Other than trying to maximize attendance at the March 28 “No Kings” rally, why has Donald Trump started an unlawful and unwise undeclared war against Iran?
I thoroughly agree that there’s a lot not to like about the Iranian regime. . But if I don’t like how my neighbor yells at his kids, I don’t get to lob a grenade over the fence.
The chief “why” theories, other than Benjamin Netanyahu leading Trump by the nose, are: (1) Trump’s claim that Iran was dangerously close to nuclear weaponry and (2) the obvious need to distract folks of all political complexions from Trump’s abysmal poll numbers and years as Jeffrey Epstein’s wingman. (Illegally killing foreigners is also fun and makes one feel important.)
Evidence demolishes the first theory. We had a 2015 agreement under which Iran had stopped its nuclear development. Neutral observers and experts, including extraordinarily intrusive International Atomic Energy Agency inspections, said Iran was complying with the nuclear restrictions. But (1) in 2018 Trump broke that agreement, because undoing President Obama’s work was a higher priority than forestalling Iranian nuclear development, and (2) just months ago, Trump bragged that Iran’s nuclear development facilities were “completely and totally obliterated.” (Trump also weeps for Iranian protesters, while deporting Iranian refugees back to persecution by the same government.)
Certainly his poll numbers are abysmal. Republicans fear the mid-term elections. Trump’s State of the Union broke records for length but not for persuasiveness. Most recently, only 38% approve his immigration pogroms; his tariffs are raising prices; and roughly one-quarter of us approve the Iran strikes. Some of his closest one-time allies are appalled. A Facebook post complained of the high gas prices caused by everyone’s fear of shipping oil through the Strait of Hormuz; and when someone else commented, “Still not as high as in the last administration,” a third commented, “Yeah, during the last administration a dictator started a stupid war; and in this administration another dictator started another stupid war.”
A cynic might note that Mr. Trump’s new war serves the interests of the Gulf States that have recently invested heavily with Trump’s family and given him a jet.
The war is killing many innocent people. It may ultimately improve Iran’s governance; but a disintegration of the nation, with violence between the 70% Persian majority and other ethnicities seems at least equally likely.
Let’s not forget why we’re in this. In 1953, Iran had a genuine national leader, a socialist planning to give Iran a bigger share in its oil income, so the U.S. and U.K. took care of him and installed Shah Reza Pavlevi. A dictator. More modern-thinking, but repressive. In 1979, when the nation overthrew him and installed a religious fundamentalist leader as head of state, most all Persians welcomed him. Even Persian friends who were freethinkers and enjoyed all the illicit pleasures of U.S. life welcomed a fundamentalist replacing a U.S.-installed dictator.
Talking with Kuwaiti friends deepens my sadness. I visited Kuwait before and after the Iraqi war. I heard their accounts and saw familiar places suddenly destroyed. They don’t like what’s going on now.
But I digress. Even the folks who favored Mr. Trump for President, when I did not, favored him partly because he would lower prices and keep us out of foreign wars. Well, we all get scammed now and then.
I also wonder how Donald will explain this to the Nobel folks?
- 30 –
[The above column appeared Sunday, 8 March 2026, in the Las Cruces Sun-News and on the newspaper's website and on KRWG’s website (under Local Viewpoints). A shortened and sharpened radio commentary version of this Sunday column will air during the week on KRWG (90.1 FM) and on KTAL-LP (101.5 FM / http://www.lccommunityradio.org/). ]
[Writing columns about fast-moving events can be challenging. The Iran picture is almost as murky as it was, though. Trump and his minions have offered a bunch of sometimes contradictory explanations. Iran seems to be digging in. The choice of the younger Khamanei as the new Supreme Leader symbolizes that, and also amounts to a selection who can hit the ground running, since he’s been a big part of running the country for a long time. Interestingly, Trump may have sealed his appointment. His father had told others for the last couple of years that although his son was great and beloved, choosing him as his father’s successor would be too much like the hereditary monarchy the U.S. and U.K. installed in Iran, which the revolutionaries had pledged never to copy. While I understand the conventional wisdom that a war helps a U.S. President retain power, I think the Iranians, not being stupid, can well understand that if they can persevere, Trump will want to get this over with, lest it further dampen his party’s prospects in November. Higher oil prices, caskets coming home from an undeclared war most people didn’t support, and more money wasted on battle when folks are jobless or without health care . . . doesn’t sound like a wonderful prescription for victory. Trump’s only hope – as he seems to know – is a draconian and maybe unconstitutional election law that would keep many, including me, from being able to vote. So he’s pushing that insanely hard.]
[I shouldn't give such short shrift to the most simple explanation: Mr. Trump has discovered recently that it's fun to kill people and blow stuff up, and one really feels important while doing so. If you have no conscience and no compassion, why not?]
No comments:
Post a Comment