In normal times when not involved with Iran, we have hundreds of ships and aircraft carriers with thousands of men involved, all sitting around twidling their thumbs, eating breakfast, then lunch and then dinner, watching Netflix and Youtube, all just waiting for the big day when they are called to action. Generally, years go by with nothing happening. It seems like a huge waste of taxpayers money just waiting for the big day of action. So Joe, what a blessing, at last the guys have something to do. All the men and women involved are now sitting around the Strait of Hormuz or nearby, slightly nervous, but exhilarated with the sense that we now have a real purpose. No one is getting killed or injured and now, there is an edge to their training. It's real. So thank you President Trump for putting the spice back into the lives of our brave fighting men. That President Trump, he's a boredom killer.
Yes. I remember and mourn those who died in the service of our government's myopia in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think constantly and care about those who survived that stupidity and suffer now. I am in awe of those who "Charlie Mike"--that is, continue the mission of public service. You, with your talk about thumb-twiddling, have lost your sense of humanity. These are courageous lives we are sending into an unnecessary mission. The boredom killer you praise is a killer of unnecessary human lives. We are wasting untold billions, also, on the lost of munitions. This is not a game. You must try your best to return to the real world.
Maybe you are right. But then maybe Frau Merkel was right when she delivered her 300-page indictment of the chimera that was JCPOA. "Before October 7," that is. Funny how easily we seem to overlook that, just as so many in the punditocracy seem so eager to cheerlead for China and its kinder, gentler, "long-view" form of totalitarianism vs anything this current administration might bring to the table. Interesting times.
Do not disagree with you, it is simply my habit to wait for things to play themselves out, before deciding, on exactly what happened and if it was worth it.
Battered into submission ain't gonna work with the Iranian regime. Neither is waiting them out. They can wait WAY longer than Trump can, or anybody else can for that matter.
Way, way off topic here, but are you the gentleman who brought Allen Ginsberg's comment re: Stonewall to the world? I read a banger of an article on Stonewall in Salon (I think it was?) years ago, and I would swear you were the author. You were THERE. I've also read Howard Smith's original piece for V.V. about actually being trapped IN the Stonewall during the riot. What an amazing thing to have witnessed first-hand. Anyway, thank you for contributing so vitally to our history. Best wishes. If you're not who I think you are, oh well; I've been a goober all my life, so nothing new! :)
If President Slotkin were to send some boots on the ground for the express purpose of putting pressure on the Iranian regime to democratize, I might go along, but until that happy day, we need to clear out and hand over security of the Strait of Hormuz to an international alliance to adults -preferably including Britain, France, and probably Indonesia to ease tensions and get the flow of exports rolling again. Unlikely to happen, though; the world economy is going to have to continue to suffer for the vainglorious ego of this poor man's Mussolini. For most Iranians, the Original Sin is the coup that removed Mossedegh - and they're not wrong. It was yet another action from our Golden Era that so many want to bring back that is haunting us to this day.
I actually believe that, just as the French Revolution only really took off as the Bourgeoisie prospered, so too the best way to destabilize the Revolutionary Guards is to allow the economy to breathe a bit and the citizens to be able to live some normal lives, that tends to allow them to dream and yearn for more. And provide as much aid as possible to Iraq so that they can see that turning from the fundamentalist path is the only real way forward. Like you, Joe, I have the deepest respect for the Iranian people and their liberation would be the greatest story since, well - Ukraine. Meanwhile, in the short run, the best way we can help them is by ensuring that the Democrats take the House and the Senate and keep the reprehensible madman at bay.
Curtis--There's official graffiti on the wall of the "Museum of the Great Satan"--aka the old US Embassy--that says: "On the day the Great Satan praises us, we shall mourn." I always thought, as you suggest, that would be smart policy. Praise the hell out of them. Sell them as much as we can, especially entertainment products. Buy their pistachios. They are a nation of bazaaris. Let the bazaaris bazaar.
