It depends on multiple factors. One factor is age, another is the potential future problems a leader may face. Take for instance, to use a recent example, the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He faces up to 10 years in jail on corruption charges.[1] He’s also 75 years old. War is his “get out jail free” card…
Now he has, for all intents and purposes, crushed Hamas. Dealt some disastrous blows to Hezbollah in Lebanon, blew up Houthi positions in Yemen and even ventured in Syria.[2] Now either Hezbollah can be allowed to regroup, launch an attack, and Israel will have another war. Or maybe Netanyahu will full-on annex the West Bank. Or his gaze could fall upon Jordan, and decide to destabilize the Hashemite Kingdom. Will he, won’t he? Surely, with his pal Trump in the White House, there’s little holding him back. Plus, in December 2024, the Israeli leader had his prostate removed in an operation.[3] A brush with mortality that’ll make a man think, and he may well come to believe that any fate beats dying of cancer behind bars…
War is all about old men sending young men to die for their own ambition. Of course the common narrative is that “peace and security” are on the line — and they are, in a sense. But it’s the peace of mind and the personal security of a leader that comes first. Everything else is smokes and mirrors. They say the world becomes a better place when old men plant trees, the shade of which they’ll never feel… but what happens when they burn down the orchard, instead?
Footnotes
[3] Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu undergoes successful prostate surgery, hospital says
No comments:
Post a Comment