I have a new column this week on OnlySky. It’s about the war with Iran and Trump’s continuing efforts to go down in history as the worst president America has ever had.
As a candidate, Trump’s only good idea was to oppose new foreign wars. Now he’s thrown that aside, just like he’s discarded every other principle he ever paid lip service to, and started an unprovoked war with Iran in the middle of peace talks. He’s committed all the evils he promised, plus all the evils he denounced.
But rather than the conflict ending in easy victory just because we killed some of their leaders, Iran refused to surrender. They’re bombarding American bases and allies all over the Middle East with ballistic missiles and drones. They’ve closed the Strait of Hormuz, causing a worldwide oil price shock, inflation, and likely an economic recession or even a depression.
Obviously, I’m not on the side of the mullahs, who are a gang of brutal and repressive fanatics who slaughter their own people for protesting. I wish Iran could be reconstructed as a secular democracy. But theocratic fundamentalism isn’t a problem that can be solved by dropping bombs from a plane.
Read the excerpt below, then click through to see the full piece. This column is members-only, so consider signing up! Members of OnlySky also get special benefits, like a subscriber newsletter:
The sheer stupidity, incuriosity, and smugly self-satisfied ignorance of this administration defies belief. Even Trump doesn’t know why we’re at war. He and his henchmen have offered a fog bank of shifting justifications about why he did this—to bring about regime change? to end Iran’s nuclear program? to heed Israel’s wishes? or something else entirely?
Whatever the reason, we started this war with no forethought, no plan, and no preparation. Trump and his lackeys seemed to think they could drop some bombs, kill the ayatollah, and immediately impose a new, compliant ruler. It was a wildly delusional fantasy of easy victory, similar to Vladimir Putin expecting to conquer Ukraine in three days.
Your second paragraph reminds me of something I heard recently. Basically, that the bombing of Pearl Harbor wasn’t declared ‘a day that would live in infamy’ because the Japanese dared bomb the U.S., even unannounced. It was ‘a day that would live in infamy’ because the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor while there were Japanese diplomats in the U.S. conducting trade and peace negotiations. And it’s not like Trump hasn’t done this before, with Iran: the bombing back in June was the same way, there were literally active negotiations going on while the bombers were in the air.
Of course, the negotiators here are Witkoff, who is someone hired by Trump because Trump likes him with no real qualifications, and who also seems to have Trump’s level of attention span when it comes to preparing for negotiations; and Kushner, who is more knowledgeable than Witkoff (a low bar) but who also is more interested in making nice with the Saudi, who obviously would rather Iran not be in a position to challenge them for regional control.
Above and beyond the death and devastation wrought by this war, the blow to America’s reputation is going to be enormous and long-lasting.
Even if a progressive is elected the next time around, other countries will assume, correctly, that no deal or commitment made by America can ever be trusted again. The next president might be yet another Trumpesque figure who’ll rip them up just because he feels like it.
I had exactly the same thought about the parallel to Pearl Harbor. And they are similar in another way: Yamamoto (the Japanese admiral who planned the attack) hoped that a quick, devastating blow might destroy American morale and cause us to surrender quickly. Of course, it had just the opposite effect. Likewise, this was about the worst thing to do to get Iran to do anything but grimly fight on to the bitter end.
Another “members only” post.
And, no, I have no intention of becoming a “member” of OnlySky.
Besides, I’ve read many, many articles about the stupidity of the war, I think I already know most of what there is to say.
I have no intention of reading your comment. I just mention this because I’m sure it’s vitally important to you and others (for some reason) that I publicly announce what I don’t intend to read. It’s not like I’m just making a point of being a colossal dick or anything.
/s
I didn’t read her comment either, so I have no idea if your response to it was at all appropriate. /s
Trump has only one reason for the war: pump up the ratings before the next elections. Having some POWs on display in the 250th anniversary parade would be a bonus.
He might think it would be a bonus, but marching Iranian prisoners in a DC parade would look even more pathetic than the Squeaky-Tank Parade. (But I would enjoy seeing Melania shaking her head and smirking beside a disappointed-looking Trump (again).)
If that was his plan, he’s going to be disappointed. This war is hugely unpopular:
https://time.com/7382231/iran-us-israel-war-support-polling-trump-republicans-democrats/