In normal times when not involved with Iran, we have hundreds of ships and aircraft carriers with thousands of men involved, all sitting around twidling their thumbs, eating breakfast, then lunch and then dinner, watching Netflix and Youtube, all just waiting for the big day when they are called to action. Generally, years go by with nothing happening. It seems like a huge waste of taxpayers money just waiting for the big day of action. So Joe, what a blessing, at last the guys have something to do. All the men and women involved are now sitting around the Strait of Hormuz or nearby, slightly nervous, but exhilarated with the sense that we now have a real purpose. No one is getting killed or injured and now, there is an edge to their training. It's real. So thank you President Trump for putting the spice back into the lives of our brave fighting men. That President Trump, he's a boredom killer.
Is that a problem that defies solution?
Yes. I remember and mourn those who died in the service of our government's myopia in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think constantly and care about those who survived that stupidity and suffer now. I am in awe of those who "Charlie Mike"--that is, continue the mission of public service. You, with your talk about thumb-twiddling, have lost your sense of humanity. These are courageous lives we are sending into an unnecessary mission. The boredom killer you praise is a killer of unnecessary human lives. We are wasting untold billions, also, on the lost of munitions. This is not a game. You must try your best to return to the real world.
Was that not sarcasm?
Jeez, I hope so. But I don't think so.
Maybe you are right. But then maybe Frau Merkel was right when she delivered her 300-page indictment of the chimera that was JCPOA. "Before October 7," that is. Funny how easily we seem to overlook that, just as so many in the punditocracy seem so eager to cheerlead for China and its kinder, gentler, "long-view" form of totalitarianism vs anything this current administration might bring to the table. Interesting times.
JCPOA was flawed but better than nothing...Trump bolting out from it didn't do much to enhance his reputation for reliability.
As always right on the mark.
Well said.
Do not disagree with you, it is simply my habit to wait for things to play themselves out, before deciding, on exactly what happened and if it was worth it.
Battered into submission ain't gonna work with the Iranian regime. Neither is waiting them out. They can wait WAY longer than Trump can, or anybody else can for that matter.
Way, way off topic here, but are you the gentleman who brought Allen Ginsberg's comment re: Stonewall to the world? I read a banger of an article on Stonewall in Salon (I think it was?) years ago, and I would swear you were the author. You were THERE. I've also read Howard Smith's original piece for V.V. about actually being trapped IN the Stonewall during the riot. What an amazing thing to have witnessed first-hand. Anyway, thank you for contributing so vitally to our history. Best wishes. If you're not who I think you are, oh well; I've been a goober all my life, so nothing new! :)
Nope. Not me
If President Slotkin were to send some boots on the ground for the express purpose of putting pressure on the Iranian regime to democratize, I might go along, but until that happy day, we need to clear out and hand over security of the Strait of Hormuz to an international alliance to adults -preferably including Britain, France, and probably Indonesia to ease tensions and get the flow of exports rolling again. Unlikely to happen, though; the world economy is going to have to continue to suffer for the vainglorious ego of this poor man's Mussolini. For most Iranians, the Original Sin is the coup that removed Mossedegh - and they're not wrong. It was yet another action from our Golden Era that so many want to bring back that is haunting us to this day.
I actually believe that, just as the French Revolution only really took off as the Bourgeoisie prospered, so too the best way to destabilize the Revolutionary Guards is to allow the economy to breathe a bit and the citizens to be able to live some normal lives, that tends to allow them to dream and yearn for more. And provide as much aid as possible to Iraq so that they can see that turning from the fundamentalist path is the only real way forward. Like you, Joe, I have the deepest respect for the Iranian people and their liberation would be the greatest story since, well - Ukraine. Meanwhile, in the short run, the best way we can help them is by ensuring that the Democrats take the House and the Senate and keep the reprehensible madman at bay.
Curtis--There's official graffiti on the wall of the "Museum of the Great Satan"--aka the old US Embassy--that says: "On the day the Great Satan praises us, we shall mourn." I always thought, as you suggest, that would be smart policy. Praise the hell out of them. Sell them as much as we can, especially entertainment products. Buy their pistachios. They are a nation of bazaaris. Let the bazaaris bazaar.