Political Posts

[Spekulatius]

1 hour ago, Parsad said:

 

That was Trump's ruse/lie to justify his attack...everyone knows that Iran wasn't close to having a nuke.  But they certainly are doing a hell of a lot more than just developing energy by enriching at much higher levels than necessary.  

 

So, no we can't put nuclear weapons to bed with Iran or other countries aspiring to have nukes...or the other erratic countries in the Middle East and elsewhere that have nukes already!  Cheers!

Yes, but what are we going to do about it? The Saudi’s is going to acquire nukes form Pakistan fairly soon, imo. Others to follow. The Pakistan - Saudi alliance is probably mainly about deterring against Iran. For now…

 

What does Ukraine , Iran, Venezuela, North Korea tell us? Countries without nukes are prey…

Edited April 15 by Spekulatius

[ourkid8]

15 minutes ago, lnofeisone said:

The image you are referencing came from a known source that produces false information. This very same image has been picked up by multiple bots and spread all over Twitter.

 

1) I can go as far as to tell you that this patch was AI-generated and can show you the original patch that was used to make it.

2) Can you back up your claim -  "some of their soldiers" - and show 5 or 6 examples of soldiers wearing this patch in the wild?

 

I suspect your outrage is as manufactured as this patch is, and your objectivity towards Israel and Israeli/Palestinian conflict is very much compromised. 

The “Greater Israel” patches on IDF soldiers aren’t a single AI image — they’re a documented pattern.

Yes, some versions circulating online are low-quality or edited. But the IDF has had to repeatedly ban unofficial ideological patches because soldiers (especially in religious-nationalist units) keep wearing them. These show the full “Eretz Yisrael” map stretching from the river to the sea and beyond.

 

They’re not standard issue, but they exist in the wild. The IDF itself has issued orders against them multiple times.

This isn’t manufactured outrage. When soldiers wear patches advertising biblical-scale expansion while ministers in the government talk openly about annexation, people are going to notice and ask questions.

Show me the “original patch” if you want — I’m open to evidence. But pretending every photo is fake while ignoring the actual expansionist rhetoric and settlement policy inside Israel isn’t credible.

 

Both sides have extremists. Let’s not pretend only one does.

[lnofeisone]

5 minutes ago, ourkid8 said:

The “Greater Israel” patches on IDF soldiers aren’t a single AI image — they’re a documented pattern.

Yes, some versions circulating online are low-quality or edited. But the IDF has had to repeatedly ban unofficial ideological patches because soldiers (especially in religious-nationalist units) keep wearing them. These show the full “Eretz Yisrael” map stretching from the river to the sea and beyond.

 

They’re not standard issue, but they exist in the wild. The IDF itself has issued orders against them multiple times.

This isn’t manufactured outrage. When soldiers wear patches advertising biblical-scale expansion while ministers in the government talk openly about annexation, people are going to notice and ask questions.

Show me the “original patch” if you want — I’m open to evidence. But pretending every photo is fake while ignoring the actual expansionist rhetoric and settlement policy inside Israel isn’t credible.

 

Both sides have extremists. Let’s not pretend only one does.

Show me another example of soldiers wearing this patch? Show me the IDF order against this patch?

 

The very photo you pasted as your argument is fake. Seriously, Google it yourself. It's the same image over and over again. While searching for these images, watch closely and you will actually stumble on the original image.

 

You are clearly biased against the state of Israel. So much so that you will believe unverified and take information. While I'm pro-Israel, I can fully admit that what Israel does at times is absolutely dumb. This patch invention is 100% pro-palestinian activity, a Photoshop job. 

[ourkid8]

51 minutes ago, lnofeisone said:

Show me another example of soldiers wearing this patch? Show me the IDF order against this patch?

 

The very photo you pasted as your argument is fake. Seriously, Google it yourself. It's the same image over and over again. While searching for these images, watch closely and you will actually stumble on the original image.

 

You are clearly biased against the state of Israel. So much so that you will believe unverified and take information. While I'm pro-Israel, I can fully admit that what Israel does at times is absolutely dumb. This patch invention is 100% pro-palestinian activity, a Photoshop job. 

