Waging War and Wagging the Wrong Dog

Now on the The Digital Diner: WAR OF CHOICE

US and Israel launch an attack on Iran, as President Donald Trump confirms “major combat operations” are under way. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says his country launched a “pre-emptive” attack on Tehran, as the Israeli military say Iran has fired retaliatory missiles.

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102 thoughts on “Waging War and Wagging the Wrong Dog”

  1. IMHO if a dog had to be wagged, striking bff putie would have a bigger effect and make more sense.
    ironically might even earn him a Nobel.


    BREAKING: Trump Announces Major Military Action with Israel Against Iran!

  2. THE IRAN CAN OF WORMS

    Attribution: The Iran Can of Worms by Margolis & Cox, PoliticalCartoons.com
    Matt Margolis writes the cartoons, and John Cox illustrates the cartoons. Matt is a widely distributed, conservative author, commentator, and columnist for PJ Media. John has been creating editorial cartoons, producing striking caricatures, and illustrating book covers for numerous political authors for more than two decades.

  3. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02/28/world/iran-strikes-trump#the-us-last-bombed-iran-in-june-striking-three-nuclear-facilities
    Live Updates: U.S. Attacks Iran as Trump Calls for Overthrowing Government
    Explosions were reported in Tehran as President Trump said in an eight-minute video that the U.S. had begun a large assault. Israel also said it was attacking Iran.
    […]
    Farnaz Fassihi
    Erika Solomon
    Feb. 28, 2026, 4:09 a.m. ET59 minutes ago
    Farnaz Fassihi and Erika Solomon
    Chaos and panic grip Tehran as airstrikes shake the city.
    Just as Iranians began their workweek on Saturday morning, U.S. and Israeli strikes sent panicked residents of Tehran into the streets and parents racing back to schools where they had just dropped off their children.

    Chaos and uncertainty set in as explosions shook the densely populated city, Iran’s capital, according to witnesses who spoke to The New York Times.

    Aaron Boxerman
    Feb. 28, 2026, 4:07 a.m. ET1 hour ago
    Aaron BoxermanReporting from Jerusalem

    The Israeli military said the joint U.S.-Israeli attack has struck “dozens of military targets” in Iran so far. The strikes aimed to “thoroughly degrade the Iranian terrorist regime,” the military statement said.

    Ismaeel Naar
    Feb. 28, 2026, 4:03 a.m. ET1 hour ago
    Ismaeel Naar

    Sirens blared in parts of Bahrain, an island nation in the Persian Gulf that is home to the headquarters of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the Fifth Fleet. Mobile phone alerts from Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior urged citizens and residents to “remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.”

    Megan Mineiro
    Feb. 28, 2026, 4:01 a.m. ET1 hour ago
    Megan Mineiro

    So far, few members of Congress have awoken to news of the strikes on Iran but Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona, a Democrat and former Marine who served in Iraq, said on social media early Saturday that the United States “can support the democracy movement and the Iranian people without sending our troops to die.” He added that Americans should not have to “pay the ultimate price for regime change and a war that hasn’t been explained or justified to the American people.

    [continues]

  4. https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/feb/28/israel-attacks-iran-as-blasts-heard-in-tehran-live-updates

    17m ago
    04.55 EST
    Iran targets US bases in Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain
    The Iranian semi-official Fars news agency has reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have targeted US bases in Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain.
    According to the news agency, these include:
    Al-Udeid air base in Qatar
    Al-Salem air base in Kuwait
    Al-Dhafra air base in the UAE
    The fifth fleet in Bahrain
    Qatar’s defense ministry said it intercepted all missiles fired at its territory as blasts were reported in the capital Doha, according to Reuters news agency.
    Bahrain has confirmed its territory was targeted by missiles, including at the US navy base.

