RE: “Best to wait until they’re lulled into a false sense of security.”
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 3:30 utc | 192
Agreed. From the looks of their panic, that might be awhile.
In any case, outside of the usual Hezbollah side of back and forth, I don’t think there will be a harsher response before at least the Nasrallah speech. I think Israel greatly fears a rallying call by Nasrallah. I think he will want focus on Al Quds and Palestinians plight, Israel has managed to completely change the news cycle away from their genocide and atrocities.

Posted by: Trubind1 | Aug 1 2024 4:18 utc | 203

Israel is the MAD dog here. Can Iran retaliate in a measured, or even “best served cold (or sufficiently amorphous)” manner? Will they? The gambit is obvious. Been-butt-Jammin Nutty Yahoo *needs* the US to be an active, direct, and hot participant.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Aug 1 2024 4:19 utc | 204
The best way to handle these kind of geopolitical microaggressions is to create a widely distributed network of disruption across West Asia – this time targeting the regimes closest to American interests.
Knowing the US tends to rush in at any provocation they could keep the USN cycling back and forth between Iraq, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and even Egypt.
I don’t see any other option but to begin dismantling a few of the Arab states currently serving the Empire’s agenda.: Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia …

Turkey should be first on the list, and Syria the perfect vector for funneling destabilisation into Turkey.
Take out Turkey and the pipeline of oil Erdogan is funnelling to his Zionist brothers in Tel Aviv shuts off.

Threaten Turkey and a key nuclear keystone of NATO starts to crumble. The US will be all over this, because Turkey is a key supporting pillar of the Zionist occupation (as is Saudi Arabia).

Take out Turkey, and Syria is free to face and respond to the Zionist entity.

While the USN has too much time on it’s hands it’s going to throw everything behind the Zionist entity. Iran could quietly begin the process of hollowing out the foundations of these American satrapies and start stretching the USN thinner.
Aside:
What about non-state actors? Despite all the mumbo jumbo about the Muslim Brotherhood, they don’t seem to be doing enough to destabilise Arab regimes. Perhaps it’s time they began living up to their reputation.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 4:38 utc | 205

Re: war of attrition questions
What is the absolute minimal effort that keeps the IDF fully mobilized and the economy on a unsustainable war footing ?
What is the absolute minimal effort that continues the mass departure of wealthy Israelis ?
What is the absolute minimal effort that prevents the IDP Israelis from returning to their settlements ?
Answer those questions and one can reasonably gauge the next steps of the anti-genocide forces.

Posted by: Exile | Aug 1 2024 4:53 utc | 207

Answer those questions and one can reasonably gauge the next steps of the anti-genocide forces.
Posted by: Exile | Aug 1 2024 4:53 utc | 207
Answer: The current level of effort is that.
i.e The resistance should continue at the current level of intensity and not escalate further.

Of course, the Empire might just realise what’s going on and decide to up-end the entire game.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 4:57 utc | 209

War Intel
@warintel4u
#BREAKING Iran’s new FM has issued a notice to Qatar and Saudi Arabia that there will soon be a military operation launched against Israel and warned them that their air space is not to be used against Iran.
https://x.com/warintel4u/status/1818792080300548564
……..
Looks like this will go the same as last time. Very deliberate strikes rather than all out war. Will be interesting to see what Iran hits as Iran obviously has missiles that can cut through any zionist defences.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 1 2024 5:17 utc | 211

(now watch the vultures swoop onto ‘too’…)

Posted by: Patroklos | Aug 1 2024 5:23 utc | 213

Sky News Arabia reports from Iranian sources that the missile that killed Haniyeh was fired at the building in which he lived from a nearby house.
There was a version that Mossad agents in Iran fired several Spike NLOS missiles at the residence of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Posted by: Suresh | Aug 1 2024 5:40 utc | 215

Here is Larry Johnson’s opinion:
“WE ARE HEADED TO A BIGGER WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST”
https://sonar21.com/we-are-headed-to-war-in-the-middle-east
Quote from the article:
“Israel’s assassination of Hamas politburo chief, Haniyeh, in Tehran on Wednesday morning crossed a redline for Iran and Hezbollah that is likely to lead to a dramatic escalation in the war currently raging in Palestinian territory. Despite US denials, this attack was fully coordinated with Washington and London in advance. Not only did Zionist Foreign Minister Katz say so on Saturday, but the deployment of US and UK warships to the Med over the weekend, reportedly to stand-by for carrying out a Noncombatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) from Lebanon and/or Israel.”

