Go Persians, go!

[Solmyr]

I'm wondering which weekly crisis will be the next one to come completely out of left field. Will it be missile strikes on Uzbekistan? Pushing US claims to 54°40' N? Declaring the Dalai Lama illegitimate and Trump is the actual head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism? Crowning himself Holy Roman Emperor and demanding the dissolution of the Federal Republic of Germany?

Depends on what Stephen Miller does while playing HoI4 that week.

[Tonitrus]

Will he be...Ottoman Empire?

[Legbiter]

Just about all the pieces for a strike are now in place. Monitoringbros, lock in.

https://x.com/OAlexanderDK/status/2016844367231685068

[crazy canuck]

Who are you thinking of as the hard and firm left?

I think people saw what was happening in the US over the last four or five decades and validly critiqued what was occurring. A reminder that Trump is not the cause, he is the result.

As Valmy suggested, I am thinking of the hyperbolic caricature that Soviet, Russian, and Chinese propaganda built of the US, and those who subscribe to those caricatures as truth.  Elements like the UK Greens being discussed off and on in the UK megathread.

I'm certainly not under the delusion that this is something new or unique to Trump.  I don't know if I have said it here before, but I see Trump taking to their final form a bunch of trends and institutions I have never liked, some of which go all the way back to the New Deal.  That's a much broader subject than just Trump's approach to the rest of the world.

My initial reaction was based on the less-valid "criticisms" leveled by certain elements of the left that the US basically does nothing internationally unless the purpose is self-enrichment or subjugation.  That we have always been, essentially, a 19th Century colonial/imperial power that does not have friends or allies, only vassals that must pay us tribute in some fashion.  I think Trump is actually taking this attitude, and I do think this is new from him.  The closest we've been to this point before was the Banana Wars period from the Spanish American War until the mid-30s.  Even then it wasn't as widespread as it is now.

Honestly, on the specific subject of Iran, if we could remove the current regime and replace it with a semi-liberal democracy, without significant suffering and bloodshed, I'd be all for that.  However, that's not possible, nor is it what Trump wants to do.  I think he actually does want to subjugate Iran in some way, as he is trying to do with Venezuela.  I think that is a major change from past US interventions, even Dubya going into Iraq.

Thanks, that all makes good sense

[Jacob]

Saw a media post about more USAF and RAF assets being repositioned towards the Middle East.

Are we going to see strikes against Iran soon?

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Why on earth would the RAF want to get involved in that shitfest? (Unless it's for defense)

[crazy canuck]

Why on earth would the RAF want to get involved in that shitfest? (Unless it's for defense)

Trump Appeasement Syndrome

[Jacob]

The implication was that the RAF would be involved in protecting Israeli airspace against a potential Iranian response to American actions, but I don't know how valid that implication is.

[The Minsky Moment]

Why on earth would the RAF want to get involved in that shitfest? (Unless it's for defense)

The first image that came to mind was Peter Seller as Group Captain Mandrake interacting with General Ripper.

[Sheilbh]

Why on earth would the RAF want to get involved in that shitfest? (Unless it's for defense)

Not sure on the latest but the RAF were involved in shooting down Iranian missiles targeting Israel (which is why I find the Israeli attacks on Starmer and his government wrong). From my understanding the deployments so far have been to Qatar and all the statements describe them as defensive - Qatar is a key energy supplier to the UK (and our treaty gas supplier of last resort in a crisis).

It might be to help - it might be because something's coming and Britain (and, frankly, Europe) have interests in the region that would likely be a target in any Iranian retaliation. And Iran is threatening significant retaliation.

[Tamas]

Why on earth would the RAF want to get involved in that shitfest? (Unless it's for defense)

The first image that came to mind was Peter Seller as Group Captain Mandrake interacting with General Ripper.