Beware the Ides of March - Trump Thread #156

[Spandauer]

Do you think The Friend of Epstein is au fait with Roman history?

Previous thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5488504-name-a-better-trio-than-onion-garlic-ginger-trump-thread-155

I am still not clear of the reasoning, limits, required outcomes of this - but neither are Congress, so I’m not just missing something at least - though he’s demonstrating, yet again, his view the US is best under his dictatorship and all democratic controls are out the window.

When Iranians were protesting he said he’d help - I understand that actually he doesn’t like seeing people killed hence wanting to stop Gaza/Ukraine, whilst struggling to confirm which side he is on - perhaps Netanyhu saw an opening to persuade him from that to do this.

It is obviously a tad ironic he feels for Iranian protesters whilst ICE protesters are scum. And a conflict that he can be fairly blasé re children being killed both in this, but also at home - perhaps he would need to see it live to be discomforted. I think we struggle with the blasé attitude here - we accept (whilst still condemning) it somewhat from what we may see as a different culture such as Russia, Iran itself perhaps but we see the US as western with our type of values, so it’s more shocking I think - just musing here.

Not many will genuinely mourn Khamenei or his type of rule, and if that led to a regime change in the manner the majority of Iranians wanted then it would be great - whilst still leaving the bad effects of sneak attacks and distrust and fear that one day the Lord god Orange would randomly decide it’s your country needs hellfire.

Trump behaves like the protector, Mafia style, of the world and has zero concept there are other ways to do things. I had thought the US policing the world was over - I think Trump actually said that under him it was over effectively. This actually isn’t what I initially understood America first meant.

Regime change brought about this way never seems to work well - @RedTagAlanhas described it much clearer, deeper than I could fortunately.

I do wonder what his Board of Peace fellows make of this - it takes the trust away and how can they work together effectively after this - they must have some side WhatsApp groups without the orange man in those!

I reckon it's a dead cert there is not a government in the world who have not had closed doors discussions along the lines of " is the PM's bedroom bomb proof? "

And to fall into the slippery slope fallacy, I would be surprised if the PM of Denmark is not in discussions to clear out all the old cupboards etc in their cold war era bunker. Just in case.

I agree with you re Trump genuinely not liking death and destruction before. But I think that seal is broken. And same as that first loo visit in a pub breaks the seal, so will Trump be bursting for a piss every 10 minutes from now on.

Or is "the taste of blood" a better comparison than pub toilets :-)

Policeman of the word indeed. It appears we now have a dictator of the world now. Congress have to clip his wings IMO.

Good riddance to Khamenei , of course.

The drinking analogy is quite scary - but probably quite accurate - I’d not thought of that.

Particularly scary considering his apparent mental decline. I think there are clearly people behind him sorting the practicalities of policing the world so aggressively, and their agenda is frightening- how far will they accommodate his madness? Would they ever rein it in, as in not carry out some of his whims - perhaps they already have and we’d never know.

Congress needs to find its backbone and fast.

Sorry, test.

I am trying to post a link to something posted on FB last night from Rachel Maddow, who gets right to the heart of the matter, I think.
fb.watch/FzHD4vtmxS/

I think the link is faulty, so maybe this Instagram link works.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVULtW4EnU0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Link works, that was absolutely spot on from Rachel.

We live in scary times when an unstable idiot in a baseball cap stood with a hastily put up black curtain, in his holiday home, can destabilise an entire region and cause untold misery and damage, all without agreement from Congress.

Lots of JD though. Given that Canada stopped buying it.

Even Mrs Vance should have stopped buying JD long ago (sorry, couldn't resist).

Congress needs to find its backbone and fast.

Since they underwent voluntary surgical removal of those, I think it's unlikely.

Marjorie Taylor Greene unleashed on the Trump administration over its war with Iran, calling them “sick fucking liars.”

TRIP US a difficult listen for me this morning. Scaramucci sounds outraged.

Apple podcast link here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trump-strikes-iran-are-we-at-war/id1743030473?i=1000752071881

Shame she has shown herself to be somewhat deranged in the past, I have to agree with her on this.

Anyone else think Trump looks like he might have suffered (another) stroke in the pics coming out of him in the baseball cap?

Article written a week ago:

White House officials believe ‘the politics are a lot better’ if Israel strikes Iran first
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/25/white-house-politics-israel-strikes-iran-00799456
Senior advisers to President Donald Trump would prefer Israel strike Iran before the United States launches an assault on the country, according to two people familiar with ongoing discussions.

These Trump administration officials are privately arguing that an Israeli attack would trigger Iran to retaliate, helping muster support from American voters for a U.S. strike.

.

That article also discusses the fact the US has a lot of assets in the region so US casualties are likely. The Iranian regime is under existential threat so will chuck everything it has at them.

Also comments on the issue of depleting US munition stockpiles, which China may see as an opportunity to attack Taiwan.

Depressing, but exactly what I've been seeing from other sources who understand the depth of the Iranian regime's structure.

To repeat part of your screenshot for easy reading:

"Iran built the most layered contingency plan on earth for this exact moment. Four levels of succession for every key position. Pre-authorized military strikes. Regional commanders who don't need orders from Tehran to act.

As you read this, there is already a new Supreme Leader. We just don't know who."

Sadly, he sounded ok (well, as ok as he ever does) when he was dangling/threatening Ted Cruz for the Supreme Court the other day.

Yeah. The idea that these walking morons have an actual plan for regime change is one of the more ludicrous things I've ever come across.

Article in PRC state media today about PLA exercises in the South China sea. That's totally normal, but I did do a fair bit more wondering as I read it. This was Scarborough shoal, a reef in the Phillipines EEZ.

Electing Trump especially for a second time will prove to be one of the worst mistakes in history, not sure Iran could top it

We really need the laughing emoji response back

I find someone of the responses to the bombing oddly naive. I say oddly because I can't tell if they haven't given the 'what comes next' stage any thought or that they are deliberately overlooking it.

The death of Khameni is good news. But, as we say the king is dead, long live the king, so will many of those in Iran. Maybe the army and militia will revolt.

But even then (as articles in Foreign Affairs describe) there are armed opposition groups within Iran that have differing and opposing aims and will struggle to coalesce to bring about peaceful change. The risk will be that the country will turn to chaos - which will obviously benefit Israel and the US but won't please their near neighbours - and more violence ensues.

You can for the bombing but you can't control what happens next without an army in place.

Stopped clocks etc.

Flashes From The Archive of Oblivion