USA planes shot down

Whitewavemark2

MaizieD

Whitewavemark2

Well Trump has fired the top military bod, to the horror of the other military top brass, so I hope that is because they are disagreeing with Trump.

But I suspect there is little they can do.

There is lots they could do if the whole lot of them (i.e the ‘top military bids’) agreed. They could carry out a coup and remove the USA’s current insane leader.

Militaries do this constantly because they have the power.

All governing regimes rest on the threat of violence inherent in having control of the nation’s armed forces. Lose them and you lose power.

The question I would ask about this apparently simplistic solution is, which side would all those scary gun toting Americans be on? The military or the President 🤔

Well that’s true I suppose, but it doesn’t tend to happen in a mature democracy.

I'd be very surprised if that did happen, or if the troops mutinied.

Allira

Whitewavemark2

MaizieD

Whitewavemark2

Well Trump has fired the top military bod, to the horror of the other military top brass, so I hope that is because they are disagreeing with Trump.

But I suspect there is little they can do.

There is lots they could do if the whole lot of them (i.e the ‘top military bids’) agreed. They could carry out a coup and remove the USA’s current insane leader.

Militaries do this constantly because they have the power.

All governing regimes rest on the threat of violence inherent in having control of the nation’s armed forces. Lose them and you lose power.

The question I would ask about this apparently simplistic solution is, which side would all those scary gun toting Americans be on? The military or the President 🤔

Well that’s true I suppose, but it doesn’t tend to happen in a mature democracy.

I'd be very surprised if that did happen, or if the troops mutinied.

So would I

They probably think Trump is wonderful and an effective and strong leader. That’s part of the problem. They have a totally different viewpoint .

They will be doing their duty.

The POTUS has far too much power.

Far too much power and far too little intellect.

Allira

They will be doing their duty.

The POTUS has far too much power.

There are still questions to be asked about who they have a duty to; the Constitution (which Trumps is busy violating) or the President?

I would suspect that there is division over this among the military top brass...

If only some brave top dogs in the military would come forward, but then again they have special forces, the FBI, CIA, ICE and individuals armed 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

GrannyGravy13

According to the BBC News this morning, the pilot has been found but the other airman is still missing.

Both the USA and the Iranians are carrying out a large search and rescue mission, with the Iranians offering a reward for the capture of the airman.

Iran’s state broadcaster shared images that it claimed showed the wreckage.

The images showed the wingtip and top section of a vertical stabilizer from an F-15E, according to Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow who studies air power and technology at the Royal United Services Institute, a research institution in London. He said markings on the vertical stabilizer section were consistent with the 494th Fighter Squadron of the U.S. Air Force, based at RAF Lakenheath.

Iranian leaders have been defiant in the face of the threats from Mr. Trump. The speaker of Iran’s Parliament, Mohammad Ghalibaf, mocked the U.S. war effort in a post on X, writing on Friday: “This brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from ‘regime change’ to ‘Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?’” Ironical.

If we had agreed to join in the war, no-one can say for sure what we would be asked to do.
Top commanders are being fired by Hegsith.

Anyone who says no to Trump or questions his decisions is out.
It means that the two madmen Trump and Hegseth can do what they like.

One thing that will hopefully be in the poor airman’s favour if he gets caught by the Iranians, is that he has some value as a bargaining tool. So at least he may be spared the worst that Palestinians suffer like rape, torture, beatings, starvation and death with impunity by the Israeli’s, because they have no worth to the Israelis

AGAA4

Anyone who says no to Trump or questions his decisions is out.
It means that the two madmen Trump and Hegseth can do what they like.

In the Court-of-Trump I believe that Trump - in his own estimation of himself - cannot fail. He can only be failed by others.

It's quite possible that he will tire of the Hormuz debacle whilst the flak is falling on him, and I do wonder how long it will be before he shifts the blame on to Hegseth for failing to anticipate the consequences of the closing of the Strait?

I did see that Trump and Hegseth are less than friendly. You are right *Dickens he is bound to blame others for the mess he has caused.

Oreo

I hope the Americans find him first or that he sadly died as the Iranian regime will treat him with their usual barbarism.

It must be horrific for the family. What should they be hoping for?

I think that if the Iranian regime do get their hands on the airman they won’t necessarily mistreat him in the same way they mistreat ordinary Iranian people because he is too useful to them in bargaining with the US. Or at least we can hope this is the case.

Dickens

AGAA4

Anyone who says no to Trump or questions his decisions is out.
It means that the two madmen Trump and Hegseth can do what they like.

In the Court-of-Trump I believe that Trump - in his own estimation of himself - cannot fail. He can only be failed by others.

It's quite possible that he will tire of the Hormuz debacle whilst the flak is falling on him, and I do wonder how long it will be before he shifts the blame on to Hegseth for failing to anticipate the consequences of the closing of the Strait?

Word is that Hegseth is in Trump’s sights.

I have just read, on the BBC website, that the niece and grand niece of an Iranian general, who was killed in 2020, have had their US citizenship revoked and they have been arrested.

Macaydia

*MaizeD*:
"The question I would ask about this apparently simplistic solution is, which side would all those scary gun toting Americans be on? The military or the President"

I would guess..........the President.
(New bunker under the ballroom?)

I don't think Trump's presidency will end in a coup,
but if Trump was deprived of liberty & his Truthsocial & Twitters blocked, given as Trump is on a side of one - his own- I'm sure he would be shown putting out concilliatory messages to his supporters not to intervene (for whatever weird reason his strange brain would invent).

Quoting the BBC live feed

"The US and Iran have traded threats to unleash "hell", as strikes across the region continue

An Iranian military official says the region will become "hell" for the US and Israel if the war escalates

Those comments come after US President Trump warned all Hell will rain down on Iran if it fails to make a deal or reopen the Strait of Hormuz in the next 48 hours

Paper tigers. 🙄

Whitewavemark2

Word is that Hegseth is in Trump’s sights

He who sups... etc. It's maybe only a matter of time before he's looking at other career opportunities.

They make you sick, the lot of them. Most of us just want to get on with our lives,we don’t need bozos causing trouble.

In his official capacity as Commander-in-Chief shouldn't Trump don a uniform and get out there and lead the US military?

It might go some way towards making up for dodging army service in Vietnam.

Although, come to think of it, he could always cite age and infirmity to get out of leading his troops into battle.

And very possibly dementia.

The missing airman has been rescued by the US thankfully. He was injured but is doing well.
Huge relief for Trump whose unnecessary war caused the situation and put his people's lives at risk.

Relief in one way and for all of us wishing him well, but goodness knows what Trump would have done publicity wise with a martyr situation

AGAA4

The missing airman has been rescued by the US thankfully. He was injured but is doing well.
Huge relief for Trump whose unnecessary war caused the situation and put his people's lives at risk.

Ah, that's good to hear. A relief for him - and his family who must've been nerve-wracked wondering about the "what-ifs".

And, dare I say, a relief for many of us who are increasingly alarmed at Trump's outbursts which quite clearly are not the result of reasoned or judicious thinking.

I bet the special operations team who rescued him are feeling pretty thankful it's over too, I know they're highly trained, but still...