General Jim Mattis honoured by Trump hoho!

Ever since he resigned as US defence secretary, General Jim Mattis has had to put up with caustic comments from Donald Trump. Not a very good general, Trump said. Bad advice on Afghanistan. He, Trump, knew better. Now the comments have turned even nastier. When Mattis's name came up in discussions on Syria with Congress leaders in the White House this week, Trump interrupted and calmly said: "Mattis is the world's most overrated general." Apparently his remark brought astonished expressions on the faces of those present. Mattis is still a god as far as Congress is concerned, and once upon a long time ago Trump, too, thought he was pretty special. But now the very name Mattis makes Trump boil because this retired four-star Marine Corps general dared to disagree with him on a host of key foreign policy issues, notably Syria and Afghanistan. And then he dramatically resigned. Alhough Trump claimed he sacked him. Mattis is not one to attack his former commander-in-chief. He has been discreet and cautious. But of course he keeps on getting invitations to events, such as dinners and conferences and TV interviews and inevitably Trump comes up. By chance or good fortune Mattis, all dressed up in white tie and tails was giving an address at a charity dinner in New York the day after Trump's remark in the White House and clearly felt he needed to respond. He did so brilliantly and with humour. He said, with a smile on his face, that he was honoured by Trump's remark because the president had also once called Meryl Streep an overrated actress. "I guess that makes me the Meryl Streep of generals," he said. Hoho. I doubt Trump appreciated his remark but clearly the once-good relationship between Trump and Mattis is so over it doesn't matter. Mattis and Meryl Streep should get together for a drink to swap notes.