Israel is the mini-me of the United States, a proxy nation, like Hezbollah and Hamas are for Iran. Blaming Israel for Trump's decision is good for Trump if it doesn't work out. If it does, he's a hero. He did get the Gaza war halted and the remaining hostages back. In Israel, they are war weary, they serve when called, and they do hope to have peace some day. Like us, they need a better leader, but perhaps like us, the next election may not solve that problem. And aren't we way past the convenience and prejudice of blaming the Jews?
The Israelis are definitely highly motivated but it’s less well known that the Saudis are also on board.
Iran has been funding the Houthis, who attack Saudi Arabia. They’re highly dependent on desalination plants for water and fear these being disabled by the Houthis.
You make an important point. The Saudis aren’t publicly banging a drum about this, but certainly they’re quietly supportive. They’ve been terrified of the threat from a nuclear-capable Iran for a long time.
No. It is a US war where the interests that Israel has intersected at the right time in history. The bigger picture is the Sunni Arab world was keen to get rid of Iran, the even larger picture is China which is now loosing a viable ally and economic partner in Iran. China is now on the defensive and if the US is ready it will move a large part of its fleet back to the South China Sea. Focusing on Israel is not a productive way to analyze this war.
I love your writing. Your "turn of phrase" is pithy and spot-on; I also admire your perspectives and intelligence. Bravo! thank you for your informative comments.
As usual, nobody writes like Tina Brown. Every important point is here. And what if the Orange Menace has put us all through this only for the truth about Epstein to get him anyway?
Look at the picture in your article of Susie Wiles wearing an apple watch in the mara lago so called sit room. Extremely dangerous in a highly classified situation. This clown car of fools never ceases to amaze and infuriate me!
Funny you should mention the Apple watch; I just had a briefing for a state test that will be administered soon to our elementary school students and we were told all smart watches were to be put away.
We, the US, never get it right in the Middle East. It is astounding that they do not hate us even more. From:
-Bush's attack on Iraq (oopsie daisy, wrong country)
-Obama's failed red line threat (leaving Assad to butcher for another decade)
-Biden's disastrous pullout of Afghanistan (remember people hanging off planes, knowing they were facing death and torture) and leaving so many who helped our troops there to be incinerated in the Taliban hate.
-Trump taking the few who were able to come to America now throw them out, taking away their promised status/citizenship, pulling the rug out from under them. Again, these are people who helped our troops.
-Biden, and later Trump funding a genocide in Gaza while Israel has violated International law for decades in the West Bank. As UN Sec. Guterres stated, Oct. 7 "This was a brutal attack but this did not happen in a vacuum." Hamas needs to be destroyed for that attack absolutely, but let's look at the other side. When the ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu, Givr, and Smoltrich, Biden's response was to sanction the ICC! At the time I thought to myself, "that is something Trump would do", and sure enough Trump did the same by upholding sanctions against a court that was doing its job.
-Americas' attack on Iran to both support Netanyahu's lust for power and to stay in power, and create a distraction away from the Epstein files.
America has gone against every other nation in providing additional funds to Israel after not only constant violations of law, but ignoring ceasefires, not following through on agreements for aid, and not letting the Press into Gaza. As a MAGA supporter stated, "It is now MIGA:Make Israel Great Again". Sadly America's reputation has been tarnished long before Trump, this war in Iran will add the cherry on top.
It is astounding that it seems no matter who is President, we never learn and get it right. It is not complicated, they just want us to believe that to excuse their broken policies.
Let's include Vietnam since I have seen the ravages of that war on those of my generation who survived it and the guilt about those who died. "And it's one two three, Just what are we fighting for? Don't ask me I don't give a damn, Next stop is Vietnam...." (Country Joe and the Fish, 1969)
I meant to start with that, James, that Vietnam wasn't the Middle East :) But, yes, it's about hubris. For example so much American myth making has gone into WW2 history that i think a lot of Americans would be astounded to know that WW2 had been going on for several years before America officially entered the war. Over and over again, Canadians like myself have had to listen to "well, if we hadn't entered the war, you'd all be speaking German...." Really? Then so would you have. And yet we here in North America really have no first-hand history or knowledge of what it feels like to be bombed out of your homes, to raise your hands to heaven and say "We didn't start the war. We're simply trying to survive. I didn't support this government and its actions! I'm an innocent bystander just trying to feed my family! And your country wouldn't take us anyway....." War. It's so bloody complex.
You are so right! WW2 was going for awhile until we entered. In North America we are so privileged. I send a fellow in Gaza money every month so that he and his family do not starve to death. He and his family are the sweetest people and we talk just about 3-4 times a week on video. The Palestinians in Gaza break my heart, the immigrants sent off to sadistic prisons just for trying to come to America and build a life breaks my heart. We are all in a dark place and we all have to stay strong, hold on to our morality until this morass ends. BTW, I did not realize you were from Canada, as an American trust me we love you guys!
