Yet another war, this time with Iran

[aupmanyav]

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

* Three times as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and three times as the Prime Minister of India in fair and democratic elections, since 1998; and there is no one to contest him if he decides to contest the fourth time in 2029 (even if he contests the election, he will not accept to be the Prime Minister of India). By what I reckon he considers a continuous sojourn in power for 31 years as long enough. He will be 79 years old in 2029. He will leave the Prime Minister's House with a set of four clothes in his back pack with no money in his pocket. Such is Narendra Modi. He is a gift of God to India.
He has always followed Indian law and respected his international commitments.

Much of the world will blame Israel no matter what.

The blame is squarely on Hamas (and Iran too), IMHO. Did not they know the power of their adversaries? Why Hezbollah or Houtis?

 

[Politesse]

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

* Three times as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and three times as the Prime Minister of India in fair and democratic elections, since 1998; and there is no one to contest him if he decides to contest the fourth time in 2029 (even if he contests the election, he will not accept to be the Prime Minister of India). By what I reckon he considers a continuous sojourn in power for 31 years as long enough. He will be 79 years old in 2029. He will leave the Prime Minister's House with a set of four clothes in his back pack with no money in his pocket. Such is Narendra Modi. He is a gift of God to India.
He has always followed Indian law and respected his international commitments.

Much of the world will blame Israel no matter what.

The blame is squarely on Hamas (and Iran too), IMHO. Did not they know the power of their adversaries? Why Hezbollah or Houtis?

"Might makes right", huh?

 

[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.

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.

The problem that statement is that many progressives struggle with understanding what institutions preserve democracy. They especially struggle with understanding how the institution of free expression works and why it is important. People not obediently doing what liberals think they should is not proof of dictatorship.

For an example I suggest checking out the thread on this forum where some people were seriously trying to argue for that USA is now a fascist dictatorship. So the progressives of this forum aren't above understanding the fundamentals of democracy and how it is protected

 

[Patooka]

The problem that statement is that many progressives struggle with understanding what institutions preserve democracy. They especially struggle with understanding how the institution of free expression works and why it is important.

*points to a thread I made a few years ago where Modi is clearly supressing free speech through social media*

Twitter accused of censorship in India as it blocks Modi critics

Canadian politician, poet, an India MP and journalists are among 120 accounts that have been withheld

www.theguardian.com

This is nothing new my dude.

 

[ZiprHead]

So apparently the plan for the marines to take the islands in the straits of Hormuz. This would be a disaster upon a disaster. There are not enough Marines, the Iranians know what they’re going to try, and they will be ready.

MN was talking about this on The Stephanie Miller Show last week. He said those islands will be easy targets from the high grounds of the nearby mountains.

 

[Patooka]

Trump says Iran is ready to negotiate a ceasefire but he's not ready to make a deal

The president said the "terms aren't good enough yet" to make a deal with Iran amid a widening war in the Middle East.

www.nbcnews.com

Trump said he was “surprised” that Iran decided to attack other Middle Eastern countries in response to the U.S.-Israeli operation, and that U.S. strikes on Kharg Island on Saturday “totally demolished” most of the island but that “we may hit it a few more times just for fun.”

Congratulations, MAGAtards; you made the fucking Joker President.

 

[ZiprHead]

The problem that statement is that many progressives struggle with understanding what institutions preserve democracy. They especially struggle with understanding how the institution of free expression works and why it is important. People not obediently doing what liberals think they should is not proof of dictatorship.

Progressives. Yup.

 

[barbos]

 

[Politesse]

The problem that statement is that many progressives struggle with understanding what institutions preserve democracy. They especially struggle with understanding how the institution of free expression works and why it is important. People not obediently doing what liberals think they should is not proof of dictatorship.

Being disagreed with is not suppression of speech.

