Eager to remove the humiliation of its failed assault but prepared to attempt a more successful one, Iran is likely to launch an even larger strike in the future...There is one simple solution.
Not gonna happen. Biden is checked out and his staff is led by Obama’s pro-Iran holdovers. Harris is 100% focused on the election. To that end, she is determined to placate the pro-Hamas fringe to secure a lead in Michigan.
Nailed it Peggy. Don't forget the traditionally pro Arab, anti-Israel lifers in the State Department.
And, if Harris is elected, she will be led around by the nose pulled by the same staff who are running Biden right now, because she has no knowledge of, experience with, or judgement about international relations. Further she is far from the sharpest knife in the drawer and can't learn much or quickly.
Not only is there zero chance this will ever happen, the very idea of it is unthinkable to the Biden administration which doesn't view Iran as a font of evil but as a wayward child to be bribed and pleaded with.
Great, wishful piece. Unfortunately, I believe that it is Obama who is running the White House, as he has been for the past four years. Why else is he still living in Washington? To carry forth your brilliant plan you need a leader, leadership that does not exist at this present moment. I hope with all my soul that I am proven wrong.
Michael, who could deny this is by far the right approach? But as you well know, the likelihood that this would happen during the current administration or one with Kamala Harris at the helm is somewhere between the proverbial slim and none. You have just made an excellent argument for Trump, the only American who would conceivably do it. When he says Jews who don't vote for him are out of their minds, it may be crude but it's a hundred percent correct.
I admire the spirit of the article and the faith in America and it's leadership. But we lack a leader now and the custodial gang hasn't the nerve or vision to give this proposal life. Yes, I believe Barak Obama is the wizard behind the throne-- and Kamala is his candidate. We all know how Mr Obama tilted to Iran; couldn't get a treaty to stop the Ayatolla's nuclear ambitions so he proclaimed a deal by "Executive Order;" sat in the antisemitic/ anti-Zionist Church of Reverend Wright for 20 years,; did his best to isolate and embarass the Israel Prime Minister and flew cargo planes filled with Billions in cash on pallets into Tehran. Mr. Biden has never done anything courageous and the Progressive woke Socialists pounding the Democratic Party hammer are not --especially before the election-- looking to do anything heroic. They will continue with teleprompter clichés, such as "protecting Our Democracy" and "fighting for good paying jobs." Plus, apple pie on every table. Under this administration, Russia felt no threat to waring against Ukraine. Hamas, et al felt no consequential threat about attacking Israel and, in fact we're encouraged by exceptions to oil sanctions as well as enriching uranium to weapons grade. That and the humiliating withdrawal from Afganistan are the hallmarks of courageous leadership coming from Washington today. Of course, they could blunder into starting a full scale war by continuing their (strictly) defensive thinking...or as Mr Obama has said: "Don't underestimate Joe Biden’s ability to F--k things up!"
Netanyahu is the prime minister of Israel…do you blame Ariel Sharon for 9/11?? Biden has been the best foreign policy president this century…and I don’t even really consider that a compliment because Bush was historically awful and every president since has been cleaning up the messes he made. So Trump is better than Obama and Biden is better than Trump…unless you are still a Bush/Cheney fan???
"When you have a regime that would be happier in the afterlife than in this life, this is not a regime that is subject to classic theories of deterrence."
The Biden Simulacrum and its puppeteer, Hussein of Hawaii, love the Islamists and hate the Jews. They have used their genius to reimagine the Middle East as a joint Iranian- US security zone. Brilliant!. They created the conditions for this conflict to emerge at this time. There is zero chance they’ll toss their evil plan aside. Besides, the American public has no appetite for another Middle East adventure.
I’m sure the author knows all this better than anybody. The Americans protect Iran and attack the Israel while pretending to support it.
Iran is a huge country. Their arsenal contains 100,000s of missiles hidden deep underground. If they were to be hit with that sort of bomb in a pre-emptive strike you can bet your ass their response would leave much of Israel in ruins, their axis-allies would flatten all US military bases in the region and the Gulf of Hormuz would be shut down meaning no Saudi Oil, and a global recession.
Crazy idea, especially when you’ve got Messianic Zionists in power itching for the end times and Netanyahu, who probably would risk everything just to stay in power and out of jail.
North Korea has already threatened it would retaliate if nuclear weapons were used against Iran, and Russia may trade their Iran for the US’s Israel if it did turn nuclear…
So true. Israel needs to jettison us military aid so they don't have the current incompetent administration telling them how to fight their war. Currently, 15% of their defense is funded by the US.
