The War Thread | We Are All Going To Die

[John Arne]

Don's boys have fired a few missiles into Pakistan today, which will surely not lead to anything more major...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/16/iran-launches-airstrikes-on-sunni-militant-bases-in-pakistan

Russia is trying it's best to destroy all things Ukrainian.

Israel's genocidal onslaught in Palestine continues.

The UK is sending a couple of boats to Guyana after Venezuela announced it's intentions to annex the northern part of the country.

The US and UK are just about to smash the shit out of some goat herders, or Houthi's, as they like to be called.

In more minor war news, Myanmar is still having a 'to do' with itself, some nonsense in North Africa with the Maghreb mob, and Sudan continues to punch itself in the face.


How do we stop all of this shit? It's all very depressing.

[Don]

There's a recurring participant and active party in all of the above. The downfall of empires is often violent :drool:

On the positive, the US, and its bitch, UK, have managed to bring peace to Yemen through their incompetence :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

The only empire in the Middle East is the one started by the kiddly-fiddler-in-chief in the 7th century.

[Yevrah]

Peace to Yemen? Do I finally get to visit Socotra?

[Spikey M]

I'm not saying everything is shit, but global peace is certainly "worse".

[niko_cee]

On the subject of Myanmar I was reading a preview of this book (https://www.iconbooks.com/ib-title/narcotopia/) the other day which sounds fascinating.

[Yevrah]

I'm not saying everything is shit, but global peace is certainly "worse".

Worse than when? When I was a child my parents were being told to whitewash their windows to stave off the radiation from the incoming nuke.

[niko_cee]

When was the last time the UK was actually 'AT WAR'? The Second Iraq War? Did we dodge Syria/Lybia/Arab Spring wars? Feels like, if that is the case, then it's been quite a long run without one. They usually rolled along every 10 years or so before - Gulf War 1, Falklands War, I assume we didn't wet our beaks in Vietnam but I guess you could Cold War the whole period.

[Spikey M]

Worse than when? When I was a child my parents were being told to whitewash their windows to stave off the radiation from the incoming nuke.

Than most of my life. I don't recall there being this many interlinked conflicts kicking off. Not that had the potential to drag us in to it, anyway. (Not including the Afghanistan and Iraq "peace missions" obviously)

[Waffdon]

Spikey being dramatic again, troops.

[SincereTheRebel]

Where do i invest my money to line my own pockets?

[Spikey M]

Spikey being dramatic again, troops.

Read the thread title.

[Waffdon]

I’ll be swinging past your neck of the woods next Friday, we can hug it out if need be. Everything will be okay.

[Spikey M]

We'll all be dead by then.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think there are various countries/tinpot dictators who have been emboldened by Putin's flagrant attempt to invade another country's sovereign territory and, whilst I wouldn't say 'get away with it' as Russia has become a pariah state and had to retreat back into Soviet mode, not be forced from his perch immediately as a result. Annexation is back in vogue I suppose.

It's also a great way to fire up populations behind you, rather than say providing food, water or housing in sufficient quantities.

[Lofty]

War economy baby, bring on the 10p Freddos.

[Boydy]

It's also a great way to fire up populations behind you, rather than say providing food, water or housing in sufficient quantities.
Tory government to invade the republic of Ireland next week then.

[Raoul Duke]

The Argie guy definitely has it in him for some Falklands-related banter

[Shindig]

Let's just send Lord Miles (and the numerous copycat twats) with a vest full of thermite.

[Giggles]

Tory government to invade the republic of Ireland next week then.

The way things are here I'd nearly welcome it.

[Disco]

As close to a cry for help as Giggles can get, should we send someone round in the van to check on him?

[Lofty]

People lol at the Argie guy like he wouldn't return a 100 seat majority here with his antics.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Thing about Milei is that unlike Trump and other clowns, he is an economics professor who is following a serious agenda with academic basis. Whether it is a good or successful agenda who knows, but it's contrary to, say, Donald never having read a book in his life.

[Boydy]

Iran and Pakistan having a go at each other now. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68014882)

[Jimmy Floyd]

Iran are having a fairly serious crack at the Iraqi Kurds as well, I'm told, via impeccable sources.

[Don]

We bomb Baloch separatists in Pakistan so Pakistan respond by bombing Baloch separatists :D

[Dquincy]

How do we stop all of this shit? It's all very depressing.

Who's this "we" you're talking about. I hope it's not TTH as you lot couldn't bring peace to a creche, let alone the world.

