The Long Retreat Continues

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A funny thing happened when Netanyahu arrived in Washington to tell the Trump administration about how they would proceed with Iran.  The Trump side told Netanyahu that his longed for war with Iran was not happening. Instead, the Trump administration was starting talks with Iran concerning a negotiated settlement to their nuclear program and the sanctions imposed on Iran. When Trump announced this during the press conference, Netanyahu looked like he had seen a ghost.

Netanyahu was poleaxed because he was sure he had maneuvered the Trump people into a corner on Iran. He thought he had done the same thing with the Biden people, but instead of an American strike on Iran, the Iranians launched their own missile strike and the Biden people looked the other way. With Trump he was sure he had a president who hated Iran as much as he did, but it turns out that Trump was leading Netanyahu on so he could buy time to make a deal with Iran.

It is a good example of how the Israel lobby, which backs Trump completely, is not the same as Israel. The two sides frequently disagree on what is best for Israel, and the Israel lobby typically prevails in these disputes. Given the source of funding for the Israel lobby, this is logical. For American Jews, Israel is their symbolic homeland, but it is not their actual home. It is a place where they send their children for the summer after graduation or perhaps where they take an occasional family trip.

For the Israel lobby, an agreement that fosters peace in the region and ensures the long-term security of Israel is the goal. They do not share Israel’s aspiration for a greater Israel or of subjugating local rivals merely out of spite. The manner in which Israel has conducted itself concerning Gaza has been detrimental to the Israel lobby, as it significantly undermines support for Israel among average Americans. Israel now has the lowest approval ratings among Americans since the issue has been surveyed.

This is also another one of those examples of how the second coming of Donald Trump is much better than the first one. No one saw the reproachment with Iran coming until it was about to happen. This meant that Trump did not discuss it publicly and ensured it remained a need-to-know matter among his trusted confidants. Consequently, the usual suspects could not leak it to the media. All those people who lost security clearances are no longer conduits to the Washington Post.

We see the same thing with Russia. No one outside of Trump and a few trusted people know what is happening in those dealings. No one knew Trump was planning direct talks until they were announced by both sides. Even now, no one has the slightest idea what the two sides are discussing. Instead, the media runs nonsense stories like this one fed to them through Keith Kellogg by the neocons. Team Trump has kept everyone off balance regarding Ukraine.

The essence of all this is not a change in policy with Trump but a transformation in his approach to governance. For instance, Trump has never been fond of Netanyahu. Worse yet for Netanyahu, Trump does not trust him. Similarly, Trump never forgot that Ukraine was central to his impeachment. Trump always wanted to do a deal with Russia and has always got along with Putin. What is novel this time is that Trump is far more astute in how he navigates the den of vipers that is Washington.

Regarding Iran, there is also the reality that no military solution exists. This has been made evident with the Houthis. The days of launching volleys of missiles at an adversary and achieve its objectives is over. To address the Houthi issue militarily would necessitate an invasion and an occupation. A military solution to Iran would require a million-man army and the risk of destabilizing the oil markets. It is not entirely clear that the United States could accomplish this, even if the will existed.

Instead, Trump has allowed the Israelis to believe that the Trump administration supported a strike on Iran’s nuclear and leadership centers. These stories were leaked to the media and then amplified by online geopolitical analysts. Meanwhile, Trump’s trusted advisors were utilizing backchannels to arrange direct talks with Iran, which occurred last week in Oman. There is a strong likelihood that Russia played a role in persuading the Iranians to attend the meeting.

What we may be witnessing are the results of a transformation in the Israel lobby and in Trump’s governing strategy. The same populist forces that spooked the oligarchs into supporting Trump’s political and economic reforms may have prompted the Israel lobby to reconsider its approach to Iran. If war is not an option, then another method must be found to secure Israel. The obvious solution is to resolve the Iran issue that has persisted for half a century.

In many ways Trump is the closing of a chapter in American history that started fifty years ago, and Iran is one part of it. The Iranian revolution was caused by the failure to manage the Israel issue properly. Fifty years ago, smart people warned about tilting to far in favor of Israel. The result has been fifty years of turmoil, including several major wars. That chapter in American history may finally be coming to close with the normalization of relations with Iran.

Of course, this is another indication that we are at the end of empire. Even if relations between the United States and Iran cannot be normalized, it is evident that the days of the American empire ruling over the region with absolute authority are over. The cost of empire has long surpassed the benefits to the American people, and that deficit is now disrupting domestic politics. What Trump represents is a dignified withdrawal from empire, rather than an ignominious one.

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Comments (Historical)

The comments below were originally posted to thezman.com.

