@StephenFleming Lol. The USA public never cared about civilian casualties. Trump could glass every Iranian urban centers, and the only complaint would be about the effect of this on the US standing.
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benoitlabrecque
4.8K posts
Rescuing that WSO probably saved tens of thousands of Iranian lives.
Because, if not, some mullah would have gotten hold of him, and tortured him, and displayed his tortured body (alive or dead) on TV.
At that point, a switch flips in the American psyche, and we stop being concerned about civilian casualties or collateral damage.
And a Halsey character will emerge to proclaim “the Persian language will be spoken only in Hell.” Maybe under Trump. Maybe after Trump.
(To be clear: I DO NOT WANT this outcome. I like every Iranian I’ve ever met. I want them to have a peaceful, prosperous country. But mass atrocities are one possible path forward, and torturing American prisoners is one way to get there.)
RiverOaksGuy@Bowtiedplayer
Imagine being Iran's leadership right now You once were the feared boogie man of the Middle East. Instead, you get the complete shit kicked out of you for 5 weeks straight, your entire navy sunk, your supreme leader killed, and you FINALLY shoot down 1 plane This is finally your moment. You can parade the pilot on TV and use him as negotiating leverage But instead, Air Force Pararescue puts boots on the ground on your home turf, we basically build a whole patrol base including a Forward Air Refueling Point, kill hundreds of your dudes, something goes wrong with one of the C-130s at the FARP on our way out, we're not even cortisol spiked so we simply just fly in another plane and blow up the old one instead of even bothering to do any maintenance just because of how much money we have that we can simply buy a new plane Good grief. I haven't seen a beatdown this bad since Will Stancil got molested by Grok. This is honestly embarrassing for the IRGC at this point. That was LITERALLY your home territory where you know all the terrain and have home field advantage, we have never done real boots on the ground operations in Iran before, and you still lost. Everyone throw up the set right now
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@T00ManyCommies You want to cut the US military budget to 636 billion dollars?
The GOP want to raise it from 1000 billion to 1500 billion, but pretty much no foreign nation would be sad about a reduction to 636.
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Just spit balling here, but since Congress technically controls the power of treaties, we can't "leave" NATO without approval.
But since defense is Executive Branch, we could recall all troops and equipment, and cut funding to the minimum 2% (or less considering many Euro nations aren't contributing their share).
That's should be sufficient. Also if they need help, tell them no.
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@hahussain @Copernicus2013 @CliffordDMay If a Canada was deliberately letting Russian/Chineese jets go over them to strike targets in the USA, would you consider Canada to be neutral/non-belligerent? Closing airspace to bombing sorties is a basic principle of neutrality.
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@Copernicus2013 @CliffordDMay Correct. Forget the support. But closing airspace and bases and taking Iran's side is something else.
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NATO doesn’t say that each member state must consult with the alliance before engaging in war anywhere.
Common sense says that when a NATO member goes to war, other members don’t give a hand to the other side.
Excuse that Europeans can shut down their airspace or bases to America in wars they disagree with means America can reciprocate by choosing which European wars US decides to stand on the side of Europe or on that of its adversaries.
BTW, Ukraine is not NATO and US involvement in defending it has been common sense. Not helping out in defense has also been a choice that I disagree with, but that doesn’t amount to giving Russia a hand against Ukraine.
NATO’s France, Spain and Islamist Turkey have been active on Islamist Iran’s side. That’s not how military alliances work.
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@BigMoonKR @micyoung75 Do you always expect E-1 personel to personnaly win war they have 0 imput in?
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@benoitlabrecque @micyoung75 right and during his time in charge, has he won anything
has he solved anything
can you point to a single won war in 30 years?
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He sent the email to Hegseth. The man who fired him was one of the recipients.
“Our soldiers are truly the best in the world - they deserve tough training and courageous leaders of character.”
His replacement was Hegseth’s personal military aide. The Pentagon described him as able to carry out the vision “without fault.”
George’s fault, apparently, was refusing to discriminate against officers by race and gender and then asking for a meeting to discuss it. He served thirty-some years. West Point. Desert Storm. Iraq. Afghanistan. Two years early out the door.
The email had a subject line. It said “Thank you.” That’s it.
CBS News@CBSNews
Ousted Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George says U.S. soldiers deserve "courageous leaders of character" in outgoing email cbsn.ws/4slCNIN
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@benoitlabrecque @ISeeUOSINT @Harrisbro777 You wish snowflake. Don't try and speak for everyone. You are not that important.