    26m ago
    04.47 EST
    Patrick Wintour
    Patrick Wintour
    Iran’s foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the attacks as a violation of the UN charter and calling on all states, especially Islamic states, to condemn America’s aggression firmly and for the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to assume his responsibilities.
    The statement said: “At a time when the great test of history has arrived, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, inspired by the great epic heritage of this land and relying on God almighty, with faith in the promise of divine victory and relying on national power, will not hesitate to defend our beloved homeland with all their might.
    “History is proof that Iranians have never surrendered to foreign aggression; this time too, the response of the Iranian nation will be decisive and will make the aggressors regret their criminal act.”
    The ministry said the Iranian people would be proud that they had tried to do all they could to prevent the criminal aggression through diplomacy
    “Now is the time to defend the homeland and confront the enemy’s military aggression. We have been more prepared for defence than ever before, as we promised.
    “All member states of the United Nations, especially regional and Islamic countries, members of the Non-Aligned Movement and all states that feel responsible for international peace and security, are expected to firmly condemn this act of aggression and take immediate and collective action to confront it, which has undoubtedly exposed the peace and security of the region and the world to an unprecedented threat.”
    [continues]

  5. interesting quote starting at 1:02 in this 2018 discussion that in 2013 (and even earlier in 2011) he considered attacking Iran as an effective distraction


    Jul 23, 2018
    During a panel discussion on President Trump’s threat to Iran on Twitter, CNN’s Alisyn Camerota and John Berman said Trump is repeatedly using his tweets to distract and compared the strategy to “wagging the dog.”

  6. THE WORLD REACTS

    1. Diplomatic Restraint: The UK government prioritizes the safety of British nationals while urging all parties to avoid further escalation into a wider regional war. The Jerusalem Post
    2. Legal Debate: Norway’s Foreign Minister warns the joint strike may violate international law, arguing that “preventive” actions require an immediate, imminent threat. Al-Monitor
    3. Regional Conflict: Saudi Arabia and Gulf allies condemn Iranian missile retaliation as a “flagrant violation” of regional sovereignty following strikes on US bases in Bahrain and the UAE. The Hindu
    4. Humanitarian Crisis: Global outrage grows after reports of 40 deaths at a girls’ school in southern Iran following the initial wave of coordinated strikes. AP News
    5. Western Allies: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declares solidarity with the “brave people of Iran” while condemning Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Al Jazeera
    6. Sovereignty: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam issues a stern warning against any attempts to drag his country into a broader military confrontation. Middle East Eye
    7. Digital Escalation: Analysts report the “largest cyberattack in history” against Iranian infrastructure accompanying the physical strikes, targeting government command centers. The Jerusalem Post
    8. Military Campaign: U.S. officials describe the joint strikes as “shaping actions” designed to permanently degrade Iranian air defenses for a potentially sustained campaign. KSAT (AP)
    9. Global Geopolitics: Russia mocks the U.S. “peacemaker” role as Dmitry Medvedev questions the longevity of the American empire compared to Iran’s 2,500-year history. The Business Standard

    — Silas

    PROGRAMMING NOTE: Our daily Digital Diner podcast airs at 11-Noon ET on YouTube. JOIN the chatroom here — or WATCH a replay here.

  7. The missiles are flying, the world is scrambling, and the American people are in the dark. We are breaking down the “War of Choice” in Iran and why Congress wasn’t told.

    The Digital Diner starts at 11:00 AM ET. Join the conversation, bring your take on cam, mic or keyboard.

    Watch the live broadcast here:

  8. Patd

    On the same page. Trump wouldn’t really do squat for Ukraine and the safety of Europe against Putin, but he’s all gung ho for oil and his oligarch buddies.

  9. blueINdallas
    February 27, 2026 at 1:40 pm
    Hope everyone is ready for the war in Iran to begin…because tRUMPco won’t wait for the Khanna-Massie thing requiring Congressional War Powers to be adhered to get to a vote. (It seems redundant; he should be going to Congress and is violating the Constitution by doing whatever the hell he wants.)

    Getting very close to something with Donald and a minor, so boom goes Iran.

    *Am I psychic? Nah, I just have great pattern recognition.

  10. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell famously warned President George W. Bush about the consequences of invading Iraq with his “Pottery Barn rule”

    The Iraq War would eventually last nearly 9 years (2003–2011), costing over 4,500 U.S. service member lives and an estimated $2 trillion in taxpayer treasure.

    We’re going live for The Digital Diner at 11am ET. The chatroom is open right now. Help us get the conversation started.

  11. The scammers are so bad lately. Pretend to own my life?

    “Or you can buy it from me for a small fee of 600 usd.
    C hanging the entire package of docu ments and data is very expensive, very time -con sumi ng, and un sa fe.”

    My life story is worth more than $600.

  12. Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸
    @FmrRepMTG

    We said “No More Foreign Wars, No More Regime Change!” We said it on rally stage after rally stage, speech after speech. Trump, Vance, basically the entire admin campaigned on it and promised to put America FIRST and Make America Great Again.

