(March 2, 2026 at 3:31 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:

Quote:President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday left the door open for boots on the ground in Iran, but Hegseth said the United States would not be pulled into an “endless” war similar to Iraq.

Hegseth was asked during a press briefing whether the U.S. currently had troops in Iran.

“No, but we’re not going to go into the exercise of what we will or will not do,” he said.

Israel wanted this so bad, let them put boots on the ground.

Boots on the ground would be the only route to regime change, though I can't see Chump signing off on that one.
I'm almost expecting him to scuttle off by Friday leaving an injured opponent plotting revenge.
I also wonder how much (if any) consideration was given to Iran having a mutual defense pact with Russia.
On paper Russia is now obligated to declare war on the US, though it looks like Putin is opting to condemn the US for violating international law... (I need a new irony meter...)

(March 2, 2026 at 2:37 pm)Leonardo17 Wrote: - Trump cannot carry out this war more than 60 days on his own without the support of the congress. 
 
- Iran is 2 time larger than Iraq. It’s a mountainous region too. It won’t be easy to deploy ground troops there. But D. Trumps says he can do that if necessary.
 
/ So let’s not forget hat this is just the second day of the conflict. We don’t know anything yet

Remember Herodotus? He told the story of how Croesus, king of Lydia (one of the richest and most powerful kingdoms of its time) asked a question of the Delphic Oracle. 

Croesus asked whether he should attack Persia. The Oracle answered that if he attacked, he would destroy a great empire. 

This came true, although the empire that got destroyed was Lydia. 

It looks as though history may repeat itself.

(March 2, 2026 at 5:25 pm)Belacqua Wrote:

(March 2, 2026 at 2:37 pm)Leonardo17 Wrote: - Trump cannot carry out this war more than 60 days on his own without the support of the congress. 
 
- Iran is 2 time larger than Iraq. It’s a mountainous region too. It won’t be easy to deploy ground troops there. But D. Trumps says he can do that if necessary.
 
/ So let’s not forget hat this is just the second day of the conflict. We don’t know anything yet

Remember Herodotus? He told the story of how Croesus, king of Lydia (one of the richest and most powerful kingdoms of its time) asked a question of the Delphic Oracle. 

Croesus asked whether he should attack Persia. The Oracle answered that if he attacked, he would destroy a great empire. 

This came true, although the empire that got destroyed was Lydia. 

It looks as though history may repeat itself.

I think it may take more than this ill-considered war to destroy the US. Your reference to Herodotus is also off the mark, as Iran is not ‘a great empire’.

Boru

(March 2, 2026 at 5:25 pm)Belacqua Wrote:

(March 2, 2026 at 2:37 pm)Leonardo17 Wrote: - Trump cannot carry out this war more than 60 days on his own without the support of the congress. 
 
- Iran is 2 time larger than Iraq. It’s a mountainous region too. It won’t be easy to deploy ground troops there. But D. Trumps says he can do that if necessary.
 
/ So let’s not forget hat this is just the second day of the conflict. We don’t know anything yet

Remember Herodotus? He told the story of how Croesus, king of Lydia (one of the richest and most powerful kingdoms of its time) asked a question of the Delphic Oracle. 

Croesus asked whether he should attack Persia. The Oracle answered that if he attacked, he would destroy a great empire. 

This came true, although the empire that got destroyed was Lydia. 

It looks as though history may repeat itself.

"I'll take 'What is wishful thinking?' for a True Daily Double, Alex."

(March 2, 2026 at 3:31 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:

(March 2, 2026 at 3:09 pm)Paleophyte Wrote: With over 500 dead, Trump is well on his way to killing more Iranians this year than the Ayatollahs did.

That depends on whose numbers you take, and how long this campaign runs.

The Iranian Red Crescent is currently reporting 555 dead in Iran, plus another 52 in Lebanon, 11 in Israel, and 6 US troops. And yes, those numbers will go up the longer this goes on. Add to that the refugee crisis that this is likely to create and nothing good happens.

Does anybody know what Trump's trying to accomplish by bombing them more? Aside from getting his popularity out of the shitter?

Edited to fix quote tags

(March 2, 2026 at 7:21 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:

(March 2, 2026 at 5:25 pm)Belacqua Wrote: Remember Herodotus? He told the story of how Croesus, king of Lydia (one of the richest and most powerful kingdoms of its time) asked a question of the Delphic Oracle. 

Croesus asked whether he should attack Persia. The Oracle answered that if he attacked, he would destroy a great empire. 

This came true, although the empire that got destroyed was Lydia. 

