Trump is definitely a malignancy but I believe the cancer in this country is more widespread than one fat, sick, orange man. If we ever elect another group to run this country they better be able to administer the surgery, radiation and chemo to kill the cancer.
[Quote] Donald Trump has also claimed that Iran had agreed to allow 20 ships carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning and continuing over the next few days as a “present”.
“They gave us 10 [ships through the strait],” he said. “Now they’re giving 20…”
Trump added that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, had authorised the additional tankers.
“He’s the one who authorised the ships to me,” Trump told the Financial Times. “Remember I said they’re giving me a present? And everyone said: ‘What’s the present? Bullshit.’ When they heard about that they kept their mouth shut and the negotiations are going very well.” [End Quote]
Then they quote that same Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, as saying [Quote] that Iranian forces were “waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners for ever”. He also accused the US of secretly preparing a ground assault while publicly seeking talks. [End Quote]
Who sounds more believable? As we know, Trump is always trying to influence the stock market, one of the few things he actually cares about.
The proof will be in the pudding. They didn't "give" him 10 ships last week, for instance, per this guy:
It will be interesting to see what he has to say tonight.
There are websites such as https://www.lloydslist.com/ and gCaptain that regularly write about which ships get through the strait also and I'm seeing nothing to that effect either last week or today.
I just stumbled on Sal! Not sure how I did even, but I agree, he's very informative. I particularly liked his analogy that the Strait of Hormuz is like the femeral artery of the world wide shipping "circulatory system". That really puts it in perspective.
What has alarmed me is that he paints a picture of what is happening in general that is very dire and I don't see the warranted level of concern reflected in the behavior of the Trump administration. Do they not actually know? Not care?
Sal is not alone in saying that the US military would have anticipated and "war gamed" a response to the Strait being closed, but yet they seemed unprepared. Maybe it was all the people Hegseth fired! Or maybe too many things are different now.
Adam Kinzinger has an interesting post about how war has changed due to the drones. I did not know this about the fiber optic cables trailing the drones and being spider-webbed all around Ukraine. What a visual image.
(I confess I've found myself unable to stand reading about the Ukraine war as it makes me too angry and depressed.)
Also Sal has guested on other podcasts such as Ward Carroll’s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPTaSlv9XzI) and the “Unauthorized History of the Pacific War” with Seth Paradon and Jonathan Parshall.
Definitely vomit. I’m not able to laugh anymore at the sheer incompetence of this entire administration as we steadily slide towards a world run by Palantir, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Google. And they support this administration because its making them richer and allowing their twisted world views to succeed.
Israel is also a player in this 8 Ball game. Israelis reportedly support the Iran war by a large margin. I get that given their history and Iran's long running vows to destroy them while surrounding them with proxy forces committed to their destruction.
But the Israeli policies of expansion via blatantly supporting the "settlers" -- largely ultra-Orthodox citizens --
"As of early 2026, there are over 700,000 Israeli settlers living in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. These civilian communities are constructed on land captured by Israel in 1967, and their presence is considered illegal under international law—a position maintained by the United Nations, the European Union, and the US government, which classifies them as "inconsistent with international law". Google AI overview.
And now seemingly similar expansionist goals in Lebanon, are the result of handing Israel a blank check while the Trump Regime uses our tax dollars to suppress any opposition, by individuals or institutions, to Israeli policies. Any opposition is labeled antisemitism. Protesting Israel's blatant violation of International Law is a long ways from antisemitism.
Lawless trump and lawless Netanyahu are undermining democracy in both nations. It wouldn't surprise me if 50% of the US military members in the Iran war believe they are involved in a Great Crusade. SecDef Hegseth certainly does. Israel created an IDF battalion of far right citizens to find a way around the law that excludes Haredi ultra-Orthodox citizens from compulsory military conscription -- and then stationed that battalion where they could support the West Bank settlers. In doing so they assaulted a CNN News crew reporting on settler's attacks and land grabs against Palestinians. Success!
