Pic Of The Moment: So You're Saying We Had To Attack Iran Because They Would Have Attacked Us If We Attacked Them

[EarlG]

Hi-res version

US strikes on Iran triggered by Israel's plan to launch attack, Rubio says

[dalton99a]

1. Stratospheric genius

[Bengus81]

2. Soooo..if Greenland comes under attack by anyone,we should start bombing

Great way to easily start any fucking War you want and blame it on another Country eh Trump?

[Botany]

3. Rubio, "We went proactively in a defensive way."

The stupid is strong with this one.

[joshdawg]

40. And there is no way to repair this amount of stupid.

This whole "administration" has set a whole new meaning to stupidity.

[yellow dahlia]

43. That line got me too.

Wait! What?

[Botany]

53. Genuine Gibberish

pro·ac·tive
/prōˈaktiv/
adjective
(of a person, policy, or action) creating or controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened.

de·fen·sive
/dəˈfen(t)siv/
adjective
used or intended to defend or protect.

But this from a man with tattoos of an automatic rifle, a white nationalist cross
on his chest, and some other pro God ink too.

[Johonny]

4. Trump had a huge rash, so we needed a distraction

So we bombed Iran and killed all the leadership.

I mean, it's a pretty big rash, so the actions felt justified at the time. And who knows it might work out. Anyways, on to Cuba.

[underpants]

5. Moses Mike too. They've got their story ....and they're sticking with it

It’s not just an out of context Rubio clip. This is the second time it’s been articulated this way.

Mike Johnson: “This was a defensive measure…If Israel fired upon Iran and took action against Iran to take out the missiles, then [Iran] would have immediately retaliated against U.S. personnel and assets."

Link to tweet

?s=46&t=3VBm1LJ8j8qLp6JTs_8J2A

[D_Master81]

10. So what you're saying is...

Speaker Johnson basically admitting the US is the cuck, Beta in this war and is only going along with Israel. Way to lead sir.

[underpants]

11. Yyyyyep

[surfered]

6. Sounds like the plot of the movie Minority Report.

We think we know what you’re thinking.

[PatSeg]

15. It really does

So many futuristic dystopian movies are turning out to be prophetic.

[yellow dahlia]

45. Indeed.

I often say I am at the convergence of every dystopian evil villain futuristic movie and work of literature. Aaargh!

Make Orwell fiction again! Please!

[PatSeg]

52. On some level I always thought that

many dystopian stories could or would come to pass, but somehow I thought that was way, way in the future...not in MY lifetime. I also believed that most people would see the warnings and act accordingly. What is the point of these cautionary tales if people keep heading off the cliff?

The many scientific warnings about the effects of global climate change should have alarmed enough people to change their lifestyles, but so many prefer the comfort of ignorance and denial.

Then we get a leader with so many red flags that anyone with half a brain could see he was the arch villain in every book, movie, or Saturday morning cartoon. He practically wore a sign on his back telling us "I am the destroyer of civilization, vote for me". There was nothing subtle about him and yet tens of millions of people voted for him three times!

Apparently the problem isn't a few bad players, it is the weaknesses of our species.

[yellow dahlia]

54. Well said!

Don't Look Up didn't come out when it did by accident.

[PatSeg]

57. Such a good movie

But sadly it was not received the way it should have been. It is already forgotten by most people and many others didn't take it seriously. I guess a large chunk of people have to learn from first hand experience which really sucks for the rest of us.

[yellow dahlia]

59. I'm a little cynical, but.

Some would rather discuss their next mani-pedi than the intellectual analysis of film and literature.

There is indeed a dumbing down of Americans.

[PatSeg]

69. I guess I'm cynical as well

I've been around superficial, clueless people my whole life, but I always thought that most of them would wake up when real threats face humanity. Apparently the wolves have to actually be at their door before they accept it is real. Even then, many will cry, "Why didn't anyone warn us?"

