16 hours ago, save the frogs said:

My understanding, and this is one theory, and it's hard to know what's really going on:

Israel was going to attack without the US.

Iran has the power to attack US naval ships in the area and cut off 25% of the oil supply in the region.

So US jumped in pre-emptively. Too much loss of money and possible disruption at stake.

I first heard Vance using that (I think). Diplomacy? Back channels to Iran telling them not to attack USA bases, etc.? Back channels to Israel telling them they won't have support due to an illegal pre-emptive attack, will abstain/ support any UN Sec Council moves to condemn. I know, I know, illegal schmillegal, but this happens all the time at the UN.

20 minutes ago, khaosokman said:

Socialism is an illness. It created all these cults.

All evil starts at home. Socialism, Capitalism, Libertarianism, all have pros and cons. Cults are extreme to either side.

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The torpedoing of that ship by an American sub was the first such act since World War II, and it was no doubt done to increase the esteem of Tiny Petie. A man of incredibly minor accomplishments who even Fox News would not promoke to a significant host position. And yet pick Trump pick him, because he thought he was handsome. Trump likes handsome men.

It was an act of cruelty, it was downright sadistic considering the fact that the US was one of 74 Nations that participated in those exercises with Iran, and waited until the boat was some distance from Sri Lanka before sinking it. Barbaric acts like that are gaining the US very little sympathy on the world stage, but since Trump had already trashed America's reputation in the past year I guess they figure it doesn't matter at this point.

It was cold blooded murder.

In 1982 a British Submarine ( HMS Conquerer) torpedoed and sank the Argentinian Cruiser, ARA General Belgrano, in the South Atlantic, near the Falkland Islands, so no, the sinking of the Iranian Frigate was not the first such action since World War 2.

The Belgrano was an old ship, as USS Pheonix she had survived the attack on Pearl Harbour. She was old, but was heavily armed. At the time she was sunk she was manoeuvring as part of a pincer attack against the Royal Navy Aircraft Carriers, and the unarmed troop transports carrying British Troops to the Falklands. If she had got near to the Royal Navy, she would have done great damage with those guns, that was the reason why she was sunk. Her escorting destroyers and frigate abandoned the sinking cruiser, despite the Royal Navy making no attempt to attack them when they could have rescued survivors. 323 Argentine sailors died.

It led to considerable debate and soul searching within the UK, however, had the ARA General Belgrano got in among the RN task force, and in particular the troops ships, her 15 6" guns would have been lethal, and probably killed thousands of troops.

7 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

You call a surprise attack by a US submarine killing 80 sailors "neutralising'?!? Pretty warped, along with "eliminated". Israel & the US planned this war and started it. If Iran plans to attack US ships, well, the US started it.

In WWII, both Allies & Nazis rescued people from U-boats & bombed ships. That 'decorum', if you will, the sanctity of human life, is long gone, as evidenced by the bombings of so-called drug boats.

Sinking ships military ships is what happens in times of war.

Your WW2 history is weak.

8 minutes ago, TedG said:

Sinking ships military ships is what happens in times of war.

The ship was off Sri Lanka and had just finished a naval exercise that included the USA. Far from conflict and not armed for conflict.

Yet sunk. You tell me why, what did that act accomplish?

6 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

All evil starts at home. Socialism, Capitalism, Libertarianism, all have pros and cons. Cults are extreme to either side.

There are no pros for socialism. Socialism always fails.

1 minute ago, marin said:

The ship was off Sri Lanka and had just finished a naval exercise that included the USA. Far from conflict and not armed for conflict.

Yet sunk. You tell me why, what did that act accomplish?

One less Navy ship for Iran.

4 hours ago, TedG said:

Sinking ships military ships is what happens in times of war.

Your WW2 history is weak.

Except no country declared war. It was an unprovoked surprise attack.

4 hours ago, TedG said:

One less Navy ship for Iran.

And 82 murdered human beings.

3 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

And 82 murdered human beings.

And more to come until they surrender.

