America Is Officially an Empire in Decline
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/03/opinion/iran-us-empire.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/03/opinion/iran-us-empire.html
A change has come over Trump
https://spectator.com/article/a-change-has-come-over-trump/
CHRISTOPHER CALDWELL:
Trump’s destructive side made him a trusted protest candidate for a disgruntled electorate, and a good ally for the break-all-the-rules types in Silicon Valley. He really is a wrecking ball. But that makes the present situation dangerous. No matter how much it destroys, the United States cannot win this war, because it has been unable to describe, or even establish, what its own interests are. Trump cannot negotiate his way out of the problem because he has exhausted the ability of others to cooperate with him. It has not been lost on the Europeans that he cannot keep his word to those he disagrees with. As for the Iranians, it is tough to pursue negotiations when your negotiating partners are trying to murder you from the air.
https://spectator.com/article/a-change-has-come-over-trump/
CHRISTOPHER CALDWELL:
Trump’s destructive side made him a trusted protest candidate for a disgruntled electorate, and a good ally for the break-all-the-rules types in Silicon Valley. He really is a wrecking ball. But that makes the present situation dangerous. No matter how much it destroys, the United States cannot win this war, because it has been unable to describe, or even establish, what its own interests are. Trump cannot negotiate his way out of the problem because he has exhausted the ability of others to cooperate with him. It has not been lost on the Europeans that he cannot keep his word to those he disagrees with. As for the Iranians, it is tough to pursue negotiations when your negotiating partners are trying to murder you from the air.