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paleotn

(22,264 posts)
17. Define "massive"
Sun Mar 1, 2026, 11:43 AM
Mar 1

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.

Recommendations

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

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