Iran (thread 10), Episode 9: Goldwater’s Grit: How He’d Handle Modern Iran

Imagine your bluntest, no-nonsense friend dropped into a modern foreign policy debate — that’s Barry Goldwater here. He’d see Iran as a direct challenge to American strength and insist on big, unmistakable responses rather than cautious hedging. This piece walks through how Goldwater’s Cold War instincts — deterrence, overwhelming force, and disdain for ambiguity — would shape his view on Iran’s proxies, the Strait of Hormuz, and nuclear ambitions.

Casual, direct, and a little unnerving, it’s a look at why some foreign policy arguments still sound a lot like him: strong words, stronger actions.