Philosophy Now Forum

The United States blowing up that Iranian military commander?

White hats trump black hats.

Yay for us!

Walker wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2020 5:25 pm The United States blowing up that Iranian military commander?

That Donald Trump believes that starting a war and subjecting millions of innocent civilians to utter terror and misery will make him more popular with halfwits who couldn't place Iran on a map.

MAD doesn't work if you draw lines in the sand and do nothing

-Imp

Impenitent wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2020 8:25 pm MAD doesn't work if you draw lines in the sand and do nothing

-Imp

Nor if only one side has ICBMs.

Such large, distracting fonts. Flamboyant as the Far Side farmer's wife.

Iran’s oil isn’t such a big club anymore, Iran isn’t all that popular, its markets don’t want any trouble so they’re probably telling the fanatics to straighten up and fly right, which is a significant suggestion to a one-horse country.

Obviously, Iran is ripe for revolution.

Obama ordered over 500 drone strikes. Killed something like 3500 people and 300 civilians - nobody bats an eyelid.

Trump does it and everybody loses their shit.

It really pays-off to be charming if you want to draw the public's attention away from your mass-murders.

Skepdick wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 10:55 pm Obama ordered over 500 drone strikes. Killed something like 3500 people and 300 civilians - nobody bats an eyelid.

Trump does it and everybody loses their shit.

It really pays-off to be charming if you want to draw the public's attention away from your mass-murders.

and to have the media in your pocket...

-Imp

Skepdick wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 10:55 pm Obama ordered over 500 drone strikes. Killed something like 3500 people and 300 civilians - nobody bats an eyelid. ...

Er!? Wasn't this at least under the guise of an illegal war?

Trump does it and everybody loses their shit.

Is the US at war with Iran then?

It really pays-off to be charming if you want to draw the public's attention away from your mass-murders.

How did Bush Snr and Jnr get away with it then?

Walker wrote: Iran’s oil isn’t such a big club anymore, Iran isn’t all that popular, its markets don’t want any trouble so they’re probably telling the fanatics to straighten up and fly right, which is a significant suggestion to a one-horse country.

What planet do you live on? The US has effectively destroyed any say they might have.

Obviously, Iran is ripe for revolution.

Maybe but you think they'll listen to the US calls given they've seen what the US's word is worth to those who attempt it?

Arising_uk wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2020 2:10 am Er!? Wasn't this at least under the guise of an illegal war?

Is the US at war with Iran then?

No. The strikes were "outside areas of active hostilities" e.g war zones. They were outside of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.

From this document.

Arising_uk wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2020 2:10 am How did Bush Snr and Jnr get away with it then?

Bush Jnr was charming in a special-needs-child kind of way. Maybe it runs in the family.

Skepdick wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 10:55 pm Obama ordered over 500 drone strikes. Killed something like 3500 people and 300 civilians - nobody bats an eyelid.

That's not really true.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... story.html
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/obam ... -have-been
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba ... -1.3899024
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/12/worl ... rones.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... -kill-1147
The above are all pretty well known mainstream news media outlets, critical of Trump today, and critical of Obama when he was president.

Skepdick wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 10:55 pm Trump does it and everybody loses their shit.

It really pays-off to be charming if you want to draw the public's attention away from your mass-murders.

The assassination of a competing power's military brass is nonetheless a new and unwelcome tactic. And escalating further with vague threats to target cultural sites is also a new and a bad development. It's a mistake to treat these as just a continuation of business as usual.

Walker wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2020 5:25 pm The United States blowing up that Iranian military commander?

Well they've certainly removed a key figure as by all accounts quite a smart operator but not liked by many, so who replaces him will be interesting and it might affect their operations in Syria but I doubt it but if it dies ISIS will be happy as Iran has been doing a fair job against them. Definitely sent a clear message to the Iranian leadership that actions will be taken though.
Whether it pushes their theocracy into a more moderate stance is a moot point as it reinforces the idea of the US as the 'Great Satan' out to destroy Iran and in bed with the Sauds and Israel. Most likely along with the sanctions their govt will justify an even harder crackdown on the moderates and populace who are suffering under US sanctions but whether that's enough to cause a civil revolution temains to be seen as the Iranians, rightly or wrongly see themselves as besieged on all sides by the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia.Add to that that their religion is based upon martyrdom then the US has just made another.
What I think is definitely likely is that now Iran will go helll for leather to make a workable nuclear weapon as they've seen what leverage it gives N.Korea and if so very likely that I Israel will seek to stop them and possible that the US will be drawn into another ME war. Which would makes that Sauds very happy and leave them as the preeminent power in the ME and ironically able to keep spreading the Whabbi message responsible for the actual terrorist attacks against the US and the West.
In the short term don't expect any major moves from Iran as they aren't stupid like Saddam and know America are not their friends and have seen what the US can do to a nation, so lots of ramping-up of attacks on Israel, probably attempts to block the straits, increase in Iraqi actions and even maybe let ISIS alone to cause the US trouble elsewhere(although unlikely this one as they hate them).
All good news for the Trumpette tho' as it's election time and as HQ pointed out there's nothing like a Hollywood view of geopolitics to keep his supporters hapoy that he's actually doing something Yankish around the world. YEEHAW! Although I wonder how popular another war would be in Yankland?

FlashDangerpants wrote: And escalating further with vague threats to target cultural sites is also a new and a bad development. ...

Not that new as exactly the position ISIS takes about such things. Oh Yanks and irony eh! You couldn't make it up and I guess a pretty devastating approach as what cultural sites could be bombed in return?