America isn’t good at war – to even call America ‘good’ at war is mistaken.
The U.S. hasn’t had a true success to write home about since George H.W. Bush was president, with the Gulf War in 1991-1992. Ironically, no one respected or even cared about the militarized violence that lacked a narrative, led by a man-child who fussed at the sight of broccoli.
World War II, in many ways, is a precursor to how the nation has continuously conducted itself in battle – by being as far away as possible.
America has only mastered the art of aerial warfare, leaving its military to turn away from countries it thought so little of. All in all, much of war, unfortunately enough, is a masculinity contest. It is America that leaves with its tail tucked between its legs.
This obvious fault and the country’s disregard towards strategy have forced the chickens to come home to roost for over five decades. And they outwardly will continue to do so.
This brings us to Iran. To understand Iran’s history with the U.S., it requires looking back on the CIA’s first successful mission, the oil embargoes of 1973 and the kidnapping of U.S. embassy members for 444 days.
Currently, the Trump administration is willing to expeditiously end the war with Iran even without securing the strait of Hormuz. The embolden egotism of American presidents will forever force them to leave the warfare they wanted empty-handed.
American arrogance has and will always lead to them with their pants down. It is the type of arrogance that exceeds the rash existence of Trump.
Those in the American government are poor sportsmen – those who never did their research or respected their opponent. They go in blind and are bemused to have lost an eye.
Lyndon B. Johnson thought so little of the country that later forced him to retract his reelection campaign.
America continues to discover, time and time again, that the safety of capitalism and imperialism is not a great enough cause. It lacks the proper appetite for troops. Never will it have the power to beat religious faith or the hope of liberation.
There is no great story for the American government to shell out to its people, so for once, they didn’t try.
I have slim faith in the West’s prospects in this war with Iran. After facing turmoil against Western imperialism for decades, it is hard to believe their threats against American Tech Firms will exist only as posturing words.
Jimmy Carter and the CIA removed any material stability in Iran and instated a dictator they approved of.
“Iran, because of the great leadership of the Shah, is an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world,” Jimmy Carter so proudly toasted to the man who deserted the Iranian people in 1977. The opulent U.S. Embassy served as a symbolic structure of their imperialism – always there to cast shadows over those they saw only as interference with oil.
It is obvious that Iran is ardently committed to becoming an “island of stability,” a commitment that will dilute American control. An opaque shimmer gleams over any sort of true freedom for the people of Iran.
This hapless cycle between the U.S. and Western Asia will eventually quiet. The inevitable will happen and another president will want to show how powerful they are.
Everything will begin once again.
Naiya Williams is a columnist. Contact her at [email protected]
