On day 10 of the Iranian revolution, the Ayatollah has fled

Brookswood said:
Maybe. Maybe not. Nobody knowns for certain. The more certain people are regarding what is happening in this war, the more likely they are over estimating their own knowledge.
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Yep true that.

“Five, six times a day, it’s, ‘Oh, we won, it’s over. No, it’s going to go on forever. I’ll never let them have the Strait. Yes, we’re giving up the Strait. I’m getting out of Nato. We’re staying in Nato’,”
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smiley said:
when ya don't care about the rest of the world it's easier to just hang in there for a long time?
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Honestly, I think this is an existential moment for the US. The US is a country I love, and it's a people I admire (and married into). But that's not to say it's perfect, and this is a moment when reality impedes on accept truths and beliefs. There is an embedded idea that the free world can only exist with the US, and that any assistance or funding the US gives is charity. This has never been true. Aid/grants/loans call it what you want, but they are NEVER given without reasons, purely, of charity.

The current situation will have ramifications few have imagined. I do feel that many Americans (and I don't mean to insult anyone here) simply don't get it. The damage being done right now will be lasting, and it's not to the benefit of the US. This is really sad, imo. I know members of this site are sensitive to criticism of US policies, so I won't go further. I'll just say that what I'm seeing now is something that hasn't existed since pre-WW2.
 
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VaughanJB said:
Honestly, I think this is an existential moment for the US. The US is a country I love, and it's a people I admire (and married into). But that's not to say it's perfect, and this is a moment when reality impedes of accept truths and beliefs. There is an embedded idea that the free world can only exist with the US, and that any assistance or funding the US gives is charity. This has never been true. Aid/grants/loans call it what you want, but they are NEVER given without for reasons, purely, of charity.

The current situation will have ramifications few have imagined. I do feel that many Americans (and I don't mean to insult anyone here) simply don't get it. The damage being done right now will be lasting, and it's not to the benefit of the US. This is really sad, imo. I know members of this site are sensitive to criticism of US policies, so I won't go further. I'll just say that what I'm seeing now is something that hasn't existed since pre-WW2.
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I totally agree with you. The damage we have done to ourselves and other countries is enormous and will be long lasting. We won’t recover from this in my lifetime. I worry about my kids and am glad I don’t have grandchildren.
 
While I don't agree with why or how we went into this war, it does seem a milestone may have been reached today between Israel and Lebanon. However, being a skeptic of anything we are told these days I will believe it when it has some longevity.

I do agree that we have damaged the US's standing in the world in a possibly irreparable way, and that includes our relationships with NATO countries and even Canada. I could mention China's ability to win friends and influence people through all of this, but I'll leave it at that.
 
seadoug said:
While I don't agree with why or how we went into this war, it does seem a milestone may have been reached today between Israel and Lebanon. However, being a skeptic of anything we are told these days I will believe it when it has some longevity.

I do agree that we have damaged the US's standing in the world in a possibly irreparable way, and that includes our relationships with NATO countries and even Canada. I could mention China's ability to win friends and influence people through all of this, but I'll leave it at that.
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Guy, even members of the UK government are now speaking against current events.

Forum rules prohibit an in depth discussion - but any good will is being set ablaze right now.
 
VaughanJB said:
Guy, even members of the UK government are now speaking against current events.

Forum rules prohibit an in depth discussion - but any good will is being set ablaze right now.
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I'm keenly aware of international politics. I've heard Starmer's stance on it and I respect it, although he is hardly the "darling" of the UK at the present time. Canada's Carney actually seems to be one of the most intelligent in the way he is responding.
 
seadoug said:
I'm keenly aware of international politics. I've heard Starmer's stance on it and I respect it, although he is hardly the "darling" of the UK at the present time. Canada's Carney actually seems to be one of the most intelligent in the way he is responding.
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The UK tends to be 10 years behind the US. So yes, Starmer will be replaced by Farage - a Trump wannabe. We have yet to go through the repercussions.
 
psycopathy is sometimes a hard thing to spot in humans but having worked in a psychiatric hospital for sometime you get the picture very well and often taught to recognize the signs and symptoms by older more experienced staff . Trumps cousin is a clinical psychologist and wrote the book

book written by trump's cousin about him​

The book titled "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man"
during her own training if it was good old fashioned " get on the wards and walk amongst them" then she knows better than anyone what turns Trump on and off - I have also worked in that scenario and from watching his silly antics on TV would agree with her.

So a diagnosed psycopath running one of the biggest democracies in the world and has a small fortune himself - this is in my opinion what has led to the mess we seem to be in - in the middle east. Trump will never fix it alone - go and study psycopathy and find out why not - but he may juste may have some clever lackies who can fix it for him. Many psycopaths are vain; beligerent ; aspire for riches and fame and they often make a mess of other peoples lives whilst they are doing it !! ring any bells??
 
seadoug said:
While I don't agree with why or how we went into this war, it does seem a milestone may have been reached today between Israel and Lebanon. However, being a skeptic of anything we are told these days I will believe it when it has some longevity.

