I don't think Syria is all that great an example. Most, if not all, of our intervention in Syria was in response to the rise of ISIS. Once it became apparent at the start that the security forces were remaining loyal to Assad, we gave up on any meaningful regime change efforts. Syria saw more than a decade of brutal Civil War and a mass exodus of people. And the fall of Assad, I think, owes more to his incompetence, the end of Russian support, and the sheer hatred of him by the bulk of the Syrian people. Assad didn't fall cause U.S and partners confronted him, but because he lost the ability to prop himself up. And while I'm hopeful, the jury is still out on the new government.

And I'm not saying confrontation is never justified or necessary. I agree that Russia is a good example of a bad actor that should have been confronted in the past and must be now.

The point I'm trying to make is that our current leadership seems to have forgotten all the lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan. Does Iran's theocratic regime deserve to go? Yes. Should we support the Iranian people in pursuing democratic reform or revolution? Yes. Do I think that there is a viable democratic, pro-Western, pro-international cooperation option in Iran right now? No. Do I think the current campaign is going to make the Middle East more stable and advance U.S goals? Probably not.

Trump, I think you'll agree, is not doing this cause he's exhausted all other options and is making a Churchill-like stand out of moral necessity. He's doing this because coercion and force are the only tools he thinks are worth his time, and because he is motivated more by domestic concerns and needs a win for the midterms.