zang
Senior Member
You didn't answer the question.
This administration has been brushed off dozens of times by people saying "but he's not stupid enough to do that.", only to demonstrate that he is stupid enough to do that.
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- Thread starter Monarch Butterfly
- Start date
This administration has been brushed off dozens of times by people saying "but he's not stupid enough to do that.", only to demonstrate that he is stupid enough to do that.
Full Metal Junkie
Senior Member
He's stupid enough to want to do anything. But ordering a nuclear strike on Iran is not on the table for him. US has enough conventional bombs to pulverize Iran back to the stone sage just like he promised. US doctrine authorizes POTUS to launch a nuclear first strike only in cases of an imminent attack on US or allies with weapons of mass destruction, which Iran does not possess at the moment.
There was a discussion a couple of weeks ago in the Middle East thread where people were okay with the idea that the Islamic Republic now deserves to develop nuclear weapons as a deterrence from future attacks by US/Israel. Interesting to see some of the same people now be scared that the US could use the nuclear weapons irresponsibly...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Richard White
Senior Member
zang
Senior Member
It’s funny you believe he’ll actually pay attention to that, considering he’s launched a war without congressional approval and already claimed it’s because of an “imminent attack” from Iran.
What bearing does that have on this discussion? are you trying to score some kind of Pro-US/Anti-Iran points here?
zang
Senior Member
Are 20 (suspected number of MOABs in the US stores) enough to “destroy a civilization”?
Richard White
Senior Member
No.. but here's a thought.
If not Nuclear Weapons, would Trump consider Chemical weapons?
Full Metal Junkie
Senior Member
This is where I facepalm my way out of this discussion until it returns to discussing something even remotely plausible.
Richard White
Senior Member
If you must know.. JD Vance insinuated nukes were on the table. Karoline Leavitt did not deny it saying what happens next is up to Trump.
lenaitch
Senior Member
Congress gave him an after-the-fact pass on that, which should surprise absolutely no one.
The thing about going nuclear is there are a number of steps - and people - between his little brain and the Big Red Button. The military ones in that circle might cite US military doctrine about the use of nuclear weapons and their oath to serve the Constitution - not the President, because they don't want to spend the rest of their lives visiting their family through plexi.
Trumps words about wiping out a civilization might be quoted in some future trial at The Hague. As a non-signatory, the US officially doesn't care, but Hegseth and a few military commanders might find their ability to take offshore vacations for the rest of their lives kinda limited. Trump's probably too old to care.
Richard White
Senior Member
Correct.
It's also worth noting that the Nuremburg Trials set precedent. The logic of "following orders" is no longer a valid legal argument where crimes against humanity, war crimes, etc are concerned.
Trump may not like it but I can see a few key people saying no. I can also see those people being executed for Treason at Trumps behest if they try.
Like I said earlier, Trump may have an "accident" if he even considers firing off nuclear weapons.
UtakataNoAnnex
Superstar
I think there is a question of could he versus would he here. The "could he" there is no doubt in my mind. The "would he" is a little more debatable. ..
...that said, I don't think there's a "Big Red Button" he pushes to obliterate a country on a whim. To my understanding, there are codes he has access to (the "football") to which he can give the red light to use nukes. I think there's is a chain of command to which then can be decided whether the nuclear protocol is warranted, justified and/or necessary...or least I hope so.
Either way, using those codes here would be yet another reason to Trump's growing resume of why Congress should pull their fingers out and impeach and/or plead The 25th already. And how, IMO.
...that said, I don't think there's a "Big Red Button" he pushes to obliterate a country on a whim. To my understanding, there are codes he has access to (the "football") to which he can give the red light to use nukes. I think there's is a chain of command to which then can be decided whether the nuclear protocol is warranted, justified and/or necessary...or least I hope so.
Either way, using those codes here would be yet another reason to Trump's growing resume of why Congress should pull their fingers out and impeach and/or plead The 25th already. And how, IMO.
zang
Senior Member
There are now 9 less Generals in the US armed forces than there were a year ago; all fired by Trump. No doubt there are still those in between who would step in to stop something like that; but all it takes is the sycophants to be in position at the time he decides to pull the trigger.
And I'm not necessarily thinking strategic nukes. Low-yield tactical nukes are very much something I could see him using. The guy's daily briefings literally start with explosion footage because he likes to see stuff blowing up. And hey, if geiger counters go off he could just say they must've hit a cache of enriched uranium. But I also see him the type to think limited nuclear war is possible and can be contained, due to US exceptionalism and his "amazing" deal-making skills.
I'm honestly beginning to think more and more that Hegseth is a full on Christian Apocalypticist. Why worry about jail if you've already got it set in your mind that you're doing "god's work" to bring about the rapture? Only the suckers left behind will have to worry about jail.
adma
Superstar
That really *is* the point here. Indeed, if "something happens" (and remember: for all the rhetoric about a whole civilization being wiped out, even a single nuke--which would be far more powerful than Hiroshima/Nagasaki--dropped upon Tehran would be "galvanizing"), the *only* ones I can see not going "uh-oh" and bailing on Trump in an instant are the Hegsethian TheoBro Rapture-heads. They're *invested* in all of this happening.
And according to this formulation, the "suckers left behind" won't worry about jail, either, because they'll be immolated. Basically, you're looking at planetary murder-suicide here. They're a death cult like Jonestown; except that they know there's no satisfaction in offing themselves when leaving everybody else alone, so they're taking everyone down with them, with the confidence that they, themselves, are going to "transcend".
Again: think "incel energy". Elliott Rodger was a nobody before the Isla Vista massacre; afterward, everyone knew of him, he "transcended" even in death. They know of him more than they know of his victims. Likewise, they know of Marc Lepine more than they know of his victims and those he targeted (and the fact that one of them, Nathalie Provost, is now a Carney Liberal MP doesn't change the equation).
thettctransitfanatic
Senior Member
PL1
Senior Member
I'd say TACO Tuesday, but a lot of harm has still occurred because of this guy