No New Wars!

[gil]

I know that a lot of people are going to dismiss anything from CNN. I'm willing to read and think about ideas from a lot of sources, including CNN.

They have an "analysis" today that argues that Trump, not Netanyahu, is calling the shots in the Middle East. They cite the cease fires in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza -- all of which they say Israel opposed -- as Netanyahu following rather than leading.

They do say that Netanyahu convinced Trump to make the original strikes on Iran, but this description is far from the narrative that Netanyahu is the puppeteer who has Trump doing his bidding.

Thoughts?

https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/17/middleea ... latam-intl

[douche]

There are millions of rabbit holes a person could go down, and CNN probably has a million of their own. We'll never really know what's going on because we're being played. Everyone has an agenda, and nobody will ever figure it out. The news should never be construed as anything more than entertainment. Or distraction. And politics is the worst theater.

Here's a snippet from the Independent: During a Thursday event intended to promote the Republican tax agenda, President Donald Trump seemed to veer off script, riffing about how he had never heard the term “corner store” and calling the inflation that resulted from the Iran war “fake.”

It's pure theater (combined with a massive ego, elements of narcissism and delusions of grandeur). It cannot be taken seriously. Ever. But the worst part is that people like this can do a lot of damage.

I don't spend too much time on this stuff because, well, I have a job and a life to live (and taxes to pay). I just don't have the time for it.

[Donn Beach]

Plastic Surgeon Walks Us Through Trump's Ear Injury One Year After Assassination Attempt

Donald Trump was addressing a crowd during a campaign stop on July 13, 2024, when 20-year-old Thomas Crooks shot him and missed, grazing instead the upper portion of Trump's right ear. Looking at photos of the divisive politician today, Dr. Frederick Weniger, a board-certified plastic surgeon, exclusively confirmed that his wound seems to have healed fully. "The skin looks smooth and there's no obvious sign of active redness or swelling to suggest healing problems," he pointed out. "There is some bumpiness at the back edge of the top of the ear (where the majority of the injury was), and there is also a slight depression in the front where the rim of the ear attaches to the side of the face."

Zooming in on the site more, the South Carolina-based surgeon noticed a slight distortion along the outer edge of Trump's ear, where he was shot. The area doesn't quite match the other side, likely due to tissue "being lost, repaired, or repositioned" during the healing process. The expert also observed a slight difference in the president's skin color and its texture on his wounded ear, suggesting the possibility of skin grafting or flap closure.

However, he doesn't believe any reconstructive surgery was performed. Instead, the doctor reckons there's a good chance the president let his scar heal on its own. Some light makeup may have also been used to conceal or reduce the appearance of any scarring. "The final appearance is impressive considering the high-energy injury," Weniger stressed. "The outcome looks stable, and from a distance, most people wouldn't notice anything unusual."

Yeah, I had just noticed its kinda a thing, it does seem impressive. Some on the right would be going nuts with conspiracy theories if it had been Biden with the impressive recovery

What's really impressive is Holyfields ear, Tyson really did take a bite out of it. I always thought of that as an exaggeration

Some on the right would be going nuts with conspiracy theories if it had been Biden with the impressive recovery

So, in other words, you're accusing 'the right" of doing the exact same thing you're doing. Funny how it's "a thing" for you when others do it, but not when you do it. Are you familiar with the term "hypocrite"?

Where did I say a thing about a conspiracy? I said its interesting how well Donald's ear recovered. It's really impossible to be a conspiracy

[Donn Beach]

I know that a lot of people are going to dismiss anything from CNN. I'm willing to read and think about ideas from a lot of sources, including CNN.

They have an "analysis" today that argues that Trump, not Netanyahu, is calling the shots in the Middle East. They cite the cease fires in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza -- all of which they say Israel opposed -- as Netanyahu following rather than leading.

They do say that Netanyahu convinced Trump to make the original strikes on Iran, but this description is far from the narrative that Netanyahu is the puppeteer who has Trump doing his bidding.

Thoughts?
2
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/17/middleea ... latam-intl

It sounds to me like the original plan to create a situation leading to the collapse of Iranian regime came from the israelis. It seems reasonable with how the intelligence systems work. Trump bought in to their intelligence package. The Israelis will believe they have the stronger Iranian intelligence. But things haven't been going well for Trump and he's certainly not going to be led around by his nose in a situation like that. He's looking for a way out. I think it's obvious he announced the Lebanon truce without the Israelis knowing about it. He's not concerned about the Israelis or the strait of Hormuz at this point, what he's concerned about is getting things straightened out before the midterms. It seems pretty obvious to me actually

[Bil522]

I know that a lot of people are going to dismiss anything from CNN. I'm willing to read and think about ideas from a lot of sources, including CNN.

They have an "analysis" today that argues that Trump, not Netanyahu, is calling the shots in the Middle East. They cite the cease fires in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza -- all of which they say Israel opposed -- as Netanyahu following rather than leading.

