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niemandhier 5 hours ago

A war continuous until one side has caused the other more suffering than it can take.

When dealing with the Middle East we keep underestimating the amount of hardship the people I these countries can endure or be forced to endure.

williamdclt 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> A war continuous until one side has caused the other more suffering than it can take.

The article is in large parts about how that's not true. It makes the point that the very existence of the Iranian regime hinges on its opposition to the US, to capitulate would mean for the leaders to lose all support, be overthrown and likely die: so there's no level of suffering that it "can't take anymore". And similar in the US, the leadership cannot survive politically to a capitulation. Hence endless escalation on both sides.

Bender 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Adding they can hang out in bunkers that are 500 meters under the mountains for decades. US leadership come and go every few years and they know it. They need only wait them out. There are no bunker busters or nukes in existence that I am aware of that can do anything to the missile cities. I would love to be proven wrong by their actions ideally without sacrificing 15k ground troops which I believe is the current count on the ground not counting the 50k naval forces.

GolfPopper 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

"Qui vincit non est victor nisi victus fatetur" -Ennius, Annales, XXXI

Translation: "The victor is not victorious if the vanquished does not consider himself so”

ReptileMan 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

[flagged]

conception 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Yes, this is definitely a way to gain leadership that is more amenable. There definitely has not been any historical cases of one country inflecting mass suffering on another country’s innocent population for the other to hold.. let’s say a strong grudge against the aggressor.

ReptileMan 2 hours ago | parent [-]

And there are cases like Vietnam that are USA best buddies now. And a lot of people that grew on a morning brew of agent orange and napalm are in their leadership now.

pphysch 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> Return them to stone age until the leadership becomes reasonable.

Worth reflecting on this sentence. What is "reasonable" supposed to entail here?

ETA: "Become secular" is a wild demand from theocratic regime that wants to "Kill Amalek and Build the Third Temple".

ReptileMan 3 hours ago | parent [-]

Give away the enriched uranium, become secular.

Edit: Sometimes the only answer to the weaker side claiming that something is impossible is Vae Victis. I am sure that there are enough powerful people in Iran that wouldn't mind secular state if they are the one to lead it. It is not as if their kids are not wild partying in europe anyway.

the_af 2 hours ago | parent [-]

> Give away the enriched uranium, become secular.

TFA explains why this is impossible for Iran.

ReptileMan 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Once again - it is impossible for a very select few. There are a lot of generals that could stage a coup. Or colonels. They just summary execute those above them and say new rules bitches.