Brett Wilkins Jun 16, 2025
Flight-tracking websites showed dozens of Air Force aerial refueling planes departing from military bases in the United States and heading to Europe on Sunday, fueling speculation of direct U.S. involvement in the widening Israeli-Iranian war.
Military-focused news sites reported that around 30 U.S. Air Force KC-135R and KC-46A tankers were identified by flight-tracking software in what The Times of Israelcalled an “unprecedented mass deployment” to Europe.
Trump is after Iran’s eggs, I guess. He promised the people of the US lower egg prices, he will get them from Iran.
How can people in the US be okay with this? Their quality of life has only decreased since Bush 2 started his wars of terror. A propagandized population driven to hate others and rally behind the president.
As unlikely as it may be, I hope the US loses quickly and decisively against Iran. Not in 20 years from now like in Afghanistan, but soon. I don’t know what cards Iran has, what leverage they may have, but I hope they have something that enables them to inflict pain.
I’m reading this book called Heartland that actually really deep dives into why so many Americans are ok with this, the fact of the matter is huge parts of the US have been living in abject poverty since basically always and it’s part of their culture to not need much, wanting things is looked down on as weakness, it’s a cultural part of long term poverty for huge swaths of the US, that living a hard life is the only way to live, there’s obviously many layers to this but it’s not a thing you can just think your way out of (because not getting educated is also part of this culture) since culture and identity are so deeply intertwined and you see that culture being actively promoted and spread via “trad culture” which is very much popular, especially with young men, trad is just code for poor
Iran is defending, that’s why the americans cannnot win this war. They don’t have enough bombs to kill every iranian from the sky.
Can’t win a ground war. And they know it. Hence the 30 air tankers. Gonna be another shock and awe air campaign. Except half of the middle east or more will be taking part.
Guess its time for the US to lose another war. We haven’t won one since the Soviets won WWII for us.
They have hypersonic missiles, which the US or any western country fails to make.
They can hit targets as far as the US base in Cyprus.
Up to now they didn’t even use their best missiles against the genocider entity, and already the Iron Sieve is failing.
F-35’s down etc…
US pissed off when attacked even by Ansar Allah in Yemen. And jets happened to fall in the water a few times. LOL
This will be no Afghanistan, this will hurt.
The people of the US have never seen a brutal invasion of the middle east they didn’t support.
So NOW they want to have bases in Europe?
Huh? You do know that the US has bases in Europe since WW2 right?
And you do know Taco Don had a massive meltdown and told everyone the US won’t be having bases in Europe any more.
To a point where personnel in Rammstein base cancelled plans on buying houses in the city.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/02/us-troops-europe-trump-russia/
worry not. remember this is TACO Don… he’ln chicken out again
He openly calls service members suckers and losers. I dont know that he much cares whats done with them.
He also said if he was president there’d be no more wars, so this obviously totally super duperly cannot happen.
It’s not a war, it’s a special military operation.
Only for a day
Yeah, it seems fairly impossible he’ll get fully into the war, and even lending a few bunker busters would be surprising when that’s risking a blowback on American forces.
I would guess that Trump is expecting Khamenei to cave, because that’s what he’d do. Most likely, he won’t, Trump will be confused, and this will drag on and on until a regional nuclear exchange is on the table.
it works in russias favor since its redirecting some resources from the ukrainian front, its not a coindence that this is occuring at the same time russia was having larger losses.
Who is exchanging nukes in that? Israel and who else?
Hasn’t Iran been talking about ramping up nuclear weapons production since like the end of last year? I don’t think they’re actually a nuclear capable nation but I could see them posturing like they are
Iran or Iran’s splinter states. They have several bombs worth of uranium that’s almost ready.
I doubt the US would get involved, and nobody else is going to for sure.
That’s the same talking point we’ve heard for decades but even US intelligence reports have said the opposite, even earlier this year. I’m sure they could create dirty bombs but that only requires nuclear power plant waste.
Reciprocal nukes like Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.
This comment will age poorly if he don’t.
It’ll just change to TOCO, Trump Occasionally Chickens Out
that’s not even in the list of things I’d consider giving a fuck about
Maybe they are invading Greenland. Or it is a ruse and they are invading Canada.
“How to start WW3 in 10 seconds”.
“How to lose WW3 in a day”
Flight-tracking websites showed dozens of Air Force aerial refueling planes departing from military bases in the United States and heading to Europe on Sunday, fueling speculation of direct U.S. involvement in the widening Israeli-Iranian war.
