The Yanks today just hit up the Royal Australian Navy to provide slow moving targets for the Houthi's in the Red Sea.
After following the Yanks into defeat in the Korean Civil War, The Vietnamese Civil War, The Afghan Civil War, and the fiasco's of Iraq (1&2) and Syria, why break a 80 year losing streak now?
Obviously the Yanks have a clear Game Plan, a solid Exit Strategy and a great care for their Allies, just like in all the previously mentioned catastrophes .
Nothing like a three front war to make Biden's life miserable. Especially if one of those fronts is open ended with the possibility to expand in completely unforseen directions. That made even worse because some of the most likely outcomes are contradictory, making coherent planning by the heretofore consistently planless Biden administration look even more foolish than usual.
Events are going to make even a rescue by someone dressed in an Easter Bunny costume insufficent for the task at hand. Just like when Biden strolled over unannounced to the rope line to start blabbing about who knows what to the rabble there and had to retrieved before he did damage, Biden has inserted America into another potentially endless war with no realistic goal, while the world waits for a repeat appearance of the fake Easter Bunny. No luck this time as the costumed Easter Bunny will be shot on sight if someone does try and make an appearance as the geopolitical equivalent.
Where is Henry Kissinger with his philosopy which could be described as ....do or don't do, there is no trying.... Instead they will trot out someone who is looks like a loser who escaped from a Miss America pageant sighing about why can't we all just get along with each other, all the while bombing the crap out of everybody, killing thousands for no clear reason.
Not sure about the tone of your comment, but agree with the pattern it identifies.
America - and more importantly for most, the world - has not come out very well in any of its wars this century, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Ukraine - and I guess the list includes, say, Georgia and Yemen.
Israel is not looking great either, and I can imagine quite a lot of diplomats in at least 153 countries sending nervous cables asking who's in charge in DC, and whether there's any plan more specific than PNAC 'full spectrum dominance' (which I guess Bob Kagan's wife still believes in).
Of course 'losing' direct and proxy wars is partly a matter of definition.
America may have lost, or not won, almost every adventure since WW2, but Ike's MIC wins every time.
Good God Stephen, have you gargled so much Kool-aid you're incapable of rising above cheap insults to describe your opponents?
I state FACTS and you come back with NAME CALLING and hurt feelings.
It doesn't matter who I like or not, (are we still in school?).
No one cares about your feelings except maybe your Mum.
Nor should they, keep it to yourself, unless this is a 'America can't win a War Pity Page'.
You (and the U.S.) have to deal with reality, not feelings.
'Terrorism' is a matter of Budget.
If you Nuke (or it's equivalent) a City, that's NOT Terrorism?
I am an Allied Soldier and I've got 'Buyers Remorse' with how the Yanks are driving this Bus over yet another cliff, because we all can see what is happening.
Again.
You Yanks will run away squealing with your tail between your legs, just like Saigon and Kabul, because those 3rd World 'Terrorists'' once again whipped your flabby 1st World Yank arse with their Morally and Militarily superior strength.
Empty, childish and bombastic threats about B1's and M.E.U.'s taking on the Houthi's combined with cheap name-calling are embarrassing and lame, and show just how impotent and useless the U.S. position is in the Middle East.
The game has changed forever, the West is not in the drivers seat anymore, Militarily, Political or Economically. Those are facts.
The Global South/Majority can smell our blood, they know we are a failed and spent force, and they care even less about your feelings than me.
So if all we've got left is threats and insults, because we don't/can't do Diplomacy, what do you think will be the outcome?
"The Straits and the Red Sea are international shipping lanes. The Houthi attacks violate the Law of the Seas. Carrying out attacks on merchant vessels are acts of war, as commonly understood."
This is true, but the Houthis are a tough bunch and have absorbed a lot over decades.
You already know, I'm for bugging out everywhere and pursuing a neutralist foreign policy. I know you don't buy it, but the current dispensation, if one is honest, is flailing about for no good reason.
I'm Irish, Stephen, and my first thought on American policy questions is often: I wouldn't start from here.
...But here we are.
I'm not convinced Iran is much more directly involved in Yemen or Gaza through proxies than is America, but they certainly have significant leverage, and I think returning to pre-Trump US leverage on Iran might be one avenue worth pursuing again.
Chess was invented in Iran.
And remember, Shias in Iran and Zaydis in Yemen are the keenest martyrs anywhere, so again, American ideas of punishment may prove counterproductive.
''it's the willingness to stay the course that matters.''
That's EXACTLY why the Yanks haven't won a War since 1945, and why they've become the Worlds laughing stock.
With an attention span limited to ONLY the next election and the opinion Polls, the U.S. proves it's inability to do what it brashly trumpets in every foreign blunder since.