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@fsufan007 @micyoung75 The guy has a purple hearts, 3 bronze medals, and a bunch of combat medals you wouldn't know. He enlisted thirty years ago has a E-1 and deployed multiple times in every war since. How many E-1 do you know became generals? Do you think all that was just Biden pulling strings?
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@micyoung75 Yeah leaders who care more about merit than DEI bullshit. This guy was nominated by Biden. Tells you everything you need to know.
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@Viperion_OSINT @micyoung75 So... all officers promoted since black people where allowed to become officers?
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The obsession with DEI is probably why Iran is fucking massacring everyone sent in right now. Winning countries never institute total news blackouts on their wars
Every officer promoted during the DEI era needs to be fired immediately regardless of gender or skin color because all of them are clearly and indisputably garbage
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@BigMoonKR @micyoung75 He enlisted has E-1 30 years ago. He rose to four star general and army chief of staff from E-1. He deployed, has a purple heart, multiple bronze stars, and even more combat + commender medals.
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The 4 star general has been in power for what 30 years?
What successes have there been
can he point to anything hes accomplished?
Did he win the iraq war
what exactly did these people actually ACCOMPLISh in the last 30 years
fraud waste and abuse
trump shoudl seize his assets for all the government money hes wasted with his constant failure
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@realJZervos @823jjd @academic_la Targetting water infrastructure and civilian power would mostly kill civilians. The regime would be have some capabilities reduction, but military instalations are less likely to be dependent on the civilian grid and aquaducts than the residential areas.
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Talks between the US and Iran have reached a dead end:
1) Iran has officially informed mediators, a committee led by Pakistan, that it is unwilling to meet with U.S. officials in Islamabad in the coming days.
2) Tehran has rejected the Trump administration's latest proposal, reportedly a 15-point plan or a 48-hour ceasefire, calling the demands "unacceptable" and "one-sided".
3) Iran is seeking a permanent end to the war, reparations, and guarantees against future attacks, while the U.S. has demanded full access to the Strait of Hormuz and the surrender of enriched uranium.
The reasons for this impasse are obvious. Trump believes Iran should surrender because they have been seriously bombed and he plans to escalate. Iran believes Trump is in serious political trouble as a result of the war and will eventually withdraw. Iran is right. Trump is wrong.
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@realJZervos @823jjd @academic_la Pretty sure the target is the broad Iranian populace to punish them for not having changed the regime. Targetting civilian power plants and desalination plants mostly hurt civilians.
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@Jimmyredeemed @ISeeUOSINT @Harrisbro777 And if you had the option of Trump or any democrat in the next election, you would 100% vote Trump again anyways.
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@ISeeUOSINT @Harrisbro777 Trump has not lost any meaningfull support amongst the MAGA/GOP voters in any recent polls. The people who voted him in office do support his actions.
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@Harrisbro777 Yeah only one teeny tiny problem. He ran on no wars. We voted for that not this. Our military is bad ass, our country is bad ass, our president lied.
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@M_S_Billingslea @SecGenNATO What happens to countries that threaten to use military force to annex other members and put sanction?
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I propose these measures as a former NATO Assistant Secretary General. I believe in the value of the Alliance. But I agree that strong reform measures are needed.
@SecGenNATO, please take this on board. These may seem tough, but you may get soon presented with even more severe measures…
@USNATO @USAmbNATO
5/5
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President Trump’s frustration with @NATO nations is understandable. It should be directed at the deadbeats in Western Europe, not at NATO as a whole, & certainly not at our Eastern European allies (who “get it”).
NATO absolutely needs reform. Here are 4 measures that would bring real pressure on free-loading countries without damaging the Alliance as a whole:
🧵1/5
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@LindseyGrahamSC @POTUS Just to confirm, this is an official endorsement of strikes against civilian energy production and desalination plants?
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I just had a great conversation with @POTUS. I totally support his ultimatum to the Iranian regime to open up the Strait of Hormuz and to do a peace deal.
A massive military operation awaits Iran if they choose poorly.
This regime has been severely crippled through Operation Epic Fury. Their reign of terror against the region and the world needs to come to an end, hopefully through a peace deal.
After speaking with President Trump this morning, I am completely convinced that he will use overwhelming military force against the regime if they continue to impede the Strait of Hormuz and refuse a diplomatic solution to achieve our military objectives. If it’s not clear to Iran and others by now that President Trump means what he says then I don’t know when it will ever be.
Choose wisely.