Oh good. They’re just fueling speculation and not any war machines. /s
Are these american military bases useful for europe anymore? Do we need them? I always thought they were a nato thing, but nowadays I don’t know. If europe is alone against the russians anyway and we cant count on nato, maybe we should just tell the american military to leave europe?
Air sharks at a smell of a big conflict in the ME.
If anyone has good reasons to think otherwise, my anxiety needs something to believe in rn
Surprise attack on Ukraine?
you are making it worse somehow (But I did laugh at the absurdity of it all, so thank you)
Lol same reaction. I don’t think it’s too absurd, sadly 😔
Chuckle… Oh shit!
Realistically it would be a normal thing to build up forces in the area to monitor and contain the conflict in case of further escalation by either party. Especially with Iranian proxy liable to strike at international shipping in the red sea and straight of Hormuz.
So this could just be a nothing burger. I hope.
That doesn’t’ really seem plausible based on the scale of the deployment.
Well, you’re dependent on tramp’s judgement at this point (panik)…on the one hand his squirrel brain really doesn’t want oil prices to spike and he can say no to bibi (kalm)…but he’s an idiot and easy to manipulate, so maybe he’ll fuck that up too (panik).
Oil price spike is actually very profitable for oil company and bad for not oil company
God I hate Republicans.
Trump is absolute garbage on every single scale and stat, but it’s the republican voters who got us here. Fuck every republican voter.
It’s really Democrats and independents who got you there. Unconvinced ones, though. Republicans did what they do, just enough Democrats and independents stayed at home.
Let’s not pretend that the Democrats wouldn’t also side with Israel
Not if the democrats keep electing the same type of candidate. The trouble began when they shoehorned in Hilary, would venture have ran in 2016 the world would be a better place.
Venture?
Bernie, autocorrected
Ah ok. Lol, for a moment I thought you might have meant Jessie Ventura
Lol. Whilst that would not have solved many problems. In retrospect I would’ve preferred that timeline.
Yeah, would still probably be an improvement on this one.
Don’t you get tired?
Hate is not going to get you anywhere.
Yes some of them voted for him but a bunch of them didn’t.
Stop being defeatist… inform yourself… look at the numbers. Look at the evidence. Get active.
If you’ve wondered why everything looks like a coup since he got in, perhaps it is because it is one.
Edit: the upvote/downvote ratio on a comment like this shows how rapidly Lemmy is turning into Reddit. Nobody cares about the data, if you remotely sound like defending the GOP down the chute you go.
Many people just aren’t serious enough to take actions that are material beneficial. We want leftist ideas, but no one wants to form a party or vote for one.
It’s not that we don’t agree with you, it’s that your kinda acting like a dick. Change your tone and you might get a better reception.
[you’re] kinda acting like a dick
I really don’t see it. I see only advice trying to help them get a healthier point of view. 🤷♂️
Change your tone and you might get a better reception.
This has literally the same vibe.
I’m not trying to convince anyone of something. I’m just telling why you’re being downvoted, and it’s not because of the content of your post. I’d post differently if I were trying to make a sincere point.
I’m not the one who made the “dick” comment…
I’m not trying to convince anyone of something.
You’re saying they should change their tone. 🤷♂️ Meh. Whatever you say.
Apologies, I didn’t realize that you weren’t the person that I originally responded to.
I’m not trying to convince them. I don’t give a fuck if they change their tone. I was only telling them why the post wasn’t well received.
Right, fair enough I guess. I just can’t see where exactly the dickishness lies. I don’t see a “tone” anywhere.
No but you’re the kind of person who starts to DM people when you can’t keep spreading your casual sexism. Do you just go everywhere and troll people/get into fights?
Everyone should block this asshole. I’m about to myself. He was being a piece of shit sexist in another thread, and when the moderator locked it down, he started to DM me going “debate me bro.”
Hahaha WHAT? You’re a liar for saying I’m a sexist and for saying I said those things in DMs. Post whatever evidence you want, you asshole. I dare you.
Do you also go around saying men raped you when they didn’t?
God, I was hoping I wouldn’t run into people like this here on Lemmy. I thought Lemmy would be different.
At least it took over a year or two until I ran into one again. That’s to Lemmy’s credit.
And leading with “hate is not going to get you anywhere” and following it with more blame instead of action.
Find your local mutual aid group. Volunteer. Protest. Get involved.
following it with more blame instead of action.
I don’t see blame anywhere?
Spite can be a powerful motivator.
What got us here is the same two parties cycling in power for a century. If you believe war is red fault alone and that voting blue will change anything, you are part of the problem.
