Duckworth: Trump ‘Wasted’ the Military Lives Lost on Iran

[mystery-ak]

Pam Key 18 Mar 2026

Wednesday on MS NOW’s “The Last Word,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) claimed President Donald Trump has “wasted” the lives of the U.S. military personnel who died in service tied to the Iran exercises.

Host Lawrence O’Donnell said, “Senator, thank you very much for joining us tonight. As a as a combat veteran, watching now, the third dignified transfer from Donald Trump’s war. What are your thoughts as we’re in the third week of it?”

Duckworth said, “Well, just absolute fury that this man expended the lives of our heroes, the people who are willing to do something he was never willing to do himself, which is serve in uniform for a war of choice. That did not have to happen. He wasted those lives. Do you know our men and women in the military will step up and do their jobs to the best of their ability? Every single time. But that means that we have the responsibility, those of us in the legislative branch to make those decisions about war. And Donald Trump launched a war without without coming to Congress, without looking at the consequences. And as a result of it, the 11 brave men and women in uniform have died. Gas prices have gone through the roof. And Americans are less safe than they were before he launched this war.”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/03/18/duckworth-trump-wasted-the-military-lives-lost-on-iran/

[Wingnut]

Take Triple J vs. Debbie Downer.  One loves his country and one is a sour old disabled vet who never got over her injury and hates her country.

[mountaineer]

Cynical Publius
@CynicalPublius

RE: The Way of War of Our Enemies

In every hot war the United States has become involved in since the Korean War, we have enjoyed absolute tactical and operational dominance over our enemies.  We win every tactical engagement, overwhelmingly.  Operationally we can and do dominate any theater of our choosing.  No one—and I mean NO ONE—can stand toe to toe with the US military.

This has been true for decades.

We’ve talked before about the elements of national power—the “DIME” (Diplomacy, Informational, Military, Economic).

Our military power is unsurpassed.  We are masters of diplomacy.  We have the world’s strongest economy.

So how do we lose?  The INFORMATIONAL component.

Our military opponents, from Ho Chi Minh to Osama bin Ladin, knew that the only way to defeat the USA is to demoralize the American populace such that it demands withdrawal and throws the then current Commander-in-Chief out of office.  The ONLY way to defeat America militarily is to convince the American people that a war is unwinnable. 

The slow dribble of IED deaths in OIF was not actually targeting soldiers and Marines—it was targeting YOU, the American people.  And CNN eagerly complied with death counts running across the bottom of the screen.    ...

Read the rest at: https://x.com/CynicalPublius/status/2034815772892029311

[Smokin Joe]

Cynical Publius
@CynicalPublius

RE: The Way of War of Our Enemies

In every hot war the United States has become involved in since the Korean War, we have enjoyed absolute tactical and operational dominance over our enemies.  We win every tactical engagement, overwhelmingly.  Operationally we can and do dominate any theater of our choosing.  No one—and I mean NO ONE—can stand toe to toe with the US military.

This has been true for decades.

We’ve talked before about the elements of national power—the “DIME” (Diplomacy, Informational, Military, Economic).

Our military power is unsurpassed.  We are masters of diplomacy.  We have the world’s strongest economy.

So how do we lose?  The INFORMATIONAL component.

Our military opponents, from Ho Chi Minh to Osama bin Ladin, knew that the only way to defeat the USA is to demoralize the American populace such that it demands withdrawal and throws the then current Commander-in-Chief out of office.  The ONLY way to defeat America militarily is to convince the American people that a war is unwinnable. 

The slow dribble of IED deaths in OIF was not actually targeting soldiers and Marines—it was targeting YOU, the American people.  And CNN eagerly complied with death counts running across the bottom of the screen.    ...

Read the rest at: https://x.com/CynicalPublius/status/2034815772892029311

QFT!