56 Comments
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Christopher schene's avatar

I agree with you regarding the Iranian people. They are fantastic.

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Joey A's avatar

Sooo was this not an illegal entry/declaration of war against a sovereign nation that hasn’t attacked us…yet? Or does the rule book go out the window just because no one in congress is willing to impeach and remove him for hijacking that power away from congress?

And don’t give me that same “WMD” bs from 2003. Netanyahu has been claiming Iran is “two weeks from the bomb” for like 30 years now.

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Ryan McBeth's avatar

That’s a good question. I actually can’t remember if Ronald Reagan got permission from Congress to launch a attacks against Libya.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if people in Congress are hopping mad.

The problem is that I am afraid we went into this without a thought about the endgame. Remember my video about what Vietnam teaches us about China. We need to understand the definition of “win.”

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Joey A's avatar

Thanks for the prompt reply!

Sadly, I’d have to argue that there is no endgame by design. They’re going to want to milk this oncoming conflict as long as they did Afghanistan and Iraq.

I’ve watched your rebuttals against the argument on the existence of the MIC (I think some people include space to call it SMIC), and I disagreed with a few points you made.

You don’t have to justify your stance again to me, but I’d be interested to know your take on what the Afghanistan papers uncovered awhile back. Apparently there were a number of unnamed high-ranking officials that claimed they never knew what their long-term goals were.

For the record, I sincerely hope I’m wrong about where this is headed. Iran is much larger than Iraq, and I’m afraid a similar regime-changing war with them could absolutely break our nation’s back.

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Mr. Chris D. Aldridge's avatar

We actually had a predicate for El Dorado Canyon….terror attack in Berlin killed a serviceman. No such imminent or demonstrated case here. Trump just decided he ran out of patience and lied about wanting negotiations. Didn’t want another TACO handle. Guess the Iranians say they are taking control of the Strait of Hormuz. So will the US Navy contest this? One of the many ironies here is that the program starting the B2s used was actually started by Jimmy Carter!! Thoughts?

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Mr. Chris D. Aldridge's avatar

At least with Libya there had been a terrorist attack in Berlin(?) resulting in the death of a US serviceman.

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Mr. Chris D. Aldridge's avatar

I think Trump was motivated to show on this he is the “unTACO” President.

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Stephen Stewart's avatar

Interesting that the US president can clearly see when someone has no intention of coming to negotiations and is willing to go on the offensive. When can we expect to see the same in support of Ukraine

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Steven's avatar

Trump does not support Ukraine, he supports Russia.

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Anthony's avatar

2:31 - 2:38

I'm not a student but very much in the "free Palestine" camp (quotes because why is that a controversial statement?) Why should I face scrutiny from DHS/FBI/CIA because of a tangential issue? What Iranian propaganda have I been compromised by? I was called to advocacy by watching Shaaban al-Dalou die, how does that make me an Iranian sleeper agent?

Especially in the context of discussing terrorism, how is this not giving a permission structure to fascists who would use theoretical futures to subjugate people now, as we already know they're willing to do (Peter Sean Brown)?

Believe me, I understand the messiness. Once you find me a regime in today's world that can be described as "good" then let me know. Why does understanding & empathy of the other side of an issue make me more likely to cut off my own nose? I don't think it does, and I think it's dangerous to make that conflation.

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BTW, we had the JCPOA as recently as 2018. The same guy who tore it up to stroke his ego is the same guy now having to resort to flirting with WW3 in order to get them back to the table. If anything, this strike has ensured that Iran will be a nuclear-armed state within the next few years. From 7:08 - 7:24, what would you say to a foreigner saying that about the USA? Right after that, why is the Iranian regime only 45 years old? What happened in 1953 that might have something to do with that? Iranian freedom doesn't threaten American freedom.

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Ryan McBeth's avatar

Why should you face scrutiny? Because it would be considered good intelligence work.

There is a non-zero chance that some of the organizations you’ve been working with have had outside funding directly from Iranian proxies.

A good example of this would be Tim Pool, who was being paid by Russia to manufacture Russian propaganda.

Did he know that he was being paid by Russians? Maybe. Maybe not.

But I guarantee you that IRGC or IRGC agacent intelligence agents have been to your campus to train and assist.

You, personally could be the connection to finding and prosecutingthese people. So that’s why.