We just want fucking healthcare and affordable housing.
You had a chance at that in Zuck’s metaverse…
Best I can do is a Trump smartphone.
You don’t, because almost none of you vote for socialist candidates.
This is the truth.
Americans have shown where their priorities lie, time and time again.
The media told them
Hillary is the most qualified candidate in historyonly Biden can beat Trump, because he appeals to moderates, where things like free healthcare and not locking immigrants in cages only appeals to far left loonies.The average American wants these things, its just we cant risk the Republicans winning so we have to run on the republican platform from 4 years ago.
None of which are socialist.
They are all systematically weaved out of the closed, private two-party system.
Be that as it may, we also only seem to vote for people that we know aren’t going to actually do what they say, except on the issue of immigration.
Best we can do is give more people PTSD and then deny them disability or treatment for it. America loves dead soldiers, we can’t go too long without having a new batch.
We just want fucking healthcare and affordable housing.
Trumps response is to offer army barracks and MREs, in exchange for you becoming cannon fodder in his delusional war games.
Other Americans just want fucking guns and affordable discrimination. It’s a sad day.
Best the turnip can do is a gold colored overpriced shit phone.
Not to worry, it’s made in china, shipped from china, and then people in detention centers will be forced by ICE to package it for that bonus fascism feel for those that believe it’s made in the US and and they’re getting a deal on the T-Mobile package that costs almost 2x other providers for the same service.
Sorry, best I can do is 2 trillion more for Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and the like. They’re desperate man, they haven’t had a war for like 12 minutes, they need to be fed.
Zomg, Boeing planes being flown above enemy territory as surprise kamikazes (surprise to the pilots & crew).
Lockheed Martin did October 7?
Basically 9/11 truther style conspiracy nonsense going on here.
What?
It was a joke about how we have no money to spend on healthcare for the population, but we always jump to throw endless cash at defense contractors to supply the military…
Haha… good joke. I didn’t see your mention of healthcare in your previous comment.
It’s typical of conspiracy theorists to say “it was just a joke” when called out on their bullshit. You may go back to doing “your own research in the internet” now.
And human rights. Due process. Rule of law and respect the constitution. Less inflation. More progress on our environment. Rebuild some infrastructure. Invest in some technologies of the future rather than the past. Leadership that understands basic economics and actually the art of the deal
Don’t worry. You’ll get it if you can be drafted.
And it will last you till your death (several days later).
But don’t expect any medical treatment after your service if you’re a Democrat or unmarried: ‘Extremely disturbing and unethical’: new rules allow VA doctors to refuse to treat Democrats, unmarried veterans
They deserve medical treatment but what service destroying other countries?
The hell did you want me to call it then? “Military service” is a completely common expression to use, and it applies whether we like what they’re doing or not.
And before you get any bright ideas: no, I’m not American and no, I don’t support what their military does. This kind of completely pointless semantic wankery just really activates my almonds
Are people surprised? Republicans are war hawks even more so than the Libs.
But only against countries that pose no threat to them i.e. they are chickenhawks. At least Biden could do the bare minimum to help Ukraine.
And considerably more than the bare minimum to help Israel
They are jingoists, and jingoists are no different than schoolyard bullies who want to appear tough so they loudly proclaim how tough and big they are, which includes an occasional show of force against those they believe won’t/can’t defend themselves to reinforce their image of being the biggest Tough Guy™ around.
If they win, they win. If they lose, it’s because they decided it wasn’t worth their time and left willingly, not because they lost.
This country has always been stuck up its own ass.
Dude, USA is the country that is involved in most wars - starts them / finances them / whatever. And they usually find a dummy excuse to preserve their facade of doing good.
Face the truth - you are the bully of the world and the ruling party does not matter.
Was I ever in denial that the USA likes to play bully and world police? Let’s not forget our history about the rest of the Western nations, they’re hardly angels themselves. We’re all the same people anyways. Actually that reminds me of a good ole George Carlin quote, “We come from that northern European, basically the northern European genes, the blue eyes. Those blue eyes. Boy everybody in the world learned real quick, didn’t they? When those blue eyes sail out of the north, you better nail everything down motherfucker.”
Agreed. I wanted just to emphasize that the party does not make much of a difference in regards to wars.
Who are you even replying to
You’d be surprised. There are quite a few on lemmy that still do the both sides are the same. Oddly trying to do anything to form a new progressive is also something they don’t seem interested in either.
Yeah when liberals kill a wedding party or hospital at least they act sad.
Oddly trying to do anything to form a new progressive is also something they don’t seem interested in either.