210 Comments

Xman #453118 April 17, 2025 74
Israel been in violation of the NPT for over fifty years. U.S. law forbids giving aid to any nation in violation of the NPT. Yet Israel gets a pass. “God’s Chosen People” hold the “Samson Option” over their Arab enemies. Yet they get indignant and butthurt if any other nation seeks nuclear weapons to deterthem. The sheer arrogance and effrontery of this is breathtaking. No wonder so many people are “anti-Semitic.” Perhaps there are actualreasonsfor “the world’s oldest hatred”?
BigJimSportCamper #453132 April 17, 2025 17
Israel seems to overlook/ignore the fact that Samson, in pulling down the Philistine’s temple, managed to collapse it on himself, too.
Jack Dodson #453140 April 17, 2025 20
I think “Samson” was chosen precisely for that reason.
karl von hungus #453146 April 17, 2025 6
they called it that when the idf intentionally killed israeli citizens on oct 7, to keep them from becoming prisoners of hamas. re: music festival fatalities, also an idf base being annihilated by idf
zfan #453149 April 17, 2025 22
That particular policy is the “Hannibal directive”
Jeffrey Zoar #453196 April 17, 2025 11
I’m not for certain whether it was named for Hannibal Barca or Hannibal Lecter
karl von hungus #453294 April 17, 2025 0
oops, you are right.
Ben the Layabout #453152 April 17, 2025 0
Us/Them, In-group/Out-Group. If the Jews had never existed, some other group would be in the “ecological niche” they currently fill.
Tars Tarkas #453181 April 17, 2025 45
First, I entirely reject the notion that antisemitism is the oldest “bigotry” or ethnic hatred. Tribalism likely existed before we developed language. Second, it’s not merely tribalism. A lot of the animosity directed at them is well warranted. I don’t think this is unique to them and that most groups would behave as a minority in the same way. But they are particularly good at it. This is the reason we should all live in ethnostates. Minorities are always a disrupting force.
Ostei Kozelskii #453205 April 17, 2025 12
Hear, hear!
Xman #453215 April 17, 2025 8
Well, they’ve been at this game for a few thousand years, they’ve definitely generated resentments. How do you think the Egyptians must’ve felt when Joseph ripped off their grain during the famine — and gave it to his Jew brothers who had sold him into slavery and lied to his father about it?
Shotgun Messenger #453238 April 17, 2025 3
I don’t expect they minded it so much since without him they wouldn’t have had any for themselves either. But there’s a reason God permitted them to handle his descendents like they did, and only punished them when they stood in the way of letting them self-deport when the debt had been paid.
NoName #453314 April 18, 2025 1
Xman:“How do you think the Egyptians must’ve felt when Joseph ripped off their grain during the famine…“ How do you think the Egyptians felt when the j00ish doctors & the j00ish nurses, before they departed, on their way to exiting [i.e. “exodus-ing”] the country, found time to poison all the first-born sons of Egypt?
Gam Hyde #453243 April 17, 2025 1
If only we had some place to put these pesky minorities. Perhaps a camp of some sort.
Tars Tarkas #453247 April 17, 2025 2
Camping! Fun for the whole fambly!!! Names like “Manzanar” and “Topaz” and “Hope Mountain” (Jap internment camps) will someday be spoken with the same awe as Sobibor and Papenburg….
Anonymouseguy #453256 April 17, 2025 10
As a former extreme philosemite that was dragged kicking and screaming to the other thing there were three mechanisms (more of less in order) 1) learning the common last names and noticing what sorts of activities (contemporary and historical) attached to those last names2) reading the Bible seriously cover to cover3) moving into a social strata where I actually met many jews socially and got to know their character
Tars Tarkas #453291 April 17, 2025 -3
Number 3 is exactly why I am not an antisemite. I have known many Jews (very well, not just people whose names I knew) and even lived with one. People are people and there are bad people in every group. But there are millions whose name you will never know. They are nobodies and live ordinary lives. Nobody cares what they think on any subject. They are just as unimportant as I am. Imagine judging white people entirely on the basis of the anti-white White elite! If you just looked at them, White people would seem both idiotic and evil.I said myself that having minorities in your country is a problem. With their higher average IQ, more of them move into the elite. This is also a problem. Much of the animosity directed towards them is well earned. I’m not a philosemite, I’m just not an antisemite. I have plenty of criticisms of their “contributions” to our culture and society and country. But I do not believe they are uniquely bad.
Robbo #453316 April 18, 2025 0
Some of the most bitter opponents I know of what Netanyahu is doing are Jews.
c matt #453582 April 21, 2025 0
It’s not that they are uniquely bad – it’s that they are uniquely good at being bad. Every single time is a meme for a reason.
Shotgun Messenger #453182 April 17, 2025 11
Doubtful. The conditions for the last two millennia of their evolution would be extremely difficult to replicate, and the niche they occupy, which were it a natural occurring one should theoretically appear in parallel somewhere among one of the other races, has yet to do so.
Steve #453188 April 17, 2025 2
Fair, but it would have to be races in isolation, or at least very limited contact. That pretty much limits it to remote areas of Asia (c.f., uighurs) and Africa, maybe the Amazon basin. But the latter two do not have a tribe sufficiently intelligent to exploit that niche. Or if they had such a tribe, slaughtered them, with no evidence of their existence.
Paintersforms #453222 April 17, 2025 0
What comes to mind is Asians adopting Buddhism, but Buddhism doesn’t have a civil war at the center of it. I mean, it has more of the spirit of universality we claim, which is probably why it fixates on emptiness lol.
Shotgun Messenger #453232 April 17, 2025 3
There also isn’t such a thing as an ethnic Buddhist (Indians maybe, but they are utterly incapable of crypsis), and Buddhism is not only universalist but thoroughly syncretic. Strangely enough there are odd Hindu efforts to backdoor Euro pagan revivalism by appealing to shared Vedic and Aryan roots. It fails about as comically as you’d expect.
Paintersforms #453251 April 17, 2025 4
Christianity is also syncretic, but there’s a big strain of it that’s never been able to put its Hebrew roots in the past, which vexes me to no end. The whole JQ thing, which is really “Are we the Jews, or Israel, and should we fight the Jews for that identity?” 2000 years later, it’s still causing serious problems.
Shotgun Messenger #453258 April 17, 2025 4
No, not syncretic in the same way or to the same extent as Buddhism, and that question is not “still” causing problems; it had been settled exhaustively and definitively since the first century, until something pathological in the English folk-soul that yearned to be Jewish was able to break free after all established hierarchy and doctrine that would rightly have suffocated it was eroded in the seventeenth. Most modern heresies are just ancient ones warmed over by pseudointellectual yokels who would never have have had a free hand otherwise, but other than a handful of literal Jews directly rebuked by Paul for wanting to carry over certain practices there is no cognate for British Israelism in terms of its basis or corrosiveness. Only in the present self-imposed theological dark age that exists mostly on this side of the Atlantic do we have these “questions”. What’s that quote about only fools asking what wiser men have long since answered? Goethe, I think.As for roots, of course there is no severing them. Why would you retcon away your own fulfilled prophecies? Christianity is a healthy graft onto the stump of a tree that chopped itself down through unrepentant deicide, and Scripture and early doctrine are completely unambiguous about this. Judaism is the fungal overgrowth and insect colonization of the fallen trunk. Those attempting to harmonize the two from either end, whatever their true motives or beliefs, have no serious historical or doctrinal basis beyond the relatively recent ravings of delusional amateurs and are doing Satan’s work.
Paintersforms #453292 April 17, 2025 1
Put it this way: I’m of Scottish descent, but I’m not a Scot. My ancestors came to America and became Americans. Aware of my roots, but they’re in the past.Christianity went to the gentiles and became gentile. We’re not Hebrews. Gentiles don’t convert if Christianity doesn’t syncretize. EMJ’s thoughts on John and the idea of logos are a good example.I’d go so far to guess the return of the Hebrew stuff has done great harm to the faith. Example: Mastriano ran for governor here in PA. I liked him and voted for him, but I also saw him blowing the shofar and thought, wtf is this?! It’s dumb, and I’m sure it made a lot of people think he’s crazy.And to get back to Ben’s comment, I seriously doubt Jews would’ve had as much access to or influence over Western societies if there hadn’t been some sort of familial/genealogical notion to begin with, whether friendly or hostile.
Shotgun Messenger #453296 April 17, 2025 1
