Trump Settlels In for Long Siege of Iran

I had hoped for a more "kinetic" operation with Iran done and dusted a year before the mid-terms. But that's now impossible, of course, so a long slow strangulation will do.

Trump to Axios: "We are low-keying it" with Iran

President Trump signaled on Sunday that he's prepared to allow economic pressure on Iran to mount -- as opposed to ordering a new military offensive -- even as the country continues to defy the U.S.
Why it matters: Only a week ago, Trump was on the verge of ordering a return to major combat operations. But in an interview with Axios, he did not make any new military threats.
Trump also didn't express any anger or frustration about the fact that Iran has been holding up an announcement on a deal with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. On Saturday, Iran issued a new list of demands to allow shipping through the strait.
What he's saying: "We are low-keying it," Trump said during a brief phone call.
"We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money."
He stressed that Iran "is in very bad shape" economically and has no money to pay its troops. The U.S. naval blockade has exacerbated the Iranian regime's economic crisis, Trump said.
At the same time, Trump said that with oil down to slightly over $75 a barrel, U.S. consumers are feeling less pain from the war.
"It will work out. It always works out. It's like a chess game," Trump said of the back-and-forth with Iran.
...
One of the officials said the fighting allowed the Iranian regime to avoid dealing with the consequences of the war, the damage to infrastructure and the deep economic crisis that has been created.
When Iran isn't engaged in war, it is forced to confront a grim reality with no real solutions at hand, the U.S. official said.
At the same time, the U.S. official said, around 8 million barrels of oil are going out of the Gulf every night through the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the U.S. military. The U.S. is going to try and get more oil out as long as there is no deal.

Duane Patterson writes that Iran is dying economically.

Let's take a look at life currently in Iran. Miad Maleki is a former United States Treasury official, Air Force veteran, and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who follows the Iranian economy like very few others.

A pause in strikes buys the Iranian regime time, not relief. The regime's most crippling reckoning isn't with the U.S. or Israel but it's with its own people. Barely 35% of working-age Iranians actually have a job and the current minimum wage covers barely a quarter of actual living costs.
Iranians know their country's true economic potential and know they deserve better, the Islamic Republic's revolutionary ideology is dead, even among the regime's own children.
The regime can evade external accountability, but the most punishing thing to the regime right now is to force them to go back to face domestic accountability, an economy that, when not retrained by a state of war, will show its underlying disastrous inflation, unemployment, corrupt trade, war damages, and crippled political institutions.
Iran has never been so diplomatically isolated, its share of global trade has collapsed from 2.2% to below 0.02%. That isolation will keep showing up in Iran's economy as businesses, even in friendly countries, refuse to risk trade and investment there given sanctions exposure and war risk.
Iran's official unemployment number hovers just under 10 percent, which is bad, but not calamitous...until you figure in that only four out of ten able-bodied Iranians are even in the workforce seeking jobs. The rest have given up looking for jobs that are not there. And Iran's share of the global economy plunging to less than two one-hundredths of a percent means they're not manufacturing or exporting anything these days that would necessitate employment for anyone outside of the IRGC or Basij forces, who also have been unpaid for months.

Mark Dubowitz
@mdubowitz
The Iranian rial sinks to its lowest level ever: 1,944,000 to USD. It was 70:1 on eve of the Islamic Revolution.
The Islamist regime in Iran is a human-made catastrophe.

Speaking of sieges: Ukraine just blew up a Russian oil refinery located 1000 km from its borders.

A crowd of workers at the Russian oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk gathered as if for an airshow to watch Ukrainian FP-1 strike drones attack their plant. https://t.co/Q4zge41fKI pic.twitter.com/dWw3HCQkTW
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) July 8, 2026

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 02:10 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 I got nothing.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at August 10, 2026 02:11 PM (ExV1e)

2 Woot! No more WNBA.

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 02:11 PM (ZdaMQ)

3 I hope we have the will to see this through.

(Trump does, but does the electorate?)

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at August 10, 2026 02:11 PM (zjgNU)

4 I haz nooded.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at August 10, 2026 02:11 PM (ExV1e)

5 World War One-Hundred-and-Eleven is more of a slow grind than a quick fuck.

Posted by: garrett at August 10, 2026 02:13 PM (uzmqU)

6 The Iranian rial sinks to its lowest level ever: 1,944,000 to USD. It was 70:1 on eve of the Islamic Revolution.

The Islamist regime in Iran is a human-made catastrophe.

*Mexico breaks out in celebration*

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at August 10, 2026 02:13 PM (2YhKe)

7 🎼

Why do ads suddenly appear....

Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 02:14 PM (YXnK3)

8 The Islamist regime in Iran is a human-made catastrophe.

Most of human history is a human-made catastrophe.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at August 10, 2026 02:15 PM (ExV1e)

9 Behind in Tousi TV but thought the Persians were starting to fight back again.

Posted by: ChristyBlinkyTheGreat at August 10, 2026 02:16 PM (hzuYO)

10 ... punctuated by natural disasters. Sometimes both.

Posted by: Common Tater at August 10, 2026 02:16 PM (qPpEt)

11 "We are low-keying it" with Iran
====

Dudebro.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at August 10, 2026 02:16 PM (JvZF+)

12 Gas has come down significantly in price in my area. I hope the same is true for you wherever you might be!

Posted by: Ann at August 10, 2026 02:16 PM (SHHm+)

13 Woot! No more WNBA.
Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 02:11 PM (ZdaMQ)

From this blog to the NBA's ears.

"We regret to inform you that the league is no longer a big enough tax write-off for us to continue funding it. With the declining product that the NBA is currently, it makes financial sense to cut our losses and concentrate on producing a better quality, more entertaining product for our fans."

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at August 10, 2026 02:17 PM (2YhKe)

14 I can't imagine just watching a drone slowly fly in and destroy your work.

... but them I'm an American and have access to the ability to defend myself.

Skeet shooting is now martial training....

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at August 10, 2026 02:18 PM (zjgNU)

15 Russia needs better AAA.

Or a better plan. Sucks to be Russian right now.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 10, 2026 02:18 PM (u82oZ)

16 Woot! No more WNBA.
Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 02:11 PM (ZdaMQ)
_____

I like dunking on the WNBA. It's fun. The Iran thing is just weary and depressing and I'm kinda bored with it.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:18 PM (iFTx/)

17 Trump has been well and truly played by everyone. What a loser. When Trump said the war will end with an ‘unconditional surrender,’ we never thought it would be us.

Agreed. The U.S. has lost its superpower status since its military can no longer guarantee freedom of navigation in international waters. It's almost as if Trump and MAGA have been manipulated into sabotaging the U.S. by foreign powers.

Unless Trump & GOP congress were willing to risk an invasion this is always what it would come down to eventually. A standoff of economic attrition, not one that will go weeks or even months but years. This will put inflationary pressures on everything but Trump is going to have to eat the loss and hope Irans economy gives out before his term ends.

When the Dems reach a compromise in 2029 or 2030, republicans will rage and scream about helping a terror state etc. At least it should prevent another Republican in 2028 though. This is the cycle of US politics, Dems come in on a recovery platform then once stable republicans come in on a disruptive shake things up platform, which has backfired every time in my lifetime.

Posted by: Intercepted Reddit Transmissions brought by the Intrepid AoS Liaison at August 10, 2026 02:18 PM (tM78k)

18 For $1000 one could be a billionaire in Iran.

Posted by: Reforger at August 10, 2026 02:19 PM (NRR8r)

19 Woot! No more WNBA.
Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 02:11 PM (ZdaMQ)

From this blog to the NBA's ears.

"We regret to inform you that the league is no longer a big enough tax write-off for us to continue funding it. With the declining product that the NBA is currently, it makes financial sense to cut our losses and concentrate on producing a better quality, more entertaining product for our fans."
Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at August 10, 2026 02:17 PM (2YhKe)
________

I posted about that in the last thread. At what point does the NBA just rid themselves of this troublesome league of fugly undesirable mutants?

Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (iFTx/)

20 You know what America needs right now?

Moar sidebar TJM.

Posted by: 13times at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (6iKlf)

21 I like dunking on the WNBA. It's fun.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:18 PM (iFTx/)

Well, it's not like they will.

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (zjgNU)

22 Formerly Virginian

Skeet shooting is too close. Thought of that. Now VT 12 gauge #1 may work.

How small can radar fuses get?

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (u82oZ)

23 Low keying it is probably the smart move at this point. IMHO should’ve taken this approach two plus months ago…. We can strangle them indefinitely with risk to our military personnel essentially equivalent to peacetime training exercises

But I don’t think the IRGC or mullahs will ever cave. Not holding my breath for that

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (yZ6uc)

24 Posted by: Intercepted Reddit Transmissions brought by the Intrepid AoS Liaison at August 10, 2026 02:18 PM (tM78k)

Sounds like some of the posters here the last few months... and I don't mean the drive-bye trolls.

Posted by: Ann at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (SHHm+)

25 Maybe the Ukrainians can fly drones into WNBA games

Posted by: Smell the Glove at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (0Oolu)

26 I like dunking on the WNBA. It's fun. The Iran thing is just weary and depressing and I'm kinda bored with it.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:18 PM (iFTx/)
-----
+1. These threads always attract the dumbest armchair general BS possible and are now tiresome.

Posted by: ballistic at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (oqH4h)

27 Speaking of sieges: Ukraine just blew up a Russian oil refinery located 1000 km from its borders.

Here is the thing - Russia has been besieged and going to lose for half a decade now.

I suppose the siege is the half measure to just saying, sorry, we thought it would work out and it didn't and going all in.

I am really conflicted in what I think about the conflict. I mean we can send a plane literally around the world to drop a bomb through someone's basement window but then what? We supposedly sank their whole navy, and then they attack some ships and our response is to sink more of their navy?

How does that work?

Posted by: blaster at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (xhfG9)

28 *drive by

Posted by: Ann at August 10, 2026 02:21 PM (SHHm+)

29 As noted earlier, this is the least "on the ground" reported war in modern history (beating out the prior champion, Ukraine vs. Russia).

It's crazy, all the newsies are just reposting tweets, calling their friends and calling it "reporting."

But zero, nada, zilch actually from inside Iran.

Of course, the smart military experts all will still opine as if they do have the facts.

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at August 10, 2026 02:21 PM (3cUTc)

30 $3.22 gal unleaded at Sam's Club today. Premium 3.79 gal.

Posted by: little people at August 10, 2026 02:21 PM (ehY6c)

31
So Iran is about to become Cuba. Bit of an exaggeration, but is that the general idea?

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at August 10, 2026 02:22 PM (mmrXZ)

32 There should be no settlement with Iran until they renounce Taqiyyah. And even if they do, how do we know it's not more Taqiyyah.

Islam is the religion of lies. Founded by the Ultimate Deceiver.

Posted by: Chairborne!...Desk From Above! at August 10, 2026 02:22 PM (HnIBa)

33 Settlels?

Posted by: RI Red - at August 10, 2026 02:22 PM (LMRVO)

34 >>> Here is the thing - Russia has been besieged and going to lose for half a decade now.

What? Is this some kind of jujitsu thing?

Posted by: Archimedes at August 10, 2026 02:23 PM (Riz8t)

35 That drone strike is in Tatarstan, deep inside Russia, way east of Moscow.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at August 10, 2026 02:24 PM (JvZF+)

36
I am curious how this will affect China. Are we stopping Iran's oil sales to them in any way?

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at August 10, 2026 02:24 PM (mmrXZ)

37 The Ukes are doing damage to Russia away from the battlefield. We should have let them do that early in the war, but Biden's numbskulls couldn't figure that out
Now it comes down to whether the Ukes can do enough damage before the Russians grind them down on the battlefield. Ukes are running out of men.

Posted by: Smell the Glove at August 10, 2026 02:24 PM (0Oolu)

38 Speaking of sieges: Ukraine just blew up a Russian oil refinery located 1000 km from its borders.

Here is the thing - Russia has been besieged and going to lose for half a decade now.

I suppose the siege is the half measure to just saying, sorry, we thought it would work out and it didn't and going all in.

I am really conflicted in what I think about the conflict. I mean we can send a plane literally around the world to drop a bomb through someone's basement window but then what? We supposedly sank their whole navy, and then they attack some ships and our response is to sink more of their navy?

How does that work?
Posted by: blaster at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (xhfG9)
________

I believe the "news" coming out of the Ukraine war as much as I believe the "news" coming out of the Iran war. That video of the drone hitting the refinery? Looks fake as fuck to me.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:24 PM (iFTx/)

39
*sits in armchair in front of bookcase*
*puffs pipe*
*looks thoughtful and wise*

Let me give you my views on the situation as it stands.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at August 10, 2026 02:25 PM (LW5gG)

40 > $3.22 gal unleaded at Sam's Club today. Premium 3.79 gal.

