The fact that previous presidents have decided not to throw a firecracker into a room full of kerosene is a GOOD thing. Failing to engage with a madman when there can be no good outcome is a good thing. My statement on the inevitability of escalation was due to cynicism, and the belief that sooner or later, some idiot was going to light fuse.

Trump is backing off, but not before showing the rest of the world how unstable he is... in case they hadn't noticed previously.