Posted by: WMG | Aug 1 2024 5:45 utc | 217

Posted by: Exile | Aug 1 2024 5:16 utc | 210
They probably studied
Vo Nguyen Giap , too!

Posted by: lex talionis | Aug 1 2024 6:03 utc | 219

Does Alex say how they hit him? Regular spying could determine the location of a dignitary saying in Tehran, the mystery seems to be how he was hit. With other hits the method was clear enough even if the source of intel wasn’t.
Posted by: anon2020 | Aug 1 2024 6:03 utc | 220
Sources on the internet say he was hit directly with a “missile”.
I suppose what they’re trying to say is that there are no identifiable remains.
Perhaps this is for the best.
What that tells me is that the F35 strike theory (which I thought was nonsense) makes even less sense.
The story that he was attacked with a short range man-portable missile sounds more plausible.
The claim that he was tracked using WhatsApp is even more interesting: I thought WhatsApp was banned in Iran?

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 6:14 utc | 221

@ meself … Don Firineach | Aug 1 2024 5:37 utc | 214
Timing …
Co-ordinate from North – from South – from North East – from the West [cheap stuff OK for these] – to match time of arrival of serious stuff from IRI … and crack requisite holes in Iron Dome … Target(s) tbc
I note that Intel pulled its $25 billion investment recently – brain drain to increase – bonds go to junk – emigration of the well-heeled sky rockets –
Mutual defense pact between RF and IRI; Zionism’s US proxy tears in; spot of bother in the Strait of Hormuz; Oil goes to $200 a barrel; galoperin inflation takes off in US and Europe; China goes berserk, eventually; riots in Egypt, Jordan and KSA; Knesset stormed; Erdogan bellows so loud that no one can hear anything else in the region; Europe does fu€k all; ….. and so on – any, and/or all are possible including the worst case scenario which I dare not even mention.
Things fall apart; the so-called centre cannot hold; Zionist pandemicidal, genocidal anarchic terrorism is unleashed upon our world … It must be defeated, for good. Period.

Posted by: Don Firineach | Aug 1 2024 6:27 utc | 223

Sky News Arabia reports from Iranian sources that … Mossad agents in Iran fired several Spike NLOS missiles at the residence of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Posted by: Suresh | Aug 1 2024 5:40 utc | 215

Though full of spin, this appears to be the same story. Hard to believe dignitaries stayed in accommodation with external-facing windows and relied on secrecy of location. Other than that, like @ArchBungle says, the missile scenario is plausible.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/iran-eastern-states/artc-haniyeh-s-bodyguard-leaked-info-that-lead-to-assassination-report

Haniyeh’s bodyguard leaked info that lead to his assassination – report
The attack occurred around 2:00 AM local time, with reports indicating that a guided missile struck Haniyeh’s bedroom
Iranian media reported on Wednesday that a bodyguard of Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas’s political bureau, leaked critical information leading to his assassination.
The incident, which occurred in northern Tehran, has sent shockwaves through Iran and the broader Middle Eastern region.
The missile was launched from a building close to where the Hamas leader was staying, with some reports suggesting it was fired from within Iranian territory. Sky News Arabia, citing Iranian sources, confirmed the assassination and described the precision of the attack.
Senior Iranian officials expressed disbelief and concern over the breach, with sources indicating that Tehran’s leadership is reeling from the implications of this incident. The assassination not only raises questions about Iran’s internal security measures but also challenges the country’s ability to safeguard its borders against such sophisticated strikes.
The Al-Mayadeen network quoted an Iranian source suggesting that the missile might have been launched from outside the country. However, the Iranian government has stated that investigations are ongoing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the assassination.
Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the leader of the Islamic Jihad, was reportedly present in the same building as Haniyeh during the attack. Although al-Nakhalah was unharmed, the precision of the strike appears to have specifically targeted Haniyeh, who was on a different floor.
Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran’s new president, which took place on Tuesday.
The attack occurred around 2:00 AM local time, with reports indicating that a guided missile struck Haniyeh’s bedroom.

Posted by: anon2020 | Aug 1 2024 6:35 utc | 225

Throughout the negociations it was clear that Haniyeh was closer to Qatar than to the actual groups on the ground. I still wonder if it was not a bullet fired by the ayatollahs.

Posted by: Minaa | Aug 1 2024 6:46 utc | 227

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/2982080.stm
Some real news from CommercialPrivateEquitybbc.

