Well, at least compared to Vietnam so far the number of deaths has been fewer.  They used to report 1000s daily back then.  So far supposedly its around 2000 for the whole 5 weeks.

I don't really believe in the futurist robot war idea, but I'm sure Elon does.

RE

And from a MAGA rag.



As far as MAGA is concerned, glory was had.

There is something fishy about planes destroyed on the ground because they did not have room to take off.  How did they land? And nobody got hurt in any of this.  Helicopters lost?  I hope they find them!

This is very hard to believe.

THE MISSING LINK: HELICOPTER CREWS AND UNACCOUNTED CASUALTIES

Destroyed helicopters (MH-6 Little Birds) and transport planes (MC-130Js) require crews. The official "zero casualty" claim does not explain where those crews went.  Captured, killed, or evacuated, without explanation we have a few possibilities here.

• Four MH-6 Little Birds destroyed — each requires 2 pilots (approx. 8 personnel unaccounted for)
  
• Two MC-130Js destroyed on ground — each requires approx. 5 crew (approx. 10 personnel unaccounted for)
  
• U.S. government states "zero killed or wounded" but does not explicitly state all crews were evacuated
  
• Iranian and Yemeni media report U.S. casualties (9 killed, 7 injured) — unverified by U.S. sources
  
• Fox News and CBS News initially reported "several special forces members injured" — later downplayed
  
• Possible explanations:
  
  
  • Crews evacuated by three replacement C-130s before destruction (unconfirmed)
    
  • U.S. defining "casualty" narrowly as "killed in action," excluding wounded
    
  • Casualties occurring but not yet disclosed to public
    
  • Crews captured by Iranian forces — no evidence provided by Iran
    

Conclusion: The "zero casualty" claim is mathematically possible only if every crew member was safely extracted before their aircraft was destroyed. No source has confirmed this evacuation occurred.

Eighteen missing crew members is not the same thing as loosing track of people in a shopping mall.  But it seems I may be the only one who thinks this way.

Quoteeverybody hides in bunkers while the robots duke it out,

No dead grunts, but plenty of dead civilians.  War will always escalate to death.  I do not see a way around that fact.  Ukraine has lost half their young men.  Russia has lost more men in total, but Russia is more able to absorb losses.  Robot dog and pony shows sort of push those facts under the carpet.  Make the death invisible,  and there will be more of it. 

Trump's war is like no war that America has fought since the Mexican American War of 1846.  That too was raw aggression.  And the US would probably owe reparations to Mexico if that war had happened in the 20th century.  But that was then and this is now.

This war is an Attila the Hun war.  Rape and pillage by America in a country that only has defensive weapons.  We are the Hun.  America kills because it can, and there is no other reason.  Only fools think there is another reason.

QuoteOne envisions a future where only the Elite survive in their compounds, each with their own armies of air, land and sea drones to fight and farming and worker robots growing the food and building toys for peacetime and soldier robots during wartime.

Entropy says no.  We could make a good movie about this, but the reality is we are now experiencing the collapse of complex civilization.  Trump puts America in the final act.

Quote from: RE on Apr 05, 2026, 07:29 AMI know all of you and him and he has gone insane, and all of you are complicit. I'm not defending Iran but let's be honest about all of this.

The Strait is closed because the US and Israel started the unprovoked war against Iran based on the same nuclear lies they've been telling for decades, that any moment Iran would develop a nuclear weapon.

You know who has nuclear weapons? Israel. They are more than capable of defending themselves without the US having to fight their wars, kill innocent people and children, and pay for it. Trump threatening to bomb power plants and bridges hurts the Iranian people, the very people Trump claimed he was freeing.

Can't wait to see how the cheerleaders on Faux Newz try to spin this one.

RE

Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am

Every Republican in the White House should pray for forgiveness, and most of the Democrats should too.

Trump does not think critically, and considering he is the president of the US, and has functional illiteracy he can't understand what he needs to for the job.
If a president can't do more than understand 'See Jane Run" that means he can't read.

Your wording suggests that because he can't read he can think critically.  That makes no sense, and in fact reading enhances one's ability to think critically.  In general readers have larger intellectual worlds than non-readers.  There is a relationship.


Saying "some can read, some can't, but either can think critically" is misleading, because the ability to comprehend complex written material is prerequisite for most forms of informed, analytical thought.  Especially in areas like policy, law, international affairs, and being chief executive of the United States.

