Yet another war, this time with Iran

[aupmanyav]

Dictators gotta stick together.

Whom are you talking about? Trump, Netanyahu, Putin, Khamenei, Xi, Jong Un or our dear Failed Marshal Asim Munir?
These days, the world seems to be ruled by dictators.

 

[DrZoidberg]

I wonder how much drone preasure this war takes off from Ukraine?

I haven't seen anyone saying anything about that?

Mainstream news reporting tends to suck at reporting how things are connected. But its important. I mean, the Assad regime fell because Haganah blew thw balls off of Hezbollah. So it matters. I assume Iranian deliveries to Russia now has ceased?

 

[DrZoidberg]

Modi is cool about it. He bought 1.5 million barrels per day from Russia this month (50% up), and got Iran to allow two Indian ships to pass Hormuz.

Dictators gotta stick together.

Modi is not a dictator. People voting for nationalistic populists is not evidence of the democracy not working. Rather the opposite.

Its like woke progressives struggle with accepting that free people might freely excercise their freedom to do their own thing and not obey the trendy whims of Silver Lake hipsters who think there will be peace on earth if everyone drives to the recyling station in their hybrid car while eating home baked sour dough bread.

 

[SLD]

U.S. bombing of Kharg Island, Iran’s critical oil hub, sparks new threats to target Gulf oil infrastructure

Iranian state media reported there was no damage to oil infrastructure on Kharg Island, but warned about the consequences of "any attack" on its energy infrastructure.

www.nbcnews.com

So we struck Kharg Island but supposedly only some military installation, not the oil infrastructure. Then the article notes an additional 5,000 marines are being sent to the gulf. That’s an amphibious readiness group. Not enough to attack Iran, but maybe enough to take the island? Trump threatens to take the Island on Kilmead’s radio show. Then kinda walks it back. If Trump takes Kharg, that might stop the flow of oil to China.

This is like watching a slow motion train wreck. Trump is just the dumbest motherfucker.

 

[Politesse]

Modi is cool about it. He bought 1.5 million barrels per day from Russia this month (50% up), and got Iran to allow two Indian ships to pass Hormuz.

Dictators gotta stick together.

Modi is not a dictator. People voting for nationalistic populists is not evidence of the democracy not working. Rather the opposite.

Its like woke progressives struggle with accepting that free people might freely excercise their freedom to do their own thing and not obey the trendy whims of Silver Lake hipsters who think there will be peace on earth if everyone drives to the recyling station in their hybrid car while eating home baked sour dough bread.

While conservatives think anything they've been talked into supporting must be "democracy", even if what they've been talked into is the dismantling of the institutions that preserve it.

 

[TV and credit cards]

U.S. bombing of Kharg Island, Iran’s critical oil hub, sparks new threats to target Gulf oil infrastructure

Iranian state media reported there was no damage to oil infrastructure on Kharg Island, but warned about the consequences of "any attack" on its energy infrastructure.

www.nbcnews.com

So we struck Kharg Island but supposedly only some military installation, not the oil infrastructure. Then the article notes an additional 5,000 marines are being sent to the gulf. That’s an amphibious readiness group. Not enough to attack Iran, but maybe enough to take the island? Trump threatens to take the Island on Kilmead’s radio show. Then kinda walks it back. If Trump takes Kharg, that might stop the flow of oil to China.

This is like watching a slow motion train wreck. Trump is just the dumbest motherfucker.

Probably won't stop the flow, just where the payments go.

 

[Patooka]

Modi is not a dictator. People voting for nationalistic populists is not evidence of the democracy not working. Rather the opposite.

Modhi weaponising citizenship against minorities is very much a dictatorial move. Not to mention him deporting journalists who say mean things about him.

Its like woke *snip*

...annnd that's when I tune out. People who say woke nowadays are delicate fucking snowflake cunts who think it's still a killer argument against something they don't like but don't have the balls to say why. I call it "Bill Maher syndrome".

