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Barry's avatar

It’s almost as if someone is trying to blow everything up so….he can impose martial law? I don’t put it past him. I don’t even rule out him using nukes on Iran. This has reached a point where he should be removed in a straitjacket and put in a rubber room. I can’t believe this unhinged behavior is being tolerated.

Patricia Kushner's avatar

Yes, oh, please, get the straight jackets ready, they are urgently needed now! No time to waste! The Trump regime is not only destroying our democracy, but are a threat to the whole world!

Jay Wilson's avatar

There’s a dark irony how one war now helps finance another: the Iran war is driving oil prices up, sending more petro-dollars to Putin to fuel Russia’s war in Ukraine --while Moscow helps Iran with intelligence to target US bases in the region, the US is diverting expensive defensive missiles from Ukraine to defend our Middle East assets.

Bottom line: our sworn enemy Russia is the real winner with higher oil prices. Our supposed friend Ukraine is hung out to dry.

The ironic kicker: Zelensky is now offering its innovative and cheap anti-drone technology to the US to help defend U.S. interests against Iran’s drones:

https://jaywilson1.substack.com/p/zelensky-and-flying-lawnmowers?r=10sd39

Jack McGowan's avatar

It’s like an M.C. Escher nightmare.

Susan Linehan's avatar

Timothy Snyder today mulls the disturbing idea that trump (or his minions) WANT terrorist attacks on US soil to kill people, to give him the "ammo" to stop the elections. He doesn't seem to get the idea that if elections are stopped, there will be NO CONGRESS. Or maybe he does.

The Constitution is clear about the length of a Congressional Term. No way to change it. Of course, any state that chooses to simply IGNORE a "cancellation of elections" and hold them anyway will in fact have elected representatives and on January 3 can choose a speaker to swear them in. Shame if only the blue states told trump to fk off.

Julie Bannerman's avatar

This has occurred to me as well. It’s a recognized tactic for aspiring tyrants. The oft-cited example: Nazis burned down the Reichstag, claimed it was the work of their enemies, and used the disaster to consolidate emergency powers.

Another scenario: Trump coup architects stage an attempted Trump assassination, blame Iran, and declare a national emergency to suspend elections. Nothing seems crazy anymore.

Susan Linehan's avatar

That wouldn’t surprise me. Wouldn’t it be fun if it actually succeeded in what it thought would be a staged effort. Somehow I don’t think Americans would find this as unifying as they did 9/11.

Cheryl Doran Girard's avatar

With unemployment increasing as seen in February’s layoffs of 92K* and estimated layoffs* before the initiation of “the war,” I wonder what the future job market will be like for the folks graduating in June or will it even be relevant if Trump et al activate the draft to supplement ground troops that would be sent in to capture uranium/materials. “Bombing the Hell” doesn’t accomplish that physical task but employment of soldiers would mask actual job employment stats.

Bibi, however, may consider those materials his spoils of war, I suppose. That scenario would also give Trump and Hegseth the opportunity to cosplay Douglas MacArthur gold braid included.

One’s brain is beginning to spend far too much time running down rabbit holes.

*Reuters

Vi Mooberry's avatar

Can it get any worse? Yes, Virginia, it can and will until this monster administration is reined in by a feckless group of elected leaders in D.C. . Dexter Filkins wrote a book entitled The Forever War in 2008 which chronicles his work as a NY Times correspondent covering the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. I think of it often in these days when so many in Congress refuse to use the word , war. It was then, it is now, and it will be forever until we rise to stop it and the waste of our tax dollars, human lives, and the dangers to our entire. world it represents.

Karen Rehne's avatar

Exactly Kelly! This Congress under Johnson and the Senate under Thune APPROVED The War Powers Act!!!! Allowing this debacle to continue!

When all of this is over; if we are still functioning as a Country, all of the GOP sans Rand Paul but including Fetterman MUST BE CHARGED for dereliction of duty or Treason what ever is appropriate.

WHY CANT HE BE IMPEACHED at the very least….The Orange Menace..

Stephanie James's avatar

Can you say, "Appetitive Aggression" boys and girls?

Julie Bannerman's avatar

I suspect Trump and Bibi will leave much of Iran in rubble and declare victory. A failed state is likely good enough for Netanyahu. It’s all but certain Trump and his inner circle will again use American resources and power to enrich themselves from the ruins.  The Iranian people? The survivors will suffer continued tyranny or the daily terror of a failed state.

Another likely outcome: hatred of the U.S. and Israel will increase among regional populations and their global sympathizers, adding to the risk of random acts of terror.

With unfathomable levels of U.S. national debt - even without a $1B a day war; an oligarchic ruling class opposed to democracy and scornful of the “common good”; federal government run by incompetents and criminals; and declining opportunities for incomes adequate to pay basic living expenses, many ordinary Americans are set up for a fall with no margin to avoid it.

Kaki Hunter's avatar

Heck. I suppose global chaos is the motive. It don’t matter how or to whom. It does seem that T has it out for China. First by confiscating Venezuela (oil that China was invested in) then when China switched to Iranian oil, guess who was next in line? T and Israel want control of both the western and eastern hemispheres. At any cost. Sigh. Insanity has its own logic even if it means self destruction. I’m counting on evil doer’s incompetence and a global awakening of divine wokeism. Pray like a Hopi.

Michele's avatar

What I am reading is that we are not hearing the truth about how the war is going from nearly anybody. Things are much worse in the area than we are being told. Infrastructure, both military and civilian, takes a long time (and money) to build and very little to destroy. And can they even look at a map of Iran. Large country, difficult terrain. Death star and the drunk need to be in a padded cell with video games and let some responsible people run the world. I cannot even get my head around how awful this is and how much it will take to even start repairing anything.

PAUL WISKEN's avatar

The price of diesel fuel has increased in my area from £1.43 per litre to £1.59 per litre in a week. And we Brits aren’t even in this stupid war.

Current price converts to $6.99 per gallon, up from $6.29.

Kelly's avatar

Look what Israel did to Palestine. Now it’s Iran and Trump joins in. Why can’t he be impeached? Why do republicans think this okay?

Jack's avatar

Paul Krugman has been warning about the potential for stagflation for at least six months.

https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-economics-of-stagflation-part

I thought that Trumps ineptitude might enable WW3, but I didn't think he'd go out and start it himself. My bad.