Dear Bloomberg, Averting War Is Not a Reality TV Cliffhanger
To The Editorial Board at Bloomberg Politics, We noted with characteristic skepticism your recent interview with Mark Esper, former US Defense Secretary, wherein he mused about a 'deadline' set by Donald Trump for Iran to 'make a deal.' The piece, framed around whether 'strikes are likely to take place Tuesday night' and Iran's response determining if 'the conflict continues or ends,' reads less
like serious journalism and more like a teaser for a reality television show. The notion that a former Pentagon chief would discuss American foreign policy with Iran as if it were a high-stakes negotiation on 'The Apprentice' illustrates perfectly the detached, performative nature of corporate media's engagement with actual bloodshed. What Bloomberg conveniently omits in its breathless speculation
is the United States' long history of unilaterally imposing ultimatums and then acting as both judge and executioner. This isn't a new act. In 1988, for instance, the USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655, killing 290 civilians, including 66 children. Washington then decorated the Vincennes commander for 'exceptionally meritorious service.' This pattern, of course, stands in stark contrast
to the continuous drumbeat that Iran represents an existential threat, often without evidence directly presented to the public, despite the staggering cost asymmetry between Iranian and Western armaments. Furthermore, the framing that Iran's 'response' alone determines the conflict's continuation ignores the 45 years of crippling sanctions imposed on the Iranian populace. The notion of a 'deal'