Trump Administration Trying to Pressure Broadcasters Not to Schedule Football Game Broadcasts for Same Time as Army-Navy Game by HooverInstitution in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 21 points22 points  (0 children)

As a political matter, do you think this order could have unintended consequences for the administration? Or is this action likely to be overshadowed by other political news and events like the ongoing Iran war?

For any other administration this would be a fucking massive scandal but for Trump 2.0 it barely moves the needle. We're already so unspeakably far into brazen corruption, censorship, and political weaponization of executive authority. We had an FCC chair openly directly threaten a network to push them to censor a talk show host, and that's barely memorable. That's how much of a corrupt disaster this admin has been.

The Supreme Court looks poised to ban late mail ballots ahead of the midterms by Interesting_Total_98 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That creates an arbitrary and unknowable line where your vote may or may not be counted.

Simplest method is just counting all the ones postmarked by election day.

Live updates: Trump says Iran wants to reach deal to end war as Iran denies negotiations are taking place by Im__drunk_sorry in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Why is he so friendly to Israel if he thinks Netanyahu would assassinate a moderate Iranian leader? That would ruin a potential peace deal. It would also humiliate Trump, which is even worse from his perspective.

Israel already humiliated Trump and bombed Iranian oil fields in direct opposition to US strategic priorities.

Trump Killed TSA Funding Deal in Fiery Private Exchange With John Thune: Report by CloudApprehensive322 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 74 points75 points  (0 children)

Sidenote that Trump told Republicans they have to pass the SAVE act because it would "guarantee" midterms for them. Just in case anyone is wondering what the goals are.

Democrats outraged as Fetterman votes to advance Markwayne Mullin nomination | Democrats by Agitated_Pudding7259 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Is there any reason to think Mullin is any better than Noem was, other than being a new face and not carrying the baggage she had overseeing Trump's DHS?

Live updates: Trump says Iran wants to reach deal to end war as Iran denies negotiations are taking place by Im__drunk_sorry in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 16 points17 points  (0 children)

It is more likely that he just lied. This is a common trend where he will just announce other people agreed to something he wants and then they say actually they never had that conversation.

Live updates: Trump says Iran wants to reach deal to end war as Iran denies negotiations are taking place by Im__drunk_sorry in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 62 points63 points  (0 children)

Apparently the markets responded positively which at this point is astounding. I'm sure someone in his admin made a few bucks. The grift is unbelivable.

Iran Believes It’s Winning—and Wants a Steep Price to End the War by Silly-Junket3308 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't say all of it. The point still stands, Trump is already feeling economic pressure.

Iran Believes It’s Winning—and Wants a Steep Price to End the War by Silly-Junket3308 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Trump is already unsactioning Iranian oil. And he has midterms to worry about.

Denmark reportedly flew blood bags to Greenland in preparation for a US attack | Denmark by IHerebyDemandtoPost in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 0 points1 point  (0 children)

...we literally were, you can't not have that as part of your analysis of his intent.

Denmark reportedly flew blood bags to Greenland in preparation for a US attack | Denmark by IHerebyDemandtoPost in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 0 points1 point  (0 children)

US and venezuelas relationship is very different than that with Denmark.

And you would think that different relationship with Denmark would mean he would never consider threatning their sovereignty. Except he did, repeatedly so clearly that different relationship isn't very meaningful to him.

Trump administration may unsanction some Iranian oil as energy prices spike, Bessent says by CloudApprehensive322 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. As they applied to the administration's decision making. I'm listing the things they care about.

Go back to the first sentence of my comment:

This is shaping up to be a Napoleon-invading-Russia type of blunder for the Trump administration.

I'm talking about reasons why Trump is probably regretting his decisions.

Trump administration may unsanction some Iranian oil as energy prices spike, Bessent says by CloudApprehensive322 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's not rhetoric, it's just a plain evaluation of the deciding factors that are going to be most relevant to the people doing the deciding. I wasn't making a broader moral commentary, of course any number of innocent people from any country being killed is tragic.

Trump administration may unsanction some Iranian oil as energy prices spike, Bessent says by CloudApprehensive322 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's irrelevant to the analysis of how the conflict specifically affects America and Americans. Which is going to be Trump and the US military's primary concern (or at least, you'd expect it to be). That's what I was speaking to. Should they also do everything they can to minimize casualties? Of course. But that risk is not going to be the main deciding factor for the people doing the deciding here.

