The most uninformed and dangerous argument against American attacks on Iran
I have been a professor of rhetoric and communication for over 50 years, and when I see manifestly illogical justifications made against American policy; I like to counter them with some sensible takes.
Of all the arguments against U.S. military policy in Iran, the most ignorant one is that there was no imminent threat against America.
This consistent refrain by Democratic officeholders such as Sen. Mark Warner, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and endless others is as disheartening as it is foolish-and literally true, but practically false.
It depends what your definition of “imminent” is.
The claim, supported by virtually every Democratic national office holder save Sen. John Fetterman, is identical to the clashes in 1940 and earlier wherein a vast majority supported isolationism in the face of German and Japanese aggression.
With an expansive definition, it paves the road to isolationism.
The premier group fighting for isolationism was the America First Committee (AFC), sporting some names most Americans today would be shocked to hear, such as Gerald Ford; yes, \that\ Gerald Ford.
There are always bright leaders with terribly bad judgment who think that an openly aggressive and brutal enemy who shouts “Death to America” and kills many along the way, biding their time until nuclear-equipped, can be waited out.
That is what so many thought with the Axis Powers. But that their naiveté should be repeated by an equally foolish Democratic Party today, is just reprehensible and hard to fathom.
No. Iranian open aggression wasn’t imminent if the definition of imminence is 2-6 months.
It is one thing to be unenlightened; it is another to take a position that historically is so catastrophically irresponsible.
Those who wanted the U.S. and Israel to wait until there was another October attack are ironically today’s America-firsters.
Richard E. Vatz https://wp.towson.edu/vatz/ is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of political rhetoric at Towson University and author of The Only Authentic of Persuasion: the Agenda-Spin Model (Bookwrights House, 2024) and over 200 other works, essays, lectures, and op-eds. He is the benefactor of the Richard E. Vatz Best Debater Award at Towson. The Van Bokkelen Auditorium at Towson University has been named after him.