To read the full text of the podcast and the links to thequoted materials, please see: https://erm76.substack.com/p/part-2-trump-and-hegseth-a-question
The podcast is a two-part critical analysis and commentaryabout President Trump and Pete Hegseth’s role in the war with Iran. But a quick update before we begin.
The Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, has been fired. Thisaction and the other firings by Hegseth is beyond the norm and signals a wave of confusion at the Pentagon. This isn’t a good position to be in during a war.
The current ceasefire between the US and Iran is holding,and the US is maintaining its blockade and has, among other actions, turned a number of Iranian vessels back to port. Iran has retaliated against other ships but, evidently, as long as they aren’t US flagged ships, the US is ignoring these actions.
This is an odd ceasefire and blockade. A blockade is usuallyconsidered an act of war and firing on another nation’s vessels is also typically considered a violation.
In regard to the Israel and Lebanon, the ceasefire inLebanon is holding as well, despite violations.
And as stated in Part 1, it appears that the US engaged inthe conflict without appropriate consideration given to how Iran would respond to the US and Israeli attacks. This is particularly true in regard to Iran’s ability to close the Strait of Hormuz, which has international implications ranging from gas price increases to the possible shortage of fertilizer andother goods.
There are also leadership issues. These range from thePresident’s overt martial inclinations and the abandonment of an earlier Iran nuclear deal. While there were shortcomings, it was a path to continued negotiations rather than starting a war. One of the reasons given for the war was the enriched uranium Iran still possesses.
As for Hegseth, he had the temerity to lecture careerofficers who have deep operational and command experience. Hegseth’s decisions also lack a moral quality and clarity. Further, the armed forces and the country have lost command experience though some of his and the Trump Administration’s decisions. And all this during a war.
Finally, one can only hope that the war will end soon. Therehave been too many deaths. And while the events of the war will be part of the discussion, a critical analysis and commentary about the Trump Administration’s choices and actions will be at the forefront of our discussion. In some ways, these choices and actions transcend the war itself as they’re markers of theAdministration's ethos, or the lack thereof.