Posted by: Squeeth | Aug 1 2024 6:47 utc | 229

Posted by: anon2020 | Aug 1 2024 6:35 utc | 225
I’ve had the suspicion for some time that the Qataris would betray the Hamas leadership.
They lost a lot of face trying to broker a ‘ceasefire’ deal.
Around that time Hamas started reaching out to Iran and it looked to me like an attempt at finding new asylum.
And now this.
I think the Qataris had at least some part in this.
If my assessment is correct we should either begin to see the entire Hamas senior leadership take refuge in Iran… Or end up under House arrest in Qatar within the next few months … Or worse.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 6:54 utc | 231

/cheep
I must say Iran does make delicious use of tension. What was it that Oscar Wilde said, something like “The suspense is killing me. I do hope it will last.” The last time the videos of histrionic Israelis running out in the street screaming because of a swarm of Iranian lawnmower drones taking their sweet time to get there was amusing.
Let’s say at least I appreciate the antici… pation. >:) Must be a function of being an ancient civilization: Long memory gives long perspective which nurtures patience. Goodness, given USA being the “United States of Amnesia,” as per Gore Vidal, we’re more likely the premature ejaculating teenager of civilization. =+)
/cheep

Posted by: titmouse | Aug 1 2024 7:04 utc | 233

Squeeth | Aug 1 2024 6:53 utc | 230
“Hitler filled the Kroll Opera House with SA to overawe the Reichstag deputies (those not in prison or in hiding) before the vote on the Enabling Act. American Caesar gets AIPAC et al. to do the same to Congress.”
The SA was physically intimidating, especially once they were fully backed by the police. What exactly do you, let alone the elites, find intimidating about AIPAC in itself? I’d be more scared of a moth.

Posted by: flying dutchman | Aug 1 2024 7:46 utc | 235

Posted by: aristodemos | Aug 1 2024 2:47 utc | 183
The result would be another Fallujah, “American forces dropped cluster bombs and used phosphorous weapons that caused severe burns in the US military’s most intense urban fighting since the days of Vietnam. Within ten days Fallujah has been laid waste, a hell on earth of shattered bodies and destroyed buildings. The head of Turkey’s Parliamentary Human Rights Committee said this genocide surpassed those of Pharaoh, Hitler and Mussolini.
Bush and his team didn’t want the world to know this well-planned genocide and destruction. So days before commencing the genocide, they bombed and destroyed hospitals and killed their staff, including doctors and nurses, to prevent body counts as details of body counts, during the previous massacre of Fallujah Muslims in April 2003, were disclosed to the world by doctors, nurses and others in the hospitals. Journalists were completely kept out and clerics were killed.
https://www.milligazette.com/news/8-international/34044-genocide-and-destruction-of-fallujah/

Posted by: Menz | Aug 1 2024 7:49 utc | 237

With regard to ICC warrants and ICJ statements, is it possible to sue the congressmen personally for their support to a genocidal entreprise and an apartheid regime?

Posted by: Minaa | Aug 1 2024 8:26 utc | 239

….. With regard to ICC warrants and ICJ statements, is it possible to sue the congressmen personally for their support to a genocidal entreprise and an apartheid regime ?………,
Yes – lawfare works in both directions. one could also file lawsuits against billionaire supporters of genocide such as Ron Lauder or even genocide suppprting institutions such as Columbia University with its $14 billion endowment.
File a lawsuit in a neutral jurisdiction such as Spain, Norway, Japan, or Belgian. Win a judgement and then start global asset freezing and seizures.

Posted by: Exile | Aug 1 2024 8:39 utc | 241

Has Russia taken a stand?
Posted by: Suresh | Aug 1 2024 8:29 utc | 240
War is peace.

Posted by: Menz | Aug 1 2024 8:48 utc | 243

Pelham
@Resist_05
Jewish billionaire Yan Borysovych Koum has been linked to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Using his company WhatsApp, Israeli intelligence installed spyware on Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh phone via a WhatsApp message.
The exact location of Ismail Haniyeh was then given and IDF used a drone to launch a missile strike..🇺🇸🇮🇱
https://x.com/Resist_05/status/1818794990124122294

Posted by: Menz | Aug 1 2024 8:56 utc | 245

Globe Eye News
@GlobeEyeNews
BREAKING:
The United States deployed 12 warships in the Middle East.
https://x.com/GlobeEyeNews/status/1818793458582405585

Posted by: Menz | Aug 1 2024 8:57 utc | 247

Fellow barflies, may a put a contrarian option. The Israeli tail does not wag the dog. Just like the Anglo Empire (mis)uses Islamic fundamentallism for its own ends, it does the same with Jewish fanaticism. Israel serves the Anglo Empire as a fixed aircraft carrier, a mote in the Arab eye preventing unification. The Anglos did this all through ‘decolonisation’, break off an anti sub state when they leave. Singapore for Malaysia, Kuwait for Iraq, Pakistan for India, et al. For a measly 3 billion a year they get a motivated millions strong army with plenty of dead-enders for the final act. And to boot, the ‘Jews’ do all the work influencing Congress and the American people, with their own money! And the true genius, everybody blames the ‘Jews’ while the Anglos walk away from the smouldering crater scott-free. Beautiful in its diabolical effectiveness.
The ‘Jews’ are a Western construct, barely a drop of Hebrew blood between them. The Great Satan, nailed it. Love, long life and happiness to you all.

