Posted on 01/05/2020 8:52:24 AM PST by bitt
For all the current furor over the death of Qasem Soleimani, it is Iran, not the U.S. and the Trump administration, that is in a dilemma. Given the death and destruction wrought by Soleimani, and his agendas to come, he will not be missed.
Tehran has misjudged the U.S. administration’s doctrine of strategic realism rather than vice versa. The theocracy apparently calculated that prior U.S. patience and restraint in the face of its aggression was proof of an unwillingness or inability to respond. More likely, the administration was earlier prepping for a possible more dramatic, deadly, and politically justifiable response when and if Iran soon overreached.
To retain domestic and foreign credibility, Iran would now like to escalate in hopes of creating some sort of U.S. quagmire comparable to Afghanistan, or, more germanely, to a long Serbian-like bombing campaign mess, or the ennui that eventually overtook the endless no-fly zones over Iraq, or the creepy misadventure in Libya, or even something like an enervating 1979-80 hostage situation. The history of the strategies of our Middle East opponents has always been to lure us into situations that have no strategic endgame, do not play to U.S. strengths in firepower, are costly without a time limit, and create Vietnam War–like tensions at home.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
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Good article
“ “Don’t tread on me” ...means something like “live and let live — or else.” If Iran hits the U.S. first, then the U.S. would shrug and hit Iran back harder — without any grand notions of preemption, ideological nation-building, regime-change agendas, ground wars, or larger policing commitments to international or allied interests. “
Money quote from the article. Well said!!!!!
If Iran hits the U.S. first, then the U.S. would shrug and hit Iran back harder — without any grand notions of preemption, ideological nation-building, regime-change agendas, ground wars, or larger policing commitments to international or allied interests.
Man, I love this guy .. he is truly an American treasure.
GM-lol-TA !
VDH is a treasurer. Read the full article. Every paragraph is a worthy excerpt. Trump should hire this man as his press secretary. SOS, personal adviser, doesn’t matter just bring him on board.
LOL. GM-really do- TA
I think the key take away from the article is that President Trump goal is simply to punish bad behavior.
It is not our goal to invade Iran.
It is not our goal nation building.
It is not our goal for regime change.
The President has shown Iran (NK, and China) that our military can take out any target in the world and there is little they can do to prevent it.
Only time will tell if the leadership of Iran is as smart as a puppy that is taught not to do their business in the house.
I think he’s already on board. Just doing it from the private sector. Probably pays better that way too.
Agree, especially considering NR has been no friend of President Trump.
VDH should be the ONE Republican candidate if Newsom were to get recalled. 1.5 million signatures needed. 5 million Republicans in the state. Put it down as California’s last chance.
EXCELLENT article!
I highly recommend all FReepers read this article from beginning to end.
VDH seems to be practically the only analyst/pundit that truly understands Trump and we his supporters:
“Trump’s base is nationalist-populist and Jacksonian, not merely doctrinaire isolationist. “Don’t tread on me” translated into 2020 terms means something like “live and let live — or else.” If Iran hits the U.S. first, then the U.S. would shrug and hit Iran back harder — without any grand notions of preemption, ideological nation-building, regime-change agendas, ground wars, or larger policing commitments to international or allied interests. After the recent furor over Turkey in Syria, Trump’s base accepts that he is backing out of the Middle East firing, not firing to get in. How strange that his progressive opponents damned Trump for not exercising preemptive choices in Turkey to protect third parties, and damned him more for taking reactive action in Iraq to protect Americans.”
This article basically defines the Trump Doctrine, “live and let live, or else”.
Thank God for Trump.
Excellent!
We have the technology to erase the entire regime running Iran and let the people take over rule of themselves. Truly, we have means and maybe even the will to decapitate the Iranian poisonous snake. Why not git -er-dun ... before the demon rats cheat their way to full control of Senate and House and then neuter our capabilities so to end The Constitutional Republic? Waiting until the devil mo ham heads do more atrocities is just stupid, regardless of the vapors it gives the demon rats like Schumer and AOC.
I couldn’t have said it better. Cut off the head of the snake yesterday !!
This is a really good analysis - We are shooting our way out of the OK Corral.
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