I paid $5.49 for premium on Friday in the People's United Socialist Republic of Washington.

Posted by: bonhomme at August 10, 2026 02:25 PM (mkw2N)

41 What? Is this some kind of jujitsu thing?
Posted by: Archimedes at August 10, 2026 02:23 PM (Riz8t)

I dunno. Russia is going to lose. That is what I have been reading for 5 years now.

My point is that sieges may work. Or they may not.

But the "this will all be over in two weeks" stuff is obviously right out.

Posted by: blaster at August 10, 2026 02:25 PM (xhfG9)

42 Sophia Cunningham, white girl baller studied martial arts. Womp womp.

Posted by: little people at August 10, 2026 02:26 PM (ehY6c)

43 It’s a good lesson that your either start a war and it end it quickly or you don’t do it at all.

I hope the place dies, but the people there are cowards and it’s been a basket case for basically its entire existence

Posted by: Maroon at August 10, 2026 02:26 PM (iZHgT)

44 Intrepid AoS Liaison

These mooks you monitor have been consistently wrong since 1981. Let them vent and shout at the sky.

Lets see if economic pressure, coupled by hitting IRGC drone and missile stores, works. We need less anti-missile intercepters today, because Iran has less missiles. How many missiles in China actually work?

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 10, 2026 02:26 PM (u82oZ)

45 So oil is like 80 a barrel. That was the average price in 2010. Seems like gasoline peaked in 2010 in my area under 3 a gallon. So why's it like like 3.99 now???

Posted by: what a fraud at August 10, 2026 02:26 PM (anL5R)

46
$3.22 here in Brazoria County today.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at August 10, 2026 02:26 PM (LW5gG)

47 Low keying it is probably the smart move at this point. IMHO should’ve taken this approach two plus months ago…. We can strangle them indefinitely with risk to our military personnel essentially equivalent to peacetime training exercises

But I don’t think the IRGC or mullahs will ever cave. Not holding my breath for that

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (yZ6uc)

I am enjoying the carrot and stick approach. Low casualties, lots of multi-faceted pressure, offers to make a reasonable peace, and numerous opportunities for IRGC to make itself look unreasonable and deserving of military destruction on the world stage.

I don't get my pony, but I otherwise approve of the approach, but for the fact that it runs out the clock, and, eventually, Iran will score a lucky blow on one of our capital ships, in my estimation.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at August 10, 2026 02:27 PM (dK+Kv)

48 Just heard from Scott Jennings,

A recent UNICEF nutrition survey released in mid-2026 reported that acute child malnutrition rates in Gaza dropped to historically low levels (ranging between 0.2% and 0.8% depending on the area), which places local acute malnutrition metrics roughly comparable to or lower than various European and international reference points. (However, international monitors emphasize that severe food insecurity and fragile conditions persist across the enclave.)

The UNICEF assessment measured children's physical dimensions (weight, height, and arm circumference) and found acute malnutrition rates well below critical emergency thresholds in the evaluated areas.

Statistical comparisons highlighted that measured acute malnutrition percentages in parts of Gaza sat near or below 0.5%, figures similar to baseline rates noted in countries like Germany and the UK under standard non-crisis conditions.

(There is more.)

Obviously, Israel hadn't been starving them.

Posted by: L - No nic, another fine day at August 10, 2026 02:27 PM (NFX2v)

49 Sam's Club gas prices are in Fort Worth today.

Posted by: little people at August 10, 2026 02:27 PM (ehY6c)

50 MSN Money is gone from msn.com.

So weird.

I liked their charts.

Posted by: bonhomme at August 10, 2026 02:28 PM (mkw2N)

51 These mooks you monitor have been consistently wrong since 1981. Let them vent and shout at the sky.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 10, 2026 02:26 PM (u82oZ)
-----

It's Reddit, so it's a safe bet that most of the mooks are actually paid shills spreading bullshit anti-American propaganda and FUD.

Posted by: ballistic at August 10, 2026 02:28 PM (oqH4h)

52
So why's it like like 3.99 now???
Posted by: what a fraud at August 10, 2026 02:26 PM (anL5R)

__________

State gas taxes?

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at August 10, 2026 02:28 PM (LW5gG)

53 The ukes should bomb places that matter. Like Misslograd, Dronograd and Tankograd. Why bomb Tartarograd? That's probably some place where raw meat manfactured.

Posted by: Reforger at August 10, 2026 02:28 PM (NRR8r)

54 Sam's Club gas prices are in Fort Worth today.
Posted by: little people at August 10, 2026 02:27 PM (ehY6c)

Do gas prices travel around in some kind of party bus?

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at August 10, 2026 02:28 PM (2YhKe)

55 Meanwhile, Ukraine continues its unrelenting campaign of language purification:

Ukrainian singer Alyosha, whose sex tape was recently leaked, was criticized for having sex in Russian.🤷‍♂️

https://tinyurl.com/3bmp2p6s

Posted by: The ARC of History! at August 10, 2026 02:28 PM (aD4fx)

56 Putin has only one card left to play; a general mobilization, which he absolutely does not want to do. Thus far, he's managed to shelter the Russians and their economy from the worst of the fallout from his idiotic invasion, but time is running out for that strategy.

Posted by: Archimedes at August 10, 2026 02:28 PM (Riz8t)

57 51 MSN Money is gone from msn.com.

So weird.

I liked their charts.
Posted by: bonhomme
===
Yahoo Finance is decent if you avoid the articles on market reporting.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:29 PM (E4rtv)

58 So why's it like like 3.99 now???
Posted by: what a fraud at August 10, 2026 02:26 PM (anL5R)

__________

State gas taxes?

we had those in 2010.

Posted by: what a fraud at August 10, 2026 02:29 PM (anL5R)

59 No no, that can't be right. Iran won. All the Democrats say so!

Posted by: Jetto at August 10, 2026 02:31 PM (qNGxE)

60 Release the Hounds!

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:31 PM (4NO2D)

61 Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:24 PM (iFTx/)

I also am bombarded with propaganda masquerading as news, all pro-the Ukraine. I dislike the Ukraine and Russia equally, so I don't care. I'm just mad that I am skipping a vacation this year while somehow I helped pay for that drone.

Posted by: Ted Torgerson at August 10, 2026 02:31 PM (wGerL)

62
Between murderous religious fanatics and Shahboy Jr. and the L.A. expats, Iran doesn't stand a chance.

But pride is a deadly sin. Except around here in June.

Posted by: Auspex at August 10, 2026 02:32 PM (Y8DZL)

63 side note: just got a James Tallerico pop up on YouTube asking me for "just one dollar". I'm a registered Independent behind Blue Lines in Upstate New York. You're asking me for a buck?

Best source I've found so far (grain of salt, it's always an op) is a couple of native Farsi speakers translating IRGC mouthpiece newspapers and cherry picked Telegram messages.

So far I've gleaned: There's some real lost touch with reality fanatics who think they are winning the kinetic stuff. Ghalibaf replaced Parliamentary staff positions with people loyal to him, replacing hard liners sometime last week. The Iranian strikes on gulf infrastructure were criticized as Northerners sitting comfortable blowing up things they failed to build in the South. It seemed to be about heat in the South, maybe? Maybe lack of power or night time blackouts during 120 degree heat?

Posted by: Bilwis - Wizard of Clwyd at August 10, 2026 02:32 PM (r7+Q7)

64 Yes, Fort Worth prices at 3.22 gal allow more wine, therefore party.
Temp this week ave is 101. The lawn is dead but the A/C is superb , so far.

Posted by: little people at August 10, 2026 02:32 PM (ehY6c)

65 Regarding Ukraine, I like to keep a weather eye on Simplicius the Thinker, for the opposing perspective, like how we mark what Democrats and other leftists say:

https://simplicius76.substack.com/

I would recommend reading "Disastrous End to Zelensky's 40-Day Operation Exposes a Dwindling Ukraine" from August 3rd, followed by "Ukraine's Air Defense Crisis Turns Global as Russian Ferocity Puts Country on Brink" from the 8th. The alternative view is a Ukraine that saved up for a big push and blew its load on infrastructure, including retail warehouses, so now Russia is retaliating in kind -- but with more heavy munitions (such as ballistic missiles and glide bombs) produced per month.

Keep in mind that, like practically every pundit, he has areas of real expertise, and is blind to his lack of understanding when he ventures out of them. Trust what he says about military hardware, especially glide bombs and anything tangentially related. UAV drones, ballistic missiles, air defense systems and how their sensors work. Then ground and aquatic drones, and sensor nets for counter-artillery batteries. Etc.

But Russia is aligned with int'l pariahs, and 10-7 drove its partisans insane.

Posted by: SciVo at August 10, 2026 02:32 PM (Sy6m/)

66 I like dunking on the WNBA. It's fun. The Iran thing is just weary and depressing and I'm kinda bored with it.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:18 PM

I don’t struggle with ignoring silly people. We have a finite level of energy, I am spending mine on those who are worth it. 😊

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 02:32 PM (ZdaMQ)

67 Reforger

Ukraine is doing some military manufacturers targeting as well.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 10, 2026 02:32 PM (u82oZ)

68 54 The ukes should bomb places that matter. Like Misslograd, Dronograd and Tankograd. Why bomb Tartarograd? That's probably some place where raw meat manfactured.
Posted by: Reforger

Russian economy is based solely on energy exports--take that away, the money to pay soldiers, arms, even imports to make those goes away.

Ukraine by going after energy including refineries is a) making it difficult for transport necessary especially for offensive action, b) destroys the economic base of the Russians--by some accounts, they are having to import gasoline now and their exports are being strangled by sanctions and Ukrainian drones attacking their shadow fleet.

I think like Archimeded above, Putin's response will be general mobilization--his limited war strategy is beginning to bite the Russians in the ass.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:32 PM (E4rtv)

69 Watching (Obama's) Iran's nuclear capability whittled down to "not in the next fifty years" counts as a W.

Posted by: 13times at August 10, 2026 02:33 PM (6iKlf)

70 Columbia has suffered an earthquake of 7.4 magnitude.

Posted by: L - No nic, another fine day at August 10, 2026 02:33 PM (NFX2v)

71 In other words: TACO!!!
Posted by: Sid at August 10, 2026 02:27 PM (HEFuF)

Thanks for the invitation, but I prefer Italian food.

Posted by: Can't do. Sorry! at August 10, 2026 02:33 PM (JrHfD)

72 Honestly, what did we win from all of this? Because I’m not seeing it.

Sure some people we never heard of got smoked, but some other nut job is now in their place.

Posted by: Maroon at August 10, 2026 02:33 PM (iZHgT)

73 I am enjoying the carrot and stick approach. Low casualties, lots of multi-faceted pressure, offers to make a reasonable peace, and numerous opportunities for IRGC to make itself look unreasonable and deserving of military destruction on the world stage.

I don't get my pony, but I otherwise approve of the approach, but for the fact that it runs out the clock, and, eventually, Iran will score a lucky blow on one of our capital ships, in my estimation.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at August 10, 2026 02:27 PM (dK+Kv)

^^^
You didn't fuck up. You listened to this man.

Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 02:33 PM (YXnK3)

74 Let me tell you about general mobilizations.

Posted by: Tsar Nicholas II at August 10, 2026 02:33 PM (88C+u)

75 When the Dems reach a compromise in 2029 or 2030, republicans will rage and scream about helping a terror state etc. At least it should prevent another Republican in 2028 though. This is the cycle of US politics, Dems come in on a recovery platform then once stable republicans come in on a disruptive shake things up platform, which has backfired every time in my lifetime.

Posted by: Intercepted Reddit Transmissions brought by the Intrepid AoS Liaison at August 10, 2026 02:18 PM (tM78k)

Yeah, some people are too stupid to eat a gun barrel.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at August 10, 2026 02:33 PM (S41Gd)

76 The President's strategy makes sense. Leave a presence there to handle any random noise and let our ME "allies" deal with it while Iran bleeds out.

Had we gone Medieval, then we couldn't maintain the threat of going Medieval were Iran to attack US troops or bases.

Send in the third-tier negotiating team to waste time that Iran cant afford, and start punch US commies in the throat, starting wiith Thune.

Posted by: Field Marshal Zhukov at August 10, 2026 02:34 PM (bX16E)

77 If gas prices stay elevated through november as a direct result of the iran conflict continuing it will cost seats in the house for republicans. The senate not so much that looks like it's still a lock for republican control.

Posted by: Mister Scott (Formerly GWS) at August 10, 2026 02:34 PM (cpFbA)

78
Skeet shooting is too close. Thought of that. Now VT 12 gauge #1 may work.

How small can radar fuses get?
Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (u82oZ)
====
Double ought buckshot and a full choke, 28" barrel for the win.

