US/Israel conduct airstrikes on Iran again

I googled "who established post war democracy in japan". The first reference returned in the answer was this

You can google all you want.

But I've been studying the war for over three decades.

While Japan was defeated and the allies set up occupation powers, it was the Japanese themselves that formed the post war landscape of the country, both politically and socially. Society in Japan is peculiar to Japan, but they'll happily take what they want from other nation's systems and social structures. It's why, when you go there, everything has a familiar feel to it but with a Japanese twist.

Before and during the war Japan was a highly militarised system, to the point where even Hirohito was essentially sidelined, although on paper he retained full authority. Hirohito, however, was happy to let the Japanese cabinet control matters while he focused on numerous dilettante pursuits. The people, while they revered their emperor, had no say in how the military leadership ruled, even though the facade of a cabinet led by a prime minister was in place. It's why Hideki Tojo became the de-facto ruler there until he was forced to resign in 1944. It was only when Suzuki's cabinet was formed that proper attempts were made to reduce the powers that the military wielded.

Post war, Japanese democracy was built mainly by themselves and it reflects the Japanese, hence why their insistence on the retention of the emperor was so important to them. It isn't really anything like the US, or Britain. It isn't even like our own. Democracy has grown and flourished there in a very Japanese way.

Quoting my own bits of über speculation from a couple of days ago now that the Washington post are reporting on plans that were presented to allow the US to stage a raid to seize Iran's HEU.

That any experienced officer presented this line of thinking as plausible is utterly mental.
They went beyond my own thinking of "Seize an airfield".
To "Let's fly in bulldozers and make one".
Absolutely batshít crazy, unless of course the US now possessed anti-gravity tech aswell as magical stealth invisibility cloaks to drap over the aircraft and equipment they propose doing this with?

Credit where it's due, I did say they'd be driven to something audacious by the sheer stupidity of MAGA.
I didn't think they'd be this stupid though, and given how absolutely mental I still think my version of "The Plan" is?
They only went and showed my up as a rank amateur when it comes to magical military thinking.

That there are any officers anywhere in the US chain of command who think this proposal was a low probability plausible op?
Let alone possible?
Points to the type of thinking that infects Dictatorship.
Goering's promise to beat the RAF and to supply Stalingrad by air are prime examples.

Next up?
How can they top this effort at strategic brilliance?

I'm not an expert either, more of an armchair general who has read voraciously on military history, aviation and strategy, tactics and operationalisation for 40yrs.

The level of almost insanity being displayed by the US is staggering.
They've thrown away detente, negotiation and de-escalation on the whims of a moron.
The fact that this war, no matter how much Nethanyahu pushed for it?
Came down to 1 man in the US, without congressional approval or even collective cabinet responsibility?
Is actually insane.

They've junked their military's prestige and the fear that others had of American might and particularly aerial dominance.
Just as the world becomes dangerous for small countries again.
Taiwan can look at Ukraine and Iran and hope they can take lessons from their tactics especially in face of decapitation strikes.
But, you know who is now far less worried about any American response to their actions in Asia?
China!

2025 & 26 have been great if your a Chinese war hawk.

It would be some stunt by Trump to use his 2am address to announce "Oh by the way, we have just invaded Iran".

https://time.com/article/2026/04/01/iran-war-president-open-letter-american-people/

Time actually gives a pretty fair summary ofthe lletter although they drop Rubio saying that they had to go first as Israel would attack without them.

no where near the full text

Time article

Iranian President Pens Open Letter to American People

by Chantelle Lee Reporter

Apr 2, 2026 6:05 AM AWT

https://time.com/article/2026/04/01/iran-war-president-open-letter-american-people/

“Despite its historical and geographical advantages at various times, Iran has never, in its modern history, chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination,” he asserted. “Even after enduring occupation, invasion, and sustained pressure from global powers—and despite possessing military superiority over many of its neighbors—Iran has never initiated a war. Yet it has resolutely and bravely repelled those who have attacked it.”

While Iran are a nasty country (religious extremism) - they are not an aggressive country. Iran have been countering Israel because they were oppressing Muslims and had territorial ambitions on their neighbours (Lebanon, Palestine…). Exploited by US and British oil conglomerates (vultures) - they threw them out, and had a right to do that. Dominated by foreign countries taking their oil - Shah allowed this.

What the President Masoud Pezeshkian says is true, but there is much he doesn’t say - Iran’s crimes against their own people.

this is all wonderful but the reality is iran has been screaming "death to america" "death to israel" for about 47 years ...what did they expect .. the US was never going to let islamic fundamentalists have nuclear weapons

"Marg bar Amrika" is a political slogan, not the literal wish for death. It has more to do with wishing that America would fuck off out of middle eastern affairs and given the history of US interference in the region, I wouldn't blame them. Remember it was the US that toppled a democratically elected leader in Iran in the 50's and also sided, sponsored and armed Saddam Hussein in Iraq's war against Iran.

No matter how one feels about Iran, their leadership or the people there, the fact that the Iranians would wish for the "death" of US (and Israel's) meddling in their existence would hardly be surprising.

the US was never going to let islamic fundamentalists have nuclear weapons

If the Iranians were serious about having nuclear weapons they would have had them by now. The Iranian nuclear program is decades old.

Israeli lies about them having nuclear weapons are just that…lies.

One thing is damn sure, though, if they weren't interested before, they are now.

@Akrasia I guess this is one way to keep them off the streets. Don’t they deserve better.