    Another foreign war for foreign people for foreign regime change.
    For what?

    Continued

  13. The most peaceful thing I can think of at the moment.

    Especially the ending.

    “The end of a melody is not its goal: but nonetheless, had the melody not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. A parable.
    Nietzche

  14. This was the first act of the Board of Peace

    Now is a really good time to leave a rant on your Congressmembers’ voicemails.
    202-224-3121

  15. I feel so sorry for my species.

    “…the interests of Israel…”
    I imagine Netanyahoo knows the contents of the Epstein files?

  16. The Iranians were threatening to release the Epstein Files.

    We’re fighting them over there so we can keep fighting us over here.

  17. “They’re eating the files” while the bombs drop.

    We’re breaking down the suspicious timing of the Iran strikes and why the “break it, you own it” doctrine is more relevant than ever. From 2028 polling shocks to the “hot” country endorsements, and a German anti-war song (from our new YouTube pal Winterlinde), the Digital Diner is digging through the data behind the noise.

    TODAY’S RUNDOWN

    00:00 Intro: “Break It, You Own It”
    02:14 Iran Strikes & Smirk Poll Numbers
    05:11 Trump FBI Files & Distraction Theories
    08:22 Executive Orders & Voting Reregistration
    13:55 White Supremacy & MAGA Rallies
    16:27 Dubai Resort Hits & Trump/Kushner Properties
    22:15 Trump Calls for Iranian Regime Change
    28:18 2028 Democratic Frontrunners: AOC, Harris, & Buttigieg
    38:40 Texas Water Crisis & The Sand Branch Moral Failure
    45:40 Senior Leadership Attacks & The Supreme Leader
    50:48 Anti-War Anthems: “I Won’t Give My Sons”


    Watch the full mess here:

  18. Operation Obliterate Epstein. Not funny because it will cost lives including American. Not that he cares. We can’t let him off the hook for that.

  19. Craig – When I tried just watch the live (after having been on it), I went back to today’s trail page, clicked LIVE CHAT, which takes me to three options: join the live, watch live on YouTube, or live comments (or something to that effect).

    I’ve done that in the past, but today it took me to an older show I hadn’t finished watching.

    I say ignore it unless it happens to someone else. Anyway, that’s why I came back today, because I couldn’t see the live.

  20. Only Andy Borowitz

    CRAWFORD, TEXAS—Stating, “I never dreamed this day would come,” former President George W. Bush confirmed on Saturday that he is celebrating no longer having started the dumbest war in U.S. history.

    “When you make a boneheaded mistake as epic as I did, you pretty much assume that no one will ever do something stupider,” Bush said. “I gotta say, I’m pinching myself.”

    The former president admitted, however, that “if anyone was going to out-dumb me, it was gonna be this guy.”

    “Look, I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed,” he said. “But even I know not to stare at an eclipse.”

  21. Probably no SCIF at MAL to view intel, and is Leaky Pete on Signal or are communications secure?

    Probably no bunker at MAL, either.

    Just sayin’

  22. Texas’ Republican Senate primary is a battle of conservative titans

    Cornyn, who has never lost a race in his over 35 years as an elected official, helped orchestrate the era of Republican dominance in Texas, navigating the transition from the Bush era to the Trump era as other old guard party members, in and out of the state, have been forced out.

    Paxton, a MAGA movement darling who has weathered a series of ethics scandals to emerge as one of the best-recognized leaders of the party’s hard right. A hardcore Trump ally who led the legal effort to overturn the 2020 election, Paxton has made his bones suing Democratic presidents and making the attorney general’s office a headquarters of the conservative legal movement, putting Texas on the frontlines of national culture war battles over abortion, religion and LGBTQ+ rights.

    Hunt came out of the gate swinging at Cornyn, reiterating many of the points Paxton had made while arguing the septuagenarian senator’s time had passed. John Wittman, an unaffiliated Republican consultant and former adviser to Gov. Greg Abbott, said Hunt’s inclusion on the ballot benefitted Paxton.

    *I didn’t realize “titans” was a euphemism for asshats.

    ps – The sun is shining on me & it’s also raining.

  23. Anyway, Orange Adolf stopped the no nukes deal Obama made with Iran, then Adolf “obliterated” the Iranian nuclear facility last year, and now he’s going to prevent Iran from getting nukes by bombing school children.

