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[Random_Dragon]

Meanwhile back into the WWIII thread...I don't actually know where we put this now, but Iran's getting hit by missiles evidently.

[hector13]

Oh good, because Iran said if Israel retaliated, their own response would be severe and immediate.

[Folly]

Israel have confirmed that this is their retaliation against Iran.

[EuchreJack]

It's possible that Iran might not acknowledge the attack, diffusing the situation.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-mideast-tensions-4-19-2024-a7ccbae2e2844bab089e8e4377a24ddb

[Random_Dragon]

The real bonus to this dick-measuring contest by very insecure children in charge of entire countries is:
1. IDF evidently barged into Iraqi airspace to launch the attack.
2. Iran is probably going to eventually figure out that just throwing shit at Israel isn't very effective.
3. Iraq is in the way if Iran ever figures that the Iron Dome is for shooting down things in the air, not a land invasion.

I'm wondering how Iraq would respond if this idiocy escalates to the point of Iran giving them the Belgium treatment and outright attempting to mass a direct invasion through the general Iraq+Syria+Jordan area.

[EuchreJack]

Clearly, Iraq will do whatever the US tells them to do.

In fact, US forces in Iraq shot down some of the drones. Officially the ones targeting Israel, unofficially the ones targeting Iran.

[hector13]

Pretty sure Iran’s modus operandi in the region is funding proxy networks to do the things they can’t do. Israeli intelligence already showed they aren’t as fantastic as everyone thinks they are.

Utterly moronic decision from Netanyahu.

[Random_Dragon]

Question is will that lasts if the two parties between Iraq have a prolonged slugfest in Iraq's backyard before they get sick of it.

But yeah, this feels relevant once more...

[MorleyDev]

2. Iran is probably going to eventually figure out that just throwing shit at Israel isn't very effective.

Throwing things at the Iron Dome et al isn't actually about trying to get past it, it's basically an attack on the Israeli wallets. Iron Dome is very expensive to run in comparison to the cost of the drones and missiles it shoots down. Can cost up to 5x as much to stop a drone than to send one. Anything it misses is at best a bonus to the attacker.

In the case of Iran's last attack, they were likely counting on it deflecting everything to limit the possible escalation in response whilst still costing the Israeli government millions (some estimates put the cost of that one night of attacks as high as $1.1 billion dollars).

[hector13]

Looks like all the individual parts HoR were voting on today passed, including $61bn in Ukraine aid.

Surprised about that one, I thought that would be the toughest one to pass.

[EuchreJack]

I was fairly sure the bill to aid Ukraine would pass, but was a little surprised by the sheer number of yes votes. It's clearly something Congress wants to do, they just needed to figure out how..

[Folly]

'How' was never a difficult question. They just needed House Speaker Johnson to work up the nerve to bring the Bill to the Floor, while knowing that all the 'Yes' votes on the left would serve as fuel for his own party to kick him out of office.

Bipartisanship has literally become a bad word in Congress these days. The more popular an idea is, the more difficult it is to make it reality.

[EuchreJack]

In truth, Trump's "support" for Speaker Johnson was just to put the Speaker in a position where he gets voted out. Johnson has proved competent as Speaker, considering how bad things were that Johnson inherited. And Trump doesn't want Congress to function at all leading up to his election.

[Frumple]

I'm... not sure saying johnson's been competent as speaker is accurate? He's been at least as bad as the one before, as far as I've noticed, s'just some of the surrounding variables have changed.

Dude's still just barely capable of not actively shitting himself in public... which I guess is competency relative to the current GOP lineup but it's not exactly praise, ha.

[EuchreJack]

I'm... not sure saying johnson's been competent as speaker is accurate? He's been at least as bad as the one before, as far as I've noticed, s'just some of the surrounding variables have changed.

Dude's still just barely capable of not actively shitting himself in public... which I guess is competency relative to the current GOP lineup but it's not exactly praise, ha.

How exactly would you expect the Speaker to act, considering the situation they are in, and the process that brought them to power?