I grew up in Montreal in the 1950s. Almost all of my friends were the children of European refugees from Iron Curtain countries who had fled the Russian advance as Germany fell and were in Allied refugee camps for a couple of years until they could be sponsored by organizations in North America. A friend's mother, who died just a couple of years ago at age 100, used to tell us stories of being taken from Lithuania by the Nazis to work as slave labor in their factories in Germany. As the armies closed in and mapped out where they were going to position their troops, the message went out among her friends to get to where the Allies were because if they were captured by the Russians they'd probably be killed as "collaborators" or shipped back to Lithuania where things would be equally bad. So they did get to the Allies and stayed in the camps there until they were sponsored by a church in Montreal. And then my friend's mother worked off her debt to the church so that she could then send for her mother who somehow had also managed to get out of Lithuania before the Iron Curtain totally shut. Such stories.
Yes. And 2 other American WW2 myths are 1) mostly American blood shed: no, was mostly Russian blood 2) Pearl Harbor caused us to fight Germany; no, it brought war with Japan, but then Hitler (made the mistake) of declaring war on the U.S. - if he hadn't, it's not at all clear that the U.S. would have also gone to war against Germany.
“In the first hours after the strike, Trump called on the Iranian people “to take back their country.” With what? Sticks and stones? For the sake of projected bravado, our bone-spur president was urging the Iranian people to come out of their houses and die.”
TB, Linguistic caviar never tasted so good!
Quaffing from the chalice of blind ignorance has it consequences. The more the executive branch drinks, the further inebriated they get, and further in observing the obvious right in front of them; monkey see, monkey do. It may seem fine and dandy to the players at the top of the political pyramid to thumbing their noses at the rule of law, yet in a country with 330 million firearms out and about how long before everybody else decides the rule of law is a waste of time?
With the likes of MTG launching her verbal drones and heat seeking critique at the occupant of the oval office, how long before one of the President’s most rabid supporters, like MTG, flips the script, goes nuclear, and decides to launch their own domestic preemptive with something stronger than words? This Hellion wouldn't wish it on anyone, least of all the leader of the free world, yet as is the case, history always has a way of catching up to those who think they can out run, BS, or buy it.
When Dame T writes how quickly the Iranians/Persians are back in the game after the Grand Wazoo has been obliterated, maybe that has to do with the fact that modern day Iranian’s ancestors were intelligence gathering since the days of Hammurabi, not to mention initiating the first tax revolt in 2378 BC. Is this then, nothing more than a hissy fit on the part of the less taxes, smaller government party, now in control of the executive and legislative branches at the federal level, because they don't want anybody to catch on they’ve been unwittingly emulating the Mullahs for decades in more ways than one?
The Persian Republican Guard v. The American Republican Party, in the long game, who will be around in a thousand years?
Iran is a theocracy run by mullahs. Why would the average Iranian - a devout muslim - attack his religious superiors? It makes no sense. Yes, there are liberals in Teheran and a few other cities, but the vast majority of people will not support an insurrection.
I believe both Thomas & Frau Katze have illuminated the crux of the "liberation" matter. Most of the educated live in the cities and, as Frau brings up, economic/humane problems have alienated them. What we need to know is how many citizens of the outlying areas away from cities also feel alienated. The countryside dwellers seem to be devout. Is there an overwhelming population willing to rise up? OR do we just hear from the 'minority' of educated young? Lastly, unless the military and Guard side with the protesters, no change can happen. Boots on the ground would, in my opinion, not change the government.
Latest analysis I heard says there can be no progress unless the IRGC (paramilitary) can be dismantled. Several hundred thousand. Not very likely.
Also relevant: Iran is in terrible shape: 48% per year inflation, electricity shortages and a water crisis (partly due to global warming but exacerbated by terrible management). This has alienated the middle class, who had been protesting until the IRGC killed an estimated 30K of them.
TB….your articulation of the whole, sorry mess is superb….thank you….👏🏻
This is israel's war with the US as accomplices.
Israel is the mini-me of the United States, a proxy nation, like Hezbollah and Hamas are for Iran. Blaming Israel for Trump's decision is good for Trump if it doesn't work out. If it does, he's a hero. He did get the Gaza war halted and the remaining hostages back. In Israel, they are war weary, they serve when called, and they do hope to have peace some day. Like us, they need a better leader, but perhaps like us, the next election may not solve that problem. And aren't we way past the convenience and prejudice of blaming the Jews?
I think you got this wrong, USA is Bibi’s proxy state with his tame puppet bowing to please his master.
