The thing that is “somewhat different” is that time has moved forward and circumstances have changed. The US empire is declining and the Global South is on the rise. Time is running out before it becomes impossible for the US to maintain its position in West Asia, if it was even possible at the beginning of 2026.
I believe that Biden would have escalated with Iran, possibly militarily. It was reported, shortly before Trump’s transition, that Biden was considering options to strike Iran if they develop a nuclear weapon. I think that phrasing leaves a lot unsaid, because realistically what it means is that Biden considered striking Iran on the same pretense that Trump used, a pretense that we know is false.
Biden tried to force Trump into certain geopolitical stances on Ukraine, Iran, Russia, China, and probably others (Venezuela?) by escalating where necessary, eliminating any pivot.
All this is beside the point anyway. It does not matter if Trump is a special, unique little man who truly changed the direction of thought (lol) inside the state. The “waste” of billions of dollars is not important to anyone who cares about the human beings who felt the lethal side of that expenditure. The “waste” is by design, for the purpose of graft to the MIC. If this $300B was a waste, then so is every dollar we already spend normally, because its purpose is for graft.
israel would’ve started this 20 years ago if they had defeated hezbollah back then
the specifics would play out different, in a way it’s better that it’s trump because he’s an incompetent steward of the empire but that’s cold comfort to any iranian who lost anything in this version of reality.
The thing that is “somewhat different” is that time has moved forward and circumstances have changed. The US empire is declining and the Global South is on the rise. Time is running out before it becomes impossible for the US to maintain its position in West Asia, if it was even possible at the beginning of 2026.
I believe that Biden would have escalated with Iran, possibly militarily. It was reported, shortly before Trump’s transition, that Biden was considering options to strike Iran if they develop a nuclear weapon. I think that phrasing leaves a lot unsaid, because realistically what it means is that Biden considered striking Iran on the same pretense that Trump used, a pretense that we know is false.
Biden tried to force Trump into certain geopolitical stances on Ukraine, Iran, Russia, China, and probably others (Venezuela?) by escalating where necessary, eliminating any pivot.
All this is beside the point anyway. It does not matter if Trump is a special, unique little man who truly changed the direction of thought (lol) inside the state. The “waste” of billions of dollars is not important to anyone who cares about the human beings who felt the lethal side of that expenditure. The “waste” is by design, for the purpose of graft to the MIC. If this $300B was a waste, then so is every dollar we already spend normally, because its purpose is for graft.
israel would’ve started this 20 years ago if they had defeated hezbollah back then
the specifics would play out different, in a way it’s better that it’s trump because he’s an incompetent steward of the empire but that’s cold comfort to any iranian who lost anything in this version of reality.
More like the illusion that hizbollah was done for after killing Nassrallah made Israel overconfident in ending Iran