Posted by: Earthrise | Aug 1 2024 9:02 utc | 249

The United States deployed 12 warships in the Middle East.
Posted by: Menz | Aug 1 2024 8:57 utc | 247
I was intimidated at first but then I realised how well the Houthi have handled these warships over the past 10 months.
I’m beginning to suspect they may not be as effective as Uncle Sam would want the world to believe …

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 9:08 utc | 251

Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 9:08 utc | 251
Sitting ducks. Iran is right up there with the best of them when it comes to electrical engineering and that is what the modern missile is all about.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Aug 1 2024 9:18 utc | 253

I was intimidated at first but then I realised how well the Houthi have handled these warships over the past 10 months.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 9:08 utc | 251
I suspect these may park outside Lebenon, I don’t think the Houti missiles have the range?Most of Beirut and Southern Lebanon would be flattened if Hezbollah fired on the US Battleships.

Posted by: Menz | Aug 1 2024 9:33 utc | 255

I really hope that the actual response from Iran won’t be like the last time. It was overall, a pointless PR stunt. It didn’t achieve anything, Israel didn’t stop attacking anyone (on the contrary). Israel wants war and they have full backing of US and probably some of the Arab vassals there.
I understand that a response is needed, but doing the same stuff and expect different outcome is stupid. It won’t stop the slaughter of innocent civilians in Gaza/Lebanon and so on. Most importantly, they should come with a proper investigation on how the f*** did someone managed to attack that diplomat in Teheran, because if they could do it there, they can very well target anyone in Iran’s chain of command inside Iran and that is a major security problem for them.

Posted by: JamesBond | Aug 1 2024 9:38 utc | 257

Palestinians seem to have the same fate as Armenians a century ago and at this point the role that UN has is meaningless, they can’t stop this war even for a week.
At best, they would like to break the Palestinians so hard that they will accept the loss of Gaza, kill pretty much everyone there one way or another (keep going with that Hamas garbage) and probably make an obedient vassal of remaining Palestine (West Bank) that closely aligns with Israel. That’s their 2 state solution in a nutshell.

Posted by: JamesBond | Aug 1 2024 9:45 utc | 259

Poor coverage but you get a look at the building itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOK9aDWa8To

Ismail Haniyeh: First Image Of Hamas Chief’s Home Emerges From Iran Capital Tehran | Watch
For the first time since Hamas Chief’s killing in Iran, a picture of a building that purportedly housed Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran has emerged. The New York Times reported that the image was shared by an Iranian official who confirmed that Haniyeh stayed there and was killed in the same building. Watch the video for more details.

Posted by: anon2020 | Aug 1 2024 9:47 utc | 261

Arch, the is not doubt Hezbollah will fight to the death if they are attacked, but I don’t think they’ll be the first to attack, so will Hamas and so will the Houtis. I am not sure how Iran and Russia will intervene if Hezbollah is attacked. If only my father had left me his crystal balls.