At the end of the day, you YANKEES have to GO HOME, e.g. Vietnam and Afghan.
Or e.g.., continue to lurk in Syria pretending 100's of your Soldiers aren't incurring traumatic brain injuries from the 90 rocket attacks in the last 2 months guarding illegal CONOCO Oil fields.
Luckily for those guys, they will receive the World famous care of the U.S. Dept of Veteran Affairs.
They should be drug addicted and homeless inside of 24 months!
Being a Neutralist in Australia is slightly below the standing of a ''Kiddie Fiddler'', so it's a lonely and up-hill battle!
I'm an ex-Digger (Infantry), like my previous 6 generations and I carry the pride and scars .
The realization that in 100 years Australian Military has NEVER fought a War of Defence but only as an invading attack dog/Policeman for the U.K. and the U.S. in the 3rd World, is shameful to me.
The problem I find with Neutrality is that most Military/'Educated' are Beta types, so they HATE anything not in the book or likely to upset them.
They just want to get along with everyone while murdering the Enemy.
A tough audience for new ideas!
In my quest for Australian Neutrality I try to remember the Fly as he pissed in the Ocean.
I don't agree.
Very well researched and clearly articulated. Thank you.
The Yanks today just hit up the Royal Australian Navy to provide slow moving targets for the Houthi's in the Red Sea.
After following the Yanks into defeat in the Korean Civil War, The Vietnamese Civil War, The Afghan Civil War, and the fiasco's of Iraq (1&2) and Syria, why break a 80 year losing streak now?
Obviously the Yanks have a clear Game Plan, a solid Exit Strategy and a great care for their Allies, just like in all the previously mentioned catastrophes .
What could go wrong?
Peace.
Thanks for the detailed update.
Nothing like a three front war to make Biden's life miserable. Especially if one of those fronts is open ended with the possibility to expand in completely unforseen directions. That made even worse because some of the most likely outcomes are contradictory, making coherent planning by the heretofore consistently planless Biden administration look even more foolish than usual.
Events are going to make even a rescue by someone dressed in an Easter Bunny costume insufficent for the task at hand. Just like when Biden strolled over unannounced to the rope line to start blabbing about who knows what to the rabble there and had to retrieved before he did damage, Biden has inserted America into another potentially endless war with no realistic goal, while the world waits for a repeat appearance of the fake Easter Bunny. No luck this time as the costumed Easter Bunny will be shot on sight if someone does try and make an appearance as the geopolitical equivalent.
Where is Henry Kissinger with his philosopy which could be described as ....do or don't do, there is no trying.... Instead they will trot out someone who is looks like a loser who escaped from a Miss America pageant sighing about why can't we all just get along with each other, all the while bombing the crap out of everybody, killing thousands for no clear reason.
Not sure about the tone of your comment, but agree with the pattern it identifies.
America - and more importantly for most, the world - has not come out very well in any of its wars this century, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Ukraine - and I guess the list includes, say, Georgia and Yemen.
Israel is not looking great either, and I can imagine quite a lot of diplomats in at least 153 countries sending nervous cables asking who's in charge in DC, and whether there's any plan more specific than PNAC 'full spectrum dominance' (which I guess Bob Kagan's wife still believes in).
Of course 'losing' direct and proxy wars is partly a matter of definition.
America may have lost, or not won, almost every adventure since WW2, but Ike's MIC wins every time.
Fourth front if he decides to teach Venezuela a lesson.
Need a MEU to visit the hothis and express extreme agitation in their policies.
You're just talking garbage about the M.E.U. visiting the Houthi's, aren't you?
You're aware of their relative fighting qualities, aren't you?
You're aware of the relative rates of casualty aversion on both sides, aren't you?
You're aware the M.E.U. would not get within 500klms of Yemen, aren't you?
You're just flapping you gums about the M.E.U. visiting the Houthi's, aren't you?
And then you wonder why the Global Majority thinks you're full of it?
Peace.
I guess you like the Houthis terrorists. The tone of your comments truly are unacceptable.
Terrorists?
TERRORISTS?????
Good God Stephen, have you gargled so much Kool-aid you're incapable of rising above cheap insults to describe your opponents?
I state FACTS and you come back with NAME CALLING and hurt feelings.
It doesn't matter who I like or not, (are we still in school?).
No one cares about your feelings except maybe your Mum.
Nor should they, keep it to yourself, unless this is a 'America can't win a War Pity Page'.
You (and the U.S.) have to deal with reality, not feelings.
'Terrorism' is a matter of Budget.
If you Nuke (or it's equivalent) a City, that's NOT Terrorism?
I am an Allied Soldier and I've got 'Buyers Remorse' with how the Yanks are driving this Bus over yet another cliff, because we all can see what is happening.
