Protecting civilians is a sign of strength – and an American ideal | Ted Widmer

The US was founded on a pledge to limit the damages of war, even if it has often failed to uphold its commitment Far from expressing remorse for his threat to bomb civilian infrastructure, Donald Trump is doubling down as we approach his deadline for Iranian submission: 8pm ET on Tuesday. It’s not enough for the US to achieve a military victory – one that continues to elude him, with his stated goals for the war still unmet. Instead, “a whole civilization will die, never to be brought back again,” as he posted on social media .