Wow, you are truely batshit crazy. This would have worked a few years ago and quite well. However, Biden's disasterous term has driven Russia and China together, along with Iran. They may be allies of convienence, but they are still allies. Any strike against Iran will be regarded as an act of war by those three parties, and bring all of their capabilities against us. Sitting pretty in DC? How about a hypersonic missle fired from a sub in international waters on a nice Sunday afternoon to ruin your prayer breakfeast? Or they could coordinate strikes, Russia fires on London, China on Tai Pai, NK on Seoul, and Iran on Tel Aviv. 24 hours later, with those cities in ashes, we'd be begging for a cease fire.
It isn't 1988 either, when we were self sufficent in many things. The white trash that is so publicly disparaged in the press now used to work in the steel mills and also provide the steel in the backbone of American's military prowess. Too bad they're in rehab or broken homes or communities now, thanks to outsourcing the arsenal of democracy to ..... China. You really think Americans care aboout what happens on the other side of the planet these days? Noone is willing to die so that Washington can pretend to rule the world when their kids are in Fentanyl ridden schools or their classes are filled with those who don't speak english.
Your friends on Wall Street have ensured that we could barely sustain a small war, let alone a large one. Sanctions work both ways, China could just stop all shipping, or maybe even just lithium and watch things grind to a halt. After all, we print money by the billion, why can't they? 2020 was just a preview.
The world has changed, time to stop having delusions of grandeur and deal with it as it is. Time to stop pretending that bombing sovereign nations is the way to peace and America's or Israel's right to do so without consequences.
Enforce the CHIPS act, high tariffs on steel, lithium, and absolutely everything from China. No use paying your enemies to fight you, make them fight you on their nickel.
Disband the DEA, make it their job to drag everyone to rehab not prison.
Close the border, start operation Wetback II. 100% deportation, no excuses. We have no idea who has come across the border in the last 3 years, but alot are Chinese and Iranian spies or special forces. Hire an illegal? 5 years in prison and the immediate loss of your business license.
Free college but only if you study STEM.
Reinstate the draft, no deferments. No honorable discharge no vote. 1% percent of the population shouldn't shoulder the burden of America's wars alone.
Reopen the mines, oil fields and factories. Reindustrializing the US is the only option if we are going to have a chance. Wall Street would hate it, moonbats would scream but it's the only way. Make America the arsenal of democracy again. Probably not going to happen until we're a conquered and desperate people.
Wow, you're surely a Project 2025 type of guy... Are you assuming there would be no economic fallout from your punitive measures? Where are the funds coming from to support such a police state? And what does "Make America the arsenal of democracy again." mean? We're already the world's largest supplier of weapons, do we return to our history of starting wars to drive demand? How can America be the arsenal of democracy and no longer be a democracy? Have you really thought any of your suggestions through?
I don't propose starting any wars They're a drain on the national finances and we simply can't afford any more dumba$$ overseas adventures, like Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Besides, we have enough crippled GIs already. No thank you! There's also that little fact that we'd lose, and badly.
We have to restore our manufacturing plant. Producing nothing but money leads to ruin, research Spain's history after the gold started rolling in.
The beauty of it is that all it will take is tariffs, which is how the USG was funded prior to the income tax.
Hard part is the draft, but no deferments means everyone is in the same boat. Isreal does this, no service, no citizenship. You can live there, but not vote. It's good system and works well in all sorts of ways. Women too btw, they don’t get off the hook.
I don't pay any attention to think tank schemes, they only want to line their pockets so your reference to Project 2025 is pretty insulting.
Yes, it would be different living in a country that actually manages its own affairs instead of trying to rule the world. A prosperous middle class is a great thing for a country and cures alot of ills. Working at Starbucks isn't a career.
We have to restore our manufacturing base or else we're conquered. There's economic output in money and there's real products. Those weapons you talk about us manufacturing, have 75% or more overseas raw materials or electronics. Hardly a superpower which is why all China needs to do is start an embargo if they want to take Taiwan.
Mr. Oren is discussing preemptive attacks on Iran and you're going on about immigration and globalization. If a regional war breaks out all that you're concerned about will be put on the back burner. Getting ground up in a holy war between Arabs, Persians, and Jews is not a good use of U.S. blood and treasure. Border security and stimulating native manufacturing takes lots of focus and long-term monetary investment. Fight futile wars in the Middle East or get our own house in order... pick one.
