If Trump wins or loses this war ,the US and other countries will suffer. If he loses, his limitless, uncontrollable rage will further fuel unimaginable ,aggressive action. He will claim victory even if he loses. His psychological makeup does not allow him to accept a loss. I agree, if Trump wins, his sense of his own power and insatiable toxic need for dominance will be felt here and abroad. We are paying the price for having normalized the behavior of a dangerously unwell man.
I don't think the question is whether Donald Trump or America should "win" or "lose" this war. After returning from a month in the U.S. to my home in Tel Aviv, and being woken up almost every night by incoming Iranian missile alarm alerts, and having to dash to the safe-room in my apartment, with people dying and homes being destroyed in Tel Aviv, Haifa and particularly Tehran, what I want is for this war, which never should have started, to end. The goal of regime change in Tehran via war was totally unrealistic from the get-go. If that doesn't happen, it doesn't mean that Trump "lost the war". The joint Iranian-Israel Forum that I belong to, now officially called the Iranian-Israeli Peace Forum, issued the following statement which describes our attitude towards the war:
"The historical context of the present war is complex but highly relevant. The ideologically driven hostility of the Islamic Republic of Iran toward the United States (the “Great Satan”) and the State of Israel (the “Little Satan”) has long contributed to an atmosphere of confrontation and helped create the conditions that made this deadly conflict possible.
"At the same time, this hostility has also served as a convenient pretext for successive Israeli governments led by Benjamin Netanyahu to sustain and escalate tensions. Such escalation aligns with the agenda of Israeli fundamentalist forces and coincides with the political imperatives of maintaining his current governing coalition.
"As for the United States, President Donald Trump did not seek congressional approval before launching the war, did not exhaust the negotiations track, and has been unclear about the war’s objectives and what outcome would bring it to an end.
"The threats and provocations of the Islamic Republic do not justify the launch of a large-scale war. It is a war of choice initiated by two leaders whose unfounded claims that Iran posed an imminent nuclear threat to the United States and Israel were invoked to legitimize military action undertaken in violation of international law.
"We therefore condemn this war unequivocally. Military escalation will bring nothing but death, destruction, and suffering to the peoples of Iran, Israel, and the wider region. War will deepen insecurity rather than eliminate it.
"There is no doubt that Iran is governed by a repressive, semi-totalitarian regime, yet its overthrow cannot be imposed from outside. The struggle for peace, freedom, democracy, and human rights must ultimately be waged by the citizens of Iran themselves.
"Recent history offers sobering lessons. Foreign military interventions have repeatedly failed to deliver liberation or democracy. Instead, they have too often produced devastation, social fragmentation, and the danger of state collapse.
"For these reasons, we call for an immediate end to the military hostilities and a renewed commitment to diplomacy, international law, and peaceful political transformation."
And I add of course Donald Trump and the Republicans should be defeated, both in the 2026 midterm elections, and in the 2028 presidential elections. That's where he should lose, for all of our sakes.
Interesting. You live in Israel, the nation with the Ayatollas' target on your back. I would have thought after some 3,000 years, we Jews should have learned to believe what people say..
Sorry Peter, but this is OUR war. This is the imperial government we have built over decades and generations by electing politicians who have completely abicated from checks and balances on the executive branch. We should not and can not abicate from our responsibility as citizens for placing the blame for another unjustifiable, immoral war on one individual, no matter how abhorant that individual may be.
And I don't want our nation to lose, but also literally bleed. It clear at least to me only by suffering ourselves will we recognize the suffering WE are inflicting on others.