We need to be clear-eyed about how we are being used and abused. Stop the insanity.
I am reading that Saudi Arabia wants this war and put pressure on tRump to start it. They are afraid of Iran's hegemony. Let's remember that the Shiites hate the Sunnis as much as they hate Israel.
In my mind, there is no doubt about who actually convinced A-hole to start this war: the Saudis and the Russians, both who would gain wildly from attacks on the US as well as on Iran. Trump and his incompetents really thought Iran wouldn't fight back????? With Russian assistance and intelligence, they surely have. And the Saudis waved billions in front of Trump's ugly face, and he fell for their BS. My God, this administration has got to be the most incompetent to ever exist in this country. And Hegseth's strident Christianity to the troops??? WTH is that? He is a two-bit drunken newscaster thrust in this tremendous position of power, and is perhaps, one of the stupidest men to ever exist on this earth. What a pair we have in those two clowns. And I know I am veering off topic, but don't get me started on TSA not being paid until today. Trump could have done this weeks ago with an EO. The govt is trying to break them and their union and go private. It's so clear. I wouldn't work for the Feds if they offered me multiple jobs. What a bunch of criminals.
I've seen mention of that in the news. It wouldn't take much to "pressure" trump, just wave some gold in his face. Through crypto schemes, real estate deals, and airplanes the Gulf States have been hard at work influencing the trump criminal enterprise.
I don't know the depth of hate between the Sunni and Shiite sects of Islam. Back in the 1970's at least, the Iranians placed great value on the pilgrimage journey to Mecca, the haj. For those who made the trip they gained 'Haji' as a honorific title.
I am actually surprised that Iran has never targeted the already settled areas. Obviously, I'm not advocating anything, just noticing a quirk. Apart from the IDF's presence in the settlements, don't Ben-Gvir and Smotrich (Israel's quasi-Ayatollahs) also live there? Not to mention their non-negligible economic contribution to Israel's revenue (estimated at $30bn/yr according to a quick check with Google's AI overview), or the lure of generating goodwill from all those who support a state of Palestine. If Iran was truly trying to destroy Israel, this would make sense. So, can we conclude that Iran is, as they claim, primarily concerned about self-defense/preservation rather than "death to Israel", despite all the hype from heads of states and the media?
I don't think the powers that be in Iran would shed many tears in the event of Israel's destruction. I also think they 'need' Israel as an opponent, in the same way that trump 'needs' the Christian Nationalists here for purely political reasons which also applies to Netanyahu with respect to the ultra-Orthodox.
trump's motivation is voters who are convinced that although trump is a flawed human he is doing God's will on their behalf. In their minds it's all worth it 'cause we're going to the promised land, or getting raptured or whatever.
Iran's ayatollah's are, like trump, also energizing a crucial support faction - enough so that the Republican Guards are more than willing to slaughter their fellow citizens to protect the Faith and all glory to Allah.
In all three cases, (trump, Netanyahu, and ayatollah) religion is being used as a lever to move enough of the population to support their respective causes which mostly involves self preservation and expansion of power and the rewards of power.
I fully agree. Religion - the oldest political power tool in the box. Will humans ever learn? I doubt it. And to supplement my own remarks, it is obvious that the Iran regime doesn't care much about the Palestinian plight, only inasmuch as it can be used as a conversion tool to impose and sustain Islamic extremism power in the region, with Israel willingly providing all the reasons/motivation they need to accomplish their goal. You are right, they all need each other, or else the power game is up. What a sad world we live in! Designed by and for power freaks, not for humanity.
Iran, in terms of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen, maybe they see these as disadvantaged enclaves with a built-in dislike of Israel. That would make them prime candidates to be enrolled in Iranian schemes. And, perhaps offers the best living conditions and security.
