The Vietnam War “officially” ended on April 30, 1975. (Spoiler Alert: It didn’t go well for our side.) Just 16 years later, the stunning success of the Persian Gulf War excised the ghosts of Vietnam — that lingering feeling that the U.S. military was an agent of evil, whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and American resolve was somehow incompatible with peace and prosperity.
The Gulf War was incredibly popular; in the immediate aftermath, President George H. W. Bush’s approval rating hit an astronomical 90%. But beforehand, it wasn’t an easy sell. President Bush had to repeatedly remind audiences that “this will not be another Vietnam.”
That’s because the ghosts of Vietnam still loomed large. Same way the ghosts of Iraq did.
When President Obama first took office, he quickly ended American involvement in Iraq, announcing in February of 2009 that the U.S. would be withdrawing all its forces (triggering a power vacuum, alas, that directly led to ISIS). Back then, the “lessons” of Iraq eerily paralleled the lessons of Vietnam: The U.S. military makes everything worse, American resolve was de facto problematic, and Murphy’s Law (Anything that can go wrong will go wrong) writ large.
And then, 16 years later, President Trump excised the ghosts of Iraq with a targeted, limited — and (apparently) enormously successful — bombing campaign against the anti-American, nuke-hungry Islamist fanatics in Iran.
The “Death to America” mullahs were humiliated.
Should the ceasefire hold, this will go down in history as one of the smartest, shrewdest deployments of U.S. power in world history: The #1 exporter of terrorism just had its nuclear program (which cost ‘em $500 BILLION!) confiscated, most of its missile launchers destroyed, its national air defense dismantled, and its top generals and/or scientists assassinated. A regime that sought to cement itself as an unstoppable regional power and the Strong Arm of Global Jihad will now be scrambling just to survive. It’s a brand-new day in the Middle East.
And not a single American was killed!
The Democrats claimed that illegal immigration couldn’t be stopped. “The border is too gosh-durn big!” they said. Within his first 100 days in office, President Trump stopped it cold. Next, the Democrats insisted that a nuclear-armed Iran was something we’d all have to live with. After all, what was the alternative — another “Forever War” like the disaster in Iraq?
Unfortunately, on that last point, the Democrats weren’t alone. Prominent voices from MAGA-friendly corners, i.e., Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, joined the liberals in opposing ANY American involvement in Iran. No sirree!
It wasn’t a respectful, thoughtful opposition either. Never forget:
They promised an Iranian attack would lead to World War III. They swore thousands of Americans would die. They blasted everyone who disagreed with them as a “warmonger.”
They were shrill, absolutist, and over-the-top. Tucker Carlson’s “interview” with Ted Cruz wasn’t an example of two patriots discussing complex geopolitical issues. Instead, it was a vapid, one-note, Michael Moore-inspired anti-war propaganda: Our leaders are all lying to us! Don’t believe anything they say! American involvement will lead to the death of the American empire!
They went from “America First” to “America Sucks.”
It was one of the nastiest, most mean-spirited political attacks in recent history: Jewish Republicans who backed President Trump were (obviously) only loyal to Israel. Christian Republicans who backed President Trump (obviously) didn’t really know the Bible. And this clip speaks for itself:
Why are so many neocons closeted gay Republicans? pic.twitter.com/WBYO6vHClr
— Tucker Carlson Network (@TCNetwork) May 2, 2025
It’s more disappointing than infuriating. Tucker Carlson is certainly smart enough to critique a topic on its merits, yet opted instead to engage in GOP character assassination(s). As The Independent noted, “Tucker Carlson is doing a better job than Democrats of countering Trump on Iran: ‘We’re in such a bizarro world.’”
That’s super for the Dems, but not so terrific for MAGA.
We deserved better than “If you disagree with me, you’re (obviously) secretly gay.” That’s the kind of low-level crap you’d expect from a middle-schooler. (Or, perhaps, a middle-aged man who’s wildly insecure about his masculinity.)
Related: Explaining ‘America First’ to Dolts, Dummies, and Democrats. (And, Sadly, to Tucker Carlson.)
No matter. War is the ultimate reality-based enterprise: All the PR spin in the world won’t change the reality of an American victory — and what it means for the future. A weakened, neutered Iran dramatically alters the calculations of international geopolitics. Today, the world is safer than it’s been in a very long time.
And 9 out of 10 MAGA voters supported Trump’s strikes on Iran.
Iran is NOT another Iraq. It never was. Those who swore it was were wrong.
Finally, at long last, the ghosts of Iraq are dead. America is winning again: Get used to it.
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