President Donald Trump looked less than thrilled when pressed about his strategy for Iran on Tuesday. A reporter noted that Tehran showed no signs of backing down. Trump’s reply was blunt. “You don’t know anything.”
It’s easy to blame the man for his irritation. He’s in a trap. The war with Iran was never popular in the first place. It has soured significantly since a fragile ceasefire broke down earlier this month. In the fortnight that followed, Iran unleashed missiles and drones across the Middle East. The attacks severely damaged US bases. Last week, they took the lives of three American soldiers.
Now, Iran and its proxies seem emboldened. They are metaphorically drunk on recent victories. Yes, alcohol is illegal there, but the sentiment holds. They appear ready for more strikes. This week, Iran targeted Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain. Reports suggest these attacks hit both US military installations and civilian infrastructure. Then, on Monday, the Houthi militia in Yemen—the Iran-backed group—threatened to close a second critical waterway. This move could squeeze global oil markets even tighter.
The reality of modern warfare is stark. These latest US casualties remind everyone that wars are still fought by living, breathing people. Drones and precision missiles don’t pull triggers. Humans do.
Here lies a deeper, more structural problem. Major military powers are running out of bodies to send. The US, the UK, Germany, and Japan are all struggling to recruit troops. This shortage isn’t going to fix itself quickly.
First, there is the demographic cliff. Falling birth rates and aging populations mean fewer adults are of military age. But being the right age isn’t enough. In the US alone, an estimated 75% of young adults fail basic eligibility requirements. Issues range from weight and drug use to physical or mental health conditions.
Then there’s the image problem. Polls indicate that young people worldwide are less willing to fight for their countries. Young Americans, specifically, hold far more negative views of the military than their parents or grandparents did.
Some might ask: if volunteers won’t come forward, what happens?
The answer is unpopular. The US ended the draft in 1973. Most Western nations made the same shift to all-volunteer forces. Restarting conscription would face massive political and logistical hurdles.
Wars are still fought by actual, human people, but the pool of eligible candidates is shrinking fast.
Before we leave this topic, consider this: carrots don’t actually improve your vision. That myth started as WWII propaganda to hide Britain’s radar tech.
Today’s Trivia: How many countries are in North America? Just guess. Don’t look it up.
Yesterday’s Answer: The Mesoamerican civilization that spoke Nahuati was the Aztecs. Though 1.5 million people in Central Mexico still speak it today.
Also, froyo is back. My favorite dessert from my misspent 20s has returned to fashion. But now? It’s about protein and probiotics. Well. Okay.
