[llm_nerd]

Almost no one finds "alignment" with the IRGC.

Instead this is a conflict where all sides are garbage. It's a conflict where we hope that everyone loses.

On the one side you have a terrorism-sponsoring theocracy that wants to force stone-age beliefs on its people, while exporting mayhem elsewhere. On the other you have Iran. (ba-dum-tss!)

Seriously, though, everyone involved with this conflict are bad actors. The US has bombed some 8 countries so far this year, threatened literal allies such that they got blood supplies ready for an invasion, is busy looting Venezuela like a busted pirate shithole -- basically Somalia -- is starving Cuba, is terroristically blowing up random boats by titling them "narco-terrorists", and is headed by a criminal rapist PoS that is rapidly turning the country into an idiocracy while their military is headed by a ChatGPT spouting imbecile. Israel is a war-criming pariah that pushed their luck a little too far and it turns out you can only bank on "but the holocaust" for so long while you're a rogue hermit nation that has vile behaviours and habits.

It's only in context that Iran, far down in the depths of garbage nations, somehow comes out looking like the better party in the conflict.

[throwaway836123]

I totally agree with most of what you’ve said. The only part I disagree with is the whitewashing of what the IRGC has done across the region for years. Dismissing or minimizing its actions/impact simply because we also oppose other bad actors is, imo, a critical mistake.

[MomsAVoxell]

PROSECUTE ALL WAR CRIMINALS.

But, start with YOUR OWN FIRST.

Only then will you have the moral altitude to "go after theirs".

Not until WE have prosecuted OUR war criminals, will we have the precedent to prosecute any other nations' war criminals [1].

So, get on with it, citizen. Hold your government accountable. The people always get the governments they deserve.

[1] - No, "the West" is not morally capable of going after Putin, Netanyahu, etc. Not until we start prosecuting our own war criminals with real, effective results.

[boondongle]

It's interesting that Cuba, Iran, and even Venezuela all took as part of their identity some sort of adversarial position with the United States (although Venezuela was post-Chavez). The US is currently treating them, to some degree at their word at this point.

Whereas you could look at a place like Vietnam that fought its war and moved on, Trump's focus is largely dealing with actors that never did. I suspect the Saudi's won't be the only Nuclear deal signed. So much of this is just the cold war extended, but with North Korea and Iran trying to work their way past non-proliferation. The natural response would also be to arm South Korea and possibly Japan. All of which would have been the West's natural response to non-proliferation being violated.

I get the perception, but much of this is decades in the making and almost everyone involved including the US should have sued for peace years ago. Actual peace. Not, "we're not firing rockets but Israel can't exist."

[runtime_terror]

You mean the countries the US has physically and economically attacked for decades having resentment for that?

As for Vietnam, they're suffering from tariffs, why are you assuming they're also no negatively affected by the Trump admin?