How close are we to WWIII?

[Mikado463]

OT?

No.......make that 'Hell NO'

 

[3db]

Me.

Are you of age to see such full disclosure?

 

[GO-NAD!]

Yep and as the ONLY real bargaining chip they have left they are playing it rather well. While Iran alone does not have an ice cubes chance in hell of beating us militarily they are doing a decent job economically.

The thing is, Iran doesn't have to be at the US militarily, they just have to survive - that will be 'winning' for them. Just like North Vietnam and Afghanistan. The economic pressure, as you mentioned, gives Iran an advantage the others didn't have.

If I was one of the paratroopers or marines recently sent to the middle east, I would not be very pleased. If we were ordered to do something as insane as to capture and occupy Kharg Island, I would be severely pi$$ed off. Having served myself, I would defend my country and, if necessary, sacrifice myself. However, I would be infuriated if my life was going to be sacrificed for the stupidest of reasons.

 

[3db]

The thing is, Iran doesn't have to be at the US militarily, they just have to survive - that will be 'winning' for them. Just like North Vietnam and Afghanistan. The economic pressure, as you mentioned, gives Iran an advantage the others didn't have.

If I was one of the paratroopers or marines recently sent to the middle east, I would not be very pleased. If we were ordered to do something as insane as to capture and occupy Kharg Island, I would be severely pi$$ed off. Having served myself, I would defend my country and, if necessary, sacrifice myself. However, I would be infuriated if my life was going to be sacrificed for the stupidest of reasons.

Trump is that stupid reason.

 

[Teetertotter?]

Didn't you know Trumpy is a Nut Case, like his staff. The Republicans think everything is Bidens fault ,OR, Obama. lol How many more months of this??

 

[Dude#1279435]

I just heard Trump thinks it can be won without ground forces.

 

[pewternhrata]

In case someone has not seen the current national debt, it just went above $39T. It was $38T a few months ago and $37T about 6-9 months ago.
When you use million-dollar weapons against drones and such doesn't take long to explode debt.
Oh, it will be $40T this year.
Maybe he wants to bankrupt the US to make a fortune himself?

Same could be said in response to the Ukraine war. But thats swept under the rug. Ridiculous how much money is spent protecting non US citizens but the dems gobble it up when 'their' administration tells them its ok and the billionaires can pay for it

 

[Dude#1279435]

Same could be said in response to the Ukraine war. But thats swept under the rug. Ridiculous how much money is spent protecting non US citizens but the dems gobble it up when 'their' administration tells them its ok and the billionaires can pay for it

The pace Trump (ie a "conservative") is at he will surpass the debt accrued by Biden.

 

[rnatalli]

The pace Trump (ie a "conservative") is at he will surpass the debt accrued by Biden.

This is no surprise. Putting Woodrow Wilson and FDR aside and looking at the next 5 presidents who accumulated the most debt, 4 out of the 5 were conservative republicans.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Same could be said in response to the Ukraine war. But thats swept under the rug. Ridiculous how much money is spent protecting non US citizens but the dems gobble it up when 'their' administration tells them its ok and the billionaires can pay for it

There is a major difference between expenditures for Ukraine aid and on the Iran war. As part of the Budapest Memorandum, the US offered security assurances to Ukraine. So, there is some justification for that spending, if one considers honoring such agreements to be of any importance.

Meanwhile, the spending on the Iran war is tantamount to piling cash into a mound and setting it on fire. This war cost the USA about $12 billion during the first week. That doesn't include the costs being incurred by the economies of the world, the fallout of which, will be felt long after the war ends.

And, don't worry about the billionaire class, with Trump's tax cuts aimed at the rich, along with rampant corruption, they won't have to pay for it.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2026/mar/19/us-iran-war-cost

Here’s How Much Aid the United States Has Sent Ukraine | Council on Foreign Relations

Eleven charts illustrate the extraordinary level of support the United States has provided Ukraine in recent years—though there has been no new U.S. aid legislation since 2024, and combined European aid tops U.S. contributions.

www.cfr.org

 

[highfigh]

There is a major difference between expenditures for Ukraine aid and on the Iran war. As part of the Budapest Memorandum, the US offered security assurances to Ukraine. So, there is some justification for that spending, if one considers honoring such agreements to be of any importance.

Meanwhile, the spending on the Iran war is tantamount to piling cash into a mound and setting it on fire. This war cost the USA about $12 billion during the first week. That doesn't include the costs being incurred by the economies of the world, the fallout of which, will be felt long after the war ends.