I wish I understood more about Gaza in particular. What I perceive is an apartheid situation, high un-employment, limited advanced education opportunities, living largely penned up behind a wall. PLA attacks on Israeli targets led to much of that situation no doubt. The motivation for those attacks goes back to the establishment of the Israeli State. If only that beginning was not so flawed we might have had a much better present.
From articles I have read here and there, my understanding of life in Gaza before October 2023 was that life was certainly not easy, but somehow they found ways to manage, facilitated by very strong family and community ties and networks. You're right, David, it would be good indeed to understand more, without our "Western" lenses. Education did seem to have been a well-functioning sector (see for instance this Al Jazeera article: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/4/19/gaza-had-educational-justice-now-the-genocide-has-wiped-that-out-too ) , with a high literacy level, much higher than in the US... Now, of course, this is a whole different story. I wish international journalists were allowed in, but Israel is determined to prevent this from happening, on top of threatening and killing Gazan journalists, who surely must be the bravest in the world. Look up the article "Watched, Tracked & Targeted" about life in Gaza now. The +972 Magazine and Justvision.org also have some great, if disturbing, articles.
AMEN!!!!! Pictures of Graham in Disney Land while TSA lines are out the door make me sick. What an SOB. No caring for the common American. Why and how in the hell has he kept his position in Congress for so long? These bastards need to be run out on a rail. And if I hear one more idiotic comment from Abigail what's her name (half-assed spokesperson for the administration) re blaming the Democrats for the DHS shutdown, I just may lose my mind, what is left of it.
And, for all those who miss the DOGED experts who used to study and advise presidents on complicated foreign policy issues, there is this quote from Frank Bruni's newsletter in the NY Times:
"In his newsletter, Moral Clarity, Andrew Weinstein sounded an alarm over the Trump administration’s marginalization of a crucial class of experts:
“Career diplomats are not ornamental. They are the institutional memory of American statecraft — the people who negotiate cease-fires, secure the release of political prisoners, and build coalitions that kept our troops out of wars. They are the ones who can tell the difference between a miscommunication and a mobilization. When you remove them, you are not trimming fat. You are severing nerves.” (Chester Gittleman, Roslyn, N.Y.)
Worth noting.
For those who have yet to discover the poignant beauty of Frank Bruni's columns in the NY Times, here's a gift link.
Peter Thiel’s Palantir has accessed the millions of personal records stolen by Elon Musk’s teenage IT thieves…DOGE….these two, working in collaboration, are now in control of all relevant information about the whole country. While Musk was performing magicians’ tricks…watch me give a Nazi salute, watch me wave around a chainsaw, watch me wear a small child on my shoulders…all distractions, while he and Thiel set about bringing 1984 to America. They are now the Big Brothers controlling America, and soon, if they are successful, the world..Palantir has wormed its way into the Australian defence system and the sovereign fund…just the next step…
Truly frightening, and possibly unstoppable….information is power….heaven help us all…
Once again the big oaf has reacted impulsively, with no knowledge or understanding of the repercussions of his actions, humiliated us on a world stage, and worst of all, gotten thousands of innocent people killed or maimed. The military has to stop blindly following this lunatic’s orders. Its job it to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States, not take orders from a mentally and physically impaired wannabe dictator.
If we didn't have a "mentally and physically impared wannabe" secretary of defense, this might be a reality. We have instead, a religiously maniacal toady who is totally out of his depth attempting to run the show.
Absolutely correct. Kegseth wouldn't know what end of a gun to hold, let alone run a huge agency like the Pentagon. He is indeed a maniacal toady, totally incompetent, with some half-assed religious bent that he is pushing on troops. He fashions himself a Crusader. Frankly, if he was living in those times, a real Crusader would behead him in about 5 seconds. If they didn't get him, the Ottomans would. If we had a real leader in the Pentagon, someone with true military credentials, not a drunken idiot who ran 2 VA agencies into the ground, and served in the military in a sodden manner, maybe, just maybe, some of the military would be refusing to follow illegal orders. But alas, we have this absolute Fox News asshole who, in my opinion, should be committed.
