When this war started, honestly I thought Iran would win. But by 'win' I meant that the regime would remain, the Strait would reopen, and things would slowly return to much like they were before. But Iran really has won. If they had militarily defeated the US, they would not have gotten a better deal.
Uh, no. Vietnam has it beat. We're still suffering from that. Killing a million Vietnamese carries an awful lot of very bad karma. Imagine a USA that didn't intervene there. It's hard because things would be soooo different. Use your imagination.
Vietnam was 12 years. It was a very drawn out war, and we put up one helluvua fight. Hell, even after we pulled out, the SVA had solid capabilities. We won battles. And we also had foreign and localized support.
Iran just kicked our asses at every single turn. They hit 288 targets at US installations within 72 hours.
For Cheeto the most despicable word in the English language is "loser". For a malignant narcissist there can be no defeat. Pure and simple the psychopath always wins. If it weren't for the economic pressures coming from his billionaire cronies in the oil industry and more broadly the energy sector, Cheeto would have manufactured reasons to carry out this war out interminably.
But alas, Nature always catches up with psychopaths eventually. The governing laws of human behavior are inextricably tied to forces beyond human control and Cheeto is as good as a cooked turkey for Thanksgiving.
Nonetheless the Cheets will find some way to creatively make it so he doesn't appear to be the loser that he is. For every self respecting malignant narcissist there has to be a way out of this conundrum. Blame as WE the People have seen is the most common highway but in some spin there will the obvious lies that all his objectives have been met so in stretching truth to meaningless meanderings is a good way for Fox or Stephen Smith and Bill Maher to give him an off ramp.
But this sad hunk of human protoplasm is still just a demented psychopathic loser.
Anything that suspends active hostilities is good. But your analysis is spot on, this is a surrender in a war that is: 1) a war of choice: not plainly forced by immediate necessity; 2) illegal or legally rotten: at minimum deeply vulnerable under both international and constitutional war-powers analysis; 3) strategically foolish: it did almost nothing to solve the nuclear problem; 4) diplomatically humiliating: the U.S. appears to trade real leverage for Iranian promises and procedural fog; 5) morally obscene: the dead do not come back because someone later signs an MOU in clean rooms.
So you didn't like Obama's deal. What did you want instead? I'm guessing war since I don't see a third alternative. And, please, no silly call for a better deal. I assume that, unlike the MAGA morons, you don't think Obama wanted to surrender. He was after the best deal he could get. So what's your alternative?
Gary, don't mistake this for an anti-zionist perspective, but you are being far too forgiving to Israel's role in seducing Trump into thinking a long-range strike campaign could compel Iran into regime change.
I don't think you can talk about the Iran failure without acknowledging that Bibi led an operation months earlier called "Rising Lion" that was tailor made to tempt Trump into directly attacking Iran.
Can't wait for the 3rd Iran War after the midterms. Trump will seek revenge.
Neither Hamas nor Hezbolah would have been created if it weren’t for the apartheid treatment of the Palestinians, the penetrating developments into the West Bank and the creation of the largest internment camp Gaza.
This is what happens when a country starts a war without any notion of what it hopes to accomplish. We can’t defeat Iran without an expanding an already unpopular war. All we can do is beg for peace and hope no one realizes how badly we lost.
"I can Lose a War way faster than Sleepy Joe or Barack HUSSEIN Obama! Nobody can Lose a War faster than me! It took four presidents 15 Years to lose the Vietnam War -- I lost mine in 15 WEEKS!! Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT."
So, that’s the Art of the Deal.
As you mentioned and I have written in other notes, it’s the $300 Billion grift that worries me the most.
I see that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will be more than happy to distribute and facilitate the money for the interest of the Trump family.
The GCC has to know this? Right?
They’re looking for ways to profit now, I’m sure. But the Khomeini-ists are so hostile they might find it hard.
When this war started, honestly I thought Iran would win. But by 'win' I meant that the regime would remain, the Strait would reopen, and things would slowly return to much like they were before. But Iran really has won. If they had militarily defeated the US, they would not have gotten a better deal.