Its okay to not like liberals, but that part of my original comment is important.
I read that and it made me sad because that will literally never happen in my potential grandchildren’s lifetimes
Same, but
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.
We still need to get the ball rolling. The institutions and networks we need will take a lot of time to build. I know a lot of our fellow lefties don’t want to interact with anything government, but doing so with the goals of harm reduction gives us space to lay the roots and set up the next generation for success. If we are serious about things we need follow ups for our protests and making the best efforts we can in our sub-ideal situations.
I would rather build a real, actual house for people than a system of oppression built on violence.
And before you say “habitat for humanity Jimmy Carter “ it’s the same catty bureaucracy I’ve found everywhere.
I would rather build a real, actual house for people than a system of oppression built on violence.
And that does not happen overnight, if you don’t follow up protests, and some voting.
Biden ran on getting back into the deal with Iran, then insisted that Iran must completely return to fulfilling their side of the deal before we would consider returning to ours.
Both sides are not the same but Biden shouldn’t be let off the hook for his sudden flip on this issue.
Both sides are the same because Biden said something that suggested he might be hard on Iran (definitely couldn’t be a negotiating tactic)?
Yes I know how you ended your comment, I was replying to the rest of it.
(definitely couldn’t be a negotiating tactic)?
No, it definitely wasn’t a “negotiation tactic”. It was meant to avoid negotiating without Biden’s adoring masses noticing that he did a 180. He caved to AIPAC, as he would continue to do throughout his term.
Why the hell would Iran go back to fulfilling it’s obligations under the agreement when the US was still ignoring it’s obligations? Why would it bother negotiating with a country that doesn’t honor negotiated agreements? Everyone in the foreign policy space knew exactly what it was.
Yes I know how you ended your comment,
Then why the fuck did you haul out “both sides”? Why are so many people desperate to throw everything into that frame?
Its one thing to be unhappy with the democrats. Its another (and self defeating) to not want to expand the progressive wing inside of it (or to form a new party and go for local elections) and to not stall alt right republicans everywhere else.
Absolutely, I just don’t think it actually helps Democrats in the long run to pave over their often deep flaws. If we were harder on Democrats 30 years ago, we probably wouldn’t have Trump today.
Nobody is paving over anything, you just cannot help yourself but shit on them theoretical shit that Biden didn’t even fucking do yet.
Biden didn’t even fucking do yet.
Yet? I’m not sure how to argue with someone who thinks Biden is still president. It doesn’t seem worthwhile.
I’d just like to take this opportunity to say “fuck you” to all the service people flying these planes, planning the logistics, and otherwise operating at the behest of our sadistic federal government. Sure, the civilian leadership is ultimately at fault here, but y’all are humans with agency. I’m no longer carving out culpability from these goddamn people anymore. Fuck you terrorists. If we escalate yet another war, I’ll plan to spit on you when you arrive back broken and dead. Bring on the downvotes.
The nuremberg defense didn’t work for the nazis, why should it work for zionists?
Completely
differentthe fuckin same
It’s been decades that our military has been nothing but an imperialist boot. There is no moral ground to stand on in signing up. Work fast food.
But fast food won’t guarantee housing or healthcare. Military recruitment preys on those with nowhere else to go.
“Housing.” As in a cot to sleep on? You can get the same at a homeless shelter or by landing yourself in jail.
“Healthcare.” Hm yes the military has a great reputation for taking care of the folks maimed in the line of duty after they’ve sent them into harm’s way. Don’t join the army for your health, y’all!
No like, base housing, or a housing allowance. As for healthcare I see your point and yes that’s a travesty. But my daughter was born in a hospital and I paid zero dollars for prenatal care and her birth. So. That’s what I meant.
Now we’re saying that it’s ethical to join the military because they’ll pay for you to have a baby. Is that really a serious argument?
Always. Even the continental army was set up to facilitate and enable genocide.
Decades implies that it once (in USAs history) wasn’t so, which is false. The rest of it if very true tho.
I’m being generous. I mean the revolutionary and civil wars weren’t exactly imperialism. But you’re right there are older examples to be sure. Like what we did to Mexico.
How hard is it to just not kill others?
Apparently really fucking hard for some.
Instead of “thank you for your service” I guess we’ll have to start saying, “fuck you for your service”
Considered that american wars after world war 2 is war of agressions never say thank for your service to any soldier
I was thinking the same about the national guard deployed to LA.
I was hoping to find at least one article that focuses more on that part, but until then: what you said.
We - everywhere - need to talk about soldiers as people, not “the military”.