Senate Democrats should unanimously approve Senator Sanders resolutions to stop sale of more weaponry to Israel. Then say no to any request for additional billions to fund this war. Troops should come home. No honorable end to a war of aggression that should never have started.
And no more talk of Iran as a decades long terrorist actor without broadening the lens.
Trump and Pete Hegseth are both despicable. They think war is like playing with GI Joe’s. War is real and deadly. They don’t care who dies in this war because they don’t even care about their own American citizen’s lives. If they did not only would there not be a war but Renee Good and Alex Pretti would still be alive today.
It is a total disaster, yes. But threatens to be a 100x disaster. I don’t think anyone is in control of this situation. But I do know the Persians have been there longer than Trump.
At this point, Iran and Israel in reality appear to have the upper hand. Trump is failing and flailing. The whinge for NATO allies to support his bungled war effort was a cry of weakness. Their resolve not to dive into this grand mistake atter being maligned was impressive.
Once again I remind everyone that ALL of this is the responsibility of the entire Republican party. I know it's TRUMP, TRUMP, TRUMP, but it's the Republican party that has abandoned American democracy and it's the Republican party that must be removed from power if there's any hope of restoring something democracy-like in America.
What can we expect when tRump + Fox/State Television have organized the authoritarians in society into a cohesive voting block which is totally googly-eyed with the constant propaganda? We get an amoral psychopath who also happens to be an imbecile in the Oval Office. Layer that on top of a constitution which makes it virtually impossible to remove such an individual and you get the evolving national disaster we find ourselves in.
Already the worst president in history, the list of awful things this president has done continues to grow. Meanwhile, his cult continues to cheer him.
The Iranians may bring about what the semi-conscious & delusional Americans have failed to do: Removal of the WH Crime Boss. Some of the MAGA Voodoo Cult are probably looking for a new Dear Leader to worship.Vance?
Vance has no idea who he is; makes it up as he goes along. One of the biggest charlatans ever. He is smart, most of the time, but he changes is ID like the wind. That's what happens when you grow up with a drug addled mother, 5 step fathers, one biological father that you hardly knew, and granny who set grandpa on fire. What a sociopath.
And this morning, the NY Times reports that Iran has started allowing more ships through the Strait, which Trump claims is "a sign of respect."
Whenever this odious, prevaricating baboon opens his dumb yawp, I never know whether just to laugh or vomit.
Vomit.
a waste of perfectly good vomit.
There is a cancer on the country. He must be isolated, stopped and removed.
Trump is definitely a malignancy but I believe the cancer in this country is more widespread than one fat, sick, orange man. If we ever elect another group to run this country they better be able to administer the surgery, radiation and chemo to kill the cancer.
"Allowing" as in the troll at the bridge exacting a toll.
The theme music is Peer Gynt.
Check out Tousi TV. More political assasinations inside Iran.
"Yes" to the Peer Gynt connection. Also the Tousi TV recommendation.
From The Guardian today:
[Quote] Donald Trump has also claimed that Iran had agreed to allow 20 ships carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning and continuing over the next few days as a “present”.
“They gave us 10 [ships through the strait],” he said. “Now they’re giving 20…”
Trump added that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, had authorised the additional tankers.
“He’s the one who authorised the ships to me,” Trump told the Financial Times. “Remember I said they’re giving me a present? And everyone said: ‘What’s the present? Bullshit.’ When they heard about that they kept their mouth shut and the negotiations are going very well.” [End Quote]
Then they quote that same Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, as saying [Quote] that Iranian forces were “waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners for ever”. He also accused the US of secretly preparing a ground assault while publicly seeking talks. [End Quote]
Who sounds more believable? As we know, Trump is always trying to influence the stock market, one of the few things he actually cares about.
