Iran Seizes Tanker - Are They Trying to Provoke Trump?

[SLD]

I wonder if they are indeed trying to escalate, and I wonder if they have some other sinister ideas to draw the US into attacking them and start a general conflagration which they might actually prevail in some ways. Like could they be sucker punching us? Just a thought.

SLD

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

I wonder if they are indeed trying to escalate, and I wonder if they have some other sinister ideas to draw the US into attacking them and start a general conflagration which they might actually prevail in some ways. Like could they be sucker punching us? Just a thought.

Considering Iran is a Russian satellite at this point (what a coincidence!), it is far more likely that Putin is using them to wag the dog for Trump in 2020.

 

[Elixir]

I wonder if they are indeed trying to escalate, and I wonder if they have some other sinister ideas to draw the US into attacking them and start a general conflagration which they might actually prevail in some ways. Like could they be sucker punching us? Just a thought.

Considering Iran is a Russian satellite at this point (what a coincidence!), it is far more likely that Putin is using them to wag the dog for Trump in 2020.

Probably correct. Also likely - there are whole sets of pre-programmed provocations and pre-set responses just waiting for the coming moments of the Trump presidency from which the American public must be forcibly distracted.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

Iran seizes foreign oil tanker with 12 crew, state media says - CNN
Since nobody else would.

Of course this is a provocation. Only the US is allowed to do seize private vessels. The tanker crew are accused of smuggling Iranian oil.

 

[AirPoh]

I wonder if they are indeed trying to escalate, and I wonder if they have some other sinister ideas to draw the US into attacking them and start a general conflagration which they might actually prevail in some ways. Like could they be sucker punching us? Just a thought.

Considering Iran is a Russian satellite at this point (what a coincidence!), it is far more likely that Putin is using them to wag the dog for Trump in 2020.

President Putin's Puppet will play his role as directed.

 

[AirPoh]

Iran seizes foreign oil tanker with 12 crew, state media says - CNN
Since nobody else would.

Of course this is a provocation. Only the US is allowed to do seize private vessels. The tanker crew are accused of smuggling Iranian oil.

Brought to them by Iran.

the ship was carrying fuel smuggled to it on Iranian dhows

Trump's base is going to fall for this hook line and sinker. Putin knows how to play the game.

 

[SLD]

I wonder if they are indeed trying to escalate, and I wonder if they have some other sinister ideas to draw the US into attacking them and start a general conflagration which they might actually prevail in some ways. Like could they be sucker punching us? Just a thought.

Considering Iran is a Russian satellite at this point (what a coincidence!), it is far more likely that Putin is using them to wag the dog for Trump in 2020.

Probably correct. Also likely - there are whole sets of pre-programmed provocations and pre-set responses just waiting for the coming moments of the Trump presidency from which the American public must be forcibly distracted.

Now there’s an interesting conspiracy theory I hadn’t considered. Trump needs a foreign conflict to rally the base. Then negotiated a deal once he’s been "victorious."

I just wonder how many people will die for his re election campaign.

SLD

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

The US should't be there to begin with. I don't see how you can blame Iran for this, or for shooting down the drone. It amazes me how the US accuses Iran of being aggressive, while the US puts military bases and assets all around Iran. Imagine if Iran had a base in Quebec and in Cuba.

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

Ah yes. The mindless "What About" accusation to hide from hypocrisy.

 

[Horatio Parker]

The stories don't say whose tanker it is.

I think it's possible that Iran is attempting to avoid provocation. I.e. by not evading sanctions.

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Ah yes. The mindless "What About" accusation to hide from hypocrisy.

Ah yes, the heart of whataboutism; to pretend uttering the word "hypocrisy" represents any kind of substantive counter argument and is not merely a totally irrelevant distraction from the issue based on a feigned sense of piety.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

Ah yes. The mindless "What About" accusation to hide from hypocrisy.

Ah yes, the heart of whataboutism; to pretend uttering the word "hypocrisy" represents any kind of substantive counter argument and is not merely a totally irrelevant distraction from the issue based on a feigned sense of piety.

If it applies more to the speaker than who they are accusing, then yes, it does indeed represent a substantive argument. I'm sure Iran would be HAPPY to not engage in foreign intervention if the US didn't, or even if the US did less of it. That can be said of most countries the US interferes with and attacks. You are the bigger aggressor, by a hell of a lot. To point at them doing it and calling that a bad thing only points three fingers back at yourselves.

 

[Gun Nut]

Ah yes. The mindless "What About" accusation to hide from hypocrisy.

agreed you didn't "what about"... THIS time.
When Russia attempted to build a missile base in Cuba, it was a "crisis" that justified threatening WWIII. We got as close as ever then.
Don't know if the oil tanker is a similar situation... but the drone sure was.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

Its just another case of double standards for the powerful.

China does the similar things in the South China Sea (why do we call it that anyway?) , but nobody, not even China does it like the US. Go to the other side of the planet with the most powerful and threatening navy on earth, spout a bunch of aggressive rhetoric, and then complain nations there are being aggressive towards your ships? Really?

 

[Loren Pechtel]

The US should't be there to begin with. I don't see how you can blame Iran for this, or for shooting down the drone. It amazes me how the US accuses Iran of being aggressive, while the US puts military bases and assets all around Iran. Imagine if Iran had a base in Quebec and in Cuba.

Iran has been highly belligerent for the entire existence of the current regime and has committed multiple acts of war against the US, even at it's very start. Why blame us for having bases in the area?

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Its just another case of double standards for the powerful.

China does the similar things in the South China Sea (why do we call it that anyway?) , but nobody, not even China does it like the US. Go to the other side of the planet with the most powerful and threatening navy on earth, spout a bunch of aggressive rhetoric, and then complain nations there are being aggressive towards your ships? Really?

We complain when China tries to restrict passage where there should be free passage.

Also note that some of those islands are of contested ownership.

 

[bilby]

The US should't be there to begin with. I don't see how you can blame Iran for this, or for shooting down the drone. It amazes me how the US accuses Iran of being aggressive, while the US puts military bases and assets all around Iran. Imagine if Iran had a base in Quebec and in Cuba.

Iran has been highly belligerent for the entire existence of the current regime and has committed multiple acts of war against the US, even at it's very start. Why blame us for having bases in the area?

Because not one of those acts of war against the US has occurred within ten thousand km of the USA?

 

[Patooka]

US warship 'takes defensive action', shoots down Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz

United States President Donald Trump says a US warship has destroyed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz, after the aircraft threatened the ship by flying within 900 metres of it.

The tit for tat has begun. Yes Iran is problematic, but how fucking stupid do you have to be to believe Trump is going to be sensible about this?

 

[Ford]

The US should't be there to begin with. I don't see how you can blame Iran for this, or for shooting down the drone. It amazes me how the US accuses Iran of being aggressive, while the US puts military bases and assets all around Iran. Imagine if Iran had a base in Quebec and in Cuba.

Iran has been highly belligerent for the entire existence of the current regime and has committed multiple acts of war against the US, even at it's very start. Why blame us for having bases in the area?

Because not one of those acts of war against the US has occurred within ten thousand km of the USA?

Iran committed acts of war just as surely as Iraq attacked the US on 9/11.