It just might be, there are so many aspects of this war that remain uncertain, there's no question that Iran has outwitted Israel and the US on so many levels, and both were grossly unprepared with their strategies, and nobody knows where this is going at this point in time.

This situation is expected to trigger a chain reaction across the global economy, from shortages of raw materials in the petrochemical sector to rising pressure on global food prices in the months ahead. Nobody wants that. Or do they? And if so, why?

The Pentagon is severely limiting press access, everything in regard to this war is being censored by both the US and Israel, this entire war is being run by a guy who couldn't qualify to be the leader of a local Boy Scout Troop, and Trump is being advised by some of the least intelligent and least wise people in American history. In addition the US has not won a war in 81 years, despite having the world's most expensive military, and every single success any country has had in building a democracy has come about as a result of having soldiers on the ground for many many years, resulting in countless deaths and many trillions in debt.

To accomplish regime change in Iran might require the lives of tens of thousands of US soldiers over a period of many years. Are Americans up for that, are we truly willing to make those kinds of sacrifices, and will it be worth it? Or will it just be another Iraq, or Afghanistan, Vietnam or Korea?

Yesterday, Trump said that he’d do whatever is necessary to ease the oil crisis. He also assured America that the crisis “will be over soon.”

But that is total BS.

The problem isn’t just that Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz. It’s also that Iran, Israel, and the United States have all inflicted — and continue to inflict — serious damage to the oil and gas infrastructure of the Middle East. This damage will take any months, and more likely many years to repair.

What we are now witnessing is one of the grossest military and political blunders in modern history. It’s not hard to understand why Trump is trapped in Iran. He doesn’t listen to anyone outside his small circle of sycophants who tell him what he wants to hear.

But there’s something else. Iran has adopted an asymmetric war strategy that’s working. During the Korean War, U.S. Air Force Colonel John Boyd came up with a theory of competitive decision-making that shaped American military doctrine for a generation. He called it the OODA loop: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. Boyd found that victory doesn’t go to the side with more firepower. It goes to the side that cycles through the OODA loop faster — observing what’s changing, orienting to its meaning, deciding what to do, and acting before its adversary does.

Iran has adopted Boyd’s approach. Iran hasn’t needed to match American firepower; it’s needed only to generate massive economic and political problems for Washington that outrun Washington’s ability to orient, decide, and act.

Iran has gotten inside Trump’s OODA loop because Iran has responded to U.S. airstrikes by widening the war horizontally — attacking tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, launching inexpensive drones and many missiles at Gulf state oil and gas infrastructure, provoking the U.S. and Israel to destroy even more of that infrastructure, hitting Amazon data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain (causing regional outages for banking, e-commerce, and cloud services), and squeezing other choke points that the global economy depends on.

Iran’s leaders — veterans of asymmetric wars in Iraq and Syria — are applying the same asymmetric logic to Trump’s war. Inexpensive drones, short-range missiles, and sea mines can have the same effect that IEDs had in Iraq — only with far greater strategic impact, because they disrupt global supply chains.

On Wednesday Israel struck at the crown jewel of Iran’s energy industry — the giant South Pars gas field that Iran shares with Qatar and is by far the largest in the world. (Israel says Trump gave the attack his blessing; Trump says he didn’t.) Iran quickly retaliated with an attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas facility. More ego driven stupidity.

Since he and Israel began bombing Iran, Trump’s strategy has been entirely reactive. Iran is generating problems for Washington faster than Washington can contain them — a clear sign that Iran is inside Trump’s OODA loop. Trump did not even have the vision to fill the US strategic stockpiles prior to invading Iran. What level of stupidity is required to avoid doing something like that in preparation? What was he thinking and why wasn't the planning done better? This amounts to sheer recklessness and near total hubris and he is playing with our wallets, and our quality of life, not his own. He doesn't care about his day to day expenses. But we do. 95% of the world does.

