**Disclaimer: **My Economics Matters blogs and podcasts covers a range of topics, primarily personal finance, macroeconomics, and geopolitics. The fast majority of these posts focus on the facts as opposed to my opinion of the facts. But I don’t shy away from conveying my opinions. But my opinions are solely my own. The do not represent the views of either Boston University or my company, Economic Security Planning, Inc.
The Iran War
I’m a tough critic of President Trump. I’ve called him a traitor, and a fascist, and an economic moron. But when the facts change, you need to change your mind. President Trump took a huge risk, militarily and politically, in authorizing the attack on Iran, which is eliminating Iran’s capacity to endanger the US and our allies with nuclear weapons and missiles.
This is not the action of a traitor.
This is the action of a leader who realized that
47 years of Iran’s pledging “Death to America” was 47 years too long
47 years of Iran’s supporting terrorist groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis was 47 years too long
47 years of Iran’s sponsoring over 200 global terrorist attacks was 47 years too long
47 years of Iran’s arresting, torturing, and killing tens of thousands of peaceful protestors was 47 years too long
47 years of permitting Iran to develop a nuclear weapon to attack “The Great Satan” was 47 years too long
Iran is being left with one option and one option only — Join the Civilized World. If, instead, Iran installs yet another repressive, ideological, religious fanatic or committee of such fanatics, they will surely meet the same fate as the Supreme Leader just met — immense and extraordinarily powerful bombs delivered express mail to their offices.
The US finally has a leader who realizes we have not spent tens of trillions of dollars on our military over the past 47 years to hold military parades. We have a unique asset that can make us safer, if not safe, and rid the world of tyrants and terrorists. And now we have a President willing to use it.
Amen — and amen that we have a strong ally in Israel to aid in our mutual defense. As with any war, there will be and already have been horrific casualties including, to date, over one hundred Iranian school children, nine Israelis, and multiple US servicemen and servicewomen. This is the terrible civilian price of dealing with tyrants. The world lost 50 million people because no one stood up to Hitler in time. Peace at any price is a prescription for war at the highest price. President Trump and our brave military deserve our full support in standing up to Iran’s terrible and terribly dangerous regime.