The lesson America refuses to learn
A quarter-century of trial and error, from Afghanistan and Iraq to Iran, should have taught Washington a lesson about the limits of power. Opinion
Assessment
This opinion piece argues that the United States has failed to internalize the constraints of its own military and diplomatic power after decades of intervention in the Middle East. The author suggests that repeated setbacks in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran should have produced a strategic recalibration, but Washington keeps repeating the same mistakes. The reader should watch for whether the current administration signals any departure from this pattern, or if the cycle continues.