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[Bojji]

Like putting on your seatbelt at the moment of a crash.

They should have done that in 2014 (few countries did). But you do things like that when you see extensional threat, no need to keep massive military if you don't plan to invade anyone (and no one is planning to invade you). Europe was super stable since WW2, nothing happened even when USSR was around (and military spendings were much higher).

 

[calico]

like the UK were hiding back from the front lines

He didn't specify the UK. He was describing the NATO group collectively, and he was right. Most NATO members didn't want their troops anywhere near any real fighting, and often insisted upon it, which is how they maintained such low casualty rates compared to the US.

The risk aversion and desire to contribute the minimum amount possible while still enjoying the protection provided almost entirely by the US predates President Trump being in office.

 

[rorepmE]

They should have done that in 2014 (few countries did). But you do things like that when you see extensional threat, no need to keep massive military if you don't plan to invade anyone or someone don't plan to invade you. Europe was super stable since WW2, nothing happened even when USSR was around (and military spendings were much higher).

Security paradox.

"Why are we spending millions on security when nothing ever happens?" The irony is that "nothing happening" is exactly what they paid for.

As budgets are trimmed, the system's resilience erodes. Eventually, a crisis occurs because the deterrent was weakened.

 

[Bojji]

Security paradox.

"Why are we spending millions on security when nothing ever happens?". The irony is that "nothing happening" is exactly what they paid for.

As budgets are trimmed, the system's resilience erodes. Eventually, a crisis occurs because the deterrent was weakened.

European countries were not going to attack each other, WW2 was the last time when something like this happened. And NATO + EU concluded that further.

Russia was always the biggest threat, but for 20+ years they were mostly dormant when it comes to western post USSR countries and focused on Asian countries the most (Chechnya, Georgia). They also played "friend" and "normal country" role. Of course all this changed when their soldiers (under disguise) attacked Ukraine in 2014 (they stopped pretending in 2022).

 

[rorepmE]

European countries were not going to attack each other, WW2 was the last time when something like this happened. And NATO + EU concluded that further.

Russia was always the biggest threat, but for 20+ years they were mostly dormant when it comes to western post USSR countries and focused on Asian countries the most (Chechnya, Georgia). They also played "friend" and "normal country" role. Of course all this changed when their soldiers (under disguise) attacked Ukraine in 2014 (they stopped pretending in 2022).

Yes we all know they foolishly believed war and hard power was a thing of the past because they outsourced the security to others. Why do you think the Baltic countries RAN to NATO like a beaten wife when their husband forgot to lock the door?

 

[Bojji]

Yes we all know they foolishly believed war and hard power was a thing of the past because they outsourced the security to others. Why do you think the Baltic countries RAN to NATO like a beaten wife when their husband forgot to lock the door?

Security to who? From who? European countries kept large armies before WW2 because they were constantly fighting each other, and this stopped...

How can you imagine Baltic countries defending themselves against Russia when they have populations of mid-sized cities? You think every country should keep massive army, even Vatican and Monaco?

 

[Dithadder]

Live Around the Planet: Wednesday March 18th

Thank you for all your questions. If you missed today's edition of Clubland Q&A live around the planet, the action replay will be available shortly. UPPERDATE! We're live now, so let's have at it! UPDATE! We'll be going live in about fifteen minutes, so

www.steynonline.com

War Aims

If you missed today's edition of our Clubland Q&A live around the planet, here's the action replay. In this week's show Mark responded to many differing views and questions from Mark Steyn Club members on Operation Epic Fury and more. As Mark mentioned,

www.steynonline.com

This is Day Nineteen of the Israeli-American onslaught in Iran - and it continues to escalate in dramatic and dangerous ways:

"I wholeheartedly support Megyn Kelly telling the world that Mark Levin has a micropenis," [Marjorie Taylor] Greene wrote on X.

George Takei, a highly-decorated thirty-year combat veteran from Star Trek, has weighed in on the side of MTG. Nonetheless, I'm not sure we can stretch the micropenis to a full hour even if we punctuate it with Gwyneth Paltrow's side-butt, which is an obvious psy-op by an IRGC sleeper-cell.

 

[StueyDuck]

How many civilian ships has the US sunk now around South America? Fifty?

"Civillian ships"

 

[EviLore]

 

[calico]

The irony is that "nothing happening" is exactly what they paid for.

Well, it's what America paid for.

Europe cutting military spending to the bone is not a luxury it could have considered without the US providing for and guaranteeing its protection from Russia.

The individual (non-Russian) European nations all being subordinate to a dominant America since WW2 is why they have not had to consider the threat they would otherwise pose to each other.

 

[EviLore]

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

We're getting close to irl The Running Man lol

 

[EviLore]

Article:

Every time I see this picture of Ali Larijani, I get angry.
In the 1980s, when I was a teenager living in Iran, my eyes were very sensitive and my doctor told me to wear sunglasses. But the morality police would stop me in the street, because according to them, my sunglasses were "provoking men." I had to carry a doctor's note in my wallet just to justify something as basic as protecting my eyes.

