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paleotn

(22,011 posts)
17. Define "massive"
Sun Mar 1, 2026, 10:43 AM
Sunday

You cannot topple the Iranian regime externally simply with air strikes. You can't. The country is too big, too spread out, and they've been planning for this since Jimmy Carter. You're simply going to rally the masses in SUPPORT of the regime, not against it. Bombing by a foreign power who's not particularly liked tends to do that. While some of the Iranian masses aren't happy with the regime, it's not like they view us, or freaking Israel!, as saviors. That's naive in the extreme.

You can only do external regime change with boots on the ground. Massive numbers of US troops invading a country the size of freaking Alaska. Period. EOM. Invading Iran will make the 2003 Gulf War look like a weekend exercise in scale AND cost (read treasure and blood). Without that "no go" option, this will end in failure. And Iran will keep on keeping on.

Bad as it is, there are millions of Iranians who tied economically and philosophically to the regime. It's Iraq on steroids in that respect. Will internal decent be enough to topple the regime? Maybe. But so far, that same internal decent hasn't toppled Vladimir Putin's Russia. And Iran has been under strict sanctions since Carter and Reagan, not since the early twenty teens like Russia.

This is a fools errand. At best it will not accomplish anything but creating rubble. Worse case is something I'd rather not think about.

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4 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Someone earlier today called it Operation Epstein Fury". generalbetrayus Sunday #1
Same shit Whip-poor-will Sunday #2
Correction: "by the U.S. and its ally in Iran" pat_k Sunday #3
They might be "willing" if 45 removes ALL tariffs off their products! BumRushDaShow Sunday #4
Two unpopular leaders in dire need of war in order to... OGBuzz Sunday #13
It's up to us to defend against the onslaught. pat_k Sunday #36
Your post is exactly what I was thinking when I read the OP hamsterjill Sunday #24
Saudi may not be participating as an ally, but this is their wet dream too. Showered trumps with billions to get it. pat_k Sunday #35
MBS was pressuring Trump for weeks. AloeVera Sunday #47
The magnitude of the corruption, which goes back decades, has grown to epic proportions. pat_k Sunday #48
Great post. AloeVera Sunday #49
I re-worked a bit and put up as an OP. pat_k Sunday #51
Allies? Israel and and Trump..Not a very big coalition force. LiberalArkie Sunday #5
Was Tom Cottonhead johnnyfins Sunday #6
What allies? Wiz Imp Sunday #7
I came to make this same observation. you beat me to it. nt Gore1FL Sunday #26
Hey Cotton which Allies? Historic NY Sunday #8
What allies? JustAnotherGen Sunday #9
Like Russia thought its seizure of Ukraine would only take a few days? tanyev Sunday #10
Decades, not weeks, you ignorant fool! debsy Sunday #11
Another treasonous piece of shit heard from Scalded Nun Sunday #12
Here's a Tom Cotton refresher Zorro Sunday #15
"Operation Epic Fury"??? PatSeg Sunday #14
Children and grandchildren of the guys who came up with Operation ORTSAC paleotn Sunday #19
Seriously? I didn't know that PatSeg Sunday #30
Whiskey Pete probably came up with this one, late at night. republianmushroom Sunday #34
Ha, ha, sounds about right PatSeg Sunday #38
SNL cold open nailed it: Great for Hegseth knuckle tats pat_k Sunday #37
Ah, that would explain it! PatSeg Sunday #39
Allies? Baitball Blogger Sunday #16
Iran is Russia's drone factory. The Kremlin isn't happy about this. paleotn Sunday #18
Oops, sounds like Trump pissed off PatSeg Sunday #31
Define "massive" paleotn Sunday #17
Coming soon Zorro Sunday #50
"...after 47 years of waging war against the United States..." Grins Sunday #20
I have the same question. republianmushroom Sunday #33
Weeks? ChazInAz Sunday #21
"Maybe six days, maybe six weeks, certainly not six months." Does that sound familiar? DFW Sunday #22
The name given to the operation perfectly reveals the mindset of those who launched this was. Just a big video game. Martin68 Sunday #23
Is that in Friedman units? n/t hibbing Sunday #25
Baby Bush said that about Iraq and Afghanistan. greatauntoftriplets Sunday #27
Tom Cotton is a lying bullshit artist. Dyedinthewoolliberal Sunday #28
If Iraq, Afghanistan, Viet Nam, Korea, etc. are anything to go by, make that years. appleannie1 Sunday #29
Post removed Post removed Sunday #32
If they say weeks, they mean months. colorado_ufo Sunday #40
Allies? Pas-de-Calais Sunday #41
I Guess The Term "Allies" modrepub Sunday #42
I was wondering who these so-called "allies" are. mdbl Sunday #43
Allies? Figarosmom Sunday #44
Cotten head is a supreme ahole. Chairman ... Evolve Dammit Sunday #45
When does Barron Trump head to a US military boot camp? Bone spurs are not hereditary usaf-vet Sunday #46
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