Iran War

[GoCubsGo]

Yep again.

These aren't strategic big thinkers, it's all about how it plays on TV.

Remember, that's how Hegseth got hired.

The post WW2 US led world order is gone, probably never to return unless the US is victorious in WW 3 or some bullshit.

Also, the fallacy of the US being the only remaining superpower is shot to hell too. We could conquer Iran, but it would take minimally a Desert Storm boots on the ground type effort....then what happens?

[Whack9]

Yep again.

These aren't strategic big thinkers, it's all about how it plays on TV.

Remember, that's how Hegseth got hired.

The post WW2 US led world order is gone, probably never to return unless the US is victorious in WW 3 or some bullshit.

Also, the fallacy of the US being the only remaining superpower is shot to hell too. We could conquer Iran, but it would take minimally a Desert Storm boots on the ground type effort....then what happens?

Absolutely. Historians will look back at this era as the collapse of the American century and the end of American led world order. If we had to pick a concrete date for the beginning of the end, I'd personally choose Jan 6th, 2020. The events of the last few years have only nailed that coffin shut without question.

[GoCubsGo]

Absolutely. Historians will look back at this era as the collapse of the American century and the end of American led world order. If we had to pick a concrete date for the beginning of the end, I'd personally choose Jan 6th, 2020. The events of the last few years have only nailed that coffin shut without question.

I'd pick November 2016, when America lost it's collective mind and the fatal flaw of our broken electoral college reared it's ugly head.

[Whack9]

Absolutely. Historians will look back at this era as the collapse of the American century and the end of American led world order. If we had to pick a concrete date for the beginning of the end, I'd personally choose Jan 6th, 2020. The events of the last few years have only nailed that coffin shut without question.

I'd pick November 2016, when America lost it's collective mind and the fatal flaw of our broken electoral college reared it's ugly head.

Had the response to Jan 6 and Donald Trump not been so weak and ineffective, and had he lost in 2024, the 2016-2020 period in US history would've been possibly been seen as an abberation and maybe even given the country the resolve to strengthen our democracy. Of course this assumes that there isn't something fundamentally rotten with modern day American culture. After 2024 I don't think that's the case and believe there's something seriously wrong with many Americans.

[O Really]

Clearly there is something fundamentally rotten with modern day American culture when a Trump, with all his outrageous baggage and rhetoric can get elected a second time, and when so much of society was willing to turn mean, cruel, and discard all consideration of others.

[Vrede too]

I think America has always been mean, cruel, and in considerate. DonOLD just tapped into it.

Absolutely. Historians will look back at this era as the collapse of the American century and the end of American led world order. If we had to pick a concrete date for the beginning of the end, I'd personally choose Jan 6th, 2020. The events of the last few years have only nailed that coffin shut without question.

I think you mean Jan 6th, 2021.

I would pick June 16, 2015.
The Escalator Ride That Changed America
It seemed like a stunt when Donald Trump rode down to make his presidential announcement, and maybe it was. But nothing would be the same again. The full oral history of that moment, from people who were there.

Carter Wiseman, former architecture critic for New York: I was there when it was under construction, and he and Ivana took me on a tour. … He said, “Carter, you’ll understand this. This is quality marble from Italy.” … And I thought it looked as if it would work best in a whorehouse men’s room. It was so vulgar. … And I guess he knew something that we didn’t know. … We were all laughing, but he knew there were more people who loved that stuff.

Michael D’Antonio: The only thing he missed was a fog machine at the top of the escalator so that he could appear out of a mist.

To our point:

David Lloyd Marcus: I remember thinking of that escalator ride down as sort of like a metaphor for politics in this country, a metaphor for the downward plunge of the country. … Here’s this failed businessman and would-be TV star taking a ride down. Like, there he goes, there goes American politics with him, down, down, down …

Tony Schwartz: Certainly not a remotely credible way to launch a presidential campaign. How wrong I was. And in case you didn’t hear me say that: How wrong I was.

[supesalemgr2]

Was the escalator photo opp hokey? Absolutely! However, the media and the left have made it significant.

[O Really]

Was the escalator photo opp hokey? Absolutely! However, the media and the left have made it significant.

Yeah "the media", left, right, and center have a habit of making a lot of insignificant stuff significant. Like practically every time they start a story with "Tru*p said..."

[GoCubsGo]

Holy shit.

Looks like it spent 280 days in the Reflecting Pool.

Surprised it floats.

[O Really]

What is all that? Mold? Rust? Barnacles?

[O Really]

Oh, I see:

AI Overview The dirty, rusty-looking streaks on the sides of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln are a phenomenon known as running rust. It is actual rust (iron oxide), but it is primarily a cosmetic issue rather than structural damage.Why the Rust HappensSaltwater and High Heat: The carrier operates in highly corrosive maritime environments, such as the Middle East and Arabian Sea, where intense heat, humidity, and salt fog rapidly accelerate steel corrosion.Running Water: Microscopic cracks or chips in the ship's protective "haze gray" paint expose the raw steel hull underneath. When moisture or sea spray hits these exposed spots, it creates surface rust. Sea air and condensation then wash over the spots, bleeding the rust downward and creating long, dramatic orange streaks across the hull.Why It Looks So Bad Right NowRecord Deployment Times: The USS Abraham Lincoln has faced an exceptionally high operational tempo, remaining continuously at sea for more than 250 consecutive days supporting U.S. military operations.At-Sea Restrictions: Modern environmental regulations significantly restrict sailors from scraping, sanding, and repainting the outer hull while the ship is in open waters to prevent toxic paint and heavy metal discharge from entering the ocean.Fewer Port Calls: Because the carrier cannot easily stop at a port or dry dock for heavy maintenance, the superficial surface rust accumulates unchecked for months, giving the vessel a heavily weathered look.The crew continuously fights "hidden decay" deep within the internal bulkheads and vital flight deck structures to protect the ship, but the messy-looking streaks on the outside will remain until the carrier returns to port for a complete sandblasting and paint refresh.