9 hours ago, TedG said:

There are no pros for socialism. Socialism always fails.

From AI, easy to find , but explains them.............

Socialism aims to reduce income inequality, poverty, and monopolistic practices by emphasizing collective ownership and central planning for social welfare

. Key advantages include universal access to essential services like healthcare and education, reduced wealth disparities, and a strong, protected social safety net. 

Key Pros of Socialism

• Reduced Economic Inequality: Wealth is distributed more evenly, reducing disparities between the rich and poor.

• Universal Access to Services: Provides universal access to healthcare, education, and transportation, regardless of income.

• Reduced Poverty & Homelessness: Focuses on meeting basic needs, which can lower poverty and homelessness rates.

• Economic Stability: Reduces business fluctuations by coordinating production with demand, avoiding overproduction or scarcity.

• Workers' Rights: Emphasizes strong labor rights, trade union recognition, and minimum wages.

• Public Control of Key Industries: Essential services like energy, healthcare, and infrastructure are controlled to ensure accessibility rather than profit.

• Cooperation over Competition: Encourages societal cooperation to meet common needs rather than competition. .

59 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

From AI, easy to find , but explains them.............

Socialism aims to reduce income inequality, poverty, and monopolistic practices by emphasizing collective ownership and central planning for social welfare

. Key advantages include universal access to essential services like healthcare and education, reduced wealth disparities, and a strong, protected social safety net. 

Key Pros of Socialism

• Reduced Economic Inequality: Wealth is distributed more evenly, reducing disparities between the rich and poor.

• Universal Access to Services: Provides universal access to healthcare, education, and transportation, regardless of income.

• Reduced Poverty & Homelessness: Focuses on meeting basic needs, which can lower poverty and homelessness rates.

• Economic Stability: Reduces business fluctuations by coordinating production with demand, avoiding overproduction or scarcity.

• Workers' Rights: Emphasizes strong labor rights, trade union recognition, and minimum wages.

• Public Control of Key Industries: Essential services like energy, healthcare, and infrastructure are controlled to ensure accessibility rather than profit.

• Cooperation over Competition: Encourages societal cooperation to meet common needs rather than competition. .

Socialism is where the government owns the means of production, like a central planned economy. It does reduce economic inequality. Everyone is equally miserable. The counties that were closest to socialist were the former Soviet Union, Cuba and North Korea. Which would you choose?

2 minutes ago, TedG said:

Socialism is where the government owns the means of production, like a central planned economy. It does reduce economic inequality. Everyone is equally miserable. The counties that were closest to socialist were the former Soviet Union, Cuba and North Korea. Which would you choose?

I just listed the pros of socialism. The best choice is a blend of the best of all of them.

Just now, fredwiggy said:

I just listed the pros of socialism. The best choice is a blend of the best of all of them.

Tell where socialism has been successful.

1 minute ago, TedG said:

Tell where socialism has been successful.

France, Vietnam, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, China.

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

France, Vietnam, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, China.

France, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden are free-market economies with huge welfare states.

Vietnam and China were basket cases during their verison Communism. China's Great Leap Forward killed between 15 and 45 million people. Then, from 1978 onward, Deng Xiaoping reformed the country by introducing market mechanisms and private ownership, and China started to grow. Vietnam tried the collectivization of agriculture, the state ownership of businesses, price controls, and central planning. Well, it failed. Then Doi Moi happened, allowing private enterprise and foreign investment.

Socialism always fails.

6 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

And 82 murdered human beings.

Nope.

15 hours ago, marin said:

The ship was off Sri Lanka and had just finished a naval exercise that included the USA. Far from conflict and not armed for conflict.

Yet sunk. You tell me why, what did that act accomplish?

They detroyed their navy job done. You're a sad old man who supports Iran.

5 hours ago, TedG said:

France, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden are free-market economies with huge welfare states.