Its all interconnected, this regional war you speak of will rapidly turn into a global war and unlike previous ones, is already on our shores with atleast a battalion of Chinese and Iranian SF troops already here. Uncle Sam is already having issues with critical logistics mysteriously catching fire. Bon Homme Richard ring a bell? Interesting coincidence that it would have been one of the first ships deployed if Taiwan kicked off.
I would much prefer we get our own house in order, but the Israelis and the neocons seem to have other ideas. I highly doubt they would be so bold if they knew the true state of American logistics and
morale . Attacking Iran would be national suicide and most likely result in the fragmentation of the US. Imagine 1000 Mumbai style attacks the first week alone. Of course, for Israel, it would be much, much worse. The Arabs aren't exactly forgiving to their conquered subjects.
Obama/Trump/Biden ended the asinine Bush wars. Republicans in Congress voted Lizard Cheney into leadership and so hopefully you didn’t vote for any of them! But something tells me you did. 😜
Great comment! And Biden has done a great job after Trump did a great job jibber jabbing. Kamala will continue the policies of Biden that have brought back manufacturing jobs to America. And helping Ukraine increases our manufacturing capacity which furthers our national security. Oh, and the cherry on top is Biden making us energy dominant and now Europe depends on us for natural gas instead of Russia. Trump was obviously better than Bush/Cheney but McConnell and Ryan and the Bush Republicans always outmaneuvered him.
Disagree on Biden, he's the worst president ever for everyone. We'll be lucky if we don't get nuked over his Ukrainian cover up.
Biden is strangling the energy sector. We won't have enough gas to export in a few years unless he starts granting new permits.
Agreed on McConnell and Ryan, they were in Trumps way more often than not, but its his party now, no longer theirs. Thank god, they were the worst, right up their with Bush/Cheney.
As far as punitive measures, there is nothing here that Woodrow Wilson, FDR or Ike hasn't already done in times of emergency, which our border is. If you think it isn't, by all means go to El Paso and take a few of them home with you. Funny how fast Martha's Vineyard got another bus to send illegals out of town and NYC no longer wants to be a sanctuary..lol.
To borrow a phrase from Adam Grant, I would urge you to slow down and rethink your position. Do so by asking yourself the following two questions:
First, how consequential is this decision or prediction? Second, how reversible is this decision? “We have to be most careful with highly consequential, irreversible decisions,” he advises. “Every decision you make is a decision about the future.” He stresses the value of “slowing down” when making highly consequential, irreversible decisions “because it really matters, and you can’t easily change your mind tomorrow. It demands rethinking.”
And if you are making a prediction about how such a consequential decision will pan out, it is crucial to assume that you could be wrong. The historian and super-forecaster Jean-Pierre Beugoms says that whenever he makes a prediction, “he makes a list of conditions that would change his mind” -- a way of pre-committing to a list of conditions that refute his hypothesis, so that he doesn't fall into the trap of retroactively changing the goalposts to keep his prediction correct.
What you are calling for is as consequential and as irreversible as Putin's decision to invade Ukraine in 2022. He predicted the "special operation" would be swift and decisive. He was counting on a devastating blow that would deter Ukraine from ever thinking of joining NATO and siding with the West over Russia. That hasn't exactly turned out well. The same could be said for Bush's wars against Afghanistan and Iraq.
What Putin was missing, and I would suggest you may be, too, is that the system is much more complex, and that you can't just break it down into a simple cause and effect. You seem to suggest that if the U.S. massively attacks Iran, the conflict ends right there. Have you considered that such an attack could provoke Russia and China to get involved? You also seem to suggest that only Israel has the right to escalate and respond, and that Iran has to take everything lying down. What if the U.S. doesn't hit all its targets? Would Iran then not have a right-of-response with deadly consequences?
In such a complex conflict, no solution is simple, certainly not one involving an unprecedented massive attack that seems to be fear-based and counting on an unproven hypothesis.
McStain and Romney definitely ran for president as the Republican nominee. And Lizard Cheney was definitely voted into House leadership by Republicans in January 2021. And Trump definitely appointed Tillerson on Condi Rice’s recommendation. I’m seeing a trend here. 😘
America hardly needs to bomb Iran for Israel—which Israel has wanted us to do for decades—to show the world we have by far the strongest military on earth. The last thing America needs is war with Iran. I thought even Trump, Israel’s “Messiah,” has railed against “stupid wars in the Middle East” since 2015.