 

[crazyfingers]

People who say woke nowadays are delicate fucking snowflake cunts

Yep. They put a woke label on anything at all that they don't approve of.

 

[bilby]

I wonder how much drone preasure this war takes off from Ukraine?

I haven't seen anyone saying anything about that?

Mainstream news reporting tends to suck at reporting how things are connected. But its important. I mean, the Assad regime fell because Haganah blew thw balls off of Hezbollah. So it matters. I assume Iranian deliveries to Russia now has ceased?

I have seen plenty of people talking about that, and the consensus is that it would have been a big deal a couple of years ago, but Russia long since moved from importing drones from Iran, to building them locally under licence.

So it might save the Russians a few bucks per unit if nobody is left alive to bill them for the royalties, but otherwise it's a non-issue.

Mainstream news reporting tends to be pretty quick to stop talking about things that are non-influences on anything.

For example, from https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyv10dre79o:

Nonetheless, Zelensky has also looked for positives. Iran has sold Russia tens of thousands of Shahed drones that almost nightly wreak deadly havoc on Ukraine. That may stop. "I think attacking Iranian military targets was a good decision," he said. "The Iranians produce a lot of weapons for Russia, especially drones and missiles, although I don't think they'll be able to do that anymore."

Analysts point out however that Russia now also produces Shaheds domestically, after taking Iran's design and modifying it for attacks on Ukrainian cities.

So, according to the BBC, Zelensky hoped that a reduction in imports might help Ukraine, but the consensus is that it won't, for tne reason I gave above.

Is the BBC not 'mainstream' enough for you? Or do you think they should have laboured the point more?

 

[southernhybrid]

AI is really getting bad. I raad th article I'm going to gift about all the fake AI generated things being posted on social media about the Iran War. I don't know why anyone believes what they read on social media, unless someone provide a link from a reliable source.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive...e_code=1.TFA.M5Ih.Xm-CO7N_dwbY&smid=url-share

A torrent of fake videos and images generated by artificial intelligence have overrun social networks during the first weeks of the war in Iran.

The videos — showing huge explosions that never happened, decimated city streets that were never attacked or troops protesting the war who do not exist — have added a chaotic and confusing layer to the conflict online.

The New York Times identified over 110 unique A.I.-generated images and videos from the past two weeks about the war in the Middle East. The fakes covered every aspect of the fighting: They falsely depicted screaming Israelis cowering as explosions ripped through Tel Aviv, Iranians mourning their dead and American military vessels bombarded with missiles and torpedoes.

Collectively, they were seen millions of times online through networks like X, TikTok and Facebook, and countless more times within private messaging apps popular in the region and around the world.

Even if you don't want to read the entire article, read some of it and look at some of the fake AI photos have been seen by millions of people. Damn AI!

The Times identified the A.I. content by checking for both obvious signs — such as depictions of buildings that do not exist, garbled text and behaviors or movements that defy expectations — and for invisible watermarks embedded within the files. The posts were also checked with multiple A.I. detector tools and compared with reports from news organizations.

A sophisticated new wave of A.I. tools makes the fakes possible, enabling nearly anyone to create lifelike simulations of war that can deceive the naked eye for little to no cost. Similar content has spread in other conflicts, including the war between Ukraine and Russia. But this war has multiple fronts, and that has led to a proliferation of fake content since the United States and Israel first attacked Iran, according to experts.

“Even compared to when the Ukraine war broke out, things now are very different,” said Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor of media analytics at Northwestern University in Qatar. “We’re probably seeing far more A.I.-related content now than we ever have before.”

 

[crazyfingers]

Damn AI!

The human race would be better off without AI.

 

[RVonse]

.

We need to leverage alliances, bide our resources and develop our economic potential. This means significantly reducing our national debt at least as a percentage of GDP.

Amen +1 agree to reducing the America's debt.