Trump is in so deep at this point, the destruction of Iranian oil infrastructure has been so intense they are likely entrenched to the point where they will either refuse to negotiate or they will negotiate on their own terms.

So hey Don. How about you withdraw all your bases from the Middle East forever, before we seize operations and agree to the ceasefire that you desperately need? ? Are you really in a position to deal with $200 oil for a sustained period? Can your economy handle it? We can, we're used to living without, and we're used to hardship.

The American people are some of the softest people in the world, they're not willing to make any real sacrifices, certainly not long-term, and certainly not without any well outlined and specific objective in mind. Did your tiny brain even consider these possibilities? Are your advisors really that ignorant? How much truly important and relevant information are they withholding from your sorry mind?

The MSM that Republicans regularly accuse of fake news is engaging in massive censorship and being as complicit in regard to this war as they were with the war in Iraq, and the American and Israeli people are being denied the true facts and the true extent of the damage and setbacks that the US military and the Israeli public are facing. That truth will eventually emerge. It's unavoidable, you can't cover up truth forever.

They already cost him the midterms. He and Israel have recklessly bombed thousands of apartments buildings, office buildings, hospitals, schools, and homes. What's else do they have to lose? Iran will possibly dare the mindless goomba to find out.

^^^

All the above, thousands of deaths, and the only actual reason that makes any sense is one man desperate throw of the dice to deflect from the disgrace and scandal that really defines his Presidency. That is what it really comes back to!

But Isreal in the mix you say? Well Nethanayu is facing elections in 6 months, Gaza has played out too early, and spinning it out has way overplayed what was justifiable defensive action against Hamas. The Israeli public is sensitive to that, and the deepening international condemnation brings; he sees his only hope is to, once again, play the existential threat to Israel card, so this manufactures one.

Two flailing political leaders, unhindered by scruples, and their attempts to prop up their power bases coincide!

2 minutes ago, JAG said:

^^^

All the above, thousands of deaths, and the only actual reason that makes any sense is one man desperate throw of the dice to deflect from the disgrace and scandal that really defines his Presidency. That is what it really comes back to!

But Isreal in the mix you say? Well Nethanayu is facing elections in 6 months, Gaza has played out too early, and spinning it out has way overplayed what was justifiable defensive action against Hamas. The Israeli public is sensitive to that, and the deepening international condemnation brings; he sees his only hope is to, once again, play the existential threat to Israel card, so this manufactures one.

Two flailing political leaders, unhindered by scruples, and their attempts to prop up their power bases coincide!

Just wait and see how those two boys will still be in charge next year. They got it figured out,

Yes, and the biggest criminal conspiracy in history as well! The courts keep saying what's being done is illegal, but nobody is being held accountable.

Just now, Hummin said:

Just wait and see how those two boys will still be in charge next year. They got it figured out,

Nope. Both of them are in so far over their heads this time, and I think they're just starting to realize that. This is not going to end well for either one of those power hungry nitwits. This is truly the beginning of the end for Donald Trump. Iran will be his undoing, and it could take the GOP many years to recover from this extreme blunder.

And that's a great thing for the American people and the world.

It's up there, but I think the worst to date is the $2.3 TRILLION that went missing right before the 9/11 attack.

Just now, HappyExpat57 said:

It's up there, but I think the worst to date is the $2.3 TRILLION that went missing right before the 9/11 attack.

And how about the billions of dollars on pallets that went missing in Iraq? My guess is that Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bush Jr. And Wolfowitz, got most of that money. The corruption in America is astounding, it always has been, and it always will be, it's just better hidden than it is in a place like Thailand.

14 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Nope. Both of them are in so far over their heads this time, and I think they're just starting to realize that. This is not going to end well for either one of those power hungry nitwits. This is truly the beginning of the end for Donald Trump. Iran will be his undoing, and it could take the GOP many years to recover from this extreme blunder.

And that's a great thing for the American people and the world.

I truly hope you are right, but I do not have any high hopes. If it happens, it will be a pleasant surprise.

