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PaperclipPerfector  29d ago (text post)   25352 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of September 7, 2026

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Is it possible for Trump to lose to you? I'm dead serious, what is a Trump loss to you in the Iran war. You will never make a prediction that you can be held down on. You just declare anything a victory and you can never lose! You do realize you actually have to win a war to win it right? The war isn't over yet, so nobody has won yet. It's tautological. Define an explicit loss scenario for Trump on the Iran War, please. I suspect you won't respond to this with one. You will just say Trump won.

Yes, Trump did already win. We destroyed Iran’s MIC and displayed the capacity to do it again at will. They do not even control the Straits of Hormuz, which is what everybody said they would do before the war broke out. America has secured oil through the Straits while blockading Iran. Iran can’t sink American ships. Iran can’t destroy American capabilities. We did this easily and cheaply, against basically all pre-war prognostications and expectations. This is all basically what Trump has said about the war all along.

You will never make a prediction that you can be held down on.

I have made the same predictions over and over and over again. Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons. Iran will not toll the Straits of Hormuz. Iran will alienate the rest of the Middle East against it. Iran’s proxies in the Middle East will be destroyed. Iran will not sink American ships or kill America’s leaders or otherwise be capable of forcing America to change course.

I can go back and time and dig up a dozen different comments where I have made these predictions over and over and over.

Please admit you were wrong as I am sure you didn’t mean to lie. Thanks!

Iran’s proxies in the Middle East will be destroyed.

They aren't destroyed though? How is this a win?

President Trump (March 2): “Our objectives are clear. First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities… and their capacity to produce brand new ones — pretty good ones they make. Second, we’re annihilating their navy… Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon… And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”

Trump's own words. Only one of these is done. The rest is TBD, so by his own definition the war isn't over. The US hasn't won yet.

Please admit you were wrong as I am sure you didn’t mean to lie.

Iran’s navy is basically destroyed. They will never obtain a nuclear weapon. We destroyed Iran’s missile-building facilities. And we are currently destroying their allies including those in Palestine and Iraq.

You said I hadn’t made any solid predictions and would never make any solid predictions. You were wrong. Because my predictions have been basically correct (Iran has not tolled the Straits, for example, which dozens of posters on this site predicted would happen), you have to switch to analyzing Trump’s war aims (which are all basically completed or being achieved). I’m not sure what point you think you’re proving. Iran is significantly weaker in all four areas Trump targeted.

President Trump (March 2): “Our objectives are clear. First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities… and their capacity to produce brand new ones — pretty good ones they make. Second, we’re annihilating their navy… Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon… And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”

Iran has not tolled the Straits

Where is that in the list? I am not seeing it? I'm just seeing goals that aren't accomplished yet! Weird! The Straits weren't tolled at the time, so congrats on the "win"!

There were dozens of posters here, and in many other places, who said that of course we could target Iran but they could just shut down the Strait of Hormuz so America would lose.

I predicted this would not happen.

You challenged me to make predictions and lay out scenarios where Trump has lost. You said I was incapable of doing that, as if I was crazy. I have in fact done that over and over and over again on this forum and now that I have done it again you are trying to have a different conversation.

So what’s the argument now? Trump lost the Iran war because he said we would destroy Iran’s navy and, even though we destroyed all their major ships and de-mines the straits and they did nothing to stop us, technically, they still have a few small boats capable of sailing — ?

Make an argument. Mine is that Trump substantially achieved everything he said he would achieve, and that everything everyone agreed would happen that would Iran had won has not happened.

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