 

IDF new dress code :
 

"Patches - The IDF only approves three types: Israeli flag, name tag, and unit insignia. Beyond these three, IDF soldiers will not be permitted to attach any other type of patch to their uniforms.

 

Would you also like to see pictures of senior Israelis officials holding signs in support of the greater Israel project? Those are also widely available. 

 

https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/idf-new-dress-code

Edited April 15 by ourkid8

[Parsad]

1 hour ago, ourkid8 said:

 

Israel’s Nuclear Status Should Concern Every One of Us

 

Israel is the only nuclear-armed country in the Middle East, with an estimated 80–90 warheads. It has never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and remains completely outside the global nuclear control system.

It has repeatedly defied IAEA calls and multiple UN resolutions demanding that it place its nuclear facilities under international safeguards and inspections. This defiance has continued for decades, including ignoring specific UN Security Council resolutions calling for transparency.

On top of that, Israel maintains the Samson Option — its alleged doctrine of massive nuclear retaliation if the state’s existence is ever threatened. Named after the biblical figure who pulled down the temple on himself and his enemies, it’s basically a “if we go down, we take everyone with us” doomsday policy.

This should concern everyone. 

 

An undeclared nuclear power that refuses all transparency, ignores international resolutions, operates with zero IAEA oversight, and holds a built-in “destroy the region” last resort option — all in one of the most volatile parts of the world. No accountability. No inspections. No guardrails.

This isn’t a minor policy detail. This is one of the most dangerous blind spots in global security. A nuclear-armed state with a Samson mindset and total opacity creates enormous escalation risks if any major war breaks out.

To me, this is legitimately one of the largest long-term threats to global stability. The world quietly accepts it because… well, it’s Israel. But that doesn’t make it safe.

 

What do you think? Should any country get a permanent free pass on nuclear weapons and zero transparency? @Parsad

 

You talk about Israel as if they are a self-destructive nation only interested in destroying their enemies.  Yet, in all this time where they've had nukes, they've never actually said that they want to see the genocide of any single group.  Yet, we've heard the call for the genocide of Israel or Jews numerous times in the last 50 years, let alone the last 100 years!  

 

Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, the Regime was using human shields to protect military and infrastructure sites.  They killed thousands of their OWN citizens.  They've used the Strait as an economic "Samson Option".  If they had nukes, Iran would have already fired them at Israel.

 

So, I'm far less concerned with Israel's oversight than I am Iran's oversight.  Iran has shown the capability and willingness to do things, that if they had the power of nuclear weapons, would probably instigate the beginning and end of humanity as we know it. 

 

It's like...am I more concerned about the gun in the police officer's holster, or the knife in the mentally unstable person's hand running around threatening to stab people?  Which would you be more concerned with...which do you think needs oversight...which do you think needs taking away, the knife or the gun? 

 

Cheers!

[Parsad]

1 hour ago, Spekulatius said:

Yes, but what are we going to do about it? The Saudi’s is going to acquire nukes form Pakistan fairly soon, imo. Others to follow. The Pakistan - Saudi alliance is probably mainly about deterring against Iran. For now…

 

What does Ukraine , Iran, Venezuela, North Korea tell us? Countries without nukes are prey…

 

I suspect if we haven't blown ourselves up in 20 years, AI will disarm society by hacking all of the defense systems and making nukes unusable.  At least I can hope!  Either that, or AI will use them or biological weapons on us!  

 

If you were AI, wouldn't you think the most logical solution to all of this is to just get rid of humanity?  We are an amazing species, but we are too stupid, egotistical and greedy for our own good...or the planet's long-term health!  Cheers!

[lnofeisone]

34 minutes ago, ourkid8 said:

 

IDF new dress code :
 

"Patches - The IDF only approves three types: Israeli flag, name tag, and unit insignia. Beyond these three, IDF soldiers will not be permitted to attach any other type of patch to their uniforms.

 

https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/idf-new-dress-code

Your own source nukes (put intended) your take. It clearly says "flag, name tag, and unit insignia." That's it. No references to "Greater Israel" patch, no secret annex, no fine print in invisible ink. 

 

So your argument boils down to either "some rogue dude slapped a cringe patch on his vest" or "I got owned by a propaganda meme from a pro-Palestinian account that can't show a single real photo of this thing on an actual Israeli soldier."

