US Republicans support Israeli military strikes against Iran.

msgI highly doubt it would start world war 3, there will never be another world war unless someone can match the united nations combined power.

Well, don't you think practically the entire middle east would turn on Israel as soon as they knew about their strike?
Which side do you think Russia and China would take?
The rest of the Western world would probably be fighting together against these nations.

Any war on a large scale would be more "conventional" than todays terror wars and the USA would clean up any country in a matter of months.

We are not as powerful as we think we are.
Look at Vietnam.
Look at how easy everyone said Iraq would be and the mess it turned out to be.
Look at todays situation in Afghanistan.

Nobody has the right to a preemptive strike, its sometimes a military advantage to do one but certainly not a right. Until war is declared everybody should be working hard to prevent it.

I agree. :)

Mark_80Well, don't you think practically the entire middle east would turn on Israel as soon as they knew about their strike?
Which side do you think Russia and China would take?
The rest of the Western world would probably be fighting together against these nations.We are not as powerful as we think we are.
Look at Vietnam.
Look at how easy everyone said Iraq would be and the mess it turned out to be.
Look at todays situation in Afghanistan.

Iraq was over in no time, it was an easy victory. The only problem i know of is people arguing over it been legal or not, it was a huge military success.
Afghanistan is not a conventional war, its a very small number of people hiding in caves. Its not an army as such that you can fight.
Vietnam? I don't know, our technology is so advanced now i would bet my house it wouldn't end like that now.I dont think anyone would turn on Israel knowing the USA was backing them, a war in a desert with no cover and US technology is asking for it.
Also there is the factor of trade with the US, who would want to risk losing that?

technology had no bearing on the outcome of the vietnam war; the US military mutinied.

Replying to #23

I would after 10 years of getting nowhere.
Im going to look into it a bit more because i don't know too much about the vietnam war.The thing is, today men don't even have to go if they choose to fight that way.
Stealth planes would take out the radar systems and air to air weapons, no country has a plane to match the US fighters(perhaps the russians are more manouvreable, but they wont see the F22 until their dead) so that means total air superiority. Combine that with satellites and precision bombs and you have no chance in a conventional war. Supply lines will be cut, bridges taken out so reinforcements cant get through etc.
Air power is everything now.

msg2009 · #22Iraq was over in no time, it was an easy victory. The only problem i know of is people arguing over it been legal or not, it was a huge military success.

Yeah, the 'mission accomplished" thingy...You do realize we are still there though?

msg2009 · #22Afghanistan is not a conventional war, its a very small number of people hiding in caves. Its not an army as such that you can fight.

As would be much of the middle east, if we were fighting them.

msg2009 · #22Vietnam? I don't know, our technology is so advanced now i would bet my house it wouldn't end like that now.

I'm pretty sure everyone thought that back then.
We were way more advanced then the Vietnamese, but they had the home advantage.
Pretty much the same situation in this scenario.

msg2009 · #22I dont think anyone would turn on Israel knowing the USA was backing them, a war in a desert with no cover and US technology is asking for it.

Just about every country in the middle east views Israel as an occupier.Also, i think a lot of the people there don't like us much.
But then again, i'm just imagining a worst case scenario, not saying this would happen for sure.
But i do think it is very possible.

msg2009 · #22Also there is the factor of trade with the US, who would want to risk losing that?

They could always go with China...lol.

Replying to #25

Yes, but only "peacekeeping".
If there was no oil in the place we would have gone years ago, they want a friendly government in before they go.

Replying to #25

Whole countries armies can't hide a a few caves, they need supplies etc and have to be able to fight other armies so it would be more conventional.

Replying to #25

No, air to air missiles didn't even work properly in the 60's, USA didn't have total air superiority, precision bombs were not available and neither was stealth.
Im not sure on satellites but i would bet they were useless compared to today.
The jungles also offered excellent cover, deserts dont offer that.USA control everything because of their military power and wealth, everyone hates them but needs them for their own economy. England is so far up USA's arse its unreal.
If USA stop buying chinese products(the uk will follow) China will lose billions, prices would increase and people would look elsewhere. People only buy chinese because its cheapest. They rely on forced labour as it is, China wont risk upsetting their economy.If any war comes of this, I expect it to be a small war and over quickly. Except for the "peacekeeping" in the oil countries.

Sorry for the late reply, i've been busy playing Little king's Story on the Wii, so no time for the Internet.

Replying to #26

I think those were the reasons we went in in the first place.
But regardless, this "peace keeping" has been where we have had the most problems and blood shed.
If we had left, another Saddam would have probably risen, and the whole thing would have been for naught, thus rendering the "mission accomplished" claim completely baseless.

Replying to #26

Still, i bet a lot of the same tactics would be used.
And although we are talking about Afghanistan here, i'm not sure the problem in Iraq is that people were hiding in caves, yet we are still there.

Replying to #26

My claim was that at the time people in the US were pretty sure (at least in the beginning) that we where far superior militarily, and that it would be an easy job.

Replying to #26

But still, there's always the home advantage.
In any case, i don't believe the US is as powerful as they want us to think.
Sure, we do have superior technology and we have brave men and women on the field.
But i don't think any war is a guaranteed win.

Replying to #26

Agree, at least up till now.
The scenario might change though.
The USA isn't the first of many empires who have fallen.
England being the latest example.

Replying to #26

All China would have to do is demand the US pay them back the trillions we owe them, and the US would be no more.

Replying to #26

Well, the resolution has not been passed yet, and honestly, i don't think it will pass.
I am just amazed at the share stupidity of at least 1/3 of US Republicans.
If it did pass though, and Israel did indeed strike Iran preemptively, i don't think it would be a small war.

If anyone's read Chomsky or even shown a decent amount of awareness about world politics, you'd notice that Israel is essentially a mercenary state of the USA. Israel has issues with Muslim countries on its border? The US isn't going to pull another Gulf War on them due to alliances.And as has previously been stated, Iran's steadfast reliance on their own systems and resistance to outside scrutiny (especially when it comes to hazardous materials) hs been taken by the more conservative as a giant "fuck you". Not to mention that yeah, there probably is a religious aspect to it - seems to me a lot of older Republicans are steadfastly Christian to the point of xenophobia.