Really?! Most Americans couldn't even find Iran on a map much less hanker to wage a preemptive attack in support of Israel which most Americans have ambivalent feelings for presently. The President can't simply authorize an unprovoked military attack without the consent of Congress which we know to be grid locked and dysfunctional. Even if the U.S. and Israel did destroy Iran's infrastructure what happens afterwards? Do Russia and China step in to pick up the pieces and fashion something even worse than what now exists?
"Most significantly, perhaps, by leading the attack on Iran, the United States will restore its position as the preeminent world power, overshadowing the defeats in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Or... we add another defeat to our wretched Middle East infamy. You are confusing military might with true "world power." We failed in Iraq and Afghanistan because we had no viable end game plan. I haven't yet heard of one for Iran either. General Powell warned us in the buildup to the Iraq invasion: "If you break it, you bought it." We warned Israel about that in Gaza and they will be paying the price for generations to come. Now you're suggesting we join them in even a bigger blunder. Afghanistan and Iraq were shameful wars severely damaging the reputation of the U.S. in the eyes of the world. Yeah, let's add one more self-inflicted wound to our battered image.
Israel was founded by the UN and expected to abide by the principles of the organization. Both the U.S. and Iran are UN members and pledged to follow the UN Charter. Article 2 of the first chapter of the UN Charter states: "All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations." Please explain to me how ignoring international laws is going to repair the reputation of the U.S. damaged by previous illegal actions of preemptive regime change of other sovereign nations. As Biden said: "Don't." This applies to America as well.
Well, we might try not preemptively attacking other sovereign nations for one... Iran was in compliance with the UN brokered JCPOA agreement until the U.S. under dear leader Trump pulled out upsetting the apple cart for everyone. What are you suggesting replace the UN Charter... a return to Law of the Jungle? Yes, the UN needs reorganization, but both Israel and 'Palestine' are UN creations owing their very existence to the Organization.
Two World Wars weren't enough, you now want WWIII? It is easier to fix the UN than to recover from MAD - Mutually Assured Destruction.
You lost me when you wrote “Iran was in compliance” uh sorry Mr Hardman they were NOT! Ever, the Iranian regime hid quite a bit from the inspectors from the git go. Trump had it right.
"The relief from nuclear-related sanctions that Iran received in return for adhering to the nuclear restrictions and nonproliferation commitments were a strong incentive for Tehran to follow through on its obligations. Iran was complying with the JCPOA until the administration of former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed and widened U.S. sanctions on Iran.
Trump’s exit from the JCPOA and his campaign to increase sanctions pressure on Iran ostensibly was intended to achieve a “better” or “more comprehensive deal.” Tragically, it not only failed to produce the promised results; it also opened the way for Iran to take steps beginning in 2019 to exceed the JCPOA’s nuclear limits and accelerate its capacity to produce bomb-grade nuclear material." https://www.armscontrol.org/issue-briefs/2022-02/logic-restoring-compliance-2015-iran-nuclear-deal
And oh let’s give Iran more money so they can supply Putin, Hamas, Hezbolah with weapons to kill more Jews and Ukrainians. Maybe collect more hostages that they can trade! We have become a joke
"Under the tentative agreement, the U.S. has given its blessing to South Korea to convert frozen Iranian assets held there from the South Korean currency, the won, to euros.
That money then would be sent to Qatar, a small, energy-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula that has been a mediator in the talks. The amount from Seoul could be anywhere from $6 billion to $7 billion, depending on exchange rates. The cash represents money South Korea owed Iran — but had not yet paid — for oil purchased before the Trump administration imposed sanctions on such transactions in 2019.
Not gonna happen. Biden is checked out and his staff is led by Obama’s pro-Iran holdovers. Harris is 100% focused on the election. To that end, she is determined to placate the pro-Hamas fringe to secure a lead in Michigan.
Agreed..
Moronic, Peggy.
How unusual for a US presidential candidate—pandering to the electorate to win.
Nailed it Peggy. Don't forget the traditionally pro Arab, anti-Israel lifers in the State Department.
And, if Harris is elected, she will be led around by the nose pulled by the same staff who are running Biden right now, because she has no knowledge of, experience with, or judgement about international relations. Further she is far from the sharpest knife in the drawer and can't learn much or quickly.
Sad, but true! And Jan 21, 2025 is too far away!
Not only is there zero chance this will ever happen, the very idea of it is unthinkable to the Biden administration which doesn't view Iran as a font of evil but as a wayward child to be bribed and pleaded with.
