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(This commentary piece also appears in THE VETERAN, Spring 2026 (Volume 56, Number 1).)

Deadly Distractions, Costly Consequences

By VVAW National Office

[Printer-Friendly Version]

From the National Office

Well, not that we are surprised, but the Trump chaos machine keeps churning. The circus has so many rings right now, it's hard to keep up. By the time this paper lands in your hands, who knows what new atrocities will be there to greet us.

The gloves are off. The war machine is in full gear. The Military Industrial Complex (MIC) is rubbing its hands with glee. Our "peace president," in cahoots (or at the behest of) Netanyahu, began bombing Iran. Marines are now being mobilized. This is after kidnapping the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and killing alleged drug runners (fishermen) without proof. All this amid threatening Greenland, Mexico, and Cuba. "Peace president" our ass.

The admin can't agree on whether it's a war, a mission, regime change, an excursion, or self-defense. The obfuscation continues, while Republicans in Congress give him carte blanche by their utter inaction. The cowards.

We understand that every dollar spent on munitions is another dollar not spent on health care and schools. Expensive bombings continue, while the poor in this country continue to get poorer, and social services are gutted. The only ones benefiting are the 1% and the Military Industrial Complex.

While we can't predict what's next, we know what formula will be applied. The same one is used over and over again. Profits for the uber wealthy, death for civilians everywhere, and deprivation for the rest of us. Imperialist Gangsterism is now in full effect.

The Orwellian-named Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has decimated civil society/government. Thousands of career federal workers, those who kept the government running, have been summarily shit-canned for the sake of "efficiency." And in the DoD, the unit responsible for reducing civilian casualties went from 200 to fewer than 40 people. The US military has been purged of the majority of women and people of color in leadership. Unit cohesion has been degraded thanks to anti-DEI witch hunts.

Most who have pushed back on these insane plans have also been shown the door. Rookie "mistakes" are made, endangering US troops further, while indiscriminately killing Iranians. "Artificial Intelligence" is what apparently led to the bombing of the girls' school in Iran and the killing of over 150 girls. Three American fighter jets were downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire during an Iranian air assault, most likely due to a lack of protocol being followed. Experience matters, but incompetence seems to rule the day.

This war is not fun and games. It is not a fucking video game. Negotiations were productively underway with the Iranian government. This was a war of choice, a war of distraction, engineered by Trump and his cronies.

In the 1970s, VVAW worked with many of the Iranian dissidents in the US fighting against the Shah's regime. When the Shah deposed himself, we opposed the US plan to provide him with a safe haven. The US created unrest in Iran by orchestrating the coup of the democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, in 1953. The resulting revolution and oppression can clearly be placed at the feet of the US. The death and destruction happening now is on the US and Israel.

The loss of fighters for justice and peace from our generation is becoming increasingly common. We mourn the loss of Jesse Jackson. His life's work for racial equality and justice touched every corner of this planet. His lifelong struggle for a better, more just world will not soon be forgotten. Country Joe McDonald and his music inspired VVAW and generations of those who appreciate his veterans-inspired humor and take on the world. His comradeship and support of VVAW are reflected in this issue of The Veteran. Other memorials for those who have passed are also present in this issue. We need to mourn those who have passed, while still carrying on the struggle for those of us living.

What hope do we see in the current situation? It is hard not to be beaten into depression by the daily chaos, but as always, resistance is crucial. We find hope in the younger veterans in Congress and their efforts to pass a War Powers resolution. Though the boot-licking Republicans ensured its failure, it gives us hope. The creative street resistance in many US cities, especially in Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland to the Gestapo tactics of ICE, gives us hope. The nationwide No Kings movement provides an avenue for resistance from small towns to big cities, giving us hope. Younger veterans in motion, such as About Face, give us hope.

Fight back. Resist. Stop ICE. Stop the bombings. Stop the wars.


VVAW in downtown Chicago, April 22, 1978.

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