For an example I suggest checking out the thread on this forum where some people were seriously trying to argue for that USA is now a fascist dictatorship. So the progressives of this forum aren't above understanding the fundamentals of democracy and how it is protected

Your example of how liberals censor is... on a free and open forum, some people expressed an opinion you dislike. You feel unfree, because they are allowed to speak. What you crave isn't really your own freedom to speak, which you already have and which has not been infringed, but rather a desire for control of others.

Tell me, how would you "fix" that thread to make it more "free"?

 

[DrZoidberg]

The problem that statement is that many progressives struggle with understanding what institutions preserve democracy. They especially struggle with understanding how the institution of free expression works and why it is important. People not obediently doing what liberals think they should is not proof of dictatorship.

Being disagreed with is not suppression of speech.

I'm happy to hear you're a part of the sensible side of progressivesm

For an example I suggest checking out the thread on this forum where some people were seriously trying to argue for that USA is now a fascist dictatorship. So the progressives of this forum aren't above understanding the fundamentals of democracy and how it is protected

Your example of how liberals censor is... on a free and open forum, some people expressed an opinion you dislike. You feel unfree, because they are allowed to speak. What you crave isn't really your own freedom to speak, which you already have and which has not been infringed, but rather a desire for control of others.

Tell me, how would you "fix" that thread to make it more "free"?

I never said that liberals censor. You just made that up

The rest of the post is irrelevant straw man nonsense. If you want a reply from me I suggest you make an effort to understand my position

 

[DrZoidberg]

 

[Politesse]

The problem that statement is that many progressives struggle with understanding what institutions preserve democracy. They especially struggle with understanding how the institution of free expression works and why it is important. People not obediently doing what liberals think they should is not proof of dictatorship.

Being disagreed with is not suppression of speech.

I'm happy to hear you're a part of the sensible side of progressivesm

For an example I suggest checking out the thread on this forum where some people were seriously trying to argue for that USA is now a fascist dictatorship. So the progressives of this forum aren't above understanding the fundamentals of democracy and how it is protected

Your example of how liberals censor is... on a free and open forum, some people expressed an opinion you dislike. You feel unfree, because they are allowed to speak. What you crave isn't really your own freedom to speak, which you already have and which has not been infringed, but rather a desire for control of others.

Tell me, how would you "fix" that thread to make it more "free"?

I never said that liberals censor. You just made that up

The rest of the post is irrelevant straw man nonsense. If you want a reply from me I suggest you make an effort to understand my position

Then explain it. You said you were providing an example. An example of what? Spell it out in words. These coy guessing games, where you hint at a position then then pretend to catch the vapors when anyone dares fill it in, drive me fucking crazy. If you have a point to make, just make it. It's not my job to "make an effort to understand your position", it's yours to assert your position if you have one. I know you are an adult in age. Act like one: say what you mean. My nation has just gone to war, it's past time for dissembling about politics.

 

[aupmanyav]

"Might makes right", huh?

Might may not make right, but it can defeat the adversary.

 

[ideologyhunter]

This an interview with Scott Bessent. What the living fuck is going on?

Iran war will end 'when I feel it in my bones', says Trump

www.9news.com.au

Trump was asked on The Brian Kilmeade Show about the timeline of the war, which he previously described as a "brief excursion".
"When it's over –– and I don't think it's going to be long –– when it's over, this is going to bounce back so fast," the president said.

Well that's reassuring...

Can we all stop being panty-waists? Surely this will be no worse than the Civil Excursion or World Excursion II. Or, if you must call it a war, fine, I guess it's a war. I've been on the planet long enough to know about short-term pain, long-term gain, and, to be realistic, the hardest part of a four week war is always the first three years. Just ask G. Bush.

 

[aupmanyav]

*points to a thread I made a few years ago where Modi is clearly supressing free speech through social media*

There are government guidelines that social media has to follow. These guidelines have approval from the Supreme Court of India, otherwise they would have been struck down. The media always has the opportunity to appeal to the Courts that the government action is not according to law. The government has the right to enforce the guidelines.

