Pundits on all sides of the spectrum are applauding the strike on Syria, but wondering what it means for our Middle East policy as we move forward. Are we now trying to bring about regime change in Syria? How is that to be accomplished? Different voices within the Trump Administration are telling us wildly different things, and nobody knows what happens next.
What these people fail to understand, for some reason, is that Trump likes chaos. It is a governing tactic. It permits him the maximum amount of freedom of action. It lets him sell himself to the highest bidder. It leaves everyone guessing. It makes him an American version of Putin.
Get used to it, and don’t pay any attention to what he says until he signs on the dotted line. In this case, the missile strike was solely for the purpose of making him look like a strong and unpredictable leader in the face of repeated failures at home. It does not mean we’re going to change course in Syria.