[Lofty]

We don't even want peace on the board.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think it behooves us to form a TTH special operation to achieve world peace. We'll probably have to run everything through Lewis, as the only one with access to military intelligence / large ships and guns, and he is also the biggest fan of war, so there's work to do but not impossible.

[Lewis]

I'm not sure the United Kingdom is ready for the aggro that would accompany Pakistan getting into a war with somebody. The 'Iranian community' is pretty small and concentrated, so they could expect to get their restaurants smashed in; but if it ever went up with India it's hard to see how the police could expect to retain control of somewhere like Leicester.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Modi probably has about 300 sleeper cells in Britain prepared for such an eventuality. Codeword goes out and every famous British Pakistani gets a bullet in the, er, temple.

[John Arne]

This will not lead to anything, but the Fil's and Chinese Coast Guard at it again...

1764832675830088025

More cameras than guns.

[Jimmy Floyd]

China is so fucked now that nothing would surprise me.

[John Arne]

I mean you arm Israel to the teeth, allow them to commit genocide... This all feels kinda inevitable.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkjOffe6bG4

[Giggles]

There's a lot to be said for completely wiping Israel off the face of the earth, it's just a pity it wouldn't end there.

[Kikó]

What possible things could be said on wiping a country and people of the face of the earth?

[Giggles]

They seem to be happy enough going at it themselves.

[Don]

In the barren wasteland devoid of humanity, concerns about human costs are as futile as echoes in the void brother Kiko. Keep calm and support Ukraine/Biden, please.

What a result, minimal drones required to get through Iron Dome with well-targeted missiles. Biden's statement seems to be very defensive too so only response may come from Bibi being a maniac which is obviously a given but drink it in.

1779322313910923557

[Spikey M]

Are there any polls on the average Brits view on what's going on in Israel/Palestine?

At a guess, I would say the majority under 50 are opposed to what Israel are doing, and those over 50 support it. Our Government - and by extension Iran and others - must be aware of this, right?

I have nothing but hatred for the ruling classes of this country and would be unlikely to fight unless Ze Germans were stood looking over from Calais again. Never mind fighting in support of a genocide.

The same will be true in America and across the west, I imagine. I think civil wars and coups are on the cards at some point. Probably not here. We're too British. But in Europe and America I don't think conscription would go the way they want it to, and these chickenhawk cunts must be aware of it.

[Spikey M]

At a guess, I would say the majority under 50 are opposed to what Israel are doing, and those over 50 support it.

1777620208619782270?t=B-3uIGsgwFmevLvFSHAqDQ&s=19

This suggests I'm correct in that assumption.

[Don]

See Labour's shit performance at GE for further confirmation.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Are there any polls on the average Brits view on what's going on in Israel/Palestine?

Other than Muslims, most don't care, except that the longer it goes on as a one-sided massacre, the less they are going to support Israel, which you can see being borne out in the opinion polls on the subject.

The difference between Muslim Brits and the average Brit is that even if they hold the same view on the subject ('Israel should stop bombing Gaza'), for the former it is the number one issue that matters in the world, even if they will never visit Palestine or have family from there, whereas for the latter it comes 15th behind cost of living, housing, NHS, etc etc. Both groups find it extremely difficult to understand the other's position, even though they basically think the same thing.

That is why Starmer's approach to the matter is as it is, he can deal with losing the votes of 50,000 Muslims, particularly as they are all piled up in just a few places.

[Jimmy Floyd]

As for conscription, it's not the early 20th century so wars aren't fought by just chucking thousands of young men at the problem, unless you're Russia or a similar callous culture in which the individual's life is not seen as important. Even in WWII the Allies didn't really do this other than when absolutely necessary, as in certain places the fanatical Nazis and Japanese needed to be drawn out of their positions and there's no other way of doing that other than sending boots in.

The only time people will get called up by a western country is when, as in Ukraine, national survival is at stake. If you still won't fight when national survival is at stake then you are basically a waste of air and shouldn't be in the given country anyway.

[Spikey M]

You say that, but we have the head of our Armed Forces standing in Parliament bringing up conscription, despite enemy forces posing us no direct threat at the moment.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/24/army-chief-says-people-of-uk-are-prewar-generation-who-must-be-ready-to-fight-russia

Whilst we may have a more modern military than 1939, there is no fighting a world war without manpower. Manpower that would be completely unwilling to fight in this war. So why the fuck are we involving ourselves? And on the wrong side, at that.

