Over the next few weeks, keep your eyes on the Middle East

tboonpickens

Heisman
Sep 19, 2001
19,906
35,189
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Sounds like we have a great plan to guard ourselves at home as well...



Might be a good time to remind everyone that this 22 year-old doing the people's eyebrow in his official ID pic was put in charge of monitoring stateside extremist terrorism for DHS.

 

tigerrecon

Heisman
Feb 19, 2007
13,350
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Well there was that school that was blown up and Israel was targeting opposition leaders under house arrest.

But yes, make light of children being killed.
Your such a pearl clutcher. So many "innocent" in your eyes die everyday, even in America and b/c it doesn't fit your political narrative you say nothing.

Abortion, yeah I said it, in America kills way more. Africa civil war? On and on...
 

Dungeon09

Heisman
Dec 1, 2021
6,923
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Your such a pearl clutcher. So many "innocent" in your eyes die everyday, even in America and b/c it doesn't fit your political narrative you say nothing.

Abortion, yeah I said it, in America kills way more. Africa civil war? On and on...
You’re going to get a much more consistent political ethic out of @GDead_Tiger than most of the warmongering meat gazers here. Not the argument you think you’re making.
 
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GDead_Tiger

Heisman
Dec 7, 2021
13,137
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Your such a pearl clutcher. So many "innocent" in your eyes die everyday, even in America and b/c it doesn't fit your political narrative you say nothing.

Abortion, yeah I said it, in America kills way more. Africa civil war? On and on...
This is a conversation about Iran and the Middle East. Why would I bring that other stuff up? I hate that we seem to be allied with the gulf states autocracies. I’m catholic. I go to mass every week. How do you think I feel about all that other stuff?
 
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GDead_Tiger

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We are lifting sanctions to an extent on Russian oil and allowing them to sell some as a way to offset the rise in oil prices globally. And this is *after* we asked for Ukraine’s help with drone stuff. Great job all around everyone
 

chipp1027

All-Conference
Jan 15, 2006
1,803
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Question for those more militarily knowledgeable than me. Maybe a silly question but something I have always wondered.

What keeps China or North Korea etc from simply handing over a nuke to Iran even if we decimate their own capabilities?

Follow up question, while it’s great to take power from China on the global stage at what point is it boxing them in to the extent they feel the need to defend themselves. I have seen pundits on TV gloating that China has lost all this access to oil etc and that they haven’t done anything to protect their ally in Iran and I’m scratching my head thinking that is the absolute last thing we want to do is taunt that leadership or back them into a corner with what they feel like are no options.

Praying for all the servicemen and women and families of those that serve!
 
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GDead_Tiger

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Dec 7, 2021
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We are lifting sanctions to an extent on Russian oil and allowing them to sell some as a way to offset the rise in oil prices globally. And this is *after* we asked for Ukraine’s help with drone stuff. Great job all around everyone
Oh apparently Russia is giving Iran a bunch of intel they have on our troop and ship locations
 
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GDead_Tiger

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The Financial Times had an interview with Qatar's Energy Minister and head of their state oil/gas company Saad al-Kaabi they published today. He expects all Gulf energy producers to shut down exports within weeks, which will drive oil to $150/barrel. He also said that all Gulf oil exporters will call force majeure within the next few days to week if they haven't already.
 

GDead_Tiger

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Dec 7, 2021
13,137
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On TruthSocial this morning President Trump said that there will be no deal except for unconditional surrender (not quite sure what that entails) and giving us the ability to select Iran's new leader. So it appears that the plan is to turn Iran into a vassal state?
 

tboonpickens

Heisman
Sep 19, 2001
19,906
35,189
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Former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe doesn't hold back on what he perceives as our lack of a legitimate plan.

He says that the UK "should not, in any way, shape or form be involved with the Americans because they are being led by a couple of gung-ho nutters like Trump and Hegseth without a proper strategy and without serious thought about what the end state for this war is."

He goes on: "Yet again we have an American president who has gone to war, a war of choice, a war of hubris frankly, without ANY [the emphasis is his] clear idea of how the war ends and without any clear strategy." He predicts that "this thing is going to go south very, very quickly."

