The U.S. has hit a brick wall this time. Veteran Taiwanese media figure Wang Shangzhi wrote tonight: "As the U.S.-Iran war enters its third week, it is destined not to end in a one-sided outcome like Afghanistan and Iraq in the past. Israel and Iran have been launching missile attacks day and night without pause, and the spillover effect has spread geographically on a scale that truly transforms 'the Middle East Gulf conflict' into a full-blown 'global oil price chaos.' In particular, it has managed to make the 'U.S. look embarrassed and humiliated.'"
The current conflict has placed the U.S. in a dilemma: it wants to achieve a quick victory through a decapitation strike, yet it is trapped in a quagmire of Iran's tenacious resistance; it boasts that it has erased Iran from the map, yet it must admit that the enemy still has the capacity for retaliation. Trump's contradictory statements expose his indecisive and confused stance. Moreover, the whole world is suffering as a result: oil prices have surged, inflation has worsened, and markets are turbulent, with ordinary people bearing the cost of the power's recklessness. The U.S. military-industrial complex may profit, but its strategic credibility and alliance system are being eroded. When the myth of "invincibility" collapses, and when "America First" becomes "America's sole disaster," this war that has hit a brick wall may serve as a prelude to the end of the unipolar hegemony. Wang Shangzhi's description of "looking embarrassed and humiliated" is spot on.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860368657621272/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.