The proof will be in the pudding. They didn't "give" him 10 ships last week, for instance, per this guy:
The Sal Mercogliano (professor of maritime history) YouTube channel, "What's Going on With Shipping" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybU29t7rkc8
It will be interesting to see what he has to say tonight.
There are websites such as https://www.lloydslist.com/ and gCaptain that regularly write about which ships get through the strait also and I'm seeing nothing to that effect either last week or today.
Sal's podcasts are light in the darkness. Shipping isn't glamorous but nothing happens in the world without it.
I just stumbled on Sal! Not sure how I did even, but I agree, he's very informative. I particularly liked his analogy that the Strait of Hormuz is like the femeral artery of the world wide shipping "circulatory system". That really puts it in perspective.
What has alarmed me is that he paints a picture of what is happening in general that is very dire and I don't see the warranted level of concern reflected in the behavior of the Trump administration. Do they not actually know? Not care?
Sal is not alone in saying that the US military would have anticipated and "war gamed" a response to the Strait being closed, but yet they seemed unprepared. Maybe it was all the people Hegseth fired! Or maybe too many things are different now.
Adam Kinzinger has an interesting post about how war has changed due to the drones. I did not know this about the fiber optic cables trailing the drones and being spider-webbed all around Ukraine. What a visual image.
(I confess I've found myself unable to stand reading about the Ukraine war as it makes me too angry and depressed.)
Also Sal has guested on other podcasts such as Ward Carroll’s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPTaSlv9XzI) and the “Unauthorized History of the Pacific War” with Seth Paradon and Jonathan Parshall.
Thank you for sharing the shipping sites. I did not know how check out trumps shilling "claims"!
https://gcaptain.com/ is a Trump supporter (per one of his posts on the site) and I'm sure he'd love to confirm Trump's claims, but he hasn't.
Definitely vomit. I’m not able to laugh anymore at the sheer incompetence of this entire administration as we steadily slide towards a world run by Palantir, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Google. And they support this administration because its making them richer and allowing their twisted world views to succeed.
Well, or to laugh and cheer, which is what Faux News and MAGAits do whenever he spouts another outrageous lie!
The Iranians has us behind the eight ball but Trump doesn't care.
VOTE EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN OUT OF OFFICE!
Israel is also a player in this 8 Ball game. Israelis reportedly support the Iran war by a large margin. I get that given their history and Iran's long running vows to destroy them while surrounding them with proxy forces committed to their destruction.
But the Israeli policies of expansion via blatantly supporting the "settlers" -- largely ultra-Orthodox citizens --
"As of early 2026, there are over 700,000 Israeli settlers living in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. These civilian communities are constructed on land captured by Israel in 1967, and their presence is considered illegal under international law—a position maintained by the United Nations, the European Union, and the US government, which classifies them as "inconsistent with international law". Google AI overview.
And now seemingly similar expansionist goals in Lebanon, are the result of handing Israel a blank check while the Trump Regime uses our tax dollars to suppress any opposition, by individuals or institutions, to Israeli policies. Any opposition is labeled antisemitism. Protesting Israel's blatant violation of International Law is a long ways from antisemitism.
Lawless trump and lawless Netanyahu are undermining democracy in both nations. It wouldn't surprise me if 50% of the US military members in the Iran war believe they are involved in a Great Crusade. SecDef Hegseth certainly does. Israel created an IDF battalion of far right citizens to find a way around the law that excludes Haredi ultra-Orthodox citizens from compulsory military conscription -- and then stationed that battalion where they could support the West Bank settlers. In doing so they assaulted a CNN News crew reporting on settler's attacks and land grabs against Palestinians. Success!
We need to be clear-eyed about how we are being used and abused. Stop the insanity.
I am reading that Saudi Arabia wants this war and put pressure on tRump to start it. They are afraid of Iran's hegemony. Let's remember that the Shiites hate the Sunnis as much as they hate Israel.
