The war hawks are at it again, their sights now set on Iran, with Israel’s interests front and center. The rhetoric is eerily familiar: dire warnings of nuclear threats, moral outrage, and a rush to paint dissenters as traitors or foreign agents. Leading the charge are the same neoconservative voices that once sold the Iraq War with fabricated claims of weapons of mass destruction and ties to 9/11. Now, they’re dusting off the playbook, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Tucker Carlson, long a darling of the right for his skepticism of establishment narratives, finds himself in the crosshairs. Once celebrated for challenging the “woke” status quo, he’s now branded a Qatari stooge by critics desperate to discredit him. His recent interview with Senator Ted Cruz, where he pressed Cruz on basic facts about Iran—like its population—has been spun as a flop by pro-war pundits. The smear campaign is relentless, aiming to silence anyone questioning the rush to conflict. Meanwhile, the Gaza conflict—call it a battle, slaughter, or genocide—grinds on, far from the “mission accomplished” moment Israel’s supporters might claim. Sensible observers see the pattern repeating.
The Iraq War looms large as a cautionary tale. In 2002, neocons peddled lies about Saddam Hussein’s arsenal and 9/11 connections. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu testified before Congress, warning of Iraq’s nuclear ambitions—a claim later debunked. The infamous story of Iraqi soldiers killing Kuwaiti babies? A fabricated tearjerker, orchestrated by a PR campaign tied to Kuwait’s elite. The cost? A million dead, a region destabilized, and no weapons of mass destruction. Now, the same crowd has been sounding the alarm on Iran’s supposed nuclear threat for two decades, with no concrete evidence to show for it.The push for war isn’t about supporting Iran or Palestine—it’s about questioning why young Americans should die for what critics call Israel’s broader agenda, rooted in the neoconservative Project for the New American Century (PNAC). Iraq, Libya, Syria—each a stepping stone in a seemingly endless campaign of regime change. And now, Iran is next on the list. The endgame? Unclear. When does it stop? No one seems to know.
Most alarming, former President Donald Trump, once hailed as the anti-interventionist who kept the U.S. out of new wars, appears to be wavering. Reports suggest he’s warming to the neocon agenda, ready to pull the trigger on Iran. As the war drums grow louder, dissenting voices like Carlson’s are drowned out by accusations and innuendo. The question remains: will the public fall for the same lies again, or will the lessons of Iraq finally break through?