However, Im not sure todays government will leave voluntarily.

6 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

It's up there, but I think the worst to date is the $2.3 TRILLION that went missing right before the 9/11 attack.

I read some time ago that the "plane" that struck the Pentagon hit the very office that was investigating the missing trillions.

21 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

It's up there, but I think the worst to date is the $2.3 TRILLION that went missing right before the 9/11 attack.

Pentagon did not report trillions of dollars missing the day before 9/11

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2023/jun/29/instagram-posts/pentagon-did-not-report-trillions-of-dollars-missi/#:~:text=If%20Your%20Time%20is%20short%20*%20The,and%20an%20official's%20testimonies%20long%20before%209/11.

It is increasingly difficult to pretend the entire war isn't anything more than a desperate attempt to distract from Epstein. Every day there is new information that screams Trump has things to hide.

--Just this week it was revealed that upon Epstein's death, all while the FBI and local law enforcement was investigating, the DoJ went into the jail and destroyed hundreds of documents related to Epstein

-It is now known that upon Epstein's arrest, local and State LE in NM were searching Epstein's Zorro Ranch, until Trump's DoJ ordered them to stand down. Only now is that ranch finally being searched ny NM authorities.

-the manner in which Bondi's DoJ has withheld files, made weird redactions, and claims some damning files were "misplaced" until an investigative reporter noted Bates #s and the Dems then took that and demanded disclosure

-Bondi's perjury before Congress when she said there were no allegations against Trump, when files show Trump has been accused by a woman who clams Trump tried to force her to put her mouth on his mushroom. The FBI interviewed her 4 times, which is proof they took her allegations seriously. "Somehow" it was those transcripts which were not released, until Bondi was forced to do so.

-Newly released documents show Trump lied again, claiming he threw Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago

19 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

And how about the billions of dollars on pallets that went missing in Iraq? My guess is that Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bush Jr. And Wolfowitz, got most of that money.

They successfully laundered 362 tons of money into their checking accounts.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/08/usa.iraq1

18 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

I read some time ago that the "plane" that struck the Pentagon hit the very office that was investigating the missing trillions.

Yeah, 9/11 was a Jewish plot to hide the missing money.  

4 minutes ago, Effective altruism said:

Pentagon did not report trillions of dollars missing the day before 9/11

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2023/jun/29/instagram-posts/pentagon-did-not-report-trillions-of-dollars-missi/#:~:text=If%20Your%20Time%20is%20short%20*%20The,and%20an%20official's%20testimonies%20long%20before%209/11.

Yes, best to not get off topic here with conspiracies.

The "missing" $2.3T referred to bad accounting, not an actual disappearance of funds. Add up all the bad contracts with massive cost overruns by defense companies, end of fiscal year "better spend it or lose it in next year's budget", and even line item pork in Congressional Bills that get wasted, and over years it adds up.

The pallets of money that disappeared in Iraq....one just needs to see how the military does things to know incompetence and poor checks and balances are involved. Low level officers know that, so much theft is done way below star level.

In Afghanistan, the military lost much more cash to corrupt warlords. The agency has much better systems of following the money they hand out, and agency types are also much better at assessing people, so they are not so quick to trust as military. Agency types question everything; military types salute and follow orders. That is why precious few ex-mil, even Special Forces, make good case officers, and also why good case officers make terrible military types. Ex-mil can work in places like Ground Branch in the SAC Mission Center of the agency, but as the guy or gal who goes out alone on an op, with no backup and just his or her wits, ex-mil types are pretty bad. They need much more structure.

Israeli bombing of the South Pars Gas field, and Iran's nuclear facilities has now opened up the threat of retaliation against the Dinoma Nuclear facility in the Negev Desert.

i was watching a video last night that said the Trump can't afford to let this war end as he faces the possibility of imprisonment for his actions, and that he will drag it out and escalate. Including boots on the ground. Faced with prison or war, he will choose war. Let's hope not.

