Today we begin with a question that every American should be asking, a question that echoes through every ruined base, every broken alliance, every shattered promise: Why are we in war with Iran? And why, somehow, are we in conflict with half the world? How did a nation that once led through diplomacy, alliances, and economic strength become a nation defined by endless wars, sanctions, tariffs, and isolation? How did we go from building bridges to burning them? From leading coalitions to losing them? From being respected to being feared, and then resented? The Iran war did not begin with strategy. It began with arrogance. It began with the belief that America could reshape the Middle East with missiles, threats, and pressure. It began with the fantasy that Iran would collapse under sanctions, that its alliances would crumble, that its people would turn against their government. Instead, Iran grew stronger. Its networks expanded. Its influence deepened. And America found itself fighting a war it could not win, against a country that never attacked it. But Iran was only the beginning. Tariffs followed, sweeping, punishing tariffs that struck not enemies, but allies. Europe, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, China, nations that stood with us for decades, suddenly found themselves treated as adversaries. Their industries were hit. Their economies strained. Their trust shattered. They watched America weaponize trade, not against dictators, but against partners. And slowly, quietly, they began to walk away. Countries that once relied on American leadership began building their own alliances. Countries that once trusted American promises began preparing for American abandonment. Countries that once feared American power began doubting American competence. And then came the war, the war with Iran that spiraled into a regional collapse. Bases destroyed. Supply lines broken. Allies refusing to host American forces. Nations refusing to join American coalitions. The world watched the United States stumble into a conflict it did not understand, did not prepare for, and could not control. Why are we in war with Iran? Because we chose ideology over strategy. Why are we in conflict with the world? Because we chose tariffs over diplomacy. Because we chose pressure over partnership. Because we chose dominance over cooperation. And now, America stands more isolated than at any point in modern history, not because the world turned against us, but because we pushed the world away. This brings us to the conversation that every American must hear the one with John Mearsheimer, one of the most respected foreign policy scholars alive. In his discussion with Chris Hedges, Mearsheimer lays out the truth with brutal clarity: The Iran war is the biggest strategic blunder in U.S. history. He explains how the war destroyed American credibility, empowered Iran, fractured alliances, drained billions, and exposed the limits of American military power. He shows how the United States misread the region, misunderstood its enemies, and overestimated its own strength. He reveals how lobby networks, ideological pressure, and political delusion pushed America into a conflict that served no national interest. And he warns that great powers do not fall because they are defeated. Great powers fall because they make catastrophic decisions and refuse to admit they were wrong. Today, we stand inside the consequences of those decisions. Today, we live in the shadow of a war that never should have happened. Today, we confront the cost of arrogance, isolation, and empire. And now, with the stage set, with the truth laid bare, with the questions finally asked, we turn to the conversation that explains how America lost its way, and how it might still find a path back. If you have thoughts, I want to hear them. Email me at TWIPpodcasts@gmail.com and tell me how you see it. This is This Week in Palestine.
Truth and Justice Radio, WZBC 90.3 FM - Boston College
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