Trump Did A Stupid Thing Because He Refused To Learn From History

Donald Trump started a war without clear goals and without an exit strategy. It was stupid, because the history of such U.S. actions was clear that it was a losing effort - one that could not be won.

The lesson should have been learned from Vietnam. That was also a war in which the United States was clearly the superior military force. The U.S. had the military advantage in training troop levels, and the machines of war. And that was clear in their winning nearly every battle of the war. But winning battles doesn't necessarily translate into winning a war - and the United States lost that war.

They lost because their military superiority did not actually give them the advantage. Vietnam actually had the long-term advantage. That was because for the U.S. to win they had to completely defeat the Viet Congress, the North Vietnamese army and subjugate the Vietnamese people (an almost impossible task). While Vietnam just had to survive and keep costing the U.S. in men and money. Eventually, the war became too expensive to continue with no end in sight.

The lesson was again taught by history in Afghanistan. The United States (and its allies) clearly had the superior force - and once again won all (or nearly all) of the battles fought in the war. But, like in Vietnam, having the superior force did not give the U.S. the advantage. The Taliban had the long-term advantage because all they had to do was survive and keep costing their opponent in men and money. Eventually, with no end in sight, the U.S had to withdraw and the Taliban won the war.

While Donald Trump is quick to try and rewrite history, he doesn't learn from it. The result is a third "forever" war that the United States cannot win. The Iranians did learn from this history. They knew that to win they just had to survive and keep costing the United States in men and money (and economic pain). This gives them the long-term advantage. And with the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranians have an advantage the Vietnamese and Afghans did not have.

The war continues, but I see no way for the United States to win it - no matter how long it goes on. It is likely though, like in the two previous examples, Iran will survive and emerge victorious.

That will happen because Trump did a very stupid thing in starting the war.