In the shadow of recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran—operations launched under President Trump in early 2026 to dismantle nuclear sites, ballistic missiles, proxy networks like Hezbollah and Hamas, and naval capabilities—the familiar chorus from leftist media and activists has risen once more. They frame this not as a necessary defense against state-sponsored terrorism, but as the desperate thrashing of “American capitalism” in crisis. The same narrative recycled itself after 9/11, when Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza took to the streets in celebration—handing out candy, chanting in joy, but while the media reported about the Gaza invasion they skipped the reality of what Palestinians think about the U.S. Today, the pattern holds: ignore Iran’s decades-long funding of Hezbollah (hundreds of millions annually), Hamas (over $100 million yearly in recent estimates), and other proxies, and instead blame “capitalism.” Iran has been the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism since 1984, channeling oil wealth not into its people’s prosperity but into rockets, militias, and regional chaos. Threats extend even to Iranian operatives inside the United States. Meanwhile, the regime’s theocratic grip has dragged the country backward: compulsory hijab enforced by morality police, the 2022 killing of Mahsa Amini sparking “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests met with lethal crackdowns killing over 35000 people, and women stripped of basic freedoms. Afghanistan under the Taliban offers a parallel horror—domestic violence effectively legalized, girls barred from education, society hurled centuries into the past. These are not systems of progress; they are engines of misery. Contrast this with capitalism’s record. For decades, American capitalist dynamism has funded global benevolence on an unmatched scale. In fiscal year 2023 alone, the U.S. disbursed roughly $72 billion in foreign aid—the world’s largest contribution—supporting health initiatives that have saved millions of lives through malaria control, HIV/AIDS programs, and humanitarian relief. From medical breakthroughs to disaster aid, these resources, generated by free markets and innovation, have uplifted billions worldwide. Socialism, by contrast, delivers the “equal sharing of miseries” Winston Churchill so incisively described in 1945: “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” Pure socialist experiments—North Korea’s famines, Venezuela’s hyperinflation and exodus, Russia’s post-Soviet kleptocracy—have collapsed under corruption, dictatorship, and inefficiency. Even self-proclaimed socialist states survive only by adopting capitalist mechanisms. Bangladesh, often mislabeled as socialist, has grown through market reforms and private enterprise, yet still grapples with corruption that plagues any system lacking accountability. Capitalism’s superiority shines brightest in the data of nations that embraced it. The reforms in the People’s Republic of China under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, such as special economic zones, private incentives, and market opening, transformed an impoverished agrarian nation into the world’s second-largest economy, lifting over 800 million people out of extreme poverty. India’s 1991 liberalization ended the “License Raj,” unleashing growth that swelled GDP from under $200 billion in 1980 to more than $4.1 trillion by 2025, integrating it among the top five global economies. Vietnam’s Đổi Mới reforms since 1986 followed suit, blending communist governance with capitalist dynamism to achieve tiger-like expansion. Across the developing world—from Ethiopia’s market openings to Eastern Europe’s post-communist transitions—countries pivoting toward capitalism have seen surges in innovation, efficiency, and living standards. Patents, technology, and GDP per capita soar where markets reward risk and creativity; they stagnate under central planning. Terrorism, funded by regimes like Iran’s, does the opposite: it destroys infrastructure, deters investment, and crushes individual liberty. Capitalism builds—factories, schools, hospitals, and freedoms. It has driven the greatest poverty reduction in human history, with global extreme poverty rates plummeting as market-oriented globalization spread in the 1990s and beyond. Even today, despite recent slowdowns, the trajectory traces back to the incentives of private enterprise, not state coercion. Critics decry inequality under capitalism. Churchill acknowledged it as a “vice,” yet one paired with blessings that raise all boats. Socialism’s “virtue” levels everyone down to shared poverty and repression. Iran’s women risk arrest for unveiling; capitalist societies empower them to lead companies, governments, and movements. Afghanistan’s girls are denied classrooms; capitalist nations send them to universities and boardrooms. The choice is stark. Leftist campaigns that equate self-defense with exploitation ignore this truth: capitalism, for all its imperfections, has delivered unprecedented prosperity, innovation, and freedom. Terrorism and its theocratic enablers offer only regression and fear. History, economics, and human dignity affirm it—capitalism is not merely better. It is the path forward. Acknowledgement: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the individual author, not necessarily Our National Conversation as a whole The image accompanying this article was taken by Sue Lowry for the Magellan Travel Agency.