Twitter/X takes the battle to Courts (and that is perfectly OK):
The Indian Supreme Court has already established strict conditions for for the government for content blocking.
Do Twitter/X or Elon Musk think that they can get away with violations of Government guidelines?

Key Events in the Legal Dispute
Timeline of Actions
Date Event Description
July 2022 Twitter files a lawsuit against the Indian government in the Karnataka High Court over take-down orders.
March 2023 The Karnataka High Court dismisses Twitter's case and imposes a fine of 5 million rupees for non-compliance.
February 2024 The government issues orders to withhold specific accounts and posts related to farmers' protests.
March 2025 X files another lawsuit challenging the government's use of Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act.

Legal Arguments
Twitter's Position: X argues that the government misuses Section 79(3)(b) to impose arbitrary censorship, bypassing necessary legal safeguards. They claim this violates a 2015 Supreme Court ruling that established strict conditions for content blocking.
Government's Stance: The Indian government maintains that its orders are legal and necessary for national security and public order. They assert that the contested content often comes from "anti-India campaigners."

Implications of the Legal Battle
The outcome of this legal dispute could significantly impact how social media platforms operate in India. If X prevails, it may lead to stricter regulations on government censorship. Conversely, a loss could result in increased compliance requirements and potential fines for the platform.
Wikipedia, cjr.org

 

[DrZoidberg]

The problem that statement is that many progressives struggle with understanding what institutions preserve democracy. They especially struggle with understanding how the institution of free expression works and why it is important. People not obediently doing what liberals think they should is not proof of dictatorship.

Being disagreed with is not suppression of speech.

I'm happy to hear you're a part of the sensible side of progressivesm

For an example I suggest checking out the thread on this forum where some people were seriously trying to argue for that USA is now a fascist dictatorship. So the progressives of this forum aren't above understanding the fundamentals of democracy and how it is protected

Your example of how liberals censor is... on a free and open forum, some people expressed an opinion you dislike. You feel unfree, because they are allowed to speak. What you crave isn't really your own freedom to speak, which you already have and which has not been infringed, but rather a desire for control of others.

Tell me, how would you "fix" that thread to make it more "free"?

I never said that liberals censor. You just made that up

The rest of the post is irrelevant straw man nonsense. If you want a reply from me I suggest you make an effort to understand my position

Then explain it. You said you were providing an example. An example of what? Spell it out in words. These coy guessing games, where you hint at a position then then pretend to catch the vapors when anyone dares fill it in, drive me fucking crazy. If you have a point to make, just make it. It's not my job to "make an effort to understand your position", it's yours to assert your position if you have one. I know you are an adult in age. Act like one: say what you mean. My nation has just gone to war, it's past time for dissembling about politics.

Stop your nonsense. I did spell it out. I think it might be as simple as that you just struggle with the fact that I don't fit into your caricature of a conservative.

I'm a liberal btw. But I get the impression that your world view is too simplistic to be able to fit me into the progressive side of the political spectrum

 

[Shadowy Man]

Hegseth’s war plans for Iran finally leaked.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Also, do it just for fun. As Trump told NBC yesterday, we already clobbered the Iranian oil hub on Kharg Island, but we may hit it again "just for fun."
Yes, an American President uttered those words. Service people heard that. Their wives, husbands, kids, and parents heard that.
As always with Trump, when you think you've gauged his outright unsuitability as a leader, as an American, as a human, he digs an even deeper gutter and wallows in it.

 

[Politesse]

I'm a liberal btw. But I get the impression that your world view is too simplistic to be able to fit me into the progressive side of the political spectrum

Hmmm... Perhaps your point will be more clear if you waste everyone's time writing a whole-ass post defending you wounded honor and attacking me personally, rather than just explaining your intended argument.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Update from Edward Wong

www.nytimes.com

Trump is pressuring NATO and China to fix what he broke or else thinga might be worse. It is so pathetic and his cult followers support him while the GOP act like feckless cocks.