The worst defeat in US military history, bar none.
Uh, no. Vietnam has it beat. We're still suffering from that. Killing a million Vietnamese carries an awful lot of very bad karma. Imagine a USA that didn't intervene there. It's hard because things would be soooo different. Use your imagination.
Vietnam was 12 years. It was a very drawn out war, and we put up one helluvua fight. Hell, even after we pulled out, the SVA had solid capabilities. We won battles. And we also had foreign and localized support.
Iran just kicked our asses at every single turn. They hit 288 targets at US installations within 72 hours.
"We put up a helluva fight". I'm sorry I find your comment to be obscene. Go away. Far, far away.
Cool.
Cheeto Is A Loser
For Cheeto the most despicable word in the English language is "loser". For a malignant narcissist there can be no defeat. Pure and simple the psychopath always wins. If it weren't for the economic pressures coming from his billionaire cronies in the oil industry and more broadly the energy sector, Cheeto would have manufactured reasons to carry out this war out interminably.
But alas, Nature always catches up with psychopaths eventually. The governing laws of human behavior are inextricably tied to forces beyond human control and Cheeto is as good as a cooked turkey for Thanksgiving.
Nonetheless the Cheets will find some way to creatively make it so he doesn't appear to be the loser that he is. For every self respecting malignant narcissist there has to be a way out of this conundrum. Blame as WE the People have seen is the most common highway but in some spin there will the obvious lies that all his objectives have been met so in stretching truth to meaningless meanderings is a good way for Fox or Stephen Smith and Bill Maher to give him an off ramp.
But this sad hunk of human protoplasm is still just a demented psychopathic loser.
The world’s greatest negotiator has done it again!
Spot on Garry. Great analysis as always. Abrazo from Buenos Aires.
Anything that suspends active hostilities is good. But your analysis is spot on, this is a surrender in a war that is: 1) a war of choice: not plainly forced by immediate necessity; 2) illegal or legally rotten: at minimum deeply vulnerable under both international and constitutional war-powers analysis; 3) strategically foolish: it did almost nothing to solve the nuclear problem; 4) diplomatically humiliating: the U.S. appears to trade real leverage for Iranian promises and procedural fog; 5) morally obscene: the dead do not come back because someone later signs an MOU in clean rooms.
So you didn't like Obama's deal. What did you want instead? I'm guessing war since I don't see a third alternative. And, please, no silly call for a better deal. I assume that, unlike the MAGA morons, you don't think Obama wanted to surrender. He was after the best deal he could get. So what's your alternative?
Astronomical sums are bandied about while the citizens of both countries exist in relative states of penury. Sounds about right.
In hindsight, Iran is lucky they failed to kill Trump. Would've cost them hundreds of billions of dollars.
Gary, don't mistake this for an anti-zionist perspective, but you are being far too forgiving to Israel's role in seducing Trump into thinking a long-range strike campaign could compel Iran into regime change.
I don't think you can talk about the Iran failure without acknowledging that Bibi led an operation months earlier called "Rising Lion" that was tailor made to tempt Trump into directly attacking Iran.
Can't wait for the 3rd Iran War after the midterms. Trump will seek revenge.
Neither Hamas nor Hezbolah would have been created if it weren’t for the apartheid treatment of the Palestinians, the penetrating developments into the West Bank and the creation of the largest internment camp Gaza.
There are always two sides to a story.
This is what happens when a country starts a war without any notion of what it hopes to accomplish. We can’t defeat Iran without an expanding an already unpopular war. All we can do is beg for peace and hope no one realizes how badly we lost.
"I can Lose a War way faster than Sleepy Joe or Barack HUSSEIN Obama! Nobody can Lose a War faster than me! It took four presidents 15 Years to lose the Vietnam War -- I lost mine in 15 WEEKS!! Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT."
Tell us what you really think.
Israel been bombing Lebanon before 2023.... come on