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vrosastoday at 1:19 PM3 repliesview on HN

Iran is on “death ground” as Sarah Paine would say. It’s a TERRIBLE idea to put your enemy on death ground because all they can do is fight now. We’re going to keep bombing them until there’s nothing left. Iran is going to end up looking like Afghanistan (a broken country of small feudal states) at the end of this.

Edit: By Iran, I'm referring to what's left of the current Iranian administration and military, not the entirety of the Iranian people.


Replies

rayinertoday at 1:34 PM

You’re overlooking the fundamental difference between Iranian society and Afghan society. In Afghanistan, the U.S. was trying to bomb a place that was always a collection of small feudal states into being a functioning country. In Iran, it’s trying to dislodge a theocracy that’s taken over a country that’s had orderly, centralized administration for almost two thousand years.

I wouldn’t bet on either approach working. But a good outcome in Afghanistan was always completely hopeless. A good outcome in Iran is merely unlikely.

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keiferskitoday at 1:29 PM

No, this isn't what Paine means by death ground. Paine used that to refer to Soviet citizens/soldiers that knew they would be erased/eliminated if they lost. The Iranians don't think that their opponents want to eliminate their entire civilization.

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RobertoGtoday at 1:21 PM

Or, here me out, you could just leave and go home. But I suppose that's unthinkable.