Cry Havoc
Who will be bit by the dogs of war?
All pity choked with custom of fell deeds:
And Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.
- The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, III, i
We know the quote well, cry havoc, etc., especially if you saw Star Trek VI in the theater like I did. But these are the days which make us pause and demand more context. The line is spoken by Marc Antony as he views the dead body of Julius Caesar.
The end of the Roman Republic could still be avoided. The dictator was dead, murdered by members of the Senate, including Brutus whose ancestor was instrumental in ending the previous monarchy.
But those words of Antony told the audience that peace was not in Rome's future. “Ate hot from hell…” Ate was the daughter of Eris, the goddess of discord, and a companion of Mars. She was the cloud in men's minds that led to calamity. In The Illiad, Agamemnon blamed her for clouding his judgment when he took from Achilles his share of the spoils of war, undermining the Achaean war effort.
What folly, what has clouded men’s minds to drive us to war this time? We don’t know. The explanations change from day to day, even from the same persons, such as when Secretary of State Marco Rubio said we had to strike because Israel was going to attack and we did not want to endure Iran’s probable response. That story was ridiculous, of course, given that the United States sent two aircraft carrier groups to the area to strike Iran. How many months did we fear Iran’s retaliation for Israel’s planned strike that we could not have dissuaded are ally from starting a war?
The next day Rubio denied blaming Israel, saying we would have struck Iran anyway. President Trump himself finally said that he launched the war on a gut feeling. One undercooked Big Mac and we might be at war with Cuba, too. Sen. Lindsay Graham already has the hat.
Not since Woodrow Wilson’s supporters used the slogan, “He kept us out of war,” has the promise of a peace president been so hollow.
While Trump is calling the war against Iran a “war,” Republican members of Congress have been twisting themselves in ways envied by the “Rubber Boy of India” to avoid describing a war as a war. Of course, the members of Congress have an advantage since they are invertebrates.
The desire to serve the president more than the Constitution has overcome any qualms the members of Congress have about ceding their authority to declare war to the executive branch. Instead, we’re left with the spectacle of Republicans claiming the War Powers Act somehow acts as a permission slip for the president to go to war without asking permission from Congress first. This is one of the many ironies of the Bizarro World of Trump, because past presidents since President Richard Nixon have tried to claim the War Powers Act, written by the late Rep. Clement Zablocki (D-WI) in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, was an unconstitutional restraint upon the executive branch.
When that effort failed because the law requires the executive branch to identify an imminent threat, Republicans in Congress went full Orwell.
“There’s a misconception that ‘Operation Epic Fury’ is in any way a diversion from Republican demands for peace. It’s the opposite,” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said. War is peace.
As the New York Times reported on Thursday,
When President Trump gave reporters a brief update this week on the accelerating bombing campaign against Iran, he said, “We’re doing very well on the war front.”
That complicated matters for Republicans on Capitol Hill, who have spent the days since the U.S.-Israeli attacks began engaging in semantic gymnastics to describe the widening conflict as a “major combat operation,” a “mission,” “hostilities” or really just anything other than “war.”
“They declared war on us,” Speaker Mike Johnson said of Iran as he repeated the administration’s justification for the offensive. Still, he quickly added, there was, in fact, no war.
“We’re not at war right now,” he said on Wednesday. “We’re four days into a very specific, clear mission — an operation.”
Maybe they should describe it as a pre-emptive kinetic kill defensive operation phenomenon targeting and pacifying Iran’s offensive capabilities and infrastructure.
George Orwell warned about governments abusing the English language in his essay, “Politics and the English Language.”
In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible. Things like the continuance of British rule in India, the Russian purges and deportations, the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan, can indeed be defended, but only by arguments which are too brutal for most people to face, and which do not square with the professed aims of political parties. Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness. Defenceless villages are bombarded from the air, the inhabitants driven out into the countryside, the cattle machine-gunned, the huts set on fire with incendiary bullets: this is called pacification. Millions of peasants are robbed of their farms and sent trudging along the roads with no more than they can carry: this is called transfer of population or rectification of frontiers. People are imprisoned for years without trial, or shot in the back of the neck or sent to die of scurvy in Arctic lumber camps: this is called elimination of unreliable elements. Such phraseology is needed if one wants to name things without calling up mental pictures of them.