"Dumbing down of Americans" at a time when most people have the entire world at their fingertips. There is no shortage of information, but a big shortage of willingness to learn.

[yellow dahlia]

71. Exactly. We have so much information at our fingertips.

I feel like I have the whole library in my lap.

[PatSeg]

74. Sometimes I am like a kid in a candy shop

Yet there are people who just use it for stupid videos, memes, and trolling.

[yellow dahlia]

75. Exactly. I was a bit of a research junkie before, now I need a self help group.

[PatSeg]

77. Ha, ha, ha!

I can relate - kindred souls!

[no_hypocrisy]

7. Hill Street Blues Redux

Sergeant Stan Jablonski’s "Let's do it to them before they do it to us".

[niyad]

8. It is too early to start drinking, and I clearly have not had enough

caffeine. I read that thing three times, and it still does not make sense.

[orangecrush]

14. I feel you

[niyad]

19. On second thought, and more reading, I thought, "so what if it is too early".

But then I remembered that today is National Pancake Day at IHOP, with free shortstack. Cannot miss that!

[orangecrush]

22. Coming with you!

[niyad]

23. Yayyyyyy

[orangecrush]

28. I like cinnamon pancakes

[niyad]

29. Those are good. So are the chocolate ones.

[PatSeg]

16. You're not alone

I suppose it is intentionally confusing because their base will just assume it must be very strategic.

[yellow dahlia]

46. I hear you.

I often say to Mr. Dahlia - at least I haven't started day drinking.

(I need a wine glass in the classic smilies.)

[niyad]

49. A most excellent point. There are drinking smilies, but you are correct,

I do not recall one for wine.

[yellow dahlia]

55. I said recently - owning a liquor store is a safe industry, right now.

Sad.

[niyad]

60. So very true..

[D_Master81]

9. It's 2003 all over again

The “they will attack us if we don’t attack them” line that worked so well in the early 2000s. Death, taxes and Republicans starting middle eastern wars are a sure thing in life

[PatSeg]

21. Yes, except Trump didn't even pretend

he had legitimate, legal grounds for the attacks. At least Bush went through the motions of going to congress to get authorization to use military force. It was all BS of course, but he went to the trouble of putting on a show.

Like a willful child, Trump just does whatever he wants whenever it suits him.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. MAGat logic

Preemptively preempting.

[orangecrush]

13. It's a done deal

?v=1697645214

[eppur_se_muova]

17. " ... so we hit them back first." nt

[Attilatheblond]

27. Remember, Trump was the kid who invented the game of "Make the Baby Cry" to get others to throw rocks at a baby

Evil like that does not go away, it just looks for bigger rocks to throw.

[yellow dahlia]

47. I heard the story about throwing rocks. I didn't know the whole story.

Now...that really cheered up my day.

[Attilatheblond]

67. Read that it was his mom who outed him on that one

Probably been scrubbed from the internet by now, a lot of damaging stuff documenting many others who behave badly, or break laws, has disappeared from there in the past 10 years or so.

[yellow dahlia]

72. Sadist, at a young age.

And with no correction or consequence - it just feeds on itself. And now we have a deadly monster.

[twodogsbarking]

18. Smart people generally hide that they are smart. Stupid people don't have that option.

[sinkingfeeling]

20. I guess you can't be a part of the regime without having flunked logic class and being an excellent liar.

[Clouds Passing]

24. That's stupid with this gang has no boundaries

[Ol Janx Spirit]

25. So let's make sure we have this straight:

Since World War II, America has spent trillions of dollars to build such an imposing military that any country would be out of their mind to attack it outright knowing the consequences. But Iran was poised to do just that if attacked by another country?

Is that kind of like getting challenged to a bar fight by a much smaller opponent but saying, "hang on, I'm going out into the parking lot where five police cars are just waiting for some kind of trouble so I can punch one of those guys instead and just cut out the middle-man"?