More brilliant writing, sir. Thank you for all you do. From your lips to the Pentagon’s ear.
Israeli first. Americans are in last place
Great, wishful piece. Unfortunately, I believe that it is Obama who is running the White House, as he has been for the past four years. Why else is he still living in Washington? To carry forth your brilliant plan you need a leader, leadership that does not exist at this present moment. I hope with all my soul that I am proven wrong.
Michael, who could deny this is by far the right approach? But as you well know, the likelihood that this would happen during the current administration or one with Kamala Harris at the helm is somewhere between the proverbial slim and none. You have just made an excellent argument for Trump, the only American who would conceivably do it. When he says Jews who don't vote for him are out of their minds, it may be crude but it's a hundred percent correct.
I admire the spirit of the article and the faith in America and it's leadership. But we lack a leader now and the custodial gang hasn't the nerve or vision to give this proposal life. Yes, I believe Barak Obama is the wizard behind the throne-- and Kamala is his candidate. We all know how Mr Obama tilted to Iran; couldn't get a treaty to stop the Ayatolla's nuclear ambitions so he proclaimed a deal by "Executive Order;" sat in the antisemitic/ anti-Zionist Church of Reverend Wright for 20 years,; did his best to isolate and embarass the Israel Prime Minister and flew cargo planes filled with Billions in cash on pallets into Tehran. Mr. Biden has never done anything courageous and the Progressive woke Socialists pounding the Democratic Party hammer are not --especially before the election-- looking to do anything heroic. They will continue with teleprompter clichés, such as "protecting Our Democracy" and "fighting for good paying jobs." Plus, apple pie on every table. Under this administration, Russia felt no threat to waring against Ukraine. Hamas, et al felt no consequential threat about attacking Israel and, in fact we're encouraged by exceptions to oil sanctions as well as enriching uranium to weapons grade. That and the humiliating withdrawal from Afganistan are the hallmarks of courageous leadership coming from Washington today. Of course, they could blunder into starting a full scale war by continuing their (strictly) defensive thinking...or as Mr Obama has said: "Don't underestimate Joe Biden’s ability to F--k things up!"
Netanyahu is the prime minister of Israel…do you blame Ariel Sharon for 9/11?? Biden has been the best foreign policy president this century…and I don’t even really consider that a compliment because Bush was historically awful and every president since has been cleaning up the messes he made. So Trump is better than Obama and Biden is better than Trump…unless you are still a Bush/Cheney fan???
Where is your logic on a turd like Biden?
"When you have a regime that would be happier in the afterlife than in this life, this is not a regime that is subject to classic theories of deterrence."
John Bolton
Bolton blames Afghanistan on Trump.
Plenty of blame to go around and around.
Trump made the right call surrendering to the Taliban.
The Biden Simulacrum and its puppeteer, Hussein of Hawaii, love the Islamists and hate the Jews. They have used their genius to reimagine the Middle East as a joint Iranian- US security zone. Brilliant!. They created the conditions for this conflict to emerge at this time. There is zero chance they’ll toss their evil plan aside. Besides, the American public has no appetite for another Middle East adventure.
I’m sure the author knows all this better than anybody. The Americans protect Iran and attack the Israel while pretending to support it.
Iran is a huge country. Their arsenal contains 100,000s of missiles hidden deep underground. If they were to be hit with that sort of bomb in a pre-emptive strike you can bet your ass their response would leave much of Israel in ruins, their axis-allies would flatten all US military bases in the region and the Gulf of Hormuz would be shut down meaning no Saudi Oil, and a global recession.
Crazy idea, especially when you’ve got Messianic Zionists in power itching for the end times and Netanyahu, who probably would risk everything just to stay in power and out of jail.
North Korea has already threatened it would retaliate if nuclear weapons were used against Iran, and Russia may trade their Iran for the US’s Israel if it did turn nuclear…
I’d rather live than start WW3 thank you.
Netanyahu is the only obstacle to a deal
The most important lesson of modern Israel is that Israel must defend itself by itself and not count on others to do the heavy lifting.
Thanks to Israel's world-beating defense industries, it has weapons not available to anyone else, like air launched ballistic missiles
https://www.rafael.co.il/system/rocks/
So true. Israel needs to jettison us military aid so they don't have the current incompetent administration telling them how to fight their war. Currently, 15% of their defense is funded by the US.
