Iran, will it fall this time?

[Thor]

Radio signals generally reach further if you can broadcast them from a higher point.
I suppose this also applies to virtue signals broadcasted while standing on the fence.

 

[Coach]

Minding our own business is one thing. Turning a blind eye or our back is another. Pearl Harbor is what minding out own business and diplomacy gave us. Staying out of the Middle East seems prudent for the most part.

 

[halfmileharry]

Minding our own business is one thing. Turning a blind eye or our back is another. Pearl Harbor is what minding out own business and diplomacy gave us. Staying out of the Middle East seems prudent for the most part.

We don't have the thinking for staying out of the region.
We should mind our own business. Since we don't... turn loose the dogs. Take 'em off the leash.

 

[Thor]

We don't have the thinking for staying out of the region.
We should mind our own business. Since we don't... turn loose the dogs. Take 'em off the leash.

As Bismarck noted, we don't have a stable foreign policy, it tends to change with each election cycle. But yeah, if we're going in Cry Havoc! (Havoc - also my favorite B52 Callsign)

 

[Kutnupe14]

Minding our own business is one thing. Turning a blind eye or our back is another. Pearl Harbor is what minding out own business and diplomacy gave us. Staying out of the Middle East seems prudent for the most part.

This isn't correct. Though hostilities hadn't yet broken out, the US was hardly "minding our own business," prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. We were actively supporting the Allies, cut off Japan shipping, and placed embargoes on goods from the US to Japan.

 

[halfmileharry]

This isn't correct. Though hostilities hadn't yet broken out, the US was hardly "minding our own business," prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. We were actively supporting the Allies, cut off Japan shipping, and placed embargoes on goods from the US to Japan.

Yep, we definitely put the Japanese in the vise by clamping down on exports from the US and embargoes on rubber, oil,bauxite, iron ore, etc. We put the screws on them over China basically.

 

[Brad69]

US involvement in Iran never will happen !
It’s not like we overthrew a Democratic government in 1953 or anything?
Even though we we asked and pressured by the UK?
It would be different if we had controlled like 60% of the oil and we provided Military equipment which we were paid in other oil resources separate from the 60% that we already profited from.
Yeah no signs of US involvement in Iran.

I mean it’s not like we supported Iraq when they attacked Iran!

 

[Kutnupe14]

US involvement in Iran never will happen !
It’s not like we overthrew a Democratic government in 1953 or anything?
Even though we we asked and pressured by the UK?
It would be different if we had controlled like 60% of the oil and we provided Military equipment which we were paid in other oil resources separate from the 60% that we already profited from.
Yeah no signs of US involvement in Iran.

I mean it’s not like we supported Iraq when they attacked Iran!

I honestly think if you left Iran to it's own devices, it would implode naturally. Arm, paying, regional allies just to keep parity.

 

[Brad69]

Hmm the last time I agree with KUT in 2017!

 

[churchmouse]

Hmm the last time I agree with KUT in 2017!

Meh....there is still 1 hr 59 min.

 

[GIJEW]

Here's my issue. Where is the culpability? We helped overthrow Iran's democracy, and install a brutal dictator. We supported said dictator, then the Iranian loons captured public, and a theocracy was installed. We've been on bad terms ever since. Since then, Iran has never invaded another nation, nor did it take an aggressive stance towards the United States after the "goodwill gesture" of releasing the hostages when Reagan was elected. What happens after that? Iraq invades Iran with US support. I mean WTF? Is it really a mystery why Iran gets butthurt whenever the United States starts stomping around the region? Iran embarrassed us during the hostage crisis, and we just can't seem to let it go, even after our pretty crappy history with them. What we should do, is simply leave them, and that entire infernal region to their own devices. They fight enough between themselves that it would seem that no one nation would ever reach the point of being considered a superpower.

You've over stated things. Iran is working on regional hegemony right now, using it's proxies to stomp all over the region--and beyond. That's the practical side to the message "death to the great satan" and everybody else who stands in their way. Plenty of aggression there. Iran has even managed to create an ad hoc alliance between Israel and the Saudis! As for Iraq invading Iran with US support, the US, the rest of NATO, and the USSR were all sending Iraq weapons because the Iranian theocracy was deemed to be the bigger threat (my enemy's enemy...). But it's a mistake to think that all the above nations INITIATED that invasion. s. hussein saw that Iran was in turmoil with the revolution and thought he could reclaim territory along the Euphrates that he ceded to the Shah in exchange for closing the border to supplies/personnel from the Kurds in Iran supporting the Kurds in Iraq who were fighting for independence.

I do agree that in this situation, hands-off might be the better move. Opposition to the government doesn't mean being pro USA and direct involvement could back-fire.

 

[BugI02]

This isn't correct. Though hostilities hadn't yet broken out, the US was hardly "minding our own business," prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. We were actively supporting the Allies, cut off Japan shipping, and placed embargoes on goods from the US to Japan.

Once again, you paint US motives as questionable and meddlesome. You are glossing over a few items - such as, say, The Rape of Nanking - that might indicate why it wasn't business as usual with Imperial Japan

 

[IndyDave1776]

This isn't correct. Though hostilities hadn't yet broken out, the US was hardly "minding our own business," prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. We were actively supporting the Allies, cut off Japan shipping, and placed embargoes on goods from the US to Japan.

Seriously? You believe we were obligated to assist the Japanese war machine as it steamrolled China? Aside from embargoes of strategic materials, the most we did to Japan's disadvantage was sell a handful of basically outdated fighter planes to the Flying Tigers.

 

[printcraft]

 

[Kutnupe14]

I can't but see the selective inclusion on this list. Can you honestly, with a straight face, tell me that you think those are the only countries that sponsor terrorism? That, of course begs the question of why the list is confined solely to those 4 nations. I don't trust our govt that much. Don't overlook the politics. Why aren't Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on that list? Surely the fact that they are technically "allies" has nothing to do with it, right? Or Russia, who is steadfast in its support for Iran. Heck, the Russians, just this week, accused the US of sponsoring extremists.

Gotta ask this question again.... BUT, and I don't believe I'm going to say this, I gotta give the president props for his recent stance on Pakistan. He's going to withhold $255M in aid due to their support of terrorists.

The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!
-DJT

Bravo! now let's put them on the list too!

 

[Libertarian01]

It would appear that both the degree of anger and the demographics have changed considerably in the last nine (9) years. Here is an interesting article from AP that compares and contrasts the two (2) uprisings.

Link: https://apnews.com/ab649e2190834e19...:-How-Iran's-new-protests-compare-to-the-past

Regarding Japan and WWII, we started choking Japan as early as the 1920s with treaties and trade agreements. Now, this was precipitated upon the US military's projection that our next major conflict would come with Japan, and so we tried to weaken them so as to avoid an equal conflict. The military may(?) have been correct. However, it is also possible that they created a self fulfilling prophecy that provoked Japan's attack. We will never know, and all speculation is just guesswork.

Everything I have ever read about Iran shows a very different view than what is normally seen in the media. They are a country much like us, with extremely progressive, educated thinkers alongside extremely religious, traditional sections of their populace. They were one of the most western societies back before 1979. We are shown crap in the media that will draw our eye, not make us think. This perception helps no one except for the media to sell advertising.

Here is a visit to Iran from Rick Steves, who normally focuses on Europe: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/tv-specials/iran/iran-pledge-special

In it he discusses some of the cultural misunderstandings between our cultures.

Regards,

Doug