Seems I misread you somewhat then, my bad. I took your meaning as suggesting a much greater degree of equivalence between logos and dharmic perennialism and crediting modern Judaizers with much more depth than they’ve got, in which context mention of shedding roots usually comes with a Positive Christianity, Christian Identity or (sudden, recent and easily traced) Marcionite utilitarian spin.
Robbo #453317 April 18, 2025 -1
You can’t put those roots in the past for a simple reason: the guy you build your religion was born, lived and died a Jew. He fully believed in the Torah and would be astonished at what his teachings and beliefs have evolved into in the form of “christianity”. We now know that the first of the NT books was not Matthew but Mark. In Mark you will find no mention whatsoever of any of the key tenets of Christianity. The religion we know today was built by Paul. It should have been called Paulianity.
c matt #453584 April 21, 2025 0
“We know now . . .” We who?
Pozymandias #453231 April 17, 2025 6
I agree. Jews specifically exploit a “bug” in the concept of money. It’s supposed to be a medium of exchange. I do some work or make something and get money which I can then use to buy things you make or hire you to work for me. Jews, very early on began hoarding money and instead using it to buy real estate and to lend out with interest. This is why the Jews’ legendary “tightness” with money and all the jokes about Jewish cars that stop on a dime and then pick it up are an inevitable consequence of this strategy. They were disciplined enough to do this over generations. If you do that consistently youWILLinevitably become everyone’s landlord and control access to capital. In pre-industrial society the need for capital was limited but ballooned in modern times due to all those wonderful inventions we use.The specific evolutionary group advantage the Jews had was twofold. First, they probably were among the first people to understand and apply the power of compound interest and they were disciplined enough to put off self-gratification in the interest of their descendants. One can imagine that, especially in the ancient world where there was a severe shortage of calculus books, the former ability was decisive and of course, even today people struggle putting off pleasure even for themselves nevermind their unborn children.One possible counter to the former strategy would ironically be liberalizing lending laws. If everyone can own a bank then really no one can. Believe me, the current crazy job market in “tech” has got me thinking about starting a micro-lending racke… er, business many times.This is also why you can think of White American consumerists andespeciallyself-consciously “childfree” cat-ladies and hipster men with “ironic” facial hair as kind of the anti-Jews in the sense of employing the opposite strategy. They’re spending it all NOW. They’ve sold the family home and used the money to buy a luxury RV which they now drive to Vegas every winter! BTW, I know that hipsters aren’t buying RVs or hanging out in Vegas but the point is that today’s media deliberately glorify avarietyof these self-gratifying lifestyles. It reduces competition for you know (((who))).
Shotgun Messenger #453236 April 17, 2025 10
Finding bugs and turning them into features is the very essence of Judaism. There are shysters in every bunch but nobody else heaps rules upon themselves for the sole purpose of then finding and codifying workarounds. It’s such a disordered, alien way of thinking that it’s no small wonder we struggle to find a way to keep a lid on it (there isn’t).
TempoNick #453255 April 17, 2025 7
I don’t knock them for being good with money or even hoarding it. Lots of smart WASPs and Eastern Europeans are known for doing the same thing. Owning capital and making sure it stays invested it is a much better gig than being a payroll employee. Where I fault them is for being crooks.
Pozymandias #453276 April 17, 2025 2
Oh yeah, their behavior isn’t inherently bad at all. I’m just drawing a contrast with other races and trying to explain why they’ve prospered. We can learn from them.
pavlus #453465 April 20, 2025 0
this (money) feature of Jewish character was accentuated in medieval Europe with the anti-usury laws and other restrictions offering the Ashkenazis a niche to occupy, add to it the selective impact of centuries of pogroms and out-conversions and eventually you’re left with only those very good at lending cheap schnaps to the local Polack at 500% p.a. The Sephardic Jews don’t seem to be in the same league though.
NoName #453313 April 18, 2025 2
Ben the Layabout:‘Us/Them, In-group/Out-Group. If the Jews had never existed, some other group would be in the “ecological niche” they currently fill.’ The Brahmin caste of Street-Sh!tters is chomping at the bit to fill that “ecological niche”. Two Billion Street Sh!tters will put a great big dent into the mesmerization & hypnotization & embezzlement monopolies of the Hook-Noses.
george 1 #453186 April 17, 2025 30
At this stage of the game I have confidence that the Iranians would be more responsible with nukes than either the U.S. or Israel.
Ostei Kozelskii #453206 April 17, 2025 11
Quite the situation when a pack of Sand Hutus are the only adults in the room.
Robbo #453318 April 18, 2025 3
The only people fighting back against the Gaza genocide are what you call a bunch of “sand Hutus”: the Houthis.
Ostei Kozelskii #453360 April 18, 2025 0
Even a blind Sand Hutu finds a date every now and again…
TempoNick #453253 April 17, 2025 2
They play hardball in business and they get rich doing it. The same tactics don’t seem to work for them in politics or foreign affairs.
Anonymouseguy #453254 April 17, 2025 20
Antisemitism is when you believe what your ancestors said about jews rather than what jews say about your ancestors.
george 1 #453117 April 17, 2025 50
If things pan out it is good news that Trump is not willing to involve the U.S. in a potentially very destructive war for us. Now if he could only stop the lobby and Israel from determining what constitutes free speech.
Greg Nikolic #453121 April 17, 2025 -37
The American Empire, like a wounded eagle, is still up in the clouds. Although it may not be the sizable bird of prey it once was, its formidable eyesight seems restored. If it can keep scanning the landscape with alacrity, it can avoid landing in doo-doo in the near future. — Greg (my blog:http://www.dark.sport.blog)
Filthie #453125 April 17, 2025 38
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A Bad Man #453128 April 17, 2025 23
I make $1 million per hour putting a cucumber up my azz on OnlyFinns.com. You can too, click here: URLYGURLYxvcfs and be sure to include your credit card information, including CVV2 code.
Ostei Kozelskii #453167 April 17, 2025 12
It won’t be long before AINO Senators are doing this as a side hustle. Perhaps a few already are.
Mr. House #453187 April 17, 2025 7
Jasmine crockett, AOC, bobart, that is about the station they belong at 😉
Ostei Kozelskii #453207 April 17, 2025 6
I was referring to male Senators… (-;
Mr. House #453214 April 17, 2025 5
Ha applies equally, didn’t some staffers get caught having sex in the house a few years ago?
Jeffrey Zoar #453229 April 17, 2025 2
Little doubt there aren’t already some female congress critters for whom porn videos exist, but eventually it will be virtually all of them
Pozymandias #453235 April 17, 2025 3
I can easily see some congress-xirl making her OnlyFans page part of her campaign funding operation.
Ploppy #453241 April 17, 2025 3
English or Persian cucumber?
A Bad Man #453300 April 17, 2025 1
Haha look what I started!
A Bad Man #453301 April 17, 2025 0
It does beg the point, what is the PINNACLE of modren womanhood, sold to us by those that sell their ‘ideas’ — the cuke where it ain’t belong, or the fake claims (or worse, real) of the massive earnings, just justifying any degradation, like the old ads, “As Seen on TV.”
Marko #453127 April 17, 2025 17
Let’s break this down:The American Empire, like a wounded eagle, is still up in the clouds.Trite, but so far so good.Although it may not be the sizable bird of prey it once was, its formidable eyesight seems restored.How can a wounded eagle be smaller that it once was? Did it lose a leg?If it can keep scanning the landscape with alacrity, it can avoid landing in doo-doo in the near future.Here you have the juxtaposition of the Latinate word “alacrity” with the vulgar English “doo-doo”. Is the AI trying to compensate for its pretention by using a child’s noun in the next clause? Fascinating; it seems to be aware that it’s being pretentious.Also, you don’t “scan” with “alacrity”. You scan deliberately.Nice try, AI, or seriously messed-up person.
Fred #453154 April 17, 2025 7
The only time a man should use the word “doo-doo” is right after the phrase “you are in deep …” – in which case “kimchi” would be a better choice anyway.
Ostei Kozelskii #453175 April 17, 2025 3
IIRC, being in “deep doo-doo” was one of Bushpere’spreferred bon mots. Molly Ivins and her ilk used to give him grief over that.
Pozymandias #453245 April 17, 2025 3
Bush pere, was one of those New England WASP upper crust types. They’ve always had a bizarre manner of speaking and frequently seemed to keep childish nicknames in adulthood. I’ve always suspected that a big part of this is that a lot of them used to go to English style single-sex prep schools and were thus closeted (but not very) poofters. It might also explain the bowties, phony English accents (Buckley was a hilarious example of this), garish sweaters, and other affectations. Queers love to play dress-up.
A Bad Man #453302 April 17, 2025 3
