== Why are we at war again? ==
I'll be concise here, laying down reasons why thousands of U.S. service members - and eventually millions of the rest of us are being thrown into danger amid gaudy explosions that terrify - and sometimes kill - a people we want as friends.. I'll briefly offer some bullet points, many of them I've already elucidated, in other locales. But one thing is certain...
...that this is not about Iran's nuclear program. Sure, the Mission Accomplished 'deal' that Donald Trump will eventually bray will claim that's the reason for it all. It's not. Even remotely.
1. Elsewhere, I speak of Republican Bipolar Foreign Policy. The GOP always ... and I mean literally always... veers sharply between isolationism and imperial thuggery. We saw this manic-depressive mania under Nixon, Reagan, Ford, and both Bushes (remember the Neocons braying "We're an empire now!").
2. When Republican presidents do wage war, it is with an unmistakably different style of military action than Democratic presidents. I've seen no one comment on this, even though it expresses a fundamental difference in character. And yes, it expresses diametrically opposite attitudes toward the fantastically professional men and women of the US military officer corps....
3. ...whose demoralization is a core aim of the Trumpists. Take how Pete "Filthy Fingers"* Hegseth commanded 500 of the world's finest professionals -- generals, admirals and top sergeants - to drop their work all over the world and hurry to Quantico, where 'former' alky Hegs and Trump berated them as "too fat and too woke to fight." just 6 weeks before they performed the most spectacularly complex and competent raid (in Caracas) in the history of the world. A raid that exposed many of our secret methods and tools to scrutiny, without liberating any Venezuelans from their criminal masters (We'll say more on that.)
But yes. Demoralization and culling of the Officer Corps is a feature, not a bug. Trump fired the JAGs whose task includes advising military folks about the legality of orders. And he's been reaming out dozens of flag officers who demur over sending boots into American cities. Now why would he do that?
4. Then there's distraction. Trump is not the first to use war to divert attention away from domestic failures and discontents. Nixon did it. Reagan several times. As did Bush Jr. But Donald Trump is truly desperate to sidetrack. Now with Operation Epstein Slurry... I mean Epic Fury.
Which brings us to something that many of you keep falling for.
5. This Iran war is not even remotely about oil. Except as he's been able to get Venezuelan oil export revenues diverted into offshore slush accounts that he controls. And sure, he likely intends the same re: Iran. And starving Cuba could lead to the option described below. But the USA - as a nation - does not benefit from war-seized oil. We got none from the Iraq wars - and I want you to read this sentence several times, till that fact sinks in. "We did Iraq for oil" is an idiotic incantation worthy of MAGA.
Anyway, the US got energy independence under Obama and is a net exporter. So STFU about that cliché.
6. Except that shutting down Iranian oil does boost world prices, benefiting his fellow oligarchs. So, okay. Maybe a bit.Indirectly.
7. This is not about toppling despots! Decapitating the top capo of the Venezuelan and Iranian gangs is classic mafia technique, that is not meant to liberate the people of those countries! DT has already made offers to the Iranian Republican Guard and Religious Police etc to make deals with him to stay in power, in exchange for them kissing his ring. In Venezuela, Argentina, El Salvador etc. - and possibly soon in Cuba - the aim is never, ever to establish democracy or to liberate citizens from their oppressors.
The pattern is perfectly that of mafiosi. Take over another gang's territory by decapitating its top capo, then get allegiance (and resulting vigorish) from the terrified sub-capos of the gang that's left in place. This pattern is now so repeatedly blatant that no other theory is even remotely tenable,
Oh, and Marco will ensure that Miami crime families will slip in atop the Castro power structure in Cuba. This is a Mafia gang and the capo di tutti capi - even above Don - was named Vlad. Though the power of his blackmail files to coerce western elites into obedience may be fading! For reasons I'll go into, elsewhere. (Hint: because of AI.)
8. I mentioned the exposure of hard-won military secrets and methods, each time we go to physical war. Sometimes, that can't be helped. Russian and Chinese observers are all over eastern Ukraine, for example. Mostly amazed by the brilliance and effectiveness of most Western systems and studying hard how to copy or counter them. But Ukraine is an actual need. Perhaps Iran is, too. But this factor belongs on the balance sheet.
9. Russia's interest. Look up The Great Game of the 19th Century between the Russian and British Empires, as the former kept maneuvering and jostling, trying to win its way to a southern, ice-free port into the Indian Ocean and from there to the rest of the world. Iran/Persia was always a major part of that great-powers struggle and if most in the west don't remember it, you can be sure that Russians do. Above all, the very last thing they want is a free, secular and democratic Iran. Far better to divide power there with the Trumpist gang. Whose relations with Putin are the ghosts at the banquet.
