Making Daily Headlines · Page 3
Trump's Long-Term Case for War Leaves the Present on the Invoice
· New York time
President Trump told 60 Minutes that the war with Iran was a good decision in the long term despite its short-term impact. His assessment places the claimed benefits of the conflict in the future while acknowledging consequences in the present. That is a political argument as well as an assessment of events. Its strength depends on what happens next, including the course of the conflict and any eventual agreement. The costs and decisions already facing the country, meanwhile, are part of the debate now. A president can argue that time will vindicate a choice, but the promised return is not yet a settled result. The comparison matters to Americans asked to judge a conflict conducted in their name. Future benefits and current consequences do not arrive on the same schedule, and a favorable forecast cannot by itself describe either the duration of the war or its final outcome. The administration's claim invites scrutiny as those developments unfold. Political salesmanship is fond of the long view, particularly when the short view contains an uncomfortable bill. Voters need not reject a future argument to examine the present one. The receipt has two sides, and the side marked Later does not make the charges marked Now disappear.
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