Political Posts

[Red Lion]

30 minutes ago, John Hjorth said:

 

That's not really the main point here, @Red Lion,

 

The main point here is, that this move together with Israel is an agressive move, without consent from anyone, while the NATO pact is defensive, only.

 

But that doesen't bother your POTUS one whit. He just continues his *BS* talk, offending  allies further, whose heals just go deaper in the soil! 

 

This Iran / Strait of Hormuth turd is Israels and USAs in combined ownership. Now please own it!

 

It's really funny, that when the talk is about the war in Ukraine, some here still post Europe should really take ownership of that turd. 

 

Was this for me? 

 

I agree with some, but not all of what you're saying, so maybe not. 

 

For example, Israel and USA obviously need to take ownership of the Iran conflict. But Europe, the Middle East, and Asia are all suffering from the Hormuth situation. 

 

IIRC the USA provided a great deal of resources and funding to support Ukraine after Russia's long term invasion was expanded so aggressively, and Europe seems to be doing a great job stepping up to the plate. I think our allies owns the Iran conflict whether they bought in willingly or not. 

 

Lots of people, including myself, dislike POTUS for his personality and personal moral character. However, unless Europe really is ready for divorce, it seems like a symbolic gesture of support would make sense on many levels. 

 

Edit: Also, Israel isn't a member of NATO obviously, but I think it's debatable whether this is an "aggressive" vs. a "defensive" move given Iranian proxies started the war (government sponsored terrorist massacre) with Israel. This is really just semantics. 

 

Edited March 27 by Red Lion

[changegonnacome]

37 minutes ago, cubsfan said:

No actually - I have. You made that point a few years ago - and I thought it was brilliant and correct.

I told you I learned a few thing from you, aside from your love of Mearsheimer...

 

Trouble is: you have a new sheriff in town and a whole new movement in this country.

 

OK....but MAGA is about making a America great?......and what I just described diminishes America's alliance structure....it is ultimately what international relations strategist in Beijing dream about when they go to sleep - an America that is over time losing its regional leverage and influence in Europe and Asia....in great power competitions when your peer competitors absolute leverage and influence is shrinking on a relative basis yours (in this case China's) is increasing even if you do nothing. Donald Trump is aiding and abetting China's rise to peerage.

 

The great irony at the heart of MAGA - is as it pertains to American dominance and influence over the international system over the medium and long term it is doing the opposite of what it says on the tin!

Edited March 27 by changegonnacome

[Viking]

Here is a good (frightening) summary of the war in the Persian Gulf. Let’s hope this guy is wrong… and we wake up Monday morning to a deal. 
 

 

[cubsfan]

1 hour ago, changegonnacome said:

 

OK....but MAGA is about making a America great?......and what I just described diminishes America's alliance structure....it is ultimately what international relations strategist in Beijing dream about when they go to sleep - an America that is over time losing its regional leverage and influence in Europe and Asia....in great power competitions when your peer competitors absolute leverage and influence is shrinking on a relative basis yours (in this case China's) is increasing even if you do nothing. Donald Trump is aiding and abetting China's rise to peerage.

 

The great irony at the heart of MAGA - is as it pertains to American dominance and influence over the international system over the medium and long term it is doing the opposite of what it says on the tin!

 

Yup - the heart of Trump's foreign policy is the large shift back to the hemisphere: stop drug deaths, put pressure the failed narco states (Mexico, etc), pressure the China/Russia influence (Cuba, Venezuela).  Get them to take care of their own populations instead of "exporting their poor" and drugs to the United States. All we have been to Mexico is a release valve for revolution: that government is corrupt and needs to get rid of unhappy/poor citizens - destination, flood the USA. Maduro in Venezuela pushed his luck: emptied his jails, enriched himself with drugs destined for the US, and welcomed the Chinese into the hemisphere.

 

That shit is over as long as Trump is around. We can't and won't do it all. Europe will have to invest in themselves and their protection.  The US will have enough left for China as long as we take care of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, etc.

 

So I totally get your point.

[cubsfan]

Damn - that Tiger is one crazy driver. I've never been in a rollover - what's this ,,, his 3rd?!?

