Can We Contain and Extinguish the Fire, or Will It Become a Raging Inferno?
MAR 03, 2026
Here are some macro ideas and thoughts about America’s latest war of choice with Iran:
1. It’s a war so call it that. It’s not “strikes” or “major combat operations.”
2. It’s an unconstitutional, illegal, immoral, and potentially escalatory war.
3. The war has no clear objective other than decapitation of the Iranian leadership (achieved?) and installation of a new regime that will play ball with USA/Israel. That latter outcome is extremely unlikely.
4. It’s a war for Israel to advance its regional hegemony.
5. In the main, the war is neither supported nor understood by the American people. That fact doesn’t seem to matter to the Trump administration.
6. For all those involved, the war will prove increasingly expensive in blood and treasure.
7. Recklessly begun, the war is utterly unpredictable in its final outcomes.
8. The war does not serve the national defense interests of the U.S., as Iran posed no imminent threat to U.S. national security.
9. With no clear Congressional mandate, the war lacks the critical support of the American people. Again, the Trump administration remains unconcerned here.
10. For these reasons, among others, there should be an immediate ceasefire followed by negotiations, leading to discussion of war reparations to be paid by the aggressors. (This scenario, I realize, is unlikely in the extreme.)
Yesterday, I went on “Judging Freedom” with Judge Andrew Napolitano to discuss the Iran War.
As I said to the Judge, I am still confused about America’s true rationale, its intent, and its goals, and I have no clear idea of how this war is going to proceed, let alone end. War is inherently unpredictable, much like fire. Trying to predict its path of destruction, what it will burn and what it will leave behind, and when it will end, is nearly impossible. We must work to contain and extinguish this new fire in the Middle East before it becomes an inferno that engulfs even wider areas, leading to yet more innocents dead.
Bracing Views 
[From the Substack entry]
While I agree with all your explications, I have to go back to the first, with which I disagree. To call this “war” is to lend some legitimacy, some connotation, that this somehow is a conflict between two nations with some impending threat of one, or both, on the other. This is not the case. Iran has been a manufactured enemy of the US since 1953, which has posed no significant risk to mainland US, nor to its illegitimate, coerced interests in the region. Further, to call this “war” subtly signals the “all is fair in love and…” sentiment, and minimizes to the point of exclusion any diplomatic approach to address the issue – which is not to say that this country would deign to go that route.
So rather than “war” in each of your points, I would merely substitute the more ingenuous “illegal, unwarranted assault and thuggery” or something along those lines. In other words, I’d deny Trump and Hegseth and this Dept. of War the justifications they claim in using the word.
Of course it cannot be omitted that Israel is behind this. I don’t think it need say much more than that, that is the tail that’s wagging the dog (of war) even to the point of repaving the rest of the world with trinitite to further the Zionist project, and once that is accomplished, then they will turn on this country to claim the world for itself.
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Full agreement on my part with your numbered statements, which might be characterized by others as mere assertions. However, your authority on this subject if far greater than some opinion with an asshole (like me). Although the inherent unpredictability of the war is acknowledged, one thing can be certain: disaster capitalism offers opportunity for those in the know to profit handsomely by exploiting market swings and attaching the U.S. treasury. Looting and plunder by a few are sure to accompany whatever else happens.
The embedded interview lays out parameters pretty well, though the word pacifism ought to be mentioned at some point. I daresay pacifism is what U.S. citizens want for more than military conflict. I don’t care for the overhyped, overproduced intro and kinetic background graphics to the video that turns the gravity of the situation into popcorn entertainment.
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I would like to nominate Republican Representative Thomas Massie for the office of President of the United States After Trump is impeached for TREASON. Massie is the ONLY republican congressman who is NOT taking ungodly amounts of money from AIPAC; the largest Israel Lobby which is COMPLETELY controlling our congress AND U.S. Foreign Policy as well as much more of the inner workings of our government.. AND STARTING WARS. To be fair, there is only ONE Democrat who is also NOT on the AIPAC payroll; I’ll let you guess who that is; but like me, he is too damned old.
P.S. I am talking about accepting MILLIONS of dollars in “contributions” – Not just small change. Or should I just be BLUNT and just call it BRIBES and coercion. If WE don’t find a way to control AIPAC and SOON; we are DONE as a country.
Jerry King
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“I am talking about accepting MILLIONS of dollars in “contributions” – Not just small change. Or should I just be BLUNT and just call it BRIBES and coercion.”
The amounts are just staggering, where the hell do they get it from to “donate” – of course “bribe” and “coerce” being the operative versions – to those who do their bidding? Can’t be legit, somehow gotta be ill-gotten. A number of times I have consulted Opensecrets.org to get the nitty-gritty on donations to members of Congress. Amazing how often AIPAC is #1, and with megabucks.
Norman Finkelstein said it simply and directly. They early caught on that America politics is a money game, and they learned how to play it very well. Maybe, just maybe, taking AIPAC money is beginning to turn to political poison.
“If WE don’t find a way to control AIPAC and SOON; we are DONE as a country.”
JFK and RFK were on that path in Feb. of 1963, at least compelling it to register as a foreign agent. Nine months later…
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What is happening was expressed perfectly by Netanyahu yesterday. He declared with joy that he has been waiting for this for 40 years and now it is happening due to his friend Trump. Anyone following world events knows of Netanyahu’s repeated lectures complete with marking pen given at the UN about Iran.
What we are witnessing is the capture of our government by a foreign power. What is happening has nothing to do with the interests of the US, it is being done entirely for Israel after the 7 visits of Netanyahu to the White House in a year and is in keeping with the unlimited support of the slaughter in Gaza and the current mayhem in the West Bank.
The only good thing about this is it is so transparently for Israel amid the “reasons” given by Vance, Rubio and Leavitt that the public is not deceived and there will be consequences at the midterm elections when Republican control of Congress will be lost.
3 cheers for Massie and Khanna who, working together, are demonstrating how Congress should work.
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WELL SAID!
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