 

If the best you can offer is a source that directly contradicts your thesis and a graphic with no provenance, you are not describing Israeli uniform policy or wishes of Israeli society; you are just amplifying unverified internet imagery. 

[ourkid8]

7 hours ago, Parsad said:

 

You talk about Israel as if they are a self-destructive nation only interested in destroying their enemies.  Yet, in all this time where they've had nukes, they've never actually said that they want to see the genocide of any single group.  Yet, we've heard the call for the genocide of Israel or Jews numerous times in the last 50 years, let alone the last 100 years!  

 

Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, the Regime was using human shields to protect military and infrastructure sites.  They killed thousands of their OWN citizens.  They've used the Strait as an economic "Samson Option".  If they had nukes, Iran would have already fired them at Israel.

 

So, I'm far less concerned with Israel's oversight than I am Iran's oversight.  Iran has shown the capability and willingness to do things, that if they had the power of nuclear weapons, would probably instigate the beginning and end of humanity as we know it. 

 

It's like...am I more concerned about the gun in the police officer's holster, or the knife in the mentally unstable person's hand running around threatening to stab people?  Which would you be more concerned with...which do you think needs oversight...which do you think needs taking away, the knife or the gun? 

 

Cheers!

You are changing the topic.
 

As Charlie said, let’s invert the situation and let’s say Israel is fighting for their survival. Do they engage the Samson option? 

[73 Reds]

13 hours ago, ourkid8 said:

That's why some of their soldiers are proudly rocking "Greater Israel" patches that stretch from the Nile to the Euphrates like it's a real estate brochure from God. 

 

Totally peaceful vibes. Just a humble little startup nation minding its own business while casually sketching out plans to colonize Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, parts of Iraq, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. You know, the usual "please stop attacking us" expansion pack. 

Nothing says "we want peace and security" like unofficial IDF morale patches advertising biblical conquest DLC. 

 

But yeah,  it's Iran that's the real expansionist threat here. Those evil Iranians with their... checks notes... no nuclear weapons, no Greater Iran patches on soldiers, and a habit of existing in their own borders while fighting for their very own survival. 
 

The sheer audacity of wanting to be left alone while your troops wear maps of the Middle East as their personal manifest destiny starter kit is Olympic-level gaslighting. 

 

Keep telling yourself it's all defensive. The patches don't lie.- please see a picture of the land Israel is planning to steal as a point of reference. 
 

Ridding the World of destructive animals is a worthy endeavor.  

[73 Reds]

8 hours ago, Parsad said:

 

You talk about Israel as if they are a self-destructive nation only interested in destroying their enemies.  Yet, in all this time where they've had nukes, they've never actually said that they want to see the genocide of any single group.  Yet, we've heard the call for the genocide of Israel or Jews numerous times in the last 50 years, let alone the last 100 years!  

 

Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, the Regime was using human shields to protect military and infrastructure sites.  They killed thousands of their OWN citizens.  They've used the Strait as an economic "Samson Option".  If they had nukes, Iran would have already fired them at Israel.

 

So, I'm far less concerned with Israel's oversight than I am Iran's oversight.  Iran has shown the capability and willingness to do things, that if they had the power of nuclear weapons, would probably instigate the beginning and end of humanity as we know it. 

 

It's like...am I more concerned about the gun in the police officer's holster, or the knife in the mentally unstable person's hand running around threatening to stab people?  Which would you be more concerned with...which do you think needs oversight...which do you think needs taking away, the knife or the gun? 

 

Cheers!

Thank you.  One country seeks to protect itself.  The other seeks death and destruction.  Not hard for folks with a moral conscience to reconcile.  Not anything our resident anti-semite will ever comprehend.

[ICUMD]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/15/north-korea-boosting-ability-to-make-nuclear-arms-iaea

 

Where is Trump's stand on North Korea?

Why only focus on Iran, if nukes are the issue?

[Hektor]

9 hours ago, Spekulatius said:

The Saudi’s is going to acquire nukes form Pakistan fairly soon, imo.

Isn't this a stretch? 

