Time to tackle the fires burning now

Our free society stands at a crossroads, besieged by real and present dangers that demand decisive action, not hand-wringing over hypotheticals or endless debates about future risks. Yesterday’s U.S. bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities under President Donald Trump’s leadership is a prime example of confronting a clear and immediate threat head-on, rather than dithering over speculative consequences. Yet, predictably, the usual chorus of naysayers—Democrats, establishment elites, and globalist apologists—are clutching their pearls, fretting about oil markets, constitutional nuances, or Iran’s potential retaliation. This obsession with theoretical problems while ignoring fires burning now is a pattern we’ve seen before, and it’s time to call it out.

Let’s start with a familiar case: the environmental disaster in East Palestine, Ohio. When a train derailment unleashed toxic chemicals into a small American community, liberals were quick to pivot to their favorite talking point—climate change. They’d rather pontificate about carbon emissions in 2050 than address the immediate harm to real people breathing poisoned air today. Meanwhile, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance didn’t hesitate. They visited East Palestine, met with affected residents, and pushed for accountability, cleanup, and now attention to lingering health issues. That’s leadership—focusing on the tangible suffering of Americans now, not some abstract model of future doom.

The same misguided focus plagues economic discussions. Conventional thinkers hyperventilate about Trump’s tariffs-first strategy in trade negotiations with China, warning of inflation or market disruptions. They’re so busy crunching numbers on hypothetical economic models that they miss the real threat: China’s stranglehold on critical supply chains. From pharmaceuticals to rare earth minerals, Beijing holds leverage that could cripple our economy and security overnight. Trump’s approach—using tariffs to force China to the table and to stimulate domestic resilience —addresses this immediate vulnerability. It’s about protecting America’s sovereignty today, not fretting over what Wall Street’s spreadsheets predict for tomorrow.

Then there’s the border crisis. Democrats wring their hands over the fate of millions of illegal immigrants who flooded across our borders during the Biden administration’s lax enforcement. They cry about “humanitarian concerns” while ignoring the chaos unfolding in our cities. Rioters clog our streets, gang members infiltrate our communities, and unvetted terror suspects—potential sleeper cells—slip through unchecked. These are not hypotheticals; they’re happening now. Contrast this with Trump’s no-nonsense policies: a sealed border, ICE detentions of criminal aliens, and the “remain in Mexico” policy that help keep asylum seekers from overwhelming our system. These measures tackle the immediate dangers to our safety and sovereignty, not some utopian vision of open borders that ignores the consequences.

Now, we see the same pattern with the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Yesterday Trump announced that B-2 stealth bombers and Navy submarines delivered a “spectacular military success,” obliterating key sites in Iran’s nuclear program. This wasn’t a reckless act but a calculated response to a clear and present danger. For over four decades, Iran has been at war with us—sponsoring terrorism, killing American servicemen, and maiming civilians with roadside bombs. Their nuclear program, despite Tehran’s claims of peaceful intent, has long been a ticking time bomb, with facilities like Fordow buried deep to evade attack and enriched uranium nearing weapons-grade levels.

Yet, what do Democrats do? They fret about oil prices spiking if Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, or they nitpick over whether Trump sought enough congressional approval. They worry about Iran’s “right to self-defense” or the “everlasting consequences” of escalation, as if Iran hasn’t been escalating against us since 1979. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries cry foul, claiming Trump misled the country or violated the War Powers Act. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vows retaliation, conveniently ignoring that his regime has been attacking us through proxies for years. This hand-wringing over hypothetical fallout—oil shocks, diplomatic slights, or Iran’s next move—misses the point: Iran’s nuclear capability was a fire burning now, and Trump put it out.

The critics’ obsession with future risks ignores the reality of Iran’s actions. Over 450 missiles have been fired at Israel since the conflict intensified, and Iran’s proxies, like Hezbollah and the Houthis, have targeted U.S. interests repeatedly. Trump’s strikes, using 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators and over 30 Tomahawk missiles, targeted the heart of Iran’s nuclear ambitions—facilities designed to produce weapons that could hold the world hostage. Satellite imagery shows craters and debris at Fordow and Natanz, confirming severe damage. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the strikes as historic, and even Israeli opposition leaders agreed they were necessary for global security.

The bottom line is this: leadership means tackling the fires burning now, not debating fire codes for a blaze that might never come. Iran’s nuclear program was a clear and present danger, not a hypothetical. Trump’s decision, backed by Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, prioritized America’s safety and that of our allies. As Vance said, the strikes were a “narrow and limited approach” to set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions by years, not a prelude to endless war.

The naysayers will keep wringing their hands, warning of oil shocks or Iranian reprisals. But what’s the alternative? Letting Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, inch closer to a nuclear bomb? That’s not leadership; it’s cowardice. Just as Trump and Vance addressed the East Palestine disaster, confronted China’s supply chain dominance, and secured our borders, they’ve now taken bold action against Iran’s nuclear threat. Our leaders must focus on the dangers staring us in the face—rioters, gang members, terror suspects, and rogue regimes—before they consume us. The time for action is now, not when the flames are at our doorstep.