True intelligence lies not just in optimization and analysis, but in the ability to shape narratives, embrace ambiguity, and generate entirely new possibilities
Very well written, well done. But it is hard for me to overlook the fact that the reason countries are asking “Iran’s permission, not America’s” is because Iran has been bombing ships in the Strait of Hormuz and in the Red Sea via Houthis for decades. Countries are negotiating with Iran because of the fear of terrorism. I guess you could say that fear is the narrative you referred to. Iran uses the narrative of fear and terrorism on a global scale.
Your lesson and advice seem to be for the US, and maybe Israel, to stop defending themselves, their citizens and residents, each other, and their allies from decades of terrorism and instead ‘be vulnerable’ with people who shout ‘Death to America’, ‘Death to the West’, Death to the UK’, ‘Death to Israel’.
The only time being vulnerable works is when both parties want a peaceful resolution and are unwilling to sacrifice their own people or themselves to their agenda. Unfortunately, the Iranian regime, which publicly executes its own people on a daily basis, controls territory in at least five nations outside of its own territory: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza, in addition to multiple islands inside the Persian Gulf, practices and preaches Jihadist suicide attacks, which they believe grant immediate access to paradise.
Your point, “They want to make this conflict so globally costly that no American president will ever green-light it again,” is exactly the reason why the war was necessary. Iran had disrupted freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea for decades and was planning to do so even more going forward.
If the US and Israel had not tried to stop it this year, Iran would have held the entire world hostage to its death cult agenda, and no country would have ever been able to do anything about it. The US and Israel, united in a common goal of liberating the entire world from the tyrannical regime that has waged war on its people, neighbors, and the world for 50 years, and unfortunately, no other “democracy-loving “, ”liberty-preaching” nation on the planet decided to stand up to their values and protect their people from Iranian autocracies.
It is unfortunate that the Golestan Palace in Tehran was damaged. Luckily, the people will be able to restore the Palace. What cannot be restored are more than 35,000 Iranians who were massacred by the regime two months ago, 100s of thousands of men, children and women who have been publicly punished by lashes and executed by the regime for not covering their hair or not receiving their husband’s consent to travel, having sex outside marriage, blasphemy, consumption of alcohol, conversion from Islam and hunders of other laws that the West has put behind hunders if not thousands of years behind it.
The point you are making about algorithms and narratives is solid. Still, someone who reads about the conflict for the first time, not knowing the context around it, will think the US had invaded a peaceful Iran for no reason and will not understand that this is like stopping Nazi Germany and 20th-century fascism after the invasion of Poland instead of waiting two years until the Pearl Harbor attacks.
True intelligence lies not just in optimization and analysis, but in the ability to shape narratives, embrace ambiguity, and generate entirely new possibilities
Thank you and love that!!!
You will never find the path if you don’t get lost, because being lost is finding the path. - Ancient African proverb.
Being lost is the path and the obstacle is the way. Thank you!
So freaking good man. Thank you for this amazing piece 🙏
Zack thank you for reading and commenting. Appreciate you.
Great one. Thank you Ahmed
Thank you brother
Another brilliantly written piece. Thank you Ahmed. Your deep thinking really helps me think on a far deeper level.
Thank you Archie!
Fantastic. The world needs to recognize the points articulated in this article as we begin to fear being devoured by AI.
Thank you Vince!
Thanks, Ahmed, for putting these pieces together so brilliantly. It's a gift to all of us.
Thank you Diana. Hope your enjoy your story journey!
Very well written, well done. But it is hard for me to overlook the fact that the reason countries are asking “Iran’s permission, not America’s” is because Iran has been bombing ships in the Strait of Hormuz and in the Red Sea via Houthis for decades. Countries are negotiating with Iran because of the fear of terrorism. I guess you could say that fear is the narrative you referred to. Iran uses the narrative of fear and terrorism on a global scale.
Your lesson and advice seem to be for the US, and maybe Israel, to stop defending themselves, their citizens and residents, each other, and their allies from decades of terrorism and instead ‘be vulnerable’ with people who shout ‘Death to America’, ‘Death to the West’, Death to the UK’, ‘Death to Israel’.
The only time being vulnerable works is when both parties want a peaceful resolution and are unwilling to sacrifice their own people or themselves to their agenda. Unfortunately, the Iranian regime, which publicly executes its own people on a daily basis, controls territory in at least five nations outside of its own territory: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza, in addition to multiple islands inside the Persian Gulf, practices and preaches Jihadist suicide attacks, which they believe grant immediate access to paradise.
Your point, “They want to make this conflict so globally costly that no American president will ever green-light it again,” is exactly the reason why the war was necessary. Iran had disrupted freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea for decades and was planning to do so even more going forward.
If the US and Israel had not tried to stop it this year, Iran would have held the entire world hostage to its death cult agenda, and no country would have ever been able to do anything about it. The US and Israel, united in a common goal of liberating the entire world from the tyrannical regime that has waged war on its people, neighbors, and the world for 50 years, and unfortunately, no other “democracy-loving “, ”liberty-preaching” nation on the planet decided to stand up to their values and protect their people from Iranian autocracies.
It is unfortunate that the Golestan Palace in Tehran was damaged. Luckily, the people will be able to restore the Palace. What cannot be restored are more than 35,000 Iranians who were massacred by the regime two months ago, 100s of thousands of men, children and women who have been publicly punished by lashes and executed by the regime for not covering their hair or not receiving their husband’s consent to travel, having sex outside marriage, blasphemy, consumption of alcohol, conversion from Islam and hunders of other laws that the West has put behind hunders if not thousands of years behind it.
The point you are making about algorithms and narratives is solid. Still, someone who reads about the conflict for the first time, not knowing the context around it, will think the US had invaded a peaceful Iran for no reason and will not understand that this is like stopping Nazi Germany and 20th-century fascism after the invasion of Poland instead of waiting two years until the Pearl Harbor attacks.
What a great piece of writing 👍
We are a storytelling species - and we’re forgetting the important stories…
Highlighting how the algo has limited to no capacity to reframe the narrative is a great point.