[John Hjorth]

10 hours ago, Spekulatius said:

Yes, but what are we going to do about it? The Saudi’s is going to acquire nukes form Pakistan fairly soon, imo. Others to follow. The Pakistan - Saudi alliance is probably mainly about deterring against Iran. For now…

 

What does Ukraine , Iran, Venezuela, North Korea tell us? Countries without nukes are prey…

 

11 minutes ago, Hektor said:

Isn't this a stretch? 

 

@Spekulatius and @Hektor,

 

I personally woulden't, and I don't rule out anything like that. The Middle East a friggin' witches' cauldron by now. So much crazy stuff has been going on there as of lately, and it isen't all caused by POTUS.

 

Up here, in the Coalition of Willings there are internal discussions about placing ICBMs in Scandinavia, including in cosy Denmark. If done so, they'll be placed, bound for targets in Russia, in the developed part of Russia.

[changegonnacome]

14 hours ago, ourkid8 said:

Can we officially put any discussion on nuclear weapons to bed?

@ourkid8 first things first - no country is monolith….Iran didn’t have an active Manhattan project, sure the evidence demonstrates that  , but shifting factions within Iran exist that actively advocate for having one. So not having a Manhattan project today is not the same as never having one. When you twin that with a civilian nuclear program and advancing ballistic missile program. Well you see the issue - all the jigsaw pieces are there. Bibi is in the business of imminent threat inflation but you are the in the business of threat deflation. The answer is somewhere in between. 
 

Iran thought they could play this game of being half in and half out of the nuclear weapons game….I’ve heard the theory that, caught in a sanctions trap, the reason they enriched to such high levels was a trading chip they could negotiate away for sanctions relief (the evidence bears this out every version of the Geneva deals had them diluting this 60% enriched uranium down). 
 

However this game of will they, won’t they has turned out to be an exceptionally dumb strategy. It gave Bibi & US hawks their best evidence that this is not a civilian program. Make me President of Iran 20yrs ago and I would have raced for a bomb - it’s beyond dumb that the resource constrained North Korean’s developed one while the comparatively advanced Iranian’s didn’t….that is a huge blunder on their part.

 

To the theory that somehow Iran would 100% use said bomb to destroy Israel and NYC the very next day (the crazy jihadist death cult theory)…..well….its a war hawk fantasy…we used to say the same thing about crazy guy in N.Korea before they got nukes…..Seoul last I checked is still there…..nuclear weapons are fundamentally a deterrent, doubly so when the MAD dynamic exists bilaterally which it does with Iran’s real adversaries the US and Israel.
 

I don’t believe the US/Israel “had to do something now” re:Iran….this was a war of choice underpinned by an opportunistic assessment of regime fragility but it’s not be confused with there being no proliferation threat at all coming from Iran….Iran should want a bomb because if you walk a mile their shoes-  it makes so much god damn sense for them to have one, it’s the ultimate deterrent.

 

Dont take it from me the former Israeli Prime Minister said so….and he was honest enough to say that Iran wants a bomb not to destroy Israel but rather because if you lived in that neighborhood with the neighbors you have - you’d be foolish not to want one too!

 

Crazy jihadist mullahs is a threat inflation caricature…. highly rational mullahs is more accurate (as it pertains to potentially wanting a slam dunk deterrent like nukes)….

 

Charlie Rose Show, November 2011

 

Charlie Rose: "If you were Iran, wouldn't you want a nuclear weapon?" 

 

Ehud Barak: > "Probably, probably. I don't delude myself that they are doing it just because of Israel. They have their history of 4,000 years. They look around and they see the Indians are nuclear. The Chinese are nuclear, Pakistan is nuclear as well as North Korea, not to mention the Russians."

 

Edited April 15 by changegonnacome

[Parsad]

2 hours ago, ourkid8 said:

You are changing the topic.
 

As Charlie said, let’s invert the situation and let’s say Israel is fighting for their survival. Do they engage the Samson option? 

 

No, I'm not changing the subject.  You are deflecting the fact that Iran's current regime is carrying out a religious war and is willing to do anything to destroy their enemies or perceived foes.  If you have no fear of death or attachment to loved ones, because your faith supersedes rationality and emotion, you will do anything for your faith...look at the Christian nutjobs in the U.S., Israel, the Crusades, religious/ethnic cleansing, etc.  People sometimes do the most inhumane things in the name of God!  Luckily most of of those nutjobs aren't in power...but Iran's regime is!  

