The Lead
Why Be 'Too Clever by Half' When Genius Is Required?
by David Shavin (EIRNS) — Apr. 16, 2024
April 16, 2024 (EIRNS)—The West is filled with politicians, strategists et al., who are the definition of “too clever by half.”
Israel has announced that they simply have to strike a second time at Iran—and they assure Washington that won’t trigger a regional war. They simply can’t have Iran, or any of their neighbors, get the idea that when Israel conducts one of its special ops assassinations, the victimized country can strike back at Israel. As you read this, in Washington and Israel, clever fellows are working out how to send such clever messages.
Iran was faced with heightened internal problems if Israel was simply allowed to assassinate Iran’s military leaders in an embassy annex in Syria, and Iran’s leaders are shown to be incapable of getting the UN to hold Israel to account. So, they send a signal to Israel, making sure that Israel and its allies are aware as to when and how they’ll launch drones and missiles. They’ve also taken an action calculated to be below the threshold for a region-wide war.
As this kabuki theater plays out, countries get to grimace and snarl, as animals defending their tribe and their turf—and the old set of relationship rules are preserved or somewhat redefined. Life goes on.
But it doesn’t. Not in a world of nuclear weapons, with too many “leaders” reduced to grunting along the lines of a primate.
