It’s getting to be as regular as the rising sun that the only value from most of the columnists at The Australian is so that they provoke replies from their readers. And so again, yet another anti-Trump screed, this one by Graham Richardson whose only skill has ever been to count heads in Parliament and present whatever is the latest version of the lies of the left. This one on Donald Trump’s singular moment of lunacy alienates the US further. To quote:

Barack Obama left office as a very popular President despite some obvious shortcomings. On the domestic front he was an undoubted success. . . .

If you thought that American foreign policy had hit rock bottom you were wrong. Donald Trump’s blunder this week leaves Obama and Bush looking adequate by comparison. When Trump released his bombshell statement that America would recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel he managed to alienate every US ally around the world, he gave live ammunition to every US enemy and Middle Eastern terrorist group.

I’ve left in the opening words, the bit about Obama’s “undoubted success” in domestic policies, as a kind of benchmark for what follows. Anyway, the comments thread starting from the top and going down right to the end without a single one in support of Richardson.

So the arabs are upset and threaten violence. What has changed exactly?

Well Richo after many years of appeasement failure maybe its time to do something different. Your side of politics will be horrified if this succeeds.

What you are forgetting G Richardson is that not only Obama, George Bush but also Bill Clinton declared that Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel. Trump has been the only President to keep his word. Long live Trump in the White House.

…but Richard, you’ve failed to mention that Jerusalem being recognised as Israel’s capital was also the policy of Obama and Clinton. You knew that. Hence you have been caught out again. Fake news indeed.

You really have this wrong. It was a masterstroke.

Time to hang up the pen, Richo.

I think that you summed it up in one sentence. 5 decades of sensible US policy has produced nothing because the Palestinians have no benefit in making peace. Better to infect the UN and continually deride Israel until such time as Iran goes nuclear. North Korea is another problem that needed to be tackled years ago but Clinton and Obama just sat back. It’s about time someone stood up to the likes of the Palestinians and Kim. Doing nothing doesn’t work.

Genius move by Trump and US.

Sheesh. Obama was not an “undoubted” success on domestic policy. That’s not even close to being accurate.

Clinton, Bush (GW) and Obama Presidencies ALL made public, on the record statements that recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and there’s PLENTY of video evidence to support this. Why is THIS instance so different from every other?

Western Jerusalem has been capitol of Israel since 1948. Russia and the Czechs also have recognized that reality. The recognition changes nothing for final state negotiations. Finally the entire world at UN voted as per UNESCO that there is NO Jewish presence , history or emotional ties for Jerusalem. Palestinians wanting to pressure jerusalem /Israel without actually having face to face negotiations. It is fitting that they all now feel the reverse in the actual final recognition of reality…and that they feel what Israelis felt from the put downs and prejudice in denying any jewish connection to jerusalem. Palestinians are very noisy when it does not go their way, aren’t they!

“Barack Obama left office as a very popular President despite some obvious shortcomings. On the domestic front he was an undoubted success.” Well obviously. The Democrats lost 1,030 seats in state legislatures, governor’s mansions and Congress during Obama’s presidency. They lost control of Senate and House of Reps. The Republican dominance was greater than it had been since 1860. Undoubted success. Obama, Bush and Clinton all promised to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel before reneging. Trump promises it and delivers. An “act of lunacy”. Sorry Richo, but your leftism is showing.

Garbage. The city of Jerusalem has been the traditional capital city of the country we now call Israel since the beginning of recorded history. Pandering to the Arab movement has never achieved one single thing as they are solely focused on the destruction of Israel. He has called a spade a spade.

Richo, you are aware that recognising Jerusalem as the capital and moving the US embassy there, has been part of every presidential election campaign for decades, right? Barack Obama’s policies included recognising Jerusalem. So did George W. Bush, Bill Clinton. In 2008, then Democratic candidate Barack Obama called Jerusalem the ‘capital of Israel’. In 2000, then Republican candidate George W Bush promised to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. In 1993, former president Bill Clinton also came to office saying he supported ‘the principle’ of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem. In fact, the US Congress even passed a law in 1995 called the Jerusalem Embassy Act which described Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and said it should not be divided. Trump is just the first one who is not all talk and simply gets the job done. I know that must be a very strange, almost alien, approach to a politician, but that’s how stuff is done outside politics. In the real world.

Tell me if I am not correct: The US Congress has acknowledged (by vote), for some time, that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, but no President has acted on that decision in an administrative sense, and say they will move the US embassy to Jerusalem, until now? A President enacting the will of Congress is how things should work in a democracy (and thankfully does most of the time, until lately, perhaps). Right or wrong, if it is a will of Congress, it is the will of the people.

What Mr Richardson knows about foreign affairs and geopolitics, you could write on a small postage stamp. All his knowledge is local, parochial and partisan. Not a single idea in this article is explored beyond its bald assertion. He is out of his depth on this subject, and is only parroting what he has heard–and what he has heard is essentially the Democratic/U.N. party line.

In his last two columns, Mr Richardson has sadly revealed that moments of lunacy are becoming his personal trademark. A shocking column of bias, vitriol and singular ignorance.

So Israel are just bombing Gaza for no reason? No provocation Richo?

Maybe spend 30 seconds researching what successive POTUS policy has been on recognition of Jerusalem. Yes, even the messiah Obama. But then of course, the narrative is more important then the facts in the post-truth age.

Oh Richo – so poorly informed on this one. 90 -0 the US senate voted for this issue only 6 months ago. So, its all Trumps decision, thought the President followed the government, not dictated to it. This decision (finally some one makes one, and sticks to it) forces the Truth to be faced. There is no peace process, not while the Arab world desires jus tone thing, the genocide of Israel. Also, you might want to ask why did Congress, on the same day, announce that the 887 million, yes, that’s 887 million dollars of aid it gives to the Palestine authority” will cease after Christmas unless the 334 million it “gives to its “martyrs” also stops. The Children in the room, and that appears to include you, need to understand, this is a message to the Arabs, recognise Israel, face the Truth, and then maybe, just maybe, a real peace can begin. There can be no peace when one side teaches its children, and has as part of its constitution the death of a its neighbour. Lunacy, I think not, Trump derangement syndrome, I think, on your behalf, yes.

Excellent and game changing move by Trump – executing a move that previous presidents promised, but never delivered.

Trump has signaled the USA – remember he is the President, like it or not, Richo -backs the only functioning democracy in the region, which Barack ‘Red Line’ Obama abandoned. Whose side are you on, Richo? Bob Carrs’?

Past Presidents had dithered for 25 years, delaying a decision every 6 months.(Bush & Obama). Along comes a President (Trump) who does what he promises and some get upset, but he made a decision. Go Trump, Make America Great Again, that helps the world.

Sorry, but the Israelis founded Jerusalem in BC, Christians in Anno Domini, and Islam barged in in the 7the century. So ,having driven a million or so Jews out of their countries since 1948, the Arabs should give them their s bit of their middle east land, that is now Israel, permanently. The Catholics have the Vatican, the Muslims have Mecca, and quite justly , the Jews should have Jerusalem.

Exactly Graham! WE MUST APPEASE, APPEASE, APPEASE, hey comrade?

Seriously tho, when did Australian politics devolve into a bunch of wimps frightened of upsetting anyone? And before anyone calls me an armchair general, I have more time in uniform than anyone in parliament, including Mr Hastie.