But apparently Kamala Harris would have been worse.

Harris would have surely failed just like all the rest. Without any doubt the debt under Harris would have sky rocketed. She might not have been worse than Trump but she certainly would have been no better. And this is an easy mental exercise to see. Because no politician will ever be responsible for reducing our national debt when their seat in office depends precisely on not doing anything about it.

 

[Derec]

Mamdani's NYC:
Protesters chant for Hamas and Hezbollah at Al Quds Day rally in New York City

Anti-Zionist protesters chanted for terrorist groups, accused Israel’s supporters of eating babies and raping children, and chanted for death to Israel and the US at a protest for Al Quds Day in New York City on Friday.
Al Quds Day is an annual, anti-Israel event held on the last Friday of Ramadan, established by Iran in 1979. The protest this year took place during heightened tensions due to the US-Israel war with Iran.
The protest on Friday drew several hundred participants and was backed by leftist and anti-Zionist activist groups, including Pal-Awda, the Bronx Anti-War Coalition and the Workers World Party.
“This Al Quds Day holds a special significance as the United States and its puppet Zionist regime wage full-out war against the Islamic Republic of Iran. We proclaim our support for the Islamic Republic,” a speaker said, introducing the event.
“Iran is the central pillar in the struggle against US imperialism and Zionism,” he said. “A war against the Islamic Republic of Iran is a war against anti-imperialism, against anti-occupation, against anti-freedom.
[...]
Other chants included, “Death to America, death to Israel” in Farsi, “We support Hamas here,” and, “Khaybar, khaybar,” a reference to an ancient Muslim victory over a Jewish tribe that is often seen as a threat of antisemitic violence. Several demonstrators shouted, “Khaybar, khayar, O Jews,” in Arabic.
One woman waved a Hezbollah flag and another carried a flag for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group.
Another speaker described “Zionists” as “parasites that have taken over the host’s body.”
[...]
“This strategic earthquake was triggered by the heroic Al Aqsa Flood,” he said, a reference to the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion of Israel.
“We honor the military prowess, the unbreakable spirit of our beloved commanders, martyr Yahya Sinwar, the lion of Gaza, Hassan Nasrallah, and all of the valiant commanders of the IRGC,” he said, to cheers and chants of “allahu akbar.” Sinwar was the late leader of the Hamas terrorist group and the IRGC is Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“We stand on the brink of a decisive victory. Let us honor our martyrs, let us carry their rifle,” he said.

 

[Derec]

Harris would have surely failed just like all the rest. Without any doubt the debt under Harris would have sky rocketed. She might not have been worse than Trump but she certainly would have been no better. And this is an easy mental exercise to see. Because no politician will ever be responsible for reducing our national debt when their seat in office depends precisely on not doing anything about it.

That is true. Her economic plan from 2024 involving doubling down on Biden's high spending policies. She promised an even more generous child tax credit than the one in B³ (aka Spendapalooza), $25k for first time home buyers, as well as a million $20k forgivable business loans, but only for blacks.

 

[Shadowy Man]

Harris would have surely failed just like all the rest. Without any doubt the debt under Harris would have sky rocketed. She might not have been worse than Trump but she certainly would have been no better. And this is an easy mental exercise to see. Because no politician will ever be responsible for reducing our national debt when their seat in office depends precisely on not doing anything about it.

That is true. Her economic plan from 2024 involving doubling down on Biden's high spending policies. She promised an even more generous child tax credit than the one in B³ (aka Spendapalooza), $25k for first time home buyers, as well as a million $20k forgivable business loans, but only for blacks.

Clearly we are better off with high tariffs, foreign wars, and a corrupt DOJ. But I guess there was no possibility of predicting that

 

[Derec]

Clearly we are better off with high tariffs, foreign wars, and a corrupt DOJ. But I guess there was no possibility of predicting that

I did not say that. I still voted for her and Walz as lesser weevils.
But Kamala could have won had she ran a better campaign - easing off the spending gas pedal, not offering racist policies like loans just for blacks, choosing a better running mate, etc. Of course, there is a reason why her 2020 campaign failed while it was still 2019 - she is a fundamentally flawed candidate. I do not think either her nor Goodhair are good 2028 candidates.

