As you say, stating the obvious isn't a solution on its own. Just like diplomacy alone will not be effective because it does not address underlying issues or root causes of conflict.

Your mention of incentives for countries like Iran suggests that you may believe in the power of positive reinforcement.
Once again this doesn't work with the ideology of Islamic terrorists.

You blindly think of offering benefits or rewards for desirable behavior, you argue that it may be possible to encourage positive actions and discourage hostile or aggressive behavior. How many times does it need to be explained that, you're dealing with literally spoiled children and diplomacy does not work. It's either their way or no way.

I suggests that a combination of approaches, including military response if necessary, is needed to adequately address and resolve aggressive actions.
We should show that we will take no more nonsense and violence and murder from these people.

Relying solely on diplomacy in complex scenarios involving aggression and conflict, is only one option. a more comprehensive approach, encompassing a range of strategies and considering underlying motivations, grievances, and incentives, is necessary for effectively resolving such issues.

I hardly ever agree with Steeleye, he is our resident lefty however he is a long term poster and entitled to his views.

He is also a useful source of information on youth and academy games and regularly updates the rest of us.

You have only been on this site for a couple of months and only seem to post on this thread. This is a football website and whilst I welcome all you might want to post a bit more on the football as Steeleye does.

Enjoy your day.

One more point

My post was actually reporting what I had heard an American recommending. It was late on Friday evening as the attack was underway and regrettably I cannot recall his name but he clearly knew his stuff. From memory he was the Director of something like the “American and Arabia Institute” and had previously served in US administrations. So not my ideas. I suspect he was better informed than anyone here.

Cynically dismissing foreign leaders as children is not his view. He believes the Iranians have been very clever with their strategy and are not fools. He also believes they are pragmatic and will respond to positive suggestions without needing to compromise their principles. He was very critical of past US policy. Not of the need to offer help to defend Israel but in the lack of subtlety in dealing with Iran.

Any kind of military response by Israel would be calamitous, in my opinion. It is unnecessary. They made all the response needed on Friday night. Like someone facing a bully and avoiding all their blows by being quicker of thought and action, all that results is the bully running out of energy and ideas. There’s no need to punch the bully now. They know their aggression doesn’t work. Now’s the time to start talking.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

The fall-out with Iran has many facets.
*It is a reminder of how disjointed NATO has become since Russia's invasion exposed major weaknesses in the alliance. And how reliant the Western world is for "America to sort it"
*The tension in the Middle-east has always had its inflammatory periods. Why Israel should stir the pot so Brazenly, and expect everyone to back them is quite perplexing.
*It is a useful scenario to push the Palestinian slaughter/land-grab into the smaller columns of newspapers/media.

These are just things that spring to mind for me, but there are many others i have missed

Edited by Forest Hillbilly (15 Apr 2024 11.01am)

"The facts have changed", Rishi Sunak

Are there two Steeleyes?

Responsibility Deficit Disorder is a medical condition. Symptoms include inability to be corrected when wrong, false sense of superiority, desire to share personal info no else cares about, general hubris. It's a medical issue rather than pure arrogance.