YOUR OPINION: A deadly, wasteful, unnecessary war

Bill Gerling, Jefferson City Dear Editor, Trump promised in his presidential campaigns to not start any endless wars. Of course, he thought he could still start wars as long as they were short in duration. He learned nothing from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Wars are easier to start than to finish, especially if the objectives are not clear and war is poorly planned. The War reduced 20 percent of the world's oil supply has caused a global energy shortage. The average cost of gas per gallon to the American consumer went up 37 percent. Food prices are likely to rise as well because fertilizer supplies were choked. We are already suffering from 3.7 percent inflation as the result of Trump's wars and tariffs. Trump and Netanyahu began with executing the leaders of the Islamic Republic hoping that the Iranian people would rise up and take control of the government. This was an unrealistic fantasy. Iranians can't rise up when they are being bombed and the and the Iranian Revolutionary army has control. Our bombing itself has killed over 3,500 Iranians including 120 elementary school children mistakenly bombed by poor planning. Iran has attacked American bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait -- attacks on American bases not seen since the Vietnam War. Eighteen American servicemen died in Kuwait and 750 have been wounded so far. Since Bahrain is constantly under attack the US has to resupply ships and personnel from thousands of miles causing shortages and hardships. The U.S. has fired a large percentage of its offensive and defensive missiles. It will take years and billions of dollars to replace them. The war has cost each American household $1,200. Trump's current goal appears to be reopening the Gulf of Hormuz so commercial traffic can resume. Iran took advantage of our lack of foresight by closing the strait. Trump also claims the war was about preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, even though he said last summer that he had already obliterated Iran's nuclear capability. This war was unnecessary because the threat was not imminent. Iran had complied with the nuclear treaty signed in 2015 during the Obama administration. Instead of continuing the treaty, Trump canceled it in 2018 because of his narcissism-believing he could always negotiate a better deal. He will continue to cling to his destructive fantasies.