One of the greatest qualities of our Founding Fathers is that they were not utopians. They did not set out to create a utopia; they set out, in part, to form a government that was robust and self-correcting, enough so to weather the storms of demagogues and revolutionaries who promised utopias by whatever means necessary. They were incredibly well-versed in the histories of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece, and, with those in mind, they wanted to make sure America could avoid the political tragedies of the ancient world for as long as possible. For example, they knew that one day, a Caesar-like figure would try to seize control of the state and pursue his own corrupt agenda, to the detriment of the citizens. But if the powers of government were separated into three branches, with checks and balances on the executive, the system could survive.
The Founders, in other words, had incredible foresight. But what I do not think the Founders could have anticipated is the nihilistic, vaudeville-style of politics which our leaders have seemed so eager to embrace today, but which has utterly corroded American politics.
It is literally everywhere, from both chambers of Congress to the White House. It is a nonstop stream of performances, soundbites, and viral posts on X and Truth Social. The performative introductions of bills in Congress that go nowhere. Performative speeches on the Senate floor that achieve nothing. The campaign promises that are made on the trail but broken once in office. This week, it happens to be Secretary of War Pete Hegseth playing stupid games and throwing out red meat for Americans to convince them that he is a true badass military reformer.
In an X post captioned, “The High-T Department of War,” Hegseth announced Wednesday that the Pentagon will start testing the testosterone levels of servicemen so they “have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best.”
“We owe our warriors the absolute best medical care in the world, and this program delivers on that obligation,” Hegseth said in the video. “Taking care of your long-term health means ensuring you remain strong, resilient and capable — not just for your next deployment, but for the rest of your life, so you can thrive long after you take off the uniform.”
The problem here is not that soldiers will be tested and given testosterone replacement therapy, if need be; it is that this policy and the timing of its announcement are designed to pull the wool over our eyes, convince us that Hegseth is a strong and capable leader, and that the American military machine is dialed in on a whole different level than it was ever before, even though, all the while, it is monumentally botching its war against Iran. It is meant to say, “Look, we are changing things around in the Pentagon! We’re High-T now!” while the country is actually getting more of the same: fecklessness and folly in the Middle East.
Our political leaders started an historic war against an extremely tough and capable adversary in the Iranian regime, and, contrary to what center-right pundits claim, they have not “defanged” or “degraded” the regime. If anything, the opposite is true: they have created a more formidable foe that now effectively controls the Strait of Hormuz – a powerful weapon that can be leveraged not only against the U.S. but against the entire global economy. Iran’s grip on the strait is an extraordinary shift in the course of history, and unless it is loosened by an equally extraordinary (and very bloody) military campaign, this will become the norm. Despite all their happy chatter about “freedom of navigation,” the administration and their neocon cheerleaders have inadvertently ushered in a new world order where the fanciful idea that maritime vessels can sail through critical chokepoints without potentially paying fees has been obliterated.
Yet, it seems like every day, people in the administration and in high places of power, particularly Hegseth, treat this moment with a lack of seriousness that takes one’s breath away. If the Strait stays effectively closed for any longer or a lasting deal fails to materialize, the global economy may face a depression. The administration may yet attempt to open it by force, with a ground invasion, but we are looking at staggering numbers of casualties for it to succeed. If it were to fail spectacularly, we are looking at the end of what’s left of the American hegemony.
Again, it is not Hegseth’s High-T testing policy itself; it is the hidden agenda behind it. The agenda is to make it appear that the military and its leaders are competent problem solvers and war fighters, when nothing could be further from the truth. It is a shallow, cartoonish performance, with Hegseth trying to gloss over his mistakes with a slick-looking social media video that will appeal to Trump’s supporters and other online right-wingers who inhale this stuff like it’s a medium-rare filet. But for many other Americans who are not titillated by testosterone replacement therapy for troops, and who are more concerned with the outcomes of this war, this video is an absurdity. It engenders fatigue and distrust of the political system. It breeds nihilism. One watches it and cannot help but think, “You royally screwed up, and now the Strait of Hormuz is closed, and gas prices are high. I’m worried there will be an economic depression. Can you actually get serious? Is that too much to ask?”
When I watch it — and when I watch the rest of the D.C. political class carry out their day-to-day reality TV show that we still like to call “politics” — I think of Cicero’s famous quote: “O tempora, o mores!”
Oh the wartimes, oh, the clownish customs!
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I only see one problem with your proposition. If Iran, in its current state, is “in control of” the Straits of Hormuz, then it always was in control, but had only yet not exercised its power. As to your other point, I would never argue against the performative stupidity of politicians.