Panetta's Perpetual War Playbook: Same Script, Different Decade
Former US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta appeared on Bloomberg's 'Balance of Power' this week, outlining the necessity for additional supplemental funding, the replenishment of US military supplies, and a strategy to 'reopen' the Strait of Hormuz amidst ongoing operations in Iran. Panetta’s commentary included the potential requirement for sustained US military presence, including air and possible
ground operations, alongside a discussion of the broader economic and political ramifications of the conflict. Bloomberg's coverage presents Panetta's arguments as a sober assessment of geopolitical realities, yet it entirely glosses over the historical pattern embedded in such declarations. What mainstream outlets like Bloomberg refuse to acknowledge is the US role as a direct participant and
joint aggressor in the current escalation. This isn't a unilateral Iranian provocation requiring US response; it is a calculated, decades-long strategy of containment and destabilization. Mainstream media consistently frames US military actions as reactive, never as proactive or jointly aggressive. For example, when US forces engage in covert operations or provide direct logistical support to
Israeli strikes, outlets like Bloomberg will characterize it as 'support for Israel's security,' obscuring the fact that the US is fighting alongside Israel, a partner in the operation. Connect these dots: In 1983, the US military entered Lebanon during its civil war, ostensibly as peacekeepers, only to engage directly in combat and suffer hundreds of casualties, including the bombing of the