By Michael Randall
In my recent column (February 26, 2026), claiming the need to regather my shreds of emotional and mental health, I said I was reverting to writing “haiku.” I was done trying to point out the absolutely unprecedented ignorance, destructive incompetence, and lawless cruelties of the Trump administration. But that column ran 24 hours prior to Trump’s “whim attack” on Iran. So, at least for this moment, my Trump Derangement Syndrome has flared anew.
(Full disclosure: the assassination of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a despicably murderous creature, was quite welcome, so congratulations to the Israelis who did that.) Trump’s ill-considered “whim-war” will fail, is already clearly failing, and is just one more thing that the Trumpers have not thought through. He kicked and severely damaged the hornets’ nest, but now the hornets are lashing out in all directions, damaging our allies and oil production throughout the middle east. This is creating a worldwide energy panic, and even more disgust and distrust of the USA for starting this mess without anticipating anything like it.
Iran response is to cripple the world’s oil supply by targeting oil refineries and related energy facilities in surrounding countries, and choking off passage of oil tanker shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Where to now, Trumpers? You are trying to learn to play checkers while Iran has been playing chess for decades.
If Trump pulls the ultimate blunder and inserts hundreds of thousands of US troops onto Iranian soil, why would the results be different than our 2003-2021 war against Iraqi insurgents who rose up against the US immediately after we toppled Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship? We still have US soldiers defending themselves against Iraqi insurgents (and their sons and daughters) 23 years after our initial invasion. And Iran has 93 million people, while Iraq has 43 million.
Trump, Hegseth, and other “geniuses” may not worry about this one way or the other. They will continue to claim “victory” and try to convince enough of their bobblehead voters to help them avoid losing the US House and Senate in this coming November’s election.
If they lose in November, Trump possibly will be impeached and convicted and removed from the presidency midway through his second term. Hegseth, Bondi, Miller, Vought and some other creatures will be prosecuted and possibly convicted for violating the Constitution and committing a number of felonies. They may face prison. Even so, we should thank them for showing us just how fragile our Republic really is, and how easy it is to subvert.
The ancient Chinese philosopher and war strategist, Sun-Tzu (544-496 BC), wrote that the first consideration for a leader contemplating war is to know himself and his opponent thoroughly. But Trump knows little about himself and nothing about Iran. Trump is not a learner, and apparently never heard how a determined human society can throw off militarily superior invading forces. Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan come to mind.
Having gone back to writing haiku, and to finding refuge in the poems of others, I found the following appropriate poem by the wonderful haiku poet, James W. Hackett (1929-2015).
Never more alone than
Now, the eagle, surrounded
By screaming crows.
We are never more alone than when we are surrounded only by friends whose trust we have betrayed and by enemies who want our blood. Trump has betrayed our friends and allies, and made devoted enemies of those he threatens and attacks. The eagle attacks smaller and weaker creatures, and is a scavenger. Given our past and present excesses, the eagle’s behavior is not only Trump’s, but also our own.
But is that all we are? Of course not. Humans find ways to create and sustain islands of civilization in the world’s wilderness. This takes work and attention, real understanding, active foresight, and compassion, to all of which we each contribute. We are always able, although at times like this we feel discouraged. We have stumbled yet again, but we will rise together and go forward.
One more haiku from an ancient Chinese farmer, something that offers hope (if not certainty).
My crops are good this year,
And the emperor lives
Quite far away.
We can hope that with careful thought, hard work, and mutual reliance, plus the fact that the corrupt powers dwell far away (though never far enough), our efforts will bear fruit. We aspire to have a just human society, rebuild alliances, and regain both peace of mind and a renewed sense of life’s fullness.
Mike Randall has written freelance opinion columns for several newspapers here and in the Midwest. He is author of the non-fiction book, “Becoming Human: A Servant of the Map,” and a novel, “Into the Unknown Country.” His most recent book is titled “Trying to See.” All three books are available for purchase on Amazon or through local bookstores.