The American folks are not looking for conflict. The Iranian folks are not looking for conflict, nor do the Russians, Ukrainians, or Israelis. Politicians lead nations on paths of loss of life and destruction. The military-industrial complicated succeeds, the neocons succeed, governments topple each other searching for energy—however the folks at all times lose.
King Pyrrhus of Epirus, who defeated the Romans on the Battle of Asculum (279 BC) however suffered huge, irreplaceable losses. He reportedly stated:
“One other such victory, and I’m undone.”
Kings and politicians have been waging wars for hundreds of years. They appear to have no downside sending folks to their deaths, all for some unusual cause that seems to be the identical human trait that wages sports activities, and we’ve got to beat the opposite group to pound the chest and maintain up the trophy. The French King Louis XIV, on his deathbed, lamented that he cherished conflict an excessive amount of.
The Prince of Savoy fought in lots of wars, and even Napoleon regarded him as among the finest generals in historical past. He fought for a lot of kings and was wounded 13 occasions. But, the Prince of Savoy thought of that he was the true father of our Second Modification. He got here to see that standing armies had been evil, for they had been simply used because of the expense of sustaining them. He got here to comprehend that there needs to be no armies, and that was the one option to cut back conflict. His good perception significantly influenced Montesquieu, as it laid the muse for the proper to bear arms, as enshrined within the Second Modification to the USA Structure, which states that the folks have the proper to bear arms and kind a militia in time of conflict. The underlying concept was to remove standing armies that feed the cycle of conflict.
Each conflict is authorities vs authorities, however they villanize your entire inhabitants of the enemy nation to justify their conflict video games. The GOP could also be cheering for conflict, however I’ve heard a number of Trump supporters specific disappointment as they voted for the candidate who they presumed to be the least more likely to carry America into a worldwide battle. I repeatedly warned that Trump may solely lengthen the inevitable cycle of conflict.
Individuals are loudly stating that they are not looking for conflict. A new poll performed by the Economist and YouGov discovered that solely 16% of Individuals consider the US needs to be concerned within the Israel-Iran battle, 24% are undecided, whereas an amazing 60% don’t consider that is America’s battle to battle.
YouGov famous that 65% of Democrats, 61% of Independents, and 53% of Republicans are cautious of intervening in Iran. Lower than 1 / 4 of Individuals truly consider Iran’s nuclear program is a critical risk to US nationwide safety.
Half of Individuals see Iran as an enemy nation, with 1 / 4 labeling them as “unfriendly.” American mainstream media solely portrays the world by means of the lens of an American. Even Sky Information, for instance, is drastically totally different in its protection in comparison with Fox. Photographs of Iranian flags and messages invoke worry and disdain. What most don’t notice is that the Iranian folks disapprove of the present regime and have been dwelling in deteriorating situations.
Supreme Chief Ali Khamenei has been in energy for 36 years. President Masoud Pezeshkian was elected in 2024 following the loss of life of the earlier president, however Khamenei has sole authority over each department of the federal government, navy, and judiciary.
Iran was a unique nation previous to the 1979 revolution. Pre-revolution photos present ladies unveiled and dwelling regular lives. Sharia regulation is now strictly enforced. The hijab is now non-negotiable for women as younger as 12. Half of the inhabitants was immediately silenced. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij militia have dismantled any tried protest or disobedience. There have been protests earlier this yr however the folks can’t converse out with out the specter of execution. The main nationwide protests that occurred in 1999, 2009, and 2022 had been utterly dismantled by Iranian forces. The folks reside below an entire dictatorship.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei views America because the antithesis of Islamic tradition. Relations with the West may expose Iran to cultural and political affect and beliefs. His rhetoric has been anti-American for many years, no totally different from different adversaries, and he demonizes America to justify a stranglehold management over the nation. Ayatollah should exert energy to guard his folks from a hostile international nation. Sound acquainted? Each authorities feeds its folks related lies.
The US was Iran’s largest provider of arms previous to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. US firms had been considerably investing within the Iranian financial system. US-Iran commerce was blooming and the nations had been discussing nuclear cooperation. The CIA did dismantle and set up Iran’s authorities again within the Fifties in any case, however that may be a matter for an additional time. Relations deteriorated after the revolution. By 1995, US commerce embargos blocked all commerce with Iran and have remained in place for the previous 30 years with transitory exceptions.
Quick ahead to 2025, and Iran is going through a critical financial disaster after years of presidency mismanagement by the hands of a corrupt dictator. The foreign money has fallen by 50% prior to now yr and inflation is predicted to soar from 35% to 50% in 2025. Poverty has grow to be widespread as buying energy has sharply declined. Infrastructure is failing, electrical energy outages are frequent, and fundamental items are unaffordable. Some blame Western sanctions, whereas others blame the Iranian management for limiting financial development and isolating Iran from the worldwide markets.
The Iranian individuals are dwelling below a harsh dictatorship that has resulted in a shrinking financial system and a low high quality of life. It stays to be seen whether or not Iran was near changing into a nuclear energy, however the concern didn’t exist till Israel’s assault on Iran. Is Iran the enemy? The one clear side is that the Iranian individuals are not the enemy, nor are the Russians, Ukrainians, Israelis, Chinese language, and so forth. As Plato wrote in “The Republic” – “Solely the lifeless have seen the tip of conflict.”
