The phrase “head of the snake” originates from the ancient notion that a snake, as a dangerous and deadly creature, can be rendered harmless if its head is cut off. This metaphor implies that the most effective way to neutralize a threat is to eliminate its source or leadership. The idea is that just as cutting off a snake’s head kills the whole body, removing the leader or core of a hostile group or organization can dismantle the entire structure.

In various ancient military contexts, the “head of the snake” metaphor was used to emphasize the importance of targeting leadership during a battle. It was believed that by eliminating a key figure, such as a general or ruler, the opposing army would fall into disarray. The imagery of a serpent appears in the Bible, particularly in the story of the Garden of Eden (Genesis), where the serpent represents temptation and evil. While the exact phrase “head of the snake” is not used, there is a biblical notion of crushing the serpent’s head, which some interpret symbolically as the defeat of evil.

In modern times, the term has been used in political and military contexts to suggest that decapitating a terrorist organization, criminal syndicate, or authoritarian regime by targeting its leader will weaken the entire group. For example, military and counterterrorism operations have used this term when discussing strikes on key leaders like Osama bin Laden or Qassem Soleimani. The phrase has since become a common metaphor used to describe the strategy of targeting the most crucial part of an enemy to neutralize its power.

In America, the term denotes “regime change” and our nation has not had a good experience with that. Cutting off the head of the snake in drug cartels, terrorist organizations, and even nation-states has been an utter failure. Somehow, in modern times cutting off the head of the snake seems to disperse the problem we were looking to eliminate. Cutting off the head of the snake has not been successful in American Foreign policy. So, why would taking out Iran’s leadership be any different? This kind of foreign policy lies at the root of the America First Movement. MAGA is asking our leaders to worry about America’s problems first. We have enough home-grown snakes to deal with to import more snakes. The endless wars must stop.

C. Rich

CRich@AmericaSpeaksInk.com

C. Rich

C. Rich is the voice behind America Speaks Ink, home to the America First Movement. As an author, poet, freelance ghostwriter, and blogger, C. Rich brings a “baked-in” perspective shaped by growing up on the streets and beaches of South Florida in the 1970s-1980s and brings a quintessential Generation-X point of view.

Rich’s writing journey began in 2008 with coverage of the Casey Anthony trial and has since evolved into a wide-ranging exploration of politics, culture, and the issues that define our times. Follow C. Rich’s writing odyssey here at America Speaks Ink and on Amazon with a four-book series on Donald Trump called “Trump Era: The MAGA Files” and many other books and subjects C. Rich is known to cover.

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