When Is A 'War' Not A War?

Uh, right now, although the six dead American soldiers killed in Kuwait by an Iranian drone, and of course their families, undoubtedly would define their own situations as at least very “warlike.”

A few facts might help us conclude, one way or the other, the question posed in my headline above:

1. Ten countries in the Middle East are either sending or receiving damaging airstrikes. Ten.

2. The United States has hundreds of aircraft, dozens of surface vessels, submarines and tens of thousands of uniformed personnel directly involved in the attack on Iran.

3. At a minimum America is spending at least $2 billion a day in the conduct of this “conflict,” “engagement,” “exercise” or “war” now entering its second week.

4. The price of oil has gone up nearly $30 a barrel and the stock market has dropped 2% in our country and 10-15% in other major exchanges.

5. Ship channels are choked off, especially Hormuz, where normally 90 tankers a day transit it but now only two to five do so. Usually, 25% of the world’s daily oil consumption, or 25 million barrels, pass this chokepoint controlled by Iran.

6. We have hit over 3,000 targets in Iran while the Israelis have struck an additional 2,000. Sounds pretty warlike to me.

7. President Trump himself has demanded of Iran unconditional surrender. Usually, those words are uttered by the victor in a – let me think – what is the word I’m groping for … Perhaps it is ... war.

Winston Churchill often said, “Jaw jaw is better than war war.” That’s because he had spent time in the trenches during World War I and had seen first-hand the death and destruction that “conflict” to end all wars had wrought.

Most Americans, whether they have served in our military or not, know “war” when they see it. Too bad our leaders don’t, or maybe like one of the characters in the movie A Few Good Men was told by actor Jack Nicholson, they simply “Can’t handle the truth.”