[changegonnacome]

2 minutes ago, cubsfan said:

Yup - the heart of Trump's foreign policy is the large shift back to the hemisphere: stop drug deaths, put pressure the failed narco states (Mexico, etc), pressure the China/Russia influence (Cuba, Venezuela).  Get them to take care of their own populations instead of "exporting their poor" and drugs to the United States. All we have been to Mexico is a release valve for revolution: that government is corrupt and needs to get rid of unhappy/poor citizens - destination, flood the USA. Maduro in Venezuela pushed his luck: emptied his jails, enriched himself with drugs destined for the US, and welcomed the Chinese into the hemisphere.

 

That shit is over as long as Trump is around. We can't and won't do it all. Europe will have to invest in themselves and their protection.  The US will have enough left for China as long as we take care of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, etc.

 

So I totally get your point.

 

Ok @cubsfan I know your position - but what you've articulated is really a diminished America as it pertains to its global position......your thesis rests on the idea that a diminished global America will result in a more prosperous, safer America from a domestic constituents standpoint. I strongly disagree but you can tell a plausible story around this.

 

The more plausible story IMO is that the MAGA people who hold this view completely underestimated the dividend or royalty that accrues to America from its elevated position in the global system where it rights the rules, calls the shots and to give that up is lunacy that will result in things deteriorating for domestic constituents over time as a result.

 

Thats my point and we'll find out the answer measured in decades not days on this question.

[cubsfan]

2 minutes ago, changegonnacome said:

 

Ok @cubsfan I know your position - but what you've articulated is really a diminished America as it pertains to its global position......your thesis rests on the idea that a diminished global America will result in a more prosperous, safer America from a domestic constituents standpoint. I strongly disagree but you can tell a plausible story around this.

 

The more plausible story IMO is that the MAGA people who hold this view completely underestimated the dividend or royalty that accrues to America from its elevated position in the global system where it rights the rules, calls the shots and to give that up is lunacy that will result in things deteriorating for domestic constituents over time as a result.

 

Thats my point and we'll find out the answer measured in decades not days on this question.

 

You got it Brother!

 

We'll revisit after the thrashing dished out to Iran.

 

[Gregmal]

2 minutes ago, dealraker said:

why in living hell do any of us think Trump is going to make us rich or have some outrageous success in any form?

LOL who actually thinks this? 

 

It does remind me of this;

 

 

 

AAAAAND....

 

 

 

[Parsad]

10 minutes ago, cubsfan said:

Damn - that Tiger is one crazy driver. I've never been in a rollover - what's this ,,, his 3rd?!?

 

LOL! 

 

Well, the first one he had a golf club flying through the window as he was driving off...courtesy of his pissed off, cheated on wife.  Second one, he took the turn at nearly double the speed limit.  No idea what happened on this one.

 

But yeah, I've never had 3 car accidents or fender benders, let alone three rollovers in 40 years of driving! 

 

There was some talk that if he never picked up golf, he could have been a good quarterback...apparently he can really throw the ball.  I would imagine the outcome would not have been as one of the greatest golfers of all time, but like Mark Sanchez running into the butt of his offensive lineman, fumbling the ball, and ending up in jail for stabbing someone! 

 

Cheers! 

[Hektor]

2 hours ago, Viking said:

Iran is going to exact a very high price (in terms of concessions) to end the war.

[changegonnacome]

26 minutes ago, Viking said:

Here is a good (frightening) summary of the war in the Persian Gulf. Let’s hope this guy is wrong… and we wake up Monday morning to a deal. 
 

 

He is right in two respects for sure - the first is that it would be complete lunacy and send the globe including the United States into an economic recession if Trump hit Iran's energy infrastructure and they in response destroyed the regions energy and water infrastructure which is what would happen creating a regional exodus that would send the M.E. back to being just a desert.

 

Trump threat of this with the attendant deadline (48 hours, then five days and now 10 days ) is complete nonsense as evidenced by how many times he's moved it now....its the Russia 'epic' sanctions to come all over again, remember them?......which also tells you that he has no really good options to escalate here.

 

Which is where Mearshiemar is right on the second point - boots on the ground is a terrible option requiring way more troops than even on boats right now, while carrying out his energy infrastructure threat is a terrible option doomed to result in global economic shock that will send the US budget deficit into double digits, the globe into recession so its also terrible option.....when your faced as Trump is with such terrible escalatory options with terrible negative outcomes for you.....its generally accepted that your opponent has achieved escalation dominance over you which isnt the same as winning but does mean that you now need to deal with the opponent not as defeated party (even though you've beaten the hell out of them) but rather as a party that now has chips to trade.