And, don't worry about the billionaire class, with Trump's tax cuts aimed at the rich, along with rampant corruption, they won't have to pay for it.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2026/mar/19/us-iran-war-cost

Here’s How Much Aid the United States Has Sent Ukraine | Council on Foreign Relations

Eleven charts illustrate the extraordinary level of support the United States has provided Ukraine in recent years—though there has been no new U.S. aid legislation since 2024, and combined European aid tops U.S. contributions.

www.cfr.org

Not that I want to spend this money, but I'm not sure the $12B is new expense, it may be similar to the first Gulf War, when we used ordnance that had been in the inventory for many years and $12B is about 1.4% of the budget. I'm more concerned with the wounded and dead US troops.

 

[mtrycrafts]

That $12B would not have been spent replacing the ammo if not for this war, no? Certainly, a fleet exercise would not have cost that much even if you include Airforce participation. And no war casualties.

 

[dlaloum]

Do have any references for that? The only reports I've seen indicate that they are laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz?

I've seen some reports that they have laid mines in the main central shipping lanes of the strait of Hormuz, but not in the areas closer to the Iranian shoreline - and that the "approved" toll payers, have been guided via a route that takes them close to the Iranian shoreline, avoiding the central traditional shipping lane.

It makes sense - mine the central lane, which is further from the Iranian weapons, and keep the area close to shore clear, as even their most economical basic drones can cover this area with ease.

 

[dlaloum]

Iran is laying mines in the Straights of Hormuz. There was video of it on the BBC. Now, the Straights are national waters of Iran and Oman. However there is a UN convention that all shipping has to have free passage through the Straights and Iran are in contravention of this convention. A lot of their mine layers have been blown out of the water. I have seen video of that.

From memory, I don't believe Iran ever signed onto that agreement...

 

[dlaloum]

Good place to have US mine sweepers:

Trump pulled mine-sweepers from Middle East before Iran war

Super planning.

No one plans quite as well or as grandly as Trump....

 

[dlaloum]

Yes, I get all that. But, @highfigh stated that they were laying mines further from shore, although I see no indication of that.

And yes, while Iran is violating international laws by laying these mines, it's just one example of a multitude of international laws being violated during this conflict, by both sides.

Some of those "laws" being violated, aren't laws, but international agreements - and two countries that in many cases have NOT ratified those kind of agreements are USA and Iran.... (Israel is another nation that has not ratified many international conventions)

So we need to approach such statements with substantial caution!

 

[dlaloum]

Meanwhile, Iran is getting their own tankers through the strait. It is quite clear that there was abysmally poor planning prior to starting this war.

Iran sends millions of oil barrels to China through Strait of Hormuz even as war chokes the waterway

Iran has continued to ship crude oil via the Strait of Hormuz to China even as the war between U.S.-Israel and Iran has disrupted broader energy supplies via the waterway.

www.cnbc.com

According to Trump, war planning and actions against Iran were described as "perfect" and a "big chess game" , planned by "High-IQ" players....

 

[dlaloum]

Except that the US accidently took out the leadership that Trump wanted in after removing one crackpot. The son of the crackpot is 1000x times worse and just made it worse for the Iranian people and for the US. The stupidity of Trump and the current republican leadership is firmly in the realm of unbelieveable. Perhaps Darwin can save the US.

Accidentally? - I doubt it...

They didn't want a true democratically elected government, as that would be just as Anti-USA and Anti-Israel as the current government.... what they want is to install a Pahlavi autocracy... and getting rid of the leaders of the democratic movement (oops we bombed the house they were held in home detention in...) - is part of the plan.

Not known whether the attacks on democratic movement leaders were USA or Israel... both have the same motivations.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Not that I want to spend this money, but I'm not sure the $12B is new expense, it may be similar to the first Gulf War, when we used ordnance that had been in the inventory for many years and $12B is about 1.4% of the budget. I'm more concerned with the wounded and dead US troops.

That $12 billion was just for the first week. My point is that complaints about aid to Ukraine costing so much are just partisan BS.

I don't think the expenditures even include the assets lost: three F-15E Strike Eagles, a KC-135 tanker, an E-3 Sentry (AWACS) and an AN/TPY-2 radar system, just for starters.

But yes, the wasted lives of service personnel is tragic. They would still be alive, but for the stupidity of your fearless leader.

 

[Kingnoob]

That $12 billion was just for the first week. My point is that complaints about aid to Ukraine costing so much are just partisan BS.

I don't think the expenditures even include the assets lost: three F-15E Strike Eagles, a KC-135 tanker, an E-3 Sentry (AWACS) and an AN/TPY-2 radar system, just for starters.

But yes, the wasted lives of service personnel is tragic. They would still be alive, but for the stupidity of your fearless leader.

Ukraine needs rescued but no one in the west saved either Roman Empire half from collapse . So historically it’s a modern thing.
America had to rescue Europe during both world wars . Even if Ukraine isn’t the beginning of ww3 , which it probably is . Russia clearly is no longer a super power , besides the nuclear capability. Or Ukraine would had been obliterated already…
I guess today’s Russia is nothing compared to the former Soviet Union.