"They do not know what words mean;
they do not know how to ward them off or blunt their edge or fling
them back; they are a prey to words in their emotions instead of being the
masters of them in their intellects.
"We who were scandalized in 1940 when men were sent to fight
armoured tanks with rifles, are not scandalised when
young men and women are sent into the world to fight massed propaganda
with a smattering of “subjects”; and when whole classes and whole nations
become hypnotised by the arts of the spellbinder, we have the impudence
to be astonished.
"We dole out lip-service to the importance of education—
lip-service and, just occasionally, a little grant of money; we postpone the
school leaving-age, and plan to build bigger and better schools; the teachers
slave conscientiously in and out of school-hours, till responsibility becomes a
burden and a nightmare; and yet, as I believe, all this devoted effort is largely
frustrated, because we have lost the tools of learning, and in their absence
can only make a botched and piecemeal job of it."
British Novelist Dorothy Sayers, 1947
We don't really know if there is a just cause for the Iran War. Confused military personnel do not know why they might die, or for whom they might die. Citizens don't know if their president is acting lawfully or in deadly bad faith and betrayal of his supporters and cabinet.
Under article I, section 8, of the Constitution, it is specifically provided that the Congress shall have the power to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution, not only its own powers but also all other powers vested by the Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.
The Constitution limits and restrains the president from reckless conduct.
The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory ...
Mr. Trump loves the "high ratings" of a celebrity and election victories for his legacy. A clean and magnanimous victory over Iran might have provided that. But a two-year quagmire will destroy his legacy, his party, our military and much of the younger generation. And Valerie Jarret will be making policy in 2028.
If the President wanted good "optics" in this imprudent and dangerous war, he would have declared an epic victory immediately after the death of the Ayatollah, pulled American assets home, and arranged the equivalent of a ticker-tape parade for them.
But it has been two full days since the decapitation, and young American bodies are being placed in coffins.
"U.S. missile and air-defense interceptor inventories have been severely drawn down by the relentless pace of recent [Iran] operations, revealing that between defending Israel, Ukraine, and itself, the American military is spread too thin. Replenishing these high-end systems can take over a year, analysts say, because production lines are optimized for peacetime and cannot be surged overnight.
"We know for sure that China is thrilled to see America weakened. They will view Iran as Joe Biden viewed Ukraine: as an opportunity to cripple a global rival (the Russian Federation.) Keep an eye out for headlines about Chinese efforts to prolong this conflict."
-- Tucker Carlson