The Iran War The Pundits Back Away When the War Stalls
The Pundit’s Free Ride: How Media Cheers War Then Walks Away Now consider how the commentariat behaves in the same scenario. When the operation launches and early results look favorable, a predictable wave of endorsement follows. Hawkish pundits declare that American deterrence has been restored. Centrist voices argue the war is “going better than you think.” Even some erstwhile critics find reasons to praise the administration’s resolve. Then the conflict drags. Casualties mount. Objectives blur. The same voices begin to hedge, then reverse. The war, they now say, was misconceived from the start. The administration fell for regime-change fantasy. Questions are raised—belatedly—about purpose and exit strategy, questions that should have been asked before the first strike. This pattern is not hypothetical. In the lead-up to the Iraq War in 2003, major outlets such as The New York Times amplified claims about weapons of mass destruction that later proved false, while many prominent...