Shootin' it Straight - Owning the Top

We are now engaged in war with Iran. For those who keep tabs, this has been in the works for a long while. Iran has long declared itself, both in word and action, an enemy of the West. The suffocation from some as they choke on self-righteous hypocrisy is palpable.

One can debate whether we are ready for a full-scale war with a formidable peer. We can have a discussion on regime change and its merits, or lack thereof. But the outcry that Donald Trump is somehow leading us into uncharted waters is downright laughable. As a nation, we have been involved, directly and indirectly, in influencing other nations’ leadership for a very long time. For over the last 100 years, almost every president has taken drastic measures to steer the direction of foreign lands.

One uncomfortable truth that many on both sides of the aisle like to skirt is this: to remain the big dog, you may have to bite.

For centuries upon centuries, the world has been ruled by those who can swing the biggest stick. Land has always been acquired by those who can physically take it. Goods have been owned by those who can not only produce, but also instill enough fear in others to prevent interference. Peace exists among the major players largely because of the fear of retaliation. The world is not now, nor has it ever been, a cuddly, peace-loving place.

Nature is brutal, and we, as humanity atop the food chain, possess the same propensity. We would be kidding ourselves if the United States, as a whole, were not actively positioning itself as the undisputed heavyweight.

I am not condoning ruthless invasions of peaceable nations. I do not agree with nation-building with an unlimited taxpayer budget or never-ending wars with no clear end goal. That said, we should have near-zero tolerance for nations that seek to physically harm us. Iran has long been involved in acts that have resulted in harm to Americans.

America sits at the peak worldwide. When that position is held, there will always be many seeking to unseat the crown. If I could choose a perfect world for my children to grow old in, it would undoubtedly be one of peace. I would personally waste my three wishes from a genie on a Coca-Cola world where the population holds hands and sings. At no point in recorded history has that ever held true.

We can accept that we are the big dog on campus and behave accordingly, or we can hunker down, hoping the overachiever bully doesn’t call us out to make a point.

It’s time we own what comes with our position. We are the tip of the spear. Why does NATO crumble at the knees when the U.S. discusses leaving? Because we are three of the four letters worth of that organization.

No, we shouldn’t become bullies and trample those lesser than us simply because we can. But make no mistake, we will serve in our own best interest. If that best interest is redirecting the leadership of a ruthless enemy nation, then so be it. If it requires leveraging trade wars to our favor, so be it. If we appear picky about who we allow within our borders to exert influence, oh well.

Americans should choose America first and always. If nothing else, 2026 should go down on record as a notice to the rest of the globe: we are far better as friends than enemies.