Trump’s Endgame

What is the actual intention of this operation? Of all Trump’s previous interventions? So far, in this case, it seems to be eradicating the IRGC’s capabilities but Iran will still have the ability to produce thousands of drones a month even if the bombing continues. Imagine the blitz spirit emerging amongst Iranians who support the Islamic regime and military members in that country, furthering their belief in God and their determination despite the incessant bombardment. What will be the result after weeks of these continued strikes on Iran?

It is not possible for Iranians who are against the regime to rise up when they are constantly fearing for their lives. Any defections would result in severe punishment. All that we see here is further proof of the absurdity of war, but imagine if Iran did have nuclear capabilities and missiles with an extended range. The US and Israel, and its allies, have worked out that the 12-day war did very little to dampen Iran’s ambition to be a member of the nuclear club as well as replenish its missile and drone stockpile.

There are very intelligent people either side of this conflict, and that is what makes this more frightening. Both sides are pinpointing weaknesses and trying to completely eradicate and immobilise the other. When Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, he believed all he had to do was kick down the front door and the whole structure would collapse. How wrong was he. The Soviets adapted, moved their manufacturing eastward and prepared defences around Moscow, Leningrad and Stalingrad. Germany’s initial gains were incredible, taking millions of Soviet troops prisoner who were trapped in large pockets they could not escape from or break out of. Essentially, what the Iranian military will do is what is develop a plan that will at least ensures their survival.

It took the Israeli Defence Force years to dismantle Hamas in Gaza, and that is what will happen here. The ardent defenders, prepared to give their lives for God and country, will hold on until the very end. And therein lies the problem, this war will not end in victory for either side until the opponent’s force is completely spent and surrendered. Iran will not surrender. However, the US’s and Israel’s technological prowess and dominance will continue to force Iran into submission. It took a relentless and devastating amount of firebombing, island hopping, and eventually two nuclear weapons being detonated to being about Japan’s surrender.

This is what I foresee here, a war that can only be concluded when an unimaginable toll has been taken on the Iranian people and its military. We are a long way from this moment. Then, what happens after? Which nation-state will be the next in line for being on the receiving end of US and Israeli firepower? There seems to be a common theme here: A particular region being targeted which coincidentally has predominantly followers of one particular religion.

I will let you draw your own conclusions about the endgame, knowing each side of this conflict have a high degree of religious motivation. The United States is predominantly Christian, and the religious undertones regarding this engagement have been all but explicitly made by Trump, Hegseth and several US military commanders. Israel and Iran’s population believe they are on the right side, in God’s eyes, with their respective religions. It is no secret which these are.

As well as the absurdity of war, we could perhaps start considering the absurdity of religion. It is such a shame that in the 21st century, that so many possess beliefs in the supernatural and also feel compelled to act on these beliefs to commit the most abhorrent atrocities.

It is natural to feel powerless during this conflict, dismayed by the violence and rhetoric from either side. The harsh reality of conflict is: It is brutal and difficult to stomach. Especially on this magnitude, where it feels we are all exposed to its impact. It is as though history has already been written, already determined, and we are merely spectators to spectacular events unfolding until it reaches… the endgame.

And, well, in times such as these, when everyone feels that everything is beyond their grasp… that the level of uncertainty and stupidity seems all too surreal yet impossible to help fix. That we are unable to restore calm and civility, rational debate…

This becomes a very dangerous moment. People do not like to feel powerless, and that their side is ‘losing’…

Some, have had enough of all the seemingly perpetual violence altogether. They just want it to stop.

And, perhaps, that is the endgame…

That both US and Israeli power, is being utilised by highly controlled and well-versed actors, for the sake of restoring long-term peace to humanity…

Fixing this mess, so to speak…

Because who wants to live in a world consumed by inter-state warfare, religious fundamentalism and irrational hatred and violence…

Perhaps the worst is yet to happen, but when it does, it will teach us once and for all…

That life is truly precious and wonderful…

Far too valuable to be thrown away for the sake of a country, or the possibility of there being a God, to be worked all through adulthood for money, accumulating stuff and power…

Perhaps, there has to be a sacrifice…

A cost…

To teach us what really matters… what we must hold dear…

That ‘The End’ is, truly, just that… the end of life… as depressing as it sounds…

Nothing more than that, nothing more to look forward to after… No God… no afterlife… no glory…

Who would want to experience nothing for the rest of eternity…?

When life is so… incredible… a journey of immense pleasure, memories and drama with loved ones and friends…

Well, nowadays, it feels like… we all just want to find a way to stop hearing about horrible conflicts like this one…

Perhaps, with the truth accepted, that nothing happens after the end, we will cherish our lives forevermore afterwards and do our utmost to sustain peace and prevent conflict…

Restore sanity to global politics, when everything seems all but…

Completely insane…

I do hope this is the endgame, given what is at stake here…

My newborn son for one…

He has many years of life ahead of him…

And I would rather it not be filled with terrible news and drama…

Of all the chaos and insanity, beyond our control…

I do not want him to feel powerless as well, as we all feel…

Only to frustrate him and cause him anger, to add to all the anger already present around the world…

Life is not a game…

It is everything…

With a beginning, and an end…

A glorious yet short blip in the history of time…

And with his just beginning…

It would certainly be nice to have a conclusion to this… game

Where everyone seems to lose…

And life seems so, so unfair…

A struggle right up until the end…

And when this madness is finally over…

There will be peace, to last as long as…

We want it to last…

An escape from this horror film…

Filled with death and destruction…

And imagine… if the cost was just, in the end, only one life…

One life that just wanted nothing more than to escape this never-ending tragedy…

One life that realised…

That things had gone so, so horribly wrong…

And he found a way to escape this madness…

And life had become so intolerable, others were even jealous that he managed to escape…

And all the stupidity was now laid bare…

And one life was all it cost…

For us to all truly be free

Because…in the end…

All we have is

One life

And once everyone realises

‘One is enough.’

As my Dad’s Mum used to say…

It will…

Put the cost of war clearly into perspective…

And…

One life

It could be worth the cost…

If it leads to a better life…

Of at least one other…

And what could possibly Trump that?

The End…

Of the game…

Humanity’s suffering and plight…

What I would give…

For this to be…

Trump’s Endgame