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@marcthiessen Did you protest the USA'S threats of military annexation of NATO territory?
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So many longtime NATO supporters saying the same thing right now. I helped bring Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic into NATO. But denying us basing and overflight is inexcusable, as is their failure to help with Strait of Hormuz. No one asking them to bomb Iran, just let us use our bases and help escort ships. If they can’t do that, NATO has no purpose.
Clifford D. May@CliffordDMay
I'm pro-NATO. But I can't think of a single argument to refute what @MsMelChen says here. Not one. If others can, please weigh in.
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@richardbridd21 @McFaul The US treatened to go to war/annex military Greenland, Canada and the UK, (in order of seriousness and threat level)
You even sanctioned the NATO countries that participated in the effort to bolster Greenland's defences
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@McFaul Except Trump never actually invaded or annexed a NATO country.
But NATO materially acted and sided with the Jihadis that chant death to America while pursuing nuclear ICBMs. NATO is helping our enemies kill us.
How exactly do you overcome this "issue"?
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I regret that some NATO allies are denying us access to our bases in their countries.
I also regret that the US president threatened to invade and annex NATO countries. This ridiculous Trump policy is obviously negatively impacting our national security now.
I hope both of these issues within NATO can be overcome soon.
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@Politics_Matter @McFaul He explicitely said multiple times that he would use military force if he didn't get Greenland and that there was nothing NATO could do about it. He only backed off after NATO troops where mobilised there and upped the country's defenses.
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Except President Trump never did that.
But, I could be wrong. 🤷♂️
Please provide an explicit quote of Trump threatening to invade and annex NATO countries.
All I remember is Trump shrewdly claiming to keep all options on the table as any good businessman would do during negotiations.
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@HalfTangible @FHustede What pack of lies? The US was actively treathening the use of military force to annex Greenland and only backed off after NATO troops where mobilised and defensive mesure where taken to protect the country. Hell, you even sanctioned countries that helped Greenland defenses.
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Wow you really believe that pack of lies?
You ignored us telling you to build up your militaries for decades. Since Eisenhower America has been telling you you needed to step up but no, you don't need America, you have NATO.
You didn't just not help us, you actively helped Iran. A country that just slaughtered its own people by the tens of thousands.
"This is the America Alone you wanted, right?"
America was already on our own, all you did was prove it.
What we wanted was for Europe to stop being freeloading worthless losers and start acting like actual allies. You were, at one point, an entire continent of world powers. But no, you did worse than nothing. You called us traitors because we wanted something in exchange for our help.
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WE DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN UKRAINE. You wanted us there, putting more money than the entire rest of your continent put together.
You don't treat us like an ally, you don't even treat us like a friend, you treat us like a piggy bank and attack dog.
We asked for mineral rights in exchange for our help, you called us traitor. We asked to buy Greenland (for the hundredth time), you called us traitor.
We ask you to do in Iran what we've been doing in Ukraine, you not only say no, but ACTIVELY HELP IRAN who is also btw ACTIVELY HELPING RUSSIA IN UKRAINE
The strait of hormuz benefits YOU, not us!
Radicalizado@radicalizado61
America has made things only worse
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@gummibear737 Did you oppose the US push to use military force to annex Greenland?
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Hey Europe
There are Americans that care deeply about the Trans-Atlantic alliance that is NATO
And we’ve taken our hits in the past for standing up for NATO
And yet we are all in agreement that Europe fucked up big time regarding Iran
100%, no divergence
This is a EU problem
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@KurtSchlichter They had to make preparation against a US invasion, and the US only backed down when European troops had mobilised to defend against it. Pretty sure asking them to deplete their defensive assets at this time for an elective war outside NATO's area is a bit to much right now.
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The Europeans are not dealing with “a man.” They are dealing with the United States of America.
The United States needed the most innocuous kind of cooperation from them. They denied the United States that cooperation.
The implied argument is that their obligations within our alliance depend on whether they like the guy we chose as our president. “Sure, we’re allies…if we approve of who you elected.”
Nope.
We are not going to forget, and we’re not going to forgive. I’m indifferent to their excuses or their rationalizations. The United States of America needed their help and not very much help. They turned us down. That changes everything. And they aren’t going to like how it changes everything.
Gerard Baker@gerardtbaker
The casuistry here is remarkable. This is the simple reality: Like most Americans, most Europeans think this war is a bad idea.Their governments are being asked to take a huge risk by a man who has proved unreliable, volatile and intemperate over and over. Who would do that?
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