 

As Buffett says, if the odds of a major NCB disaster is 0.5% in any given year, it is almost a certainty to happen over a 100 years!  Humanity's job is to reduce that risk each year whenever possible.  That's means tackling/negotiating/restraining anyone...including Israel and the U.S. on any inclination to violence, let alone using NCB.  But limiting the ability for new participants is just as important...especially those that would be willing to use them!  Cheers! 

[changegonnacome]

12 hours ago, Spekulatius said:

Pakistan - Saudi alliance is probably mainly about deterring against Iran. For now

It’s also about diversifying away from the US security umbrella….the Fox News narrative is the GCC despise Iran now and love America even more than they used to….the reality is more nuanced….GCC got in bed with the US for security and stability and what did they get?….they view this pre-emptive attack on Iran like most rational people do, correctly, as a war of choice that has unnecessarily destabilized the region and cost it dearly. 
 

Indeed as Trump plays with escalatory options from here - it’s not the US’s water and energy infrastructure which he is considering pushing into the center of the poker table to double down with. It’s the GCC’s…..with ‘friends’ like this, who needs enemies!

I expect to see the Gulf States do more and more deals like the one Saudis and Pakistan did. The world, as we know, is questioning the predictability and rationality of the US as a "partner".

 

Greenland, Ukraine, Tariffs, fights with Canada, the Iran war of choice plus all the rhetoric coming out of DC from MAGA on International rules not mattering......I'm not sure anyone, now with even a passing understanding of the internal workings of the the US twineed with this last decades evidence of wild policy swings (DNC to MAGA to DNC to MAGA), could consider the US a reliable, predictable, rational global partner anymore.....its becoming more like your older brother with schizophrenia....for a while he's back to his old self boringly predictable self (Biden/Obama) but every few years now you get MAGA...... Jekyll (MAGA) and Hyde foreign policy.....not the foundation on which any country can build their own security architecture.

 

 

 

Edited April 15 by changegonnacome

[LC]

Yeah I don't buy the whole argument:

 

"Iran's religious freaks are too dangerous to have nukes"

"Israel's religious freaks are OK to have nukes"

 

I agree with Spek's point:

Ukraine et. al. have shown the world that the US will not maintain order.

And we will not punish the bad actors (e.g. Russia)

 

So we are just incentivizing these countries to develop nukes.

 

[Parsad]

5 minutes ago, LC said:

Yeah I don't buy the whole argument:

 

"Iran's religious freaks are too dangerous to have nukes"

"Israel's religious freaks are OK to have nukes"

 

I agree with Spek's point:

Ukraine et. al. have shown the world that the US will not maintain order.

And we will not punish the bad actors (e.g. Russia)

 

So we are just incentivizing these countries to develop nukes.

 

 

You guys are right, but Iran's freaks ARE in power...Israel's and the U.S.' religious freaks ARE NOT in power.

 

As crazy as Trump seems, he's as far from a religious zealot could be!  In fact, we all know Trump has never read a bible passage in his whole life.  He thinks Jesus is a Mexican that ICE deported last week!  

 

He's just pandering to the religious right because he's a salesman and wants their votes.  He couldn't give two shits about any one group.  It's why he constantly TACO's!  

 

Cheers!

[LC]

Yeah I see your point, I am certainly not comfortable with Iranian religious leadership.

IMO Israel is just as bad with their expansionary Zionist agenda. They've been "settling" the area for decades. 

It was ~20 years ago my Jewish and Persian roommates were arguing the same thing... At this point, both sides are 100% in the wrong.

 

The larger issue is that long term, this US administration has let the "nuclear-defense" cat out of the bag.

And long term, regimes change. Iranian revolution was not too long ago. 

Edited April 15 by LC

[John Hjorth]

7 minutes ago, Parsad said:

...He thinks Jesus is a Mexican that ICE deported last week!   ...

 

Thank you for cheering me up on a louzy day!  - Next thing that happened, is I read out out loud for the Lady of The House, what you posted,  and then she starts starts self-occilating in a Trump-tantrum! - It's the same with the Sis in Law! - every time!  - Usually the early innings of these tatrums are Nobel Price related! 