Posted by: Bonecrusher at August 10, 2026 02:34 PM (JNTt1)

79 We have a finite level of energy....

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 02:32 PM (ZdaMQ)

That's rich coming from someone who came back from the dead

Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 02:34 PM (YXnK3)

80 Agreed. The U.S. has lost its superpower status since its military can no longer guarantee freedom of navigation in international waters. It's almost as if Trump and MAGA have been manipulated into sabotaging the U.S. by foreign powers.

Posted by: Intercepted Reddit Transmissions brought by the Intrepid AoS Liaison at August 10, 2026 02:18 PM (tM78k)
----
If the U.S. can't guarantee freedom of navigation in international waters, then who can?

I'd like to see someone on the Left answer that question.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at August 10, 2026 02:34 PM (FZ29D)

81 I believe the "news" coming out of the Ukraine war as much as I believe the "news" coming out of the Iran war. That video of the drone hitting the refinery? Looks fake as fuck to me.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:24 PM (iFTx/)

No, all indications are those are real videos, and real attacks. Ukraine has found a weakness in Russian defense systems, and are exploiting in masterfully. No one expected long range drones to be developed so quickly, and Russia (like the US) has no internal defenses against such an attack, so the drones can fly wherever they want in broad daylight. And Ukraine is targeting all of Russia's refineries and oil distribution system hubs, in the hope of shutting down Russia's internal economy.

They've also been destroying consumer good distribution centers. Big ones.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 10, 2026 02:35 PM (edUvp)

82
State gas taxes?
Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at August

Raised minimum wages and rent in the gas station overhead?

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 02:35 PM (ZdaMQ)

83 I wish the whole stupid thing would settle the fcuk down.

Russia dicking about in the Ukraine The stoopid Iranian goat humpers and all the stoopid jooo hatred. Just put it away already and deal with your own shit.

Its maniacally stupid shitheads causing a shitstorm which will only reap them shit. Enough.

Posted by: its not poetry, but said with feeling at August 10, 2026 02:35 PM (anL5R)

84 I have started more or less ignoring both current conflicts. Too much tension with too little payoff. When something breaks I'll get all back in.

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:35 PM (4NO2D)

85 Bomb the crap out if them and I won't care.
Theyvhave been at us since 1979

Posted by: Skip at August 10, 2026 02:35 PM (Ia/+0)

86 But Russia is aligned with int'l pariahs, and 10-7 drove its partisans insane.
Posted by: SciVo
=======
Putin is out for opportunism--he was never our friend. Now, pretty much, he settled into the enemy role with shitheads like Xi and Iran along with the Norks as I suspect he can't stop on Ukraine because it will probably result in the end of him personally and certainly Putinism as we know it. What comes next is up for speculation. That is why I think he will raise stakes and double down.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:35 PM (E4rtv)

87 re: Ukrainian Drone Attacks

Coming soon to US Mainland near you.

Posted by: epador at August 10, 2026 02:35 PM (glA7p)

88 79 We have a finite level of energy....

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 02:32 PM (ZdaMQ)

That's rich coming from someone who came back from the dead
Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 02:34 PM (YXnK3

We can’t all haunt this blog!

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 02:37 PM (ZdaMQ)

89 You know who needs an ass-kicking? The Houthis. The Saudi junior nobility is itching to bomb somebody, they should go Linebacker II on the Houthis.

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:38 PM (4NO2D)

90 Do we have some new trolls ?

Posted by: It's me donna at August 10, 2026 02:38 PM (FtULh)

91 It's the right way to deal with Iran. It's terrible politically.

Posted by: Jack Squat Bupkis at August 10, 2026 02:39 PM (EKyBq)

92 I'm a Legacy.

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:39 PM (4NO2D)

93 >>If the U.S. can't guarantee freedom of navigation in international waters, then who can?

>>I'd like to see someone on the Left answer that question.

Let's hop in the way back machine to Biden's reign of error when the Houthis were firing on ships at will and Biden did absolutely dick.

Meanwhile, while this blockade is going on pipelines are being laid that will make the Strait much less relevant.

Posted by: JackStraw at August 10, 2026 02:39 PM (viF8m)

94 Drone strike video is funny. They're all laughing while running away from the plant.

Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at August 10, 2026 02:40 PM (wOO3z)

95 We have a finite level of energy....

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 02:32 PM (ZdaMQ)

That's rich coming from someone who came back from the dead

Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 02:34 PM (YXnK3)

Where's your kale now?

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at August 10, 2026 02:40 PM (dK+Kv)

96 I'd rather we blow them to hell but I'll take this...

Posted by: It's me donna at August 10, 2026 02:40 PM (FtULh)

97 > Yahoo Finance is decent if you avoid the articles on market reporting.
Posted by: whig

Thanks. I'll check it out.

Posted by: bonhomme at August 10, 2026 02:40 PM (mkw2N)

98 We supposedly sank their whole navy, and then they attack some ships and our response is to sink more of their navy?

How does that work?
Posted by: blaster at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (xhfG9)

The Iranians have been using drones to attack ships in Hormuz the last several times it made the news.

They may still have boats but they aren’t using them currently.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 10, 2026 02:40 PM (6ydKt)

99 Well, that sounds familiar.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:40 PM (d1C/V)

100 77 If gas prices stay elevated through november as a direct result of the iran conflict continuing it will cost seats in the house for republicans. The senate not so much that looks like it's still a lock for republican control.
Posted by: Mister Scott

Doesn't quite work that way--people are pretty sophisticated about the economy viewing it as a whole. What they do pick up on is trends like getting worse rather than better. And the US consumers have been conditioned to think that high gas prices means inflation but that doesn't necessarily follow. In the olden days of prior oil spikes, we were paying for the foreign oil in dollars by loose monetary policy, those dollars in return were sent back here to buy things in part, thus increasing inflation at home. Now, with our own oil, it gets complicated because we are now a seller as well as internal consumer.

Not sure the old playbooks work anymore in political analysis.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:41 PM (E4rtv)

101 As for Ukraine… they ain’t winning that war. In a war of attrition the country with a population 4x bigger and a GDP 12x bigger (that’d be Russia) is not going to lose. Drone warfare doesn’t negate that reality no matter how cleverly executed….. I have no dog in that fight but I’ve heard umpteen times in the last 4+ plus years that either Russia or Ukraine were on their last legs. Nope…. It’s a stalemate

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at August 10, 2026 02:41 PM (yZ6uc)

102 If the U.S. can't guarantee freedom of navigation in international waters, then who can?

I'd like to see someone on the Left answer that question.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at August 10, 2026 02:34 PM (FZ29D)

The problem is that Hormuz is only technically "international waters". It's a narrow body of water overlooked by heights controlled by Iran, which they've been packing with dug in missile sites for 40 years.

Every side in a war makes some strategic miscalculations at the beginning of any war, so that's nothing new. Our biggest was that we thought that what they called their Navy was how they intended to control the straits (probably because we put such a high value on our own navy). But Iran's navy turns out to have been mainly a propaganda show, something they built in order to impress the neighbors and the subjects, and to give the military something to play with.

But they control the straits through drones, missiles, radar sites, and the mosquito fleet. So getting rid of the "navy" was pretty inconsequential in terms of their ability to keep on sinking ships.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 10, 2026 02:41 PM (edUvp)

103 That's rich coming from someone who came back from the dead

Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 02:34 PM (YXnK3)

Where's your kale now?
Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at August 10, 2026 02:40 PM

I read that in a Edward G. Robinson voice.

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:41 PM (4NO2D)

104 Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at August 10, 2026 02:40 PM (dK+Kv)

Lmao

Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 02:42 PM (YXnK3)

105 74 Let me tell you about general mobilizations.
Posted by: Tsar Nicholas II

Good 1914 comparison. The Poles and Skandis would go apeshit. The question is if GB, Fraance and Germany are capable of doing anything in response to it.

Posted by: Auspex at August 10, 2026 02:42 PM (Y8DZL)

106 98 The Iranians have been using drones to attack ships in Hormuz the last several times it made the news.

They may still have boats but they aren’t using them currently.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 10, 2026 02:40 PM (6ydKt)

========

The threat of the drones is the swarm. When one hits a boat like a tanker, it does virtually no damage.

There was a day a few weeks ago where a tanker definitely did get hit. Traffic didn't even slow. The damage to the tanker was so minimal that no one even bothered to tap the breaks for a minute to check.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:42 PM (d1C/V)

107 Russia started the war, they get what they wanted

Posted by: Skip at August 10, 2026 02:42 PM (Ia/+0)

108 Do we have some new trolls ?
Posted by: It's me donna at August 10, 2026 02:38 PM (FtULh)
_____

I think we have an infestation of East Euro bots who reflexively take pro-Uke or pro-Russian positions.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:42 PM (iFTx/)

109 77 If gas prices stay elevated through november as a direct result of the iran conflict continuing it will cost seats in the house for republicans. The senate not so much that looks like it's still a lock for republican control.
Posted by: Mister Scott

======

Gas was higher 2022 during election season.

Republicans had a mediocre year as opposition to the party in power.

Gas needs to be...really high to have material effects on elections.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:43 PM (d1C/V)

110 102 But they control the straits through drones, missiles, radar sites, and the mosquito fleet. So getting rid of the "navy" was pretty inconsequential in terms of their ability to keep on sinking ships.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 10, 2026 02:41 PM (edUvp)

=======

Well, they've sunk nothing since the start of this.

So, you're right.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:43 PM (d1C/V)

111
We can’t all haunt this blog!
Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 02:37 PM (ZdaMQ)

I mean, the tumor got you and Doof was shot at distance by Weasel in the Gun Thread............I guess the only deduction is, COB's can come back if they want.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at August 10, 2026 02:44 PM (2YhKe)

112
Although I'd like to know how we prevent them from getting a nuke. Poverty didn't stop Pakistan from doing it.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at August 10, 2026 02:44 PM (mmrXZ)

113 Or COB's and their cohorts........Robin to their Batman......

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at August 10, 2026 02:44 PM (2YhKe)

114 Rand Paul is releasing text messages from Fauci's Phone. nothings gonna happen

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at August 10, 2026 02:44 PM (ubCxQ)

115 History note:

A general mobilization of Russia's Army, in response to French pleading, made the start of WWI inevitable. Everything before the mobilization could be hand-waved away.

Putin knows this.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 10, 2026 02:44 PM (u82oZ)

116 I guess the only deduction is, COB's can come back if they want.
Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at August 10, 2026 02:44 PM

or the Cob-loggers are PixyAI.

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:44 PM (4NO2D)

117 in 2008 oil peaked at 147 a barrel or something like that.

Posted by: and some other stuff happened in 2008 at August 10, 2026 02:45 PM (anL5R)

118 With all the pipelines being installed there the Strait is gonna lose it's importance in a year or so...

Posted by: It's me donna at August 10, 2026 02:45 PM (U/x/I)

119 Settels are the horizontal lines bordering dentils.

Posted by: SloPitch Whiffer at August 10, 2026 02:45 PM (NYInA)

120
I look at it this way. Trump has taken on a regional power that everyone was terrified to confront. The "experts" predicted $200/bbl oil, forever.

For several weeks, oil has wandered around $80, plus or minus $5. So something must be going right for the apocalyptic visions conjured up not to have come to pass.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at August 10, 2026 02:45 PM (LW5gG)

121 I mean, the tumor got you and Doof was shot at distance by Weasel in the Gun Thread............I guess the only deduction is, COB's can come back if they want.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at August 10, 2026 02:44 PM (2YhKe)

Dibs on Doof's Rush collection.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at August 10, 2026 02:45 PM (dK+Kv)

122 The Iran war is a direct cause of $20 burritos. Do better MAGA, do better!! — The Bulwark pedos

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at August 10, 2026 02:45 PM (yZ6uc)

123 If the U.S. can't guarantee freedom of navigation in international waters, then who can?

I'd like to see someone on the Left answer that question.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at August 10, 2026 02:34 PM (FZ29D)

We can still guarantee it, if we were determined to do it, and the left promises to shut up and not say a word about how we did it.

It’s generally safe in international waters across the planet, except in one area where the Iranians, Houthis, and Somali pirates can cause problems because of specific chokepoints.

The only other area of contention is the South China Sea because if the CCP.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 10, 2026 02:46 PM (6ydKt)

124 .. I have no dog in that fight but I’ve heard umpteen times in the last 4+ plus years that either Russia or Ukraine were on their last legs. Nope…. It’s a stalemate
Posted by: LinusVanPelt at August 10, 2026 02:41 PM (yZ6uc)

It's a stupid war at this point - both sides should have negotiated an end to it years ago - but when a war is at a stalemate like this one, with each side taking damage but not enough to end them, then the "winner" will be the one who can survive their own internal unrest for one day more than their opponent can.