    There isn’t a person in this regime who shouldn’t be arrested and tried ny the ICC. At this point, they are all complicit.

    Oh, and I just called Cornyn’s office and left a message; if he doesn’t move with the rest of Congress to stop tRUMP and his regime, I hope he loses in November.

    ps – Not only am I unsure if there will be elections in November, I’m not even sure they’ll be a November. All of the TikTok astrologers said stuff would start February 17th…but just wait until April for the big bad.

  24. Yep, but when I went to the second button it gave me an old episode I hadn’t finished watching & I finally just went back into the live.

    Also, when I do the third button for comments, I can’t see the live chat. I’ve been able to watch & then go into the comments & toggle back to the live chat, but I don’t see both & it may well just be Apple.

    I wouldn’t fiddle with it unless someone else has an issue.

  25. This attack on Iran is part of the Epstein coverup. Did Nixon do anything to distract as part of the coverup?

  26. @GavinNewsom
    The corrupt and repressive Iranian regime must never have nuclear weapons. The leadership of Iran must go. But that does not justify the President of the United States engaging in an illegal, dangerous war that will risk the lives of our American service members and our friends without justification to the American people.
    President Trump is putting Americans at risk abroad because he is unpopular at home.

    *”The leadership of Iran must go.”
    So, Gavin is part of the problem; he’s all in for regime change.

  27. @NYCMayor
    Today’s military strikes on Iran — carried out by the United States and Israel — mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression. Bombing cities. Killing civilians.
    Opening a new theater of war. Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change. They want relief from the affordability crisis. They want peace.

    I am focused on making sure that every New Yorker is safe. I have been in contact with our Police Commissioner and emergency management officials. We are taking proactive steps, including increasing coordination across agencies and enhancing patrols of sensitive locations out of an abundance of caution.

    Additionally, I want to speak directly to Iranian New Yorkers: you are part of the fabric of this city — you are our neighbors, small business owners, students, artists, workers, and community leaders. You will be safe here.

    *This is the type of leadership we need.

  28. Leader Schumer Statement On U.S Military
    Operations In Iran

    New York, N.Y. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) released the following statement following President Trump’s strikes on Iran.

    “When I talked to Secretary Rubio, I implored him to be straight with Congress and the American people about the objectives of these strikes and what comes next. Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home.

    “The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the threat. Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions, and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination, and strategic clarity. Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy.

    “The administration must brief Congress, including an immediate all senators classified briefing and in public testimony, to answer these vital questions. The Senate should quickly return to session and reassert its constitutional duty by passing our resolution to enforce the War Powers Act.

    “My prayers are with our brave American servicemembers.”

    *Aaaand not a leader ny any stretch of the imagination. Schumer, like Jeffries, has got to go.

    https://www.resignchuck.com/

  29. “Who we at war with?” ☕️🇺🇸
    This clip perfectly captures the bizarrely casual way we process global chaos now. We’ve reached a point where a declaration of war is met with the same energy as asking what’s for breakfast.
    Is this just the new American morning routine?
    Watch the Short from today’s Digital Diner here

  30. https://www.draftbarrontrump.com/

    DraftBarronTrump.com
    America is strong because its leaders are strong. President Trump proves that every day. Naturally, his son Barron is more than ready to defend the country his father so boldly commands.Service is honor. Strength is inherited.
    Dog Bless Barron.

    “People come up to me, with tears in their eyes, and they say, ‘Sir, you’re the strongest. Send Barron off to war’ I’ve always been strong. Very strong. Stronger than anyone expected. Some say the strongest ever. And strength matters. Believe me.” -Donald J. Trump

    *More testefauxnials on link.

  31. i know a little about Iran, not much, but the Republicans who wanted war with Iran for the last 40 years knew something about it, that i don’t, that prevented them from undertaking it

    but these trumpco clowns don’t know shit

    and here we are

    they must believe they’ve purchased enough regional allies

  32. oh and Pakistan declared war on Afghanistan if you didn’t hear, because American MSM

    basically war on every continent right now, wonder if there’s a term for that

  33. The Pentagon has ordered U.S. military bases to close visitor access this afternoon. There are procedures to get on base, U.S. Naval Academy, for certain events, such as basketball games, but do not expect to go wandering about.

    I have seen a few people that know things stating do not bet against Iranian sleeper cells in the U.S. sfb will probably want to stay in Florida than return to D.C.