No wonder the stock market is reacting today when it really didn't yesterday. It's clear now that not only was there no real plan all along, but they aren't even smart enough to come up with a good reason for it on the fly. That certainly doesn't give anyone confidence in their ability to see this debacle to a good outcome.

[patphil]

26. We attacked due to a combination of Arab money, and Epstein files.

The Saudi's paid Trump billions, and Trump needed a distraction from the Epstein debacle.

[flashman13]

30. George Orwell could not have stated it better. Wag Wag Wag the dog!

[chouchou]

31. Marco Rubio might actually have something.

It's been a long time since I've had even a little "fender bender" on my car. I also know that there's a few people
that WILL have a fender bender today.
Ha Ha! I'll fool those bastards today and run right into their precious vehicle... I WIN !!

[Wounded Bear]

32. Authentic trumpist jibberish...

(Apologies to Mel Brooks)

[Bengus81]

33. How long did it take to cook up this bullshit talking point? Three,four days

Operation: FORGET ABOUT EPSTEIN

[Joinfortmill]

34. Jeezus.

[question everything]

35. But, but

Senior US officials voiced anger over briefings from the prime minister’s circle suggesting Netanyahu pushed Trump to launch the strike on Iran, saying the president 'needed no persuasion' and acted because it was right for the world and the Middle East

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bk8ccdqywg

[sleroy49]

36. 5D Checkers

I can't wait for the next justification they try out.

[calimary]

65. I think you're right.

They’ll keep trying out the “justifications” til they think they’ve got a winner (at least for a majority of their rubes).

[lastlib]

37. Do these people understand the words they use??

It's like English is a foreign language to them. They just string words together any old way, and think that by using two syllable words, that they're outsmarting the rest of us. But they're only outsmarting 30% of the population. To the other 70%, they are blithering idiots.

"Pro-actively in a defensive way"--they're speaking tautologese.........

[mwb970]

38. Wow. That IS stupid.

[Historic NY]

39. So I aked AI about the crazy

According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the logic behind this "crazy" phrasing is that the U.S. chose to be the aggressor specifically to prevent a predicted attack on its own troops.
.
Here is the breakdown of why the administration used this specific term:

The "Proactive" Part: The U.S. launched strikes on Iranian leadership and missile sites before any American assets had been hit.
The "Defensive" Part: Rubio argued that intelligence showed Iran had already "pre-positioned" missiles to strike U.S. bases the moment Israel began its own planned attack. By striking first, the U.S. claimed it was "defending" its personnel from an "imminent" threat.
Avoiding "Absorbing a Blow": The core of the argument is that waiting to be attacked would have resulted in "more casualties and more deaths". Rubio stated the U.S. would not "sit there and absorb a blow" when it knew a strike was coming.

Critics, including some members of Congress and international legal experts, have called this a "war of choice" disguised as defense, noting that the "imminent threat" was based on a prediction of how Iran might react to a third party (Israel).
Do you want to know more about how Congress is reacting to this "proactively defensive" justification?

Secretary of State Marco Rubio Remarks to Press
Mar 2, 2026 — SECRETARY RUBIO: There absolutely was an imminent threat, and the imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked – and...
U.S. Department of State (.gov)
U.S. embassy in Riyadh hit by drones - CNBC
Mar 2, 2026 — "We knew that if Iran was attacked, and we believed they would be attacked, that they would immediately come after us," Rubio told...
CNBC
Rubio: 'There absolutely was an imminent threat' from Iran - AOL
Mar 2, 2026 — Ashleigh Fields. Mon, March 2, 2026 at 2:59 PM PST. 0. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday said Iran posed an “imminent threa...
AOL.com

Then it gets worse Even AI isn't buying the logic,.
The "Line of Immunity": Rubio also introduced a broader justification: he claimed the U.S. had to strike now because in 18 months, Iran would have reached a "line of immunity" where their missile and drone technology would be too advanced to stop. This logic suggests the U.S. should strike anyone who might become too powerful to be easily defeated in the future.