They do say that Netanyahu convinced Trump to make the original strikes on Iran, but this description is far from the narrative that Netanyahu is the puppeteer who has Trump doing his bidding.

Thoughts?

https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/17/middleea ... latam-intl

I don't think anyone can control Trump enough to be the puppeteer, however I do think that Trump, like all of us, can be misled into believing something. This really is not a war. It is funny how the Progressives forget that Obama did almost the exact same thing in Syria, but you never hear about that being called a war. Here are a couple of things that were misjudged by Trump. One, the Iranian people, who had been loudly and violently protesting the Iranian government, have not come out in droves to take over the government behind the US and Isralei forces. I believe Trump really thought they would rise up and overthrow the government. Second, Trump was led to believe that our military was stronger than what they have showed so far. Not that they have been weak, but the mines should have been thought about and we had sweepers in place as the first attacks happened. And the Iranian missiles should have been known and accounted for by the military and taken care of in the first strikes.

[Donn Beach]

I know that a lot of people are going to dismiss anything from CNN. I'm willing to read and think about ideas from a lot of sources, including CNN.

They have an "analysis" today that argues that Trump, not Netanyahu, is calling the shots in the Middle East. They cite the cease fires in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza -- all of which they say Israel opposed -- as Netanyahu following rather than leading.

They do say that Netanyahu convinced Trump to make the original strikes on Iran, but this description is far from the narrative that Netanyahu is the puppeteer who has Trump doing his bidding.

Thoughts?

https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/17/middleea ... latam-intl

I don't think anyone can control Trump enough to be the puppeteer, however I do think that Trump, like all of us, can be misled into believing something. This really is not a war. It is funny how the Progressives forget that Obama did almost the exact same thing in Syria, but you never hear about that being called a war. Here are a couple of things that were misjudged by Trump. One, the Iranian people, who had been loudly and violently protesting the Iranian government, have not come out in droves to take over the government behind the US and Isralei forces. I believe Trump really thought they would rise up and overthrow the government. Second, Trump was led to believe that our military was stronger than what they have showed so far. Not that they have been weak, but the mines should have been thought about and we had sweepers in place as the first attacks happened. And the Iranian missiles should have been known and accounted for by the military and taken care of in the first strikes.

I don't think it's about progressives, it's about popular opinion. Trump is being questioned as much from the right as the left. Isolationism is more rightest in my opinion, Trump had campaigned on the position of not getting involved in international situations. Believe that's been confusing to some of his constituency. That's been the deal with the neocons, it tended to run against republican doctrine. Trump was supposedly going to return to the concept of no international intrigues.

And if Trump doesn't want it being characterized as a war he shouldn't talk about unconditional surrender and winning it. I think he's perfectly happy with it being a war.

[Donn Beach]

This competing strait blockading is getting confusing

[bpj]

I know that a lot of people are going to dismiss anything from CNN. I'm willing to read and think about ideas from a lot of sources, including CNN.

They have an "analysis" today that argues that Trump, not Netanyahu, is calling the shots in the Middle East. They cite the cease fires in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza -- all of which they say Israel opposed -- as Netanyahu following rather than leading.

They do say that Netanyahu convinced Trump to make the original strikes on Iran, but this description is far from the narrative that Netanyahu is the puppeteer who has Trump doing his bidding.

Thoughts?

https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/17/middleea ... latam-intl

Israel not only opposed the ceasefires, they broke them. As always.

They just kept bombing.

And Trump's their bitch so he doesn't do anything but shift the goalposts.

How is America benefitting from any of this? That's how you can know Netanyahu's calling the shots.

Trump obviously wants to change course, but Israel wont let him, they just keep bombing when he says there's a ceasfire.

[Donn Beach]

That's a good point, Trump isn't controlling the Israelis anymore than they are controlling him. I think the fact that Trump isn't actually in charge makes him appear to be their bitch. Think about it, when America gets involved in a deal like this, think Bush senior or junior it's clearly America that's in charge. But this deal, and I've been pondering on it seems like some strange tag team.

Why is that, I think it's poor planning on Trumps part. He misses the intricacies of a complex operation that is attacking another country. In that sense the Israelis probably played him. And the Iranians are playing him now diplomaticly.

And again why, I look at the people he has around him. We get hung up on the personality but it's really the entire organization. You look at presidents getting elected, left or right they at least tend to install competent people to actually run things. Trump has a talk show host as his secretary of defense, he sends his son in law to negotiate with the Iranians.

I have my issues with Trump but I think that's what it really is. Whatever our disagreements might be, have the sense to have competent advisors and listen to them. That to me is where I think he's really fallen down on this thing.

[douche]

And again why, I look at the people he has around him. We get hung up on the personality but it's really the entire organization. You look at presidents getting elected, left or right they at least tend to install competent people to actually run things. Trump has a talk show host as his secretary of defense, he sends his son in law to negotiate with the Iranians.

I have my issues with Trump but I think that's what it really is. Whatever our disagreements might be, have the sense to have competent advisors and listen to them. That to me is where I think he's really fallen down on this thing.

Agreed.