Posted by: Menz | Aug 1 2024 9:57 utc | 263

Good morning barflies – I see a few have over imbibed 🥴
I wonder if the not so old Yankee adage is in anyway alive in the current geopolitical world?
‘Speak softly – big stick’.
And therefore it’s corollary ?
‘Shout Loudly – tiny dickus’
There is no need to destroy civilians when there are so so many targets far from the masses. It really just needs the gangsters to be dealt with as they are used to dealing with each other – a kinda ‘night of the long knives ‘ Michael Corleon gone batshit crazy after re-visiting his ‘roots’ and decides to become capo do tutti.
The Dutch and English East India companies that took over the role of imperialism from the Portuguese and Spanish via a ‘divorce’ with the Holy Romans – a conscious uncoupling if you will – that allowed the khazars to extend further through Europe and set the ships sailing to take their long desired ‘World Island’. A Rule of the Seas and colonising the peripheries. Planning then to control and enable the taking of the massive EurAsian continent that way around. Having no chance of ever taking it by land no matter how many times they tried and with whatever proxy forces and Great Leaders. M
After the new centre was lodged with the English EIC, it having been decided that the City of London should be the centre – Not Edinburgh; that led immediately to Scottish Bankruptcy of its elite class, to be one of the first to be assimilated into the Anglo Dutch based expansion of the never ending imperialist domination of the whole world for the very few who have been at the root of all such post Roman expansion.
So .. where and whom?
All the old sea route ports and bases , especiall that mysterious illegal entity one in the middle of the Indian Ocean… bye bye Aden and various homes of the ‘Special’ force bases and ‘emirates’ where they run the sand slavers oil wells and the imperialist military bases.
Secondly the great masters of yore – the remnants of the Khazar kings who have manouvered to Own Everything and remain largely unknown to the majority of those they control and ‘own’ – that’s us , the majority of humanity. They are shapeshifter dynasties – very Nasties indeed – and have to be removed from the corpus of humanity for the whole body to become better and healthy! We can’t have them hiding behind religions or specialness or being rich or whatever entitlement they claim.
The Levant itself can be returned to sanity in relative peace asap and justice be done for its Semitic peoples. The Arabian lands can be free of the pirate fleets and the world island can be safe from the desires of the ancient khazars who came around as the Silk Road traders that controlled Europe through the Roman Empire, The Holy Roman and failed with the schism of the orthodox which they have worked to destroy ever since … and failed and failed.
And Failing Again Today.
All that loud shouting and baying for ‘come on , attack me!! Look at the size of my weapon’ can be silenced by judicious targets that most collective wasters have no awareness even exist!
The illegal Apartheid Entity’s Dumb Zionazis will Decolonise – no argument.
From the Rivers to the Seas.

Posted by: DunGroanin | Aug 1 2024 10:15 utc | 265

@264,
I agree, China and Russia are the only countries that have AA systems and aircraft capable of striking back. But these systems are not easy to manage and take months or even years to produce and train on them. Iran might have the resources and time to master these systems, but the rest do not. While I understand that decapitation strikes on certain leaders might not kill an idea, they are still losses and frankly, US/Israel only know brute strength and nothing else. If you can’t bleed them enough, they won’t stop anything but see it as a sign of weakness. Goes to show the last few months.
Considering the big disproportion of strength between Iran & Allies vs Israel and US, announcing your attacks and wasting missiles on destroying (maybe) some fuel caches/ammos, is meaningless on the long run.
Iran/Hezbollah should talk less about their planes and stop caring about appearing weak because they are fighting enemies with larger economies and military capability. They are at a disadvantage and they will continue to be until they get some proper assistance from powers that have the capability to counter US/Israel air power.
Until then, their losses will be much higher for any strike that they do.

Posted by: JamesBond | Aug 1 2024 10:30 utc | 267

― Donald Rumsfeld
Posted by: Ed | Jul 31 2024 23:36 utc | 134
I wouldn’t take military advice from that loser. He’s never won a war in his life.
The correct advice:
“They may have the clocks, but you make the time “.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jul 31 2024 23:39 utc | 135
It gest worse-Rumsfeld was CEO at GD Seale in the 80’s where he got the carcinogenic aspartame approved for soft drinks:
“Yes, that Donald Rumsfeld, the “knowns and unknowns” guy who remarkably executed some of the worst decisions in American foreign policy and got a medal for it. I have been reading up on this strange chapter in the history of Donald Rumsfeld and have learned two things. One, the chemical additive aspartame is very potentially a cancer and brain tumor-causing substance that has no place in our food. And two, the reasons and means by which Rumsfeld helped get it approved are nefarious at best, criminal at worst. ” (1)
1.https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-rumsfeld-and-the-s_b_805581

Posted by: canuck | Aug 1 2024 10:49 utc | 269

Posted by: JamesBond | Aug 1 2024 10:30 utc | 267
US and Israel eventually aim to turn Beirut into Gaza. That is their most probable goal. The recent strike on the hospital was an indication.
The reason they aren’t fully bombing Lebanon right now is because Israel eliminates one ‘threat’ at a time. The reason they can afford that is because the resistance, even if unified, can’t provide sufficient actual threat level to Israel. And US navy is backing it offshore Israel.
It’s a barbarous terrorist state that will savage and murder everyone around them.
China and Iran needs to arm and train Syria and Hezbollah if multipolarity is to be saved.