It looks as though history may repeat itself.

"I'll take 'What is wishful thinking?' for a True Daily Double, Alex."

This pro-Kremlin spam-bot was discovered to have less semantic content than the average toddler's bedtime book.[/Trebek]

‘South Park’ Writer Sets Up Site Calling for Barron to Go to War

Three U.S. service members were killed and five others seriously wounded on Sunday as Operation “Epic Fury,” the U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran that launched Saturday, moved into its second day.

The latest bombing campaign on a foreign country by the self-styled “Peace President” has seen Trump blasted for his seeming indifference towards U.S. soldiers who have been killed in the process.

It has also prompted a wave of Americans to ask a pointed question—if this is such a noble war, why isn’t the president’s youngest son joining in?

Into that gap stepped Toby Morton, a comedian and former writer on South Park who, Variety notes, runs roughly 50 political parody sites, and has previously snagged domains including those of the Trump-Kennedy Center, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Moms for Liberty.

His latest creation—DraftBarronTrump.com—went up as U.S. fatalities began to be announced.

The site opens with mock-heroic Trumpian pomp: “America is strong because its leaders are strong. President Trump proves that every day. Naturally, his son Barron is more than ready to defend the country his father so boldly commands. Service is honor. Strength is inherited.”

It finishes with the flourish: “Dog Bless Barron.”

At the same time, the hashtag #SendBarron trended across the United States as news broke about the first American casualties of the Iran conflict.

Thousands of social media users were demanding that the first son—who lives at the White House while attending New York University’s Washington, D.C. campus—be called up to serve alongside the soldiers his father sent into battle.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/south-park...-iran-war/


Donald probably wouldn't mind sending the little brat to a war, but Melania would.

(March 2, 2026 at 7:46 pm)Fake Messiah Wrote: ‘South Park’ Writer Sets Up Site Calling for Barron to Go to War

Three U.S. service members were killed and five others seriously wounded on Sunday as Operation “Epic Fury,” the U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran that launched Saturday, moved into its second day.

The latest bombing campaign on a foreign country by the self-styled “Peace President” has seen Trump blasted for his seeming indifference towards U.S. soldiers who have been killed in the process.

It has also prompted a wave of Americans to ask a pointed question—if this is such a noble war, why isn’t the president’s youngest son joining in?

Into that gap stepped Toby Morton, a comedian and former writer on South Park who, Variety notes, runs roughly 50 political parody sites, and has previously snagged domains including those of the Trump-Kennedy Center, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Moms for Liberty.

His latest creation—DraftBarronTrump.com—went up as U.S. fatalities began to be announced.

The site opens with mock-heroic Trumpian pomp: “America is strong because its leaders are strong. President Trump proves that every day. Naturally, his son Barron is more than ready to defend the country his father so boldly commands. Service is honor. Strength is inherited.”

It finishes with the flourish: “Dog Bless Barron.”

At the same time, the hashtag #SendBarron trended across the United States as news broke about the first American casualties of the Iran conflict.

Thousands of social media users were demanding that the first son—who lives at the White House while attending New York University’s Washington, D.C. campus—be called up to serve alongside the soldiers his father sent into battle.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/south-park...-iran-war/


Donald probably wouldn't mind sending the little brat to a war, but Melania would.

Maybe he’s inherited Daddy’s imaginary bone spurs.

Boru

(March 2, 2026 at 7:41 pm)Paleophyte Wrote:

(March 2, 2026 at 3:31 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: That depends on whose numbers you take, and how long this campaign runs.

The Iranian Red Crescent is currently reporting 555 dead in Iran, plus another 52 in Lebanon, 11 in Israel, and 6 US troops. And yes, those numbers will go up the longer this goes on. Add to that the refugee crisis that this is likely to create and nothing good happens.

Does anybody know what Trump's trying to accomplish by bombing them more? Aside from getting his popularity out of the shitter?

Edited to fix quote tags

I'm sure getting his popularity out of the shitter is the bulk of his concern. So far, it seems to be doing the opposite. The problem with that is that he's in this now for the long haul. He can't afford to get out. If he does without accomplishing his objective of regime change, he's through. The midterms will come (assuming he doesn't find a way to stop them) and the Republicans will be destroyed. If he stays the course and manages a positive outcome, he'll be seen in many corners as a hero. Maybe enough to turn the midterms around. And the longer he stays in, the longer the body count rises, the greater the cost of oil and consumer goods, the greater imperative he will have for a major victory.

I don't see him backing out without a mandate from congress. He just can't afford to. It's either the spectacular success of a positive regime change or his ruin.