The problem with war is that once it starts, no one knows where it will go or how it will end. Death, destruction, and economic hardship are the inevitable outcomes that bombs and tanks leave behind. The history of humanity is the history of war, and it is perhaps the greatest act of evil perpetrated by mankind: that the powerful few can command the slaughter of others who simply want to live in peace. I will make no predictions, but with this latest act of war, the world has changed, and there is no coming back from it.

I have been a vocal supporter of President Trump and the many good things he has done and attempted to do for the U.S. domestically. He has accomplished things that those before him refused to do, and I am able to acknowledge both the good and the bad. One of his great first-term accomplishments was being the first president of my lifetime who did not start a new war, despite the continued efforts of the U.S. war machine to draw him into one. That was one of the major reasons he was elected again after the disastrous Biden presidency, which helped ignite the Russia–Ukraine war in 2022 that has just “celebrated” its fourth anniversary, and is still ongoing. But this is not like cheering for your favourite sports team, where support and loyalty are unwavering regardless of how they perform. We cannot soften or make excuses for evil acts because it’s “our team” at bat.

On February 28th, 2026, all that changed, as Israel and the U.S. launched coordinated military attacks on Iran, even though Iran posed no threat to the U.S. Rabbinic Judaism (AD 70) and Islam (610 AD) are two of the greatest evils functioning in the world today. They are two sides of the same murderous coin, so I have no sympathies for the religious governments of Israel or Iran who view this as an existential and eschatological battle for survival. If you live by the sword, you will die by it. That Trump would allow himself to be drawn into this ancient tribal war by an alleged “ally” (Israel)—a nation that hates and opposes the very foundations of America—is inexcusable by any measure. For whatever good he can be credited with, this unprovoked and gruesome attack on Iran on behalf of Israel will forever tarnish his legacy.

U.S. soldiers are already coming back in body bags (over 200 reported so far at the time of writing, so the actual count is likely much greater). Will those parents be happy they lost their child in a desert war in the Middle East at the behest of foreign powers? Doubtful. But this is the story of America and its war machine. We will be told by paid-for talking heads that this—and the roughly 800 U.S. military bases around the world—are the price of “global peace.” Only the naive believe that. It is what is required to maintain global hegemony and the reserve currency that allows America to live and consume far beyond its means. War is profit, war is lifestyle—but only for those who never have to get their hands dirty or their heads blown off.

Let us not pretend we live in true democracies. That is an illusion. There are powerful forces at work reshaping the world to the detriment of many and the benefit of very few. I do not know how this will end, but it will not end well. War never does. Trump has damaged his legacy by sending his nation into a war that the majority did not want. That is not democracy or representative government. He allowed Israel to draw him into its fight and spill American blood to expand its influence in the region. It is a colossal betrayal of the people he was elected to serve. His posted “war update” tweets—bombastic and verifiably false in many details—will stand as a historical record of the hubris that will define his presidency.

If only we had leaders who saw themselves as servants of the people, whose sole aim was the flourishing of those under their care, and for whom war was only ever a last resort in defence of their nation. If we are to return to that, the West would have to undergo a transformation so severe it would resemble death and rebirth, a painful collapse and rebuild of our institutions, for the forces that have taken hold are too deeply embedded to be easily removed.

We have learned no lessons from WWI or WWII, or so it would seem. So the thought of embarking upon WWIII because “this needs to be done” reflects an arrogance that is difficult to comprehend, yet here we are. I do not know when or how it will end, but if the last few wars are any indication, it will end when those profiting from it are satisfied—or when the number of deaths becomes too great to ignore.