Campaigning for a second term, Donald Trump emphasized domestic issues and told everyone that the Biden administration had been too preoccupied with foreign affairs and not enough with solving problems at home. This seemed to appeal to much of his audience; soon after being re-elected he began promoting himself as a “peacemaker”, starting with Gaza and Ukraine where similar efforts during his first term had gotten him some attention but no positive results. His apparent chumminess with President Putin may have helped bring him to the negotiating table but the Russian hasn’t moved an inch towards compromise. Despite helping to negotiate a cease fire in Gaza, the Netanyahu government continues its war against its Muslim neighbors as if no ceasefire had been agreed to.
Trump felt that his efforts at peacemaking should put him in line forthe prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, the highest award for engendering a specific instance of significant peace. He campaigned widely as if he were a candidate in a political race, trying to persuade world leaders and influential individuals to promote his candidacy. When the choices were announced by the Nobel Committee Trump was a sore loser, complaining to the Norwegian Prime Minister (who had nothing to do with the selection) thus making a fool of himself.
Several commentators and Prime Minister Netanyahu have said to Trump that despite his claim of having “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities last year, Iran will be able and willing to launch a nuclear attack against Israel (and the US) in a matter of months. Therefore we needed to attack when we did.
Knowledgeable observers have estimated that U.S. military costs for the war so far have been between one and two billion dollars per day.
Why are we fighting a war against Iran? What do we hope to accomplish and when? Are we requiring a regime change? Do we need to have a land force on the ground? The questions go on and on but there don’t seem to be any real answers. When questioned, the President, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense give inconsistent and often contradictory answers; taken together they suggest that Israel and Netanyahu told Trump that now before Iran became nuclear-ready they needed to attack and Trump assented.
But Trump’s ego had been swellingsince his re-election. Having been doing pretty much whatever he wanted without much resistance at home and having been involved in at least seven foreign wars including most recently Venezuela, he probably felt nearly unstoppable.
Despite the damage done to Iran by both Israel and the U.S., their new leader is the equally hostile son of the one we just killed. Regime change seems very unlikely unless we pursue a protracted, much broader ground war. How would the American electorate feel about that?
Three weeks after the start of the war we have little idea when or how it will end. Until now Trump has been successful in his military adventures and even has more possible attacks on other countries in mind (Cuba, Mexico, Columbia etc.). However, Iran has shown no intention of accepting Trump’s demand for “total surrender”.
It’s worth asking why would Iran want to launch a nuclear attack against Israel?
In the Middle East, like in the UnitedStates, the prevailing wind blows from west to east. Nuclear bombs detonated over Israel would do almost unimaginable damage and would continue the killing with its residue of nuclear fallout. But the prevailing winds would carry the bulk of the fallout to the east where it would spread its radioactive pollution over much of the Middle East, especially poisoning Iran. In addition, they know that the Israelis also have nuclear weapons and might be willing to use them. The Iranian leaders may be evil, religious fanatics; but they are not stupid.
Trump’s ignorance of and contempt for climate science makes it hardfor him to size up the situation.
How can we end Trump and Netanyahu‘s failed wars before it triggers a worldwide economic depression and possibly a third world war?Our best bet would be to keep Iran as sane and calm as possible.
We can stop supporting Netanyahu which will perhaps stop much of his attack on his neighbors. And stop our own war-making which probably means removing President Trump from office before he creates more war and destroys our democracy.
Architect and landscape designer Mac Gordon lives in Lakeville.