Who wants to imagine real war, when the Defense Department under Pete Hegseth is releasing images that make the attack on Iran look like a video game? Or Trump himself denies that we (yes, we, this war is being fought in our name) are responsible for the bomb attack on a girl’s school in Iran?
But the “Secretary of War” Hegseth, following Trump’s lead, says it’s a war, and we’re not going to be nice about it. “No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win,” Hegseth said.
So, we’re left Congressman Randy Fine, a Florida man, to explain why a war isn’t a war. “The way you are officially at war is Congress declares war, and we haven’t declared war.”
No, we haven’t. There was a time when Americans remember December 7 as, “a day that will live in infamy,” because the Japanese attacked our naval base at Pearl Harbor before their ambassador could deliver a declaration of war. The Japanese government intended to deliver the declaration 30 minutes before the attack, but the embassy took too long to decode the message.
The next day, the United States declared war upon Japan even though it was clear we were already at war.
Today, we’re taking too long to decode the Trump Administration’s intentions. The president recently declared we’re seeking Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” but few expect the president even knows what that means.
The question of whether we’ll send troops to invade Iran on the ground remains an open question, as does our war aims. If we were hoping Iran’s government would change, a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been named and the government sounds as defiant as before.
Meanwhile, the war has broadened to include the entire region. Neighboring countries which harbor our forces in the region are being struck by Iranian missiles. Israel has expanded the war by striking at Hezbollah in Lebanon. We even have the strange case of a United States submarine attacking an Iranian ship after it attended a peaceful exercise in India.
India is now buying Russian oil because it can’t get oil from the Persian Gulf, which means Russia now has more money for its war against Ukraine. The United States’ response is to consider relaxing sanctions on Russia even further, despite Russia’s tactical aid to Iran. Trump, for some reason, is unconcerned about Russia’s role.
We also have reports that the Kurds in the region may intervene in the war to gain their independence. This will mean Turkey and Iraq will be drawn deeper into the conflict, too. And the Kurds are only one of the many ethnic groups that could tear Iran apart if the central government somehow collapses, likely leading to a terrible civil war.
Maybe none of this could have been avoided. Maybe the Trump Administration was right to send two aircraft carrier groups to the region and then arrack Iran. But many of these questions could have - and should have - been debated if the Trump Administration made its case to Congress ahead of time. Instead, Trump has led us into war without Congressional assent, and our republic is weaker for it.
Just like Shakespeare’s audience listening to Antony, we can see the end of the Republic. Cry havoc, Antony said, and so do so many Trump supporters. We must pray the dogs of war, free from their bonds, do not turn to attack their one-time masters, the American people and the Constitution.
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Speaking of the fog of war, former governor of South Dakota Kristi Noem was fired as the Secretary for Homeland Security. “The wheels of justice ground slowly for Cricket,” our friend Charlie Sykes wrote. “But somewhere, my friends, a puppy is smiling.”
Her nominated successor, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), I fear may be worse. Untill his nomination, Mullin, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) were in a three-way competition for the title of dumbest U.S. Senator.
Mullin has no education for the position. He has never led a government agency. He doesn’t have a law enforcement background. He never served in the military. He doesn’t even have a college degree. His sole qualification is that he was a mixed martial arts fighter at one point in his life.
When his lack of qualifications is mentioned, defenders point to Mullin building up a multi-million plumbing supply business.
Forrest Gump’s friend Bubba knew everything there was to know about eating shrimp. That doesn’t mean Bubba was qualified to advise the president on matters of national security.
