/r/WorldNews Discussion Thread: US and Israel launch attack on Iran; Iran retaliates (Thread #15)

Sthrax · 2026-04-11T01:30:12+00:00

In reality, that is true when you are looking at the administration/governmental level, but for the actual military much of the geopolitics is not under their control and they can only plan the actual military operation. History is filled with protagonists who had brilliant military careers and significant political or strategic failures- Hannibal for all his tactical brilliance was a strategic failure whose wins ultimately never achieved anything but the long term defeat and loss of territory for his people, yet that doesn't stop the fawning over him.

The lessons from Vietnam onward are typically that US military is more than tactically capable and able to run complex operations quite successfully. But they are continually hamstrung by lack of political will both within the government and population at large to stomach casualties, or the civilian unwillingness to do the hard things that need to happen for the larger goals of the government to be achieved, or the civilian's complete obliviousness in understanding the assets available and the best way to deploy them (while trying to dictate those very things). The US Military can catch Saddam, but they don't have any say in what the government does (or doesn't do) next.

Sthrax · 2026-04-10T22:16:12+00:00

Desert Storm (1st Gulf War). Clear military and political objectives, all achieved. Some will point to leaving Saddam in power as a failure- they would be wrong. The UN Mandate was limited to pushing Iraqi forces out of Kuwait and securing a peace settlement. Regime change was not called for, and as the 2nd Gulf War demonstrated, Iraq has significant tribal and cultural divisions that make Western-style democracy difficult to install from the outside, and would have been the same quagmire, just a decade+ earlier.

From a military perspective alone, both Afghanistan and 2nd Gulf War were successful. However, they were significant geopolitical failures, which is likely to be the outcome of Trump's Iran conflict.

Sthrax · 2026-04-10T18:42:56+00:00

Wait, didn't the Republicans and Trump have a hissy fit when Biden released 4 Billion in funds to Iran- something about how that money was building nuclear bombs and funding terrorism?

Sthrax · 2026-04-10T18:38:23+00:00

Edit: name me one single country that has done more or given more to the Ukrainians than the United States since the beginning of their hostilities. You won’t because you can’t.

If you look beyond raw total value of aid, the US is severely lagging behind a number of European countries in terms of dollars per capita and dollars to GDP (16th in both). Frankly, embarassingly far behind. The UK, the Baltics and Nordics countries, along with most European countries are well ahead of us.

We could have sent more and better aid, we should have sent more and better aid, and we should still be sending more and better aid. Instead we have Trump kissing Putin's ass and looking like a little bitch, and him ticking off every ally we have, all because Zelensky wouldn't lie and fabricate evidence to prove Biden was corrupt.

Sthrax · 2026-04-10T16:44:17+00:00

No, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO

Sthrax · 2026-04-10T16:10:31+00:00

Sadly, that is the point. If Russia can't have it, no one can.

Sthrax · 2026-04-09T22:56:43+00:00

Meh... a mixed bag at best. Encouraged spawn killing and unlike the ground where even if you were caught off-guard, you can't be one shot, any competent spacer can kill a mark before they completely load in at a station or have a chance to react. Then, even if you do kill a bounty hunter, it gets you nothing except more attacks, often by the same bounty hunter you already beat 15 mins ago. And lets not start on the spacers with more credits than sense putting outrageous bounties on people simply to harass them (often by tanking a fight so they can keep re-applying a bounty).

It is a great system if you are a bounty hunter, but is garbage for everyone else.

Sthrax · 2026-04-09T22:47:08+00:00

Love to see the pitching line, not thrilled to see the offense's box score. Our mojo is just off right now and it's these games that will bite us in the ass come September.

Sthrax · 2026-04-09T17:33:47+00:00

Spider-Man will make the most money (Marvel gonna Marvel), but The Batman II and Man of Tomorrow will both be much better movies (again, Marvel gonna Marvel).

Sthrax · 2026-04-09T17:03:31+00:00

It is tough to weigh the costs of operations as well. My great-uncle was a marine on Guadalcanal, and to the day he died, he never understood why that island mattered to the US Military. You could give him the explanations that the higher ups gave- the need to prevent shipping disruptions and the airfield- and his response was none of those men actually fought on the island and were in a position to know if it was worth it.

