It was said that Steven Jobs had a reality distortion field around him that could persuade anyone in his presence that what he dreamed of was possible, regardless of how realistic it was. It was as if he could sweep other people up into his own narcissistic vision of himself and his powers, and bend them to his will. Adolf Hitler had something of the same talent: right until the end, people could come away from a meeting with him feeling inspired and believing that there was a secret plan that could still win Germany the war.
Donald Trump has woven something of the same magic around the American people. Millions of them, left hopeless by the decline of America’s industrial might, were ready to believe in his unwavering self-confidence and his conviction that he had the answers. Nowhis ability to distort reality has run up against the hard reality of war, and specifically the Iranian government’s ability to control the Straits of Hormuz. No matter how convinced he is that he has won the war, and no matter how much he tries to persuade others that he has won, the deadlock remains, and there is no easy off-ramp. The Iranians simply remain outside Trump’s reality distortion field, and have considerable power to inflict pain, particularly on Trump’s own voters. Every time they fill up their cars and see the price that they have to pay, they are confronted with a reality that Trump cannot bend to his will.
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