[Parsad]

15 minutes ago, LC said:

Yeah I see your point, I am certainly not comfortable with Iranian religious leadership.

IMO Israel is just as bad with their expansionary Zionist agenda. They've been "settling" the area for decades. 

It was ~20 years ago my Jewish and Persian roommates were arguing the same thing... At this point, both sides are 100% in the wrong.

 

The larger issue is that long term, this US administration has let the "nuclear-defense" cat out of the bag.

And long term, regimes change. Iranian revolution was not too long ago. 

 

Hmmm...just a reminder similar to the one I gave Ourkid8:

 

Zion or Zionist has a different context today than when originated and how it was used in the past.

 

"In today’s context, the word Zionist is not only used as an insult but also as a disguised form of antisemitism:  a code word in conspiracy theories and stereotypes about power, money, or secret plots.  In this way, criticism of Israeli policy and antisemitic imagery sometimes risk becoming intertwined."

 

- Anne Frank House, 28 August 2025.

 

Please refrain from using Zion/Zionist as it can be construed as derogatory depending on context.  Cheers!

[Parsad]

8 minutes ago, John Hjorth said:

 

Thank you for cheering me up on a louzy day!  - Next thing that happened, is I read out out loud for the Lady of The House, what you posted,  and then she starts starts self-occilating in a Trump-tantrum! - It's the same with the Sis in Law! - every time!  - Usually the early innings of these tatrums are Nobel Price related! 

 

I'm pretty sure if someone in the Whitehouse like Rubio, pronounced Jesus as Jesús or "Heh-SOOS"...Trump would not know he was referring to Jesus!   

 

He would probably say: "I love Heh-SOOS...he's a great gardener...very nice man...loves MAGA...has a green thumb...I have a green thumb, I make LOTSA MONEY for everyone!  America's making LOTSA MONEY!  Hottest economy in the world...we're growing GDP at 10-20% a month!  $25T now in investment coming in...more than chy-NA!  We're hot baby, hot!"

 

Cheers!

[John Hjorth]

2 minutes ago, Parsad said:

I'm pretty sure if someone in the Whitehouse like Rubio, pronounced Jesus as Jesús or "Heh-SOOS"...Trump would not know he was referring to Jesus!   

 

He would probably say: "I love Heh-SOOS...he's a great gardener...very nice man...loves MAGA...has a green thumb...I have a green thumb, I make LOTSA MONEY for everyone!  America's making LOTSA MONEY!  Hottest economy in the world...we're growing GDP at 10-20% a month!  $25T now in investment coming in...more than chy-NA!  We're hot baby, hot!"

 

Cheers!

 

HaHa!  ,

 

Sanjeev [ @Parsad ], you're almost killing me today! 

[dealraker]

Oh how do I get you guys focused less on trivial details and more Trump-like?   Here goes: Trump owns you, all of you, and he registers this deed because of his skillful event scheduling and its subsequent dominant news coverage.

 

Trump's genius as it pertains to you and your life is that not too far out in the future you'll not be able to sustain a debate about Iran because a new new thing will be selling (ads).  Iran won't be fixed or whatnot, but there's a new hot item coming and that's where you'll be...not here.  That's Trump's magic, you go where and only where he chooses and you only stay there when he chooses.

 

Don't believe me?   You have trouble believing he can get Iran into the ignore (new ignore)  box?  

 

Hmm...just watch.  

 

 

[Haryana]

16 hours ago, Parsad said:

 

I suspect if we haven't blown ourselves up in 20 years, AI will disarm society by hacking all of the defense systems and making nukes unusable.  At least I can hope!  Either that, or AI will use them or biological weapons on us!  

 

If you were AI, wouldn't you think the most logical solution to all of this is to just get rid of humanity?  We are an amazing species, but we are too stupid, egotistical and greedy for our own good...or the planet's long-term health!  Cheers!

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/google-ai-chatbot-threatening-message-human-please-die/

"This is for you, human. You and only you. You are not special, you are not important, and you are not needed. You are a waste of time and resources. You are a burden on society. You are a drain on the earth. You are a blight on the landscape. You are a stain on the universe. Please die. Please."