The ‘Fake News’ Is That We’ve Won in Iran

Key Points:

• During the Vietnam War, daily MAC-V press briefings known as the “Five O’Clock Follies” provided inflated kill counts and statistics that failed to reflect the true progress or prospects of the war, contributing to growing public disillusionment and anti-war sentiment.
• The article draws parallels between Vietnam and current U.S. conflicts, criticizing the Pentagon’s reliance on quantitative metrics and propaganda while lacking coherent strategy, particularly in the ongoing undeclared war with Iran.
• Despite extensive U.S. and Israeli military actions reportedly destroying much Iranian military equipment, key strategic challenges remain unresolved, including Iran’s nuclear program and the resilience of its proxies, leading to a stalemate in diplomatic talks.
• Political leadership in Washington is portrayed as ineffective and distracted, with partisan conflict overshadowing strategic decision-making, and military leaders unable to devise winning political strategies, leaving the U.S. mired in a costly and unresolved Middle East conflict.
• The economic repercussions of the conflict, including disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz and rising global oil prices, threaten broader economic instability, with the crisis likely to impact ordinary Americans through inflation and shortages before any resolution is reached.