March 22, 2026
Dear editor;
At this writing the U.S. is still at war with Iran, the legality, legitimacy, rationale, and strategic objectives of which are questionable and had never been discussed with the American people prior to its beginning. Though spectacular tactical results have been achieved by American and Israeli forces, Americas’ so-called “excursion” not only surprised Iran, but also our NATO allies and Americans at home.
Several reasons were given to justify the sudden attack; some were plausible, some less so, and some were absurd. Donald Trump stated he ordered the attack because “I had a feeling,” apparently ignoring warnings given by his military advisers of the potential adverse strategic consequences of doing so. There was no imminent danger, no national emergency; contrary to promises made to his loyal supporters of “no more wars,” he ordered the attack anyway! It is Trump’s war.
It is still unclear what final objectives are yet to be achieved before the U.S. ends its “excursion”; how many more lives will be lost? Americans have a right to know. Predictively, congressional Republicans are behaving like contented cows, accepting Trump’s words “the war will end when I feel it in my bones.”
Our NATO allies and some astute Trump supporters at home refuse to follow the herd. Aside from the lies to his supporters at home, Trump has repeatedly tariffed, denigrated, even threatened E.U. members, also Canada, and Greenland for not “cowtowing” to his increasingly deranged demands. Ever sensitive to the increasing price of gas due to Iran’s control of the Hormuz Strait, he has asked for NATO help to open the Strait while simultaneously claiming he doesn’t need nor even want their help, often in the same sentence; at the same meeting he told reporters he trusted Russian president Vladimir Putin more than Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenski our ally, and suggested removing sanctions on Russian oil; he did remove the sanctions on Iranian oil. He then threatened NATO with retribution for not responding immediately to his initial aid request—for his impromptu war. Trump’s actions are difficult to follow.
We are all affected by Trump’s derangement syndrome. It is largely responsible for Americas diminished prestige in the world. It continues to undermine democracy as well as the rule of law at home. There are, however, many Trump supporters who seem unaware of their affliction. They are unconcerned by his torrent of lies and rejoice as he out runs or evades justice. They continue to invent conspiracy theories or resurrect debunked ones while scapegoating the least powerful among us to forward their racist/fascist agendas, all under the MAGA banner.
Five-thousand (as of this writing) U.S. Marines have been sent to the battle zone awaiting deployment and Trump has just requested a $200 billion supplemental for his war. With apparently unlimited funding he starts wars for young Americans to fight and die for on his whim. Beholden to no one, as he says, but his own morality. He already speaks of “taking Cuba.”
Writer Tom Nichols suggests Trump has lost control of events in Iran and is probably seeking a way out. Should his supplemental funding be denied, he and his supporters could blame Congress for his strategic mess and take credit for saving an ungrateful world—Trump Derangement Syndrome at its best.
May our deployed military return home safely and quickly.
Dave Hoehne, Aurora