I think there’s a huge difference between serving in a military controlled by a healthy democracy, and serving in a military controlled by an authoritarian regime.
Several weeks ago you could forgive someone for not realising that Trump is the latter, but not really any more.
weeks
I think you misspelled years
If your job is to support a government that murders children you are a criminal and a coward
I didn’t call it, but there’s nothing quite like a war to distract the population from rampant decline at home.
This one is weird though, Iran is allied with Russia. Israel is allied with the US. Historically, this made sense.
But Trump and Putin playing war together would benefit both of them. It allows Putin to pull out of Ukraine because “Iran provided us much help and they need us now.” And it allows Russia to maintain the war economy. It benefits Trump because he wants to play war.
Neither leader would have any actual skin in the game, it’s just people’s lives that would never contribute in another meaningful way to their power.
I don’t like this. This is feeling more 1984 than 1984.
The nice thing about Americans going to war is that it reduces the amount of dodge owners drag racing late at night. Silver linings.
yea its a distraction from all the protests, its really making him look bad, but he has the msms focusing on this instead, plus he was using the parade and the shootings as another distraction as well. right now the news practically ignoring the protests. using the. BANNER strategy, flood the MSM with so much crap its hard to focus on one thing. its also known as the firehose of falsehood which is a Russian strategy for propaganda.
Sounds like personal beef.
Both Putin and Trump are approaching dead-ends in their current campaigns. This ICE stuff can’t end well for him with so many people out last weekend, and Putin is well stuck in Ukraine, as you say. Whilst they may not be personally interested in the future of Iran and them having nukes by itself, they may need this to save their skin, actually.
Before COVID, 2020 started off with Trump drone striking a foreign diplomat and nearly starting WW3.
They hope Iran does something, that warrants NATOs article 5 to be triggered. Either the other Nato countries follow along, weakening Europe, or they don’t, which basically desolves NATO and thus, weakening Europe.
No one in Europe still counts on the US in case of an article 5 situation
Neither leader would have any actual skin in the game, it’s just people’s lives that would never contribute in another meaningful way to their power.
Cold War 2: now with more stupid!
Come on now, you don’t need to invoke some BlueAnon conspiracy to explain why the US would attack Iran; it’s been champing at the bit to do so for decades.
Not to mention that this gives him a legitimate reason to invoke the alien enemies act, not that he needed them in the first place, but it will tie up the courts even further.
Ukraine could throw a wrench in their plans by simply not accepting whatever Putin offers. He’s then left with “stay out of it and stay in Ukraine” or “join Trump and risk Ukraine flanking into Russian territory”
Armchair theory is that the US large platform bombers will be used to credibly threaten repeated bunker buster hits on Fordow nuclear site. This could pressure Iran to surrender its entire nuclear program including that site.
Currently Israel doesn’t have the capability by itself to destroy the site but US bombers possibly could.
That doesn’t make a lick of sense. To use an analogy, that would be like eating lunch with me and I say “I’m going to take your apple,” so you’re response is to give me your whole lunch, including the apple.
I mean, it’s actually much worse than that, because in this case losing your lunch means losing your best chance to defend yourself and opening yourself to future attacks, maybe on breakfast and dinner.
Is this san andreas?
Yup, that’s right. The scene in GTA San Andreas there has become a viral meme to express… well… “ah shit, here we go again.”
This will drive oil prices up.
This will give the oil companies a reason to …
So much for keeping the US out of war…
Trump wants to try for an illegal third term and he thinks that being in the middle of a war will help his chances. “Don’t change horses mid-stream” or whatever bullshit.
i mean that’s definitely what’s keeping netanyahu in power, and what makes him want to keep all of their wars going
so if it works for netanyahu it will work for trump
I can’t believe he’d just… Lie to us like we’re a court, Congress or himself or something.
I noticed you didn’t say anything about a wife/ex-wife
We don’t have to lie to those, we just put those into our golf courses ya ijit
Slowing weapons production??? While there are still citizens to vaporize to manufacture consent for yet more war???
There has never been a decade in the entire history of the US in which it has not been at war. Come to think of it, there are probably like 10 years total, over 250, where there was not direct military action. I think. Have not recently checked the spreadsheet I keep.
Something like 17 years total.
That means that for 222 out of 239 years – or 93% of the time – America has been at war. (We can quibble with the exact numbers, but the high percentage of time that America has been at war is clear and unmistakable.)
Yes we are a shithole country
Machines gotta eat
And shareholders gotta profit.
There is no “and”. The shareholders are the machine.