Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

I am tired of the ME, but I see no reason to put boots on the ground. Just bomb and missile launch the shit out of them a la Clinton with the Serbs/Yugoslavia. Khamenei can be brought down that way just like Milosevic.

To a certain extent Trump is gambling that he can kill this one guy and not drag the US in deeper to a broader conflict. We will see if it pays off

[Jeff Buchanan]

Well, duh ...... of course the perception among Americans is that they are less safe after the US targeted and killed an Iranian terrorist. I support that killing and I know there will be reprisals ..... although at this point the international community is going to be very suspicious of Iran's denials when they do so.

My take is that the Iranians didn't shoot the 737 down on purpose. It was a mistake, although I could see a scenario where they did shoot it down on purpose to blame the US for it ....... but they got had if they did that by superb intell collection. Now, they have to deal with it.

Asking the US, and I assume it's the FAA, to help investigate the crash is weird. There's also a morning TV news story that the wreckage was hastily cleaned up by these clowns ..... now, that is not all that unusual in that the pieces of the aircraft will be "reassembled" in a hanger for investigative purposes. If the FAA gets there and all the junk is gone, they'll report that to the world. A really stupid thing to do among a litany of stupid things the Iranians have done in the last 3 days.

[iam416]

To a certain extent Trump is gambling that he can kill this one guy and not drag the US in deeper to a broader conflict. We will see if it pays off

Well, it hasn't. There's also reports that Iran, for the time being at least, is telling its proxies to back the fuck away from US-related targets.

I, again, reiterate -- Iran wants no fucking part of an asymmetrical tit for tat with the US. It will not result in WW3. It will result devastation to Iran. For example, the US could essentially take out their oil exporting capacity right now if they wanted to. Iranian exports are minimal (certainly to the West) so there's zero economic impact on anyone that we care about. And it cripples an already crippled economy. THEY. KNOW. THAT. And, oh btw, attacking refineries is fair game -- WE know that because IRAN did it to the Saudis!

They damn well know they need to wait it out until 2021 when a D will come into office, pay them shit-ton more money and beg them to renegotiate the nuclear deal. They know damn well that if PDJT is in office they have to stay in line.

[iam416]

BTW, for a nice little look back at the US media coverage of the drone hits on Saudi Arabia, this is precious: https://www.nationalreview.com/the-m...ight-for-iran/

Pompeo said, yeah, it was Iran. The entire left-wing media complex doubted it and, instead, insisted it was probably Yemeni rebels. They cited Iranian denials. IRANIAN DENIALS. As was the case this past week, it's obvious that the media believe Iran over Pompeo and PDJT. Of course, Pompeo and the US intelligence was exactly right. But no one goes back and takes the left wing Iranian-apologies media to task.

And no one will do it here when "WW3" and "30 US Dead!" look so laughably preposterous. And the Ds want to Facebook to ban "misleading" political messages. Good. Fucking. Gawd.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Well, it hasn't. There's also reports that Iran, for the time being at least, is telling its proxies to back the fuck away from US-related targets.

I, again, reiterate -- Iran wants no fucking part of an asymmetrical tit for tat with the US. It will not result in WW3. It will result devastation to Iran. For example, the US could essentially take out their oil exporting capacity right now if they wanted to. Iranian exports are minimal (certainly to the West) so there's zero economic impact on anyone that we care about. And it cripples an already crippled economy. THEY. KNOW. THAT. And, oh btw, attacking refineries is fair game -- WE know that because IRAN did it to the Saudis!

They damn well know they need to wait it out until 2021 when a D will come into office, pay them shit-ton more money and beg them to renegotiate the nuclear deal. They know damn well that if PDJT is in office they have to stay in line.

Neither you or I knows if Iran is really telling its proxies that and we have no idea if they are fully under Tehran's control, especially with their top handler dead.

Since Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal Iran has been escalating attacks on us and our allies. We'll see if this killing brings that to an end. I don't think it will but you seem far more confident than I.

[iam416]

Iran comes out and denies shooting down the Ukraine plane. https://www.nationalreview.com/news/...o-investigate/

I guess that resolves that. Iran says they didn't do it, so nothing to see here.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Iran comes out and denies shooting down the Ukraine plane. https://www.nationalreview.com/news/...o-investigate/

I guess that resolves that. Iran says they didn't do it, so nothing to see here.

I heard on Iran & terrorist-supporting CNN that the Iranians have completely wiped the crash site. Removed all the debris to a warehouse and are moving dirt around with bulldozers.

[iam416]

Neither you or I knows if Iran is really telling its proxies that and we have no idea if they are fully under Tehran's control, especially with their top handler dead.