This is impossible to call until it plays out - but if I was Russian I'd be worried about memories of 1917, when the entire country collapsed because a great war had gone on too long for them to take.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 10, 2026 02:46 PM (edUvp)

125 >>Not sure the old playbooks work anymore in political analysis.

I think people are really overlooking just how radical the Democrat Party has become since 2024. Swing voters are choosing between the Trump led GOP and the Schumer Dems.

Dems have gone bug f#ck nuts and they aren't trying to hide it. And I think there will be a few more revelations dropping before the election including evidence of the 2020 rigged election, evidence of where Democrat money has been coming from and hopefully some stuff coming from the grand jury in Florida.

Posted by: JackStraw at August 10, 2026 02:46 PM (viF8m)

126 120
I look at it this way. Trump has taken on a regional power that everyone was terrified to confront. The "experts" predicted $200/bbl oil, forever.

For several weeks, oil has wandered around $80, plus or minus $5. So something must be going right for the apocalyptic visions conjured up not to have come to pass.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at August 10, 2026 02:45 PM (LW5gG)

=======

The market will price in some war premiums when action get hot, otherwise they've moved on.

50% of the oil out of the strait pre-conflict was rerouted by pipeline/truck/rail within days. Brent and WTI increased production to take advantage of the increased prices.

Ship to ship transfers on the Omani side of the strait started.

Iran's threats in the strait have been immaterial to the worldwide oil market for months now.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:46 PM (d1C/V)

127 I am baffled by the idea that voters will vote Democrat if unleaded is $3.85/gal, but vote Republican if it is $2.85.

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:47 PM (4NO2D)

128 92 I'm a Legacy.
Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:39 PM (4NO2D)

Well, you don't seem like a total basket case, and we need the dues...

Posted by: Otter and Boone at August 10, 2026 02:47 PM (r7+Q7)

129 111
We can’t all haunt this blog!
Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 02:37 PM (ZdaMQ)

I mean, the tumor got you and Doof was shot at distance by Weasel in the Gun Thread............I guess the only deduction is, COB's can come back if they want.
Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at August 10, 2026 02:44 PM (2YhKe)

Poor, poor buzzion ...

Posted by: browndog says woof at August 10, 2026 02:47 PM (3sXRv)

130 Those DSA Muslo-commie nutcases winning all the Dem primaries have given Trump the home front political leverage to stop "negotiating" with the IRGC. Now he can just wait them out.

Although just as likely this is a Trump headfake and next week IRGC will surrender and sue for terms.

Posted by: boatbuilder at August 10, 2026 02:47 PM (uCKpg)

131
I am enjoying the carrot and stick approach.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at August 10, 2026 02:27 PM (dK+Kv)

I'm a bigger fan of the stick and bigger stick approach.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at August 10, 2026 02:48 PM (y9nCu)

132 112
Although I'd like to know how we prevent them from getting a nuke. Poverty didn't stop Pakistan from doing it.
Posted by: Blonde Morticia
--------
Takes a very large industrial complex to do it and then you have the delivery problem. Their best enrichment facility has the stuff entombed if not scattered around require a start from zero. So they ramped up a secondary site at Pickaxe Mtn which probably has their reserve centrifuges--but that takes time to enrich the uranium each step and the infrastructure/economy is dead in Iran which affects the speed to which Iran can develop, test, and deploy with missiles--hard to do that with Israeli spies on the ground, desperate Iranians willing to sell out the regime for cash, and US satellites and spy planes above.

Think of Germans bombing Oak Ridge in WWII or Los Alamos amid the US economy collapsing in WWII.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:48 PM (E4rtv)

133 Poor, poor buzzion ...
Posted by: browndog says woof at August 10, 2026 02:47 PM

Killed by our Murder Chaplain.

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:48 PM (4NO2D)

134 Although I'd like to know how we prevent them from getting a nuke. Poverty didn't stop Pakistan from doing it.
Posted by: Blonde Morticia at August 10, 2026 02:44 PM (mmrXZ)
___________

Pakistan stole all the tech from lazy stupid Westerners -- and probably some saboteurs in India -- as well as help from China. But yea, you don't have to be a wealthy country to develop a nuke.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:48 PM (iFTx/)

135 It's a stupid war at this point - both sides should have negotiated an end to it years ago - but when a war is at a stalemate like this one, with each side taking damage but not enough to end them, then the "winner" will be the one who can survive their own internal unrest for one day more than their opponent can.

This is impossible to call until it plays out - but if I was Russian I'd be worried about memories of 1917, when the entire country collapsed because a great war had gone on too long for them to take.
---
How old is Putin now anyway? Is it time to move on?

Posted by: stuff average dude on the street is asking himself at August 10, 2026 02:48 PM (anL5R)

136 OT - And she's going to be the next mayor?????? What a farce.

CALIFORNIA NEWS

EXCLUSIVE
Nithya Raman out as homelessness chair as LA splits troubled committee
By Jamie Paige
Published Aug. 10, 2026, 11:30 a.m. PT

Comments
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The California Post on Google
Nithya Raman is losing her powerful post overseeing Los Angeles’ homelessness crisis after roughly three and a half years marked by canceled meetings, stalled reforms and a $62.6 million housing initiative she championed that placed just three households.

City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson is splitting the Housing and Homelessness Committee Raman has chaired since 2023 as part of a leadership reshuffle. The announcement will be made in a letter set to be released later this week, the California Post has learned.

Posted by: beckster at August 10, 2026 02:49 PM (kX27y)

137 We can't even conceive of a leader who doesn't make every decision based on elections, which way the wind is blowing, or pure unadulterated partisan shittification.

Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 02:49 PM (YXnK3)

138 Well, they've sunk nothing since the start of this.

So, you're right.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:43 PM (d1C/V)

mispoke to use the word "sunk". They set a tanker on fire last night, near Oman. The goal isn't to actually sink ships, it's to create terror and scare shippers from taking the risk.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 10, 2026 02:49 PM (edUvp)

139 At what point do the mullahs say: open our revenue or we kill 1000 kids per dsy?

You know it's co.ing

Posted by: Steve_in_SoCal at August 10, 2026 02:49 PM (ItWcy)

140 The WNBA would have better ratings if they rebranded it as "Mega Lesbian Smackdown Mania" and brought some steel cages into play.

Follow me for more marketing tips.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia, Marketing Consultant at August 10, 2026 02:49 PM (IG3/x)

141 browndog says woof

FenelonSpoke says she keeps track of her Internet kills. Buzzion was not on her list.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 10, 2026 02:49 PM (u82oZ)

142 It has been “interesting” watching lefties openly root for Iran. If only LIVs would pay attention it’d be educational

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at August 10, 2026 02:49 PM (yZ6uc)

143 I thought the iranian people were told to shelter in place until the Baby Shah was going to give the bat signal to overthrow the weird beards?

Was I lied to?

Posted by: Silly Rabbit at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM (F1rMs)

144 138 mispoke to use the word "sunk". They set a tanker on fire last night, near Oman. The goal isn't to actually sink ships, it's to create terror and scare shippers from taking the risk.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 10, 2026 02:49 PM (edUvp)

=====

No, they didn't. They lied about doing it.

https://x.com/Parmenides5BCE/status/
2086831427187015987

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM (d1C/V)

145 I mean, the tumor got you and Doof was shot at distance by Weasel in the Gun Thread............I guess the only deduction is, COB's can come back if they want.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at August 10, 2026 02:44 PM (2YhKe)

Dibs on Doof's Rush collection.
Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at August 10, 2026 02:45 PM (dK+Kv)

My death seems to have been swept under the rug. It did not get anywhere near the attention that Piper's received and continues to receive.

I can take a hint.

Posted by: Doof at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM (S0M0K)

146 > City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson

Having the name "Marqueece" should disqualify you from possesing the right to vote, much less hold elective office.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia, Marketing Consultant at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM (IG3/x)

147 "Miad Maleki is a former United States Treasury official, Air Force veteran, and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies"

After all we've been through the past few years, those are not credentials I put any faith in.

Posted by: Ex Rex Reeder at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM (QaH55)

148 Trump is dealing with the Iran problem that we've let fester for 50 years. FFS, Obama/ValJar wanted them to be a regional hegemon -- with nukes.

The goal is to make Iran irrelevant and they soon will be. With no oil revenue they'll be lucky to keep the lights on at home. Everyone in the region is now allied against them. China will no longer support them.

When the new pipelines are finished, no one will worry about Iran.

Posted by: Ignoramus at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM (dtajH)

149 141 browndog says woof

FenelonSpoke says she keeps track of her Internet kills. Buzzion was not on her list.
Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 10, 2026 02:49 PM (u82oZ)

Fen, AoS very own, unintentional Arya Stark ...

Posted by: browndog says woof at August 10, 2026 02:51 PM (3sXRv)

150 >>Goldman Sachs estimates that by 2028, up to 60% of Gulf oil exports could avoid the Strait of Hormuz, using these new routes.

https://tinyurl.com/3pdc5jrd

Posted by: JackStraw at August 10, 2026 02:51 PM (viF8m)

151 My death seems to have been swept under the rug. It did not get anywhere near the attention that Piper's received and continues to receive.

I can take a hint.
Posted by: Doof at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM

You will be missed.

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:51 PM (4NO2D)

152 For several weeks, oil has wandered around $80, plus or minus $5. So something must be going right for the apocalyptic visions conjured up not to have come to pass.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at August 10, 2026 02:45 PM (LW5gG)

=======

The market will price in some war premiums when action get hot, otherwise they've moved on.

50% of the oil out of the strait pre-conflict was rerouted by pipeline/truck/rail within days. Brent and WTI increased production to take advantage of the increased prices.

Ship to ship transfers on the Omani side of the strait started.

Iran's threats in the strait have been immaterial to the worldwide oil market for months now.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:46 PM (d1C/V)
_________

It's almost like people with actual skin/money in the game aren't as apoplectic as all the doomsayers looking to drum up media clicks ....

Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:51 PM (iFTx/)

153 118 With all the pipelines being installed there the Strait is gonna lose it's importance in a year or so...
Posted by: It's me donna at August 10, 2026 02:45 PM (U/x/I)

I am surprised that they aren't building it 24/7, Why isn't every Railroad, Road to China not a smoking ruin. I think it's time to start destroying Iran's oil buildings

Posted by: Patrick From Ohio at August 10, 2026 02:51 PM (ubCxQ)

154 It's Reddit, so it's a safe bet that most of the mooks are actually paid shills spreading bullshit anti-American propaganda and FUD.
Posted by: ballistic

That's nice. Kinda like Goodwill Industries? Work programs for the, uh, "differently abled."

Posted by: Intercepted Reddit Transmissions brought by the Intrepid AoS Liaison at August 10, 2026 02:51 PM (tM78k)

155 For several weeks, oil has wandered around $80, plus or minus $5. So something must be going right for the apocalyptic visions conjured up not to have come to pass.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh

Don't take counsel of your fears--GS Patton (actually a shortened version of the original quote).

He explains, "The time to take counsel of your fears is before you make an important battle decision. That’s the time to listen to every fear you can imagine! When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all your fears and go ahead!"

Some people cannot do that and usually because they like the illusion of control and certainty. Neither exist in the real world. You place your bets and take your chances so it is always prudent to place smart bets and have backups but Providence plays a part too.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:52 PM (E4rtv)

156 152 It's almost like people with actual skin/money in the game aren't as apoplectic as all the doomsayers looking to drum up media clicks ....

Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:51 PM (iFTx/)

=======

The UAE should have started that pipeline 30 years ago.

It started it in April this year, though.

Saudi Arabia did start its pipeline earlier. It went from 500,000 barrels a day to over 7 million a day right at the start of the action.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:52 PM (d1C/V)

157 The threat of the drones is the swarm. When one hits a boat like a tanker, it does virtually no damage.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:42 PM (d1C/V)

It isn’t catastrophic damage.
They haven’t sunk a ship yet.

The problem is the captain behind the ship that gets hit decides he doesn’t want to risk it and sits tight until the coast is clear.

Things slow down to a trickle.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 10, 2026 02:53 PM (6ydKt)

158
Drone strike video is funny. They're all laughing while running away from the plant.
Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory

Woo Hoo! Three day weekend!

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at August 10, 2026 02:53 PM (Cqx++)

159 I posted about that in the last thread. At what point does the NBA just rid themselves of this troublesome league of fugly undesirable mutants?
Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:20 PM (iFTx/)

I whole heartedly agree. Get rid of the inability to dribble, inability to defend, inability to take a slight contact and not crupple like some futball prima donna....oh wait, you mean the WNBA don't you.

Posted by: scruboak at August 10, 2026 02:53 PM (A3oTu)

160 Having the name "Marqueece" should disqualify you from possesing the right to vote, much less hold elective office.
Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia, Marketing Consultant at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM (IG3/x)

It's ok if she were in the WNBA!

