General News Thread

[Guesty]

7 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

I thinks it’s going better than they would have expected.  

Really? Iran aren't that strong. The US started a war it didn't need to and has no real end game. I've got American relatives. Some of which are Maga Republicans. None of them are happy. After over 20 years, thousands of dead servicemen, trillions of dollars - they finally got their troops out of the Middle East. Now they've already got dead servicemen, planes being shot out of the sky and they've bombed a girls elementary school.

 

Trump probably thought this would just be like Venezuela (or the other countries he's recently bombed). Where he'd dip in and dip out. He didn't make any effort to get US citizens home from the region; it's like he didn't expect them all to be stranded.  

 

Their allies are now being bombed. Countries like UAE, Saudi, Qatar: I doubt their tourism will recover from this for a long time - if ever. They're not going to say it publicly, but they can't be happy over this. Then you've got all the unknown long-term consequences. 

[danny.]

58 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Women get beheaded in Saudi for ‘adultery’ though right? 

There’s a theme here…

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, Lionator said:

We also built our whole post-Iraq foreign policy around non intervention in the Middle East, for very good reason. Now the media narrative is quickly falling into “WHY ARENT WE ATTACKING IRAN” while the so called ‘Reform’ party, the one that suggests the establishment has let the people down, want to go balls into Tehran with no strategic foresight. I hate it. 

Plus stuff like this increases mass immigration.

 

If it weren't so terrible, you'd laugh at the irony.

[st albans fox]

Some limited flights planned out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi 

 

does that surprise anyone?   Surely they can only do this with agreement of the Iranians not to target the airport - and would you be happy to be 10,000 feet in the sky atm over the gulf  ??.

[MPH]

2 hours ago, Lionator said:

Women get beheaded in Saudi for ‘adultery’ though right? 

 

so you’re saying they are as bad as each other?

 

 

no arguments from me on that one

[WigstonWanderer]

The one outcome of all of this that I think we can safely rule out is a free and democratic Iran. No good guys in this from the 3 participants.

[st albans fox]

Hegseth sounded v pissed with us 

‘pearl clutchers’ 

 

irrespective of the facts, they’ll use this as evidence of when they needed us, we weren’t there. 

 

Is Starmer providing strong leadership?  could be argued both ways. But again, he’s upsetting everyone !

[danny.]

2 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Hegseth sounded v pissed with us 

‘pearl clutchers’ 

 

irrespective of the facts, they’ll use this as evidence of when they needed us, we weren’t there. 

 

Is Starmer providing strong leadership?  could be argued both ways. But again, he’s upsetting everyone !

It's a rare talent TBF

[surrifox]

18 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Hegseth sounded v pissed with us 

‘pearl clutchers’ 

 

irrespective of the facts, they’ll use this as evidence of when they needed us, we weren’t there. 

 

Is Starmer providing strong leadership?  could be argued both ways. But again, he’s upsetting everyone !

His default mode is pissed 

[MPH]

40 minutes ago, WigstonWanderer said:

The one outcome of all of this that I think we can safely rule out is a free and democratic Iran. No good guys in this from the 3 participants.

 

the good guys are the every day Iranian people desperate for a free and democratic Iran.

[Md9]

36 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Hegseth sounded v pissed with us 

‘pearl clutchers’ 

 

irrespective of the facts, they’ll use this as evidence of when they needed us, we weren’t there. 

 

Is Starmer providing strong leadership?  could be argued both ways. But again, he’s upsetting everyone !

Hesgeth is a massive tw@ 

[leicsmac]

37 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Hegseth sounded v pissed with us 

‘pearl clutchers’ 

 

irrespective of the facts, they’ll use this as evidence of when they needed us, we weren’t there. 

 

Is Starmer providing strong leadership?  could be argued both ways. But again, he’s upsetting everyone !

 

18 minutes ago, surrifox said:

His default mode is pissed 

Yes, the British definition, not the American one.

 

He and they can think and clutch their own pearls as much as they like imo. If they want to go in for another costly and morally dubious intervention then that's between them and their conscience (what little they have of them), but it's good the UK is having next to no part of it. 

[leicsmac]

9 minutes ago, MPH said:

 

the good guys are the every day Iranian people desperate for a free and democratic Iran.

... who, in all likelihood, won't get anything close to what they are desperate for from this. 

[MaidstoneFox]

3 hours ago, Guesty said:

Really? Iran aren't that strong. The US started a war it didn't need to and has no real end game. I've got American relatives. Some of which are Maga Republicans. None of them are happy. After over 20 years, thousands of dead servicemen, trillions of dollars - they finally got their troops out of the Middle East. Now they've already got dead servicemen, planes being shot out of the sky and they've bombed a girls elementary school.

 

Trump probably thought this would just be like Venezuela (or the other countries he's recently bombed). Where he'd dip in and dip out. He didn't make any effort to get US citizens home from the region; it's like he didn't expect them all to be stranded.  

 

Their allies are now being bombed. Countries like UAE, Saudi, Qatar: I doubt their tourism will recover from this for a long time - if ever. They're not going to say it publicly, but they can't be happy over this. Then you've got all the unknown long-term consequences. 

Yes has the potential to drag out for some time as the attacks on the wider region will be Iran's main strategy now.