Absolutely agree! Our elected govt has not stood up and rejected funding for it. Our taxes support it plus the genocide. We are an empire in decline and should lose this horrific illegal invasion of another country which is no threat to us and does not invade other countries like we and Israel do. If the public is against it why are they not in the streets opposing it?
there is so much to be questioned that rarely is. what peter describes is certainly one way to look at it. but, for me, it does not question long and deeply held assumptions that need to be challenged. what is the nature of the united states government? is it a direct democracy -- a government of the people? no "representative" democracy as an invitation for corruption? or an empire/oligarchy/corporatocracy? sure looks that way as demonstrated by the exemplary bi-partisan cooperation when it comes to funding endless wars for profit.
if life is sacred (worthy of deep respect and care) is an interdependent web of relationships, and if all life arises from the same well, then we are sisters and brothers held a larger circle. war has no winners. only losers.
and if war is a major contributor to a rapidly destabilizing climate, all wars now need be seen as wars against life, a major shift is needed and is perhaps why we could benefit from a council of grandmothers being the decision-makers. peace.
Like many of us I'm horrified, not only at Trump's lawless and violent actions, but at our government and military official who are perpetuating the lawlessness. They ought to be standing up and refusing to carry out illegal actions and destruction and move to remove him from office. There are mechanisms to do this, but the entire system is failing.
An end to sanctions would benefit America as well, both economically and diplomatically. Being able to say no to Israel on the basis of "The last time we supported you was a debacle!" would benefit America as well. Losing our status as a unipolar superpower has material pros and cons, but on a spiritual and national character level it's wholely positive. There are a lot of advantages to "losing." And I agree that ending it is top priority (which, incidentally, can't happen if there's a push to win).
Excellent commentary, Peter. There was never any chance of "winning" a war on Iran, which was obvious to anyone who knows anything about Iran and how its ruling cadre and their huge decentralized and massively equipped military arm, operate. Also, there was never any chance of a "democratic revolution" (which tRump never cared about). The opposition is fractured, and many potential leaders have been murdered. The regime has a monopoly on force. Their opponents are unarmed. That is why each protest has been shattered. If tRump expected to do a Venezuela, and put a puppet government in power, he's chasing rainbows and moonbeams. tRump's war has harmed the rest of the world badly, including Gulf allies. That will not be remedied. And mistrust and hatred of America will continue even in former allied countries, tRump has already "lost." And the evil he does will live after him.
More, what exactly is going on in Venezuela that makes that invasion a 'win." If that is defined what is better for the populace of Venezuela, do we even know what that looks like? Even if the ouster of Madura was "deserved." The same kind of simplistic analysis becomes even more apparent in these latest ill-advised escapade. Who exactly is benefitting from these invasions? How is America better off? How is our populace better off with these billions of expenditures that get this country and the world nowhere that is more prosperous or just?
You know, I've been doing my ususak reading and have found something both intersting and scary (to me)...It just happens that both Peter & Tucker Carlson have the same thoughs, goal sand ideas for Israel....both acknowledge its righ to exist, but not as a Jewish State. Hmmmm, strange bedfellows, no?
Thanks for you clear and thoughtful consideration and assessment of varied perspectives. They are all spot on. I would also like to point out that, other than the invasion of Grenada and perhaps Venezuela, the US has not "won" a single war, although it has launched many, from Vietnam to Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.
I wish that there would be/could be some sort of diplomatic agreement, including keeping the Strait open. In other words, where we were before the bombings began, before hundreds of children were killed, before opinion had hardened against an invading force rather than against a brutal, repressive, hateful regime that was starving its own populace. Also, I think we go down a perilous ethical path once we consider a war to be good or bad based upon popular opinion. (The tyranny of the majority, if you will) In Trump's case it exposes how mismanaged his propaganda machine has been, but the gaslighting continues. Even as news media in the U.S. asks former military officials who oppose this war, what they think about policies in the region. If anything, this invasion underscores that a sustainable solution is not a military one.
I'm not sure what will happen if Trump *loses* the war. But I, who have been in the shelter for days and nights, undoubtedly want it to stop.
I wish they would reach diplomatic agreements, for the sake of everyone.
Thank you. I've already signed up for the petition in Israel.
