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HORIST: Will Iran provoke a war? Seems more likely every day

HORIST: Will Iran provoke a war?  Seems more likely every day

No one wants a war.  No one ever does – at least no civilized people.  Wars happen because one side wants something – land, resources, treasure or supremacy of one sort or another – and they perceive the other side to be weak and vulnerable.

The best way to prevent a serious war is to have a very strong defensive military – and an absolute willingness to use it when necessary.  That means an occasional decisive pushback against aggressors who test the water, so to speak.

There is already war going on in the Middle East – whether it is the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan or al-Qaeda and ISIS in regions of Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and several nations in sub-
Saharan Africa.  Though the Middle East has more factions than the Italian Parliament, the centerpiece of the conflict is Iran.  It is a superpower among the failed and weaker states over which it holds varying degrees of hegemony.

Iran is the enemy of the United States and much of the civilized world like no other.  They attack American assets.  They take American hostages.  They promote and finance anti-American terrorism.  Neither Russia, China or North Korea pose the same level of direct and active threat to the United States.  We may look upon them as adversaries, but they are not sponsoring international terrorism against America.  They do, however, maintain an uncomfortably close and entirely too cooperative relationship with Iran.

Following World War II, America was clearly the most powerful nation on earth – and the only nuclear power.  For almost 50 years we engaged in a Cold War standoff with the old Soviet Union – and to a lesser degree with China.  With the collapse of the U.S.S.R., America again emerged as the king of the international mountain.

But not so today – and the question is why.

It is quite simple.  We can brag about the most powerful military on earth, but we have demonstrated that we are unwilling to use it to end proxy wars and brushfire conflicts.  We deadlocked in Korea, lost the war in Vietnam, pulled out of Iraq prematurely and now seem to be ending America’s longest war with a precipitous no-win withdrawal in Afghanistan.

In response to America’s perceived weakness, Iran is expanding its influence in the Middle East, interfering with shipping in the Straits of Hormuz, waging war on our allies in the region – most notably the recent attack on the Saudi refinery.  Almost since the overthrow of the Peacock Throne held by the last Shah of Iran, the clerics have financed and equipped Hamas and Palestinian terrorists in their attacks on Israel.  They use the Houthis in Yemen to attack Saudi Arabia.

While American politicians – including President Trump – give the highest priority to avoid a war with Iran, we are already in it.  The only question is whether we – and our allies – will muster the courage to stop Iran much like we stopped Germany in two world wars.  There can be no world peace as long as Iran’s main objective is to bring down the United States and all those they consider the Infidels.  While we fight for peaceful settlements, Iran fights for victory.

We should do everything we can to avoid wars – but NOT at all costs.  Iran is ramping up because the western world is backing down.  The mullahs in Tehran and the Taliban in Afghanistan see victory by waiting for America to leave the region.

The Taliban will again take over Afghanistan.  After all, if the shaky government in Kabul cannot prevail with American boots on the ground – along with those of other NATO nations – how will they defeat the Taliban when we are gone.

We did Iran a favor in bringing down the ISIS califate that also threatened Iran’s interests in the region – and possibly Iran itself.  ISIS still operates, but with far less potency.  But that does not mean that Iran still does not see the United States as a mortal enemy.

The Iran deal was incredibly destructive to our interests.  It merely postponed Iran gaining nuclear weaponry – which they do not need at this time – but gave Tehran time and resources to expand their campaign of anti-American, anti-west terrorism.  That should have been part of the deal.

Iran demonstrated its willingness to up the game with the attack on the Saudi oil refinery.  This was an indirect attack on America and the global economy.  It may have well been designed to push America and the west closer to a recession – perhaps believing the #NeverTrump Resistance Movement’s political trash talk that the United States was already on the slippery slope of recession.

If Iran continues to ramp up its aggressive behavior, what can we do but to deploy the military?  It may not take a full-scale war, but rather a firm and convincing surgical action like President Reagan took against Libyan-sponsored terrorism – the Lockerbie airline bombing and the attack on the Munich Olympics, as two notable examples.  He actually bombed Muammar Kaddafi’s presidential palace.  It worked.  International terrorist events took a precipitous drop.

If a surgical strike against Iran does not do the job, then all bets are off.  We just may have to go in with a full commitment to bring down the rogue Tehran government.  We should avoid a war if we can, but we damn well should win it as quickly as possible if we must.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

11 Comments

  1. Betty

    WHY DO YOU NOT LET THIS BE SHARED?

