Why War with Iran Won't Help Trump In 2020

[applegrove]

Why War with Iran Won’t Help Trump In 2020

January 3, 2020 at 2:02 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 167 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2020/01/03/why-war-with-iran-wont-help-trump-in-2020/

"SNIP.....

Jonathan Chait: “One salient fact is that it’s not 2001, or even 2003. A poll earlier this summer found that just 18% of Americans prefer to ‘take military action against Iran’ as against 78% wanting to ‘rely mainly on economic and diplomatic efforts.'”

“It is in part due to public war weariness that Republicans have sworn repeatedly, for years, that they would not go to war with Iran. The possibility of such a military escalation was precisely the central dispute between the parties when the Obama administration struck its nuclear deal.”

....SNIP"

[regnaD kciN]

1. What percentage of the American people...

...supported war against Iraq in spring of 2002, before the Dubya maladministration launched their propaganda effort to sell the war? And, yet, as soon as the first missiles were launched, all debate was instantly silenced by a steady drumbeat of “Support! Our! Troops!!! Support! Our! Troops!!!” Much in the same way as it happened in 1991 — when war begins, there’s an almost automatic tendency to “circle the wagons,” with any further thoughts being put aside until after “Mission Accomplished.” I think you have to be naive to think the same pattern won’t play out this time around as well.

[at140]

2. Dubya was a neocon. Trump is a conman. Only thing common between them

is the word "con". My guess is Trump does not want to be known as one who started any wars.
He was probably sending a message to Iran than our embassies are off limits. If you attack them
there will be a disproportionate response.

[Beartracks]

4. He was against foreign wars when he thought it benefited him politically. If...

... he now thinks it benefits him politically to threaten a war or start a war (for example, to distract from impeachment news), then he would certainly do so. The man is not driven by what is important for the country, only what is expedient for Trump.

=========

[rockfordfile]

11. Americans get it that trump did this to divert attention.To add Americans remember the lies of Iraq

This Bush shit and pos trump crap in the Middle East is the worst "policy" in American history. Which led to deaths of American soldiers and is still costing us trillions.

Americans are sick of the Middle East. A impeached crook attempting to do this is really pissing off Americans.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

14. There is a lot to unpack in this post

What percentage of the American people......supported war against Iraq in spring of 2002, before the Dubya maladministration launched their propaganda effort to sell the war?

To be sure, there were opponents to that war at the outset. However, in 2002, there were still a lot of Americans looking for someone to attack after 9-11, which they saw as an analog to Pearl Harbor, but without a convenient nation to play the role of "Japan." For many, either Iraq or Iran would be good casting for that role.

And, yet, as soon as the first missiles were launched, all debate was instantly silenced by a steady drumbeat of “Support! Our! Troops!!! Support! Our! Troops!!!”

1991 was something of a different story. It was the first big deployment of troops overseas since 'Nam, and many of the Baby Boomers felt a lot of remorse over how the Vietnam Vets had been treaded when they came home. So there was a lot of over-compensation in troop support. Then, a war that we were all warned would be a slog was over three days after we commenced ground combat operations. America loves a quick, sweeping victory. I think many Americans expected the invasion of Iraq to be rinse-and-repeat of '91.

when war begins, there’s an almost automatic tendency to “circle the wagons,” with any further thoughts being put aside until after “Mission Accomplished.” I think you have to be naive to think the same pattern won’t play out this time around as well.

That's always been true. Add to that a point that I've made many times over the years here at DU. Americans of a certain age (say 52+) with clear memories of the '79 Hostage Crisis feel like America never got it's pound of flesh - and they still want it. Many of them would cheer loudly and sleep soundly if they heard on the evening news that Teheran was eliminated in a millisecond of brilliant light by a 50 Megaton device.

[walkingman]

3. Americans of all stripes "Love War" - our history shows it without question. Until we suffer by

direct conflict on the homeland we will continue to "Support the troops" and look the other way as if it really doesn't matter. We are and have always been "war mongers".

[Lock him up.]

6. That is not completely "true" as shown in the history of...

Vietnam (most were for it until most were against it after over 50,000 troops died for nothing).
Iraq (half were for it until most were against it after 5,000 troops died for creating a Shiite government)

In both cases, most stopped being for them after we didn't suffer by direct conflict on the homeland, so repeating a falsity does not help the cause for peace. Just say "if anyone is for war, just remember how much you were for it before you hated it twice before" or something the like. Thanks.

[walkingman]

9. Good point!! I graduated HS in '68 and it seemed like everyone I knew was against it. But in reality

that was never the case. Take a look at how our history -

https://www.globalresearch.ca/america-has-been-at-war-93-of-the-time-222-out-of-239-years-since-1776/5565946

[Algernon Moncrieff]

5. Part of Trump's appeal was that he said he'd end the wars in the Middle East

His conservative base in the Midwest and the South is as patriotic as they come, but they are also a group that has volunteered many people for the military, and the deaths, injuries, and long deployments are wearing on them. I don't think this will thrill any of them if it drags on for any length of time.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

13. Ah yes

"Donald The Dove" LOL

[KY_EnviroGuy]

7. Damn good chance any serious lengthy new conflict could throw us into recession.

That would be the straw that breaks this shitgibbon's back.................

Some economists are saying we're on the verge anyway.....

[applegrove]

8. Or be like wartime keynesian spending. Big oil will be doing well because

they follow the cartel in pricing. Wait...what? Why do we follow OPEC cartel pricing for oil? Anyway. Depends.

[ripcord]

10. Actually it shouldn't be that bad

How long do you think Iran can last with a total sea blockade and no oil being sold? Their navy consists of small boats, there is no way they can break a USN blockade.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. If you thought war in Iraq was bad (and it was)

then Iran would be on the order of thousands times worse. They have a fairly well-functioning, modernized country with a decent military. Invading them wouldn't be anything like Iraq, to say nothing of an occupation.