Peace in our Time

This was no small matter. Soleimani was a terrorist butcher who was responsible for thousands of American deaths or injuries during his long tenure. His death is long overdue. 

Although past administrations knew what kind of monster he was, they did nothing for fear of consequences that might escalate into a war with Iran. They did not want to put American soldiers in harm’s way. Based on the Viet Nam experience, they believed that this too would be a highly unpopular war.  

Thus, Soleimani given a free hand to do what he pleased with impunity. 

But the latest American casualty at his hand was the last straw. The US was not about to let this go unanswered. So they struck back. And hit an Iranian backed miltia in Iraq killing several of their militants. And now – this.

The hand-wringing is mostly on the part of Democrats who worry where this is headed. A war with Iran will make our invasion of Iraq look like child’s play. Iran is a much more formidable enemy than Iraq. They will be much harder to overcome militarily. Which does in fact mean a lot more American casualties.

Nobody wants war. Least of all a President who campaigned on getting American troops out of all foreign conflicts. Bringing our troops home was one of his signature campaign issues. The last thing I’m sure he wants is to face a re-election where Americans are dying in an unpopular war.

So what about the Democrats hand-wringing? Are they right to be concerned? Of course they are. Anyone that does not worry about the prospect of American blood being spilled on foreign soil is a fool. But sometimes you have no choice but to go to war. If the stakes are high enough. When that happens you must take action even if by doing so, you will knowingly put soldiers to harm’s way which will result in their death.

The question is, when do the stake get high enough to do it? Clearly that was the case in World War II. Then President Roosevelt (FDR) understood that. Even though he was a Democrat with a progressive agenda . He knew the risk but he understood the stakes. Defeating Hitler was tantamount to defeating evil itself. But pacifism was paramount in those days. 

Before the war, as Europe was being threatened by Hitler’s military build up, UK prime Minster Neville Chaimberlain was willing to hand over Czechoslovakia  to him. He believed that if he appeased Hitler with that little bit of geographic manipulation  he would avoid a costly war that would have surely resulted in thousands of British soldiers losing their lives. We now know how well that went.

  

Once the war began, FDR wanted to join the fight. But congress and a lot of Americans opposed our entry into a foreign war. Some of them patriotic heroes like Charles Lindbergh. And a foreign service officer by the name of Joe Kennedy. ‘Leave Hitler alone’. ‘He knows what he’s doing.’ ‘What’s happening in Europe is in any case none of our business’.

No matter how much FDR’s tried to get us into the war, congress refused.  It took a direct attack against us at Pearl Harbor by Japan, a German ally, for them to change their minds. Had the US not gotten involved in the war, who knows where we would all be today.

The result of FDR’s determination was the allied invasion at Normandy in Nazi occupied France. Knowing full well that the advancing soldiers would be mowed down by German soldiers like sitting ducks as they stormed the beaches, FDR nevertheless understood what was at stake. So they went ahead with it. A lot of American blood was spilled that day. But it had to be done. Is there anyone alive today that questions that?

What about Iran in our day? Are the stakes as high as they were during WWII? No. Not eve close. The Holocaust was unique. Genocide at an unprecedented level was taking place as country after country in Europe was being overrun by Hitler’s Germany.

It is not 1939 over again. But that does not mean the stakes are not high enough. Not that I advocate going to war with Iran. At the same time, however, Iran’s terror exporting regime cannot be ignored or appeased either. 

Nevertheless, appeasement of Iran was tried by the previous administration for purposes of slowing down their nuclear capabilities. that may have slowed down their development of nuclear weapons. But their ballistic missile program was advancing full speed. As was their exportation of terror. Including taking advantage of Iraq’s vulnerability by sending troops there to ‘help’ them out. Iran is more entrenched in Iraq now than ever. Thanks in part to butchers like Soleimani. 

As the President said, Soleimani should have been taken out long ago. And he finally did it. Will that escalate into war? That’s what all the Democratic hand-wringing in Washington is about. They are all blaming the President for pulling out of the nuclear deal for this. Had he only continued to appease Iran by staying in it, we would have peace in our time. Instead we are now witnessing dire threats of ‘harsh revenge’ against us  from Iran’s supreme leader.  

Should we have remained in that nuclear agreement? Not when you have an Islamist bully like Iran exporting terror and threatening the annihilation of our most strategic ally in that region. Trump did the right thing here. And if the Iranians are foolish enough to go to war with the US, it will be they who are annihilated. And relatively quickly. Albeit with the heavy price of major American causalities.

My hope is that Iran will eventually come to its senses and become a peaceful nation interested in advancing the welfare of their own people instead of advancing their Islamist agenda. I do not want to see anyone die in war. But I think Moshiach will be here a lot sooner.  Religious fanatics like those that rule Iran are not rational. They believe that God is on their side. In that sense they are even more dangerous than the Germans during WWII. Who at least cared about their own lives. 

If there is a war, it will be bloody. But the US is the most powerful nation on earth with the means to hit Iran with unprecedented ‘shock and awe’ We will be victorious. And after 40 years, the Iranian people well finally get their country back from an Islamic dictatorship that the majority of them never wanted. And maybe then we will be able to have peace in our time. A real one.