 

The confusion in MAGA right now - is that you can destroy a countries leadership and military infrastructure so completely only to find out that they still have chips to trade at the negotiating table......cause MAGA never heard of escalation dominance theory I guess and they dont realize that Trump has escalated to the point of diminishing returns here and to move further up the escalation ladder has high probabilities of terrible outcomes for our side.

[Hektor]

2 hours ago, Parsad said:

Israel has no foot to stand on if the U.S. stops selling them weapons or restricts use of the missile shield. 

+1. Or, if the carrier is not sent to the Mediterranean.

[John Hjorth]

2 hours ago, Red Lion said:

Was this for me? 

 

I agree with some, but not all of what you're saying, so maybe not. 

 

For example, Israel and USA obviously need to take ownership of the Iran conflict. But Europe, the Middle East, and Asia are all suffering from the Hormuth situation. 

 

IIRC the USA provided a great deal of resources and funding to support Ukraine after Russia's long term invasion was expanded so aggressively, and Europe seems to be doing a great job stepping up to the plate. I think our allies owns the Iran conflict whether they bought in willingly or not. 

 

Lots of people, including myself, dislike POTUS for his personality and personal moral character. However, unless Europe really is ready for divorce, it seems like a symbolic gesture of support would make sense on many levels. 

 

Edit: Also, Israel isn't a member of NATO obviously, but I think it's debatable whether this is an "aggressive" vs. a "defensive" move given Iranian proxies started the war (government sponsored terrorist massacre) with Israel. This is really just semantics. 

 

Yes, in seriousness, it was adressed towards you, @Red Lion,

 

To get the mindset of smaller states, I would refer you to Mark Carneys last speech at Davos :

 

TouTube - World Economic Forum [January 21 2026] :  Special Address by Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada | World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026

 

 

 

- - - o 0 o - - -

 

If the three major thugs in the world : POTUS, Vladimir Putin & Xi Jinping don't obey and adher to international law and respect the independence, sovereignty and integrity of smaller countries, where does that bring the planet going forwards?

 

- - - o 0 o - - -

 

I especially note one CofB&F member talking about victories in the Middle East, after 'a fast victory' in Venezuela, likely 'next Cuba', another other time a CofB&F adressing Europeans in general 'f*ck'em' [- no CofB&F sanctions! - mind you!], and when seriously adressed the reaction is 'We're just having some fun here.' And even later that CofB&F member later on another subject posted : 

 

Quote

... Treat others the way you want to be treated is a primer. Treat them how they treat you afterwards is the way to go. ...

 

, all while POTUS has become a turncoat on the 'Ukraine thingy', now turning it opportuniscally into a business opportunity for the US military industrial complex, making USA an opportunistic arms dealer.

 

To that you can add the 'Greenland thingy' and POTUS' earlier talk about 'Canada being the next state in USA'.

 

Please also see and read Erics [ @cwericbs ] last post in this topic, upstream.

Edited March 27 by John Hjorth

[cubsfan]

Big day for US and Israel today in Iran.

 

Nuclear plant destroyed and several more IRGC leaders killed.  Rest assured - Iran is in total control!

 

 

[DooDiligence]

The most incompetent administration ever.

 

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/doj-confirms-fbi-director-kash-patels-personal-email-was-hacked/

 

but, but, but, her emails...

 

[SharperDingaan]

Think I found some of the members of the COBF 

Favourites are Walter, and Achmed the Dead Terrorist.

 

https://ca.video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-fc-5918_3&ei=UTF-8&hsimp=yhs-5918_3&hspart=fc&param1=7&param2=eJwtjstqwzAURH9FywQk%2BV5bkqVoFTfNB5SuKrRQHNURfmI7uPTri0uYzcCcgdOku7P%2B44IAUpbKUT846wWAcNTvk6O%2BdtYbYxz1aXLWYym41hyF4SU46ps4Ouvr4Kh%2FBmd9P%2F6mrguZ5EAOWxru47aQYSUIHCzZ0qCEJT9KHEmYpi5u8damNZNFyQtFDu1j7TtKutRG0sS6HY%2BkfsxjHzMUisMesoTvMKfXZdda0kv1ucT5v78VQsp3DQxAVQzxiszoa8E0XtRZF1idVbXz9Q7nkCsGOYP8E80JyxMonmv4%2BgMi31GY&p=walter+from+jeff+dunham&type=fc_A0DBACA6D59_s69_g_e_d_n4004_c999#action=view&id=34&vid=5721e536f105007f4e1db18bb58a0574

 

Enjoy!