Posted by: beckster at August 10, 2026 02:53 PM (kX27y)

161 Beats ships and paying Irans Toll booth

Posted by: Skip at August 10, 2026 02:53 PM (Ia/+0)

162 It's almost like people with actual skin/money in the game aren't as apoplectic as all the doomsayers looking to drum up media clicks ....
Posted by: Elric The Blade
=======
Some of those doomsayers are also shills that push people to panic or greed so that the smart money can clean up.

Jim Cramer comes to mind.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:53 PM (E4rtv)

163 Some people cannot do that and usually because they like the illusion of control and certainty. Neither exist in the real world. You place your bets and take your chances so it is always prudent to place smart bets and have backups but Providence plays a part too.
Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:52 PM

Great observation.

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:53 PM (4NO2D)

164 157 It isn’t catastrophic damage.
They haven’t sunk a ship yet.

The problem is the captain behind the ship that gets hit decides he doesn’t want to risk it and sits tight until the coast is clear.

Things slow down to a trickle.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 10, 2026 02:53 PM (6ydKt)

========

Quite literally, a ship got struck by a drone and no traffic slowed at all.

These little tankers doing ship to ship transfers are making a million dollars a day.

"We're still floating? Keep going. We have to do this tomorrow, too. I have a string of Greek islands I need to purchase."

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (d1C/V)

165 Four consecutive refreshes without being accosted by the "Before you leave" thing.

Have we gotten through to the other side??

Posted by: Doof at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (S0M0K)

166
They haven’t sunk a ship yet.

The problem is the captain behind the ship that gets hit decides he doesn’t want to risk it and sits tight until the coast is clear.

Things slow down to a trickle.
Posted by: SpeakingOf

And State Farm cuts off their insurance coverage.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (Cqx++)

167 One thing I don’t understand… Saudi Arabia is a neighbor and natural enemy of Iran (Sunni vs Shia). Why haven’t they gone in with our air backing and just kicked the shit out of the IRGC?? Maybe their military sucks despite lots of fancy US hardware? Their government need not worry about public opinion; the house of Saud doesn’t play at democracy

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (yZ6uc)

168 That's nice. Kinda like Goodwill Industries? Work programs for the, uh, "differently abled."
Posted by: Intercepted Reddit Transmissions brought by the Intrepid AoS Liaison at August 10, 2026 02:51 PM (tM78k)

That's such a bullshit scam. Might as well say 'We hire the handicapped. They're funner to watch and cheaper.'

Posted by: Reforger at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (NRR8r)

169 "FenelonSpoke says she keeps track of her Internet kills. Buzzion was not on her list.
Posted by: NaCly Dog"

What? I was a witness.

Posted by: fd at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (MWfyi)

170 151 My death seems to have been swept under the rug. It did not get anywhere near the attention that Piper's received and continues to receive.

I can take a hint.
Posted by: Doof at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM

You will be missed.
Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:51 PM (4NO2D)

Of course Piper is more popular.
She was named after a beer.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (6ydKt)

171 117 in 2008 oil peaked at 147 a barrel or something like that.

Posted by: and some other stuff happened in 2008 at August 10, 2026 02:45 PM (anL5R)

Remember when Peak Oil was a thing?

Posted by: blaster at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (xhfG9)

172 >>hard to do that with Israeli spies on the ground, desperate Iranians willing to sell out the regime for cash, and US satellites and spy planes above.

It's also hard to do when we have air supremacy and employ an AA/A2-type strategy to send a 'Flying Ginsu" through the roof of any vehicle entering or exiting the prescribed area of denial.

Posted by: one hour sober at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (J4Dwc)

173 162 Some of those doomsayers are also shills that push people to panic or greed so that the smart money can clean up.

Jim Cramer comes to mind.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:53 PM (E4rtv)

======

Nate Silver became a commodities trader at the start of the action, insisting on $200 per barrel oil.

I bet he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:55 PM (d1C/V)

174 It's almost like people with actual skin/money in the game aren't as apoplectic as all the doomsayers looking to drum up media clicks ....
Posted by: Elric The Blade
=======
Some of those doomsayers are also shills that push people to panic or greed so that the smart money can clean up.

Jim Cramer comes to mind.
Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:53 PM (E4rtv)
______

Also true. As are the Democraps desperate to shit out anti-Trump propaganda.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:55 PM (iFTx/)

175 166 And State Farm cuts off their insurance coverage.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (Cqx++)

=======

Nope.

Lloyd's has war premium coverage of the strait.

US Treasury is also offering insurance if Lloyd's won't.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:55 PM (d1C/V)

176 Behind in Tousi TV but thought the Persians were starting to fight back again.
Posted by: ChristyBlinkyTheGreat at August 10, 2026 02:16 PM (hzuYO)

There are rumors of the populace getting arms, and also of infighting among the factions in the government.

Posted by: Oldcat at August 10, 2026 02:55 PM (uhVAy)

177 I am rious how this will affect China. Are we stopping Iran's oil sales to them in any way?
Posted by: Blonde Morticia

Basically yes.

There was/is a railroad but I believe it was damaged.

China - per an article I read reduced import by 40 % because they are a billion in their SPR. They thought ahead.

Posted by: Steve_in_SoCal at August 10, 2026 02:56 PM (ItWcy)

178 I can take a hint.

Posted by: Doof at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM (S0M0K)

Well...Piper is.more i teresti g.

By the way, I'll take your Rush collection off your hands for $10/album. Just write me a check and include it in the box. And you pay shipping too.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 10, 2026 02:56 PM (l4RKn)

179 177 There was/is a railroad but I believe it was damaged.

China - per an article I read reduced import by 40 % because they are a billion in their SPR. They thought ahead.

Posted by: Steve_in_SoCal at August 10, 2026 02:56 PM (ItWcy)

========

They were filling their SPR with $30 per barrel Iranian oil.

There were also news reports of their SPR caches being actually outright empty or just filled with water.

Almost like China is a kleptocracy, or something.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:56 PM (d1C/V)

180 Every siege depends on your ability to enforce it. Look at Iran’s borders and airports. They are getting enough supplies to feed the regime. It’s pretty clear they don’t care about the people, and the people have no means to fight back.

I think a lot of people believe that losing $400m a day is going to crush the regime. Maybe. But do you think they care? I don’t, and they will stretch this out as long as their Russian, Chinese and other benefactors will allow it.

Will Iran lose in the end. Yes, they will. All the countries who can are building pipelines around the strait. In a year, it won’t matter as much. It will barely move the price of oil. But that’s not their strategy. It is to cause maximum short term pain on the US in order to get socialist Democrats friendly to the IRGC in office. For that they will suicide bomb their entire economy. Maybe ask yourself- why?

Posted by: Vengeance at August 10, 2026 02:57 PM (oAqqA)

181 Nate Silver became a commodities trader at the start of the action, insisting on $200 per barrel oil.

I bet he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:55 PM (d1C/V)

Maybe he's smart enough to lie to his readers and not actually make the investment.

Posted by: Oldcat at August 10, 2026 02:57 PM (uhVAy)

182 Some of those doomsayers are also shills that push people to panic or greed so that the smart money can clean up.

Jim Cramer comes to mind.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:53 PM (E4rtv)

======

Nate Silver became a commodities trader at the start of the action, insisting on $200 per barrel oil.

I bet he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:55 PM (d1C/V)
______

"Amateur!"

-- Jim Cramer

Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:57 PM (iFTx/)

183 Gas prices always go up in summer because it's vacation season and summer blends. Some pressure will naturally come off gas prices after Labor Day.

Posted by: JackStraw at August 10, 2026 02:57 PM (viF8m)

184 182 Maybe he's smart enough to lie to his readers and not actually make the investment.

Posted by: Oldcat at August 10, 2026 02:57 PM (uhVAy)

=======

Press X for doubt.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:57 PM (d1C/V)

185 158
Drone strike video is funny. They're all laughing while running away from the plant.
Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory

Woo Hoo! Three day weekend!
Posted by: Bertram Cabot

Authoritarian regimes are brittle and Communism left Russia and Eastern Europe with destroyed social capital and trust. So the Russians working at the plant might not give a shit about the place blowing up because they know they will get paid to fix it--the broader ideas of our side is losing don't really matter when the population has been de-patriotized by those above it. And Putin, for all his swagger, has undermined the legitimacy of his own Putinism regime.

No one believes in it, people mouth whatever they are expected to say, but in private seek advantage from calamities and good times as well.

The true believers in wars of conquest get used up pretty quickly in such idiotic wars.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:57 PM (E4rtv)

186

The Senate voted 90-6 to pass a short-term funding bill to remove the threat of a government shutdown before the midterm elections.

The legislation would keep federal funds flowing through Dec. 11 at existing levels to give time to negotiate a full-year deal.

It was negotiated by the two parties and includes some modest add-ons, including a provision demanded by Democrats aimed at preventing President Donald Trump from blocking federal grants to blue states for political reasons.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at August 10, 2026 02:57 PM (Cqx++)

187 184 Gas prices always go up in summer because it's vacation season and summer blends. Some pressure will naturally come off gas prices after Labor Day.

Posted by: JackStraw at August 10, 2026 02:57 PM (viF8m)

=======

We'll probably have $2 gas by election day. Except for California. They'll have $7 gas and blame Trump.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:58 PM (d1C/V)

188 The Ad is gone

Posted by: Skip at August 10, 2026 02:58 PM (Ia/+0)

189 Of course Piper is more popular.
She was named after a beer.
Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (6ydKt)

Piper is to Marsha as Doof is to Jan. I accept this.

Posted by: Doof at August 10, 2026 02:58 PM (S0M0K)

190
Trump set himself up for "Whatever happened to a couple of weeks?"

Forget Obamacare's website crash-out. Trump has to be right every time or to the demedia, it's a "lie".

Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 02:58 PM (Fi81e)

191 A general mobilization of Russia's Army, in response to French pleading, made the start of WWI inevitable. Everything before the mobilization could be hand-waved away.

Putin knows this.
Posted by: NaCly Dog
__________

It only made it inevitable because of the Schlieffen plan. Germany had no plan to mobilize solely in the east. If they had, it is conceivable that they never would have forced France's hand by demanding the surrender of Toul and Verdun. France probably would have come in anyway, but as the aggressor, which would have kept the Brits out.

Posted by: Biff Pocoroba at August 10, 2026 02:58 PM (XvL8K)

192 Gas is still above $4 here inse Pa

Posted by: Skip at August 10, 2026 02:59 PM (Ia/+0)

193 Although I'd like to know how we prevent them from getting a nuke. Poverty didn't stop Pakistan from doing it.
Posted by: Blonde Morticia
--------
Takes a very large industrial complex to do it and then you have the delivery problem. Their best enrichment facility has the stuff entombed if not scattered around require a start from zero. So they ramped up a secondary site at Pickaxe Mtn which probably has their reserve centrifuges--but that takes time to enrich the uranium each step and the infrastructure/economy is dead in Iran which affects the speed to which Iran can develop, test, and deploy with missiles--hard to do that with Israeli spies on the ground, desperate Iranians willing to sell out the regime for cash, and US satellites and spy planes above.

Another factor is that running those centrifuges requires a reliable and stable power supply. Iran certainly doesn't have that now, and if there is some sort of dedicated power generation at Pickaxe mountain, I think we'd probably have little difficulty taking it out or making it so unstable that it's no longer usable.

Posted by: Archimedes at August 10, 2026 02:59 PM (Riz8t)

194 The Ad is gone

Posted by: Skip at August 10, 2026 02:58 PM (Ia/+0)
---
Yup. They say "CE" these days.

Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 02:59 PM (Fi81e)

195 I think a lot of people believe that losing $400m a day is going to crush the regime. Maybe. But do you think they care? I don’t, and they will stretch this out as long as their Russian, Chinese and other benefactors will allow it.

Posted by: Vengeance at August 10, 2026 02:57 PM (oAqqA)

Their dominance lies on the mid level thugs, soldiers of middle ranks, police and such that all need to be paid. Reports are this has not been done for some time. If those fellows start going home, it gets a lot harder for the bigwigs to rule by fear.

Posted by: Oldcat at August 10, 2026 02:59 PM (uhVAy)

196 Nate Silver became a commodities trader at the start of the action, insisting on $200 per barrel oil.

I bet he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison

Experts in one field are seldom experts in others and the very myopia that might have led to excellence in one field seldom carries over to another. We really need synthesists to go along with geniuses (Heinlein made this point in an early novel) for society to advance but we always seem to FAFO as a human race. Experience is a harsh teacher in such cases.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:59 PM (E4rtv)

197 The challenge is that Trump promised lower gas prices. Heck he promised lower food prices.

What we got are Biden level gas prices, and nary a drop in food prices. It so small, it’s become a midterm issue.

