TRUMP IS NO DOVE, BUT I STAND BY "WAR-AVERSE," WITH AN ASTERISK

I'm told I tweeted the wrong thing today:

The fact that Trump seems war-averse and just fired his most virulent hawk doesn't mean he isn't a fucking horrorshow in every other way.

— Steve M. (@nomoremister) September 10, 2019

Some responses were a tad harsh:

"War averse" lol. Delete this messhttps://t.co/rc1m2bCRe2

— Liz Warren = Dow Chemical blood money (@plsnobreadlines) September 10, 2019

I shouldn't have said "war-averse." Trump is averse to starting new wars.

It's not because he's a dove. I think this is correct:

He's not war-averse, precisely. He's Vietnam-averse. Grenada or Panama, he'd adore. And of course that's what the war hawks promise him, it's what they promised Dubya in 2003.

— Warren Terra (@warren__terra) September 10, 2019

But I think the generals tell him that every new war he's considering will be difficult -- months if not years of combat, lots of American deaths, with an ongoing military presence ultimately necessary. And I'm sure Trump thinks: I can't even have a nice quick war in a shithole country like Venezuela? Or Iran? Aren't they Muslims in Iran? Aren't all Muslim countries primitive?

I also wonder if he doesn't want to start a war because he knows that servicemembers who fight and die in wars are regarded as heroes. They're seen as braver than he's ever been. I know he gives out the occasional medal to a servicemember, but can he tolerate a lot of them fighting and dying and stealing all the glory that rightfully belongs to him?

Or is it just that a war would become more important than the president who started it? After all, it would lead the news every day, rather than whatever Twitter beef Trump is having with a nonwhite female member of Congress or liberal actress.

And, of course, Trump believes the myth of himself that was created by The Art of the Deal. He thinks he can smooth-talk his way to brilliant foreign policy outcomes (even though he's been a complete failure at this since his inauguration). If the generals say he can't drop a few bombs and win a war over a weekend, maybe he can negotiate a peace agreement over the same period of time (without, of course, reading any briefing materials, because that would be hard). Nobel Peace Prize, here we come!

Trump really might not get us into any new wars -- but it's not because he's a good person or a peace lover. He's a terrible person and a would-be warmonger. Fortunately for us, warmongering is not instantly rewarding in the way Trump would prefer. That's all that's preventing a new war.