Vietnam and China were basket cases during their verison Communism. China's Great Leap Forward killed between 15 and 45 million people. Then, from 1978 onward, Deng Xiaoping reformed the country by introducing market mechanisms and private ownership, and China started to grow. Vietnam tried the collectivization of agriculture, the state ownership of businesses, price controls, and central planning. Well, it failed. Then Doi Moi happened, allowing private enterprise and foreign investment.

Socialism always fails.

Works for some, until a better solution comes along.

6 hours ago, TedG said:

Socialism is where the government owns the means of production, like a central planned economy. It does reduce economic inequality. Everyone is equally miserable. The counties that were closest to socialist were the former Soviet Union, Cuba and North Korea. Which would you choose?

Those examples, of course, are not socialism. You are referencing classical Marxist-Leninism, dialectical materialism and Maoism, colloquially known as "Communism".

Socialism is something else entirely as Fred's AI states:

• Reduced Economic Inequality Billionaires can become trillionaires

• Universal Access to Services: Provides universal access to healthcare, education, and transportation, regardless of income.

  I have to pay for others' Health, Housing & College? Are you kidding me?

• Reduced Poverty & Homelessness C'mon, they're just loser veterans!

• Economic Stability Have you seen the price of eggs?!?

• Workers' Rights Slaves make me more money.

• Public Control of Key Industries Privatisation pays more taxes.

• Cooperation over Competition You want me to give up my Boxter?!?

Are these not ideals to which we should aspire in our societies? Are you too selfish to want to see them implemented?

Because what we've got now is a selfish, I got mine culture. What we've got isn't working (duh). Are we too afraid to try something new?

6 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

France, Vietnam, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, China.

And Cuba would have been successful were it not for US revenge over the last 70 years. I still hope it's salvageable. Cuba's tertiary education is excellent, particularly in medicine and science.

2 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

And Cuba would have been successful were it not for US revenge over the last 70 years. I still hope it's salvageable. Cuba's tertiary education is excellent, particularly in medicine and science.

Give it time. It might become the 51st state someday.

On 3/8/2026 at 12:17 AM, JimCM said:

The USA is controlled by Jewish money.

Many of them, like Miriam Adelson see on are also Israeli.

Jim, friend, I don'r comment on your postings because they're getting increasingly vitriolic and borderline racist. (You're sounding like Yagoda, and that's not encouragement.) And change your avatar--are you trying to compete with EvilPenevil by having the most triggering avatar? It smacks of banality to use a national symbol for an avatar. I hope you're more than that.

On 3/8/2026 at 12:43 AM, khaosokman said:

So letting Hitler invade was your plan

Invade where, exactly? Yes, I think WWII would have end by attrition. The Nazis were already stretched so thin, they were conscripting children and were very nearly out of money. To ignore the Nazis may not have saved many Jews but it just might have given more a chance to escape. The Nazis were done when they hit Russian winter.

Nazi money came from antisemite Rockefellers, Lindberghs, Fords and many other US companies that did business with the Nazis on the sly. Hitler had already taken Austria, France & Poland and Rommel had Africa.

If you're enjoying the speculation, I'd be interested in hearing what disasters would have happened if we had ignored Hitler. I believe many lives would have been saved.

On 3/8/2026 at 1:57 AM, Patong2021 said:

More reprehensible propaganda shared by you, much of it malicious innuendo. Malicious because of the intentional bias.

Iran is attacking multiple neutral nations at this time including UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Azerbaijan and indirectly Turkiye. Iran has stated that it will sink vessels in the strait of Hormuz and any US flagged vessels anywhere in the world. This makes Iranian naval vessels legitimate targets.

The Milan event concluded February 27 and the Iranian vessel had departed for international waters on February 2. Almost a week later, the Dena was neutralized on March 4 in international waters. You criticize India for not "rescuing" hostile combatants. As of March 4, Iran was threatening Indian national security, declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed and blocking oil and gas shipments to India. Iran also threatened to sink Indian tankers.