 

SD

 

[Gregmal]

  
 

 

 

[RichardGibbons]

2 hours ago, changegonnacome said:

 

He is right in two respects for sure - the first is that it would be complete lunacy and send the globe including the United States into an economic recession if Trump hit Iran's energy infrastructure and they in response destroyed the regions energy and water infrastructure which is what would happen creating a regional exodus that would send the M.E. back to being just a desert.

 

Trump threat of this with the attendant deadline (48 hours, then five days and now 10 days ) is complete nonsense as evidenced by how many times he's moved it now....its the Russia 'epic' sanctions to come all over again, remember them?......which also tells you that he has no really good options to escalate here.

 

Which is where Mearshiemar is right on the second point - boots on the ground is a terrible option requiring way more troops than even on boats right now, while carrying out his energy infrastructure threat is a terrible option doomed to result in global economic shock that will send the US budget deficit into double digits, the globe into recession so its also terrible option.....when your faced as Trump is with such terrible escalatory options with terrible negative outcomes for you.....its generally accepted that your opponent has achieved escalation dominance over you which isnt the same as winning but does mean that you now need to deal with the opponent not as defeated party (even though you've beaten the hell out of them) but rather as a party that now has chips to trade.

 

The confusion in MAGA right now - is that you can destroy a countries leadership and military infrastructure so completely only to find out that they still have chips to trade at the negotiating table......cause MAGA never heard of escalation dominance theory I guess and they dont realize that Trump has escalated to the point of diminishing returns here and to move further up the escalation ladder has high probabilities of terrible outcomes for our side.

 

This is interesting analysis that seemed pretty plausible to me. It really makes me wonder what the optimal play for the USA is, at this point, because it's very unclear to me what I'd do if I were in charge. What are the major alternatives? Boots on the ground, give up while declaring victory, or just an indefinite holding pattern of comparatively minor violence from both sides?

[DooDiligence]

The MyPillow guy is a tough act to follow but Schlapp did a pretty good job.

 

 

[cubsfan]

47 minutes ago, Gregmal said:

  
 

 

 

 

that's awesome!

[cubsfan]

Those pesky Israelis keep screwing up Iran's plans to keep SOH shut - bummer!

 

 

 

[cubsfan]

And now our Nukes!  Come on guys, we're negotiating in good faith!

 

 

 

[cubsfan]

You can't kill him - he's going to mine the SOH!

No fair...

 

 

 

[Spekulatius]

On 3/25/2026 at 9:35 PM, Parsad said:

 

I'm not MI6...but I don't see either side having any significant advantage here where negotiated settlement isn't in the best interest of all parties concerned.  And if it does escalate, then I actually think the Iranian regime is at the disadvantage because it will be the end of them.  The U.S. will suffer...but it will certainly be the end of the theocracy as we know it.  Cheers!
 

https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/25/politics/iran-kharg-island-us-military-ground-troops

You have to look at this from an individual point of view not the national collective. There are Ayatollahs , IRGC,  Trump, Maga, Netanyahu . Each of these parties will do what is best for them,  not necessarily what best for the county, much less the rest of the world.

The Ayatollah and IRGC fight for their survival. Netanyahu needs war for his political survival (imo). 

Edited March 28 by Spekulatius

[Parsad]

3 hours ago, Spekulatius said:

You have to look at this from an individual point of view not the national collective. There are Ayatollahs , IRGC,  Trump, Maga, Netanyahu . Each of these parties will do what is best for them,  not necessarily what best for the county, much less the rest of the world.

The Ayatollah and IRGC fight for their survival. Netanyahu needs war for his political survival (imo). 

 

Sure, but the 800 lb bear is the U.S. and Trump.  We all know Trump is a self-serving glutton on the scale of Jabba The Hut!  He's going to do what he needs to for self-preservation...and neither the IRGC, Bibi, nor any MAGA acolyte turncoat is going to change that.  He enjoys his life more than anything else and no one is going to take that away from him.  Cheers!