Oddly silent

[jamesd at echeque.com]

On 2020-01-04 13:27, Razer wrote:
> I think it speaks volumes about how many of this list's posters work for
> US intel agencies and contractors by the lack of any commenting on your
> new war with Iran.

This comment has not aged well.

I have confidence in Trump, and waited to see.  Lots of people have 
underestimated Trump, and it has seldom worked out well for them.

He responded to Iran's response as I expected and hoped.

And Iran's response (symbolic escalation covering actual de-escalation, 
revealing that the killing of Solemieni was successful in deterring them 
from the war effort that they have been escalating ever since Obama's 
nuke deal) was what I had hoped it would be and doubtless what Trump 
expected it to be.

It takes two to make peace, only one to make war.  Iranians are not 
chanting "America should get off the bloodstained sands so that we can 
make them even bloodier".  They are chanting "Death to America". 
Similarly, read the comment section of internet articles that appeared 
about Khamenei's response to Trump's threat, shortly before Trump nailed 
Solemeini.

Lots of Iranians in the comment sections promising to kill us, 
confidently telling us we are weak and will be destroyed.

The comment sections have fallen silent about our weakness and their 
prospects for destroying us.

The timeline of events was Twitter diplomacy:

Trump on New Year's day:
 > Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage 
incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This 
is not a Warning, it is a Threat.

To which Khamenei responded on Twitter:
 > You can’t do anything.

Comment sections fill with Shiites gloating "Death to America", telling 
us America is weak, that they will destroy us.

Whereupon Trump kills Khamenei's buddy and top general.

Comment sections fill with rage, but optimism that we are weak and that 
they will destroy us evaporates.

That is a mighty good outcome.  We have no alternative but to make those 
that hate us, fear us.  Where the comment sections were full of gloating 
at our weakness, now fear at our strength.

Obama's nuke deal was seen as weakness, and escalated their messianic 
expectation that they would conquer us, however absurd that expectation 
seems to some of us.

Shiite Messianism has suddenly gone out of fashion.