“….seemed to keep childish nicknames in adulthood.” One of the red flags, when a grown man says “my nana” or “mommy” —- sorry if some consider that an ‘ethnic’ thing – I am talking about wypipo men.
Ostei Kozelskii #453173 April 17, 2025 6
Nice bit of lit-crit. I must say, however, that if that is AI, it writes better than probably 80 percent of “adults” in AINO. In other words, to find those flaws you had to be a mite pernickety. For the average Ja’Kway’vius or Kaylee, you’d be able to spot a couple of absolute howlers in the first clause of the first sentence.
george 1 #453189 April 17, 2025 1
More like the Eagle is a powerful bird. However a few large hawks have shown up and some of those hawks are no longer willing to defer to the Eagle. Meanwhile the Eagle gets older and more infirmed.
The Infant Phenomenon #453130 April 17, 2025 6
Alacrity? “Scanning the landscape with alacrity”?
Jack Dodson #453141 April 17, 2025 13
The thesaurus is not his friend.
Shotgun Messenger #453194 April 17, 2025 1
Couldn’t say when it began, but by the middle Dubya years dumping the thesaurus out on the page like a mad lib was very much part of high school English writing instruction, which functioned as something of a sop for the tortuous methods encouraged for “avoiding passive voice” (read: “eliminating all state of being verbs”). Egregious spelling and grammar mistakes were supposed to mean major points off, but I got in trouble for marking those in peer review (another great innovation) and got mostly Cs.
WillS #453307 April 17, 2025 0
Doo doo has many good options.
Robbo #453319 April 18, 2025 0
Sounds like some Five Eyes night vision gizmo.
RealityRules #453160 April 17, 2025 10
And then, if you put a base on it, it will just tip the whole island over. The most recent DC scuttlebutt is that Hank Johnson is looking for a new staff member. Might find a better audience there than here. ‘I implore duh Members of dis House to scan dey hearts with alacrity and in the fulsome of time they will be revealed to be confusing things. And then, the once mighty bird will, uh scuse me, what be dat word for gettin smaller, yes, thank you Greg, and then the mighty bird will shrink.’
Ostei Kozelskii #453164 April 17, 2025 9
Oh. You again.
Pozymandias #453234 April 17, 2025 4
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Ostei Kozelskii #453261 April 17, 2025 3
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A Bad Man #453303 April 17, 2025 2
I got a new Ford F150 and it was only $87 grand!”
Dr_Mantis_Tobbogan_MD #453131 April 17, 2025 37
The possibility of reproachment with Iran has lots of advantages. They have a HUGE market with all sorts of trade possibilities. If you go to Saudi Arabia or Kuwait or Bahrain, they LOVE American-made cars and SUVs with V-8s and the Persians will likely have a similar appetite for big American iron.Our automakers would likely love a new market that would gobble up their vehicles with the highest profit margin. And a reproachment and trade would likely mean the rise of a wealthy young class of Iranian “yuppies” with increased purchasing power who’d want and could afford Escalades, Navigators and Yukon Denalis.We could also sell them military equipment. The Shah was probably the country’s best arms buyer, purchasing F-14 Tomcats, F-5 Tigers, F-4 Phantoms and tons of tanks, small arms and helicopters. If not for the Shah giving Grumman a loan, the venerable company that the monster Dick Cheney killed out of spite by cancelling improved versions of the Tomcat in favor of the shorter-ranged, cheaper and far less capable “Super” Hornet would’ve gone under.Their military has a ton of old relics that they still are using, such as the F-14 and F-4. Imagine if we could at least sell them F-16s (they were supposed to be the first export customer for the jets before the Shah was toppled), armored vehicles and ships. It’d be good for our workforce here. Also, if they have the money to specify better versions of our planes and equipment and pay for their development (like the Qataris did with the new F-15 version), we could purchase those better variants for our fleet with them picking up the R&D costs.It would reduce oil prices since we can’t buy Iranian oil at present. We would also get back the pistachio trade as well.We have a lot of common enemies with the Iranians (the Taliban are a great example, along with some of the more hardcore Syrians) and they’d likely be a great source of intel on all of the bad actors over there. Satellites are nice, but there is no substitute for human intel.If Trump could denuclearize the Middle East, that feat alone would put him in some rare air as one of the most consequential presidents in American history. I still believe one of the reasons why JFK was assassinated was because he didn’t support Israel getting the “Samson option.”I’m just sick of the Middle East and the stupid wars and the deformation it has done through the Israel (and Saudi) lobbies. I just want us to wash our hands of it and let them handle their own affairs.Same with Europe. Same with Asia. I tire of empire and its responsibilities.
Compsci #453157 April 17, 2025 3
“The possibility of reproachment with Iran has lots of advantages.” Is it possible to have anything *but* an adversarial relationship to any fundamentalist Islamic State? Serious question. I just come up blank for an example, but could use pointers.
Arshad Ali #453172 April 17, 2025 11
“I just come up blank for an example, but could use pointers.” Easy peasy. The Russians manage, the Chinese manage and so can the Americans. I don’t know what “fundamentalist” means anymore as it’s been so misused over the last two decades or more. Would one call the Bible Belt in the Deep South fundamentalist? If you’re thinking of Iranians frothing at the mouth with hatred of Uncle Sam, that’s probably sustained deep state propaganda at work.
Compsci #453297 April 17, 2025 1
Fundamentalist means a sharia practicing society under the leadership of religious entities. Indonesia for example is the most populous Islamic State, but not fundamentalist. As far as I know, Russia does not involve itself with such—even Chechnya—and when they did in Afghanistan got their asses kicked. Your answer fails to provide a single example of such a State as asked.
Shotgun Messenger #453176 April 17, 2025 17
The Persians are functionally no more fundamentalist than the Saudis, with whom our relationship is anything but adversarial.
Compsci #453298 April 17, 2025 -3
Not correct. Under the Shah, Iran was accepting modernity. The revolution began and the Shah deposed and shortly thereafter the Mullah’s took charge. All wear Burka’s now and there are various punishments—even public executions for infractions under Sharia law.
Shotgun Messenger #453309 April 17, 2025 2
Also I’d missed this earlier: no, I am completely correct. The Saudis are also under Sharia, take it much more literally, and execute just as many if not more people per capita (and by beheading, whereas the Persians primarily hang them). Iran does require women to wear headscarves but punishments for not doing so, unless meant as a deliberate display, aren’t terribly common, and executions even less so. Burkas, which also cover the face, are far more prevalent in Saudi Arabia, which also places significantly greater restrictions on their movements. Covering up is actually about the only thing required of Persian women, who have been able to drive, vote, hold office, attend higher ed, even have careers from the get-go. I think the Saudis started letting theirs drive maybe five years ago.
Jeffrey Zoar #453179 April 17, 2025 16
The GAE has been able to manage non adversarial relationships with all manner of regimes, despots, dictators, of whatever religion, when it has wanted to.
Steve #453192 April 17, 2025 7
That and despite the propaganda we have been fed, Shia are quite a bit easier to deal with than Sunni, who form the majority of the expansionist fundamentalists, i.e., terrorists. Shia are more content with the idea that if Allah wills it, it will come to pass. Sunni embrace the more militant side, that Allah’s will cannot come to pass unless they become Allah’s weapons.
Compsci #453299 April 17, 2025 0
Perhaps true, I’m no expert, but that does not name any States. Are there any Sunni States that are reasonably friendly to the West? In short, is there any reason to attempt to make nice to these guys.
Dr_Mantis_Tobbogan_MD #453216 April 17, 2025 5
As stated by others, we have a very friendly relationship with the House of Saud, which are very militant Wahabis. There is no reason why we couldn’t get along with the Iranians.If there is money to be made on both sides, we’ll get along just fine. Look at our relationship with Vietnam, whom we dropped more bombs on the North than we did in the whole of WWII.Now our Navy ships do liberty stops in their ports, their military trains with ours and they even operate some of our retired ships and will likely buy more arms from us.There are no downsides to a reproachment with Iran. If a deal that could denuclearize the Middle East could be reached, it’d be better for all nations.
Steve #453228 April 17, 2025 5
Could also be a “trust but verify” moment. Iran is ideally situated with coastline to protect the Straits with their shoot-n-scoot mobile launchers, They also have decent ties with the Houthis, who are ideally situated to squash Somali pirates and protect that end of the Red Sea, though they may need the assistance of a few Iranian gunboats to get started.Anyone who recognized that America can no longer afford to defend that part of the world, but does not want to give the Chinks free rein could do worse than encouraging Ay-rabs and Persians to put on big boy pants and become part of the solution.
