Readers sound off on foreign policy failures, a Texas primary and the World Series

We do this, we fail, then do it all over again

Bloomington, Ind.: The primary goal of the April 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion was the removal of Fidel Castro’s Communist government in Cuba. Planned by the CIA and approved by President John F. Kennedy, the operation relied on a force of U.S.-trained Cuban exiles who would land on the island and ignite a popular uprising. The expectation in Washington was that ordinary Cubans, once given a spark, would rise up and overthrow Castro, weakening Soviet influence in the Western Hemisphere.

The uprising never came.

Again and again, American planners have assumed that if the right spark is provided, oppressed people will seize the moment and revolt. Yet, history suggests the opposite: Revolutions rarely unfold as expected. The political goals prized in Washington or other Western capitals are not always shared — or pursued in the same way — by the people actually living under those regimes.

Whatever ultimately happens with Iran, history offers a clear caution. The United States has often intervened abroad with the stated aim of removing hostile governments. But the historical record shows that wars fought to change another country’s leadership seldom leave that nation more stable than before. Good intentions do not guarantee good outcomes, and the Bay of Pigs remains a reminder of how easily foreign assumptions can collide with local realities. Scott Thompson

War on a whim

Woodland Park, N.J.: Instead of relying on the intelligence reports provided to the president each day, Donald Trump said he relied on his own feelings. He had a feeling that Iran was going to attack the U.S., so he struck first. Now we are at war. How and when will it end? So far, no one knows. But he probably has a concept of a plan. John Dent

Unceasing siege

Manhattan: To Voicer Thomas Bell: What did the U.S. and Israel have to get done, as you proclaimed? Set the Middle East on fire with drone bombs and missiles raining destruction on innocent civilians while claiming the lives of hundreds of school children? Since when has someone’s hatred, in this case the ayatollah’s, been a threat to anyone? Perhaps his ire against the U.S. was due to our decades-long economic sanctions that strangled the economy and well-being of the people of that country. And do you truly believe there’s sufficient brainpower underneath the cotton-candy combover of our president to bring democracy to Iran? If you do, I have a bridge crossing the East River to sell you. Enrico Rizzo

Warmongers of the world

Manhattan: I have lived my entire life with my country being involved in one war or another for one supposedly good reason or another. We all feel the pain of Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and other conflicts, including the horror and pain of 9/11, Oklahoma City and Jan. 6. Now I’m reading that the CIA will recruit Iranian Kurds, with special training from elite U.S. military factions, to enter this conflict. Does this sound familiar? Is the music on repeat? I can’t see this ending well for anyone. Peace. Don Cerrone

In violation

Brooklyn: If the Trump administration was so sure that attacking Iran was the right thing to do, why didn’t they bring it before Congress for approval as the Constitution requires? This is an illegal war, the perfect opportunity for our servicemen and women of conscience to reassess their obligation to follow illegal orders. If, as Marco Rubio suggests, Israel was about to act unilaterally, why didn’t we stop them? After all, we fund and arm them. The conflict is spreading across the region and will get worse before it gets better. Could this become Trump’s Vietnam? Will his son serve alongside yours? Ilsa Ruthen

Moronic

Whitestone: Oxymorons can be funny, brilliant and even moronic, especially when they are unintentionally witless. Let’s compare two. Funny and intentional is Dolly Parton: “You’d be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap.” Witless and unintentional is Rubio (on the attack on Iran): “We work proactively — in a defensive way.” Michael J. Gorman

Plenty to celebrate

Chicago: There’s good and bad news to report, depending on one’s perspective. For starters, Trump’s big, beautiful ballroom is on schedule, as is the delivery of all his Baroque accoutrements. On the other hand, his jumpstart of World War III has commenced, causing the stock market to tank, oil prices to go through the roof and a level of anxiety gripping the nation as never before. But cheer up. It is, after all, our country’s 250th anniversary year. To celebrate, our leader is considering renaming the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the FDR statue to honor the contributions made by himself. I gladly remind myself that with the president’s approval ratings at their lowest and the November election lurking, a third impeachment is a real possibility — if we can stay alive long enough to vote. Bob Ory

Incentive inaccuracy

Scarsdale, N.Y.: To S.E. Cupp (“Republican scheming backfires in Texas election,” column, March 6): You are correct that Republicans did want to face Jasmine Crockett in the general election for the Senate because they believed that it would be easier to defeat her. Therefore, it makes no sense for them to sabotage her against James Talarico. It would make more sense for them to help make her the Democratic nominee. Stephen Colbert had a dispute with his network about allowing equal airtime to Talarico under the rules established by the FCC in the 1930s. The GOP had nothing to do with it, and neither did Trump. Peter McCarthy

Urgent priority

Brookfield, Wis.: Climate tipping points, such as when the melting of West Antarctica or of Greenland’s mile-deep ice sheet becomes irreversible, will have wide-ranging, catastrophic consequences. Those tipping points won’t take centuries. Not even decades, given the extent to which we’re combusting fossil fuels. Once they kick in, the climate as we know it is toast. Given all this sobering news, how can your governor throw herself and her fossil fuel friends up against the best, if not first, comprehensive climate-supporting law in the land, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, and do so by crying “unaffordable”? C’mon, governor, stop your denial of the magnitude and imminence of our climate’s breakdown. Mary Pat Dries

Fireable offense

Manhattan: WABC should fire Sid Rosenberg. He viciously spews hate-filled rage disguised as patriotism. Most recently, it was “cockroach” Mayor Mamdani. This anti-Muslim trope follows a tradition of anti-Irish, anti-Italian, anti-Jewish and, of course, anti-Black sentiment. Doesn’t he understand that hate knows no bounds? Fire him, pronto. Neil J. Pollicino

Local contest

Manalapan, N.J.: The World Baseball Classic is underway, with teams from around the globe participating. This fall, the World Series will be played by U.S.A. teams or perhaps a Canadian one. Maybe time for a name change. Joe Fontanelli