You might recall how, during Donald Trump’s first term in office, how his critics feared an administration run by the twin theories of “chaos and confusion.” I believe it was former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush who encapsulated the theories into a package.
Jebbie was right. Events of the past few weeks have forced the twin-pack of principles to the front of our attention. The war in Iran has been a textbook study in chaos and confusion. Trump launched the war in a fit of chaos. Now he appears ready to end it in a state of confusion.
Reports are out that Trump might be willing to stop the fighting without regaining control of the Hormuz Strait, through which about 20% of the world’s oil flows its way to the global economy.
I want to be clear. I want the fighting to stop. I don’t want to sacrifice the lives of young Americans in a war that has no expressed purpose, goal or exit strategy. However, Trump’s reported consideration of ending the war without a Hormuz agreement also is troubling. The cost of gasoline is a premier cause of inflation. It affects the cost of jet fuel, of fuel to power our trucks and rail locomotives, of the processing of food and virtually all the goods and services we consume.
I believe that Iran could declare victory if we stop the bombing with the strait still in Iranian hands. Does anyone really want that to happen? We are watching a demonstration in real time of what happens when you start a war without a long-term strategy to end it.
It’s what happens in a government run under the twin principles of chaos and confusion.
