“It’s time to give credit where it’s due. Donald Trump brokered a cease fire and exchange of hostages and prisoners, and ending the war.”

“You’re right, Aussie. He deserves lots and lots of credit.”

“I know you’ll say it wasn’t him, that this is just the beginning, and how do we know the war won’t go on or—”

“I don’t say that, Aussie. I’d tell you to read my lips only you don’t read. Donald Trump deserves a lot of credit for this.”

“You’re not going to add anything? At least a little but, or however, or nevertheless? You’re not going to say it wasn’t really him? You’re not going to make believe it hardly happened? “

“I am not, Aussie.”

“What kind of anti-Trumpist are you?”

“The kind that gives credit where it’s due and doesn’t stick to dogma.”

“And here I thought you were a woman of principle!”

“I am, Aussie, especially the principle Roshi Joan Halifax likes to put out on her retreat schedules: The schedule is subject to reality. My views on life are subject to reality.”

“Some team player you are.”

“I’m on reality’s team, Auss, why fight it? Donald Trump pulled something together that Joe Biden should have done when he was president. True, in January he had a similar plan on the table and Trump didn’t follow up. But Biden never followed up before, either. He had tools, he could have suspended arms shipments to Israel, he had lots of clout, and he didn’t use it. Trump used it; it was well past time.”

“You know what your problem is? You’re not consistent. How do people know who you are if you’re not consistent?”

“One of Bernie’s favorite aphorisms was the Buddhist slogan, Don’t be consistent. The world changes, so you change with it. I can’t tell you how many times he’d reach a conclusion about something, and very soon afterwards change his mind. And folks would say: But I thought you agreed to—and he’d say, This is an exception, or I changed my mind. He loved that slogan, Auss.”

“If I can’t trust you to dislike Trump, who can I trust?”

“I’ll give you a long roster of folks who won’t give him a milligram of credit.”

“And they shouldn’t. You know what I say: Once you make up your mind, stick to it. I don’t know who you are anymore. If I change my mind, I won’t know who I am anymore and I’ll be completely confused. But don’t worry about it. I love the Man, always have, always will. Absolutely nothing will ever change my mind.”

“Changing your mind is an advanced practice, Aussie.”

“Keep it away from me.”