Iranians were bracing for years for an attack from Israel. The open involvement of the US before, and last week, may have been surprising, but not totally unexpected, to the Iranians. If the streams of fiery rhetoric gave any clue, it was that violent conflict was brewing. It was just left to when that would unfold, and which country would go on the offensive first. Now, all of that is last week’s news. The region from which the great prophets, Mohamed and Christ, came is now embroiled in flaming arcs of crisscrossing missiles detonating in several countries. Iran has been staggered, seemingly caught flatfooted, but it wasn’t unready. Despite early heavy losses, the Iranians are ready for battle. They had to be, considering how the walls kept closing in, and under siege they have been. Overall, Iran may be a tougher, rougher nut than calculated.
Did President Trump first overreacted, then overreached? Did he become too close to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, and dived into dangerous territory because of the insistent overtures of his close Israeli ally? Is the US Congress too much of a willing aider and abettor relative to developments in Iran? The Republican Congress has the president’s back. But there is the US Constitutional requirement that places the mandate of declaring war in the hands of Congress for clearance. Regardless of how the White House describes the action taken against Iran (‘massive combat operations’ stand as one), what has taken place is war by another name. If that is not war, then what is? There is a present-day precedent. Russia, largely under the thumb of one-man rule, is now trapped in what started out under Vladimir Putin as “special military operations” against Ukraine, but has turned out to be a deep, inescapable hole carved out. Grim reality points to where both sides in the contest are stuck. Just about everyone is now calling the Russian-Ukrainian for what it is. War.
War in Iran, and not according to the White House timetable. War that is not the lighting fast ‘shock and awe’ unleashed against Iraq in Kuwait. War that reminds of the swamp in which the US got bogged down in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 70s, and for which such a price in human and other treasure was paid. Some wars are easy (like Desert Storm). Some never get off the ground, with neighboring Venezuela standing as an exhibit. In Iran, the mold appears different, but the days are young. In noting the wide sweep of Iranian attacks, I remind everyone of that peculiar Iranian (Persian) complex that’s related to martyrdom. In targeting surrounding countries, I am weighing whether the idea behind that action is akin to this: if Iran has to go down, it is not going down alone. It will drag others into one hell of an unholy mess. Since Iranian blood is lusted after, then it’s better that more of the blood of enemies be shed to make their enterprise costly.
At present, the conflict is fluid, with casualties minimal on the side with the element of surprise, and much greater advantage in military assets. How much that will matter remains to be seen. I doubt that there could be a return to the standards of earlier-referred-to Vietnam war. Where losses were understated, but the enemy’s maximized. It’s a different world, and a different war, this time.
It was American Confederate General and hero, Robert E. Lee, who said it ‘is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it.’ There’s that odor of fondness in the air. Though the American people have been told to prepare for loss of life, there are already signs of discomfort, if not outright disagreement, with another engagement that resembles war and is war. There were promised the opposite, and now with war fevers and war’s results undeniable. President Trump’s own base doesn’t like where he has put them, where they find themselves, and where rage is the weapon left to them.
Finally, it is obvious that selective rage is now a defining feature of the PPP Govt. Iran is chastised for an “unprovoked attack” on its regional neighbors, though indications are that it was first attacked. Recall: the friend of my enemy is my enemy. Note also how Guyana has a new (verbal) robe, those fineries of proud identification with that region, for each different occasion.
