Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

General Discussion

Showing Original Post only (View all)

riversedge

(81,722 posts)
Sun May 24, 2026, 10:18 AM May 24

Trump "... started a war without a plan, wasted billions of dollars in equipment, failed to prepare obvious targets [View all]



May 23
I don’t often agree with Kagan but he seems to be right that this is what Trump is hoping for.

He started a war without a plan, wasted billions of dollars in equipment, failed to prepare obvious targets for defense, which resulted in unnecessary deaths of American soldiers, hollowed out the Pentagon’s ability to assess targets, which resulted in us murdering over 150 civilians, mostly girls, when we bombed their elementary school in Minab, handed Iran incredible strategic victory by allowing them to take de facto control of the Strait of Hormuz and show that we are powerless to stop it, exposed the strategic isolation of the U.S. that his antagonism to our allies has brought us in, and now he’s trying to slink away with some cockamamie cover that he’s going to use to claim victory.

The Iran hawks are clamoring for him to “finish the job” but he’s already finished, and Iran knows it. He doesn’t have a mandate to send ground troops, and even he he orders more bombing, it will be a cosmetic tactic designed to disguise the defeat. What can you possibly accomplish by trying the exact same thing after it failed the first time except now you have depleted a lot of the ammo and Congress has gotten more assertive about not expanding the war?

?s=20
20 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
this man bankrupted many companies - who's only capable of stealing from what's already there samsingh May 24 #1
Trump fired all the experts and appointed toadies and yes-men. They all supported his cockamamie "plan" to Martin68 May 24 #7
Mostly Correct ProfessorGAC May 24 #14
Perhaps you missed the quotation marks I put around the word "plan," indicating it was not truly a plan at all. Martin68 May 24 #16
Either Way... ProfessorGAC May 24 #17
The original article, from Atlantic: Ocelot II May 24 #2
Well worth the read. Amaryllis May 24 #10
Companies that make missiles love this plan IronLionZion May 24 #3
And they're also going to need new drones... Justice matters. May 24 #8
It may be easier to have Treasury hand them suitcases full of cash IronLionZion May 24 #15
Loser.....Again BeneteauBum May 24 #4
I am wondering whether it is a failure or intentional. wnylib May 24 #9
I've considered the same. BeneteauBum May 24 #13
Trump "Fails" Upwards, Always. FOLLOW THE MONEY. ColoringFool May 24 #5
Total U.S. surrender. Donny, "you will get so sick of winning all the time that you will beg me to stop winning. Botany May 24 #6
We need to consider the plight of the Iranian people gulliver May 24 #11
Stopped talking about the Epstein files for a minute though. n/t flvegan May 24 #12
trump had no strategy or plan LetMyPeopleVote May 24 #18
And it was all just to pad Fox News slop content. Initech May 24 #19
Pretty good assessment. GoodRaisin May 24 #20
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Trump "... started a war ...