Israel strikes Iran (Update: US Bombs Iran at #848)

Looks like Trump is going to wait up to 2 weeks to make the decision

 

That might be snark (like the perpetual two weeks when it comes to Russia), but I hope it’s true. Unless there’s a reason to make a fast decision, we should not.

 

He'll make his decision during Infrastructure Week. Right after he releases his health care plan.


(Yes, he's incompetent. That's the joke. We all know by now. )

 

Good podcast on some of the strategic options that the US currents has in this situation:

Locating the Centrifuge

 

It was funnier as post #603

 

Oh well it was good enough for a repeat. I for sure was not going back through 700 post to see if it had been shared.

 

Reality shows thrive on cliffhangers

 

Robert Barnes replies to his friend JD Vance:

 

Let Russia's #1 in the world diplomats work out a deal. They don't want Iran to have nukes either. US prestige has taken a big hit

(Of course Iran may already have nukes)

 

Do you really believe this stuff or are you laughing over how bat guano crazy they are?

 

What seems crazy to you?

 

At this point is there really a good alternative to dropping the bunker busters?

Back when the original deal was negotiated - it always struck me as a choice of do the deal or military attack. The notion that some magical “better deal” was available seemed silly. For better or for worse, we abandoned the deal and Israel has drug us by the nose to this position.

So what are the benefits of waiting? Do we really think another deal is possible and enforceable? Are we hoping the regime falls and we don’t need to?

I’ve been hearing for almost 20 years that Iran getting a bomb is not an option. While I’d rather not get sucked into this, seems kind of inevitable at this point.

 

Russia is the #1 diplomat in the work.

US prestige has taken a huge hit over this war.

Iran might already have a nuclear weapon.

 

Yeah, I don’t know. There was a time a few years ago that I knew a bit more about what was going on with Iran (because I needed to, being in the Middle East), and I was shocked to the core how our civilian government could read the same intelligence and conclude that the right answer was to bend over and give Iran whatever it wanted. I’m no longer in that position, so my day-to-day information on Iran is not much better than yours. On one hand, you might be right. It could be that the Islamic regime is the Lumbergh of international affairs (representing all that is soulless and evil) and the absolute only answer is to destroy that nuclear program ourselves. On the other hand, maybe Israel’s contemptuous backhand was exactly what that filthy regime needed to think to its own survival first and start negotiating with a happy heart. I don’t know because I don’t have the right information. Honestly, maybe no one does. But someone (not you or me) is going to have to make an educated guess based on the best information available. I suppose I would rather that guess not be made in a hurry if doesn’t have to be.

 

Office Space?

 

There's still time. For me, that we did not intervene in the mass killing Israel has accomplished in Gaza, all but looked the other way, is damning.

One would have to think the Israelis know. Don't let those things get away.

 

Iran pretty much gave up the “woe is me” angle with Oct 7th, 2023, didn’t they? And love how people are pointing out Netanyahu has been saying Iran is close to having a bomb for years. As if that means anything…