 

[Derec]

Modi is cool about it. He bought 1.5 million barrels per day from Russia this month (50% up), and got Iran to allow two Indian ships to pass Hormuz.

Dictators gotta stick together.

Dictator? He won his elections fair and square. His party (BJP) lost seats in 2024, but his block still won a majority of seats.

 

[Derec]

And of course there is Israel. Does Israel care that the strait is blocked? How much will the world blame Israel too?

Much of the world will blame Israel no matter what.

 

[Derec]

But a lot of socialists and other far leftists do.

Such as who, exactly?

Far left groups. Some are more fringe, like the Bronx Anti War Coalition, Workers' World Party or the Party for Socialism and Liberation. But also more mainstream leftist groups like Democratic Socialists of America.

But a lot of socialists and other far leftists do.

Yes, because the US so saturated with these people. Do you look under your bed at night to make certain a socialist isn't under there?

No, not saturated, but still significant. Not just the "Quds Day" pro-regime, pro-terrorism protest from yesterday, but also groups like the DSA, which is influential enough that the mayor of NYC and several high-profile congresscritters like AOC belong to it.
Zohran Mamdani’s and AOC’s DSA comrades call for ‘ending US empire,’ mourn ayatollah’s ‘extrajudicial’ killing

No kidding... it takes time. South Korea wasn't always a Democracy. Heck, when the US defended it in the 50s it was very much not a democracy. But given time, it can occur and it occurring as the will of the people, instead the will of an idiot beyond compare in First World politics.

South Korea was never like Iran. Iran is closer to North Korea as far as freedom of its people is concerned.

No... it wasn't. It was legendary. Obama managed to get concessions from Iran in exchange for something that belonged to Iran in the first place and a little sanction relief.

Obama managed to get temporary concessions on one issue only. There were no concessions on missiles or terrorism support, including Tehran's vassals taking power in other countries like Yemen and Lebanon. And in turn the Tehran regime got significant sanction relief plus more than a billion dollars that they could use to fund more terrorism. That money belonged to Iran, but not to the illegitimate regime.

That is called epic negotiating. If you were expecting Iran to just give everything up in the first go around you lack any understanding of diplomacy to be useful in conversation about it.

That was not epic negotiating. Tehran got way more than they gave up.

Think about it, if the US doesn't leave the Iran agreement, does 10/7 even happen? It is possible enough to consider.

I think it still happens. Why would it not?

The remaining 80% of the world's oil supply almost assuredly doesn't have the capacity to become 100% of the globes oil supply in the time necessary to do so.

But maybe 90%. And it's not going to be 80% either. Iran is not closing the Strait for tankers bound to China, which lowers the cumulative impact.

You do realize it would take years to "drill more"? We need that extra supply in two to three months. Quicker for Asia.

It takes years to complete a brand new (mega)project. Simply expanding an existing one can be done sooner.

It shouldn't be still going on now. It could end tomorrow, it could be going on in the fall. What matters in the Strait of Hormuz. Everything Trump touches turns to shit, and that Strait might be next, regardless if we are still firing rockets and dropping bombs in Iran.

Still a lot of unknowns. Marines are now on their way, probably to try to take over Kharg Island, Iran's major oil terminal.

 

[Toni]

We have a corrupt, sociopathic madman in the White House, a corrupt, biblically inspired terrorist running Israel, a corrupt, sociopathic Nazi in the Kremlin, and a corrupt, soulless technocrat leading China.

Does anyone think this is going to end well?

Nothing motivates anyone these ‘people’ except money and power. Anything else is a marketing tool. Which is how religion has always been used for those craving power.