By J Robert Smith
- June 19, 2025
- 2-min read
So, I have a piece running at American Thinker today. If you have a few minutes, check it out. The takeaway is this:
In the main, Americans favor ending Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions even if that requires limited military action. They prefer negotiations to work, though. But they don’t want another regime change war. Not in Iran, not anywhere. No more occupations. They’ve seen enough blood spilled and treasure squandered in Iraq, Afghanistan, and long distant Vietnam — all fruitless and costly ventures.
Older and now current polling is clear: Americans don’t want the Iranians to possess nuclear weapons. They rightly view such as a threat to U.S. national security. They’ll tolerate or accept limited military action to destroy or cripple Iran’s nuclear weapons program, but they want nothing to do with a regime change war. Who does? Have failures in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam – the latter two catastrophic – taught us nothing?
Moreover, it didn’t require a lot of deep research to learn that the President of the United States opposes regime change wars. Donald Trump has been thoroughly consistent in his opposition to toppling governments and nation-building exercises. Both are championed by neocons, who haven’t met a war they didn’t want the U.S. involved in.
Neocons love cloaking U.S. interventions that they push in high moral tones. We have to “protect democracy” is one of their favorites. Like in Ukraine, where “democracy” doesn’t look much like democracy. After suspending elections, among other anti-liberty actions, Zelenskyy performs like an authoritarian.
Or, we have a moral obligation to “liberate” enslaved peoples. No, we don’t. As the founders proclaimed – particularly Washington – our obligation is to be a light in a dark world. There are a lot of bad players across the globe. The U.S. is supposed to hopscotch from country to country fighting wars of liberation? At what costs? There aren’t enough challenges at home? How many parents must bury their sons and daughters to serve these endless, “noble” causes?
More practical minded neocons claim it’s in America’s national security interests to fight the enemy in Afghanistan, for example. It saves Americans from fighting enemies here at home. Since Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, where in the U.S. have there been pitched battles with the Taliban? We’ve been hearing that balderdash since Vietnam.
No doubt about it, America’s leaders have a principal obligation to protect the homeland from threats, foreign and domestic. But not from ginned up threats. America shouldn’t be in the business of wars of aggrandizement. Its fighting men and women aren’t fodder for military brass to buff-up their resumés. The U.S. shouldn’t go to war to increase revenue streams for defense contractors.
If you don’t believe me, listen to Donald Trump and talk to your friends and neighbors.
