To read the full text of the podcast and the links to the quoted materials, please see:
https://erm76.substack.com/p/trump-hegseth-and-the-gang-meet-thucydides
Trump is threatening, once again, to bomb Iran unless its leaders agree to his peace plans. Not the plan of the United States—but his. It's as though it's his personal battle without the appropriate consultation with Congress. But one has to show bravado in these situations, per the chicken-hawk manual.
And we should never have been here in the first place. Trump withdrew from an existing treaty with Iran that focused on forestalling the development of a nuclear device. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also called the Iran nuclear deal, drafted during President Obama's Administration, was designed to limit Iran's nuclear capabilities. It was a multinational agreement, and despite Trump's claims that there should have been more safeguards, such as the elimination of sunset dates for certain provisions and curtailing missile development, many experts thought it was a success.
Incompetence Magnified
The Trump Administration's incompetence is just striking. And if President Trump, Secretary Hegseth and others only read history, the US may never have started down this path but opted for negotiations to strengthen a reformulated nuclear deal. Some key points.
1. Develop a coalition force rather than one only fronted by the US and Israel.
2. The US was not prepared to contend with Iran's asymmetric warfare plans, such as its use of drones. The Trump Administrations should have read Seven Pillars of Wisdom by TE Lawrence.
3. Hegseth recently campaigned for a primary candidate opposing Representative Massie. Military leaders, including the Secretary of Defense, are supposed to abstain from political and partisan activities.
4. The Administration should have read about the Punic War and its implications. The same scenario plays out for reading Thucydides about the Peloponnesian War.
So, what lessons could Trump and Hegseth have learned by reading about ancient wars? While you may claim victory and that a war is almost, if not entirely, over, the country you're fighting might not agree.
Notes:
(1) “Hegseth enters the war between Donald Trump and Thomas Massie,'' by Paul McLeary and Lisa Kashinsky, Politico. May 05, 2026. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/18/pete-hegseth-war-donald-trump-thomas-massie-00926616
(2) “Trump says Iran war ‘will be over with soon' as progress reported in ongoing talks,” The Times of Israel. 22 May 2026. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/trump-says-iran-war-will-be-over-with-soon-as-progress-reported-in-ongoing-talks/
(3) Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Air Force Gen. Dan Caine Hold a Press Briefing, U.S. Department of War. March 13, 2026. https://www.war.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4434484/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-and-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs-air-force-gen-da/
(4) “Why Did the Romans Not Sue For Peace After the Battle of Cannae?,” by Robin Levin, April 26, 2022. https://thedeathofcarthage.com/1904/why-did-the-romans-not-sue-for-peace-after-the-battle-of-cannae/
(5) “Trump and His Advisers Clearly Haven't Actually Read Thucydides,” by Lydia Polgreen, The New York Times. May 18, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/opinion/trump-xi-iran-war.html