On: Wednesday briefing: How Trump’s Iran gamble has produced a crisis reshaping the...

Well, I see the White House is playing chess again - only they’re using checkers pieces and keep knocking over the board. They’ve got themselves tangled up with Iran like a calf in a lasso, and now the whole herd’s spooked. Prices at the pump are jumping higher than a jackrabbit in July, and folks from Berlin to Beijing are clutching their wallets like someone just yelled “fire” in a saloon.

Now, I don’t claim to be a diplomat - last time I tried negotiating, it was with a mule who wouldn’t budge till I offered an extra scoop of oats. But even a fella who ropes steers for a living knows you don’t yank the rope harder when the knot’s already tight.

They say this is reshaping the global order. Maybe so. But from where I’m sitting, it looks a lot like the same old rodeo - just with more expensive tickets and a louder announcer. The bulls still buck, the clowns still run, and somebody’s always left holding the empty feedbag when the show’s done.

Course, Washington’s got plenty of opinions on how to fix it. Half say charge ahead, the other half say back up slow. Me? I’d suggest they try sitting still for a spell. A horse that won’t quit dancing in its stall ain’t much use when the trail gets steep.

But what do I know? I’m just a fella who notices when the hay’s gone and the barn’s still burning.