Posted by Thorn on Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:55 | #

Why can’t the U.S. learn from the lessons of its losses in Vietnam and Afghanistan, and now seems to be making similar mistakes with Iran? Russia was defeated in Afghanistan through asymmetric warfare, yet the U.S. ended up repeating almost the same mistakes Russia made. Can you remind me what Einstein’s definition of insanity is?

Posted by Guessedworker on Sat, 28 Mar 2026 23:31 | #

Denys Davidov on the costly American failure to learn:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c594aKVeLLM&t=1694s

Posted by Thorn on Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:56 | #

Tulsi Gabbard publicly stated—in her official intelligence testimony on March 25–26, 2025—that all U.S. intelligence assessed Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and that Supreme Leader Khamenei had not reauthorized the nuclear weapons program suspended in 2003.

About a week after Gabbard’s testimony, Trump was asked by the press if he agreed. His response, (paraphrasing), “I don’t care what she said; I have information showing Iran is within two weeks of building a nuclear weapon.” He didn’t say where he got that information, but speculation suggests it probably came from Israel. If that’s the case, and he got his info from Israel, then I believe Article 25 should be put into effect.

Posted by Guessedworker on Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:08 | #

A comment from the thread to an article at the DT about the loss of the AWACS:

March 11, 2026 “We won. We won, in the first hour it was over.”

March 13–15, 2026

“We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s military capability.” – Multiple Truth Social posts.

“Iran is totally defeated.”

“The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both militarily, economically, and in every other way.”

March 16, 2026 “Iran’s military has been literally obliterated”. “In two weeks we have decimated them.”

March 24, 2026 “We’ve won this. This war has been won.”

March 27, 2026 “We’ve already won the war. Militarily we’ve totally won the war.”

All of which is unsurprising given the vanity of the man.  But the cost of that vanity is now becoming clear, and will likely become clearer as the land operation gets going.  Militarily it has to happen because the cellular structure of the IRGC, with each cell independent and autonomous, defies the logic of decapitation.  But very plainly the American military is every bit as boneheaded and naive about the drone revolution (and the end of force concentration it has wrought) as the president is narcissistic.

One of the “cards” Trump could profitably play is to publicly turn against his friend in the Kremlin, and give proper support to Ukraine conditional on Putin ceasing support for the Islamic Republic.  But instead we see Rubio suggesting cutting all supply to Ukraine, presumably in the hope of buying off Putin à propos Putin’s own implicit suggestion. This really is the most amoral administration I have ever seen, and I’ve seen plenty.

Posted by Thorn on Mon, 30 Mar 2026 11:43 | #

Mandatory reading; Unz cuts through the idiocy.

The Fall of Singapore, Dien Bien Phu… and the Battle for Kharg Island?
Ron Unz • March 30, 2026

Some key grafs:

For decades the enormously influential Israel Lobby had tried to persuade American presidents to attack Iran. But for decades our Pentagon and intelligence officials had dissuaded them from doing so by emphasizing that the likely Iranian response could devastate the world economy, just as has now been happening.

Although our naval forces were the most powerful in the world, Pentagon war games held in 2002 had suggested that if we deployed our fleet to try unblocking the waterway, the Iranians would sink most of our ships, resulting in a gigantic military defeat for our country. Indeed, that projected outcome had been established decades before the Iranians acquired the highly accurate ballistic missiles and powerful drones that are now their most formidable weapons.

Trump had been informed of all these huge risks, but he later claimed he hadn’t been, or more likely the warnings had just gone in one ear and out the other. Our president seemed to have assumed that the Iranians would surely surrender within a couple of days after he launched his remarkably naked war of aggression, so any loss of energy shipments would be temporary and insignificant. But when Iran instead fought back effectively, he and his advisors apparently had no Plan B at hand.

Trump repeatedly declared that he would send American warships to escort tankers, but such a mission would have been suicidal so he never followed through on those threats. We now apparently have no good options available in the global geopolitical crisis that we have unleashed.

https://www.unz.com/runz/the-fall-of-singapore-dien-bien-phu-and-the-battle-for-kharg-island/

Posted by Thorn on Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:40 | #

This what Trump posted on Truth Social this morning:

The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran. Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately “Open for Business,” we will conclude our lovely “stay” in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet “touched.” This will be in retribution for our many soldiers, and others, that Iran has butchered and killed over the old Regime’s 47 year “Reign of Terror.” Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP

Has he completely lost his mind?

Posted by Thorn on Sun, 05 Apr 2026 23:35 | #

read more ..... https://steelcutter.substack.com/p/trump-is-insane-its-25th-amendment

Posted by Thorn on Sun, 12 Apr 2026 20:35 | #

Posted by Guessedworker on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:23 | #

Good to see the “major global re-alignment” becoming more talked about.