Compsci #453305 April 17, 2025 0
Vietnam does not have a religious bent to spread their belief system. Rather they have a practical tendency toward trade and prosperity. They also won their war for unity. They take after the Chinese in that regard.Fundamentalist Islam hates (not entirely without reason) Western values. We are the enemy that eventually must be defeated/converted. Saudi is controlled by the Royal Saudi family. As with the Shah, if they are overthrown, fundamentalism may indeed take over.My general take is to leave them all to themselves. However, to assume peaceful relations is possible with a country like Iran under the Mullah’s seems silly. On one hand, you assume the basic problem is they’ll build a bomb, then lambast them for funding all sorts of terrorists groups around the world. Not building the bomb won’t stop that. And as far as I’m concerned, if I were in charge of Iran, I’d never give up on the bomb given the track record of America.My immediately take on this is that any settled negotiation is simply a ploy for time and will never stop bomb production.
Shotgun Messenger #453308 April 17, 2025 4
Iran is a Shia Islamic state, and backed the lion’s share of the fighting against THE Islamic State for years while we dithered. For their trouble we assassinated the man who led that effort and gloated about it. For all their rhetoric, our beef with them is rather one-sided and mostly over things that happen between them and other people we pretend are our friends. Without that, all that’s keeping it afloat are memories of things that happened 40 years ago and rather dubious nuclear catastrophism. As mentioned, they have normal relations with basically everybody that isn’t us or securely under our thumb. This really isn’t that complicated.
Pozymandias #453246 April 17, 2025 4
Not sure why though. I mean sure, they don’t let the fags have their parades and the wammen have to keep their clothes on. I guess if we’re going to be trying to force everyone who wants to be our friend to be a solidly hedonistic liberal democracy then we can’t get along with them but this is poison even for us. I would actually hope we stop trying to export “dildo-democracy”.
Compsci #453306 April 17, 2025 0
What I’m getting at is a clash of values which fundamentalists will never accept vis a vis America and will continue to cause hostilities—not a plea for them to accept our decadence.
3g4me #453168 April 17, 2025 19
If reproachment with Iran means all the “Iranian-Americans” go back home, I’d be happy. Fascinating culture, wonderful hospitality and food, but still belong back there and not on magic murkin dirt.
Ostei Kozelskii #453210 April 17, 2025 9
FYI: reproachment is actually a borderline antonym of the correct word, which is rapprochement.
Dr_Mantis_Tobbogan_MD #453224 April 17, 2025 1
Many of the expatriates might return home if ties were reestablished.
Pozymandias #453248 April 17, 2025 1
Yes, it’s quite a well developed and orderly country for the region. As for buying our planes, well we would need to get cracking on that. The Russians have plenty of really advanced fighters to sell them that are probably better than our aging designs or our ridiculously expensive ones (F-35).
Mycale #453116 April 17, 2025 35
The Israel Lobby may be more measured and reasonable in its goals and approach than the bloodthirsty thug Netanyahu, but it is doing just as much damage in its own way. The Gazan genocide is horrific and has burned through tons of support for Israel, but the Israel Lobby still outwardly defends it and is now pushing the Trump administration to arrest and deport legal residents (and soon, citizens) who criticize Israel. This isn’t going to work, for the same reason that their post-10/7/23 propaganda campaign didn’t work – they don’t control the narrative anymore.Trump still believes that he can kiss up to the lobby and they will give him a free hand to do the things he actually wants to do. We all know that’s not true, based on his first term, but the problem is that Trump’s behavior in kissing up to the lobby will burn up all his political capital.
Filthie #453126 April 17, 2025 17
Agreed. Also worth noting is that Bibi is deeply despised by close to one half of his own people and pressure is mounting at home for him too.
A Bad Man #453129 April 17, 2025 12
Every time I see the bloated face of that war criminal I want to retch — then again our POTUYS recently described the Veterinarian of Mankind, Bourla, as a ‘good guy’ if I recall….
Mycale #453155 April 17, 2025 12
This speaks to another issue – the lobby crafts a narrative for American consumption that is totally untethered from reality. A normie Fox News consumer doesn’t know that Netanyahu is extremely unpopular and basically only still in office because of this war, nor do they know about the actual events of October 7, 2023. You can easily read about all this in Israeli papers because it’s talked about openly there but it’s all shut down here. But again, it’s not working because the lobby does not control the narrative anymore.
Ostei Kozelskii #453178 April 17, 2025 3
My reading of Z’s piece was that he was defending the Israel lobby solely vis-a-vis the Iran kerfuffle, but nottout court.
Mycale #453198 April 17, 2025 4
My point is that the Israel lobby may be telling Trump to tread lightly, but they’re doing so in private, but publicly they defend Netanyahu and are now trying to get people jailed and deported for criticizing him and his behavior. Remember they choreographed this ahead of time – at the RNC they brought on a poor, suffering Jewish Democrat who attends Harvard to talk about this exact thing.Ultimately, this even undermines Trump’s attempts to tread lightly, because you have a situation where he signals that he is open to negotiation with Iran but the normie Fox News boomers want him to “bomb bomb bomb Iran.” Trump can’t split this baby, he needs to go one way or the other.
george 1 #453191 April 17, 2025 6
Absolutely. Israel is never going to be able to go back to business as usual.
Robbo #453321 April 18, 2025 2
The Zionists are cock-a-hoop right now and their dream of Greater Israel seems almost tangible to them. However, their actions have doomed Israel in the long-term. The whole world hates them.
Ride-By Shooter #453282 April 17, 2025 0
“Trump still believes that he can kiss up to the lobby”He’s been a slobbering, bourgeois Judeophile for decades. His political capital has resisted burning thus far in spite of this. It’s a good indication that ‘MAGAmoron’ is all too apt.A nice fantasy is that he’s been confronted privately and cornered with evidence of Israel’s ancient darkness. That depravity infects all of Christianity, too, making Christians into a source of raw material out of which to form helpful golems.In this fantasy, DJT is becoming Jew-wise, but he’s concealing both his awareness and what he plans to do to subvert the nation of Israel and its state. Hegseth, Rubio, and Witkoff (Trump’s envoy, the property developer Jew) are in the dark. Somehow Trump avoids burning up his political capital while maneuvering the State of Israel to lay down in front of a moving bus or train.
Robbo #453320 April 18, 2025 2
The US based Israel lobby is not “more measured and reasonable”. They push and cajole Trump and the idiots in Congress to provide the weaponry and intel that is killing thousands of Gazans.
Citizen of a Silly Country #453136 April 17, 2025 34
The simple reality is that the US – and thus the Israel lobby – can no longer enforce its will on many countries, including Iran. We lack the military capability and financial stability to do so. The US is now a regional power with some ability to strike lessor powers around the world. But with missile technology improving, even that ability weakens by the year. It’s a different world.
Filthie #453147 April 17, 2025 23
Agreed. Seems that the Hooties bagged another Reaper… making two for them so far. One thing the Kraine and the Middle East has done is to get Normies to finally question what the military industrial complex has been doing for the last decade. All our vaunted super weapons are turning out tho be lemons. I’ve heard the west is well behind the 8 ball on hypersonic missile tech as well…
Citizen of a Silly Country #453162 April 17, 2025 19
The MIC has proven to be a complete failure. Regardless, the US empire was bound to shrink over time. It’s just becoming very apparent now. It’s why Iran and Russia have treaded so lightly. They were waiting for the US to come to that realization on its own, which would make negotiations far, far more peaceful and reasonable. Trump is waking up to the new reality. I’d suspect a large portion of the Pentagon is aware as well. Normies too are getting the message. Even the Israel lobby is figuring it out. The world is changing.
Ostei Kozelskii #453212 April 17, 2025 0
I hope you’re right, and you may well be. However, how does Trump’s dawning awareness of imperial contraction square with his daft bluster about Greenland?
Paintersforms #453225 April 17, 2025 4
One is half a world away, the other in our back yard. Global vs regional.
Ostei Kozelskii #453262 April 17, 2025 1
Doesn’t really matter. Expansion is expansion and contraction is contraction. And in the case of Greenland, you’d be needlessly encroaching upon one of the few European countries worthy of respect, Denmark.
