Americans don't seem to realize they've opened Pandora's box. There are no easy wins in Middle East. This is not alike teasing Denmark over Greenland. It will last long years, five years will be short. This is your full time job now, this is your life now.

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ggggffggggg 10 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Plenty of Americans do. The structure of the US government means that I have no meaningful influence through my vote, and it’s unclear how to protest effectively from a the exurbs of a flyover state. So what the hell can any of us do?

	▲	throwaway270925 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Oh please, keep your sorry, defeatist excuses to yourself. Every vote counts. Becoming politically active is always an option. And there are literally "No Kings" protests all over the US this weekend, even in flyover states!

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fakedang 12 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Not to mention, they've even put their allies on shaky grounds now. I have Emirati friends, and all of them told me that they're hearing that none of their compatriots are happy with the war, as well as with the government's current posturing about allying with Israel, even though it was a 50/50 support for it when the Abraham Accords were signed. With full support for US actions, they've only strengthened the case for radicalization and dissident actions in their homeland.

Not to mention, the image of the GCC, particularly Dubai, as a stable oasis in the midst of a reckless desert, has been shattered. All the rich folk have already left (including some in my network), and companies are unilaterally laying off workers and shutting down.

There's also the issue of divisions within the GCC itself - there are many influential rulers who were caught completely unawares by US actions, and secretly voicing criticism against the federal authority's actions.

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yostrovs 11 hours ago | parent [-]

Dubai and the Emirates in general should have concerned themselves first with securing the freedom of navigation of the Persian Gulf, and then with building a playground for adults. But they didn't and expected someone else to do it for them.

	▲	tpm 10 hours ago \| parent [-]
		That someone else still has military bases there, the expectation was until recently on a solid ground. I'm actually not sure that someone else disengaging from that region was the plan, but maybe it will be the result after all.