[Shindig]

Who really wants one, though? There's not a force big enough to really kick one off.

[Spikey M]

Who really wants one, though? There's not a force big enough to really kick one off.

This stuff rarely comes from desire. WW1 happened because a load of nations signed treaties with each other and were forced to act in line with them.

WW2 was similar, albeit, we tried not to honour said treaties until there was no alternative.

Everyone is hypermindful of NATO etc at the moment, but in theory it only takes one unwise bullet and we're at war whether we want to be or not.

[Lewis]

We have a nuclear capability for matters of 'national survival'. Anything and everything else would just be getting turned into breadcrumbs for the triple lock and illegal immigrants.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why would there be a world war? I don't understand this at all. It's another in the long line of conflicts between Israel and the Muslim world.

[Spikey M]

Why would there be a world war? I don't understand this at all. It's another in the long line of conflicts between Israel and the Muslim world.

I'm not saying there will be. Just that we are on the wrong side of history at the moment and if this did develop into a wider conflict, there would be few that would fight for this. Iran will know that and it's likely why they're happy to launch attacks. Our Government will also know that, which makes me wonder why they are acting as if they don't.

It's a matter of time until the next David Amess and zero tears will be shed.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If we're on the opposite 'side of history' (ludicrous concept) to Islamic theocracies, Putin and the Chinese Communist Party then we're doing the right thing. People lose perspective so easily.

[Spikey M]

If we're on the opposite 'side of history' (ludicrous concept) to Islamic theocracies, Putin and the Chinese Communist Party then we're doing the right thing. People lose perspective so easily.

We're on the side of history that's currently carrying out a genocide. Putin also being a cunt doesn't detract from that. It is possible to not take a side and be against both the invasion of Ukraine and the invasion of Gaza. I imagine most people are.

[Don]

Jimmy can you change your password mate, Melanie Phillips can set herself up with her own account, ta.

Fucking making out like Israel has nothing to do with US/UK and that they're completely detached from all this :D

[Don]

1779414948109516870

The home truths hurt.

[Lewis]

I'm quite happy to sell Israel whatever it needs for its durable peace in the Holy Land, but we shouldn't be shooting things down for them, and I would like to know what has been authorised on that front.

[Foe]

Surprised so many people are on the side of Iran here.

What do you think Israel should do to return their civilian hostages, spikey?

I don’t quite get what the alternative for them for an enemy that’s buried themselves below ground and in and around civilian populations.

I agree many wouldn’t want to go to fight any Middle East based conflict, but they would if European security was under threat from an expansionist regime.

There is no good side here.

[Spikey M]

Surprised so many people are on the side of Iran here.

What do you think Israel should do to return their civilian hostages, spikey?

I don’t quite get what the alternative for them for an enemy that’s buried themselves below ground and in and around civilian populations.

I agree many wouldn’t want to go to fight any Middle East based conflict, but they would if European security was under threat from an expansionist regime.

There is no good side here.

I doubt many are left alive and those that are probably aren't being best served by relentless explosions going on all around them. Firstly, the explosions could kill them, along with a load of women and children. Secondly, when said women and children are killed, what do you think happens to any remaining Jews they have locked up somewhere? Nothing good, I imagine.

Answers are to be found around a table. The current state of affairs achieves nothing but death, suffering and the continuation of generational hatred.

That doesn't make me on the side of Iran, mind. More dead civilians does not improve the situation.

[Bernanke]

I find the Iran/Israel thing fascinating because of simple geographics. How do you even practically wage war with a country you have 2-3 other countries between as a buffer? Would it just be Israel doing airstrikes and Iran lobbing ballistic missiles for months?

No country other than the US really has the ability to force project far beyond their borders, Russia has shown us that in Ukraine, the logistics just aren't there at scale.

[Adramelch]

Surprised so many people are on the side of Iran here.

What do you think Israel should do to return their civilian hostages, spikey?

I don’t quite get what the alternative for them for an enemy that’s buried themselves below ground and in and around civilian populations.

I agree many wouldn’t want to go to fight any Middle East based conflict, but they would if European security was under threat from an expansionist regime.

There is no good side here.

Haven't they themselves killed more than have been released or sumshit? Let's not pretend what Israel's been doing has anything to do with hostages.

[Spikey M]

Quite. If your family had been taken hostage, would your favoured method of saving them be what Israel is doing? I doubt it.

[Foe]

What were the demands of hamas for hostages being released before the fighting kicked off?

