Boots on the ground or TACO as usual?

  • purpleworm [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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    29 days ago

    I struggle to imagine it happening because it would be a catastrophe like the US has never known. If those in charge have even the small modicum of sense they sometimes demonstrate, they’ll find some bullshit way to declare victory and then stop attacking. Otherwise, JDPON Don is real.

    • Beaver [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      29 days ago

      It’s a dreamlike feeling, to be a layperson, and see people make decisions that are so obviously going to lead to a huge disaster. You even start to doubt yourself sometime. But they really are going to do it, and it really is going to be a huge fucking disaster.

    • Assian_Candor [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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      29 days ago

      Thing is they can’t look weak. They NEED to win. An L here basically completely destroys the myth of global American power projection.

      The only way to reopen the strait is by force, and it can’t be done through the air.

      • LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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        29 days ago

        An L here basically completely destroys the myth of global American power projection.

        I mean, it does and it doesn’t, because it’s a somewhat unique situation due to Iran’s geography

        Like any other country (other than Russia or China) they’d be able to just keep bombing forever. But woops they chose to antagonize the country that can press the off switch to global civilization, which is also built like a fortress thanks to its topography

        • Lussy [he/him, des/pair]@hexbear.net
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          29 days ago

          One thing that can’t be underestimated is the sheer strength of American soft power and their quite literal power projection through rhetoric and culture, and Trump is the cream of that crop at creating narratives and bending reality to the country’s will. I honestly do see a way America just decides to abandon the middle east, declares victory with all evidence pointing to the contrary, while everyone follows along for at least another 20 Years

      • Chana [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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        29 days ago

        I think Trump’s best opportunity to save face is to wait for Iran to destroy all of its current targets, they cool down on their own once a sense of strategic secturity is accomplished, and then Trump characterizes this as winning a deal.

        Israel and military types that love those US bases are the main things standing in the way of this.

      • purpleworm [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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        29 days ago

        But can’t they just do a terror attack, get some fake concession (like Iran “acquiescing to opening the strait,” but it’s just because the US has stopped attacking) and declare victory?

          • purpleworm [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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            29 days ago

            Maybe I’m misunderstanding something, but I thought the main point of the strait closure was to put pressure on the US and Israel to stop with their aggression, so if they do stop with their aggression, the strait can be opened again. Of course, Iran would not agree to characterizing it as a concession, but the western media establishment can just claim that it’s Iran lying to save face when really it’s the west doing so.

            • KobaCumTribute [she/her]@hexbear.net
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              29 days ago

              At this point Iran’s demands are for a complete US withdrawal from the region, because they have object permanence and know that an agreement to simply stop the active conflict is inherently temporary and will be broken again essentially at random.

            • Tabitha ☢️[she/her]@hexbear.net
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              29 days ago

              Iran’s cost benefit ratio is like 1:100, nobody is going to stop blowing up US military equipment when you have an opportunity like that, plus everything they destroy now can’t be used in the next air strike or ground invasion or naval blockade. Also the US lies so the next ceasefire is probably an assassination attempt anyways.