Thursday, May 07, 2026
PMT: A very confusing war
I know, I know-- some people in the administration don't want to call it a war, but rather an "excursion" or "action" or "military misadventure." Well, maybe not the last one. And President Trump himself keeps calling it a "war," or (this week) a "mini-war" (which sounds like it should involve Playmobil characters).
Just in the last five days or so, the US government said it was going to escort ships safely through the Gulf of Hormuz, then a day later called that off. And now they seem to be claiming that the war is "over," which is a little unbelievable given that missiles are being fired and the US blockade of Iranian shipping continues (which is an act of war in itself).
Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that the war ended because we achieved all of our goals. Which seems a little hinky, given that Iran still retains its stockpile or radioactive materials, controls the Strait of Hormuz, has about half of its weapons stockpile left, and the same political forces control the country.
The failure to state anything clearly and consistently about this war-- our goals, a timeline, a rational assessment of progress-- undermines any rational reason to go to war in the first place.
Readers of the Razor know that my take on Donald Trump since 2015 has been the same: He is a creation of TV, and as with that medium his goal is to keep things "interesting" and all eyes on him. That means he shakes things up, provokes everyone, blows up norms and schools and relationships without apology, because that is what keeps people watching. His worst fear isn't just losing but a particular kind of losing: irrelevance.
That crazymaking isn't in the national interest. I think people are starting to realize that, even among his supporters.
