Trump’s Epic Fury is grandiose, like he wanted. But it’s more of an epic fail
The latest round of global chaos unleashed by President Donald Trump began with the name of his war in the Middle East. Instead of going with the obvious option: War for Too Many Reasons for Donald J Trump to Mention, But It’s Totally Sensible and Legal If I Say So, Trump himself chose Operation Epic Fury from the list of options and in doing so made his first mistake.
Epic by definition requires grandiose scale. Operation Epic Rage, which began as an Israeli-US attack on Iran, is living up to its name, spreading to Lebanon and much of the Middle East and driving up global fuel, fertilizer and food prices. Epic Fury’s tidal impact now includes not only the dead, wounded and displaced in military theaters of operations, but also Thai fishermen and Kenyan agricultural exporters whose livelihoods are threatened without a stable fuel supply.
Public schools in Pakistan have closed to combat fuel shortages and fuel rationing may be coming to Australia. Millions of Filipino, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Ugandan and Nigerian families now face financial ruin because they depend on remittances sent home by family members working in the Gulf countries. The only geographical location that will not be negatively affected by Epic Fury appears to be Epstein Island.
These global results signal that Operation Epic Fury is giving way to its successor: Operation Epic Fallout. In true sequel fashion, the stakes continue to rise. NATO is now in the line of fire after Trump’s outright rejection of his request for international military assistance to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
The social media head is deeply hurt that countries he considers his followers, if not his friends, have banded together against him. On Wednesday he posted: “We no longer ‘need’ or desire the help of NATO Nations – NEVER HAVE! Likewise Japan, Australia or South Korea. In fact, speaking as the President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country in the World, WE DON’T NEED ANYONE’S HELP!”
Putting aside for a moment that this post is a cry for professional therapy, it begs the question: If you didn’t need anyone’s help, then why did you literally ask the entire world for help just a few days ago? The answer to this paradox, of course, is that despite MAGA’s love of America First and the isolationist tendencies of a certain wing of the MAGA movement that is once again turning to foreign adventurism, the United States knows that it cannot rely on Israel and Team America alone to close the Pandora’s box it has inadvertently opened.
While missile stocks are exhaustedThe Trump administration has only a short window of time to achieve a sweeping victory before facing voters in November who are already angry about skyrocketing oil prices and oil prices. billions of dollars The price tag of the Iran war. Unfortunately, despite the White House’s plans to maintain control of Congress, the unintended consequences of Operation Epic Fallout keep coming.
Last Saturday, North Korea launched 10 ballistic missiles into the Sea of JapanThis incident coincided with the news that the United States was moving some missile defense systems from South Korea to the Middle East. In yet another Epic Fallout sub-plot, the Pentagon attempted to calm energy markets by lifting oil sanctions on Russia after facing severe criticism for the disastrously inadequate preparations for the entirely foreseeable closure of the Strait of Hormuz. This will give Putin an economic windfall that will directly impact his ability to wage war on Ukraine. Given that Trump seems genuinely enraged by Europe’s refusal to align with Epic Fury, perhaps his next cognitive test could involve a “connecting the dots” activity that would test Europe’s ability to draw a straight line between the US, which directly supports its hostile nuclear-armed neighbour, and the EU’s refusal to support military action against Iran.
Trump has always assumed that he could bend the truth to his will, that saying something would make it happen, no matter how outrageous the lie or bluster. He assumed that through military might he could quickly remake the world to his liking. He forgot that leaders of other countries also have active and conflicting national interests and will jump at the opportunities created by instability and chaos.
As the geopolitical dominoes continue to fall, it seems inevitable that, just as Operation Epic Fury became Operation Epic Fallout, Operation Epic Insert-The-F-Word-Of-Your-Choose may not be too far away. Because that’s the other problem with sequels: they never seem to end.
Melanie La’Brooy is a novelist who writes about politics and social justice.
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Melanie La’Brooy – Melanie La’Brooy is an award-winning novelist who has lived in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East and writes about politics and social justice.
