From Facebook, so it might not be true...
But what is true is that I listed to an Al Jazeera interview with a fellow from Tehran who mentioned that closure of the Strait of Hormuz was not a new idea. Apparently Iran has had this strategic maneuver on their list of options for over twenty years. They have never exercised the capacity to do this because it was decided that doing so would be tantamount to declaring war on their Gulf neighbors. But once the U.S. and Israel initiated the war, they had justification for the maneuver. I will bet you a dollar to a doughnut that the old-time senior Pentagon generals who were dismissed by Trump must have been aware of this possibility. It would have come up in any serious war gaming strategies conducted over the past several decades.
Addendum: An excellent op-ed of the diplomatic consequences of the war makes note of the fact that closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a "commonplace doomsday scenario" used in non-military settings:
"Fatih Birol, the chief executive of the International Energy Agency, recently disclosed that in job interviews at the IEA, after asking candidates why they are applying for a job at the IEA, the second is: “What would you do if the strait of Hormuz was closed?” It was a commonplace doomsday scenario, yet the US had to improvise a response."
Why was it not considered (or why was it ignored) for this war???
p.s. - yes I know Andy Borowitz is a humor columnist...
Iran has repeatedly stated their desire to use atomic weapons on the great satan. Iran was very close to actuating atomic weapons. All administrations for decades have stated Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. Iran, after all, is controlled by a death cult. So the question is, do you feel lucky. Well do you punk.
ReplyDeleteI believe if you check you will find that those threats to the "great Satan" U.S. date back to when the U.S. CIA instrumented the overthrow of the democratically-elected Prime Minister of Iran, Mohammed Mossadegh in favor of the Shah of Iran -
Delete"The aftermath included the return to power of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ("The Shah of Iran"), and the establishment of the SAVAK (secret police), whose torture methods included "electric shock, whipping, beating, inserting broken glass and pouring boiling water into the rectum, tying weights to the testicles, and the extraction of teeth and nails."
https://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-cia-confirms-it-overthrew-irans.html
And by overthrowing the Iranian govt, the U.S. also secured favored status to Iran's oil. Sound familiar?
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Correct. What is your point?
DeleteDoesn't this blog thrive on turn of phrases? "bet you a dollar to a doughnut" is a classic one I don't really know if it is phrased exactly that way. So I googled and the AI response:
ReplyDelete"AI Overview
You are so confident you are going to win this bet, you are putting your dollars on the line. I am always ready to accept that kind of challenge!
What exactly are we betting on today?"
More info here -
Deletehttps://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/dollars-to-donuts.html
The ngram shows popular usage in the 1940s when I was born. The phrase has been with me via my family for as long as I can remember.
Their religious fundamentalists have a better sense of humor than our religious fundamentalists.
ReplyDeleteIran has been on their A game trolling the US with AI slop very similar to what the administration loves to send out.
ReplyDeleteI am not aware of the US government trolling the Iranians with AI Persian rap videos.
Perhaps because internet service to most of Iran was knocked out or cut off at the start of the war, and is only now starting to be restored.
Delete95% of the way there...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-sisyphus-am-ninety-five-percent-of-the-way-there
I did see that, and was wondering if there was an effective way to reblog it without stealing all of it.
DeleteJust FWIW, Andy Borowitz is a well(ish) known satirist, so this is for sure not true. But it does make a point none the less.
ReplyDelete