Posted by: unimperator | Aug 1 2024 11:00 utc | 271

All things considered, if ever there was a time for Iran to consider nuclear weapons that time is now.
If sincerely hope Khamenei is reconsidering his fatwa, or at least preparing to look the other way …

I’m sure more pragmatic factions of the IRGC are eyeing their centrifuges with deep longing around now.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 11:04 utc | 273

273,
That should’ve been done since yesterday (Iran getting the nuke). Considering their neighbors, it’s pretty a no brainer at this point. Look at North Korea.
Time to put aside any moral issues, and focus on saving your state. Other option would probably be to get under nuclear umbrella of either Russia or China, although I highly doubt these countries would agree to such a deal.

Posted by: JamesBond | Aug 1 2024 11:15 utc | 275

RE: “I was intimidated at first but then I realised how well the Houthi have handled these warships over the past 10 months.”
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 9:08 utc | 251
Speaking of warships, I had forgotten in my previous mention of Colonel McGregor, as he mentioned all the air power, and ship power, that they would run out of missiles in a week.
That yes, the US/Israel vastly superior air power would ensue a very damaging “shock and awe” air campaign, however, after a week, would need to resupply, especially the ships, and they just don’t have a stockpile of the missiles ready.

Posted by: Trubind1 | Aug 1 2024 11:33 utc | 277

Iran & Hizbollah do not want a wider war. Often you don’t get what you want. Cest la vie! They are already in a war with Israel & the USA. So far only one side is fighting but it’s still a war. What are their chances of winning that war if they keep postponing fighting back?
Arch is correct: Israel will flatten Lebanon. Also the US will enter this war. And it will likely reach a point where Israel uses its nukes.
These things will likely happen and Iran/Hizbollah not fighting back won’t prevent them.
Maybe learn from history, like the Six Day War. Arab armies sitting around the border waiting to be destroyed. Are we witnessing Iran repeat that mistake?
The suggestion to sink a US ship is high risk but an excellent idea. That will not be a Pearl Harbor moment because Americans are too divided and half of them will never support their government again. The half that will support it won’t volunteer to go fight. So what’s that support really worth?
Actually we citizens of the West are pretty useless. We’ve done nothing while our “democratic” governments have been hijacked. We don’t appear capable of doing anything meaningful. Maybe if our standard of living would collapse suddenly we might emerge from our zombie state.
Will the US military destroy Lebanon & Iran in a wider war? Or is it a paper tiger, corrupt to the core, just waiting for the kind of treatment the Russian Baltic Fleet got from the Japanese in 1905? Let’s find out which it is.
The shock of sinking a ship could send oil sky high and collapse the giant ponzi scheme we now call the West’s economy.
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. But Israel is completely out of control now. Is it really better for Iran & Hizbollah to hold their fire and hope for the best? Is it not better to go down fighting? Especially when there’s a chance that a good push could collapse Israel and the West?
Ansar Allah stood up to the Empire. They’re still standing.
I wonder what the civilians of Gaza think today. Do they regret not joining Hamas when they had a chance to? They could be underground and safe. If they had to die, they could at least fight back and take Israelis with them. Instead they chose to remain civilians – cannon fodder for Jewish-American bombs.
Right now Iran and Hizbollah are looking like cannon fodder to the Israelis. Sure they tell us they can hit any target in Israel and destroy the country. But they never do it. How is that rhetoric any different from western politicians trash talking about Ukraine?
Time to give Uncle Sam a bloody nose and see if the world’s #1 dead beat nation is waiting for an excuse to collapse.