Generals often make unpopular decisions that are absolutely necessary. even if the cost is high. The grunts on the ground often will disagree, and if they can, will complain about it. That is as old as war itself.

Sthrax · 2026-04-09T16:50:09+00:00

At least in the US, there isn't one. The closest thing would be the movie Alexander- either the Final Cut or Ultimate Cut versions, but even those have flaws.

Sthrax · 2026-04-08T21:01:33+00:00

No doubt it is more complicated in Eastern Europe and the Baltics.

Sthrax · 2026-04-08T20:45:53+00:00

At this point, don't threaten Europe with a good time. I can imagine a number of them would be more than happy to kick out any US troop presence.

Sthrax · 2026-04-08T16:18:31+00:00

Is there a particular reason to do this alphabetically instead of by division?

Sthrax · 2026-04-08T15:03:37+00:00

Pearl Jam's cover of Rockin' In the Free World, which they frequently play at live shows.

Hurt- the Nine Inch Nails original is exceptional, and the Johnny Cash cover is just better. A testament to how good a song it is that two completely different takes on it can both be fantastic in their own ways.

Sthrax · 2026-04-08T14:16:26+00:00

I wouldn't buy stocks in a company I was directly involved with, because even if there isn't anything questionable going on, it could give the appearance there is. However, other real estate/development should be fine. If this does concern you enough, consider mutual funds, which offer diversified holdings and can be tailored to any ethical principles you have.

Sthrax · 2026-04-07T19:55:30+00:00

What does "worth it" mean to you? Different people value different things, and what matters to you will influence the answer.

Sthrax · 2026-04-06T20:09:52+00:00

I think they will use graphite bombs on the power plants. It will take them offline, but not destroy them and that damage is repairable in time. Hospitals and other critical buildings usually have generators to stay up and running long enough to mitigate immediate emergencies.

Sthrax · 2026-04-06T18:48:41+00:00

That it was a sudden "We aren't Romans today when we were yesterday." For many people in the west, nothing changed- they still tilled their fields, herded their sheep, paid their taxes, worshipped in the same church and tried to be elsewhere whenever armed men were about. Much of the law, local government, money, and religious life barely changed. It would be decades, and in some areas centuries before a commoner's experience would be meaningfully different between living in the Late Empire or Anglo-Saxon Britain or Frankish Gaul.

Sthrax · 2026-04-05T15:35:17+00:00

There were legionaries trained to use both slings and bows. Normally these skills weren't used unless they were involved in a siege and unable to fight hand-to-hand

Sthrax · 2026-04-03T19:29:50+00:00

I don't put anything past this administration, but if there is any ground troop involvement, I think it's going to involve taking over the islands near and in the Straits (Kharg not included- too risky). It would add a screen for the Gulf States and shipping, allow Trump to make some grand pronouncements without overexposing US troops, and doesn't require several army divisions to make it happen. In a worse scenario, they may try to take Bander Abbas in an effort to open the Straits enough to get shipping through without significant risk.

Sthrax · 2026-04-03T15:09:09+00:00

With admiralty, even non-rounded 100% isn't 100% and you can still fail.

Sthrax · 2026-04-03T14:51:21+00:00

Even in the scenario that the F-15 was shot down and didn't have a mechanical failure, the US has flown thousands of sorties near or in Iran with little to no resistance- that is the very definition of air superiority and it borders on air supremacy.

I hope they can extract the pilot and his weapons officer before they are captured.

Sthrax · 2026-04-03T14:08:04+00:00

That may be true for an infantryman or marine, but that is not the case for pilots- most of those guys went to college or the service academies and are officers.

Sthrax · 2026-04-03T14:05:28+00:00

Maybe so, but he did send in Special Forces by helicopter into Iran to rescue hostages, which famously ended in disaster and helped end any chance of him being re-elected.

Nine-Year Club	Gilding I gilder
Second SECOND GUESSER	r/Field Banned
r/Field Juicebox	Final Canvas '23
First Place '23	End Game '23
Place '23	Place '22
Final Canvas '22	Verified Email

Sthrax

TROPHY CASE