There is still no obvious goal. Why are the US still there? Regime change? Destruction of nuclear materials and manufacturing? Can't now leave because of the threat he has created to the Gulf oil states? Stopping China's access to cheap oil?

And now Ukraine is showing how the Arabs can defend themselves for far less money than those multi million dollar Patriot and THAAD systems, and that those promises from the US to defend them aren't so strong or effective after all. This could cost US arms sales big losses.

I wonder what the total cost of this war financially is going to be. It must be Trillions taking into account reconstruction and price rises etc.

30 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

I read some time ago that the "plane" that struck the Pentagon hit the very office that was investigating the missing trillions.

And I've read somewhere that both Queen Elizabeth and George Soros are really 10 Foot Shape-Shifting Green Lizard people from the rogue planet Nibiru, but that doesn't mean it's true.

In case you don't know, not everything one reads on the internet is real.

5 minutes ago, Wingate said:

And I've read somewhere that both Queen Elizabeth and George Soros are really 10 Foot Shape-Shifting Green Lizard people from the rogue planet Nibiru, but that doesn't mean it's true.

In case you don't know, not everything one reads on the internet is real.

I have to admit, this made me laugh.

Trump says he's breaking the Davos WEF new order,

but with this war he is just helping them.

1 hour ago, Effective altruism said:

Yeah, 9/11 was a Jewish plot to hide the missing money.  

I had no idea that Cheney was Jewish, that certainly comes as a revelation to me.

6 minutes ago, FlorC said:

Trump says he's breaking the Davos WEF new order,

but with this war he is just helping them.

Well, the long term goal appears for the US be out of the Middle East, despite the opposite appearances with the current Iran situation.

7 minutes ago, FlorC said:

Trump says he's breaking the Davos WEF new order,

but with this war he is just helping them.

Virtually everything that Trump says is either a lie or a deflection or is deliberately misleading. If the fraud says something just reconstruct the sentence so that it means the polar opposite, and you'll probably be closer to the truth.

5 hours ago, Wingate said:

Yes, best to not get off topic here with conspiracies.

Only half joking. However, Donald Rumsfeld did, indeed, say at a press conference on September 10th, that the department could not account for more than 2 trillion dollars.

46 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

Only half joking. However, Donald Rumsfeld did, indeed, say at a press conference on September 10th, that the department could not account for more than 2 trillion dollars.

That's a lot of money and in most civilized countries that would trigger a massive forensic audit, with a lot of motivation to get to the bottom of that pot of gold. Not so with America, and certainly not so where th3 Pentagon is concerned. There's just no motivation to root out corruption in America anymore.

And Trump has degraded that desire to the point where it's just a normal daily occurrence.

4 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Well, the long term goal appears for the US be out of the Middle East, despite the opposite appearances with the current Iran situation.

Unless bibi says otherwise.

5 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Well, the long term goal appears for the US be out of the Middle East, despite the opposite appearances with the current Iran situation.

So, as the US govt continues to promote the use fossil fuels and impede the market for renewables, therefore America will be less affected by the cost of oil and gas from the Middle East?

1 minute ago, Alan Zweibel said:

So, as the US govt continues to promote the use fossil fuels and impede the market for renewables, therefore America will be less affected by the cost of oil and gas from the Middle East?

Why dont you do all the heavy lifting and connect all the dots and then report back to us?

What do I know?

We've WON!

We've OBLITERATE Iran.
The world should help us.
WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING HELP.
We don't need the Straits of Hormuz.
IF THE STRAITS AREN'T OPEN WILL WILL DOUBLE OBLITERATE Iran.
We've 200% Won this WAR.
This isn't a WAR.
I Am The Greatest Leader In the World!!!
blah blah blah yada yada yada...........

5 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Why dont you do all the heavy lifting and connect all the dots and then report back to us?

What do I know?

What is there that you don't already know? That the Trump administration is doing it's best to stifle the development of renewables? That it's pushing more reliance on oil and gas?