[Vrede too]

Thanks, O Really.

Holy shit.

Looks like it spent 280 days in the Reflecting Pool.

Surprised it floats.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HRMmLwobgAA ... name=large

https://x.com/WUTangKids/status/2095109453494312991

Post Ford's Theater version.

[neoplacebo]

When in port, there is always something being painted on a naval surface ship. But when underway, only things inside can be painted.

[Vrede too]

When in port, there is always something being painted on a naval surface ship. But when underway, only things inside can be painted.

We would also paint the deck and on the deck when underway, as long as the seas were calm.

[GoCubsGo]

Didn't realize the Lincoln is almost 40 years old.

Probably held together with paint and rust.

[neoplacebo]

When in port, there is always something being painted on a naval surface ship. But when underway, only things inside can be painted.

We would also paint the deck and on the deck when underway, as long as the seas were calm.

When I was in the navy and in Yokosuka, Japan the 7th fleet flagship was USS Oklahoma City (CG-7). It was the ship the admiral would be on if at sea. Part of the forecastle deck was teak wood and was only used on ceremonial occasions. I'm sure it took a lot of work to keep that part of the deck looking good without paint. Pretty sure the OKC is decommissioned by now. Same with the 7th fleet carrier at the time USS Midway (CV-41). I had two of my wisdom teeth pulled in the Midway while at sea. And almost every time they went out, a plane would be lost over the side just by rolling off. The Midway participated in the Rolling Thunder (bombing) and Frequent Wind (evacuation) of Vietnam, too.

[Vrede too]

When I was in the navy and in Yokosuka, Japan the 7th fleet flagship was USS Oklahoma City (CG-7). It was the ship the admiral would be on if at sea. Part of the forecastle deck was teak wood and was only used on ceremonial occasions. I'm sure it took a lot of work to keep that part of the deck looking good without paint. Pretty sure the OKC is decommissioned by now. Same with the 7th fleet carrier at the time USS Midway (CV-41). I had two of my wisdom teeth pulled in the Midway while at sea. And almost every time they went out, a plane would be lost over the side just by rolling off. The Midway participated in the Rolling Thunder (bombing) and Frequent Wind (evacuation) of Vietnam, too.

Two vessels of the United States Navy have been named USS Oklahoma City, after Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The first USS Oklahoma City (CLG-5), originally CL-91, was a light cruiser in service from 1945 to 1947, then converted to a guided missile cruiser between 1957 and 1960, continuing in that service until 1979.

The second USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723) is a Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine commissioned in 1988.

USS Midway (CVB/CVA/CV-41) is an aircraft carrier, formerly of the United States Navy, the lead ship of her class. Commissioned eight days after the end of World War II, Midway was the largest aircraft carrier in the world until 1955, as well as the first U.S. aircraft carrier too big to transit the Panama Canal. She operated for 47 years, during which time she saw action in the Vietnam War and served as the Persian Gulf flagship in 1991's Operation Desert Storm. Decommissioned in 1992, she is now a museum ship at the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, California.

USS Midway is the only retired aircraft carrier that is not an Essex-class aircraft carrier, as the rest have been scrapped.

Your wisdom teeth might be in some forgotten jar in a cupboard.

[neoplacebo]

When I was in the navy and in Yokosuka, Japan the 7th fleet flagship was USS Oklahoma City (CG-7). It was the ship the admiral would be on if at sea. Part of the forecastle deck was teak wood and was only used on ceremonial occasions. I'm sure it took a lot of work to keep that part of the deck looking good without paint. Pretty sure the OKC is decommissioned by now. Same with the 7th fleet carrier at the time USS Midway (CV-41). I had two of my wisdom teeth pulled in the Midway while at sea. And almost every time they went out, a plane would be lost over the side just by rolling off. The Midway participated in the Rolling Thunder (bombing) and Frequent Wind (evacuation) of Vietnam, too.

Two vessels of the United States Navy have been named USS Oklahoma City, after Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The first USS Oklahoma City (CLG-5), originally CL-91, was a light cruiser in service from 1945 to 1947, then converted to a guided missile cruiser between 1957 and 1960, continuing in that service until 1979.

The second USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723) is a Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine commissioned in 1988.

USS Midway (CVB/CVA/CV-41) is an aircraft carrier, formerly of the United States Navy, the lead ship of her class. Commissioned eight days after the end of World War II, Midway was the largest aircraft carrier in the world until 1955, as well as the first U.S. aircraft carrier too big to transit the Panama Canal. She operated for 47 years, during which time she saw action in the Vietnam War and served as the Persian Gulf flagship in 1991's Operation Desert Storm. Decommissioned in 1992, she is now a museum ship at the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, California.

USS Midway is the only retired aircraft carrier that is not an Essex-class aircraft carrier, as the rest have been scrapped.

Your wisdom teeth might be in some forgotten jar in a cupboard.

Well, I was glad to get rid of them. It was the only time I've ever had anything about my teeth that hurt. And I still remember that navy dentist....he was d damn captain (like a colonel in the AF or Army or Marines) and he had one knee on my chest while working some kind of king hell shiny tooth wrentch back and forth. I could hear a cracking sound and I could smell blood that was piling up in my mouth. That's when I let it be known I was hell bent on spitting that blood out.

And I could have sworn that Oklahoma City's hull number was 7. But it must have been 5.