During World War II, when America was confronting fascist regimes hell-bent on exporting their murderous ideologies, Republicans united behind Democrats to form a joint front.
asserted
Republicans → confront → front
They did so even though many Republicans — especially from the nativist wing — were upset with President Franklin Roosevelt’s sanctions on Japan, which the small “Blame America First” crowd subsequently used to explain away Japanese aggression.
asserted
crowd → do → aggression
In recent decades, however, Congress has prioritized short-term political warfare over national security and America’s place in the world.
asserted
Congress → prioritize → world
Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and then-Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) both sought to undermine President George W. Bush’s isolation of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
asserted
Pelosi → seek → Assad
At the time, Assad was covertly working on nuclear weapons.
asserted
Assad → work → weapons
Within just a few years, he would openly use chemical weapons against his own people.
asserted
he → use → people
For Pelosi and Kerry, though, embarrassing Bush was the priority.
asserted
embarrassing → embarrass → Bush
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The same held true for the 2003 Iraq War.
asserted
same → hold → War
When the war erupted, it had bipartisan support.
asserted
it → erupt → support
As insurgency raged, Democrats sniffed an opportunity to flip the script.
asserted
Democrats → rag → script
Kerry famously explained he was for the war before he was against it, as if that made him presidential.
asserted
him → explain → it
Pelosi, meanwhile, demanded withdrawal and criticized Bush’s pursuit, without discussion of the consequences of U.S. loss.
asserted
Pelosi → demand → loss
In 2008, I raised hackles by suggesting Pelosi preferred a Rwanda-like genocide in Iraq to American success for the simple reason that the former would besmirch Bush.
asserted
former → raise → Bush
The righteous indignation, however, missed the point.
asserted
indignation → miss → point
American leaders had a choice: help Iraqis defeat insurgents like the Islamic State group or subject those Iraqis to a horrific massacre.
asserted
Iraqis → have → massacre
Bush ignored Pelosi’s posturing with his surge and Anbar Awakening strategies, but President Barack Obama chose the opposite course.
asserted
Obama → ignore → course
Obama’s decision lay the ground for the Islamic State group’s rise and the Yazidi genocide.
asserted
decision → lie → rise
Too many Republicans preferred to criticize Obama’s bombing of Libya and the war in Syria.
asserted
Republicans → prefer → Syria
There was much to criticize, but the United States and the world would be better off if the goal of Congress was to debate how best to win.
asserted
goal → be → Congress
The politics motivating these antics isn’t well grounded.
asserted
politics → motivate → antics
President George H.W. Bush enjoyed approval ratings above 90% after Kuwait’s liberation in the Gulf War, but still lost the election.
asserted
Bush → enjoy → election
Ultimately, Americans vote on the economy, not on Kuwait, Gaza, or Taiwan.
asserted
Americans → vote → Kuwait
Democrats can condemn both the timing and pursuit of the war.
asserted
Democrats → condemn → war
Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have contributed to numerous own goals; they deserve opprobrium.
asserted
they → contribute → opprobrium
But if Trump and by extension the U.S. fail, the results will be far greater than soiling Trump’s reputation: An empowered Iran controlling the Strait of Hormuz and, by proxy, the Bab el-Mandeb can blackmail the world.
asserted
Mandeb → fail → world
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may appear resurgent, but to cease engagement at a time when the Iranian military sends missiles and drones across the region will have ramifications far after Trump.
uncertain
military → appear → Trump
Political warfare has consequences, but the degree of Trump derangement syndrome now contributes to a national security crisis.
asserted
degree → have → crisis
It is one thing to castigate Trump.
asserted
It → castigate → Trump
But every congressional critic should also enunciate how they would roll back Iranian aggression that began not in January 2025 but was pursued for decades.
asserted
that → enunciate → decades
Americans famously navel-gaze, but they cannot ignore that Iranians have agency.
asserted
Iranians → gaze → agency
Simply standing down or surrendering will not return the world to the status quo prior to the war nor end the conflict.
asserted
standing → stand → conflict
Perhaps rather than compete over sleights and insults that Trump relishes, both Democratic and Republican hopefuls could demonstrate leadership by charting a path to victory that relies on reality and not rhetoric and wishful thinking.
uncertain
that → compete → reality
The Aporia
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