When Good Men Do Nothing

I try to keep up with events, which means listening to news. There is always something going on here, or around here, and usually involves defense and security. Sometimes the connections between events seem to be right up front, while sometimes there are small, seemingly insignificant occurrences that at one point fall together to make things more clear. 

I am experiencing an element of frustration these days at the lack of movement to end the war here. One need not be a West Point graduate to figure out that the enemy is not in a position to do anything other than prolong hostilities and maintain tension in the region. Both Israel and the United States can end all of this. We have the tools, we have the talent. We also have reluctance. 

So everyone is wrapped up in election and political mode. Democracy has its flaws, but not finishing a war in an election year is not one of them. Of course, there is also stuff going on with Qatar – mostly money and making more. But I look at the situation : Neither Hamas nor Hezbollah is willing to surrender (laying down their arms is Diplomatese, so let’s call it what it is). In fact, in the time they are not being pressed to give up, they are working toward raising up arms. Why is the regime in Iran still in power? The people there should have long ago been in the throes of finding a better way to govern. The Houthis’ involvement in this conflict is specifically meant to complicate matters. They were trying to annoy us for a while, but that was counterproductive. So now they are poking the Saudis in the eye. 

Allowing these stooges of the ayatollahs to remain in any capacity is to feed the beast that is the Bad Guy in this fight. Think of him what you will, but US president Donald Trump is the Good Guy here. Israel is a partner, not a proxy. Israel is an independent country, unlike Iran’s respective bands of merry men. We may have differences of opinion on any given issue, but the position on the war will not work unless it is united and complete. For the US to take into account its business relationship with Qatar when trying to come to a conclusion in Gaza ignores the fact that Qatar is the money that is Haamas’ meat. A deal with Iran is as delusional as the two-state solution.

Trump is constantly saying that Iran wants a deal, they want a deal very badly. As long as he keeps saying that, the Iranian regime will stay in place. And so will the conflict. But parallel to my frustration runs an understanding that there are times when a situation plays out, and unforeseen, unexpected circumstances occur, or become known to have occurred. That helps.