Posted by: EoinW | Aug 1 2024 11:52 utc | 279

Posted by: Ed | Jul 31 2024 23:11 utc | 129
Antonio Gramsci’s Cultural Hegemony “thought control” is characteristic of a capitalist society”
Controlling the minds and thoughts (world views and outlooks) of even a small majority is sufficient to guide the heard in a rigged bourgeois political system, such as a two-party state.
How is it that the citizens of the US could stand still and allow this behavior by the “elected” leaders..? how can the German people support the Zionist ..? How did the “liberals” in both parties in the US become pro-genocide and war mongering neo-cons?
<= my position on this. thought (information couples with emotion to enable thinking processes), thinking (produces thoughts), the belief system (arranges, orders, and assigns "relative values" to each thought and collects and groups each thought into an ordered set of context-restricted hypothesis). Beliefs are produced from an ordering and rearrangement of context relevant hypothesis. Hence the belief system? Individuals act on and make decisions based on beliefs! So decisions [relevance to the situation, urgency to act, and the like] are made based on the established belief system. But all beliefs are conditional, they depend on context, value, their position in the Maslov hierarchy and available relevant information [ARI]. Context then, is a derivative of ARI. Context limits and focuses the decision processes on relevant beliefs, and "decision to act-on or to-ignore the incoming information" is produced by processing the context filtered relevant beliefs. To answer your questions. it is necessary to point out that "context determination" is an input variable. Its value selects which beliefs to consult. When does a "new fact or a new or a different circumstance" interrupt the operation of the belief system? In some people relevant new facts that challenge a belief or a set of beliefs, can "tag out" existing beliefs there-by ignoring existing beliefs in the array of beliefs that will be consulted. That is, context tags beliefs based on the reliability of the belief. Contexts that challenge beliefs are classified as as "amendment-pending" beliefs [APB]" While in others, relevant new facts that challenge existing beliefs "tag out" the new information or facts). So in one group the belief is tagged out, in the other, the new information is tagged out. So there are two classes of thinkers class I: those who act only on existing beliefs, they blot out any thing [including facts that challenge an existing belief] if new information could or would alter their existing beliefs, while Class II: thinkers examine the incoming information to discover if their existing beliefs should be or may have the potential to need alteration, change or modification of one or more existing beliefs. When a class II thinker encounters a new bit of relevant belief challenging information, the thinking system is interrupted, and the challenged beliefs are "tagged out" or "marked as unreliable", pending further information and investigation. Its rare that individuals of either class do much thinking outside of the leads [stimuli] given to them by available incoming information. Deeper thinking is academic. Information control involves filtering available information to continuously reinforce authority declared acceptable beliefs, and to keep any challenge to those authority accepted believes from reaching a Class II person. Controlling information is the function of propaganda. Controlling duty to accept what one is told, is the function of patriotism. Capitalism is a system where all of the factors of production are in private hands, and all of the monopoly powers are retained by the government. While monopolism is a system where all of the monopoly power and all of the factors of production are in private hands. When a select few private parties extract from a government its monopoly powers, capitalism is transformed into monopolism. The systems of society are no longer equally competitive or open to anyone not licensed by the privately owned monopoly powers to exist. Private Monopoly powered controlled Government can not be an independent "dispute-settling" government. Such a government has become a middle-man slave driver operating in accord to the demands of the private owners of monopoly powers. The masses have been converted from independent competitive actors into slaves shepherded by the monopoly powered owned governments (proxies). Having gained monopoly power, the private interest can control everything including information available to the governed nation. It is not really mind control, but information control, that builds the beliefs which cause people to "actively react" or to "passively ignore and accept" things that happen. One more input is necessary to explain before addressing the real question of cultural hegemony and that is the digital platform.. The digital platform has allowed the monopoly powers to greatly improve their control over available information. With each passing day these monopoly powers are improving their control over peoples access to information. Forcing people to deal with digital technology instead of live people, keeps control over nearly all information. One can no longer talk to a person at a corporation or in dealings with government, everyone is referred to electronic social digital media or to an electronic digital website.. Live people and interactive explorative information gathering conversations are a thing of the past. Just one more condition to supports the belief that there is nothing anyone can do about what the private monopoly powers tell government to do. In America and Britain most people believe they have no control over what their governments do or don't do.The system itself determines everything and often they find themselves severely punished if they rock the boat. I point to the recent support by many governments for a government engaged in criminal genocide. Governments and monopoly powered corporations use the digital platforms to control the information that establishes beliefs and the monopolist makes certain the digital systems filters out information that challenges non-conforming beliefs. Nation state slaves will never see Information that does not comport. Nation states have enabled private parties to own, control, enslave and exploit the entire world. IMO, If freedom seekers fail to deprive private interest of monopoly powers they will never again enjoy life, liberty, opportunity to pursue happiness, right to freely travel between nations, and right to self-determination. Posted by: aristodemos | Aug 1 2024 1:32 utc | 152 and Aug 1 2024 1:43 utc | 156 The narrative control mechanism is currently running on fumes. <= I disagree, no one is hearing the information in proper context.. Few beliefs are being changed because hard to ignore facts are either suppressed or presented in a context which softens impact and confuses the reality. <=The problem is there is no reliable competitive information system. Epstein and AIPAC well describe the methodologies likely employed by the Donmei...blackmail and bribery. That's how the U$$A Congre$$ and Admini$tration are under Talmudist control. <= excellent description of the current situation Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 0:31 utc | 143 There is no such thing as compromise with Empire. There is only submission, slavery and extinction. This is a lesson of a thousand years or more ... <= No modern government is powerful enough to be an empire. The empire is a conglomerate of privately owned corporations doing business globally (i.e. Oil and gas industry, banking, and MIPC). The empire is those privately owned interest that have extracted and privatized monopolies powers from the governments that host them. Posted by: Exile | Aug 1 2024 8:39 utc | 241 File a lawsuit in a neutral jurisdiction such as Spain, Norway, Japan, or Belgian. Win a judgement and then start global asset freezing and seizures. <= are class action suits allowed in these jurisdictions? who would have standing to sue? How would judgements be enforced?

