Col Douglas Macgregor on Netanyahu in DC

Americans, Mr. Netanyahu will visit Washington D.C. this week. He will no doubt elaborate in private on his strategy for wider war in the Middle East. His plans should be taken seriously by every American citizen. At this moment, the war in Gaza has already destroyed or disrupted millions of lives. Precise numbers are hard to confirm, but hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and increasingly Israelis have been internally displaced, wounded or killed. These aren't just numbers. They are shattered families and ruined lives. And yet, there are policy makers in Washington contemplating war with Iran. I ask you, if the human cost of the war in Gaza, a localized conflict, is this high, how much higher will the cost of a war with Iran be? For decades, we've lurched from one costly conflict to another. Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Ukraine. The price, tens of trillions and tens of thousands of American lives. But who pays this price? Not the policy makers or defense contractors who profit from these wars. It's the children of farmers, truckers, nurses and plumbers who fight, suffer and die. We confront the emergence of new alliances determined to stop American meddling in the affairs of other countries. These new alliances include Iran, Russia, China and a host of others who wait on the sidelines to join in the effort to stop Washington's reckless interventions. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov's recent warning that any conflict with Iran risks drawing in other major global powers must be taken seriously. Let me be clear. No state, especially a free democratic republic like ours, should ever threaten war unless it's fully prepared to follow through. At this point in our history, Washington knows, or should know, that our nation and armed forces are not ready for a war with major military powers six to seven thousand miles from the United States. We're close to $35 trillion in debt. This is almost 100% of our gross domestic product. We're paying $2.4 billion in interest every day. Everybody in Washington should have understood this a long time ago. A war with Iran would devastate our economy. Imagine the Straits of Hormuz, a narrow sea highway between Iran and Arab countries, closed. Every day, one-fifth of the world's oil travels through this passage. If war shuts it down, gas prices would skyrocket, affecting everything from your daily commute to the cost of groceries. We're already feeling the punch from hooty disruptions in the Red Sea. Now picture that problem multiplied many times over. A full-scale war with Iran wouldn't just be an inconvenience. It would trigger an economic crisis that would hit every American family hard, potentially leading to job losses, fortunes wiped out, and a deep recession. And let's not forget, at the outset of every conflict, those advocating for war are always convinced it will be short and decisive. History shows that they are nearly always wrong. We've seen this before in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Ukraine. Strategies fail, yet instead of reassessment, we double down on failure. The same think tanks, pundits, and contractors push for more conflict, more spending, more sacrifice from others. This isn't just a failure of strategy, it's a failure of accountability. We must remember that the first priority in national military strategy is the security and preservation of the nation itself. Any action that could put the survival of our state at risk must be avoided at all costs. A war with Iran, with its potential to escalate into a global conflict, poses just such a risk. This is where you come in. Call your representatives, express your displeasure, remind them of the reality at home. Seventy percent of Americans still live paycheck to paycheck, struggling with high food and fuel prices. To our policymakers, before pledging support for military action against Iran or any other country, consider the welfare of your constituents. The single mother working two jobs, the veteran battling PTSD, the young couple postponing a family because they can't afford a home. Are you willing to tell them their suffering is worth another war? The self-defeating policy of open-ended military interventions with unattainable military objectives must end. Americans must break the cycle of unaccountable decision-making and recognize that America's true strength lies not in our ability to wage war, but in our capacity to build peace. A peace that benefits the United States and the world. Americans, your country needs you now, not to fight in foreign lands, but to fight here at home for prosperity and peace, for accountability, and for a government that puts your needs first. Call your representatives, speak out in your communities, let the halls of power echo with the voice of Americans who believe America's needs for peace and prosperity must come first. Thank you for listening. And may God bless you, these United States, with the wisdom and courage to secure a peaceful and prosperous future for everyone.