[Don]

Foe, lad, we are not Hamas and yesterday's attack was a direct retaliation to our consulate being attacked in Syria by these terrorists in a strike that had nothing to do with the hostages. HTH.

[Foe]

Just for a walk outside pal, you’re losing grip of reality.

[Boydy]

Just for a walk outside pal, you’re losing grip of reality.

He's completely right there. Israel struck Iran first. This has nothing to do with hostages held by Hamas.

[Don]

Fucking thicko :D

[Adramelch]

He's completely right there. Israel struck Iran first. This has nothing to do with hostages held by Hamas.

And an embassy at that, which you'd think is a bit of a no-no.

[niko_cee]

Wasn't it a consulate? Although I have no idea if that matters or is different. Isn't an Embassy theoretically the territory of the owning nation, whereas I guess the consulate isn't?

[Foe]

Painting Iran as a victim is just a startling view I wasn’t expecting to read, bar from Taz who has been demonstrating quite worrying posts for some time.

[Ben]

Embassy is literally next door to the consulate.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The 'who started it' discourse is so irrelevant, this is a conflict that's been ongoing between Israel and the Muslim world for 75 years, as Palestine fans were very keen to point out with the 'this didn't start on Oct 7' rhetoric but seemingly less so now.

[Adramelch]

Painting Iran as a victim is just a startling view I wasn’t expecting to read, bar from Taz who has been demonstrating quite worrying posts for some time.

For what it's worth I don't think Iran is the victim, and as Jimmy says it's something that's been going on for decades, but Israel definitely can't play the victim card either, which is what they've been doing so far.

[Foe]

As I said earlier - there is no good side here. And both sides can’t see it that way.

[Spikey M]

Both sides think God is on their side and the other side has stolen their holy land. I doubt there's a long term workable solution that would make everyone happy. So yeah, this is the Middle East for centuries to come, most likely

[Adramelch]

That said, in this particular conflict it could be argued that only one side has committed what could described as several war crimes, and that's why people tend to be generally more against them (rather than supportive of Iran).

[Foe]

I’m not sure fighting an enemy hidden underground in and around civilian populations lends itself to much that has been governed under the rules of war previously.

It’s a hideous situation for everyone and the civilians are the ones most hurt. In my view, that’s not to say the “aggressor” in that area is entirely in the wrong. They believe their anctions are being dictated by their enemy strategy.

[Adramelch]

They've been hitting hospitals, UN facilities, charity organizations and whatnot. While I am certain Hamas is taking advantage of all that, and Israel are using that as their excuse, that doesn't mean it's justified.

[Don]

Serves the fucking "non-aggresors" right for hemming themselves into such a well-fortified defensive area with the population density of London and then inviting a bombing campaign by being all "non-aggressive".

Foe, what info have you consumed to arrive at such a position? Fascinating to study how a seemingly objective person gets to where you've found yourself in today's climate.

[Bernanke]

I’m not sure fighting an enemy hidden underground in and around civilian populations lends itself to much that has been governed under the rules of war previously.

It’s a hideous situation for everyone and the civilians are the ones most hurt. In my view, that’s not to say the “aggressor” in that area is entirely in the wrong. They believe their anctions are being dictated by their enemy strategy.

What's a reasonable civilian to militant kill ratio in a situation like this would you say? And what ratio do you think Israel has operated on so far? The answer is known, I'm just curious what you consider to be proper "rules of war" in this case.

[Foe]

What's a reasonable civilian to militant kill ratio in a situation like this would you say? And what ratio do you think Israel has operated on so far? The answer is known, I'm just curious what you consider to be proper "rules of war" in this case.

As I articulated earlier, I don’t think there’s a norm for this scenario, it seems a bit unprecedented. I’m no history buff though, you tell me similar scenarios in history and educate me on what would be acceptable for militants hidden underground amongst densely populated civilian populations. Whether you agree or disagree with what’s been unfolding, I think it’s unreasonable to classify one sides actions as war crimes when in reality it’s cause and consequence together by two baddies and the civilian population caught in the middle.

But hey, that’s just my take. I have no skin in the game and would prefer it was all resolved around a table which appears to becoming less and less likely.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's defo war crimes. However, war crimes are determined post hoc by the winning side in a conflict so more or less a meaningless term in practice, as with all aspects of international law.

[Luke Emia]

There's a lot to be said for completely wiping Israel off the face of the earth, it's just a pity it wouldn't end there.

Didn’t someone already try that?

Well not Israel but you get the point.