Posted by: Vengeance at August 10, 2026 02:59 PM (oAqqA)

198 fd

More of a non-denial denial:

295 Posted by: buzzion at September 15, 2017 02:59 PM (cAnNx)

Nope; Somebody else did in buzzion, I tell you. I was nowhere around, was visiting my sick mother, was helping out at the food pantry, was at a retreat helping children with their after school homework , etc. etc. :^)

Really, my typocide had nothing to do with Buzzion's demise. I keep track of my internet kills.
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 15, 2017 03:03 PM (iVOAv)

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 10, 2026 02:59 PM (u82oZ)

199 How old is Putin now anyway? Is it time to move on?
Posted by: stuff average dude on the street is asking himself at August 10, 2026 02:48 PM (anL5R)

Putin is a Russian who has been in office so long and made so many enemies that he only leaves feet first.

He can’t live forever, and he’s got no chosen successor yet, so he’s in it until the ride ends.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 10, 2026 03:00 PM (6ydKt)

200 196 Nate Silver became a commodities trader at the start of the action, insisting on $200 per barrel oil.

I bet he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison

Experts in one field are seldom experts in others and the very myopia that might have led to excellence in one field seldom carries over to another. We really need synthesists to go along with geniuses (Heinlein made this point in an early novel) for society to advance but we always seem to FAFO as a human race. Experience is a harsh teacher in such cases.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:59 PM (E4rtv)

======

Nate Silver is an expert in no field.

He is a midwit with moderate statistical knowledge that he constantly misapplies.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:00 PM (d1C/V)

201 Vengeance

Eggs are cheaper.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 10, 2026 03:00 PM (u82oZ)

202 No, they didn't. They lied about doing it.

https://x.com/Parmenides5BCE/status/
2086831427187015987
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM (d1C/V)

there are conflicting reports, some say yes, some say no, and who can tell? No profit into getting into a he said, she said argument about something that may or may not have happened in the dark on the other side of the world.

I have been kind of disgusted to find that our own government has consistently lied about what's actually happened over there almost as much as the Iranians have. Oh, of course there's always good reasons, but I don't give anyone the benefit of the doubt anymore.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 10, 2026 03:00 PM (edUvp)

203 197 The challenge is that Trump promised lower gas prices. Heck he promised lower food prices.

What we got are Biden level gas prices, and nary a drop in food prices. It so small, it’s become a midterm issue.

Posted by: Vengeance at August 10, 2026 02:59 PM (oAqqA)

========

It's funny how no one talks about rent prices going down, on average, nationwide.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:01 PM (d1C/V)

204 And State Farm cuts off their insurance coverage.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (Cqx++)
---
Like a not-so-good neighbor.

Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 03:01 PM (Fi81e)

205
Nate Silver became a commodities trader at the start of the action, insisting on $200 per barrel oil.

I bet he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 02:55 PM (d1C/V)

Nah. Market volatility is like printing money in trading fees. He couldn't care less if the price went up or down, as long as it triggered trades.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at August 10, 2026 03:01 PM (y9nCu)

206 202 there are conflicting reports, some say yes, some say no, and who can tell? No profit into getting into a he said, she said argument about something that may or may not have happened in the dark on the other side of the world.

I have been kind of disgusted to find that our own government has consistently lied about what's actually happened over there almost as much as the Iranians have. Oh, of course there's always good reasons, but I don't give anyone the benefit of the doubt anymore.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 10, 2026 03:00 PM (edUvp)

=======

Literally everything Iran has said has happened in the strait for months has been fake.

They said they mined the Omani side of the strait at one point.

"Well, he said, she said..."

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:01 PM (d1C/V)

207 Another factor is that running those centrifuges requires a reliable and stable power supply. Iran certainly doesn't have that now, and if there is some sort of dedicated power generation at Pickaxe mountain, I think we'd probably have little difficulty taking it out or making it so unstable that it's no longer usable.
Posted by: Archimedes
========
Absolutely correct. Iran needs peace and some semblance of an economy to develop nukes, not the quasi on and off again war. I'd imagine the Israelis are still up to their old tricks and knocking off the key scientists or coopting them as internal spies as well. Disorder in the regime makes that easier to head hunt and corrupt.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:01 PM (E4rtv)

208 >>@nicksortor

>>🚨 BREAKING: BOMBSHELL text messages discovered on Anthony Fauci's phone prove he KNEW the COVID vaccines could cause MISCARRIAGES, per
@SenRonJohnsonand @RandPaul

>>This man is PURE EVIL. DOJ needs to hit him HARD.

>>In particular, the second dose "theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester," Fauci told the CDC Director and Surgeon General

Posted by: JackStraw at August 10, 2026 03:03 PM (viF8m)

209 Why do ads suddenly appear....
Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 02:14 PM (YXnK3)

ADS? We don't see no stinking ads!

Posted by: Brave guy at August 10, 2026 03:03 PM (hmYU4)

210 189 Of course Piper is more popular.
She was named after a beer.
Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (6ydKt)

Piper is to Marsha as Doof is to Jan. I accept this.
Posted by: Doof at August 10, 2026 02:58 PM (S0M0K)

Hardly! I think people realize that left to my own devices, I would be a disaster. It immediately makes people go into protection mode. They don’t need to worry about you!

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 03:03 PM (ZdaMQ)

211 If voters care more about a few cents on gasoline rather than upending multi-generational terrorism, then they are pieces of shit; which means they are already Dems.

Posted by: Field Marshal Zhukov at August 10, 2026 03:03 PM (bX16E)

212 And State Farm cuts off their insurance coverage.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (Cqx++)
---
Like a not-so-good neighbor.
Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 03:01 PM

Oddly, I deposited four unexpected "dividend" checks from State Farm auto today. The letter attached said that they were doing a one-time $5B dividend to policy holders.

I'm not turning down the $100 total.

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 03:03 PM (4NO2D)

213 Putin is a Russian who has been in office so long and made so many enemies that he only leaves feet first.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 10, 2026 03:00 PM (6ydKt)

Absolutely 100% correct.

And as he ages and becomes more unstable, Russia will become even more unpredictable.

Maybe someone will knock him off!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at August 10, 2026 03:04 PM (l4RKn)

214 >> Their dominance lies on the mid level thugs, soldiers of middle ranks, police and such that all need to be paid. Reports are this has not been done for some time. If those fellows start going home, it gets a lot harder for the bigwigs to rule by fear.
Posted by: Oldcat at August 10, 2026 02:59 PM (uhVAy)

If you have ever engaged or encountered the Iranians on the battlefield, you will know this. They survive on fear. Now, to me thats ephemeral in that fear only lasts until it doesn’t. The question becomes who is the first guy with a set of balls that revolts or deserts and not only lives, but gets back home before they murder his entire family. That’s before we talk about fanatics who hate life to begin with and are homicidal and suicidal maniacs.

A lot of people have no idea who we are fighting against. Make no mistake we will beat them. But a lot of them will fight until they are dead.

Posted by: Vengeance at August 10, 2026 03:04 PM (oAqqA)

215 Think of Germans bombing Oak Ridge in WWII or Los Alamos amid the US economy collapsing in WWII.
Posted by: whig

It wouldn't be over anymore than it was when they bombed Pearl Harbor.

Posted by: Dark Lixtiquatal at August 10, 2026 03:04 PM (DZ9Lv)

216 Biff Pocoroba

A fascinating What if. All sides were stupid in 1914.

Not switching two corps from the western wing of the Schlieffen plan to arrive after Tannenburg is another point of departure.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 10, 2026 03:05 PM (u82oZ)

217 I keep waiting for the Russians to tire of this shit and Start leveling Kiev or other Uke cities. Poking the Bear, and all. People will say they can't do it, but I'll bet they can, and if Putin is the thug and criminal everyone says he is, then he would do it.

Posted by: Ex Rex Reeder at August 10, 2026 03:05 PM (QaH55)

218 For the first time in weeks No Pop Ups!

Thank you Brave!

Posted by: Case at August 10, 2026 03:05 PM (fV9m3)

219 I'm a Legacy.
Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:39 PM (4NO2D)

You're a Subaru?

Posted by: far cry at August 10, 2026 03:05 PM (wXgT/)

220 Lloyds of London (Or is it Floyds of England?) offers re-insurance I thought.

In other words myriad insurance companies buy their insurance from them. If they won't underwrite any policies, or the premiums get prohibitive, then there is a problem.

Posted by: Common Tater at August 10, 2026 03:06 PM (qPpEt)

221 203 197 The challenge is that Trump promised lower gas prices. Heck he promised lower food prices.

What we got are Biden level gas prices, and nary a drop in food prices. It so small, it’s become a midterm issue.

Posted by: Vengeance

Economic voting is more sophisticated than that. It is usually a mix of prospective and retrospective views. And they view things like war as temporary versus a secular change in the market as they should.

The inflation in food came not from energy prices but the Fed itself and hordes of immigrants at the same time competing for limited supply of housing, food, etc. So easy money and scarcity at the same time.

Corporatist GOP types on the campaign trail don't want to badmouth immigrants and H1Bs due to who are corporate donors to a lot of them. That is why they point and scream commies. And in case of the DSA, they are actually commies.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:06 PM (E4rtv)

222 I think people realize that left to my own devices, I would be a disaster.

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 03:03 PM (ZdaMQ)

Would be?

Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 03:06 PM (YXnK3)

223 > That’s before we talk about fanatics who hate life to begin with and are homicidal and suicidal maniacs.

Seems to me that we once had another enemy who liked to fly suicide planes into things (although to their credit, they were civilized enough to limit this to genuine military targets) and was made up of banzai-screaming maniacs.

Nonetheless, they rethought that tactic after we glassed a couple of their cities.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at August 10, 2026 03:07 PM (IG3/x)

224 Of course Piper is more popular.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 10, 2026 02:54 PM (6ydKt)
---
By the tradition to speak no ill of the dead.

Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 03:07 PM (Fi81e)

225 Literally everything Iran has said has happened in the strait for months has been fake.

They said they mined the Omani side of the strait at one point.

"Well, he said, she said..."
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:01 PM (d1C/V)

If that is true, then why did Trump insist, as part of his negotiating points that were published, that Iran themselves commit to removing the mines they had laid?

Now if the answer is that everything about these negotiations has been fake and gay and worthless on both sides, then I'll accept that as valid.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 10, 2026 03:07 PM (edUvp)

226 221 Corporatist GOP types on the campaign trail don't want to badmouth immigrants and H1Bs due to who are corporate donors to a lot of them. That is why they point and scream commies. And in case of the DSA, they are actually commies.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:06 PM (E4rtv)

========

Deportation is the answer to so many of our issues.

And Trump's deportation machine is just going to keep getting bigger and operating under the radar.

By 2028, we'll probably have deported (self and forced) at least 20 million people who were here in 2024.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:07 PM (d1C/V)

227 In other words myriad insurance companies buy their insurance from them. If they won't underwrite any policies, or the premiums get prohibitive, then there is a problem.
Posted by: Common Tater

US stepped in and quashed the Lloyds racket by announcing we would insure. Lloyds had to back down or lose their power. Insurance and banking are about the last of the British City economy left after Labor has buggered it up thoroughly.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:07 PM (E4rtv)

228 222 I think people realize that left to my own devices, I would be a disaster.

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 03:03 PM (ZdaMQ)

Would be?
Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 03:06 PM

You are right. lol.

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 03:07 PM (ZdaMQ)

229 151 My death seems to have been swept under the rug. It did not get anywhere near the attention that Piper's received and continues to receive.

I can take a hint.
Posted by: Doof at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM

How can we miss you when you won't go away?

Posted by: You always stay and stay at August 10, 2026 03:08 PM (TbWk/)

230 >> It's funny how no one talks about rent prices going down, on average, nationwide.

I completely do not understand the polling prices. Most of all that people blame republicans. But for whatever reason there are a lot of independents and putative republicans complaining and saying they will sit home. Whatever.

The only thing I can think of are the promises Trump made. That’s all I got. None of it makes sense. Especially trusting Democrats on the economy ‘more. Really? What are they smoking.

Posted by: Vengeance at August 10, 2026 03:08 PM (oAqqA)

231 225 If that is true, then why did Trump insist, as part of his negotiating points that were published, that Iran themselves commit to removing the mines they had laid?

Now if the answer is that everything about these negotiations has been fake and gay and worthless on both sides, then I'll accept that as valid.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 10, 2026 03:07 PM (edUvp)

========

It wasn't true. That's my point.

Iran lies constantly, and people in power don't seem to even pay attention to the lies anymore.

The negotiations have been theater.

The only action that matters is the blockade.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:08 PM (d1C/V)

232 I'm a Legacy.
Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:39 PM (4NO2D)

You're a Subaru?
Posted by: far cry at August 10, 2026 03:05 PM (wXgT/)
---
I fondly remember my black Legacy with a cable-driven transmission.

Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 03:09 PM (Fi81e)

233 Deportation is the answer to so many of our issues.

And Trump's deportation machine is just going to keep getting bigger and operating under the radar.

By 2028, we'll probably have deported (self and forced) at least 20 million people who were here in 2024.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison

That is my hope for light at the end of the tunnel. That money is fixed thanks to BBB. The rest is up to the 2028 prezzie election and like you, I think shampeachment Dem control of House would end up biting them in the ass. This ain't 2006-8 redux.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:09 PM (E4rtv)

234 > Insurance and banking are about the last of the British City economy left after Labor has buggered it up thoroughly.
Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:07 PM (E4rtv)

Not for long, I'd reckon. Both of those industries are highly portable and can be moved anywhere on the planet as fast as you can spin up a few data centers, or even faster. Amazon, Microsoft, and lesser competitors will be happy to rent you all the servers you need until you get your own running.

It's not like the old days when you had to ship gold around. Bits don't give a fuck where the hard drive they're on is located.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at August 10, 2026 03:09 PM (IG3/x)

235 US stepped in and quashed the Lloyds racket by announcing we would insure. Lloyds had to back down
----

Ah!

Posted by: Common Tater at August 10, 2026 03:09 PM (qPpEt)

236 I think the biggest problem for Trump remains that he is negotiating, if we want to call it that, with the civilians in Tehran, where the true shot-callers are in the IRGC and Ayatollah Jr., if he’s even alive.

It’s not going to be easy to negotiate a way out when you’ve got to do a deal with two groups at once who both lie to you in different ways.

For Trump the nearest experience he’s had is dealing with banks, unions, and the mob at the same time back in NYC, but nobody was lobbing missiles & drones at each other back then.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 10, 2026 03:10 PM (6ydKt)

237 The newish looking Genie lifts seen in the videos are made in the United States. How did that happen?

Posted by: QT3.14159 at August 10, 2026 03:10 PM (mPXLU)

238 What are they smoking.

Posted by: Vengeance at August 10, 2026 03:08 PM (oAqqA)

If polls the gauge election outcomes are worthless, what do you think "opinion" "polling" is?

Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 03:10 PM (YXnK3)

239 I'm a Legacy.
Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:39 PM (4NO2D)

You're a Subaru?
Posted by: far cry

$20. Same as Outback.

Posted by: rickb223 at August 10, 2026 03:10 PM (VbzrQ)

240 I was out earlier - any coverage of the quake in Colombia? 7.4 is pretty serious.

Posted by: Dark Lixtiquatal at August 10, 2026 03:10 PM (DZ9Lv)

241 City of London. I expect we will hear a bit more about that little place.

Posted by: JackStraw at August 10, 2026 03:10 PM (viF8m)

242 230 I completely do not understand the polling prices. Most of all that people blame republicans. But for whatever reason there are a lot of independents and putative republicans complaining and saying they will sit home. Whatever.

The only thing I can think of are the promises Trump made. That’s all I got. None of it makes sense. Especially trusting Democrats on the economy ‘more. Really? What are they smoking.

Posted by: Vengeance at August 10, 2026 03:08 PM (oAqqA)

=======

1. Summer polling is garbage and has been for years. (Average swing from D-R from summer to election on the generic ballot is 3.3%, in polling for competitive senate races, it's 7%.)

2. Social media is not real life, if so Thomas Massie would be king of America.

3. Issue polling is rife with issues at the best of times. "I trust that party more on this issue but I'm going to vote for the other party because of other issues."

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:10 PM (d1C/V)

243 we always seem to FAFO as a human race. Experience is a harsh teacher in such cases.
Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:59 PM

This guy gets it.

Posted by: The Gods of the Copybook Headings at August 10, 2026 03:11 PM (bFu5X)

244 My death seems to have been swept under the rug. It did not get anywhere near the attention that Piper's received and continues to receive.

I can take a hint.
Posted by: Doof at August 10, 2026 02:50 PM
---
My condolences.

Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 03:11 PM (Fi81e)

245 That is my hope for light at the end of the tunnel.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:09 PM (E4rtv)

Ask Piper about that one

Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 03:11 PM (YXnK3)

246 233 That is my hope for light at the end of the tunnel. That money is fixed thanks to BBB. The rest is up to the 2028 prezzie election and like you, I think shampeachment Dem control of House would end up biting them in the ass. This ain't 2006-8 redux.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:09 PM (E4rtv)

=======

Trump won with those 20 million in the country.

If 6% of them vote (as the 2008 study showed that illegals vote at about that rate), that's 1.2 million voters suddenly not around anymore. Combine that with voter roll cleanup, which will be more important in 2028 than 2026, and we've got a whole different ballgame.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:12 PM (d1C/V)

247
Why do ads suddenly appear....
Posted by: ...

They long to be. Close to you.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at August 10, 2026 03:12 PM (Cqx++)

248 Deportation is the answer to so many of our issues.

And Trump's deportation machine is just going to keep getting bigger and operating under the radar.

By 2028, we'll probably have deported (self and forced) at least 20 million people who were here in 2024.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:07 PM (d1C/V)

Wow… if that 20M number is accurate, imagine how bad the DoL jobs reports will be in 28… ha!

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at August 10, 2026 03:12 PM (yZ6uc)

249 we always seem to FAFO as a human race. Experience is a harsh teacher in such cases.
Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 02:59 PM

This guy gets it.
Posted by: The Gods of the Copybook Headings at August 10, 2026 03:11 PM (bFu5X)
---
-- Nimrod has entered the chat --

Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 03:12 PM (Fi81e)

250 It's funny how no one talks about rent prices going down, on average, nationwide.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison

Weed is so cheap the dispensaries are giving it away, Valu-rite vodka is still $11 a handle, and Big Bourbon is going broke, so we'll all be doing dollar shots of Pappy Van Winkle by the election day!

Posted by: Auspex at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (Y8DZL)

251 Makes my blood boil.

MJTruthUltra
@MJTruthUltra
·
37m
This is catastrophic…

🚨 Newly released text messages from Dr. Fauci’s government issued phone in Jan 2021 shows that he had concerns that the 2nd does of the COVID shot “theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester”

Around this time, there were numerous large women Facebook groups with tens of thousands of women reporting that their menstrual cycle was highly irregular after taking the shot, and in many cases experienced miscarriages. Facebook canceled those groups. Fauci never said a damn word.

Posted by: beckster at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (kX27y)

252 In other words myriad insurance companies buy their insurance from them. If they won't underwrite any policies, or the premiums get prohibitive, then there is a problem.
Posted by: Common Tater

US stepped in and quashed the Lloyds racket by announcing we would insure. Lloyds had to back down or lose their power. Insurance and banking are about the last of the British City economy left after Labor has buggered it up thoroughly.
Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:07 PM (E4rtv)
_______

The USA -- mostly NYC and CT (Harford) -- have been quietly stealing Lloyds' business for decades. Lloyds had no choice but to back down. Paper tiger, mostly. That pretty much sums up all of UK at this point ....

Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (iFTx/)

253 I think we have an infestation of East Euro bots who reflexively take pro-Uke or pro-Russian positions.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at August 10, 2026 02:42 PM (iFTx/)

I am not bot.

Posted by: I. Pulltitski at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (hmYU4)

254 It's daily convoy duty in the PG for the US Navy. The occasional attack by the Houthis in the Red Sea becomes routine. The only real political entertainment at the moment is watching the Dem Party implode in real time.

Posted by: mrp at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (rj6Yv)

255 Deportation is the answer to so many of our issues.
---
It's almost like they could add it to the Magic 8-ball.

Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (Fi81e)

256 247 Iran will wait out Trump's impeachment and get reparations at this rate.

Posted by: Bete at August 10, 2026 03:12 PM (LX4y3)

=======

After 1/6, the House impeached Trump.

The Senate, at Trump's lowest point politically, could have voted to convict him and eject him from politics forever.

10 Republicans voted in favor.

The Senate was still 10 votes short.

Also, 7 of those 10 are no longer in Congress, and one more (Mitch) won't be in Congress next year.

How does any intelligent person look back at that impeachment failure and think that there will be 67 votes to convict him in the 2027 Senate?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (d1C/V)

257 I think aggressively annihilating military infrastructure, airdropping munitions to rebel-strong areas, and actively hunting down and annihilating leadership would be the proper approach here but whatever. There's no reason to have a military any more, we aren't allowed to win. Enemies just have to wait us out until we give up and quit.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (K32Fz)

258 142 It has been “interesting” watching lefties openly root for Iran. If only LIVs would pay attention it’d be educational

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at August 10, 2026 02:49 PM (yZ6uc)

With nearly 2.5 years remaining in PDT's term, the IRGC's only long-term survival play is hoping the Democrats win big in the upcoming midterms. Win big enough to ram a bill through both Houses of Congress that prohibits Trump from continuing to blockade Iranian tankers getting in and out of the Persian Gulf. And prohibiting attacks on Iran other than limited tit-for-tat strikes to attack sites and forces used to attack US forces. I can't see a win that big. I can't see a Trump veto of such a bill being overridden. Unless enough cuck Republicans vote with the Democrats to get a 2/3 override vote in both Houses. Time is on Trump's, and America's, side. For a change in the Middle East.

Posted by: Gref at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (5rh/l)

259 Not sure if President Trump thinks Iran can have a agreement with, personally I wouldn't trust them ss far as I could spit
Its a religion cult and they don't have agreement with anyone outside their cult

Posted by: Skip at August 10, 2026 03:14 PM (Ia/+0)

260 Especially trusting Democrats on the economy ‘more. Really? What are they smoking.
Posted by: Vengeance

They aren't actually in reliable polls. Ignore the media polls as Dem shills that they are. Basically the Dems had slim leads in health care and a couple of minor policy areas.

What you are getting is the affordability argument which is not a good question to get at what you want as a honest pollster. Instead it is a framing device meant to pick up fake shit---go back to any time and ask a middle class person if life was 'affordable' and a majority would say no. But 2006 prices seem homey right now even for housing.

So an honest pollster would have a person rate their own situation rather than a generic one-like have you had to go short on food due to costs, have you had to relocate to cheaper living quarters, are you unemployed but recently laid off, and so on.

You can track those types of questions from honest pollsters over the decades--most of the media narrative polling is just designed to prepackage the Democrat themes.

My advice, turnoff the 'news' until after the election because it is all noise right now.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:14 PM (E4rtv)

261 239 I'm a Legacy.
Posted by: toby928(c) at August 10, 2026 02:39 PM (4NO2D)

You're a Subaru?
Posted by: far cry

$20. Same as Outback.
Posted by: rickb223 at August 10, 2026

This place.

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 03:15 PM (ZdaMQ)

262 With nearly 2.5 years remaining in PDT's term, the IRGC's only long-term survival play is hoping the Democrats win big in the upcoming midterms. Win big enough to ram a bill through both Houses of Congress that prohibits Trump from continuing to blockade Iranian tankers getting in and out of the Persian Gulf. And prohibiting attacks on Iran other than limited tit-for-tat strikes to attack sites and forces used to attack US forces. I can't see a win that big. I can't see a Trump veto of such a bill being overridden. Unless enough cuck Republicans vote with the Democrats to get a 2/3 override vote in both Houses. Time is on Trump's, and America's, side. For a change in the Middle East.
Posted by: Gref

Won't work as you point out and many of the GOP defectors on the issue are gone after this Congress anyway.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:15 PM (E4rtv)

263
Who is more evil, ratfaced mfer or Bill Gates?

I think they worked together about the covid shit.

Posted by: four seasons at August 10, 2026 03:16 PM (/QHx4)

264 I think aggressively annihilating military infrastructure, airdropping munitions to rebel-strong areas, and actively hunting down and annihilating leadership would be the proper approach here but whatever. There's no reason to have a military any more, we aren't allowed to win. Enemies just have to wait us out until we give up and quit.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (K32Fz)
----
We're in a very weird time in history where the one military that can absolutely crush every other military on the planet is not allowed to unleash its full power.

Meanwhile, tinpot dictators are busy trying to get into their own little wars, but they don't have the force needed to win decisively.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at August 10, 2026 03:16 PM (FZ29D)

265 Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:14 PM (E4rtv)
---
"Affordability" is the Democrats applying their slogan-centric approach to the economy.

Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 03:16 PM (Fi81e)

266 Woot! No more WNBA.
Posted by: Piper
......

This. Oh, and fuck Ukraine.

Posted by: wth at August 10, 2026 03:16 PM (UjdFS)

267 Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:14 PM (E4rtv)

"Affordability" is where they think they have the smoothest chance to usher in nominal candy communism. Who doesn't want to afford things? Democrats care, you know.

Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 03:17 PM (YXnK3)

268 BTW somebody should freeze that motherf’er Murkowski in an iceberg and float her ass off into the Bering Sea. Bitch.

Let’s hope they finally kill RCV in Alaska. Musk just gave the effort $1.5 m.

Posted by: Vengeance at August 10, 2026 03:17 PM (PM/iv)

269 >>It's daily convoy duty in the PG for the US Navy.

It is?

Posted by: one hour sober at August 10, 2026 03:17 PM (J4Dwc)

270 Watching a few videos of the 7.4 Colombia quake.

Posted by: 13times at August 10, 2026 03:18 PM (6iKlf)

271 Also, 7 of those 10 are no longer in Congress, and one more (Mitch) won't be ~~in Congress~~on the planet next year.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (d1C/V)
---

Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 03:18 PM (Fi81e)

272 > 240 I was out earlier - any coverage of the quake in Colombia? 7.4 is pretty serious.
Posted by: Dark Lixtiquatal at August 10, 2026 03:10 PM (DZ9Lv)

A story I just saw claims 111 dead so far.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at August 10, 2026 03:18 PM (IG3/x)

273 With nearly 2.5 years remaining in PDT's term, the IRGC's only long-term survival play is hoping the Democrats win big in the upcoming midterms. Win big enough to ram a bill through both Houses of Congress that prohibits Trump from continuing to blockade Iranian tankers getting in and out of the Persian Gulf. And prohibiting attacks on Iran other than limited tit-for-tat strikes to attack sites and forces used to attack US forces. I can't see a win that big. I can't see a Trump veto of such a bill being overridden. Unless enough cuck Republicans vote with the Democrats to get a 2/3 override vote in both Houses. Time is on Trump's, and America's, side. For a change in the Middle East.
Posted by: Gref at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (5rh/l)
=========

If the House Dems thought ending the Persian blockade was a winning issue, we'd be hearing all about it 24/7 on CNN and MSN.

Posted by: mrp at August 10, 2026 03:18 PM (rj6Yv)

274 258 I think aggressively annihilating military infrastructure, airdropping munitions to rebel-strong areas, and actively hunting down and annihilating leadership would be the proper approach here but whatever. There's no reason to have a military any more, we aren't allowed to win. Enemies just have to wait us out until we give up and quit.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor

Uprisings don't work like that. We apparently were working with Israeli intel and the Kurds and the Kurds didn't do it for whatever reason. Israel fired a couple of the intel guys over that op apparently just last week. The rest of the opposition had its best people killed by early unarmed uprisings and the regime is doubling down on killing those it missed. People on the run are not your best guerilla warfare types absent a safe sanctuary to strike back from. Think Castro and his mountains, Mao and Henan, and so on.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:18 PM (E4rtv)

275 >>"Affordability"

Muh Egg Prices!

Posted by: garrett at August 10, 2026 03:18 PM (uzmqU)

276 272
Impeached, not removed from office. But 2 years of Trump being unable to do anything leaves the chances decent for Dems in 28.

Posted by: Bete at August 10, 2026 03:18 PM (LX4y3)

======

Oh, so what will an impeachment that doesn't lead to conviction...do?

How will impeachment prevent him from using the military, the FBI, the DOJ, and DHS?

Exactly, please explain this.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:19 PM (d1C/V)

277 Watching a few videos of the 7.4 Colombia quake.
Posted by: 13times

Geez. How bad is it?

Posted by: rickb223 at August 10, 2026 03:19 PM (VbzrQ)

278 273 Also, 7 of those 10 are no longer in Congress, and one more (Mitch) won't be in Congresson the planet next year.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:13 PM (d1C/V)
---

Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 03:18 PM (Fi81e)

======

Poochy went home?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August 10, 2026 03:19 PM (d1C/V)

279 A story I just saw claims 111 dead so far.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at August 10, 2026 03:18 PM (IG3/x)

Ilhan Omar has chimed in to say thank Allah only 3 are dead

Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 03:19 PM (YXnK3)

280 Who is more evil, ratfaced mfer or Bill Gates?

I think they worked together about the covid shit.

Posted by: four seasons at August 10, 2026 03:16 PM (/QHx4)
---
Together, they make 1.75 of a Bond Villain.

Posted by: Axeman at August 10, 2026 03:19 PM (Fi81e)

281 The Russians are out-producing their missile and drone goals.

Settle in, gonna STILL be a long war in Ukraine.

Dunno about Iran. They seem willing to suffer as well.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo at August 10, 2026 03:20 PM (xcxpd)

282 Muh Egg Prices!

Posted by: garrett at August 10, 2026 03:18 PM (uzmqU)

If you have to ask you can't afford them

Posted by: AOC at August 10, 2026 03:20 PM (YXnK3)

283 >>It's daily convoy duty in the PG for the US Navy.

It is?
Posted by: one hour sober at August 10, 2026 03:17 PM (J4Dwc)
=====

"At the same time, the U.S. official said, around 8 million barrels of oil are going out of the Gulf every night through the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the U.S. military. The U.S. is going to try and get more oil out as long as there is no deal."

Posted by: mrp at August 10, 2026 03:20 PM (rj6Yv)

284 2. Social media is not real life, if so Thomas Massie would be king of America.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, discovering British horror with Hammer Films at August

So you are saying people aren’t enamored with my disgustingly cute dog who is also our official unofficial mascot?

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 03:21 PM (ZdaMQ)

285 > Ilhan Omar has chimed in to say thank Allah only 3 are dead
Posted by: ... at August 10, 2026 03:19 PM (YXnK3)

AOC followed up with "What a tragedy for the Ivy League."

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at August 10, 2026 03:21 PM (IG3/x)

286 Impeached, not removed from office. But 2 years of Trump being unable to do anything leaves the chances decent for Dems in 28.
Posted by: Bete

Not really true anymore as Preznit Obama instigated illegal spying on Trump, gave shit to Iran, and other things despite being a lame duck in 2014. Trump has the power to make the Democrats miserable by investigating THEM for their illegal shilling for foreign powers for money, and so on. Democrats are in fact all criminals of one sort or another and they no longer even try to hide it. After 2026 elections, Trump no longer has to even pretend to be nice to Dems.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:21 PM (E4rtv)

287 MAGA’s top target to defeat in a primary must be Murkowski…. Then she’ll run as an independent make sure she loses then too. She should be banned from the Republican party

Posted by: LinusVanPelt at August 10, 2026 03:21 PM (yZ6uc)

288 Nood Son of Terrorist

Posted by: Hour of the Wolf at August 10, 2026 03:22 PM (qx7Zg)

289
that’s not their strategy. It is to cause maximum short term pain on the US in order to get socialist Democrats friendly to the IRGC in office. For that they will suicide bomb their entire economy.

Posted by: Vengeance

================

Well, the joke's gonna be on them if they don't get a full slate of socialists in 2026 and 2028. At which point, they've condemned themselves to being Cuba 1.0 -- the Original Cuba probably having been erased by El Marco Rubio in the next 6 months.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at August 10, 2026 03:22 PM (mmrXZ)

290 >>So you are saying people aren’t enamored with my disgustingly cute dog who is also our official unofficial mascot?

Ace is his own Mascot.

Posted by: garrett at August 10, 2026 03:22 PM (uzmqU)

291
New one

Posted by: four seasons at August 10, 2026 03:22 PM (/QHx4)

292 Affordability is the part of communist systems that drives their failure. When a central planner sets the price of a good, he will always set it too low. The result is chronic shortages.

Posted by: Ted Torgerson at August 10, 2026 03:22 PM (wGerL)

293
>>"Affordability"

Wage and price controls?

Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at August 10, 2026 03:23 PM (Cqx++)

294 "In coordination with the military" does not mean US Navy ships are inside the PG escorting ships through the strait and into the GOO.

Posted by: one hour sober at August 10, 2026 03:23 PM (J4Dwc)

295 I would think Democrats/ Marxists would kowtow to Iran real fast

Posted by: Skip at August 10, 2026 03:24 PM (Ia/+0)

296 Nood. Terrorist running for office.

Posted by: Piper at August 10, 2026 03:24 PM (ZdaMQ)

297 Did someone say Stranglehold?

Posted by: Uncle Ted at August 10, 2026 03:24 PM (wVcYX)

298 > MAGA’s top target to defeat in a primary must be Murkowski….

We primaried her once already. Didn't work. Her DC frenz helicoptered in metric fucktons of money to fund her indy campaign. Between the actual Dems voting for her rather than their own doomed candidate, the four-wall ad blitz funded by the frenz (easy to do in a small state with a very limited media market), and the retards who just check the name on the ballot they recognize, she escaped.

And no, this had nothing to do with "ranked choice voting". This was before RCV was in effect.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at August 10, 2026 03:25 PM (IG3/x)

299 One thing no one’s said yet - the Iranians are prickly and emotional, always prone to act out. This strategy of waiting them out patiently is going to provoke them into striking out in some big way. Now impossible to predict what they’ll do or if they have any chance of success (most likely not) , but they’re bound to try.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 10, 2026 03:26 PM (ZGz6B)

300 Posted by: ...
======
Not sure that is a winning issue because you get into the back and forth on pricing and then some is good, some is bad, and a lot of the blame goes on Biden--we are not that far off from a Biden economy that it still affects how voters frame the issue. Economic voting is a mix of prospective and retrospective takes on the economy and it is usually easier to see how it shakes out in hindsight than foresight. For example, in his first term, Nixon had a horrendous inflation rate to the point he put wage price controls in place which had not existed since WWII plus a horrible war in Vietnam he swore to end. He ended up winning the largest popular vote victory since FDR.

This is going to be a status quo election unless we get a 9/11 like surprise after Labor Day. Midterms of a president successful in getting reelected usually are that way. This isn't 2006 and the Dems are tarred with scandals, open Maoist candidates, and a fundraising vacuum. Their best ally, the media has its own meltdown in influence.

So the House will come down to a dozen seats or so dependent on the district and candidates. Senate, likely to stay GOP control at worst 50-50.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:29 PM (E4rtv)

301 We primaried her once already. Didn't work. Her DC frenz helicoptered in metric fucktons of money to fund her indy campaign. Between the actual Dems voting for her rather than their own doomed candidate, the four-wall ad blitz funded by the frenz (easy to do in a small state with a very limited media market), and the retards who just check the name on the ballot they recognize, she escaped.

And no, this had nothing to do with "ranked choice voting". This was before RCV was in effect.
Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia

All political candidates either die, lose, or retire. Two years out, hard to tell what will happen but if RCV is gone this election, she might lose the primary and I don't think her going indy this time will save her ass.

Posted by: whig at August 10, 2026 03:31 PM (E4rtv)

302 Speaking of sieges: Ukraine just blew up a Russian oil refinery located 1000 km from its border"

==

Did Ukraine get anything out of it ? Is it part of the grand "40 days to make Putin negotiate" Plan ? How did that work?

"Former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhny said NATO must fundamentally rethink how it fights wars, arguing that Russia has already found ways to counter nearly every major Western weapon used by Ukraine....“Scientific and technological progress is moving forward. In 2026, Ukraine used virtually every type of weapon – except Tomahawk missiles, nuclear weapons, aircraft carriers and F-35s that are in NATO service,” Zaluzhny said.

“The resource has been exhausted. Russia has found countermeasures to all of this.”

His argument, of course, is hey let Ukraine join NATO so we can tell you all our secrets ! Or ,let's crate a new mutual defense European alliance with Ukraine at its center. Or at least a founding member. Or something like that.

Posted by: runner at August 10, 2026 03:31 PM (g47mK)

303 Well, the joke's gonna be on them if they don't get a full slate of socialists in 2026 and 2028. At which point, they've condemned themselves to being Cuba 1.0 -- the Original Cuba probably having been erased by El Marco Rubio in the next 6 months.
Posted by: Blonde Morticia at August 10, 2026 03:22 PM (mmrXZ)

Those IGRC friendly dudes then have to win, and not have a hefty chunk of old style leftists defect to 'independent' and make them too much of a minority party to have any influence in DC. There's already about a dozen in the House claiming that they will not support Socialism.

Posted by: Oldcat at August 10, 2026 03:38 PM (uhVAy)

304 speaking of absent friends, I found some correspondence to and from Jim SND from 2016 when he did the target shoot, and I was on the board for about 15 minutes. Got dusty in here.

Posted by: Buck Ofama at August 10, 2026 03:45 PM (z6ONu)

305 Still not sure how our modern, advanced and unparalleled Navy can't managed to ensure safe passage for ships passing through the strait. If ever there was a case to bring back the old battleships and the "delete that hill" battle strategy, this is it.

Posted by: Defenestratus at August 10, 2026 03:49 PM (WYStd)

306 I theorize Putin is the Dread Pirate Roberts of Russia.

A series of men, not one.

Posted by: nurse ratched. at August 10, 2026 03:53 PM (RycRI)

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