If Trump wins or loses this war ,the US and other countries will suffer. If he loses, his limitless, uncontrollable rage will further fuel unimaginable ,aggressive action. He will claim victory even if he loses. His psychological makeup does not allow him to accept a loss. I agree, if Trump wins, his sense of his own power and insatiable toxic need for dominance will be felt here and abroad. We are paying the price for having normalized the behavior of a dangerously unwell man.
I don't think the question is whether Donald Trump or America should "win" or "lose" this war. After returning from a month in the U.S. to my home in Tel Aviv, and being woken up almost every night by incoming Iranian missile alarm alerts, and having to dash to the safe-room in my apartment, with people dying and homes being destroyed in Tel Aviv, Haifa and particularly Tehran, what I want is for this war, which never should have started, to end. The goal of regime change in Tehran via war was totally unrealistic from the get-go. If that doesn't happen, it doesn't mean that Trump "lost the war". The joint Iranian-Israel Forum that I belong to, now officially called the Iranian-Israeli Peace Forum, issued the following statement which describes our attitude towards the war:
"The historical context of the present war is complex but highly relevant. The ideologically driven hostility of the Islamic Republic of Iran toward the United States (the “Great Satan”) and the State of Israel (the “Little Satan”) has long contributed to an atmosphere of confrontation and helped create the conditions that made this deadly conflict possible.
"At the same time, this hostility has also served as a convenient pretext for successive Israeli governments led by Benjamin Netanyahu to sustain and escalate tensions. Such escalation aligns with the agenda of Israeli fundamentalist forces and coincides with the political imperatives of maintaining his current governing coalition.
"As for the United States, President Donald Trump did not seek congressional approval before launching the war, did not exhaust the negotiations track, and has been unclear about the war’s objectives and what outcome would bring it to an end.
"The threats and provocations of the Islamic Republic do not justify the launch of a large-scale war. It is a war of choice initiated by two leaders whose unfounded claims that Iran posed an imminent nuclear threat to the United States and Israel were invoked to legitimize military action undertaken in violation of international law.
"We therefore condemn this war unequivocally. Military escalation will bring nothing but death, destruction, and suffering to the peoples of Iran, Israel, and the wider region. War will deepen insecurity rather than eliminate it.
"There is no doubt that Iran is governed by a repressive, semi-totalitarian regime, yet its overthrow cannot be imposed from outside. The struggle for peace, freedom, democracy, and human rights must ultimately be waged by the citizens of Iran themselves.
"Recent history offers sobering lessons. Foreign military interventions have repeatedly failed to deliver liberation or democracy. Instead, they have too often produced devastation, social fragmentation, and the danger of state collapse.
"For these reasons, we call for an immediate end to the military hostilities and a renewed commitment to diplomacy, international law, and peaceful political transformation."
And I add of course Donald Trump and the Republicans should be defeated, both in the 2026 midterm elections, and in the 2028 presidential elections. That's where he should lose, for all of our sakes.
Interesting. You live in Israel, the nation with the Ayatollas' target on your back. I would have thought after some 3,000 years, we Jews should have learned to believe what people say..
Sorry Peter, but this is OUR war. This is the imperial government we have built over decades and generations by electing politicians who have completely abicated from checks and balances on the executive branch. We should not and can not abicate from our responsibility as citizens for placing the blame for another unjustifiable, immoral war on one individual, no matter how abhorant that individual may be.
And I don't want our nation to lose, but also literally bleed. It clear at least to me only by suffering ourselves will we recognize the suffering WE are inflicting on others.
Israel delenda est.
