Will President Trump fall prey to the “Pottery Barn Doctrine”?
Articulated by Secretary of State Colin Powell in the run-up to the Iraq War, it holds that when you break something – in this case, a nation, rather than a vase – you own it.
As Trump plans for next steps in Iran, cold-eyed pragmatists – whether they favored or opposed this latest U.S. military action – should hope he ignores Powell’s high-minded yet wrong-headed formulation that inspired decades of failed and costly attempts at nation-building in the Middle East.
It might sound callous, but the United States has no obligation to the Iranian people. When the bombs stop falling, America will share none of the blame if repressive forces continue to rule in Tehran. The country was broken before our military action. It was that brokenness that necessitated the attack.
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