In my mind, there is no doubt about who actually convinced A-hole to start this war: the Saudis and the Russians, both who would gain wildly from attacks on the US as well as on Iran. Trump and his incompetents really thought Iran wouldn't fight back????? With Russian assistance and intelligence, they surely have. And the Saudis waved billions in front of Trump's ugly face, and he fell for their BS. My God, this administration has got to be the most incompetent to ever exist in this country. And Hegseth's strident Christianity to the troops??? WTH is that? He is a two-bit drunken newscaster thrust in this tremendous position of power, and is perhaps, one of the stupidest men to ever exist on this earth. What a pair we have in those two clowns. And I know I am veering off topic, but don't get me started on TSA not being paid until today. Trump could have done this weeks ago with an EO. The govt is trying to break them and their union and go private. It's so clear. I wouldn't work for the Feds if they offered me multiple jobs. What a bunch of criminals.
I've seen mention of that in the news. It wouldn't take much to "pressure" trump, just wave some gold in his face. Through crypto schemes, real estate deals, and airplanes the Gulf States have been hard at work influencing the trump criminal enterprise.
I don't know the depth of hate between the Sunni and Shiite sects of Islam. Back in the 1970's at least, the Iranians placed great value on the pilgrimage journey to Mecca, the haj. For those who made the trip they gained 'Haji' as a honorific title.
I am actually surprised that Iran has never targeted the already settled areas. Obviously, I'm not advocating anything, just noticing a quirk. Apart from the IDF's presence in the settlements, don't Ben-Gvir and Smotrich (Israel's quasi-Ayatollahs) also live there? Not to mention their non-negligible economic contribution to Israel's revenue (estimated at $30bn/yr according to a quick check with Google's AI overview), or the lure of generating goodwill from all those who support a state of Palestine. If Iran was truly trying to destroy Israel, this would make sense. So, can we conclude that Iran is, as they claim, primarily concerned about self-defense/preservation rather than "death to Israel", despite all the hype from heads of states and the media?
All good questions, Joelle.
I don't think the powers that be in Iran would shed many tears in the event of Israel's destruction. I also think they 'need' Israel as an opponent, in the same way that trump 'needs' the Christian Nationalists here for purely political reasons which also applies to Netanyahu with respect to the ultra-Orthodox.
trump's motivation is voters who are convinced that although trump is a flawed human he is doing God's will on their behalf. In their minds it's all worth it 'cause we're going to the promised land, or getting raptured or whatever.
Iran's ayatollah's are, like trump, also energizing a crucial support faction - enough so that the Republican Guards are more than willing to slaughter their fellow citizens to protect the Faith and all glory to Allah.
In all three cases, (trump, Netanyahu, and ayatollah) religion is being used as a lever to move enough of the population to support their respective causes which mostly involves self preservation and expansion of power and the rewards of power.
I fully agree. Religion - the oldest political power tool in the box. Will humans ever learn? I doubt it. And to supplement my own remarks, it is obvious that the Iran regime doesn't care much about the Palestinian plight, only inasmuch as it can be used as a conversion tool to impose and sustain Islamic extremism power in the region, with Israel willingly providing all the reasons/motivation they need to accomplish their goal. You are right, they all need each other, or else the power game is up. What a sad world we live in! Designed by and for power freaks, not for humanity.
Iran, in terms of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen, maybe they see these as disadvantaged enclaves with a built-in dislike of Israel. That would make them prime candidates to be enrolled in Iranian schemes. And, perhaps offers the best living conditions and security.
I wish I understood more about Gaza in particular. What I perceive is an apartheid situation, high un-employment, limited advanced education opportunities, living largely penned up behind a wall. PLA attacks on Israeli targets led to much of that situation no doubt. The motivation for those attacks goes back to the establishment of the Israeli State. If only that beginning was not so flawed we might have had a much better present.
