Pop Culture Portrays Aerial Bombardment of Middle East as âBusiness as Usualâ
A military drone is seen flying over the Syrian village of Nahleh on October 31, 2020.
Anas Alkharboutli / picture alliance via Getty Images
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President Bidenâs airstrike on the Syrian border on February 25 was received in some quarters as though it was his first act of presidential warfare. But U.S. military operations in the Middle East, particularly remote drone operations, are a matter of routine, rather than an exceptional rarity. No matter the personality or predispositions of the commander-in-chief â whether they are statesmanlike and grandfatherly like Biden, or vulgarly reactionary like his predecessor â the continuous military violence of the forever wars initiated by George W. Bushâs administration is ingrained into the structure of everyday power. Bidenâs letter to Congress rationalized the strike in terms of the U.S.âs inherent right of self-defense, and in some ways this shows that Biden doesnât even need to think of a new justification for these strikes. Despite his announcement of a review of his drone policy, presidential aerial bombardment of the Middle East is âbusiness as usual.â