Again.
You Yanks will run away squealing with your tail between your legs, just like Saigon and Kabul, because those 3rd World 'Terrorists'' once again whipped your flabby 1st World Yank arse with their Morally and Militarily superior strength.
Empty, childish and bombastic threats about B1's and M.E.U.'s taking on the Houthi's combined with cheap name-calling are embarrassing and lame, and show just how impotent and useless the U.S. position is in the Middle East.
The game has changed forever, the West is not in the drivers seat anymore, Militarily, Political or Economically. Those are facts.
The Global South/Majority can smell our blood, they know we are a failed and spent force, and they care even less about your feelings than me.
So if all we've got left is threats and insults, because we don't/can't do Diplomacy, what do you think will be the outcome?
Not our Monkey.
Not our Circus.
Lets go Home.
Peace.
"The Straits and the Red Sea are international shipping lanes. The Houthi attacks violate the Law of the Seas. Carrying out attacks on merchant vessels are acts of war, as commonly understood."
This is true, but the Houthis are a tough bunch and have absorbed a lot over decades.
It will be interesting to see who outlasts whom.
Outlasting is not our forté.
They won't like B-1 bombers sending them on a fast track to Allah
Sounding a little heavy on the U.S. arrogance there Stephen.
They're not unarmed rice farmers and goat herders THIS TIME.
The Houthi's will gladly take 20 x the K.I.A. necessary to spill that precious Yankee blood.
Read the room, the other 96% of the World doesn't care for, need or fear you any more.
Peace.
American weapons, backed up with training, equipment, intelligence and SF support, have been killing Houthis since 2000.
I'm not so sure your fast track to Allah is a very effective deterrent against fanatics for whom it's the greatest reward for their unquenched faith.
the alternative is to do nothing while the Houthis step up aggressive operations. Is that your best idea?
Stephen the alternative is NOT to do nothing.
The World has been telling you very clearly WHAT to do since 1965.
YANKEE GO HOME.
Go on now.
Piss off Home and clean up that 3rd World 'shit-hole' you call the City on the Hill.
You're holding back the rest of us.
Peace.
I am not sure that the "world" knows best
Thus spoke ''TEAM AMERICA''.
I think I see your problem.
Peace.
You already know, I'm for bugging out everywhere and pursuing a neutralist foreign policy. I know you don't buy it, but the current dispensation, if one is honest, is flailing about for no good reason.
I'm Irish, Stephen, and my first thought on American policy questions is often: I wouldn't start from here.
...But here we are.
I'm not convinced Iran is much more directly involved in Yemen or Gaza through proxies than is America, but they certainly have significant leverage, and I think returning to pre-Trump US leverage on Iran might be one avenue worth pursuing again.
Chess was invented in Iran.
And remember, Shias in Iran and Zaydis in Yemen are the keenest martyrs anywhere, so again, American ideas of punishment may prove counterproductive.
Neither did the North Vietnamese like our bombing campaign, Nor did the Taliban like our invasion.
In the end, it's the willingness to stay the course that matters.
''it's the willingness to stay the course that matters.''
That's EXACTLY why the Yanks haven't won a War since 1945, and why they've become the Worlds laughing stock.
With an attention span limited to ONLY the next election and the opinion Polls, the U.S. proves it's inability to do what it brashly trumpets in every foreign blunder since.
At the end of the day, you YANKEES have to GO HOME, e.g. Vietnam and Afghan.
Or e.g.., continue to lurk in Syria pretending 100's of your Soldiers aren't incurring traumatic brain injuries from the 90 rocket attacks in the last 2 months guarding illegal CONOCO Oil fields.
Luckily for those guys, they will receive the World famous care of the U.S. Dept of Veteran Affairs.
They should be drug addicted and homeless inside of 24 months!
Peace.
As Chairman, CEO and only member of the https://neutralistassociationofthe.us/
I am glad to see there are neutralists in the Land Down Under.
Cheers Dick.
Being a Neutralist in Australia is slightly below the standing of a ''Kiddie Fiddler'', so it's a lonely and up-hill battle!
I'm an ex-Digger (Infantry), like my previous 6 generations and I carry the pride and scars .
The realization that in 100 years Australian Military has NEVER fought a War of Defence but only as an invading attack dog/Policeman for the U.K. and the U.S. in the 3rd World, is shameful to me.
The problem I find with Neutrality is that most Military/'Educated' are Beta types, so they HATE anything not in the book or likely to upset them.
They just want to get along with everyone while murdering the Enemy.
A tough audience for new ideas!
In my quest for Australian Neutrality I try to remember the Fly as he pissed in the Ocean.
''Every little bit helps''.
Peace.