From articles I have read here and there, my understanding of life in Gaza before October 2023 was that life was certainly not easy, but somehow they found ways to manage, facilitated by very strong family and community ties and networks. You're right, David, it would be good indeed to understand more, without our "Western" lenses. Education did seem to have been a well-functioning sector (see for instance this Al Jazeera article: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/4/19/gaza-had-educational-justice-now-the-genocide-has-wiped-that-out-too ) , with a high literacy level, much higher than in the US... Now, of course, this is a whole different story. I wish international journalists were allowed in, but Israel is determined to prevent this from happening, on top of threatening and killing Gazan journalists, who surely must be the bravest in the world. Look up the article "Watched, Tracked & Targeted" about life in Gaza now. The +972 Magazine and Justvision.org also have some great, if disturbing, articles.
This useless do-nothing GOP has been MIA for most of the past year. Get them out of office, starting in November! VOTE.
AMEN!!!!! Pictures of Graham in Disney Land while TSA lines are out the door make me sick. What an SOB. No caring for the common American. Why and how in the hell has he kept his position in Congress for so long? These bastards need to be run out on a rail. And if I hear one more idiotic comment from Abigail what's her name (half-assed spokesperson for the administration) re blaming the Democrats for the DHS shutdown, I just may lose my mind, what is left of it.
HALLELUJAH! AND AMEN!!!
Here, here.
And, for all those who miss the DOGED experts who used to study and advise presidents on complicated foreign policy issues, there is this quote from Frank Bruni's newsletter in the NY Times:
"In his newsletter, Moral Clarity, Andrew Weinstein sounded an alarm over the Trump administration’s marginalization of a crucial class of experts:
“Career diplomats are not ornamental. They are the institutional memory of American statecraft — the people who negotiate cease-fires, secure the release of political prisoners, and build coalitions that kept our troops out of wars. They are the ones who can tell the difference between a miscommunication and a mobilization. When you remove them, you are not trimming fat. You are severing nerves.” (Chester Gittleman, Roslyn, N.Y.)
Worth noting.
For those who have yet to discover the poignant beauty of Frank Bruni's columns in the NY Times, here's a gift link.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/30/opinion/trump-death-mueller.html?unlocked_article_code=1.XFA.B3BK.iOH41tlYbNGW&smid=url-share
Frank Bruni is an amazing thinker and writer.
- Illegal wars based on lies
- Armed, masked thugs in the streets killing American citizens
- A convicted felon pedophile-in-chief surrounded by yes-people
- Tax breaks for the rich while stealing healthcare from the poor
- Rampant inflation with falling markets
- Theft of private information from millions of Americans
- The threat of Christian Nationalism (goodbye separation of church and state)
- Blatant disregard for the rule of law
- Attempted abandonment of the First Amendment
- Attempted severe limitations on the right to vote
- A Congress that has abdicated its powers
Republicans. Bad for America.
Thank you, Jim.
Peter Thiel’s Palantir has accessed the millions of personal records stolen by Elon Musk’s teenage IT thieves…DOGE….these two, working in collaboration, are now in control of all relevant information about the whole country. While Musk was performing magicians’ tricks…watch me give a Nazi salute, watch me wave around a chainsaw, watch me wear a small child on my shoulders…all distractions, while he and Thiel set about bringing 1984 to America. They are now the Big Brothers controlling America, and soon, if they are successful, the world..Palantir has wormed its way into the Australian defence system and the sovereign fund…just the next step…
Truly frightening, and possibly unstoppable….information is power….heaven help us all…
Once again the big oaf has reacted impulsively, with no knowledge or understanding of the repercussions of his actions, humiliated us on a world stage, and worst of all, gotten thousands of innocent people killed or maimed. The military has to stop blindly following this lunatic’s orders. Its job it to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States, not take orders from a mentally and physically impaired wannabe dictator.
If we didn't have a "mentally and physically impared wannabe" secretary of defense, this might be a reality. We have instead, a religiously maniacal toady who is totally out of his depth attempting to run the show.