    One of the first retaliatory strikes Iran performed was to drop a cruise missile on a U.S. Navy base in Bahrain.

  34. And so Germany decided to go to war. And who did Germany decide to go to war WITH?
    They decided to go to war with—THE WORLD!
    —Norm Macdonald

  35. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Contra_affair

    Don’t forget this, little gem.

    Iran–Contra, was a political scandal in the United States that centered on arms trafficking to Iran between 1981 and 1986, facilitated by senior officials of the Reagan administration.

    The administration hoped to use the proceeds of the arms sale to fund the Contras, an anti-Sandinista rebel group in Nicaragua.

    Under the Boland Amendments, a series of laws passed by Congress and signed by Ronald Reagan, further funding of the Contras by legislative appropriations was prohibited by Congress, but the Reagan administration continued funding them secretly using non-appropriated funds.

    The administration’s justification for the arms shipments was that they were part of an attempt to free seven U.S. hostages being held in Lebanon by Hezbollah, an Islamist paramilitary group connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

  36. We didn’t get attacked—we attacked them. Is the new administration already committing international crimes to force regime change? The Digital Diner doesn’t hold back on the legality of these sudden Middle East strikes.

    Watch the moment in today’s Trail Mix podcast:

  37. Executive Order 12333 (signed by Reagan in 1981): “No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination.”

  38. Well there you go. Fuck international law, Dumbass, Kegsbreath and Netanyahu violated US law – as stated by Saint Ronnie by an EO (mini-law).

  39. So, we’re just capturing or killing foreign leaders we don’t like now?

    This represents a dramatic, foundational pivot in American foreign policy. By effectively abandoning the Reagan-era ban on assassinations, the U.S. has shifted from “diplomatic containment” to “judicial extraction.”

    This move replaces the messy, decades-long commitment of nation-building with the surgical finality of a cruise missile, signaling to the world that sovereign immunity no longer protects leaders Washington deems “criminal.”

    Read the new Trail Mix Brief:

    A New Foreign Policy: “Capture Or Kill”

  40. I guess Nettyhoo was frustrated at not being able to bomb the shit out of Palestinians so he turned his attention to Iran.

  41. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-parties-at-flashy-gala-as-troops-are-warned-they-may-die-in-iran/

    Trump Dances YMCA as Troops Are Warned They May Die in Iran

    President Donald Trump squeezed in an appearance at an extravagant gala being held at his Mar-a-Lago club while telling the country he launched a full-out war with Iran.

    The black-tie gala was hosted Friday evening by the Palm Beach-based nonprofit Place of Hope, which describes itself as a “faith-based” organization “providing care for children and families in South Florida.”

    *While the US government starves, bombs and terrorizes the world, Orange Adolf gets a big dose of Aderall (ketamine and cocaine first everyone else) and celebrated with his crew.

    Nazis are gonna nazi.

  42. world war weekend at bernies iii and Dr strangediaper are both worth a theft. It is obvious Trump is missing in action until the next prophimup injection.

  43. I’ve seen a few photos over the last couple days with dumbass in backlit sunshine. Not a good look- the yellow cotton candy is ephemeral and his hairline looks like mine.

    Bored of Peace. Apt.

  44. they said the health of the one guy was greatest coverup in history and their guy obviously had a stroke

    then started a few wars

  45. The Digital Diner is buzzing with reports of a potential Iranian strike on the Palm Hotel in Dubai.

    Is this a targeted message to the Trump and Kushner interests in the region? We dive into the footage and the wild social media reaction—including the Mar-a-Lago comment that has everyone talking.

  46. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/china-has-sent-attack-drones-iran-it-discusses-ballistic-missile-sales

    China is delivering “offensive” weapons as well as additional “defensive” arms to Iran

    Reuters reported this week that China is in discussions with Iran to provide CM‑302 anti‑ship cruise missiles. The CM-302 is both ship and ground-launched with a range of about 290 kilometres. The weapon could target US vessels in the Arabian Sea or closer to Iran’s shoreline in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf.

    The regional intelligence source told MEE that the two states are also in discussions over Iran purchasing China’s DF-17 hypersonic glide missile. Although Iran’s ballistic missiles have similar ranges, the DF-17 has better manoeuvrability, which can help it evade air defence systems.

    *China used to get some of its oil from Venezuela. China still gets oil from Iran. China has a stake in helping Iran.

    Oh, and somehow there’s a connection with Iran-Contra snd Epstein.

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