Lessons for doves and hawks, economies passing test and other commentary

Iran war: Lessons for Doves and Hawks

This war “is more necessary than doves thought and harder to wage than hawks supposed,” notes The Wall Street Journal’s Walter Russell Mead.

“Doves in past US administrations hoped that a mix of conciliation and deterrence would allow America to coexist with Iran.”

Iran hawks understood that the desire of “Tehran’s rulers to dominate the Gulf made long-term coexistence between Washington and the mullahs impossible.”

Believing “that the security of the Gulf remains a vital American interest” hawks realize “the US needs to keep the Gulf open.”

This war “is the greatest — and gravest — challenge” Trump has faced.

A prolonged conflict will hand him the tough task of building “broader support abroad and at home to carry it through — while keeping his MAGA base united behind him.”

Gulf beat: Economies Passing Test

Iranian “missiles and drones are targeting infrastructure, economies, and civilian life,” across the region, yet “the economic and strategic model the Gulf has spent years, and in some cases decades, building” is holding up “remarkably well,” argues Jason D. Greenblatt at Newsweek.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have all seen “disruption” but not “breakdown.”

They’re adapting — and that reflects “how these countries were built.”

Their leaders “consistently prioritized execution, speed and long-term planning.”

And now they’re confident “this period will pass” — and then the story won’t “be about what was disrupted” but “what endured”; “the Gulf will not simply return to where it was. It will rise stronger, more confident, and more central to the global economy than ever.”

Fraud watch: Minn. Scandals’ Silver Lining

“A silver lining in the Minnesota welfare scandal is that we’re finally paying attention to a system that rarely gets the scrutiny it deserves,” observes Eric Cochling at The Hill.

It’s “no longer a temporary support system to help the poor and people with disabilities”; now welfare “perpetuates long-term dependency and cycles of poverty.”

The Minnesota scandals don’t just expose “blatant fraud,” they show billions flowing through “a system so fragmented” that nobody is “tracking whether any of it actually works.”

Utah’s innovative “One Door” reform creates “a single point of entry” where “struggling Americans” can “get the help they need, including a path to work” — which also “reduces the opportunity for fraud and abuse.”

Every state now has the chance “to reform the broken incentives that allowed [fraud] to fester.”

From the right: Jack Smith v. the Constitution

The Arctic Frost probe of President Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election included “grave constitutional violations,” recounts the Federalist’s Margot Cleveland.

“Anti-Trump” FBI agent Tim Thibault sparked the probe in a bid “to destroy the President”; “hyper-aggressive” prosecutor Jack Smith later took over, stacking “his team with partisan Democrats.”

Before the Supreme Court finally stopped Smith, his team subpoenaed the records of numerous GOP lawmakers and a “hundred or more” individuals and organizations.

From the subpoenas of lawmakers in violation of the Speech and Debate Clause to the infringement on others’ First Amendment rights, “the breadth of these constitutional intrusions is unprecedented.”

“Smith and his team must be held accountable.”

Eye on NY: How These Bronx Charters Excel

The four Classical Charter Schools in “America’s poorest congressional district” in The Bronx are “some of the best in the city,” “outperforming district schools” while getting “about half the funding of district schools on a per-pupil basis,” marvels City Journal’s Adam Lehodey.

The schools are “committed to keeping students focused,” and this “sense of order starts with the curriculum.”

An extended school day offers “additional structured hours” that “make a real difference.” “Standards are high” in the network, with a focus on “improving student outcomes.”

“The guiding principle is putting students first.” Albany should lift its “460-school cap” on charters to “replicate this model throughout the state.”

Poverty and poor social indicators “are not legitimate reasons to expect any less” of minority children as students.

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board