That was the reality for us.

And now, the same system that policed girls for wearing sunglasses proudly promotes figures like Ali Larijani wearing American Ray-Ban glasses.

This is the hypocrisy of the Islamic Republic: control and humiliation for ordinary people, freedom and privilege for those in power.

It's not just hypocrisy. It's a system built on double standards and contempt for its own people.

 

[EviLore]

The BRRRRRRR rides again.

 

[Sonik]

This timeline is Idiocracy and Black Mirror fused together

 

[StueyDuck]

Dig the kitsch... although not sure i wanna be consuming natural depressants while watching msm which is just designed to make everything sound 100times worse

 

[StueyDuck]

This timeline is Idiocracy and Black Mirror fused together

 

[Rentahamster]

I'd rather not have the sinful externalities of gambling markets infect life-and-death-level world events, if I had to choose.

 

[DeafTourette]

So Iran didn't have the wherewithal or even the ambition to make a nuke after they were obliterated last year? This coming from Gabbard!

 

[StueyDuck]

I'd rather not have the sinful externalities of gambling markets infect life-and-death-level world events, if I had to choose.

Its a bar... try not take everything in life so serious.

 

[Rentahamster]

This is a shadow war that has been going on for 47 years before it became kinetic. No one wanted to deal with it because of bitter medicine of Iran using Hormuz as a leverage tool for decades.

The problem with your "sensible strategy" and "significant domestic/international support" checklist is that it's almost never fully met until it's too late. Your sensible strategy only occurs with the luxury of hindsight and whether you believe Iran was dangerously close to obtaining nuclear weapons or it's just "Jewish lies to get the US to fight their wars for them".

When is a war justification checklist not fully met according to pro-war people? You have large portion of Americans taking up the same neoconservative talking points that have failed America and made us weaker over the last 3 decades even though a good portion of them were somehow against those same neoconservative arguments as early as a couple of months ago.

 

[Rentahamster]

Its a bar... try not take everything in life so serious.

I don't. But if it's just a bar to you, then you are putting your head in the sand regarding the can of worms betting markets open up to both local and global events, good and bad.

 

[DeepEnigma]

The BRRRRRRR rides again.

That brrrrrrrrr never gets old

ASMR

 

[StueyDuck]

I don't. But if it's just a bar to you, then you are putting your head in the sand regarding the can of worms betting markets open up to both local and global events, good and bad.

Its literally just a bar...

You think people dont bet on sports at sports bars?

I think your getting a little nutters butters over something that will be a flash in the pan, like literally any themed bar...

 

[Rentahamster]

Its literally just a bar...

Cheers is just a bar. Dave and Buster is just a bar with games. Hooters is just a bar with tits. A Polymarket bar is just a bar with the normalization and capitalization of a dangerous game of betting markets.

You think people dont bet on sports and sports bars?

I think they do. But betting on sports is different than betting on real world scenarios where people in power have insider trading incentives to make life-or-death decisions on what's good for the world vs what makes them and their cronies money.

I think your getting a little nutters butters over something that will be a flash in the pan, like literally any themed bar...

I think you're making a false equivalence.

 

[StueyDuck]

Cheers is just a bar. Dave and Buster is just a bar with games. Hooters is just a bar with tits. A Polymarket bar is just a bar with the normalization and capitalization of a dangerous game of betting markets.



I think they do. But betting on sports is different than betting on real world scenarios where people in power have insider trading incentives to make life-or-death decisions on what's good for the world vs what makes them and their cronies money.



I think you're making a false equivalence.

I think you need to get out more.

Its just a bar lad...

People will go for the fad, drink the drink specials and most likely move on

 

[Rentahamster]

I think you need to get out more.

Its just a bar lad...

People will go for the fad, drink the drink specials and most likely move on

I think you missed the point of my argument. I have no truck with bars.

 

[StueyDuck]

I think you missed the point of my argument. I have no truck with bars.

Your point is pointless, like this is some evil conspiracy bar designed to get people addicted to betting on geopolitics.

Its just not a thing people are going to do socially.

Evilore shared it because its a bit silly and most people , the majority, will get that

Sure maybe theres two or three weirdos in the back taking it all seriously but most people are going to go to be social, have a laugh and bit of fun, maybe get involved and move on.

Have you never been to a pub with slot machines, pool, sports betting and so on.

Sleaze in bars is nothing new and theres nothing new thats going to happen in a betting app pub that hasnt happened before

I wouldnt get so worked up about it if I was you, its just a bar with a theme

 

[Rentahamster]

Your point is pointless, like this is some evil conspiracy bar designed to get people addicted to betting on geopolitics.

It might be pointless if you keep ignoring it like that and arguing against a point I didn't actually make.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

I think there is a decent potential of real uprising soon. The current strategy seems to be gradually ease up people - small gatherings, bigger gatherings, attack police with drones etc.

