When Power Forgets Its Limits
I know I should stay calm when writing on Medium, but I can’t hold this in anymore.
I am angry that so many innocent people have suffered in Iran, in Israel, and across the Middle East, and that there is almost nothing ordinary people can do about it.
I am angry that the world’s superpower has turned into something like a mafia boss that bullies almost every country, except Israel — raising tariffs, abducting one country’s president, invading another, and killing hundreds of innocent schoolgirls without apology.
I am angry that this mafia boss initiated Section 301 investigations against more than sixty countries, yet at the same time demanded that those very countries help safeguard the Strait of Hormuz — a war zone created by his own actions. When those countries declined, the mafia boss got angry and threatened to withdraw from NATO, which had been established by the United States decades ago.
I am angry that the wealthy countries of the Middle East were so afraid of this superpower that they offered their land to let the “big brother” set up military bases — only to discover that those bases did not protect them. Worse, those bases dragged them into unnecessary wars and endless destruction.
I am angry that this world has long been run by politicians who were used to handling things through rules and, at the very least, pretending to care about public opinion and polling. These leaders were never prepared to deal with a mafia boss on the political stage. They became disoriented, and to this day they still do not know how to respond.
I am angry that back in 2016, when Trump was running for president, people said, “We just need a carpenter; we are not selecting a saint.” It has now become painfully clear that a leader’s integrity and ethics are critical, because a presidency is not just about “fixing the economy.” It is also about shaping foreign policy and commanding military force. A president with integrity and ethics does not launch military action carelessly or treat war like a game, and that matters.
The mistake has already been made. Reckless public votes led to reckless electoral votes, elevated a reckless president, and now the entire world suffers.
I am angry that a legal system exists, yet that system has proved too slow and too weak to stop a president who does not respect the law. In fact, not only U.S. domestic law but also international law was never designed to restrain a reckless, self-centered president. That is why so many institutional remedies now seem useless and ineffective.
What angers me most is not only the illegitimate invasions and brutal violence, but also how much of the world still behaves as if ethics and integrity were optional. They are not. When law is slow to function, when institutions are too timid to respond, and when countries are too afraid to act, the character of a leader stops being a private matter. It becomes a matter of life and death for many.
Ethics is critical — but under the current political environment, I doubt that a person with integrity and ethics would even be electable. People often prefer sweet words and comforting illusions. During election campaigns, liars are often better at painting imaginary futures. Most of the time, liars win; in fact, the better the liar, the better the performance on the campaign trail.
And yet I am also struck by the perseverance the Iranian people have demonstrated. Their economy has barely grown under decades of international sanctions. They suffered devastating losses on the first day of the invasion, and still they continue to fight. They refuse to surrender to invaders despite threats, assassinations, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
This spirit — the refusal to bow to a bully — is the hope of humanity.
Salute to the Iranians!
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