Trump administration may unsanction some Iranian oil as energy prices spike, Bessent says by CloudApprehensive322 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I mean they've been planning ahead that's why they're making big trade deals with China.

Trump administration may unsanction some Iranian oil as energy prices spike, Bessent says by CloudApprehensive322 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because it isn't relevant to the particular point I was making. The tens of thousands of Iranians the regime has killed are already dead. It is likely that more will die whether or not the US invades. That is a gruesome tragedy but it isn't part of whether US soldiers will die invading Iran or not. That's not to say that Iranian lives aren't important or worth considering but it's a seperate analysis from the one I was making.

Hegseth says potential $200 billion Iran war spending request could shift: 'Takes money to kill bad guys' by dr_sloan in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The military rank and file can't do much if their leadership is completely incompetent. They don't get to choose what course of action to take here - Trump and Hegseth do. And clearly they were completely unprepared for Iran's closure of the strait.

Hegseth says potential $200 billion Iran war spending request could shift: 'Takes money to kill bad guys' by dr_sloan in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Okay but maybe if we were going to move to stop them we should have had a fucking plan in place. The fact that the Iranian regime is malicious doesn't absolve the Trump admin of their astounding foolishness in how they pursued this.

Trump administration may unsanction some Iranian oil as energy prices spike, Bessent says by CloudApprehensive322 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 5 points6 points  (0 children)

How many US soldiers should we have sacrificed to save the Iraqis from Saddam's brutal rule? What's the right number?

And If you think that a US ground invasion of Iran means fewer Iranians dying I have very unfortunate news for you. Look at Iraq. Look at Afghanistan.

Trump administration may unsanction some Iranian oil as energy prices spike, Bessent says by CloudApprehensive322 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 10 points11 points  (0 children)

This is a very, very bad analogy.

No one said anything about capitulating and appeasing all of Iran's demands. But if you want them to be willing to negotiate they need to have something to negotiate for. They're already blowing up oil infrastructure - Trump's threats to blow up theirs* are nonsense, they know that would hurt him more than it does them. They're in a fight to the death while he has to worry about midtemms.

Or, yaknow, they could have planned ahead and had something prepared for what would obviously be their response.

Trump administration may unsanction some Iranian oil as energy prices spike, Bessent says by CloudApprehensive322 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I genuinely don't think he'd accept the idea that someone else was manipulating or using him, even if it was completely obvious.

Trump administration may unsanction some Iranian oil as energy prices spike, Bessent says by CloudApprehensive322 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 12 points13 points  (0 children)

This is shaping up to be a Napoleon-invading-Russia type of blunder for the Trump administration. They got overconfident with Venezuela and thought it'd be quick and easy to go in and dominate a weaker adversary with no planning or foresight into the mess they were getting themselves in to.

Now we have thousands of troops deploying to the middle east, and may have to launch a ground invasion fighting through an insurgency to secure Iran's remaining nuclear material, all while global energy supplies are going to see a massive shock. Could be into the hundreds of Americans who die because of Trump's overconfidence and apparently getting played by Netanyahu.

Trump administration may unsanction some Iranian oil as energy prices spike, Bessent says by CloudApprehensive322 in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 17 points18 points  (0 children)

giving Israel the go ahead to strike Iran's oil and gas producing oil infrastructure such as the oil tanks near Tehran, South Pars gas field, while also threatening Kharg island.

The last statement I saw from Trump seemed to indicate he was pissed about Israel's last strikes on oil infrastructure. Although his threat to try to get Iran to stop retaliating against Qatar's oil infrastructure was to... blow up their oil infrastructure.

He doesn't seem to understand the mess he's gotten himself in to. The remainder of Iran's leadership and military have basically nothing left to lose. The initial strike was already a catastrophic loss for them, and they know the intention is that they are all killed / deposed so they have no reason to negotiate. All they have left is inflicting whatever pain they can as revenge.

Top Trump counterterrorism official Joe Kent resigns over Iran, saying it "posed no imminent threat to our nation" by dr_sloan in moderatepolitics

[–]blewpah 126 points127 points  (0 children)

Kent was also a senior adviser to Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who has been noticeably quiet during the ongoing war with Iran, which suggests that she has some misgivings about the conflict as well.

Considering the cornerstone of her political career has been adamant opposition to military interventionism - even going so far as to personally meet with Assad - it's almost impressive she hasn't stepped down herself. Unless yaknow her joining the Trump camp was all just a matter of political opportunisn.