 

RaleighTiger OG

Heisman
Nov 13, 2001
14,651
43,517
113
Do they though?
I don't think they do at this point. It's all those piddly-a$$ drones they kept sending this way and keep getting shot dowm. One of them got shot down last night near me by Yas Marina. Scary for a moment but life went back to normal. I am ten pages behind, but this thread has been enlightening.
 
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BigPapaWhit

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Jun 15, 2014
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It will be interesting to see what role China plays in a rebuilding/post war effort since they are a major ally and the primary international supplier of Iranian funds, ie their #1 customer.
At some point China maybe over leveraged. My understanding is the have some serious fiscal issues. What I learned a few weeks back is Chinese are great exporters specifically in capital. If I captured the point correctly, it is illegal move money outside China. These "Generals" and "businessmen" that are being rounded up on corruption charges maybe exporting wealth outside of China which might be undermining their economic stability. @P. Marlowe might could speak more to this or debunk it.

On TruthSocial this morning President Trump said that there will be no deal except for unconditional surrender (not quite sure what that entails) and giving us the ability to select Iran's new leader. So it appears that the plan is to turn Iran into a vassal state?
Let's not confuse rhetoric with strategic or operational goals. Lou Holtz was known for overselling the lethality of Ferris St. If only he had spoken louder on the dangers of The Citadel.
 

MisterWorst

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Jun 6, 2023
785
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Let's not confuse rhetoric with strategic or operational goals. Lou Holtz was known for overselling the lethality of Ferris St. If only he had spoken louder on the dangers of The Citadel.
Jenkins Hall is weeks away from having nuclear weapons. The actions of the cadets, dismissed by the authoritarian regime as a riot, must be fully supported with the full might of the South Carolina Unorganized Militia. Friday parade is canceled. Thank you, rest.
 

GDead_Tiger

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Dec 7, 2021
13,137
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At some point China maybe over leveraged. My understanding is the have some serious fiscal issues. What I learned a few weeks back is Chinese are great exporters specifically in capital. If I captured the point correctly, it is illegal move money outside China. These "Generals" and "businessmen" that are being rounded up on corruption charges maybe exporting wealth outside of China which might be undermining their economic stability. @P. Marlowe might could speak more to this or debunk it.


Let's not confuse rhetoric with strategic or operational goals. Lou Holtz was known for overselling the lethality of Ferris St. If only he had spoken louder on the dangers of The Citadel.
My understanding of China is that they have a huge demographic cliff coming and there are also some economic issues as well. I think the businessmen getting in trouble is for the reasons you mentioned. The generals though might be different. So higher officer pay in the PLA is cartoonishly low. It is an open secret that they engage in corruption and graft to supplement that pay. Xi seemed upset that the PLA was way behind schedule for their big 2027 plans re: Taiwan and used the corruption stuff to purge leadership
 

GDead_Tiger

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Dec 7, 2021
13,137
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RaleighTiger OG

Heisman
Nov 13, 2001
14,651
43,517
113
Touche

Ok if you sort the wheat from the chafe over there you get some good stuff
Well of course. If you want actual information with links to sources, its a great resource. It's up to the individual, like anywhere else, to decide what is relevant. If you want testimonials from academia who get info from bluesky, I guess you come here.
 

GDead_Tiger

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Dec 7, 2021
13,137
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Well of course. If you want actual information with links to sources, its a great resource. It's up to the individual, like anywhere else, to decide what is relevant. If you want testimonials from academia who get info from bluesky, I guess you come here.
The WWRBD guy is basically saying the same stuff I have been, just more eloquently
 
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Dungeon09

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Dec 1, 2021
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At some point China maybe over leveraged. My understanding is the have some serious fiscal issues. What I learned a few weeks back is Chinese are great exporters specifically in capital. If I captured the point correctly, it is illegal move money outside China. These "Generals" and "businessmen" that are being rounded up on corruption charges maybe exporting wealth outside of China which might be undermining their economic stability. @P. Marlowe might could speak more to this or debunk it.


Let's not confuse rhetoric with strategic or operational goals. Lou Holtz was known for overselling the lethality of Ferris St. If only he had spoken louder on the dangers of The Citadel.
Ferris State alums don’t know what boots on the ground means.