Wow, you are truely batshit crazy. This would have worked a few years ago and quite well. However, Biden's disasterous term has driven Russia and China together, along with Iran. They may be allies of convienence, but they are still allies. Any strike against Iran will be regarded as an act of war by those three parties, and bring all of their capabilities against us. Sitting pretty in DC? How about a hypersonic missle fired from a sub in international waters on a nice Sunday afternoon to ruin your prayer breakfeast? Or they could coordinate strikes, Russia fires on London, China on Tai Pai, NK on Seoul, and Iran on Tel Aviv. 24 hours later, with those cities in ashes, we'd be begging for a cease fire.
It isn't 1988 either, when we were self sufficent in many things. The white trash that is so publicly disparaged in the press now used to work in the steel mills and also provide the steel in the backbone of American's military prowess. Too bad they're in rehab or broken homes or communities now, thanks to outsourcing the arsenal of democracy to ..... China. You really think Americans care aboout what happens on the other side of the planet these days? Noone is willing to die so that Washington can pretend to rule the world when their kids are in Fentanyl ridden schools or their classes are filled with those who don't speak english.
Your friends on Wall Street have ensured that we could barely sustain a small war, let alone a large one. Sanctions work both ways, China could just stop all shipping, or maybe even just lithium and watch things grind to a halt. After all, we print money by the billion, why can't they? 2020 was just a preview.
The world has changed, time to stop having delusions of grandeur and deal with it as it is. Time to stop pretending that bombing sovereign nations is the way to peace and America's or Israel's right to do so without consequences.
Suggestions? On reigning in the new Axis of Russia, Iran, China, and N Korea?
Enforce the CHIPS act, high tariffs on steel, lithium, and absolutely everything from China. No use paying your enemies to fight you, make them fight you on their nickel.
Disband the DEA, make it their job to drag everyone to rehab not prison.
Close the border, start operation Wetback II. 100% deportation, no excuses. We have no idea who has come across the border in the last 3 years, but alot are Chinese and Iranian spies or special forces. Hire an illegal? 5 years in prison and the immediate loss of your business license.
Free college but only if you study STEM.
Reinstate the draft, no deferments. No honorable discharge no vote. 1% percent of the population shouldn't shoulder the burden of America's wars alone.
Reopen the mines, oil fields and factories. Reindustrializing the US is the only option if we are going to have a chance. Wall Street would hate it, moonbats would scream but it's the only way. Make America the arsenal of democracy again. Probably not going to happen until we're a conquered and desperate people.
Wow, you're surely a Project 2025 type of guy... Are you assuming there would be no economic fallout from your punitive measures? Where are the funds coming from to support such a police state? And what does "Make America the arsenal of democracy again." mean? We're already the world's largest supplier of weapons, do we return to our history of starting wars to drive demand? How can America be the arsenal of democracy and no longer be a democracy? Have you really thought any of your suggestions through?
I don't propose starting any wars They're a drain on the national finances and we simply can't afford any more dumba$$ overseas adventures, like Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Besides, we have enough crippled GIs already. No thank you! There's also that little fact that we'd lose, and badly.
We have to restore our manufacturing plant. Producing nothing but money leads to ruin, research Spain's history after the gold started rolling in.
The beauty of it is that all it will take is tariffs, which is how the USG was funded prior to the income tax.
Hard part is the draft, but no deferments means everyone is in the same boat. Isreal does this, no service, no citizenship. You can live there, but not vote. It's good system and works well in all sorts of ways. Women too btw, they don’t get off the hook.
I don't pay any attention to think tank schemes, they only want to line their pockets so your reference to Project 2025 is pretty insulting.
Yes, it would be different living in a country that actually manages its own affairs instead of trying to rule the world. A prosperous middle class is a great thing for a country and cures alot of ills. Working at Starbucks isn't a career.
We have to restore our manufacturing base or else we're conquered. There's economic output in money and there's real products. Those weapons you talk about us manufacturing, have 75% or more overseas raw materials or electronics. Hardly a superpower which is why all China needs to do is start an embargo if they want to take Taiwan.
Mr. Oren is discussing preemptive attacks on Iran and you're going on about immigration and globalization. If a regional war breaks out all that you're concerned about will be put on the back burner. Getting ground up in a holy war between Arabs, Persians, and Jews is not a good use of U.S. blood and treasure. Border security and stimulating native manufacturing takes lots of focus and long-term monetary investment. Fight futile wars in the Middle East or get our own house in order... pick one.