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Anthony's avatar

Me and my friends form Facebook groups and write letters to politicians, there's no dark money to be found. I'm with you on scrutinizing media sources but that's not what you said, you said "those 'free Palestine' students need to be looked at" which doesn't differentiate between the *people protesting* and the media that may be influencing them. Unless the videos of starving children & burning bodies are deepfakes, the only thing trying to brainwash me or the other normies like me is the reality on the ground. Tim Pool is a good case because whether or not he knew Tenet Media was a Russian front, the fact remains that he SHOULD have known. Sure, maybe Hasan is taking money indirectly from the Iranians, and I'm sure this particular regime has spent plenty of time trying to find evidence of it, but his dealings have zero effect on the opinions of Iranian citizens, politicians, and military leaders.

Any pro-Iran propagandists also clearly have had no influence over any of the recent American regimes either, so maybe we ought to take that same energy and turn the focus to the pro-Israel lobby and see if maybe there's a guy with arrest warrants from the ICC who may want to drag a global superpower into a regional war to keep his hold on power no matter what harm that does to said superpower and/or global peace overall? That would be crazy, wouldn't it?

I'm making the case that it's irresponsible to give a hostile regime & its supporters a permission structure to persecute its enemies under the guise of intelligence gathering. There are plenty of dead Nicaraguans, Chileans, Iraqis, Iranians, Congolese, [list truncated for brevity] who would suggest that the alphabet agencies may have something other than American security in mind. If your analysis of world events doesn't account for how our actions will affect the adversaries & onlookers, it's an incomplete analysis.

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Sean's avatar

Also - "brainwashed"? In the context of the deliberate starvation of a civilian population, that's a shockingly stupid thing to say. Is he really saying that anyone who objects to that horror has been "brainwashed".

I sincerely hope not. If so, as we say here in the UK, I have a two word response to that.

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Pseudo Nymous's avatar

As a student, I marched against the first Gulf War and camped out in protest on the State House steps.

I agree. "Brainwashed" is not a useful word, it is too emotive and not really descriptive and Ryan IMO can do better.

The phrase "trapped in an information bubble" is much, much more accurate, useful, actionable, and at least a shade less emotive.

... and completely accurate here. The Israeli fundamentalist right-wing have encouraged atrocities. Many should face charges. The actual and full attempts at literal *genocide*, however, AFAICT have been from the surrounding fundamentalist Islamic states against Israel. Because of wrong 2,000 year old fanfic

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Rafi's avatar

The name "Rising Lion" that is being used as the foreign language name for the war is a not a direct translation of the Hebrew. the Hebrew (and therefore real) name of the war is "עם כלביא Am KaLavi" that translates to "a nation like a lion". The phrase comes from the blessing of Bilaam in Numbers 23:24 "הֶן־עָם֙ כְּלָבִ֣יא יָק֔וּם וְכַאֲרִ֖י יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א לֹ֤א יִשְׁכַּב֙ עַד־יֹ֣אכַל טֶ֔רֶף וְדַם־חֲלָלִ֖ים יִשְׁתֶּֽה" - "Behold a nation that will rise up like a lion and as a lion stand proud; he will not lie down until he devours his prey, and drinks the blood of the slain".

It is true that the lion is also the symbol of the Iranian monarchy, but the name strikes a deep chord with Jews who know their Bible as part of a divine promise, that once the sleeping lion of Israel is awoken it is immensely strong and will not rest until its inevitable victory.

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Cosmic Debris's avatar

And yet we let our brothers and sisters in Ukraine to continue dying at Russian hands.

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Scott's avatar

This is a hard parallel to justify, given the circumstances. The Ukrainians have done a pretty decent job of defending themselves with the hundreds of billions of dollars worth of support we've given or approved others to give them.

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Richard Kudrna's avatar

Deport the pro Hamas protesters to Gaza.

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Sean's avatar

Deport the pro-starvation lunatics to the middle-ages

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Scott's avatar

So Hamas is the only way to help Palestinians, in your opinion? By supporting terrorism and genocide? Why cant we both help people and oppose crimes against humanity?

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Al J A  (I miss Reagan)'s avatar

Okay, I am not a fan of our Narcissist-in-chief, but he made the right call this time. What he ordered needed to be done, in my opinion. Anyone who believes Iran was not trying to develop Nuclear weapons is deluding themselves. An oil-rich nation does not build underground uranium enrichment facilities for the peaceful use of nuclear technology. Waiting until they are close to their goal to stop them is irresponsible and stupid. This is no can to be kicked down the Road.

