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What Does ‘America First’ Mean in Iran?

Original Article

Posted By: FlyRight, 2/21/2026 8:44:41 AM

The United States government (USG) should not go to war with Iran. Iran’s nuclear program is not a meaningful threat to the United States. How Iran is governed, how its government treats its people, and who the Iranians trade with is none of our business. A genuinely America First strategy toward Iran would mean ignoring the country and the Middle East as a whole. The United States government has no core interests on the Asian landmass. The USG should lift all trade sanctions on the Iranian regime, grant diplomatic recognition to whatever regime is currently in power there, and cease efforts to regulate or manage the Iranian nuclear program.

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Reply 1 - Posted by: chumley 2/21/2026 9:21:00 AM (No. 2071361)
This is the rightest thing I have read in a long time. We could use a lot more of this philosophy. It is not our obligation or even our right to bomb other countries into democracy, nor can we afford it.
1 person likes this.

Reply 2 - Posted by: Jesuslover54 2/21/2026 9:51:28 AM (No. 2071380)
Doesn't fomenting unrest and revolution itself and through proxies with our country and our allies count for anything? Josiah, take a hike.
15 people like this.

Reply 3 - Posted by: gopvoter1976 2/21/2026 10:12:57 AM (No. 2071393)
Everything Josiah Lippincott says in this article is at odds with reality. Iranian theocrats have been saying since 1979, that American must be destroyed, i.e "Death to America." As the World had to learn the hard way, during the 1930's run up to WW II, when the Democrat Socialist Workers Party of Germany said as such, they meant it. Resulting in the murder of 11 million people in concentration camps. When someone says they want to kill you, it's in your interest to believe them. The second reality is that until the U.S. truly becomes energy independent from even a small amount of Middle Eastern oil, we will always be buying that commodity from that region. The Radical Left must allow America to become energy independent. Free of climate change doctrine. This will not happen anytime soon. Witness the closing of refineries in California, courtesy of Gavin Newsom.
13 people like this.

Reply 4 - Posted by: seamusm 2/21/2026 10:31:47 AM (No. 2071407)
The author is clueless or at best, hopelessly naive. Iranian aims have not been only to 'kill all the Jews' but to eliminate everyone else unwilling to kiss the mullah's rears. And it has never been just theologic talk, they have used their oil revenues to underwrite their terrorist partners EVERYWHERE. The West does not have a conflict with the Iranian people who historically Persian are themselves subjugated by the hard-core Islamic mullahs. It is a conflict with leadership and the Iranian military. Ignoring them is not an option as part of 'America First' policies.
13 people like this.

Reply 5 - Posted by: Birddog 2/21/2026 11:10:17 AM (No. 2071429)
Author has "A Point of View", an isolationist, Fortress America, perspective. He is a classicist, "Languages: Latin, Greek, German". A bachelors degree in Politics from Hillsdale, followed by 4 years in the marines (Artillery Officer, 7 months stationed on Okinawa) Currently working on his PHD, his dissertation argues that "The USA is at Fault for Pearl Harbor". He is a former aide to Devin Nunes both are from Tulare County Calif.
1 person likes this.

Reply 6 - Posted by: bpl40 2/21/2026 11:25:38 AM (No. 2071440)
Almost all of the violence, terrorism and instability in Middle East originates in Iran. If left alone because ‘it is none of our business’ it will spill over to the rest of the world. Besides Iran is a handy tool for our two adversaries Russia and China. It is naive and foolish to look the other way.
3 people like this.

Reply 7 - Posted by: paral04 2/21/2026 12:04:39 PM (No. 2071479)
How does the author of this piece know that Iran's nuclear program is not a threat to the US?
3 people like this.

Reply 8 - Posted by: crashnburn 2/21/2026 12:23:33 PM (No. 2071493)
To quote someone famous (who I don't remember): "We fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them here." It is in the world's best interest, not just the USA's, to promote peace and stability. We have the world's strongest and best trained military, and usually "Peace Through Strength" works. However, sometimes world leaders look at the US and see a paper tiger, as we seem to take forever when a red line is crossed. However, when we do take action, "Shock and Awe" don't even begin to cover it. The Middle East is a powder keg, with a short fuse. However, I fear China is a much bigger, long-term threat to Western Civilization. They are diligently working to become the world's foremost superpower, and they intend to use it for world domination. Isolationists just further there efforts.
3 people like this.

Reply 9 - Posted by: Tanker76 2/21/2026 1:33:18 PM (No. 2071527)
The author of this garbage is a moron.
1 person likes this.

Reply 10 - Posted by: FormerDem 2/21/2026 1:54:44 PM (No. 2071535)
What everyone else said. The Iranian proxies spread instability everywhere. And while I might not be able to justify intervening for the tortured and massacred students otherwise, in the here and now the United States has promised to help them and has a responsibility to keep that promise - it happened, we are here - and so also are one third of the Navy. One thing \i despise about economists as well as this historian here is the tendency to assume stuff that isn't true, derive conclusions, and press them. We have made a promise, we have gathered our forces, and if we fly off now there will be effects he has assumed away. Zero value to this. Arrow of time. Here we are. Situational awareness.
1 person likes this.

Reply 11 - Posted by: jayjeti 2/21/2026 3:18:59 PM (No. 2071544)
Very low brained article that ignores the U.S. has been at war with Iran since the 70s, including 100's of U.S. personnel killed by Iran or their proxies (Marin Barracks in Lebanon, Kobar Towers bombing, etc. Iran works against the U.S. wherever it can. America first is winning this decades old war.
0 people like this.

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The United States government (USG) should not go to war with Iran. Iran’s nuclear program is not a meaningful threat to the United States. How Iran is governed, how its government treats its people, and who the Iranians trade with is none of our business. A genuinely America First strategy toward Iran would mean ignoring the country and the Middle East as a whole. The United States government has no core interests on the Asian landmass. The USG should lift all trade sanctions on the Iranian regime, grant diplomatic recognition to whatever regime is currently in power there, and cease efforts to regulate or manage the Iranian nuclear program.
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