Absolutely agree! Our elected govt has not stood up and rejected funding for it. Our taxes support it plus the genocide. We are an empire in decline and should lose this horrific illegal invasion of another country which is no threat to us and does not invade other countries like we and Israel do. If the public is against it why are they not in the streets opposing it?
there is so much to be questioned that rarely is. what peter describes is certainly one way to look at it. but, for me, it does not question long and deeply held assumptions that need to be challenged. what is the nature of the united states government? is it a direct democracy -- a government of the people? no "representative" democracy as an invitation for corruption? or an empire/oligarchy/corporatocracy? sure looks that way as demonstrated by the exemplary bi-partisan cooperation when it comes to funding endless wars for profit.
if life is sacred (worthy of deep respect and care) is an interdependent web of relationships, and if all life arises from the same well, then we are sisters and brothers held a larger circle. war has no winners. only losers.
and if war is a major contributor to a rapidly destabilizing climate, all wars now need be seen as wars against life, a major shift is needed and is perhaps why we could benefit from a council of grandmothers being the decision-makers. peace.
Congratulations on the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith award for your excellent book.
Brilliant commentary. We need these very strong and clear talking points for our own debates.
Like many of us I'm horrified, not only at Trump's lawless and violent actions, but at our government and military official who are perpetuating the lawlessness. They ought to be standing up and refusing to carry out illegal actions and destruction and move to remove him from office. There are mechanisms to do this, but the entire system is failing.
An end to sanctions would benefit America as well, both economically and diplomatically. Being able to say no to Israel on the basis of "The last time we supported you was a debacle!" would benefit America as well. Losing our status as a unipolar superpower has material pros and cons, but on a spiritual and national character level it's wholely positive. There are a lot of advantages to "losing." And I agree that ending it is top priority (which, incidentally, can't happen if there's a push to win).
I am not remotely clear what "win" even means.
That too. But I have a sense of what "pushing to win" means, and it's not pretty.
We need a change of regimes in America and Israel before Iran. It’s more urgent than the war - if only it could happen, inshallah!
Excellent commentary, Peter. There was never any chance of "winning" a war on Iran, which was obvious to anyone who knows anything about Iran and how its ruling cadre and their huge decentralized and massively equipped military arm, operate. Also, there was never any chance of a "democratic revolution" (which tRump never cared about). The opposition is fractured, and many potential leaders have been murdered. The regime has a monopoly on force. Their opponents are unarmed. That is why each protest has been shattered. If tRump expected to do a Venezuela, and put a puppet government in power, he's chasing rainbows and moonbeams. tRump's war has harmed the rest of the world badly, including Gulf allies. That will not be remedied. And mistrust and hatred of America will continue even in former allied countries, tRump has already "lost." And the evil he does will live after him.
More, what exactly is going on in Venezuela that makes that invasion a 'win." If that is defined what is better for the populace of Venezuela, do we even know what that looks like? Even if the ouster of Madura was "deserved." The same kind of simplistic analysis becomes even more apparent in these latest ill-advised escapade. Who exactly is benefitting from these invasions? How is America better off? How is our populace better off with these billions of expenditures that get this country and the world nowhere that is more prosperous or just?
I love your perspectives on issues, thank you for the great work you do!
You know, I've been doing my ususak reading and have found something both intersting and scary (to me)...It just happens that both Peter & Tucker Carlson have the same thoughs, goal sand ideas for Israel....both acknowledge its righ to exist, but not as a Jewish State. Hmmmm, strange bedfellows, no?
Thank you for this permission.
Thanks for you clear and thoughtful consideration and assessment of varied perspectives. They are all spot on. I would also like to point out that, other than the invasion of Grenada and perhaps Venezuela, the US has not "won" a single war, although it has launched many, from Vietnam to Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.
I wish that there would be/could be some sort of diplomatic agreement, including keeping the Strait open. In other words, where we were before the bombings began, before hundreds of children were killed, before opinion had hardened against an invading force rather than against a brutal, repressive, hateful regime that was starving its own populace. Also, I think we go down a perilous ethical path once we consider a war to be good or bad based upon popular opinion. (The tyranny of the majority, if you will) In Trump's case it exposes how mismanaged his propaganda machine has been, but the gaslighting continues. Even as news media in the U.S. asks former military officials who oppose this war, what they think about policies in the region. If anything, this invasion underscores that a sustainable solution is not a military one.