Anonymouseguy #453260 April 17, 2025 1
The MIC has been a complete success… do you know how rich everyone in the Imperial Capitol has become? With all respect, you dont really think its purpose was to win wars do you? With who and what for? Who have we even needed to fight in the 20th or 21st century?
A Bad Man #453304 April 17, 2025 0
“…the Imperial Capitol…” Another pet peeve, when did the Mandarins in the ‘media’ decide the Capitol of a state became its “capital?”
Steve #453195 April 17, 2025 3
“making two for them so far.” At least 4 independently confirmed now.
Ostei Kozelskii #453211 April 17, 2025 3
Not only lemons, but astronomical lemons. A strong argument for quasi-isolationism, particularly in an economically parlous environment.
Ride-By Shooter #453283 April 17, 2025 1
“Also worth noting is that Bibi is deeply despised by close to one half of his own people.”The divisions within Israel are almost comical. In addition to that instability, there are at least two dangerous demographic fault lines which could produce a great earthquake. One separates the so-called orthodox believers from the Ben-Gurionists and those who are still somewhat sympathetic to his vision. (DBG was an atheist and a globalist. He called for a federation of the continents with a supreme court of mankind in Jerusalem.)Another fault line is where the Ashkenazim meet the Mizrahim. It seems that the crude old superstition, the one much less open to allegorical interpretation of the torahs, is far stronger among the Mizrahim than among the Ashkenazim.In a 2016 study by the Pew Research Center, while 66% of Ashkenazim personally identify as hiloni (secular), 32% of Mizrahim do; 35% of Ashkenazim don’t believe in God, compared to 11% of Mizrahim; 70% of Ashkenazim believed that religion should be separated from government policy, but only 49% of Mizrahim agreed.Note 31, unsourced. Attributed to Pew Research Center.Back in 1984, a party named Shas (an acronym standing for Sephardic guardians [of torah]) was formed by members to represent the religious interests of Sephardim and (to a lesser extent) Mizrahim. They are like Anglo-Saxon conservatards who still believe strongly in Jesus and his mythical resurrection, and I’ll guess that Shas agents are as thick as thieves with so-called Christian Zionists. Shas has 11 of 120 seats in the Knesset.
c matt #453612 April 21, 2025 0
Houthis and the Blowships. Someone had to say it.
george 1 #453197 April 17, 2025 5
This is why Netanyahu allowed or instigated the events of 10/07/23. It is obvious to everyone that the U.S. is a declining power. If the greater Israel project is to ever be done it is now or never for Netanyahu. The project has had much success but one of the goals was certainly to have the U.S. destroy Iran. Even Trump now seems to know that destroying Iran is a bridge too far.
Robbo #453323 April 18, 2025 2
Exactly. The most charitable interpretation of 7th Oct was that it was a LIHOP. Netanyahu and the crazies knew that time was running out for their Eretz Israel wet dream.
Robbo #453322 April 18, 2025 1
If the US was sane and sensible it would realise that and cut its cloth accordingly. It could wind down its imperial outreach and still be one of the great nations of the Earth. However, that is not what dying empires do. Unfortunately, it looks like it’s going to take a few aircraft carriers sunk and a massive drubbing for them to see reality.
Zulu Juliet #453200 April 17, 2025 30
I listened to a Hugh Hewitt assessment of Trumps 100 days. I’ve never read or heard the fellow before and was taken aback at what an Israel booster he was. At one point he even said, with obvious delight “As we sit here the bombs may already be falling one Iran!”. You wish, buddy. The rest of us have had enough Middle East meddling to last a lifetime. Bring the boys home.
Ostei Kozelskii #453263 April 17, 2025 3
I’d be obviously delighted if a bomb found its way to Hugh Hewitt’s office…
The Wild Geese Howard #453275 April 17, 2025 1
Zulu- Judging by MSM comment sections, there is a large plurality of normies who are absolutely tumescent about the prospect of nuclear war with Iran.
Jack Dodson #453139 April 17, 2025 28
Of course, this is another indication that we are at the end of empire.Yes. With barely a white majority, a gigantic but fragile economy, and successive military defeats and humiliations, the GAE is drawing to an end. Before the curtains fall, it will downsize. And that contraction involves what amounts to a normalization of relations with Our Greatest Ally. There is no longer a dog for it to wag.People within what remains of the GAE’s walls will continue to fragment, isolate, and sort, and as the empire recedes the self-segregation will lead to nation-states, initiallyde facto, eventuallyde jure.* The arc of history bends that way, to quote those who will be most dismayed.*This assumes enough survive a nuclear war in the event the GAE starts one.
Citizen of a Silly Country #453218 April 17, 2025 14
Yes, GAE is yet another example of “slowly, then all at once.” The structural changes have been occurring for decades. Loss of manufacturing, demographics, China and Russia rising, etc. They’ve all been eating away at the GAE’s foundation but from the outside, GAE seemed fine. Even in Trump 1.0, GAE seemed fine. But like discovering termites, you once start pulling up the baseboards, you discover how rotted away everything is. Ukraine, the Houthis, inflation, the debt, that’s the world pulling back those pieces of flooring and going, “Oh, shit. This isn’t good.”
Jack Dodson #453227 April 17, 2025 9
The human termites are readily apparent. The structural ones have started to be noticed. There also seems to be a growing recognition and borderline acceptance that what can’t go on won’t. Hopefully that last means the psychopaths can be stopped from taking down everyone else with us.
Anonymouseguy #453268 April 17, 2025 1
The camel has a remarkably strong back but oh man do the small hats keep shoveling on the hay. The murderer of a admirable young white man being sent home with armfuls of cash prizes has been another heap in just the last week. I am not anyone’s normie but I know quite a few and things go so far even the normies begin to notice and seethe
Tykebomb #453134 April 17, 2025 23
Twitter is abuzz with people comparing Trump to Gorbachev. But if we must make comparisons to the USSR, Trump is clearly Yeltsin. Gorbachev thought he could revive socialism and with it the USSR. Much like Biden, the Democrats and half the Republican party. Trump and Yeltsin instead seek independence for the core of the empire. And a few beaten egos are a price they are willing to pay. We even had a brief coup d’etat where the reactionary forces tried to fight Yeltsin. I, for one, welcome the end of the empire.
LGC #453233 April 17, 2025 4
Trump is Alexander Kerensky. Trying to keep the old order in place using the old rules while it is all failing and his opponents (same as Kerensky’s) are using whatever means are necessary.
Ostei Kozelskii #453269 April 17, 2025 7
I liken him to Diocletian–an aging patriot desperately attempting administrative reforms to salvage something from a dilapidating empire. Along the way he persecutes certain cadres of Muzzies and Wokies–instead of Christians.
Arshad Ali #453124 April 17, 2025 19
“The Iranian revolution was caused by the failure to manage the Israel issue properly.” Was it? My history is a bit sketchy but I think the Shah and his family and his cronies were not too popular in Iran. Too secular, a bit too corrupt, and spending too much on American armaments. The windfall from the quadrupling of oil prices wound up in relatively few hands. And the repressiveness of Savak.
Captain Willard #453133 April 17, 2025 39
Yeah. Israel was a minor part of it IIRC. That said, in those days as a high-schooler in the DC area I first developed my intense dislike for foreign graduate students bringing their troubles to the streets of the US. In that regard, nothing has changed. I couldn’t give a rat’s ass for the “free speech” rights of foreign graduate students. Let them go home and fix their own problems.
Arshad Ali #453137 April 17, 2025 5
I think the Shah visited the White House in late 1977. There were protests outside the gates and tear gas was used against the demonstrators. Some of the tear gas got wafted by the wind to the White House lawn, where apparently both Carter and the Shah had tears running down their faces.
Ostei Kozelskii #453265 April 17, 2025 0
“Some of the tear gas got wafted by the wind to the White House lawn, where apparently both Carter and the Shah had tears running down their faces.” As Billy Carter pissed on a presidential begonia and a rabbit clambered over the banks of the Potomac and made a beeline for Jimmuh…
Ostei Kozelskii #453266 April 17, 2025 2
The Shah’s son was actually training at an Air Force base outside of my city at that time. And while there he bought one of the grandest mansions in town.
Jack Dodson #453145 April 17, 2025 11
Same. The masked Iranians disrupting public events should have ended the foreign exchange student grift but $$$.
3g4me #453170 April 17, 2025 1
Amen.
The Infant Phenomenon #453138 April 17, 2025 24