Someone who can only read "See Jane Run" has extremely limited cognitive inputs for decision-making at the presidential level.  Just being able to read Heinlein does not cut it at the presidential level, and I doubt Trump can even read Heinlein.  If he ever could, those days are behind him.

The Psycho-in-Chief has officially gone off his rocker! lol.  EVEN MTG sez:

I know all of you and him and he has gone insane, and all of you are complicit. I'm not defending Iran but let's be honest about all of this.

The Strait is closed because the US and Israel started the unprovoked war against Iran based on the same nuclear lies they've been telling for decades, that any moment Iran would develop a nuclear weapon.

You know who has nuclear weapons? Israel. They are more than capable of defending themselves without the US having to fight their wars, kill innocent people and children, and pay for it. Trump threatening to bomb power plants and bridges hurts the Iranian people, the very people Trump claimed he was freeing.

Can't wait to see how the cheerleaders on Faux Newz try to spin this one.

Will the Generals follow his orders to commit what are explicitly War Crimes?  Will any Repugnant CONgress Critters grow a backbone and join in an Impeachment vote?  Stay Tuned.

RE

Quote from: K-Dog on Apr 04, 2026, 06:32 PMBut did Trump ever read Heinlein?
When he could read.[/color]

I thought it was common knowledge that Trump doesn't read, so the most likely answer is, even though he can, he doesn't in general.

But such designed ignorance isn't a surprise, recently we discussed folks with PhDs who can certainly read, and do, but then demonstrate they can't think their way out of a wet paper bag.

Some can read, some can't. Either of these skills don't preclude someone from being able to think, critically, with purpose, to solve a problem or find a correct solution. 

Turning the war into a technological contest.  Victor Pavlov, a lieutenant with Ukraine's 3rd army corps.  Showed off Ukraine's newest and most versatile weapon: a battery-powered land robot.  The unmanned ground vehicles come in various shapes and sizes. One runs on caterpillar tracks and resembles a roofless milk float. Another has wheels and antennas. A third carries anti-tank mines. Since spring 2024 their use has grown exponentially.  "This is what modern warfare looks like. Armies everywhere will have to robotise," said Pavlov.

So, everybody hides in bunkers while the robots duke it out, blowing up the infrastructure on both sides until the food & water in the bunkers runs out.  Modern siege warfare essentially.  No dead grunts, no death at all until the population starts dying from thirst and starvation.

On the upside, much smaller armies of meat packages necessary and no draft.  Downside, without the blood and guts and death, there's less revulsion towards war, at least as long as the food and water holds out.  Also, much higher costs for rebuilding after the war is over, since you have far more destruction of infrastructure.

One envisions a future where only the Elite survive in their compounds, each with their own armies of air, land and sea drones to fight and farming and worker robots growing the food and building toys for peacetime and soldier robots during wartime.

RE

Convincing an Iranian that Trump would kill an American is likely not hard to do.  And many Americans now know that Trump will.

















Gotta hit those terrorist bases ya know !  They might have nuclear materials in the roof of  the Green Palace.  Something they don't show in the visitors guide.

• EXCLUSIVE: Demetri Lceris on US/Israeli Strikes in Iran – Damage to Historical Sites at Saadabad and Golestan Palaces
  Reporter: Demetri Lceris | Outlet: Reason to Resist
  Date of Recording: March 22, 2026 and April 4, 2026 | Location: Island of Crete (Greece) and Tehran (Iran)
  
  1. INTRODUCTION & CONTEXT OF THE REPORT
  Reporter Demetri Lceris introduces his final report from Iran from the Greek island of Crete, near the Souda naval base where the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is stationed. He states that the US and Israel have already lost the war of aggression against Iran. The report focuses on damage to Iranian cultural heritage sites caused by US/Israeli bombardments.
  
  Key Facts:
  
  • Reporter: Demetri Lceris
    
  • Location of introduction: Island of Crete, Greece (near Souda naval base)
    
  • Date of introduction: April 4, 2026
    
  • French aircraft carrier: Charles de Gaulle (arrived April 2, departing April 7 for Eastern Mediterranean)
    
  • Date of Tehran visit: March 22, 2026
    
  • Sites damaged: Saadabad Palace complex (80 hectares) and Golestan Palace
    
  2. DAMAGE TO SAADABAD PALACE COMPLEX (NORTHERN TEHRAN)
  The Saadabad complex, built in part by the Pahlavi monarchs, includes the Green Palace (belonging to the Shah's father) and the White Palace (the Shah's own residence). The complex also contains natural forest, galleries, and museums. The reporter notes the irony that the US and Israel damaged the heritage of their "puppet," Reza Pahlavi.
  