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Tom Nichols recently wrote in The Atlantic about the problem of mission creep, or what he describes as “victory disease.” It’s what happens when operational successes lead to an expansion of war aims, or even become the ends themselves:
Strategy is about matching the instruments of national power—and especially military force—to the goals of national policy. The president and his team, however, have not enunciated an overarching goal for this war—or, more accurately, they have presented multiple goals and chosen among them almost randomly, depending on the day or the hour. This means that highly effective military operations are taking place in a strategic vacuum.
Worse, Donald Trump is now pointing to these missions as if the excellence with which they have been conducted somehow constitutes a strategy in itself. He appears so enthralled by the execution of these missions that he has enlarged the goals of this war to include the complete destruction of the Iranian regime, after which he will “Make Iran Great Again.”
This kind of thinking is an old problem, and it has a name: “victory disease,” meaning that victory in battle encourages leaders to seek out more battles, and then to believe that winning those battles means that they are winning the larger war or achieving some grand strategic aim—right up until the moment they realize that they have overreached and find themselves facing a military disaster or even total defeat. It is a condition that has afflicted many kinds of regimes over the course of history, one so common that my colleagues and I lectured military officers about it when I was a professor at the Naval War College. The issue is especially important for Americans, because when national leaders have exceptionally capable military forces at their disposal—as the United States does—they are even more likely to be seized by victory disease.
My favorite example from American history is the victory of our armed forces at Inchon in the Korean War. American and South Korean forces were pushed back to the Pusan Perimeter. To put the North Koreans back on the defensive, Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordered an invasion of the Korean peninsula at Inchon, changing the war and causing North Korean forces to retreat north. The changed conditions meant that our goals were now changed, and a unified Korea was possible.
American forces pursued the North Korean Army to the border with China, ignoring warnings from China. China invaded, MacArthur argued for expanding the war further, and President Harry Truman reasserted civilian control over the military by firing MacArthur.
It’s likely that the war on Iran is achieving operational success. But, given the strategic vacuum, we could be headed towards disaster. Consider the possibility of an Iranian civil war destabilizing the entire region. Or consider that we continue to blow up Iran’s infrastructure, but the destruction of desalinization plants and other infrastructure leads to a humanitarian tragedy.
I already mentioned the strange attack by an American submarine on an Iranian warship in international waters near Sri Lanka. Setting aside that the issues arising from a lack of a declaration of war, such an attack with no attempt to rescue the Iranian survivors may have done more harm to our strategic interests than good.
The attack may have been legal. But with our advanced technology, we probably could have pursued the ship into an area where a rescue of the Iranian crewmen could have been more likely and to a place less embarrassing to our ally in the region, India.
Commenting on the attack, former chief of the Indian Navy Admiral Arun Prakash said, “Even strategic autonomy needs to have some moral moorings and anchor.”
Given Hegseth’s declaration that this war will not have “stupid rules of engagement,” we have abandoned our moral moorings, and with them our moral reputation while making our relations with India even more complicated.
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“They don't sell hot dogs here. They took the bleachers out two years ago.”
- Tony Soprano, The Sopranos “Boca”
This weekend Trump went to Dover to see the bodies of six servicemen who were killed in the war with Iran. Other presidents have made this trip, and presidents will make similar trips in the future. Perhaps the next time Trump makes the trip, Melania will tell him to leave his baseball cap at home.
Secretary of Defense (“War”) Pete Hegseth made headlines when he recently criticized Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts) for being too politically correct. I promise you that even a Cub Scout knows when it’s acceptable to wear a baseball cap - and if they didn’t, their scout leaders would correct them.
More than a few people commenting online compared it to the scene in The Sopranos when mob boss Tony Soprano told a guy in a restaurant to take off his baseball cap. “They don’t sell hot dogs here,” Soprano told him. “They took the bleachers out two years ago.” The baseball cap offender reluctantly complied, and Soprano was thanked by the waiter.
Considering the Mafia-style ethics of the current White House, you would think even Trump would know when to remove his baseball cap to show respect. Then again, those who die in the service of our country are “suckers” and “losers,” according to Trump.
