Mark and Page,
I’m a long-time listener and occasional commenter. I’ve learned a great deal from you about how the industry actually operates as a business, rather than through politics.
I’m writing in response to Episode 400 and your discussion of the recent review. While I agree that the President is Commander-in-Chief, the founding fathers intentionally built checks and balances into our system so that no single person could unilaterally take the country to war. Iraq, Korea, and Vietnam all had various forms of Congressional approval or authorization.
Regarding President Trump, you mentioned The Art of the Deal and said there’s a strategy behind everything he does. I read the book years ago when I started my own entrepreneurial journey. While it has some entertaining stories, I didn’t find it particularly insightful from a business standpoint. Trump highlighted deals like the USFL (a league competing with the NFL) and his Atlantic City casinos—both of which ultimately failed and led to bankruptcy.
Americans elected President Trump for an “America First” agenda: no new wars, and addressing the affordability crisis at home. Unfortunately, the war in Iran appears to be a war of choice. It is proving very costly to Americans, and the administration has not secured any meaningful political concessions from Iran despite numerous declarations of victory. It feels uncomfortably similar to the Iraq situation and the WMD narrative all over again.
Joseph Brody