  Key Damage Details
  
  • Windows blown out, glass on floor
  • Roof lifted and came back down due to explosion (seen on CCTV)
  • Six 2,000-lb bunker busters detonated approximately 700 meters away
  • Blast had a measurable seismic impact (described as "earthquake magnitude")
  • Three main palaces heavily impacted; 100 other buildings had minor impacts
  • Missile/bomb fragments found up to 2 kilometers from blast site
  • Trees 150+ years old damaged by shrapnel
  • Internationally recognized blue shield symbol (cultural heritage site) was present but did not prevent damage
  
  3. DAMAGE TO GOLESTAN PALACE (CENTRAL TEHRAN)
  The Golestan Palace, approximately 150 years old, was damaged as collateral from a strike on a nearby judiciary building. The reporter states he saw no evidence the judiciary building had a military purpose.
  
  Specific Damage
  
  • Tomb of King Naser al-Din Shah destroyed (only a thin layer of shards remains)
  • Marble throne room – stained glass windows (handmade, 150 years old) shattered
  • Wooden mirror work and inlaid panels (handmade without machinery) heavily damaged
  • Ceiling windows broken
  
  4. POLITICAL COMMENTARY AND CRITICISM
  The reporter makes strongly worded statements against US and Israeli policy, as well as against Reza Pahlavi (the late Shah's son).
  
  Statements of Note
  
  • Accuses the West of wanting to "extract all of your wealth" and make Iranians "slaves of the Jewish supremacists"
  • Claims Reza Pahlavi has remained silent about damage to his own dynasty's heritage
  • Suggests Pahlavi might welcome the destruction as an opportunity for "major renovations" (sarcastic tone)
  • States the US and Israel have "already lost" the war of aggression
  
  5. CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT PROVIDED
  Guides and the reporter provide historical background on the sites.
  
  Green Palace
  
  • Belonged to the Shah's father
  
  White Palace (Millet Palace)
  
  • Belonged to the Shah himself
  • Ceiling features paintings of Persian mythological figures including Arash the Archer
  • The reporter draws a parallel between Arash's arrow and Iran's ballistic missiles
  
  Golestan Palace
  
  • Constructed approximately 150 years ago
  • Marble throne of King Naser al-Din Shah
  • Handmade stained glass and woodwork without machinery
  
  KEY DATA SUMMARY
  
  • Date of report: April 4, 2026 (intro/outro) / March 22, 2026 (Tehran footage)
    
  • Location of damage: Tehran, Iran (Saadabad complex and Golestan Palace)
    
  • Size of Saadabad complex: 80 hectares
    
  • Bunker busters used: Six 2,000-lb bombs
    
  • Distance from blast to Green Palace: Approximately 700 meters
    
  • Fragments found up to: 2 kilometers away
    
  • Buildings impacted at Saadabad: 100+ (three main palaces heavily, others minor)
    
  • Age of Golestan Palace: Approximately 150 years
    
  • Age of damaged trees: 150+ years (planted under Shah's grandfather)
    
  • International symbol present: Blue shield for cultural heritage (ignored)
    
  • Nearby target (Golestan): Judiciary building (catastrophic damage)
    
  • French carrier departure: April 7, 2026 (to Eastern Mediterranean)
    
  
  End of Extraction
  

Trump cosplays 'Starship Troopers'.

Rico is already in motion, bounding ahead in long jumps, when he selects his target: a large civilian structure, built for mass gatherings with a capacity fifty thousand.  It is at full capacity.

His suit feeds him the firing solution. He launches a small nuclear charge. Two grams of uranium, confined in a tensor field, at the right instant it tightens to critical mass.

Rico doesn't pause to look back. He is already on the next jump, vectoring toward the collection point.  Back to the mothership. By the time the projectile arrives, Rico has turned away already on his next bound. The detonation registers only a flash over his shoulder, muted by his suit's shielding.

Rico has moved on. The target is no longer a thought to him.  His mission is done.

But did Trump ever read Heinlein?

When he could read.