Now here’s an interesting test of partisanship. If someone defends Trump by pointing out President Joe Biden looked at his watch during a similar ceremony, you know they have the real Trump derangement syndrome. Seriously, that’s MAGA’s defense of Trump?
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All of that said, let us pray for the safe return of military personnel deployed to fight this war with Iran. All of us.
No, this is not the war we chose. But we should pray for a successful outcome and the safe return of our military, not criticize those who are serving just for agreeing to defend our country.
Don’t be like travel online influencer “Nomadically Ryan.” A woman posted a picture of her husband who is serving in the Iran war on social media and “Nomadically Ryan” commented on the photo by telling her he wishes her husband doesn’t make it home.
“Praying he doesn’t make it home,” Ryan posted. “You are on the wrong side of history. He won’t be remembered as a hero.”
I suspect her husband doesn’t have 1.4 million followers on social media like Ryan has. But I know more of us are grateful for the men and women who serve in our armed forces than we are for social media influencers like “Nomadically Ryan.”
Many MAGA online commenters and even talk radio hosts are going to be scouring the internet for proof that Trump critics are against the troops. Some will even just make crap up, like Benjamin Yount at WISN radio in Milwaukee who accused Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) of “voting against our troops.” Yount just got the morning host job and already he’s making me defend Baldwin, and I don’t even like Baldwin.
So, before you say something stupid, stop. Honor the men and women of our armed forces for their service, pray for their safe return, and don’t feed the trolls.
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Finally, and how sad is this that this isn’t the headline, but more Epstein files came out while our attention was focused on the war. The files implicate Trump in an incident with a girl 13-15 years old when allegedly exposed himself to her and then attempted to push her head down to his penis. She allegedly escaped the sexual assault by biting Trump, which led to him physically assaulting her.
We don’t know if the story is true, but the Justice Department attempted to hide these documents until they were uncovered by Substack journalist Roger Sollenberger, and then reported on by NPR. According to NPR, the FBI interviewed the alleged victim four times and classified her as “a non-testifying witness.”
According to Sollenberger,
The records don’t show what became of the DOJ’s investigation into the allegations, but the documents indicate the government found her to be a credible accuser. Records elsewhere in the files reveal that a woman with matching biographical details sued Epstein’s estate and won a settlement in 2021.
The allegations and FBI interview are landmark revelations, undermining the White House’s protestations that Trump hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing and showing instead that the U.S. government has been aware of a credible Trump accuser in the Epstein files.
Now if I were a conspiracy theorist, I’d note that NPR’s report came out February 24. The war with Iran began February 28. The missing files were published online March 5. But I refuse to believe that a president of the United States would launch a war just to bury an allegation of sexual assault of a minor that he had to have known about and was just coincidentally missing from the files that were previously released by the Justice Department that is currently displaying a giant banner featuring the president. After all, Trump and his administration have given us so many other reasons for the war, right?
A personal note
Yes, I’m back. Missing one week in February turned into a month. But I’m doing better mentally and physically. My leg actually allows me to concentrate for long periods of time for the first time in months. I can actually read a book and remember the last page I read.
The last couple of weeks, I’ve been taking the training wheels off the writing bicycle again. I have a digital storehouse of half-written commentaries, some of which may even be salvageable.
I have some local affairs to comment upon, and also some travel writing to finish. Future newsletters will be shorter. (Substack is flashing a warning this newsletter is going too long.) But, with the completion of this one, I can really feel the breakthrough.
Thank you for your kind words and patience in recent months.
James Wigderson is a writer living in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He is the former editor/owner of RightWisconsin and a former columnist for The Waukesha Freeman. Once described as “the spokesman for the state’s far right,” by the Capital Times, Wigderson is now a critic of the new Republican Party under President Donald Trump.
"The attack may have been legal."
Uh, no, it wasn't. On several fronts, not least of which that ship was UNARMED. It was part of a military parade, which the US knew ahead of time. This was a war crime, compounded by further war crimes of not rescuing the survivors.