  2. Jeff Simmons

    I still say do a cruise missile attack on Iranian oil facilities. The navy can launch some SLCMs and B52s could be loaded with some AGM86 ALCMs launching from the Buffs would be good practice for the crews and no Americans would be in danger and the Iranians would see that the US has no problem reaching out to touch someone And just in case have a plan in hand in case Iran gets trickier to launch a massive attack but only if the situation warrants it

  3. Kurt Walker

    I believe IRAN already has nukes or is very close to it. The gazillions of money Obama gave them must be the stupest move the United States has ever been involved in. There has never been any inspections to see just what Iran is doing. I believe in diplomacy to the fullest. But when that fails it’s time to take action. Everyone knows what the US can do going in. But there must also be a withdrawal plan once it is finished. Those fanatical leaers will push war upon us WHEN THEY ARE READY. They must be prepared to take Israel out first but the attack upon the US will come shortly threrafter. Our intelligence is severly lacking in that area so we must be prepared to go and go big.

    • Mike

      What all of you are missing is that this situation has totally been caused by the fool in the White House, and his obsession with overturning all things Obama. We made an agreement with our allies that the idiot pulled us out of. Now I am not saying that Iran is the poster child for good behavior, but when we sign an agreement, particularly when our allies are backing it, we must stick to it. Trump needs to back down and rejoin our allies-of course he is stupid, so will never do that. Certainly he does not see value in “consistency”. He has turned our foreign relations into a real shit pot…..

      • Davey

        m

      • reality check

        Turn off CNN and get in the bathtub so you can put on your jammies and go night night.

      • db

        This has been going on much longer than Trump has been in office. Ever since the Clinton’s throwing cruise missiles at them during their time in office, no actually all the way back to 1979 when Jimmy Carter was in office, Iran has been an increasing thorn in the side of America. Trump just put his foot down and said enough.

  4. Michael Morgan

    let’s see. Iran was at war with Iraq for 20 or so years. They lost. It took the Coalition ( really the US) forces 100 hrs to defeat the ”Elite Republican Guard” of Iraq. Now we are supposed to shiver at the prospect of war with the looser in a war with Iraq? It’ll take longer to get there athan it will to defeat them. I’m for no war. These imbiciles aren’t worth the life of ANY of our soldiers. They aren’t worth what we scrape off the bottom of our shoes.

  5. MICHAEL W. LINDLEY

    DEAR MR. HORIST!!! SIR, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT-YOU DO NOT KNOW S____
    ABOUT THE VIETNAM WAR!!!! WHERE DID YOU SERVE IN VIETNAM?????
    the war was lost by your politician WASHINGTON D. C. BUDDIES AND BUREAUCRATS!!!!!!! we, the combat troops won every battle, and left alone to do our jobs
    we could have taken the north in 30-60 days!!!! at least PRESIDENT NIXON UNDERSTOOD AND HE ORDERED THE BOMBING AND RAN THEIR COMMIE ASSES BACK TO THE PEACE TABLE TALKS!!!! GENERAL JAP SAID IF THE BOMBING WOULD HAVE GONE ON 1 MORE DAY THEY WOULD HAVE SURRENDERED !!!
    SO HOW IN THE HELL DID WE LOSE WHEN WE WERE STOPPED FROM GOING ON TO HANOI???????
    YOU AND THE COWARDS LIKE YOU IN WASHINGTON D. C. gave away the lives of millions of south vietnamese and the brave montenards that we promised to protect and defend!!!
    SGT MIKE LINDLEY, 101ST ABN DIV
    LEADER 10 MAN SEARCH AND DESTROY TEAM!!!!

    • db

      Political ends to wars has never worked. The last war we actually won was WWII and all the rest have been dictated to by the political elect in Washington DC. Almost to a T we have lost every one of them because Washington DC didn’t want to win, they wanted a political settlement. In the meantime our innocent youth was drafted, trained, sent over seas to do a job and got killed or injured because they could not do the job they were trained to do. Next time, lets put the political elect in the front lines and see how they cower.
      DB RA17897089 12/66-12/68

  6. Moe

    Journalist Larry Horist writes numerous excellent articles using common sense to deliver his message. Trump will always put our well being first, unlike the evil Democrats who appease the Iranians with money and allowing them to run wild. As Trump said the bogus Obama nuclear deal gave then ten years till they openly could build the bomb they never stopped building, but were given 150 billion in cash to continue to carry out Global acts of terrorism by their pal sneaky Obama. As the Iranians threaten to kill even more of our people the scum bags that control the House are working on reducing Trump’s power of protecting us and our loved ones From death by Obama’s good friends. Only a democrat would be a critic of Soleimani mass murder being killed, few could be that ignorant or blind. They would risk the lives of our loved to destroy Trump and aid our enemies, we are fed left wing propaganda 24/7 by democrat party supporting news and entertainment, morons twisting reality.