'Gambling for resurrection': Amid domestic crises, is US war on Iran a 'wag the dog' trump card?

Delano D'Souza welcomes Dr. Carla Martinez Machain, Professor of Political Science at the University at Buffalo. Dr. Machain offers a damning assessment of Donald Trump’s decision to initiate military strikes against Iran: It must be understood through the lens of domestic political strategy rather than a coherent foreign policy doctrine. The conflict reflects what political scientists call “gambling for resurrection”: a high-risk strategy in which leaders turn to international conflict in the hope of reversing their political fortunes.

Delano D'Souza welcomes Dr. Carla Martinez Machain, Professor of Political Science at the University at Buffalo. Dr. Machain offers a damning assessment of Donald Trump’s decision to initiate military strikes against Iran: It must be understood through the lens of domestic political strategy rather than a coherent foreign policy doctrine. The conflict reflects what political scientists call “gambling for resurrection”: a high-risk strategy in which leaders turn to international conflict in the hope of reversing their political fortunes.