Source: Persuasion
by Sam Kahn
“Almost ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, I’ve had the odd sensation … of one dispensation giving way to another, of finally finding ourselves in a Warring States period. That seemed to be cemented this week when Israel, after resisting temptation for 20-odd years, gave in to it and struck Iran — not just hitting Iran’s nuclear program, but also assassinating generals, bombing the state TV station, and striking at Iran’s governance capacity. It wasn’t so much war in the Middle East that was the shock but the reaction in the West, or rather the lack thereof. There were no particular concerns about whether the strike was just or not, or even about the liberal international order — the idea that states are by default guaranteed their sovereignty, that even our enemies are dealt with through diplomacy, treaties, or, at a push, economic sanctions rather than military force.” (06/19/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/dont-give-up-so-quickly-on-the-liberal