[CornwallFox]

45 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Hegseth sounded v pissed with us 

‘pearl clutchers’ 

 

irrespective of the facts, they’ll use this as evidence of when they needed us, we weren’t there. 

 

Is Starmer providing strong leadership?  could be argued both ways. But again, he’s upsetting everyone !

He's not upsetting everyone. 

 

99.9% of the British public won't want to get involved. 

 

Right wing media and politicians are pretending to be upset with this as a politicical position. Can you imagine the crap they'd have thrown his way if he had got involved from the start? They'd all be banging on about Iraq. 

[CosbehFox]

47 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Hegseth sounded v pissed with us 

‘pearl clutchers’ 

 

irrespective of the facts, they’ll use this as evidence of when they needed us, we weren’t there. 

 

Is Starmer providing strong leadership?  could be argued both ways. But again, he’s upsetting everyone !

I wouldn't have Hegseth as any sane indicator of pragmatism. 

 

I have literally seen that idiot pub landlord whose on GB News all the time get all upset at our lack of intervention and now get upset at our intervention. 

Edited 2 March by CosbehFox

[MPH]

3 hours ago, Guesty said:

Really? Iran aren't that strong. The US started a war it didn't need to and has no real end game. I've got American relatives. Some of which are Maga Republicans. None of them are happy. After over 20 years, thousands of dead servicemen, trillions of dollars - they finally got their troops out of the Middle East. Now they've already got dead servicemen, planes being shot out of the sky and they've bombed a girls elementary school.

 

Trump probably thought this would just be like Venezuela (or the other countries he's recently bombed). Where he'd dip in and dip out. He didn't make any effort to get US citizens home from the region; it's like he didn't expect them all to be stranded.  

 

Their allies are now being bombed. Countries like UAE, Saudi, Qatar: I doubt their tourism will recover from this for a long time - if ever. They're not going to say it publicly, but they can't be happy over this. Then you've got all the unknown long-term consequences. 

 

iran have been killing Americans for decades, at very political event they have, they chant “ death to America”. I live in North Carolina, and although not a Trump fan myself , those that live around me who are  see regime change in Iran as a good thing. Within hrs of the Ayotolla be8ng killed, his interim successor was too. Similar tactics being used in how they dismantled Hezbollah as a viable opposition.

 

Trump never said it would be like Venezuela - he’s on record as calling this a war and saying it will last a  while.

[Dr Marco]

 

Petrol about to go up, watch out for Madness at the petrol station.

[MPH]

20 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

... who, in all likelihood, won't get anything close to what they are desperate for from this. 

 

I have responded for this but it appears I am going to deep into the subject and it is awaiting moderator approval. I guess “ we shall see” is perhaps a more succinct response.

[leicsmac]

Just now, MPH said:

 

I have responded for this but it appears I am going to deep into the subject and it is awaiting moderator approval. I guess “ we shall see” is perhaps a more succinct response.

That's unfortunate. 

 

Only time will tell, but given the history of such events, I'm not sure how much reason there is to come down on the positive side of the ledger for this one. 

[foxes1988]

1 hour ago, st albans fox said:

Hegseth sounded v pissed with us 

‘pearl clutchers’ 

 

irrespective of the facts, they’ll use this as evidence of when they needed us, we weren’t there. 

 

Is Starmer providing strong leadership?  could be argued both ways. But again, he’s upsetting everyone !

I think this is his problem as a Prime Minister.  He doesn't really go down a ideological pathway. He just treats it's issue on its own and decides what's best for the country. Very much a lawyers method. For me personally think he's played it about right. Didn't get bullied into by the Americans but changed policy after an attack on the UK

Edited 2 March by foxes1988

[Lionator]

Hear, hear. 

[Leicester_Loyal]

Edinburgh knife attack, Texas shooting, friendly fire, what a depressing day for news.

[Guesty]

3 minutes ago, MPH said:

 

iran have been killing Americans for decades, at very political event they have, they chant “ death to America”. I live in North Carolina, and although not a Trump fan myself , those that live around me who are  see regime change in Iran as a good thing. Within hrs of the Ayotolla be8ng killed, his interim successor was too. Similar tactics being used in how they dismantled Hezbollah as a viable opposition.

 

Trump never said it would be like Venezuela - he’s on record as calling this a war and saying it will last a  while.

But he had to say that after America's bases and allies started getting hit. It is possible he planned for this. Or, he thought they'd take out the leadership then the Iranian people would rise up. But they haven't, yet. 

 

When he bombed Venezuela he was saying something about this is nothing like a conflict in the middle east which is why he was doing it (can't remember his exact words). He changes what he says on a whim. It's one thing saying more soldiers will die, it's another thing when it actually starts happening.

 

Regime change isn't a bad thing if it works. But the regime that comes after could be worse. America spent all that time, money and death in Afghanistan and replaced the Taliban with the Taliban. The last memory was a load of their soldiers being blown up at the airport as they left as quickly as possible.

 

Iran has a lot of cheap missiles and drones. And all the defences America uses like Patriot missiles are a lot more expensive. That will start to add up, as will the economy and the price of oil. Iran could really drag this out.

[StanSP]

26 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Hear, hear. 

But he's allowed US to use UK military bases? 

 

I do agree it's good we didn't get involved with initial strikes.