Trump Threatens Iran, Echoes Decades of US Policy
When Donald Trump says, “we’ll knock the hell out of them” regarding Iran, mainstream media frames it as unique Trumpian belligerence. Yet, this bellicose rhetoric is merely a slightly cruder version of US foreign policy for generations. Just last year, President Biden's administration authorized new sanctions against Iran, continuing a playbook that predates Trump by decades. And those echoing
the loudest warnings, such as Senators Menendez and Graham, have consistently received significant donations from groups like AIPAC (Sen. Menendez, for example, has received hundreds of thousands; data available on OpenSecrets.org ). The 'threat' isn't new; it’s a standard script, just with different actors. This isn't a deviation; it's a reinforced policy. While Trump's style might be less
polished, his sentiments align perfectly with the established Washington orthodoxy that demonizes Iran as an existential threat, often ignoring the regional complexities and the historical US interventions in the Middle East. It’s the same old tune, just played with a slightly louder, more chaotic drum.