Today in "so much winning"!

[Deleted User 310]

Most (maybe all?) schools/districts in my area are doing meal pickup for their students who need it.

There are also many restaurants or people offering daily free meals for student aged-kids, which is nice to see.

[Geezer]

We're going to need a big tax cut to get past this crisis.

[TDub]

My god. Talk about so much winning. You people must be having a rough day. Every thread. Every damn thread.

[Deleted User 62]

I see it everyday when school is in session. That you dismiss that this happens demonstrates the type of person you are.

Stop, you are going to over excite him.

[Shirley]

Look who's stepping up to support the price of oil!

And, what better distraction from Trump's pandemic failure(s), than an armed conflict in the Persian Gulf?

#win/win

[twocoach]

Look who's stepping up to support the price of oil!

And, what better distraction from Trump's pandemic failure(s), than an armed conflict in the Persian Gulf?

#win/win

Hey, there we go. A little "are we going to go to war with (fill in the blank)" to distract us from the mess.

This has been such a fun, stress free few years.

[Deleted User 310]

So are you saying we should tolerate aggressive harassment from Iranian gunboats?

[twocoach]

So are you saying we should tolerate aggressive harassment from Iranian gunboats?

What they did seemed to work just fine. No escalation necessary.

This is all just middle school level posturing by a middle school level bully. You thing Iran actually takes him seriously?

Aggressive harassment of a giant destroyer by a little 20 foot long glorified fishing boat. It's like saying Mike Tyson should be bothered by aggressive harassment by Carrot Top.

[Deleted User 62]

So are you saying we should tolerate aggressive harassment from Iranian gunboats?

What they did seemed to work just fine. No escalation necessary.

This is all just middle school level posturing by a middle school level bully. You thing Iran actually takes him seriously?

Aggressive harassment of a giant destroyer by a little 20 foot long glorified fishing boat. It's like saying Mike Tyson should be bothered by aggressive harassment by Carrot Top.

Ahem.....a 20' boat laden with explosives can definitely do serious damage to a large craft.

How soon we forget....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cole_bombing

[Deleted User 289]

So are you saying we should tolerate aggressive harassment from Iranian gunboats?

Thankfully you asked instead of accusing.

I'll answer on my own behalf. No, I feel "we" should not "tolerate" "aggressive harassment from Iranian gunboats." I'll elaborate on my feelings in a moment.

I'll say I was not thrilled with our President tweeting, "I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea".
I say that because I believe it's up to the Commanding Officers to determine if the Iranian gun boat captains are demonstrating hostile intent and/or conducting a hostile act. Words matter. Is it "harassment" or is it "hostile"?
How does a Navy Commanding Officer define "hostile" and how does he/she define "harass" - and how does our President define "hostile" and "harass". What defines/constitutes "harassment" and what defines/constitutes "hostile intent"?
Is it really necessary to "shoot down" ANY AND ALL Iranian gunboats and potentially start a "war" because a few Iranian schmucks have little dick syndrome and are doing a little "harassment"? I don't think so but maybe our President does. Hey, it's his call not mine but it just might affect me and some/many/most/all Americans.

[Geezer]

It's a shiny thing moment, been going on for years.

[Deleted User 62]

So are you saying we should tolerate aggressive harassment from Iranian gunboats?

How does a Navy Commanding Officer define "hostile" and how does he/she define "harass" - and how does our President define "hostile" and "harass". What defines/constitutes "harassment" and what defines/constitutes "hostile intent"?

Navy Commanding Officer. Experienced, educated, makes life or death decisions with some degree of regularity. Has protocols, guidance and processes that he knows by heart. Has the interests and safety of those under his command (excepting, obviously, in a pandemic-then he is just a quivering Nancy Boy)

President Trump. Everyone who isn't kissing his ass is harassing him. Hostile intent is clearly reserved for those damn reporters.

[ousdahl]

While we continue to wait for a coherent national plan.

[twocoach]

So are you saying we should tolerate aggressive harassment from Iranian gunboats?

What they did seemed to work just fine. No escalation necessary.

This is all just middle school level posturing by a middle school level bully. You thing Iran actually takes him seriously?

Aggressive harassment of a giant destroyer by a little 20 foot long glorified fishing boat. It's like saying Mike Tyson should be bothered by aggressive harassment by Carrot Top.

Ahem.....a 20' boat laden with explosives can definitely do serious damage to a large craft.

How soon we forget....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cole_bombing

That was an attack on a US ship that was docked. An explosion 30 feet from a ship isnt going to blow a giant hole in it like the USS Cole. And I would have zero problem with a US ship destroying any boat that attempts to come up next to it if all other options have been exhausted.

Like I said, this just feels like Trump generating noise.

[Deleted User 62]

Do you realize how quickly a small craft can close a 100' gap?

[TDub]

No. Because he hasnt seen it in Omaha, therefore it doesnt exist.

[Deleted User 89]

is there any formal radius that represents a sort of imaginary “do not cross” line?

i could see a very legitimate warning, something along the lines of, “look, we aren’t comfortable with your aggressive posturing. therefore, henceforth if any of your watercraft come closer than 100 yards (or whatever) of ours, we will exercise our full capabilities, defensive or otherwise, in order to secure the safety of our personnel”

[zsn]

Trump has the perfect foil in the Iranian mullahs. Each has tremendous vested interest in wagging the dog.

[Deleted User 62]

is there any formal radius that represents a sort of imaginary “do not cross” line?

i could see a very legitimate warning, something along the lines of, “look, we aren’t comfortable with your aggressive posturing. therefore, henceforth if any of your watercraft come closer than 100 yards (or whatever) of ours, we will exercise our full capabilities, defensive or otherwise, in order to secure the safety of our personnel”

It should be a guideline, but the Commander should also be able to make a determination under the circumstances. More so at sea than on land.

[Deleted User 62]

Trump has the perfect foil in the Iranian mullahs. Each has tremendous vested interest in wagging the dog.

Especially now that 'Lil Rocket Man may or not be processing oxygen at the moment.