Absolutely correct. Kegseth wouldn't know what end of a gun to hold, let alone run a huge agency like the Pentagon. He is indeed a maniacal toady, totally incompetent, with some half-assed religious bent that he is pushing on troops. He fashions himself a Crusader. Frankly, if he was living in those times, a real Crusader would behead him in about 5 seconds. If they didn't get him, the Ottomans would. If we had a real leader in the Pentagon, someone with true military credentials, not a drunken idiot who ran 2 VA agencies into the ground, and served in the military in a sodden manner, maybe, just maybe, some of the military would be refusing to follow illegal orders. But alas, we have this absolute Fox News asshole who, in my opinion, should be committed.
Senate Democrats should unanimously approve Senator Sanders resolutions to stop sale of more weaponry to Israel. Then say no to any request for additional billions to fund this war. Troops should come home. No honorable end to a war of aggression that should never have started.
And no more talk of Iran as a decades long terrorist actor without broadening the lens.
Trump and Pete Hegseth are both despicable. They think war is like playing with GI Joe’s. War is real and deadly. They don’t care who dies in this war because they don’t even care about their own American citizen’s lives. If they did not only would there not be a war but Renee Good and Alex Pretti would still be alive today.
One of the great signs I saw yesterday: "Good and Pretti beat Bad and Ugly."
Another great sign--and this might have been seen at all the protests:
Morons
Are
Governing
America.
I saw that on Saturday too
It is a total disaster, yes. But threatens to be a 100x disaster. I don’t think anyone is in control of this situation. But I do know the Persians have been there longer than Trump.
At this point, Iran and Israel in reality appear to have the upper hand. Trump is failing and flailing. The whinge for NATO allies to support his bungled war effort was a cry of weakness. Their resolve not to dive into this grand mistake atter being maligned was impressive.
Yes, it was. Good for them.
A hell of a lot longer.
Once again I remind everyone that ALL of this is the responsibility of the entire Republican party. I know it's TRUMP, TRUMP, TRUMP, but it's the Republican party that has abandoned American democracy and it's the Republican party that must be removed from power if there's any hope of restoring something democracy-like in America.
Absolutely true as these policies would be continued even if trump has a stroke tonight.
As I've read and said many times, monsters will be monsters (read DJT). They do what monsters do. But the others have a choice!
Donald of Orange is so dim that he doesn't even realize that now that he's hoist the petard was his.
TACO again. He speaks loudly but carries a limp and spineless stick.
"Stick" might have been a keyboard error. Look one letter to the right - the third from the letter A.
What can we expect when tRump + Fox/State Television have organized the authoritarians in society into a cohesive voting block which is totally googly-eyed with the constant propaganda? We get an amoral psychopath who also happens to be an imbecile in the Oval Office. Layer that on top of a constitution which makes it virtually impossible to remove such an individual and you get the evolving national disaster we find ourselves in.
Add a compliant MAGAcongress and abbetting supreme court and you have a trifecta of wreckage.
Already the worst president in history, the list of awful things this president has done continues to grow. Meanwhile, his cult continues to cheer him.
"This is what happens when impulsive, ignorant men — intoxicated with blowing things up "
Bingo! Exactly,.....and very sadly........right! Trump, and his lickspittle acolytes, are too stupid to know how stupid they are!
If the US had a sane president and competent negotiators we wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place.
The Iranians may bring about what the semi-conscious & delusional Americans have failed to do: Removal of the WH Crime Boss. Some of the MAGA Voodoo Cult are probably looking for a new Dear Leader to worship.Vance?
Vance has no idea who he is; makes it up as he goes along. One of the biggest charlatans ever. He is smart, most of the time, but he changes is ID like the wind. That's what happens when you grow up with a drug addled mother, 5 step fathers, one biological father that you hardly knew, and granny who set grandpa on fire. What a sociopath.