It’s possible we’ll see a lot US aircraft getting down as Iran figures out what works and what doesn’t. There is a lot more room for Iran to adapt to F35s than there it is for the US to adapt and change their F35s.

At this point Japan is more likely to invade and attack Taiwan then China. You can guarantee their imperial nostalgic government isn’t going to be happy about seeing a former colony they still see as theirs’ choosing to reunite with China and they will make up whatever bullshit they can.

Naturally Marxist Leninists are going to hold at least an ounce of distain for “welfarism” due to the way the bourgeoisie have historically used welfare to placate the masses into accepting a temporary band aid rather then actually seizing power for themselves. That’s not the same thing as opposing welfare in principle the way conservatives and reactionaries do, unless you’re advocating for an extreme degree of welfare that ignores material reality.

Hormuz blocked means fuller storage tanks, fuller tanks means more strikes on tanks, less tanks means less storage, less storage means means oil producers completely ceasing operations sooner.

Yes, it would, but the alternative is the US invading and taking over Cuba with minimal consequences. The US government and military establishment have spelled it out in a crystal clear fashion they are on global crusade to purge socialism militarily and they should be taken at their word as much as Hitler should of when he wrote his thoughts about the bolsheviks in Mein Kampf. And it pains me to say it but Nuclear weapons are truly the only viable defense in Cuba’s case. Cuba doesn’t have the robust ballistic missile and drones manufacturing that Iran has and a committed attack by the US would be extremely one sided. We can talk about the Bay of Pigs and Vietnam but the factors aren’t identical. The Bay of Pigs was a suicide incursion done by rabid Gusanos that the US merely supported rather then an actual US military campaign, Vietnam had a steady stream of supplies and support from China and the USSR to keep them fighting into perpetuality. The best leverage Cuba has would be to strike shipping and oil assets in the Gulf but again they lack the missiles and drones to do that like Iran can.

True but having nukes or a nuclear weapons program isn’t the bar for having devasting sanctions placed on you by western nations these days, merely not being a vassal is. Cuba has no nuclear weapons program and has done absolutely nothing to the United States for decades and the US is still starving them anyway just for being communist.

Mao made that quote in 1946 when nukes were much, much less powerful and numerous then the ones that exist today. What Mao said was true for back then and it’s possible using nukes might ultimately backfire on the US but I think it’s still important to keep sober with reality, nukes are serious business and every country that cares about sovereignty should be seeking them, immediately. If Cuba and Russia were smart Russia would be stationing nuclear missiles in Cuba RIGHT NOW before the fascists yet again take advantage of their opposition hesitating and vacillating against their aggression and fearing/seeking salvation from an international community that does not exist rather then taking concrete action.

If the Gulf monarchies began expanding and empowering their militaries they would be couped in a heartbeat. A national army of citizens would depose them for being the traitors to their own people that they are.

First stage: “Our capabilities are overwhelming, we will utterly and easily annihilate Iran.”

Second (current) stage: “Ok, they are causing us a little bit of pain and damage, but it’s temporary, we promise.”

I wonder when the third stage will be.

No, being paranoid in such a way right now is a good thing if you want better chances of surviving with the ways things are going.

Being pro-Palestine/anti-Israel is the lowest possible entry bar for a present day leftist. Anyone making excuses for Israel should just straight up not be considered a leftist by any stretch of the term.

Iran has been calling the US a satanic empire for decades and the Epstein files are a massive vindication for them. Before most people would take the satanist talk as a hyperbole but now it doesn’t sound so far from the truth.

Sudan and South Sudan meanwhile are in the marina trench.

I made more at my entry level retail job.

Sounds like there is a possibility we might see regime change in the middle east, but not like how the US was hoping for.

A fighting age adult from the beginning of the Sino-Japanese war living and experiencing everything up until now is insane to think about.

Picture is unrelated:

It would be a shame if an Oreshnik landed on Merz’s house due to such exemptions in international law.

I don’t think treaties and things like article 5 mean a damn anymore. Countries will go to war if they decide it’s in their interests and won’t if they don’t.

The general rule of thumb right now is if they can, they will. Their minds are too wrapped up in neo-crusade zionist fervor to think about peripheral long term cause and effects like how that will irreparably damage their relations with Turkey.