Steaming Pile of Ideology and Spin

There was a time when the United States was the responsible adult on the global playground. We counseled nations; we policed disputes; we provided comfort and care to those in need; we protected the weak from bullies. As a last resort we sometimes had to punish troublemakers. But we are no longer acting as a responsible adult. Instead we are acting like a wild-eyed ideological evangelist out to remake the world in our own image. Whoever does not fit that image is at risk of our wrath.

So here we have Iran, an unrepentant troublemaker, exacerbating the chaos we unleashed in Iraq and pursuing dreams of wiping out its enemies with nuclear weapons. Clearly something needs to be done.

The old United States would have had the clout and credibility to step up and deal with this diplomatically. The new United States does not and, even worse, apparently does not care to. The old United States would use the force of war only when the threat was immediate, severe, actual and indisputable. The new United States will use the force of war based on a spin campaign, and the spin has begun.

The best thing that we can do about Iran is to dig deep into the steaming pile of ideology and spin and find the old United States.