Everyone except Joe Biden seems to know that. Certainly, Iran does. And we are there because of three major failures–in intelligence, appeasement, and deterrence, mostly on the part of the failed U. S. policies in the Middle East since the “apology tour” there conducted by Barack Obama and reawakened under Joe Biden. And the enemy is led by Iran, as so well noted in a recent posting by Walter Russell Mead: “The truth is simple. Iran is at war with Israel and with the U. S. It does not seek compromise or accommodations. It does not want its interests respected or its grievances redressed. It wants what it says it wants: a holocaust in Israel and the destruction of the U. S.” The world has changed drastically since October 7 in many ways, including politically in the U. S., and we had better figure out which of our leaders is capable of dealing with this reality soon because 2024 will be a foreign policy/national security election.
Jim,
As Alexander Hamilton said, “War will not always be left to our election.” When serving as president, Jimmy Carter set the charge that freed the devils of Islam to seize power in Iran. His undermining of the Shah dissolved the countering force that kept the mullahs in check in that barbarous culture. The folly that we could deliver democratic forms of government to peoples wholly unprepared for them had early roots in the naive Carter administration.
The next election will not simply be about war, though war is now waged on two fronts. The economy necessary to support that war has been imperiled by crippling debt, brought on by profligate spending in the name of progressive and selfish interests.
The next election will reflect the restlessness induced by the radical social causes that have gripped the classroom, the workplace, neighborhoods, and family homes.
But all wars are not military, and in that respect the battles foisted upon us on these many fronts support your point.
There are probably only two candidates who are viable who get it and can lead us in these respects: Nikki Hailey and Donald Trump. In fact, it’s probably set up for Hailey to be Trump’s VP.
I’ve got my problems with Trump, but I’ve reconciled myself to the choice.
If the Ds want to forfeit the way and the Rs want to give me no other choice, I’ll do what I’d rather not do – vote for Trump.
Dead on again Jim.
When I see a comment by Mead I always read. He is the best on national issues.
Oct 21 WSJ editorial from Peggy Noonan headline “Israel Needs to Dig Deep and Fortify”
As I read the first two paragraphs I thought she was describing the United States. Insert United States for Israel in her comment as follows.
“ This feels – and has felt from the beginning- like a nation that is not as competent, not as certain. It felt like an Israel that had grown less disciplined, with a government that was complacent and distracted, an Israel more generationally removed from its founding ideas, and its founders.”
The entire editorial should be read.
I had the same reaction, Larry.—We’re not ready for this.
China, Russia and Iran are fully engaged in war with the US. It’s certainly no coincident Iran chose this particular time to attack Israel and the collection of incompetents in Washington are either too stupid or too compromised to recognize we are outflanked. Eastern Europe, Asia and the entire Pacific and now the Middle East. If China moves on Taiwan, watch North Korea. Not only are we outflanked, but we’re also outflanked by nuclear capable powers. Add to this deadly mix, the invasion of our southern border by folks from all over the world, not to mention barbarous drug cartels that rival Hamas in ruthlessness. We were warned that in foreign policy, Biden didn’t know if he was “a foot or horseback”. Now we know he isn’t more capable in other matters either.
A lot more can happen in 15 months.
Mr. Billingsley has it right.
Mr. Billingsley has it right.
More importantly Mr. Gates has it right and said it early enough for the general electorate to get it right but sadly they did not — can we stand another year or two of this?
“I think he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades,” former Defense Secretary Robert Gates says of Vice President Joe Biden in his book.
Sadly, enough said.