[Oxymandias]

@Suntzu

That's irrelevant. Furthermore, you are no less civilized than who you call "savages". You're nothing more than a brute who is incapable of understanding the very thing he advocates. You don't know war.

That only makes everything worse. Regardless, the US will lose since Iraq and Afghanistan are completely different theaters from Iran. The US won Iraq due to Iraq being weakened from it's war with Iran. The US won Afghanistan because Afghanistan has historically been divided into warring tribes. The US won Vietnam because they were against literal rice farmers who put up such a good fight against a better more advanced military like the US that the US lost the war anyways. The US will lose against Iran because Iran has advantages that the US will never have in such a war.

[foxdemon]

@Oxymandias @Suntzu

I think this is relevant enough to the thread, given we are talking about America’s place in the world. Here’s my take on the USA versus Iran.


The issue is about global power balances. While China has become significantly more powerful and Russia has recovered some of it’s power, Europe has significantly declined as a global force.


20 to 30 years ago the US could rely on capable European partners to aid them. This isn’t the case today. Europe is looking more and more like a regional power. So America lacks a global partner. Sure, there are still capable allies like Australia and Japan, but they don’t bring the power that Western Europe once did.


The balance of power has shifted away from the West to the Sino-Russian axis. America needs a replacement ally for Europe, and the obvious candidate is India. But see, India and Iran are quite friendly. And this is is why attacking Iran directly wouldn’t be a good idea. Getting India on side is much more valuable than stomping on Iran.


At best America’s regional allies can fight a shadow war with Iran and hope that Iran makes mistakes. That is what is going on. We can expect to see threats and hubris from Washington, mainly to reassure those regional allies, but an invasion is most unlikely.

[Suntzu]

@Suntzu

That's irrelevant. Furthermore, you are no less civilized than who you call "savages". You're nothing more than a brute who is incapable of understanding the very thing he advocates. You don't know war.

That only makes everything worse. Regardless, the US will lose since Iraq and Afghanistan are completely different theaters from Iran. The US won Iraq due to Iraq being weakened from it's war with Iran. The US won Afghanistan because Afghanistan has historically been divided into warring tribes. The US won Vietnam because they were against literal rice farmers who put up such a good fight against a better more advanced military like the US that the US lost the war anyways. The US will lose against Iran because Iran has advantages that the US will never have in such a war.

Probably easiest to get Israel to slap Iran around a little.

[Oxymandias]

@Suntzu

Like Israel is capable of doing anything. Israel cannot afford to waste money and resources on foreign wars given both how small their actual army is, the concentration and closeness of it's vital resources, and the overall instability of Israel. This is why Israel wants the US to go to war with Iran and not do so by themselves.

[Suntzu]

@Suntzu

Like Israel is capable of doing anything. Israel cannot afford to waste money and resources on foreign wars given both how small their actual army is, the concentration and closeness of it's vital resources, and the overall instability of Israel. This is why Israel wants the US to go to war with Iran and not do so by themselves.

How long do you figure it would take Israel's air force to take out Iran's air force?

[Oxymandias]

@Suntzu

1. reliable but old technology well-understood by soldiers always triumphs new technology that no soldier understands

2. the IDF can't waste their air force on Iran since they have other issues to deal with; the IDF also can't land in Iran since they would lose the land war and would be unable to send reinforcements because the IDF has other problems to deal with.

You know what? I'm starting to think you're just stupid.

[Suntzu]

@Suntzu

1. reliable but old technology well-understood by soldiers always triumphs new technology that no soldier understands

2. the IDF can't waste their air force on Iran since they have other issues to deal with; the IDF also can't land in Iran since they would lose the land war and would be unable to send reinforcements because the IDF has other problems to deal with.

You know what? I'm starting to think you're just stupid.

Really, T-72s against M1s . . . F14s against F22 . . .

[Oxymandias]

@Suntzu

It doesn't matter how powerful they are compared to the others. What matters is whether or not they can effectively use it.

[Suntzu]

@Suntzu

It doesn't matter how powerful they are compared to the others. What matters is whether or not they can effectively use it.

I'm sure Allah will guide their hand.

[Oxymandias]

@Suntzu

We both know that’s not how it works.

[Suntzu]

Maybe someday Iran will get the bomb and join the big boys club.

[Godstud]

@Suntzu and @Oxymandias Take your dick measuring contest elsewhere. This thread is about foreign dignitaries laughing at Trump, not some imaginary scenario about who'd win a world war.

[Suntzu]

@Suntzu and @Oxymandias Take your dick measuring contest elsewhere. This thread is about foreign dignitaries laughing at Trump, not some imaginary scenario about who'd win a world war.

You demand is duly noted and ignored.

[Godstud]

It was a nice request, but by all means keep acting like an ass.

[Oxymandias]

@Godstud

I apologize

[skinster]

This clip at the UN is better. Much better.

[Suntzu]

Isn't Bolivia one of those third world shitholes Trump speaks of?

[Pants-of-dog]

Morales’ criticism of the US is not only aimed at Trump, but also takes direct aim at US foreign policy since 1953, when the US staged a coup d’état in Iran.

Morales has been successfully stopping US intervention in Bolivia since 2008.

It is to be expected that Morales would be using his seat on the UN Security Council to limit US agression and preventing the US from undermining the UN charter.

Not only is this small, geographically weak, developing country forcing the US to deal with it on its own terms, the US cannot even keep people like Morales from sitting on the Security Council.

[skinster]

Isn't Bolivia one of those third world shitholes Trump speaks of?

Says dude from first world shithole / richest country in the world that has the greatest inequality. Have you looked around America lately?

[Suntzu]

Yeah, anyone who is willing to work is doin' O.K.