Actually, most of Israel is in favor of this war.
Low life xtians never get tired of jew waiting- it's in their DNA!
The Israelis are definitely highly motivated but it’s less well known that the Saudis are also on board.
Iran has been funding the Houthis, who attack Saudi Arabia. They’re highly dependent on desalination plants for water and fear these being disabled by the Houthis.
You make an important point. The Saudis aren’t publicly banging a drum about this, but certainly they’re quietly supportive. They’ve been terrified of the threat from a nuclear-capable Iran for a long time.
No. It is a US war where the interests that Israel has intersected at the right time in history. The bigger picture is the Sunni Arab world was keen to get rid of Iran, the even larger picture is China which is now loosing a viable ally and economic partner in Iran. China is now on the defensive and if the US is ready it will move a large part of its fleet back to the South China Sea. Focusing on Israel is not a productive way to analyze this war.
I love your writing. Your "turn of phrase" is pithy and spot-on; I also admire your perspectives and intelligence. Bravo! thank you for your informative comments.
As usual, nobody writes like Tina Brown. Every important point is here. And what if the Orange Menace has put us all through this only for the truth about Epstein to get him anyway?
Look at the picture in your article of Susie Wiles wearing an apple watch in the mara lago so called sit room. Extremely dangerous in a highly classified situation. This clown car of fools never ceases to amaze and infuriate me!
Funny you should mention the Apple watch; I just had a briefing for a state test that will be administered soon to our elementary school students and we were told all smart watches were to be put away.
I think maybe you're being generous, Tina, in giving Trump an attention-span capability of four
weeks. Seems more like four minutes--four days at most.
Even when he's being soaked in praise he can't last long
My favorite was the Orange Turd addressing the military families then turning to talk about the fold of the drapes. What a cad!
And Melania complaining about jack-hammer noise 🤣
We, the US, never get it right in the Middle East. It is astounding that they do not hate us even more. From:
-Bush's attack on Iraq (oopsie daisy, wrong country)
-Obama's failed red line threat (leaving Assad to butcher for another decade)
-Biden's disastrous pullout of Afghanistan (remember people hanging off planes, knowing they were facing death and torture) and leaving so many who helped our troops there to be incinerated in the Taliban hate.
-Trump taking the few who were able to come to America now throw them out, taking away their promised status/citizenship, pulling the rug out from under them. Again, these are people who helped our troops.
-Biden, and later Trump funding a genocide in Gaza while Israel has violated International law for decades in the West Bank. As UN Sec. Guterres stated, Oct. 7 "This was a brutal attack but this did not happen in a vacuum." Hamas needs to be destroyed for that attack absolutely, but let's look at the other side. When the ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu, Givr, and Smoltrich, Biden's response was to sanction the ICC! At the time I thought to myself, "that is something Trump would do", and sure enough Trump did the same by upholding sanctions against a court that was doing its job.
-Americas' attack on Iran to both support Netanyahu's lust for power and to stay in power, and create a distraction away from the Epstein files.
America has gone against every other nation in providing additional funds to Israel after not only constant violations of law, but ignoring ceasefires, not following through on agreements for aid, and not letting the Press into Gaza. As a MAGA supporter stated, "It is now MIGA:Make Israel Great Again". Sadly America's reputation has been tarnished long before Trump, this war in Iran will add the cherry on top.
It is astounding that it seems no matter who is President, we never learn and get it right. It is not complicated, they just want us to believe that to excuse their broken policies.
Let's include Vietnam since I have seen the ravages of that war on those of my generation who survived it and the guilt about those who died. "And it's one two three, Just what are we fighting for? Don't ask me I don't give a damn, Next stop is Vietnam...." (Country Joe and the Fish, 1969)
Good point! Agreed! Although I was talking about the Middle East, Vietnam is a great example of hubris ie, wars. Thank you!
I meant to start with that, James, that Vietnam wasn't the Middle East :) But, yes, it's about hubris. For example so much American myth making has gone into WW2 history that i think a lot of Americans would be astounded to know that WW2 had been going on for several years before America officially entered the war. Over and over again, Canadians like myself have had to listen to "well, if we hadn't entered the war, you'd all be speaking German...." Really? Then so would you have. And yet we here in North America really have no first-hand history or knowledge of what it feels like to be bombed out of your homes, to raise your hands to heaven and say "We didn't start the war. We're simply trying to survive. I didn't support this government and its actions! I'm an innocent bystander just trying to feed my family! And your country wouldn't take us anyway....." War. It's so bloody complex.