By Susmita Majumder
Over the past few months, President Trump has pursued a much more aggressive foreign policy than past presidential administrations in the modern era, and has taken a larger expansionist approach than anybody, including those on the right, could have imagined. On January 3rd, the U.S. launched a military operation in Venezuela, taking Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro into custody, where he faces numerous drug trafficking charges. However, earlier this week, the U.S. and Venezuela agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum discussed oil and mineral opportunities with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, and reaffirmed America’s commitment to promoting stability and economic recovery. Rodriguez expressed that the Venezuelan government has a full willingness to cooperate with the United States. Later in January, President Trump reaffirmed his interest in annexing Greenland, which sent shock throughout the international community. This was felt particularly among our NATO allies, who feel that the U.S. approach on Greenland threatens to undermine NATO’s very existence. European nations like France, Germany, and Sweden even sent military personnel to Greenland in response. Greenland has high geopolitical importance, as it is essential to Arctic security, shipping routes, and is rich in natural resources. More recently, the U.S. has gone to war with Iran alongside Israel, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a series of missile strikes. As the conflict has raged on for over a week, it is not clear at all what will pan out long term in Iran or the Middle East as whole. However, whereas previous administrations have tried to slowly reduce America’s presence in the Middle East, President Trump has brought upon us a new era of U.S. involvement. This week, President Trump has also expressed interest in carrying out regime change in Cuba, indicating that he wants to take action within a few weeks. On March 7th, the President announced that similar action to what happened in Venezuela will be taken in Cuba. On Saturday, he told dozens of world leaders that “Cuba’s at the end of the line. They’re very much at the end of the line. They have no money. They have no oil. They have a bad philosophy. They have a bad regime that’s been bad for a long time . . . But Cuba’s in its last moments of life as it was. It’ll have a great new life, but it’s in its last moments of life the way it is.” While I agree that it is important to maintain U.S. hegemony, doing all this so quickly leaves a lot of room for mistakes. The United States does not have a great track record when it comes to regime change, so Americans, and the world, absolutely have the right to question these choices. However, if the Trump Administration is able to successfully pull all this off, it will likely usher in an era of peace and global stability.
By Alexia Silva
1. Biden Asks Why Trump Didn’t Just Bomb Ayatollah In The Leg – The Babylon Bee The rapidly increasing military aggression against Iran by coalition forces led by the United States and Israel always seemed like it was always going to be difficult for satirists to make light of. The strategy of The Babylon Bee is to deflect it into a “Joe Biden is a confused old man” joke. The metaphor of a cop who could’ve avoided killing a suspect by shooting him in the leg instead of the head, and tying that to where on his body the now deceased Ayatollah of Iran was supposed to be bombed, doesn’t make a lot of sense. But I guess it makes sense, because Joe Biden isn’t supposed to make sense at his age either. 2. Trump Launches War With Iran and Refuses to Explain…Anything – The Daily Show Jon Stewart made fun of President Trump for his perceived lackadaisical approach to war with Iran, like making his initial announcement in Florida while wearing a USA hat, or calling the operation “Epic Fury.” Middle East correspondent Jordan Klepper replayed clips of the President claiming there would be no new wars in his administration, sloppily edited to instead sound like Trump loves new wars. Stewart also made fun of a clip of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth being defensive when asked about a timeline in Iran, comparing the Secretary to a jock from “Revenge Of The Nerds.” 3. Trump Iran War Address Cold Open – Saturday Night Live James Austin Johnson’s Trump impression impersonates the actual Trump address very well, down to the white USA cap. He describes Trump’s erratic behavior as being similar to Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates, leading to probably the funniest moment of the sketch as he keeps yelling “Gump!” while describing the movie. And Colin Jost’s impression of Pete Hegseth adds some aggressive energy, as he explains that the codename Epic Fury was picked because of the number of letters allowed for a knuckle tattoo. 4. Trump Boys Try Trading In George Washington Portrait At Gamestop – The Onion The artistic taste of Donald Trump’s two eldest sons is called into question in this Onion piece, as Donald Jr. and Eric try to barter Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington for a PS5. They don’t seem to appreciate the famous presidential painting, telling the cashier that he doesn’t even need to keep the painting afterwards, that the gold-looking frame must be worth something. It’s also humorously insulting that the boys had to carry the giant painting on foot for 7.5 miles. 5. Under Oath, Hillary Admits She Never Met Bill Clinton – The Humor Times At her hearing regarding the Epstein files, this satirical article supposes that Hillary Clinton would completely deny ever having met Bill, presumably to not connect herself to his potential crimes. This leads to some wacky explanations, like daughter Chelsea solely being the byproduct of maternal willpower. Apparently advanced animatronics were involved, as well as 1970s era Photoshop, which was definitely a thing.
By Jason Luna
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