Seeing ourselves as others see us

The vision is scary.

Item One: Our Congress thinks it is debating whether the international agreement to curtail Iran's nuclear program will happen.

The UN Security Council has already approved the deal, and by a 15-0 unanimous vote—hardly its norm on controversial issues. So has the European Union. Sample report, from Reuters: “‘It is a balanced deal that means Iran won’t get an atomic bomb,’ said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. ‘It is a major political deal.’” The Russians and Chinese are moving ahead as if the deal is done, because from the world’s perspective it is.

James Fallows, The Atlantic

Item Two: These scrabbling fools are competing to demonstrate who can be most ignorant and irresponsible in order to have a chance to become President of the United States. Sticking a podium in front of each of them does not confer gravitas or sanity.