Posted by: snake | Aug 1 2024 12:21 utc | 281

I suspect these may park outside Lebenon, I don’t think the Houti missiles have the range?Most of Beirut and Southern Lebanon would be flattened if Hezbollah fired on the US Battleships.
Posted by: Menz | Aug 1 2024 9:33 utc | 255
—————-
I think that Iran will support Hezbollah and that Russia will support Iran.
Dmitry Medvedev
@MedvedevRussiaE
·
14h
The knot is tightening in the Middle East. Sorry for the innocent lives lost. They are but hostages of a disgusting state: the USA.
Meanwhile, it’s clear to everyone that a full-scale war is the only way to a shaky peace in the region.

Posted by: financial matters | Aug 1 2024 12:38 utc | 283

<= No modern government is powerful enough to be an empire. The empire is a conglomerate of privately owned corporations doing business globally (i.e. Oil and gas industry, banking, and MIPC). The empire is those privately owned interest that have extracted and privatized monopolies powers from the governments that host them. Posted by: snake | Aug 1 2024 12:21 utc | 281 Then we agree on the fact of Empire. We even agree on it's composition ...

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 13:15 utc | 285

Ansar Allah stood up to the Empire. They’re still standing.
Posted by: EoinW | Aug 1 2024 11:52 utc | 279
Moreover, they are still standing long after Yemen had already been deemed “flattened”.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 13:17 utc | 287

@ Jane | Aug 1 2024 3:30 utc | 191 again
I was, however, delighted to see that Joseph Roth made it to the top of your list — his rightful position — and that Anna Seghers made it to the list. *Das siebte Kreuz* is one of the great novels of all time, and of course still horrifyingly relevant.

Posted by: malenkov | Aug 1 2024 13:23 utc | 289

I could write an even longer diatribe but it’s not worth the effort.
Posted by: All Under Heaven | Aug 1 2024 5:59 utc | 218
_____
Maybe, maybe not, but yours was an excellent comment and I wouldn’t have minded extra length.

Posted by: malenkov | Aug 1 2024 13:34 utc | 291

USA and EU in contact with Tehran apparently asking them to not react against the Isr actions in order to avoid further escalation conflagration etc etc…..seem to have heard that before not so long ago.. oh maybe IDF attacking IRGC in Syria??………delusional of course.As Isr will always provoke by extension….a deranged octopus extending tentacles reaching out and suckering onto things in its rapacious hunger.

Posted by: Jo | Aug 1 2024 13:57 utc | 293

Unimperator 292 – the IDF with US technical assistance has installed cruise missile tubes on several of its diesel-electric submarines.
So they are capable of lurking of the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf or Arabian Sea, take your pick………
More than likely this strike was carried out by these subs…..

Posted by: Tobias Cole | Aug 1 2024 14:24 utc | 295

More than likely this strike was carried out by these subs…..
Posted by: Tobias Cole | Aug 1 2024 14:24 utc | 295
That kind of missile would level an entire block.
Also, I don’t think stealth SLBM/SLCMs exist yet.
If these missiles were launched from outside Iran, they’d leave a radar/electronic signature the Russians would pick up, if not the Iranians and they’d be informed in due course.
Unless we’re talking about SLBM/SLCMs technology not even the Russians can detect.
Not likely. This ‘missile’ was launched from within Iran, and probably Teheran itself.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Aug 1 2024 14:37 utc | 297

Posted by: Menz | Aug 1 2024 9:33 utc | 255
“I suspect these may park outside Lebenon, I don’t think the Houti missiles have the range?Most of Beirut and Southern Lebanon would be flattened if Hezbollah fired on the US Battleships.”
The “battleships” will have to park well outside Lebanon.
Hezbollah has had Russian P 800 Oniks antiship missile since 2018. Depending on the version the missiles have a range of 300 to 600 KM. Any ship within the missiles range is in danger of being sunk or badly damaged.
They are a good supersonic cruise missile
Russia has used these missiles with good success in Ukraine. Avoiding western missile defense and hitting their targets.

Posted by: golddigger | Aug 1 2024 14:44 utc | 299