I mean, look, if "you don't REALLY KNOW" is a counterpoint to any argument then it ought to be raised with virtually every single fucking argument ever asserted on the internet.

Yeah, you got me. I don't have firsthand knowledge of what Iran is telling its proxies. Conceded.

Since Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal Iran has been escalating attacks on us and our allies. We'll see if this killing brings that to an end. I don't think it will but you seem far more confident than I.

You can only hope, right? Ok, that's over the line, but for some folks of similar thought I think they'd rather be right and see increased US deaths than be wrong and see none. I mean if nothing escalates for 2 months then it will be -- "they're still biding their time" -- if nothing happens for 8 months -- "they're still biding their time". There is absolutely zero way you will ever credit this move. Ever.

I'm offering my opinion on what I think is likely to happen. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'll own it.

[Jeff Buchanan]

To add to talent's post above, all here know I'm a supporter of Trump's policies especially his ME policies, to wit:

• Back the Saudis and look the other way at their egregious human rights behaviors
• Defend the Gulf states and their willingness to base the US Navy there.
• Support that "criminal" in Israel, Bebe - because Trump can green-light a devastating air and missile assault on Iran's nuclear capabilities from the IDF if need be.
• Continue to pimp Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen - both Iranian proxies.
• Disentangle the US from that sand box with it's centuries old, unresolveable religious and tribal conflicts and let the Chinese and the Russians pour good money after bad in Syria and Iran.
• Economically through sanctions, strangle the mother-fucking Iranian Mullahs until they secretly leave the country bound for some other God forsaken land that will take the bastards.

Carry-on oh "Great Satan."

[Dr. Strangelove]

I mean, look, if "you don't REALLY KNOW" is a counterpoint to any argument then it ought to be raised with virtually every single fucking argument ever asserted on the internet.

Yeah, you got me. I don't have firsthand knowledge of what Iran is telling its proxies. Conceded.



You can only hope, right? I mean if nothing escalates for 2 months then it will be -- "they're still biding their time" -- if nothing happens for 8 months -- "they're still biding their time". There is absolutely zero way you will ever credit this move. Ever.

I'm offering my opinion on what I think is likely to happen. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'll own it.

You got me. I'm "hoping" there are more attacks.

Ha, speaking of cheap binary rhetoric that gets tossed out when someone won't agree with you...I know how Mike Lee and Rand Paul felt

[Dr. Strangelove]

To add to talent's post above, all here know I'm a supporter of Trump's policies especially his ME policies, to wit:

• Back the Saudis and look the other way at their egregious human rights behaviors
• Defend the Gulf states and their willingness to base the US Navy there.
• Support that "criminal" in Israel, Bebe - because Trump can green-light a devastating air and missile assault on Iran's nuclear capabilities from the IDF if need be.
• Continue to pimp Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen - both Iranian proxies.
• Disentangle the US from that sand box with it's centuries old, unresolveable religious and tribal conflicts and let the Chinese and the Russians pour good money after bad in Syria and Iran.
• Economically through sanctions, strangle the mother-fucking Iranian Mullahs until they secretly leave the country bound for some other God forsaken land that will take the bastards.

Carry-on oh "Great Satan."

I'm for getting out of the Middle East. How's that for a plan?!

[iam416]

I edited that post, DSL, before you even responded. Apparently not in time. I didn't want to give you an out.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I edited that post, DSL, before you even responded. Apparently not in time. I didn't want to give you an out.

Womp womp. Snooze ya lose, counselor

[iam416]

Nah. I sort of won. I didn't have to read an attempt at you rationalizing your "PDJT BAD" approach every single decision from the White House.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Jeff to be more specific, I'm not interested in protecting the Saudis. I don't care what happens to the Gulf States. They're all increasingly irrelevant. Let them and Iran beat each other senseless for the next century if that's what they want or let Russia/China fill our role, like you say, if they're foolish enough to want that. But honestly, if we are no longer backing the Gulf States, does Russia/China even stick with Iran? I get the impression they do it more just to harass us more than anything. The Saudis are more easily bought and farther away from both countries.

I've no interest in showing Hezbollah who's boss. I don't care if the Houthis respect us. I'd probably still stand up for Israel to an extent but make more clear that we aren't going to fight wars across the region for their benefit if they won't put their own lives on the line too (see Bibi's comments on the recent developments -- basically "we have nothing to do with this and keep us out of it")

The only people I'd really feel bad for if we just yanked everything out are the Kurds. And Trump's already dicked them over more than any of these other clowns...