The World and Everything In It 3.4.26 Political risk of the Iran conflict, Nepal’s election, and a graphic novel about courageous faith
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Mar 4, 2026 Knox Thames, creator of the graphic novel Blood and Water, explains using comics to tell Shabazz Bhatti’s story for younger readers. Janie B. Cheney, education and culture commentator, discusses emerging research and policy on student technology and analog learning. Hunter Baker, political scientist, analyzes political risk from the Iran conflict and its effects on U.S. politics.
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Troop Commitment Is The Political Tipping Point
- Public tolerance for a dragged-out war is low, and the key political trigger is committing large numbers of U.S. troops.
- Baker says nobody wants extensive American troop deployments and that failure could force occupation-style involvement.
Partisanship Now Shapes War Debates
- Partisan politics now shape foreign-policy responses more than the old norm that 'partisanship ends at the water's edge.'
- Baker laments degraded political culture, making sober legislative evaluation of war less likely.
Iran Seeks To Increase Costs To Reduce U.S. Resolve
- Baker views Iran as a uniquely determined adversary that exploits U.S. domestic political divisions to wear down American commitment.
- He notes Iran increased costs in lives and money to discourage long-term U.S. presence during the war on terror.