Has the countdown to Iran begun?

[Strelnikov_]

Bolton, Pompeo, Mattis . . all hard liner's RE: Iran.

More significantly, the need for a (mother of all) mid-term distraction.

But, in the end, most importantly, a move right out of Putin's playbook.

IMHO, Russia's goal in screwing around in the Middle East the last decade was to provoke a response from the U.S. that would lead to a quagmire.

Because, in the end, what is the one country, the only country, that will benefit economically if there is a disruption in Middle East petroleum and natural gas shipments.


Russia.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I don't think so. Trump's last fit of twittorrhea was an obvious attempt

to wag the dog. Trump is getting buggy because everything is going wrong and he had to tweetfart something designed to make his daft base think he's STRONG, not Putin's weak and confused puppet. Even the Iranians threw him some shade with a reply tweet that said, in effect, Gimme a break.

[Strelnikov_]

2. Yes, it appears that reporting indicates the NSS (National Security State)

wants nothing to do with a military conflict with Iran. Even Mattis is wary.

However, we are talking the GOP, where bad foreign policy comes to life.

[Takket]

3. drumpf is all bluster with no substance.

i don't think he'd try a war.

[oberliner]

4. It started when he brought in Bolton

[Blue_true]

5. Right now.

The logistics of a war with Iran would be brutal for us. Iran is a Russia client state, Russia may stab Iran in the back and let us use Russian airspace, but even that would be a large haul for us since the number of launch bases would be limited. Iraq is an Iranian client state, don't expect them to help us. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States may help us, but with Israel cheerleading for war, doing that may upset their restive citizens. I doubt that European countries will allow us to use their airspace or even help us in any other way for such an effort because it is highly counter to their interests and policy.

A lot of people on the right think that Iran will just rollover if we bomb or invade them. With either one, we open up generations of cans of worms for ourselves and almost surely make sure that there will be thousands, if not tens of thousands of dead Americans in the process.

[GulfCoast66]

6. Boy, that would be stupid.

There is exactly zero interest in another war, left or most of the right. Everyone knows Iraq was a disaster we are still paying for. Even the RWNJs at work do not want a war with Iran or even N. Korea. They have turned totally isolationist. Which is kind of what Trump ran on.

If he starts something with Iran the results would not be a boost like Bush got. Well, it would boost democrats into congress.

[UTUSN]

7. K&R