Well, that and the fact that his regime was brutal almost beyond imagination. How many people have the imagination needed to devise a method of torture that involves literally burning off the soles of the victim’s feet? Literally placing the feet onto a super-hot surface and then ripping that surface away–along with the soles of the feet.When your regime is based on that kind of thing, you will very soon finds yourself with lots of enemies and very few friends, let alone defenders. The Shah got what he asked for. When the CIA and British Petroleum set aside a lawful, popular election in the 1950s to install the Shah, it set in motion the chain of events that we are still watching right now. The same people–the deep state–were and still are responsible.
Compsci #453163 April 17, 2025 8
This. Probably the best early example of the hypocrisy of the USA wrt encouraging “democracy” around the world. It is extraordinarily sad to think of how these Middle East countries were thrown into turmoil through “color” revolutions organized by the CIA. There are pictures of (natural) societal modernity spreading post WWII in countries like, Afghanistan, Iran, Beirut, Egypt, that when compared to today are absolutely shocking in before and after comparison. Even today, early adopters of democracy and modernity—like Turkey—balance precariously on a new dark age of radical Islam, all thanks to American shenanigans in the region.
Steve #453199 April 17, 2025 2
How about early adopters like Liberia? CIA had a role in causing the disruptions, sure, but why, in every case where it was a possibility, did the head-choppers rise to power? It can’t be just a reaction to “democracy” or “modernity” or something else would have arisen here or there. The closest is Nasser, and we all know how that came out.
LGC #453230 April 17, 2025 1
I think you mean Libya since we’re talking about the middle east. (although your example still works. T.I.A.)
Alzaebo #453280 April 17, 2025 3
Weird how the head choppers didn’t arise in Libya, a tyranny that had free health care, education, cheap and plentiful housing, and gas at 19 cents per gallon. Proposing a gold backed Libyan dinar and a North African trade bloc notwithstanding. It was a tyranny, true; Gaddafi had recently executed 1000 rebels in a prison. (It was rumored he impaled them.) That, and (((Sarkozy’s))) lust for his oil, gold, and the weapons Hillary ran in her Benghazi ratline to ISIS. Odd that in a war torn country with no government, an oil bank popped up one week after Gaddafi’s death.
Alzaebo #453277 April 17, 2025 1
Indeed, Mark Steyn lamented the loss of the rapid modernization and Westernization of the Mideast; girls in skirts going to college, American kids working summers in Iranian bazaars, the only burkas seen were on aged grannies in backwater villages. Expats told me of the Mideast of the 50s, 60s, and 70s; both Tehran and Riyadh were like Paris and Las Vegas combined. Jihad was dead, Islam itself was neutered as no more than a cultural influence stressing the Medina suras (peace) as opposed to the Mecca suras (war), just as we looked to the New Testament, not the Old.
Jeffrey Zoar #453295 April 17, 2025 4
This is proof, right under everyone’s nose, that feminism can be completely reversed in a very short time.
Alzaebo #453273 April 17, 2025 0
Mossadegh was a boa-wearing faggot dictator who not only started confiscating his political opponent’s assets, but also had his eye on the assets of the entire population, as well as a larger share of British oil. As to SAVAK, they were cool professionals used by JFK to replace the filthy Cubans used in domestic operations in the US, as the Cubans were messy and loved to torture their victims. What’s next, SAVAK bayoneting babies in incubators? Plausible, though, a hideous bastinado; SAVAK executed all of 500 jihadis who themselves had killed 20,000 Iranian citizens. SAVAK rebranded as the IRGC.
Pickle Rick #453142 April 17, 2025 12
1979 was the culmination of Iranians remembering that the Good ol’ USA and the Clowns in Action had engineered a coup- (the Kagans didn’t call them ‘color revolutions” back in the old days) in 1953 when the Iranians nationalized the Anglo-Persian oil industry. I think what we are seeing is the Eternal Boomer in Trump, for whom 1979 is always a real memory, being advised by a younger generation like Joe Dirt (Lance Corporal, USMC) and Pistol Pete (Captain, US Army) for whom 1979 is in the history books and stupid, endless, idiotic Forever Wars are their memories.
Jack Dodson #453143 April 17, 2025 8
Correct. I would suggest Iran originally hated Israel because of the United States more than it hated the United States because of Israel. Over time that changed, but it was the state of play at the outset. If you weren’t around, check out the displays the Iranian regime made highlighting the GAE’s crimes.
Mike #453204 April 17, 2025 3
If I’m not mistaken, the mullahs hated Israel because the Shah used Israel to maintain his police state. Mossad and Savak were hand in glove. Funny enough though, most of the Savak enforcers went over to the mullahs and gleefully tortured for them.
Arshad Ali #453217 April 17, 2025 2
Mossad helped Savak but I don’t know the extent and Savak could probably have managed without. During the Shah’s time Israeli produce (e.g., fresh oranges) and Israeli cigarettes were available in Iran. There was doubtless some military cooperation as well. After the Shah got the boot, I don’t know how and why things went sour between the Mullahs and Israel. The information is probably out there but I’m just ignorant of it.
Alzaebo #453281 April 17, 2025 2
One thing the mullah-led Iran does very well, is it makes Israel look like a threatened victim, now doesn’t it?Yet in 2006, after wiping out $4.5 billion in Hezbollah concrete bunkers on the Lebanese border, and nearly wiping the Hiz’b off the Marionite map, Israel stopped short of victory. Why?I say incitement was the goal, the manufactured excuse one faction of Israel was pushing for. They sought defeat of their own political opponents, the Israeli pacifists.They happily let radicals take over Palestine; Arafat himself was a foreign Egyptian puppetthey brought backalong with his Tunisian strongmen. He was hated in West Bank, and how big really is Gaza?You need an enemy to unite, is my thinking. Israel did indeed provide electricity, sewers, machiladora zones, and medical care to Palestine (along with increasingly cumbersome checkpoints) and installed Hamas as an alternative to the Authority and Fatah.“See?” the faction said. “You can’t live with them!”Like veiled threats to the newly installed regime in Iran, and then accusing them when they threaten back, as Netty has been accusing them of a nuclear program since ’79.They also scrupulously ignored mass Hamas street marches where a few flybyes could’ve wiped the Hamas troops out en masse.We forget who we’re dealing with here. Radicalization and manufacture of ‘oppressed’ subsets is their signature contribution. They cannot exist without it.
Alzaebo #453259 April 17, 2025 -1
Even a goshdam Iranian spy told me the common people loved the Shah,lovedhim, for all the wealth and freedom he had brought back to Persian culture. What you’re remembering is the incitement and propaganda of the Betrayers…whose religious incitement and leftist “protest” Savak was suppressing.It was Kissinger, by the way, who advised the Shah to suggest that the price per barrel be raised from .25 to $1 per barrel at OPEC. The market manipulators got frickingrichoff of the first Oil Shock, and then told us They were the holy victims, shortly after the start of the petrodollar. (The Afghan Marxist party also overthrew the 400 year-old dynasty in Afghanistan the same year, in ’73.)In the second Oil Shock- ’79, remember odd/even days for buying gas? – there were goshdam tankers stretched out to the horizon waiting for the Oakland port to re-open; ’79 was also the year Shabbos Bush sent in his British-Indian agent Khomeini and resurrected Jihad in Afghanistan.The Betrayers could not stomach a Persian Shah restoring Persia’s historic cultural hegemony over the region their Ishmaelite Maccabbean armies and Donmeh emirs had stolen; they could not bear the thought of acompetitor.___________________(p.s.- the idea that Muslims are a threat to the Betrayers is another inversion, a fraud, perpetuated by the storytellers; for eff’s sake, Islam is their army to make war on all non-semites. They not only administered the Caliphate, they ran to the sheikhs for two thousand years whenever they got caught. Jizya wasprotectionunder the law. Islamic banking is a charade backed up by London gold banks.)
RealityRules #453166 April 17, 2025 17
I know a very large number of the interested party. Every last one of them sees the Promised Land as their homeland. Many send around signs with the Israeli flag planted over Tehran and have their flag covering the West Bank saying, “From the River To The Sea.” I’ve heard many toasts to, “Our Homeland”, that isn’t a toast to America. This year many voted for Trump as, “One issue voters.” That issue was not America’s border dissolution and accelerated population replacement.Every last one of them. I’ve seen some doing cabbage patches singing, “We’re gonna get Gaza. We’re gonna get Gaza.” Alex Karp is not going to go away. The issue isn’t going away.That said, may Trump and the Americans in his inner circle negotiate a viable long term piece and begin the process of making it so everyone has to decide – is this my residence/affluence-accumulation-domicile or is it my one true home?In the end, if 100+ million Americans decide that this is our home and it is we who will rule it, then it will not much matter what other people decide. In the meantime, that won’t happen if Mass Deportation is not accelerated and done so that Mass is its essential operating principle.
