The USS George H W Bush, one of the three US aircraft carrier Task forces now deployed around Iran. Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nicholas Hall, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

“Alhamdulillah” Its tempting to look at the result of the US mid terms and, like victorious Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, breathe a sigh of relief and give thanks, if not to God, at least to the electorate who, in sweeping Trump’s Republicans out of the House and Senate in numbers large enough to make a post election stitch up too risky to get away with, have made him a lame duck President. There’s a French expression for something that’s not very impressive; Ca casse pas quatre pattes d’un canard” (that doesn’t break four legs on a duck). These elections have broken both Trump’s legs, and then some.

But with the new Congress not taking its place until January, this gives Trump two months to do his worst with the existing Congress waving him on. And he has nothing to lose now. Intimations of a further attack on Iran, with three aircraft carrier task forces now in the region for the first time in 20 years, include hints of an attack on Pickax mountain with a tactical nuclear weapon – which would inaugurate a period of thinkable nuclear wars – are an immediate risk. Possibly by the end of this week.

There is an emergency demonstration called for Downing Street at noon on Saturday if this takes place.

An element in how far Trump will go is the extent to which the Democrat leadership, who have often been more concerned about blocking their own left, especially DSA supporters, in the last few months, give Trump public or private endorsement for this. If the former, its a sign of more continuity than people voted for. If the latter, they will be hoping for quick results from the “madman in the corner of the bar with a broken bottle” strategy that they can then try to consolidate sotto voce. With both US Parties committed to the New American Century and the Democrats more hawkish on Russia and just as committed (at the top) on Israel the wave of voters looking for peace, cheaper petrol and Medicare for all, will be crashing into a joint political sea wall built by the billionaire donors who finance both of them to defend their interests.

So, the next two months will be very dangerous, and it won’t get too restful after that either…