I understand the 60 day clock, and the power of the purse, and the War Power Powers Reolutions, and I understand that Trump's war in Iran is illegal.
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I understand the 60 day clock, and the power of the purse, and the War Power Powers Reolutions, and I understand that Trump's war in Iran is illegal.
However I think the whole "Congress can end this mess" argument is incorrect and simplistic.
To begin with, I don't see any way to "win" at this point.
1/
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I understand the 60 day clock, and the power of the purse, and the War Power Powers Reolutions, and I understand that Trump's war in Iran is illegal.
However I think the whole "Congress can end this mess" argument is incorrect and simplistic.
To begin with, I don't see any way to "win" at this point.
1/
Iran is empowered and, because a school was hit, has an argument that it is entitled to reparations.
The political situation is lose-lose as well.
If Congress steps in, the war can be framed as "thwarted success." Trump. blames Congress for not letting him finish and “win.”
If Congress ties Trump’s hands, it owns the resulting mess.
If Congress refuses to step in, the war continues and the power of the Executive Branch continues to expand at the expense of the Legislative Branch.
2/
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Iran is empowered and, because a school was hit, has an argument that it is entitled to reparations.
The political situation is lose-lose as well.
If Congress steps in, the war can be framed as "thwarted success." Trump. blames Congress for not letting him finish and “win.”
If Congress ties Trump’s hands, it owns the resulting mess.
If Congress refuses to step in, the war continues and the power of the Executive Branch continues to expand at the expense of the Legislative Branch.
2/
@Teri_Kanefield The U.S. is definitely going to have to pay reparations. And probably cut even better deals with the gulf states that suffered damage.
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I understand the 60 day clock, and the power of the purse, and the War Power Powers Reolutions, and I understand that Trump's war in Iran is illegal.
However I think the whole "Congress can end this mess" argument is incorrect and simplistic.
To begin with, I don't see any way to "win" at this point.
1/
Thanks to the success of the libertarian revolution*, congress can’t do anything. We have no article 1 branch of gov’t.
*if they couldn’t have small or non-existent gov’t, then broken gov’t is the next best thing.
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@Teri_Kanefield The U.S. is definitely going to have to pay reparations. And probably cut even better deals with the gulf states that suffered damage.
Right. And it's easy to see how a political trap was set for the Democrats and Congress.
I have always believed that people underestimate Trump. People like to portray him as an incoherent fool. I don't think so.
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Iran is empowered and, because a school was hit, has an argument that it is entitled to reparations.
The political situation is lose-lose as well.
If Congress steps in, the war can be framed as "thwarted success." Trump. blames Congress for not letting him finish and “win.”
If Congress ties Trump’s hands, it owns the resulting mess.
If Congress refuses to step in, the war continues and the power of the Executive Branch continues to expand at the expense of the Legislative Branch.
2/
Perhaps a domestic mass casualty event is what Epstein would suggest.
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I understand the 60 day clock, and the power of the purse, and the War Power Powers Reolutions, and I understand that Trump's war in Iran is illegal.
However I think the whole "Congress can end this mess" argument is incorrect and simplistic.
To begin with, I don't see any way to "win" at this point.
1/
IMHO Japan had a better chance of winning after Pearl Harbor than the US does of winning after this equally shabbily thought out sneak attack
illegal sneak attacks based on ego & over-confidence are not a recipe for success
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Iran is empowered and, because a school was hit, has an argument that it is entitled to reparations.
The political situation is lose-lose as well.
If Congress steps in, the war can be framed as "thwarted success." Trump. blames Congress for not letting him finish and “win.”
If Congress ties Trump’s hands, it owns the resulting mess.
If Congress refuses to step in, the war continues and the power of the Executive Branch continues to expand at the expense of the Legislative Branch.
2/
@Teri_Kanefield why can’t congress take control of this with some pointed legislation directing tRump? Is it because of other Republicans legislators backing the executive branch? In which case, it’s not really tRump, is it? Is it the entire Republican Party thwarting the legislative branch from acting?
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Iran is empowered and, because a school was hit, has an argument that it is entitled to reparations.
The political situation is lose-lose as well.
If Congress steps in, the war can be framed as "thwarted success." Trump. blames Congress for not letting him finish and “win.”
If Congress ties Trump’s hands, it owns the resulting mess.