You are so right! WW2 was going for awhile until we entered. In North America we are so privileged. I send a fellow in Gaza money every month so that he and his family do not starve to death. He and his family are the sweetest people and we talk just about 3-4 times a week on video. The Palestinians in Gaza break my heart, the immigrants sent off to sadistic prisons just for trying to come to America and build a life breaks my heart. We are all in a dark place and we all have to stay strong, hold on to our morality until this morass ends. BTW, I did not realize you were from Canada, as an American trust me we love you guys!
I grew up in Montreal in the 1950s. Almost all of my friends were the children of European refugees from Iron Curtain countries who had fled the Russian advance as Germany fell and were in Allied refugee camps for a couple of years until they could be sponsored by organizations in North America. A friend's mother, who died just a couple of years ago at age 100, used to tell us stories of being taken from Lithuania by the Nazis to work as slave labor in their factories in Germany. As the armies closed in and mapped out where they were going to position their troops, the message went out among her friends to get to where the Allies were because if they were captured by the Russians they'd probably be killed as "collaborators" or shipped back to Lithuania where things would be equally bad. So they did get to the Allies and stayed in the camps there until they were sponsored by a church in Montreal. And then my friend's mother worked off her debt to the church so that she could then send for her mother who somehow had also managed to get out of Lithuania before the Iron Curtain totally shut. Such stories.
WOW!!!
Yes. And 2 other American WW2 myths are 1) mostly American blood shed: no, was mostly Russian blood 2) Pearl Harbor caused us to fight Germany; no, it brought war with Japan, but then Hitler (made the mistake) of declaring war on the U.S. - if he hadn't, it's not at all clear that the U.S. would have also gone to war against Germany.
There's just no way bombing the shit out of Iran for four weeks, or however long it goes, will have a good ending.
“In the first hours after the strike, Trump called on the Iranian people “to take back their country.” With what? Sticks and stones? For the sake of projected bravado, our bone-spur president was urging the Iranian people to come out of their houses and die.”
TB, Linguistic caviar never tasted so good!
Quaffing from the chalice of blind ignorance has it consequences. The more the executive branch drinks, the further inebriated they get, and further in observing the obvious right in front of them; monkey see, monkey do. It may seem fine and dandy to the players at the top of the political pyramid to thumbing their noses at the rule of law, yet in a country with 330 million firearms out and about how long before everybody else decides the rule of law is a waste of time?
With the likes of MTG launching her verbal drones and heat seeking critique at the occupant of the oval office, how long before one of the President’s most rabid supporters, like MTG, flips the script, goes nuclear, and decides to launch their own domestic preemptive with something stronger than words? This Hellion wouldn't wish it on anyone, least of all the leader of the free world, yet as is the case, history always has a way of catching up to those who think they can out run, BS, or buy it.
When Dame T writes how quickly the Iranians/Persians are back in the game after the Grand Wazoo has been obliterated, maybe that has to do with the fact that modern day Iranian’s ancestors were intelligence gathering since the days of Hammurabi, not to mention initiating the first tax revolt in 2378 BC. Is this then, nothing more than a hissy fit on the part of the less taxes, smaller government party, now in control of the executive and legislative branches at the federal level, because they don't want anybody to catch on they’ve been unwittingly emulating the Mullahs for decades in more ways than one?
The Persian Republican Guard v. The American Republican Party, in the long game, who will be around in a thousand years?
Too bad we can't send the GOP (or anyone else urging them to rise up) over there to fight alongside the Iranian freedom fighters.
Iran is a theocracy run by mullahs. Why would the average Iranian - a devout muslim - attack his religious superiors? It makes no sense. Yes, there are liberals in Teheran and a few other cities, but the vast majority of people will not support an insurrection.
48% inflation, electricity shortages, and a water crisis have alienated the middle class.
I believe both Thomas & Frau Katze have illuminated the crux of the "liberation" matter. Most of the educated live in the cities and, as Frau brings up, economic/humane problems have alienated them. What we need to know is how many citizens of the outlying areas away from cities also feel alienated. The countryside dwellers seem to be devout. Is there an overwhelming population willing to rise up? OR do we just hear from the 'minority' of educated young? Lastly, unless the military and Guard side with the protesters, no change can happen. Boots on the ground would, in my opinion, not change the government.
As others have said, it's Operation Epstein Fury.
Latest analysis I heard says there can be no progress unless the IRGC (paramilitary) can be dismantled. Several hundred thousand. Not very likely.
Also relevant: Iran is in terrible shape: 48% per year inflation, electricity shortages and a water crisis (partly due to global warming but exacerbated by terrible management). This has alienated the middle class, who had been protesting until the IRGC killed an estimated 30K of them.
A truly sickening situation. And a prelude to canceling the midterms.
As usual, your knife is sharp, Ms Brown. Touché
John McCain must have visited DT in a nightmare singing his version of the Beach Boys song "Barbara Ann"