10. Okay, this final reason for the war is harsh. It is speculative, but makes perfect sense,
Another aim is to foment anger, to re-enrage the forces in the Middle East who want to do terrorism on America. Riling up enough enemies to deliver us into another 9/11 attack. One that Old Two Scoops imagines might save him from having to face devastating elections, this fall.
Do I have any evidence for that last one? Other than vows of revenge that are already echoing across the region, for the blatantly dumb targeted assassination of Iran's 82-year old paramount religious leader?
Well, it would explain why Don fired over half of our counter-terrorism folks. And can you think of anything less than a major national trauma that'd provide the excuse he needs for martial law?
Put it all together folks.
Prepare, in that event, to chant "Reichstag Fire!"
But also keep in mind another word. One that shows we finally understand what's going on. Phase 9 of the 25 year recurring psychic schism between pro- and anti-modernity Americans. Our never settled civil war. And hence one word that will efficiently show our grit, our determination, our courage... our firm intent.
APPOMATTOX.
* Filthy Fingers Hegseth. Look up how many times, on Fox, he (drunkenly) bragged: "I don't believe in germs; I haven't washed my hands in a decade." Though I'll admit. Most Trump appointees are even more crazy and even less qualified.
212 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 212 of 212OMG who ARE you and what did you do with our ent?
Except for your ingrate inability to see that the last 80 years were -despite our many flaws - the best ever for humanity, by orders of magnitude... except for that, you actually (*choke sputter*) made a certain amount of (dyspeptic) sense.
No question that the Haredim in Israel, who proposed up Netanyahu and who savagely attacvk neighbors in the Arab West BGank, and who did almost nothing to make and protect Israel, the first 50 years (that was done by semi-secular sabras and modernist immigrants), are turning Israel quickly into just another vengeful Middle-Eastern dogma zone. WANT TO SEE IT PREDICTED?
See HEART OF THE COMET, circa 1985. It's all there. Except if I wrote it today, I'd have coastal liberal Israel secede from Judea, JUST as happened when the son of Saolomon drove ten of the 12 tribes to do that.
I dnn't mention HOW the Haredim took over. By Breeding like rabbits.
We will see how this develops. However, it certainly *appears* that the regime is leaving the US open for an Iranian retaliatory terrorist strike; which could then be the basis for declaring martial law—conveniently ahead of the midterms!
We will see how this develops. However, it certainly *appears* that the regime is leaving the US open for an Iranian retaliatory terrorist strike; which could then be the basis for declaring martial law—conveniently ahead of the midterms!
And remember me talking about desalination plants?
It turns out that America hit one in Iran.
Bad move. Really bad move.
Iran has started to retaliate, and is far less vulnerable and dependent on desalination (3%) compared to US Arab allies (40% to 90%).
A cheap Iranian drone can take out a desalination plant in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, and in two weeks a city of 10 million people is without water.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upVqvAn1qgg
DESALINATION PLANTS STRUCK As UAE Accuses Israel Of DISINFORMATION
Taking out Arab gulf state desalination plants collapses their economies very quickly.
Our economy then collapses shortly after when the supply of petrodollars propping up our economy gets cut off.
That's pretty much Iran's strategy in a nutshell.
I would describe ours, but we don't seem to have one.
It was also predicted in "Stand on Zanzibar", where generations of being surrounded by hostile enemies had turned Israel's liberal democracy into "Festung Israel".
While Treebeard's example - if true - is certainly an illustration of his point, it is also Proof By Cherrypicked Example. That's not a majority view even among Haredim.
So Iran's enemies have three choke points: oil, fertilizer and water.
Iran is successfully choking out all three.
Iran is going to win this war.
onward
onward
Look for Trump to try and "win" with a massive ground invasion, which will get bogged down in a super Afghanistan.
Trump's war is a giant cluster fuck
And the rogue state responsible is Israel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4OkJY2ZI2o
Jeffrey Sachs: WE ARE IN WORLD WAR
"OMG who ARE you and what did you do with our ent?"
Treebeard dunking on mcsandberg is like Hannibal Lecter helping to catch Buffalo Bill. And I mean that as a compliment. Really.
McS keeps posting MAGA propaganda, and Treebeard of all people rightly calls him out on it. And as only Nixon could go to China, so Treebeard has the anti-Enlightenment cred such that no one can accuse him of simply shilling for woke liberalism.
I've been agreeing with everything he's posted lately except for the emotional context of such posts. We both agree that Trump and MAGA are clear and present dangers to America's standing in the world. He thinks that's a good thing, and on that I disagree. But only on that.
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