The Left’s Dilemma

Monday, March 2, 2026

If you are of an age, you remember Desert Storm and the daily, public briefings by the general in charge – Norman Schwarzkopf.  It was very easy to sit in front of the TV at the appointed time every afternoon/evening and know how things were going.  Yeah, well, this conflict ain’t that conflict.  We know things are happening, we get reports on isolated strikes, but we do not have a clue as to what the grand plan is or how we are progressing relative to it.  This has created both an opportunity and problem for the Left.

Let’s start by where we can find a good picture of what is going on.  Here it is – a daily update from The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), discovered courtesy John Ellis.  The news is good.  Most importantly, the volume of Iranian counter-strikes lowered significantly yesterday, and we have air supremacy over Tehran.

Now, as to the Left’s opportunity and problem.  Start with one simple fact – the Left is compelled to oppose this operation.  After all, Trump can do nothing good.  And yet, this operation is undeniably good – who can possibly argue with ending a mass-murderous regime?  (Well, Kamala Harris, but who can take that seriously?)  But oppose they must, the question is “How?”

The lack of something akin to the daily briefings of Desert Storm, creates an information void into which they can assert a narrative.  And they certainly have been trying.  Much is being made this morning of the IAEA reporting that nuclear weapons sites have not been hit as of yet. Well, DUH!  They were hit very hard just a few months ago.  If you read the ISW report it is plain to see missile sites are being prioritized – which makes perfect sense.  Whatever is left of Iran’s nuclear efforts can harm no one save themselves if it cannot be delivered.  A talking point without a point.

Of course much reporting yesterday on American lives lost.  Firstly, as the President pointed out – they died heroes.  And you know the whole “glass half empty /half full thing?  I have to say that that very small number of casualties in an operation this massive is in fact very good news indeed, the tragedy of those deaths notwithstanding.  Military conflict makes death of your own military inevitable – the effort is to minimize them.  So far, so good.  Any American with any perspective larger than “Orange man bad” will recognize that.  Again, A talking point without a point.

The biggest talking point yesterday; however, was “What comes after?” and the president’s apparent lack of concern regarding the question.  The president is, in this case, simply reflecting the American people.  This nation has shown a tremendous distaste for nation building.  Such an effort requires much time and sustained will.  Obama’s withdrawal from Iraq and Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan demonstrate that we lack such sustained will.  To start nation building and not finish it makes matters worse, not better – so why start it?

But that does not mean someone won’t do it.  Israel has already hijacked Iranian television.  That is a good start – and they have a much larger stake in what comes after the mullahs than we do.  I am conjecturing here, but I think it reasonable conjecture.

Oh, and of course the now age-old argument about Congressional authorization for this action.  Spare me, I’ve heard it around every military action in my life time.  It is always been argued and never resolved.  It’s a pi$$ing contest that should be simply ignored.

The Left indeed has an opportunity in this information environment to try and oppose, their problem is they do not have a leg to stand on.  The enemy is pure evil, the cause is truly and undeniably just.  The rest of it is details.  No one cares about the details in a situation like this, because the end is necessary and good.