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Pseudo Nymous's avatar

This. All the talk about "2 weeks away since forever" is unhelpful. Iran has with a wink and a nod been pursing nuclear weapons and advertising their desire to use them *for genocide*

The right time to stop them is the very moment you can do so reliably. That time was clearly now. Even if it only sets them back 15-20 years ... that's a long time for modern pluralistic liberal democracies to advance while the mullahs refuse to educate 50% of their population.

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Joey A's avatar

I hope you are both first in line to enlist for our "no new wars" President and his latest betrayal.

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Anthony's avatar

If the right time is now then why did we wait until Israel attacked first? Why didn't we soften the ground & strike back in February/March?

If they've been pursuing nuclear weapons for so long, how are they still so far away? Either they really suck at it or they've actually been abiding by the terms of the NPT. Weird.

This strike has made clear that the west will not honor its side of the deal. Expect Iran to pull out of the NPT, kick the watchdogs out, and ACTUALLY build out a nuclear weapons program in the next few years. Israel/USA doing this has made the argument in favor of proliferation crystal clear for every regime who may be considering it. All eyes on Turkey, Saudi Arabia (and other gulf states), South Korea, and Taiwan

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Mark Brown's avatar

How many round trips can US bombers make before engine replacement is required. Thanks.

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Ryan McBeth's avatar

That’s a good question. The B2 uses the General Electric F118-GE-100.

I suppose we could figure out the service life by seeing how many engines were purchased.

But it’s not just engines, there’s other maintenance that has to be performed every X number of hours. Kind of like how your car is oil needs to be changed every couple thousand miles.

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Mark Carli's avatar

There you go again, giving unbiased, informed information. Who do you think you are.

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Cliffdog01's avatar

Given that Iran has a capable Rocket program (both Civilian-ish and military see Scott Manley and his detailed look at the two rocket programs) is there a chance Iran targets mainland US even if it's only symbolic.

You don't really need it to be accurate when you target something as big as and densely populated as the Eastern states.

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LanceH's avatar

Ryan, you’ve finally hit a big milestone! I’m a retired RCMP officer with a background in National Security and organized crime investigations, I eat these kind of videos for breakfast. My wife, a retired flight attendant, most assuredly, does not.

I’d already watched your video when I got up this morning, and was watching some other analysis videos on my FireTV. My wife actually said “Has Ryan McBeth put out a video on this yet?” Admittedly, when I’m watching your videos, she’s usually forced to watch them whether she wants to or not, but she usually finds your stuff educational and humourous, but this is the first time she independently sought out one of your videos, because she knew she’d get the most out of it. Keep fighting the good fight, Ryan, you’ll rule the airwaves yet! Cheers, Lance

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Ryan McBeth's avatar

Thanks, man. I really appreciate that story.

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Vincent J Capone's avatar

Concur with your statement regarding Iran being at the center of terrorist activity. Can't the same be said about Russia? The support for Iran and its proxies, like Hezbollah. Russia propped up the Assad regime in Syria. And especially through the state-sponsored terror activities of Vagner across the African continent?

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Rockjaw's avatar

If y’all think they’ll stop being azzphats, all I’ve got to say is that the leopard doesn’t ever change its spots… just sayin

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Krijn's avatar

Apart from the technology, equipment and doctrine involved in this last attack on Iran; I worry about the political and diplomatic part.

Because Iran is not a culture that sprouts from Europe, like the US has. DIfferent values are important to them. Pride and losing face matters more to them than to an American businessman.

So, if you kick them in the balls and destroy their strategic weapons... Will that make them negotiate, or will it make them double down?

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Scott's avatar

It always surprises ne how many liberals follow Ryan since he doesn't indulge in their crackpot fantasies.

I can agree getting congress to agree might have been worthwhile... but given their majority support for Trump that might just have been academic. However, the root of the question is just stupid. Anyone who thinks allowing Iran to have nukes is ok should be ignored in any serious conversation.

Why scrutinize the pro palestinian movement? Because they support genocidal terrorist regimes? Yeah, that alone is a good enough reason.

Hmm close the southern border... I could swear I've heard someone in America supporting that before... yeah seems like a good idea.

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