Makes us the bully - AI agrees. Redefining Aggression.

[EarlG]

41. Honestly, I'd prefer not to get chatbot output in response to my posts

I'd rather hear your personal thoughts on the story.

[Marcuse]

42. Game on.

[Initech]

44. Can we just fire all the Murdoch republicans already?

[yellow dahlia]

48. "...proactively in a defensive way." Gets me - every time I see it.

[CaptainTruth]

50. A person has to be truly ignorant to support these clowns.

I never knew so many Americans were so gullible.

[MW67]

51. So no justification

Means we were justified, got it

[calimary]

56. I see an individual who sold his soul.

Satan probably got him on discount.

[Totally Tunsie]

58. "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit." ― W.C. Fields

[calimary]

61. And he thinks he's paving, or better yet, smoothing the way for his own run.

[sarisataka]

62. The absurd is now government policy

[mzmolly]

63. More preemptive Republican wars in the middle east.

They should try a better lie. Some of us know better.

[Figarosmom]

64. Wow. What logic.

I'm surprised he can put a tie on without strangling himself since he knows someday trump is going to do it to him. He may as well do it preemptively.

[Kid Berwyn]

66. He meant to say, "Israel."

Other than that, yup.

[MarcoZandrini]

68. This is....

…..weapons grade stupid.

[AleksS]

70. Pre-taliation?

Pre-venge?

A pre-taliatory strike?

Just what to expect from a bunch of pre-daphile pre-dators..

[Qutzupalotl]

73. "Proactive defense" -- You mean OFFENSE?

We don't start wars. Wait, yes we do. We don't end wars.

[malaise]

76. A true clown car

full of incompetent monsters who think they are playing video games.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

78. ..

[LetMyPeopleVote]

79. K&R

[Rhiagel]

80. Shouldn't their little red hats be changed to Make Israel Great Again? MIGA?

Not to mention Israel First.

Pedo Prez serves 2 masters now and one isn't the American people.

[Aussie105]

81. Full victim mentality on display!

Cop: Why did you shoot that guy?

Shooter: I had to, it was self defense!

Cop: What did he do to frighten you?

Shooter: He looked me funny! I told him not to, but he kept staring at me! I had to, it was self defense!

Cop: Stared? Did he say or do anything else?

Shooter: No, but I'm sure he had Evil in his heart and was planning to do something! It was pre-emptive self defense!

Cop: You nutz?

Shooter: No! I know these things! I'm a hero!

Cop: Save it for the judge! I'm sure your self defense and mind reading will get you off!

Shooter: Should do! I had no choice!

Cop: Says nothing. No point.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Can the USA's reputation in the eyes of the world sink any lower?
Probably!
Watch this space!

[Aussie105]

82. Mission accomplished!

Evilness in the US and Israel have got what they wanted, a war with Iran, upheaval in the Middle East.

What is in their plan now?
Were consequences ever considered?

What consequences, you ask?
Oh, just the little details, fuel supply uncertainty and flow on effects from that, plunging global stock markets - even crypto is plunging.
The reputation of the US in the rest of the world as a stable and sane global leader.
Little details like that.

So share the big picture plan, Trump administration.
If you have one, that is.

If you haven't, get busy - and no bull or double talk this time.

[damifino10]

83. Pooptin

Right out of Putins playbook. Bought and paid for by the Saudis. BB cons 47 not a "must do" action.
We are so screwed.

[Aussie105]

84. Pre-emptive strikes are the deal of the day!

I think my neighbour, here in Adelaide South Australia, is a terrorist and building a nuclear bomb in his garden shed!

Who do I call in the US government to arrange a pre-emptive strike?

Quick, before they become unfashionable!
Or the US goes bankrupt. Or something.

[GiqueCee]

85. Rubio didn't sell his soul to the Devil...

... he gave it to an imbecile spawned by old Beelzebub.