The Iranian vessel was in the search and rescue territory of Sri Lanka. That is why the Sri Lankans responded. It is a an established protocol. Despite the Sri Lankan responsibility, as the BBC has reported, the Indian Navy deployed a long-range maritime patrol aircraft to support the search and kept another aircraft with air-droppable life rafts on standby. And yet here you are to withold important contextual facts so that you can criticize India. The Dena was 400+ nautical miles away from India and off the coast of Sri Lanka. India had no legal or moral obligation to rush out and rescue people who had threatened India, but they did. You should be praising the Indians, not insulting them.

Equally offensive is the statement, 'Appears they took photos to send home to the kids'. As close to a blatant lie as is possible. Looks to me like the author and the person sharing it wanted to offer a negative as possible comment as possible without being called liars. The documentation of the warship sinking was just that: Proof that a hostile warship was sunk. This is standard practice for all advanced militaries. The USN could have just sunk the vessel and gone on its merry way. Instead, it offered transparency and took immediate responsibility.

The Dena was a hostile warship under the command of the Iranian regime with orders to attack and to sink vessels in the strait of Hormuz, and to seize vessels flagged under specific flags of allies of the USA. It was appropriately neutralized.

Very thoughtful, despite your name-calling. Thank you.

On 3/8/2026 at 6:54 AM, Hummin said:

If the German people didnt let that happen, it could had been different, but thats a long shot for those who wholeheartedly support only one side in politics, they accept and defend decisions that lead them in to another war

The citizens of every country would rather to sitting on their couch, watching some sports and drinking a can of Billybeer. A very small percentage are activists. Germans, like citizens of any nation, were cowed into submission. They certainly did not speak out against Hitler on his rise to power, Hitler won by flim-flam, just like Trump. Would the Germans gotten tired of him eventually and risen up? Unfortunately, we'll never know.

1 hour ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Jim, friend, I don'r comment on your postings because they're getting increasingly vitriolic and borderline racist. (You're sounding like Yagoda, and that's not encouragement.) And change your avatar--are you trying to compete with EvilPenevil by having the most triggering avatar? It smacks of banality to use a national symbol for an avatar. I hope you're more than that.

Thanks for letting me know- I'm sorry to hear that as you are one of the wiser posters. Because of that, I'll heed your words.

I'm not racist at all, I'll try to stick with the facts and use PC language, ie "the US is run by the Israel lobby" instead of "Jews" as it could be perceived as racist or a harmful stereotype

. I know many US Jews against the Gaza Genocide, illegal settlements.

2 hours ago, JimCM said:

Thanks for letting me know- I'm sorry to hear that as you are one of the wiser posters. Because of that, I'll heed your words.

I'm not racist at all, I'll try to stick with the facts and use PC language, ie "the US is run by the Israel lobby" instead of "Jews" as it could be perceived as racist or a harmful stereotype

. I know many US Jews against the Gaza Genocide, illegal settlements

And change your avatar, please. It's far too aggressive.

6 hours ago, JimCM said:

Thanks for letting me know- I'm sorry to hear that as you are one of the wiser posters.

This made me laugh out loud.

8 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Those examples, of course, are not socialism. You are referencing classical Marxist-Leninism, dialectical materialism and Maoism, colloquially known as "Communism".

Socialism is something else entirely as Fred's AI states:

• Reduced Economic Inequality Billionaires can become trillionaires

• Universal Access to Services: Provides universal access to healthcare, education, and transportation, regardless of income.

  I have to pay for others' Health, Housing & College? Are you kidding me?

• Reduced Poverty & Homelessness C'mon, they're just loser veterans!

• Economic Stability Have you seen the price of eggs?!?

• Workers' Rights Slaves make me more money.

• Public Control of Key Industries Privatisation pays more taxes.

• Cooperation over Competition You want me to give up my Boxter?!?

Are these not ideals to which we should aspire in our societies? Are you too selfish to want to see them implemented?

Because what we've got now is a selfish, I got mine culture. What we've got isn't working (duh). Are we too afraid to try something new?

You're wrong. Socialism is when the state owns the means of production, ie no private ownership. Central planned economy.

Long story short, you are unarmed to discuss this topic.