By Walter E. Block
Nicholas D. Kristof during the Annual Meeting 2010 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 30, 2010. Photo by World Economic Forum from Cologny, Switzerland – Nicholas D. Kri – World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos 2010, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikipedia
Nicholas Kristof delivers himself of a screed calling into question the US-Israel attack on Iran. He ends his missive with this comment: “So, readers, what do you think of this war we’ve just started? Am I a nervous Nellie?”
I do indeed maintain that this characterization fits him perfectly. Let me explain why.
Nervous Nellie Kristof starts off on this note:
“We Americans have begun another Middle Eastern war based on dubious intelligence claims… President Trump says that the aim of this ‘massive and ongoing’ war is no less than regime change: He has vowed to devastate Iran’s military force, destroy its nuclear program (again) and topple the leadership…. But … How likely is it that he can achieve all of this, and at what cost and risk? War is uncertain. Sometimes it goes as smoothly …, and sometimes you find yourself mired.”
Nellie, getting out bed in the morning is “uncertain.” So is going to bed at night. The same applies all through the day, pretty much every minute of every day. The only certain thing is death. If we want to completely avoid uncertainty, we should all commit suicide.
Iran has not for years but for decades screamed at us, the Big Satan, “Death to America.” They have treated our staunchest ally, the Little Satan, with a similar threat. In 1979, Iran invaded US territory, our embassy in Tehran, and kidnapped over 400 Americans. And that was only the tip of a very malevolent iceberg. We are supposed to just sit there and take it, and acquiesce as these madmen try to go nuclear?
Nellie Kristof further asserts: “… air wars alone have a poor record of overthrowing leaders.” He has evidently forgot his history lesson: Japan in 1945. Not a single solitary US boot was placed upon the territory of this country at that time, and yet there was a radical change in leadership. To be clear, I am not advocating that the US and/or Israel use a nuclear bomb on Iran. That would be an abomination. I am only maintaining that upon occasion, air wars, such as this very one, can lead to unconditional surrender.
But Nellie is still nervous. He asserts: “In general, American military interventions have a better record of success when they have a precise, limited objective — like the operation in Venezuela to seize President Nicolás Maduro. This war with Iran appears the opposite, aiming for nothing less than the overthrow of a government of more than 90 million people.”
To be sure, the more limited the goal, the greater chance of success. By that token, the US should drop one small bomb on a desert area of Iran, where it will have no impact whatsoever, and then go home and declare “success.” Maybe, instead, we should just stick our tongue out at them and mutter “nana, poo poo.” That would be pretty “limited.” It would allow Persia to continue to foment mayhem in the Middle East, via its proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. You can’t get much more “successful” than that, by doing virtually nothing.
As for those “90 million people,” a goodly proportion of them would be deliriously happy with a more civilized government.
Nervous Kristof (his parents misnamed him with “Nicholas”) fears that Iran will close the “Strait of Hormuz (through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes).” Woo, woo. We can’t have that. Oil prices might rise. The horror. We’d better just slink home with our tails between our legs.
Our nervous New York Timesman continues his tale of woe: “The point of military action is to make us safer, but Iran didn’t appear to be in a position to pose a substantial threat to America in the coming years. Despite claims by Trump or his aides, its missiles probably won’t soon be able to reach the United States, and its nuclear program is entombed and apparently on pause.”
Won’t “soon” be able to endanger us?” Well, then, there is nothing to worry about. What, me, worry? Perish the thought. Who sez that a nuclear bomb can only be delivered from Iran by missile? Ve have ozzer veys, as they say in the movies.
Further, here are two reasons for this “pause.” One, the recent US bombing if Persian nuclear facilities. Two, Israeli assassinations of their nuclear scientists. Maybe, this should not have been done, since there is no real danger, at least not arising “soon.”
Our anxious and worried wordsmith notes: “Another cost of the war is that it will deplete munitions.” Whoa! Who knew? Not us. We must be forever grateful to Nellie for pointing this out. Imagine; we will have fewer munitions if we use them on these murderers. But wait, that applies to them as well! Maybe they should surrender, to save bullets and bombs. If the US cannot produce enough munitions to quell the Ayatollahs, we are in real trouble.
Nervous Nellie Kristof attempts to be the voice of reason. He is more like the mythical ostrich that puts its head in the sand when danger is afoot.
“Un CON”!