[Don]

1779637316857864193

1779615506665726127

[Yevrah]

I genuinely have no idea what we're doing or why.

Usually 'follow the money' is an adequate answer, but even that on this occasion stretches the bounds of credibility.

[Don]

The lord clarifies the logic here:

1779762098169340292

:lol:

[Spikey M]

I genuinely have no idea what we're doing or why.

Usually 'follow the money' is an adequate answer, but even that on this occasion stretches the bounds of credibility.

I think we just do what America say and America are a bit weird about Israel because that's where Baby Jesus was born.

[niko_cee]

Not sure that's why they're a 'bit weird about Israel' but whatever.

[Lofty]

Might not be the best tactic to just do what America is doing in this instance given the potential returning President's stance on it all is let them sort themselves out.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Unless and until we rebuild any kind of military, following America is the only option.

[Spikey M]

Not sure that's why they're a 'bit weird about Israel' but whatever.

Well, that and the geo-politics of keeping the region at just the right level of instability for their own self interests.

[Shindig]

The Arab nations don't get on that well, to be honest. Take Israel out of the equation and they'll just squabble along sectarian lines.

[Don]

"Middle East crisis live: Israel violated international law with attack on Iranian diplomatic building in Syria, says UN"

In the words of Rishi, that's not very helpful.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

But Iran were meant to be in the wrong...

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that further escalation in the Middle East could have "catastrophic consequences", during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi.

In a readout of the call, the Kremlin said Putin expressed hope that all sides would show "reasonable restraint" and "prevent a new round of confrontation fraught with catastrophic consequences for the entire region".

The Kremlin added that Iran had requested the call.

The two countries are close allies. Separately, Russia is believed to be co-operating with Iran to improve its modern air defence systems and fighter jets in return for the military support Tehran has given Moscow in its war with Ukraine."

:harold:

[John Arne]

US confirms that Israel has bombed some locations in Iran.

Fuck everybody. War mongering cunts.

[Spikey M]

Don't call me a war mongering cunt. :mad:

[Don]

Say it with me, "Israel has the right to self-defence".

Seems like drones from within Iran rather than any missiles or anything. And I think they exploded in the air. Seems a nothing attack but hopefully we can tell the boys in Lebanon to up the ante a bit.

[Spikey M]

America have yanked the leash here I think. It's a nothing attack that allows Israel to say they retaliated and Iran to say "pffffff is that all you got". Everybody... erm... wins?

[Spikey M]

Hold up, lil Rishi has something to say. He should do these things sat behind a desk really. Atleast he could sit on a few pillows then. Bless.

Edit: Oh, he's just pretending to care about disabled people, never mind.

[Don]

Some tasty scenes from the Iran China Russia US student campus protests of protesters for human rights getting battered by the state. Bibi calling them all anti-semites and likening it to Nazi Germany, Rafah invasion to come, new hostage video claiming Israel have killed 70 of them and leading to unrest in Israel, my don spitting pure fire here:

1783039388735156439

Belgian aid worker and 7 year-old son bombed today (the brown sort so meh).

Their time is coming to an end. Hold tight my Palestinian donnies, 1967 borders and collapse of the West incoming :drool:

[niko_cee]

I suppose we should probably be thankful that you're constantly predicting the fall of the west and laying prostrate at the feet of Vlad and Xi et al, given your general track record in other fields.

[Don]

Where's those PSG predictions you were upping for the first few months, big man?

[Don]

1785018766310641975

:chefskiss:

[Spikey M]

It's going to be very, very funny when they start getting the Zaghari-Ratcliffe treatment.

[Don]

I'm not sure they're going to become disgusting treacherous spying whores so that seems unlikely. Ask yourself why she and the UK government have been suspiciously quiet on her case, her treatment, etc. She's getting prime Wimbledon courtside seats in the VIP block though :happycry:

[Lewis]

That university campus is fantastic.

[Don]

Hamas saying they've accepted the deal. Await the Western mental gymnastics when Israel reject it and storm Rafah.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Bob will have to agree to it or he'll get lynched.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Rafah getting bombed by Israel as Netanyahu says the deal is far from Israel's demands, lol.

[Don]

1787546985194467830

[Jimmy Floyd]

Should be noted that's from 12 Republican senators of a certain bent, not from the senate itself or from the United States, as claimed in the aggregator tweet.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ggpe3qj6wo

Clap them in irons! I presume both will hand themselves in to Marylebone Police Station without delay.

[niko_cee]

Embarrassing.