Its all interconnected, this regional war you speak of will rapidly turn into a global war and unlike previous ones, is already on our shores with atleast a battalion of Chinese and Iranian SF troops already here. Uncle Sam is already having issues with critical logistics mysteriously catching fire. Bon Homme Richard ring a bell? Interesting coincidence that it would have been one of the first ships deployed if Taiwan kicked off.
I would much prefer we get our own house in order, but the Israelis and the neocons seem to have other ideas. I highly doubt they would be so bold if they knew the true state of American logistics and
morale . Attacking Iran would be national suicide and most likely result in the fragmentation of the US. Imagine 1000 Mumbai style attacks the first week alone. Of course, for Israel, it would be much, much worse. The Arabs aren't exactly forgiving to their conquered subjects.
Obama/Trump/Biden ended the asinine Bush wars. Republicans in Congress voted Lizard Cheney into leadership and so hopefully you didn’t vote for any of them! But something tells me you did. 😜
As I said in the beginning, attackinr Iran is bat sh*t crazy.
Great comment! And Biden has done a great job after Trump did a great job jibber jabbing. Kamala will continue the policies of Biden that have brought back manufacturing jobs to America. And helping Ukraine increases our manufacturing capacity which furthers our national security. Oh, and the cherry on top is Biden making us energy dominant and now Europe depends on us for natural gas instead of Russia. Trump was obviously better than Bush/Cheney but McConnell and Ryan and the Bush Republicans always outmaneuvered him.
Disagree on Biden, he's the worst president ever for everyone. We'll be lucky if we don't get nuked over his Ukrainian cover up.
Biden is strangling the energy sector. We won't have enough gas to export in a few years unless he starts granting new permits.
Agreed on McConnell and Ryan, they were in Trumps way more often than not, but its his party now, no longer theirs. Thank god, they were the worst, right up their with Bush/Cheney.
Amen!
As far as punitive measures, there is nothing here that Woodrow Wilson, FDR or Ike hasn't already done in times of emergency, which our border is. If you think it isn't, by all means go to El Paso and take a few of them home with you. Funny how fast Martha's Vineyard got another bus to send illegals out of town and NYC no longer wants to be a sanctuary..lol.
I think about this every day…. I don’t think this administration is that strong.
To borrow a phrase from Adam Grant, I would urge you to slow down and rethink your position. Do so by asking yourself the following two questions:
First, how consequential is this decision or prediction? Second, how reversible is this decision? “We have to be most careful with highly consequential, irreversible decisions,” he advises. “Every decision you make is a decision about the future.” He stresses the value of “slowing down” when making highly consequential, irreversible decisions “because it really matters, and you can’t easily change your mind tomorrow. It demands rethinking.”
And if you are making a prediction about how such a consequential decision will pan out, it is crucial to assume that you could be wrong. The historian and super-forecaster Jean-Pierre Beugoms says that whenever he makes a prediction, “he makes a list of conditions that would change his mind” -- a way of pre-committing to a list of conditions that refute his hypothesis, so that he doesn't fall into the trap of retroactively changing the goalposts to keep his prediction correct.
What you are calling for is as consequential and as irreversible as Putin's decision to invade Ukraine in 2022. He predicted the "special operation" would be swift and decisive. He was counting on a devastating blow that would deter Ukraine from ever thinking of joining NATO and siding with the West over Russia. That hasn't exactly turned out well. The same could be said for Bush's wars against Afghanistan and Iraq.
What Putin was missing, and I would suggest you may be, too, is that the system is much more complex, and that you can't just break it down into a simple cause and effect. You seem to suggest that if the U.S. massively attacks Iran, the conflict ends right there. Have you considered that such an attack could provoke Russia and China to get involved? You also seem to suggest that only Israel has the right to escalate and respond, and that Iran has to take everything lying down. What if the U.S. doesn't hit all its targets? Would Iran then not have a right-of-response with deadly consequences?
In such a complex conflict, no solution is simple, certainly not one involving an unprecedented massive attack that seems to be fear-based and counting on an unproven hypothesis.
Also what does a massive US attack do to the regime. Weaken it or entrench it further as the Iranian people rally behind the flag?
Don’t count on it—nobody in charge of either party has the vision or foresight to do anything like this anymore.
I disagree. Trump well might.
Agree, but by Jan 2025 it might be too late!
McStain did…and America wisely went with Obama and Republicans now despise McStain.
