Saudi Arabia, a key Gulf ally, suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation, sources say.

Donald Trump’s abrupt reversal on his plan to help ships go through the Strait of Hormuz came after a key Gulf ally suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation, according to two U.S. officials.

Trump surprised Gulf allies by announcing “Project Freedom” on social media Sunday afternoon, the officials said, angering leadership in Saudi Arabia. In response, the Kingdom informed the U.S. it would not allow the U.S. military to fly aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase southeast of Riyadh or fly through Saudi airspace to support the effort, the officials said.

  • ilinamorato@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    nobody in America seems to care enough to meaningfully change it

    People keep saying this as if we’ve all got a lever we could pull to get him out of office and just…aren’t doing it. No, there’s no direct way to make it happen. There’s no meaningful opposition party, and no way to remove a president from office without one. The indirect ways to do it–namely, protest and primary challenges–well, a lot of us are doing that. And those who are and aren’t protesting are held back by needing to work in an economic system that ties our healthcare to our employment.

    The problem can’t be solved in just a few months. This is a coordinated assault against liberty that began decades ago; it’d take a few years to sort out even if the entire middle and lower class was in agreement, and a sizable undereducated, propagandized population in the lower class is going to take some time to get on board.

    “Wake up” and do what? Take up arms? That’s a pipe dream sold by the NRA to keep conservatives buying guns. So what are we supposed to do that we’re not already doing?

    • tabarnaski@sh.itjust.works
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      The problem in the US is that no one seems to realize that 1. Political change is not instantaneous and 2. Political change needs efforts/sacrifice.

      Organize, vote in every election, make your voice heard in the primaries, etc.

      There’s no meaningful opposition party

      Indeed, the Dems suck right now, but that can change. You just need enough people speaking loud enough with a clear message.

      • ilinamorato@lemmy.world
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        Yep. And we’re seeing some movement on the outside making inroads into the party itself, which is great. There are more people trying to primary their establishment dems, and a lot of them are winning. But even if every Democrat in office right now were to lose their next primary, it would still take the better part of a decade to turn the entire party over.

        If we survive this thing, the democratic party that comes out of it will be stronger for having been infused with younger, more progressive voices; but the road to that future is long.

    • Bustedknuckles@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Getting ready, I suppose. We need an actual grassroots movement with commitment and organization. General strike seems about all that’s left to us

    • samus12345@sh.itjust.works
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      2 days ago

      So what are we supposed to do that we’re not already doing?

      Drive to DC with torches en masse.

      (It’s actually 3,500,000 square miles)

      • tomiant@piefed.social
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        2 days ago

        Can you please explain the joke further? Your first explanation left a lot questions unanswered and I am still not in a state of laughing, not even snickering. I am smiling in anticipation but I’m not sure how long it’s gonna last!!!

    • then_three_more@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Your system is so fucked. In a parliamentary democracy the members of the legislature for his own party would have seen his approval ratings, realised what that’ll mean for their own electoral chances and ousted him by now.

      • Bustedknuckles@lemmy.world
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        Would things be different in a parliamentary system? I’m not actually so sure. Every single member of the house of representatives is up for election in November and they don’t seem worried enough about their electoral chances to restrain him in any way.

        Congress is still nominally the strongest branch of US government and they’re fully abdicating their responsibilities. What would a parliamentary system solve when one party is a death cult?

        • then_three_more@lemmy.world
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          Maybe I’m just going by how things have been working in the UK in the last few years. We’ve not had a Prime Minister last a full election term since Blair in the early 2000s.

      • ilinamorato@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        No argument there. But we can’t even get the man out of office right now; how likely is it that we’re going to change the whole system in light of that?