What Have We Gained and At What Cost?

Aug 4, 2015:  The Iran Deal

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

The United States and the world’s major powers — the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, Russia, and the European Union — and Iran sat around the negotiating table month after month, negotiating every detail that would inch us ever-closer to delivering on a promise President Obama had made before he first took office. Then, on July 14, 2015, with a shared commitment to peace, the United States and our international partners announced we had secured a nuclear deal that would achieve the necessary: Verifiably prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

It is an historic deal — a promise fulfilled. It blocks every possible pathway Iran could use to build a nuclear bomb while ensuring — through a comprehensive, intrusive, and unprecedented verification and transparency regime — that Iran’s nuclear program remains exclusively peaceful moving forward.

May 8, 2018: The Withdrawal

President Donald Trump officially announced that the United States would withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear agreement.

 

BBC: New leak claims Trump scrapped Iran nuclear deal 'to spite Obama' 

July 2019: The Mail on Sunday reports that Sir Kim wrote to Mr Johnson informing him Republican President Trump appeared to be abandoning the nuclear deal for "personality reasons" - because the pact had been agreed by his Democrat predecessor, Barack Obama.

April 20, 2026 Trump stated:

PBS: What do you want from the negotiating team in Islamabad?

Trump: No nuclear weapons. Very simple. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Very simple.

Fact Check Team: How much is the Iran war costing the US?

KOMONEWS: One widely cited tracker called the Iran Cost Ticker estimates the U.S. has spent nearly $51 billion so far. That figure is based on an initial $11.3 billion spent during the first week of strikes, as reported by the Pentagon, followed by roughly $1 billion per day in ongoing costs. At about 46 days into the conflict, that pushes the total near the $51 billion mark.

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My Notes: 

All of this money and cost to the American people and lasting harm to the reputation of the USA worldwide, over what?  A personal vendetta / jealousy; malignant narcissism?

Politico: Threatening to annihilate an entire civilization or its essential civilian infrastructure is widely considered a violation of international law and, according to many legal experts, constitutes a war crime.

Action today is needed from The Congress (immediate impeachment) or the Cabinet (25 amendment); less you be co-conspirators. 

Stop the madness!

The Dress Mannequin

It is amazing how some memories become part of our collective consciousness and stay. After so many years it becomes difficult to be sure which are fantasy or reality. Transgender storied abound with the above scenario. Although, I have my own story here and I am sure it happened.

My mother was not a seamstress. Although she was very fashion aware and always had beautiful dresses and shoes. Side point: Easter reminds me that there was always a new dress for Sunday service. Here is my memory and I am sticking with it:

In my case there was no father around and I remember one Saturdays afternoon at home with my mother like it was yesterday. I was playing with my tiny plastic soldiers in my room and she called for help.  

There was a dress she wanted me to put on so she could get the hem even. This was about the extent of her sewing. I remember vividly standing on a stool with the dress on while she pined it all around. I do not recall any other clothing items being added. However,  I am sure I would not have objected had this turn into a dress-up event. Why did I not ask?  

With permission from Stana at 
http://www.femulate.org/

Exactly why this happened I will never know other than just being "mommy's helper". I was still quite a bit shorter than my mother so don't think my seven or eight years old self was that much of a help. Without doubt, I remember it as a compelling event, thus contributing to it being long remembered. 

I am sure the crossdressing/transgender seed was already planted before this happened. Before this, I do remember secretively playing and becoming proficient in walking in my mothers heels. So, this event was not the spark that ignited the fire. 

How about you. Do you have any similar events in your memory closet? Please share.