We didn’t care for him way before Obama
McStain and Romney definitely ran for president as the Republican nominee. And Lizard Cheney was definitely voted into House leadership by Republicans in January 2021. And Trump definitely appointed Tillerson on Condi Rice’s recommendation. I’m seeing a trend here. 😘
America hardly needs to bomb Iran for Israel—which Israel has wanted us to do for decades—to show the world we have by far the strongest military on earth. The last thing America needs is war with Iran. I thought even Trump, Israel’s “Messiah,” has railed against “stupid wars in the Middle East” since 2015.
Really?! Most Americans couldn't even find Iran on a map much less hanker to wage a preemptive attack in support of Israel which most Americans have ambivalent feelings for presently. The President can't simply authorize an unprovoked military attack without the consent of Congress which we know to be grid locked and dysfunctional. Even if the U.S. and Israel did destroy Iran's infrastructure what happens afterwards? Do Russia and China step in to pick up the pieces and fashion something even worse than what now exists?
"Most significantly, perhaps, by leading the attack on Iran, the United States will restore its position as the preeminent world power, overshadowing the defeats in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Or... we add another defeat to our wretched Middle East infamy. You are confusing military might with true "world power." We failed in Iraq and Afghanistan because we had no viable end game plan. I haven't yet heard of one for Iran either. General Powell warned us in the buildup to the Iraq invasion: "If you break it, you bought it." We warned Israel about that in Gaza and they will be paying the price for generations to come. Now you're suggesting we join them in even a bigger blunder. Afghanistan and Iraq were shameful wars severely damaging the reputation of the U.S. in the eyes of the world. Yeah, let's add one more self-inflicted wound to our battered image.
Israel was founded by the UN and expected to abide by the principles of the organization. Both the U.S. and Iran are UN members and pledged to follow the UN Charter. Article 2 of the first chapter of the UN Charter states: "All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations." Please explain to me how ignoring international laws is going to repair the reputation of the U.S. damaged by previous illegal actions of preemptive regime change of other sovereign nations. As Biden said: "Don't." This applies to America as well.
How does Iran adhere to the UN(a farce), charter rules?
Well, we might try not preemptively attacking other sovereign nations for one... Iran was in compliance with the UN brokered JCPOA agreement until the U.S. under dear leader Trump pulled out upsetting the apple cart for everyone. What are you suggesting replace the UN Charter... a return to Law of the Jungle? Yes, the UN needs reorganization, but both Israel and 'Palestine' are UN creations owing their very existence to the Organization.
Two World Wars weren't enough, you now want WWIII? It is easier to fix the UN than to recover from MAD - Mutually Assured Destruction.
You lost me when you wrote “Iran was in compliance” uh sorry Mr Hardman they were NOT! Ever, the Iranian regime hid quite a bit from the inspectors from the git go. Trump had it right.
"The relief from nuclear-related sanctions that Iran received in return for adhering to the nuclear restrictions and nonproliferation commitments were a strong incentive for Tehran to follow through on its obligations. Iran was complying with the JCPOA until the administration of former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed and widened U.S. sanctions on Iran.
Trump’s exit from the JCPOA and his campaign to increase sanctions pressure on Iran ostensibly was intended to achieve a “better” or “more comprehensive deal.” Tragically, it not only failed to produce the promised results; it also opened the way for Iran to take steps beginning in 2019 to exceed the JCPOA’s nuclear limits and accelerate its capacity to produce bomb-grade nuclear material." https://www.armscontrol.org/issue-briefs/2022-02/logic-restoring-compliance-2015-iran-nuclear-deal
Yes and under Trump Iran was very quiet
And oh let’s give Iran more money so they can supply Putin, Hamas, Hezbolah with weapons to kill more Jews and Ukrainians. Maybe collect more hostages that they can trade! We have become a joke
"Under the tentative agreement, the U.S. has given its blessing to South Korea to convert frozen Iranian assets held there from the South Korean currency, the won, to euros.
That money then would be sent to Qatar, a small, energy-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula that has been a mediator in the talks. The amount from Seoul could be anywhere from $6 billion to $7 billion, depending on exchange rates. The cash represents money South Korea owed Iran — but had not yet paid — for oil purchased before the Trump administration imposed sanctions on such transactions in 2019.
The U.S. maintains that, once in Qatar, the money will be held in restricted accounts and will only be able to be used for humanitarian goods, such as medicine and food." https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/the-tentative-u-s-iran-deal-involving-prisoners-and-frozen-funds-explained
Yes they have plenty of money now bc we gave it to them and we let them sell their oil..