I do agree that we have damaged the US's standing in the world in a possibly irreparable way, and that includes our relationships with NATO countries and even Canada. I could mention China's ability to win friends and influence people through all of this, but I'll leave it at that.
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For years, I've defended Israel as being a tiny country just trying to survive in a region of maniacs. But now it seems like they're equally as maniacal.

There have been massive protests against Netanyahu, but the hardliners seem to be in the majority. They kind of mirror the U.S. in that respect and in a lot of other ways. They might just as well be the 51st U.S. state.
 
VaughanJB said:
Forum rules prohibit an in depth discussion - but any good will is being set ablaze right now.
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Just to be clear, this thread does not qualify as "politics", correct?

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RambleTamble said:
For years, I've defended Israel as being a tiny country just trying to survive in a region of maniacs. But now it seems like they're equally as maniacal.

There have been massive protests against Netanyahu, but the hardliners seem to be in the majority. They kind of mirror the U.S. in that respect and in a lot of other ways. They might just as well be the 51st U.S. state.
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Has closing the Straight of Hormuz backfired on Iran? Iran can’t export its oil which cuts off the supply of money it needs to operate. And it can’t get much of the stuff it needs to repair the damage done by being bombed, as well as fixing normal wear and tear.

Did they outsmart themselves?
 
Not wanting to stir the pot at all but I just read a report from one of the foreign correspondents working for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It gives a day to day summary of events in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby countries. The ABC is an independent source of news, amongst other things.

These are the main points -

G’day, ABC Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran here in Jerusalem.

It’s the end of:
  • day 51 of the war
  • day 12 of the ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran
  • day 3 of the ceasefire in Lebanon
  • day 7 of the US blockade of Iran

Here's what you need to know today:​

  • Donald Trump says the US Navy has opened fire upon an Iranian cargo ship that tried to break the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and has taken custody of the ship. It came a few hours after he threatened new attacks on Iranian power plants and bridges if the regime in Tehran refused a deal on his terms to end the war. In a Truth Social post, Donald Trump accused Iran of a "total violation" of the ceasefire after reports that at least two ships had been fired upon by Iran on Saturday as they approached the strait.
  • President Trump also said another round of talks would be held between the US and Iran in Islamabad on Monday night. JD Vance will reportedly lead the American delegation heading to Pakistan's capital. On Saturday, Iran once again closed the Strait of Hormuz to traffic after the US refused to lift its blockade of Iranian ports.
  • Iranian state media outlet IRNA is reporting Iran has rejected a second round of talks in Pakistan, with the US blockade on Iran continuing. Earlier , CNN was reporting the Iranian delegation travelling to the talks, likely the same team including the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, is expecting an announcement that the fragile truce will be extended.
  • Israel has released new maps showing the territory it plans to continue holding inside Lebanon after its invasion of the country, even with a ceasefire now in place there. Last week, when announcing Israel had accepted the truce, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would occupy a 10-kilometre buffer zone inside southern Lebanon.
  • Over the weekend, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) started describing the boundary of that occupied territory as the "yellow line" — the same terminology it has used in Gaza. Israeli media is reporting that the IDF continues to demolish and destroy Lebanese villages inside the occupied territory.

Here's what all that means​

Welcome to Monday and a return to the rhetorical threat spiral the world has borne witness to, but still isn’t entirely used to, since the start of this war — now entering its eighth week.

Then begins a more detailed report MSN
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Time Waits 4 No Man said:
As I understand it, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is a government owned and operated facility. So what do you mean when you say it is "independent"?
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It is government funded, not owned. The government does not operate the ABC in any way but it does supply the necessary funding for its operations.

It does not rely on commercial advertising. It has a charter that requires it to be fully independent of government. News is not its only function. The ABC supports and broadcasts cultural and sports events, provides programming for children and its radio broadcasts are vital during bushfires and flood events.

Legislative Framework - About the ABC
 
Time Waits 4 No Man said:
It sounds a lot like the American PBS - Public Broadcasting Service. And when you say it is "government funded" that means it is not privately owned, as is the case of America's CBS, NBC, ABC, & FOX news networks, correct? Finally, where does the Australian government get their funding?

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Unlike the PBS, the ABC gets its funding directly from the National Government's budget*. From time to time the government of the day objects to the ABC broadcasts and demands an inquiry. Just about every time the ABC is vindicated when accused of political bias. The ABC can be sued for defamation by private individuals but again, it is rare that they lose the court case.

*Some of the ABC's revenue comes from selling merchandise. Bluey merch is very popular with families.
 
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