If Congress refuses to step in, the war continues and the power of the Executive Branch continues to expand at the expense of the Legislative Branch.
2/
Then Congress needs to step in and take ownership of the mess. It's not like this isn't an option. They need to do it NOW while the Repugs are still majority.

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Iran is empowered and, because a school was hit, has an argument that it is entitled to reparations.
The political situation is lose-lose as well.
If Congress steps in, the war can be framed as "thwarted success." Trump. blames Congress for not letting him finish and “win.”
If Congress ties Trump’s hands, it owns the resulting mess.
If Congress refuses to step in, the war continues and the power of the Executive Branch continues to expand at the expense of the Legislative Branch.
2/
@Teri_Kanefield it's definitely a mess. Worse it's a self inflicted mess.
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Right. And it's easy to see how a political trap was set for the Democrats and Congress.
I have always believed that people underestimate Trump. People like to portray him as an incoherent fool. I don't think so.
@Teri_Kanefield well he outmaneuvered Biden on the Afghan withdrawal. This could be similar.
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I understand the 60 day clock, and the power of the purse, and the War Power Powers Reolutions, and I understand that Trump's war in Iran is illegal.
However I think the whole "Congress can end this mess" argument is incorrect and simplistic.
To begin with, I don't see any way to "win" at this point.
1/
As far as my global warming worrying self is concerned the best option is to electrify the global economy sufficiently to replace at least the 20% of global oil use (the amount that had been being shipped from the middle east.)
If the blockade doesn't matter, there's much less reason to bother maintaining it.
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Right. And it's easy to see how a political trap was set for the Democrats and Congress.
I have always believed that people underestimate Trump. People like to portray him as an incoherent fool. I don't think so.
@Teri_Kanefield @timo21
After his first term (and even earlier) they had enough time to plan ahead.'They' as in: it is not a one man's band.
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@Teri_Kanefield it's definitely a mess. Worse it's a self inflicted mess.
Trump inflicted.
I think people underestimate Trump.
I think he created a lose-lose situation for Congress and the Democrats.
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Right. And it's easy to see how a political trap was set for the Democrats and Congress.
I have always believed that people underestimate Trump. People like to portray him as an incoherent fool. I don't think so.
@Teri_Kanefield He is def a narcissistic sociopath, extremely dangerous bc he's forever seeking revenge on slights real and imagined.
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@Teri_Kanefield why can’t congress take control of this with some pointed legislation directing tRump? Is it because of other Republicans legislators backing the executive branch? In which case, it’s not really tRump, is it? Is it the entire Republican Party thwarting the legislative branch from acting?
When Congress takes control, it will own the resulting mess.
That is why my argument is that the idea that Congress can end this is wrong.
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@Teri_Kanefield He is def a narcissistic sociopath, extremely dangerous bc he's forever seeking revenge on slights real and imagined.
He is also smarter than people give him credit for. People mock his word salads and underestimate his cunning.
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R relay@relay.mycrowd.ca shared this topic
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Trump inflicted.
I think people underestimate Trump.
I think he created a lose-lose situation for Congress and the Democrats.
@Teri_Kanefield I think he initially thought it would be as simple as dropping a few bombs and claiming mission accomplished.
But it certainly didn't go that way. So he pivots to making it someone else's problem.
So yeah, that tracks.
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Iran is empowered and, because a school was hit, has an argument that it is entitled to reparations.
The political situation is lose-lose as well.
If Congress steps in, the war can be framed as "thwarted success." Trump. blames Congress for not letting him finish and “win.”
If Congress ties Trump’s hands, it owns the resulting mess.
If Congress refuses to step in, the war continues and the power of the Executive Branch continues to expand at the expense of the Legislative Branch.
2/
@Teri_Kanefield So, Congress should step in, even if it means it can be said to own the resulting mess. Regardless of political consequences, we need to stop the bleeding. If Trump's supporters want to argue otherwise, let them explain just how Trump could have possibly finished and won. With what? Nuclear weapons?
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Trump inflicted.
I think people underestimate Trump.
I think he created a lose-lose situation for Congress and the Democrats.
@Teri_Kanefield @Sablebadger
I see that in domestic political terms, yes.
But in foreign policy terms, the Iran war is a massive, avoidable footgun. And that may well be far more consequential.