Being Ambivalent Toward War Is More Rational Than Celebrating It
Source: Eddie Scarry. "Thiessen Confused Why Everyone Isn’t ‘Celebrating’ A Deadly War." March 11, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that people shouldn't celebrate the Iran war like Marc Thiessen wants them to. Instead, it's smarter to be worried or uncertain about it because wars are unpredictable, costly, and our recent Middle East wars haven't worked out well.
Conclusion
It is not only acceptable but the most rational position to be ambivalent toward the Iran war, rather than celebrating it as Marc Thiessen suggests
Premises
- The Iran war is an existential crisis affecting multiple nations and regions, with the entire Gulf region in peril and global consequences
- People are dying, energy prices are soaring, and the Trump administration keeps changing objectives and definitions of victory
- America's recent Middle East interventions have been costly failures, as demonstrated by Afghanistan where we spent trillions of dollars and thousands of lives over two decades with nothing to show for it
- In this war, Israel is an equal or dominant partner with its own motives and ambitions that directly implicate the United States in everything it does
- The unpredictable nature of this partnership means we don't know how the war will end or what will happen before that ending
Assumptions
- Wars should not be celebrated without considering their costs and consequences
- Past military interventions in the Middle East are relevant predictors of current outcomes
- Rational citizens should question military adventures rather than blindly support them
- Israel's influence over U.S. foreign policy decisions is significant and potentially problematic