 

[StueyDuck]

It might be pointless if you keep ignoring it like that and arguing against a point I didn't actually make.

Its ok if this didnt go the way you thought it would, we can catch a beer at the nearest situation room and forget all about it

 

[Rentahamster]

Its ok if this didnt go the way you thought it would, we can catch a beer at the nearest situation room and forget all about it

Actually it did. I was pretty sure you were going to ignore my point and you did, just like the previous discussion too. Cheers I guess

 

[jason10mm]

I can only wish for someone to hack all those stock market tickers and show a MASSIVE crash, just to watch the chaos

 

[Jaybe]

I can only wish for someone to hack all those stock market tickers and show a MASSIVE crash, just to watch the chaos

 

[cripterion]

We…don't need Europe's help. It does say a lot to be rejected though.

What does it say?

Should we be taking advice (orders) from this military genius?

Trump, Who Has No Guts, Told Ship Captains to “Show Some Guts”

Oil-tanker operators are unwilling to ply the Strait of Hormuz for fear of hitting Iranian mines. The president doesn’t care.

www.esquire.com

 

[Vestal]

Ugh. This just happened a bit ago about 20miles from where I live.

MacDill lifts shelter in place order after threat

MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa has reopened after issuing a shelter in place warning for a threat that was made to the base, according to officials. FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.

www.fox13news.com

 

[Jaybe]

Iran killing Palestinians now

 

[EviLore]

 

[adamsapple]

Looks like we're in this for a longer haul.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Looks like we're in this for a longer haul.

Last time there was a report that they were asking for 50b and it went nowhere....

 

[poppabk]

Looks like we're in this for a longer haul.

Why would you say that?

 

[Vestal]

Looks like we're in this for a haul.

The squeeze on the American middle class continues. It will be our sons and daughters that will die for this. It's their future these rich assholes are fucking with.

 

[ZehDon]

At over a billion dollars a day, the Trump Admin now wants to commit to roughly 150 days of on-going military action. After they "won in the first hour".

Welcome back, The War on Terror!

 

[ADiTAR]

The squeeze on the American middle class continues. It will be our sons and daughters that will die for this. It's their future these rich assholes are fucking with.

Joining the army in the US is your own choice and you know the risks involved, including the political system where you serve different presidents. What other function does the army have other than doing what the commander in chief instructs?

 

[Vestal]

Joining the army in the US is your own choice and you know the risks involved, including the political system where you serve different presidents. What other function does the army have other than doing what the commander in chief instructs?

how is that relevant to what I said?

It isn't just about sending our kids to die. We are also slamming the financial burden of this war on them and those of us still in the taxpayer pool.

FYI. I am not opposed to regime change in Iran. But this administration is ill equipped to do it. They are incompetent at implementing any sort of cohesive policy that requires consent and coalition building. Bull in a china shop then let the next guy clean it up.

 

[ADiTAR]

how is that relevant to what I said?

It isn't just about sending our kids to die. We are also slamming the financial burden of this war on them and those of us still in the taxpayer pool.

FYI. I am not opposed to regime change in Iran. But this administration is ill equipped to do it. They are incompetent at implementing any sort of cohesive policy that requires consent and coalition building. Bull in a china shop then let the next guy clean it up.

You said sending our kids to die twice, so that's why I said it's voluntary. People know they might die in the army.

What financial burden, the war has been going on for less than a month. What burden?

It's not your administration that is trying regime change, Israel is doing the work there.

 

[Vestal]

You said sending our kids to die twice, so that's why I said it's voluntary. People know they might die in the army.

What financial burden, the war has been going on for less than a month. What burden?

It's not your administration that is trying regime change, Israel is doing the work there.

Regime change is what 100 billion sounds like.

Umm I'm a taxpayer, 20 Billion so far. They want another 100 billion. Mean while the price at the pump keeps going up. How is that not a financial burden?

 

[ResilientBanana]

You sit back and wonder, what is the point of all of this? What is the end game? Honestly, it's gross. I don't hate any group of people and I'm sure the average person doesn't hate anyone either, but yet we are led to hate each othe,r if you take the bait. I do not dislike the average Iranian person, they probably have the same shit I've got going on. Difference being is that a lot of us are fortunate enough to not get bombed. All of this sucks and I feel like it creates unnecessary division amongst people on this planet.

 

[EviLore]

You sit back and wonder, what is the point of all of this? What is the end game? Honestly, it's gross. I don't hate any group of people and I'm sure the average person doesn't hate anyone either, but yet we are led to hate each othe,r if you take the bait. I do not dislike the average Iranian person, they probably have the same shit I've got going on. Difference being is that a lot of us are fortunate enough to not get bombed. All of this sucks and I feel like it creates unnecessary division amongst people on this planet.

The war is against the totalitarian terrorist regime, not the population.

 

[ResilientBanana]

The war is against the totalitarian terrorist regime, not the population.

I get that. But collateral damage does happen and that sucks.