Trump is fighting a ‘Boomer war’ in Iran: a relic unpopular with anyone under 60
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The Bottom Line
Trump ordered military strikes against Iran alongside Israel, citing decades of Iranian conduct rather than an imminent threat, a policy critics call outdated.
How This Affects You
Military strikes and continued escalation increase risks of broader Middle East conflict, potentially raising defense spending, military casualties, and energy costs.
AI Summary
Trump has ordered military strikes against Iran alongside Israel, targeting the Iranian government in a move critics say reflects Cold War-era neoconservative ideology rather than contemporary geopolitical strategy. In announcing the strikes via video, the president justified the action by citing decades of Iranian government conduct since 1979, rather than claiming an imminent threat. The columnist argues this represents a "Boomer war"—unpopular with younger Americans and at odds with Trump's own previous messaging against regime-change operations in the Middle East. The strikes represent the kind of interventionist Middle East policy that has been broadly rejected by both Democratic and Republican leaders since the Iraq War, yet the Trump administration has pursued it anyway. The development exposes a tension between Trump's anti-interventionist campaign rhetoric and his administration's actual military decisions regarding Iran.
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