Horace #453123 April 17, 2025 14
“It is a [symbolic homeland] where [American Jews] send their children for the summer after graduation or perhaps where they take an occasional family trip.”It’s their transnational-tribal civilizational panic room, a place to bug out to when their bad behavior inevitably crosses thresholds. They didn’t actually build the panic room, and don’t want those who did to expand it at the cost of risking its existence.“If war is not an option, then another method must be found to secure Israel.”Here is one of the dirty little secrets of last century’s European history: all (racially) European ruling classes knew that there was a Jewish problem. ALL OF THEM, including Americans. Most did not understand the severity and immediacy of the problem and thus did the usual merchant kicking the can down the road, and we got the 2nd World War as a result.European ruling classes did not disagree with Hitler that there was a Jewish problem but rather bitterly disagreed with Hitler over his choice of solution to the Jewish problem. This is consistent with with longtime European cultural values of being conquerors of rather than destroyers of patterns genetic and memetic. (‘Genocidal white man’ trope is simply Jewish projection.)When the burned rubble was cooling in late 1945, most European ruling classes were completely ok with supporting Zionism because they saw it as an inexpensive (to them) solution that would see an end to the persistent source of political stability. It was only ever a small fraction that were causing the problems, and alas for Europeanity the problem-people never left our civilization for Israel but have stayed within continuing their transnational-tribal mode of life.Contemporary support for Israel, and I support Israel for this reason, thus stems in part from a desire to “secure Israel” so that eventually the transnational-tribal remnant can join their nationalist brothers and sisters in Israel, and forever leave European civilization. If Israel falls, they will all end up here and it will be our turn to be 1930 Germany, a fate to be avoided.
DLS #453169 April 17, 2025 7
Good comment. I go back and forth on whether it would be better to push all Jews into Israel, or stop support for Israel altogether. As long as they live in western countries, their jewish panic room gives them license to manipulate the politics of those western countries, knowing if they make a mess they have a safety net. We see this with their support for open borders.They import competing tribes to take the focus off of themselves, knowingwhen they are the only minority in a white country, they inevitably wear out their welcome and get themselves kicked out. Since there is no realistic way to send them all to their “homeland”, I think we just have to stop support for Israel. I actually agree with the clownish AOC and her squad on the J issue.
Ostei Kozelskii #453270 April 17, 2025 2
Sending all the Finkels packing to Israel would be extremely difficult–and currently is flatly impossible–but is far less unimaginable than trying to scoop up all the nuggras and ship them back to Africa. Sheer numbers matter a great deal.
Alzaebo #453287 April 17, 2025 4
Deport! Deport! Deport! If we can do it with one type of gangster, we can do it with another. Start with the dual citizens. Sorry, Ivanka and Chelsea, buh-bye!
Anonymouseguy #453272 April 17, 2025 1
So you think we’d somehow have the will to kick them all out of the west, but at the same time be ready and willing to let them all straight back in the moment they finally get their just desserts from all the neighbors theyve endlessly embittered? How does this work exactly This is some next level brer rabbit stuff going on. Oy vey please antisemites, oh please dont support zionism! Anything but that based JQ noticers!
Alzaebo #453286 April 17, 2025 2
Point to you, both the British and the German governments continued to operate the Havarra Transfer program cojointly from 1933 through1944,even though they were at war. You are darn tootin’ the Tribe didn’t build Israel, Britain and Germany did. Big J wanted to push little J into building his panic room amidst hostile natives, and get the Euros to pay for it. Irgun and Shin Bet were conquistadors. (p.s.- that’s what the Big Scary Story was for, to get Little J to move so Big J could have it all to himself.)
c matt #453609 April 21, 2025 1
Except that Hitler’s solution WAS to relocate them to Israel or somewhere else not Germany just as you argue. They refused the offer.
Gideon #453122 April 17, 2025 14
Both Israeli and European geopolitics is based on the anachronistic belief that Uncle “Sucker” Sam can be easily manipulated into providing virtually unlimited weaponry and manpower to smite their ancient enemies. Unfortunately, “the arsenal of democracy” has been moved to China and the soldiery, even supposing they can be propagandized into furling their foreign flags long enough to wrap themselves in the American one, will likely be about as effective as their forefathers were in defending their countries of origin.
My Comment #453208 April 17, 2025 9
Another sign we are at the end of an era and beginning of a new one is anti Semitism is being made great again. After all anti Semitism is just the result of judging Jews based on the content of their character.
Jeffrey Zoar #453213 April 17, 2025 4
Clown world is so clowny with its made up words. Ashkenazis aren’t semites. Most of them aren’t really jews either
Ride-By Shooter #453267 April 17, 2025 0
“Ashkenazis aren’t semites. Most of them aren’t really jews either.” Some of them are neither ugly nor stupid nor unhealthy. I think of them as third cousins who can be won over to the λογός, which is no person at all. (Sorry, EMJ. You’re wrong.)
Ostei Kozelskii #453284 April 17, 2025 4
Genetically, they’re about 1/4 semitic. Culturally–including religiously–almost all of them are Jewish. The confusion comes with the term antisemitic. The more accurate term is Judeophobic.
Captain Willard #453144 April 17, 2025 9
I’m not so sure this represents a strategic change on Trump’s part. I think his instinct is always to negotiate. My conversations with the local AIPAC types suggests there’s still magical thinking. I always ask them: “what if the Iranians already have a bomb?” They always retort: “Oh the Mossad would know if they did!”. To which I retort: “well what if they’re wrong? The Iron Dome didn’t catch everything last time”. Netanyahu reminds me of a declining Ali, still with a big rap but with tired legs and a slower jab. After getting embarrassed by Hamas (Leon Spinks), he’s yapping at Iran (Larry Holmes).
Hi-ya #453119 April 17, 2025 9
Ever since Sept. 11 there have been various reasons offered as to why the terrorists attacked us, many of them simply cant constructed to make us look good (they attacked us because we’re a “democracy” or because we practice tolerance and let women go to school) or to avoid blaming U.S. support for Israel lest some people think we should stop doing so. But even these phony rationales attributed to the terrorists argue that we were attacked because of our virtues, and some critics of U.S. foreign policy (such as your servant) believe we were attacked because of our foreign policy in the Middle East generally. But as far as I know, no one has suggested that we had it coming all along — until now.What Mr. Clinton is telling us is that the West itself, as well as the United States, are so wrapped up in terror themselves that they not only deserve to be attacked by terrorism but also that they are simply not legitimate political and cultural orders — that the West and the United States are inherently criminal and terrorist systems. That, of course, is a profoundly anti-American and anti-Western view, as well as being without historical or ethical merit. But what’s good about Mr. Clinton’s speech is that, after lying to us consistently as president for eight years, he has at last told us what he really thinks.Sam Francis, November12, 2001Seems like Francis accepts the mainstream narrative here. if he was around today would he be more suspicious that the us governments had a role in the murder if its own citizens?
Mr. House #453190 April 17, 2025 14
They hate us for our freedoms! (Proceeds to curtail freedoms) 😉
Zulu Juliet #453202 April 17, 2025 0
Interesting comment, but I liked your Billy Strings rant a lot more. Let your freak flag fly, Mr. Ya.
c matt #453608 April 21, 2025 0
“that the West and the United States are inherently criminal and terrorist systems.” I think the key word here is “inherently.” Certainly a strong argument can be made the “American system” and by getting dragged along with it the “West” generally are currently criminal and terrorist systems, and perhaps starting around the early to mid 20th century started becoming so (gee, what happened then?). It did not have to be this way.
Karl Horst #453150 April 17, 2025 8
Evidently Trump 2.0 has learned to keep his big mouth shut in order to keep those opposed to him on the back foot.If amazes me that somehow the US media thinks Americans, or the world for that matter, should have an open line to everything that goes on in the Oval Office. As if they have a right to know the President’s every thought or intent at any moment.Thankfully Trump, his advisors and appointees seem to have learned this time around not to blather on about everything and anything until some time after the fact. What they do go on about seems to have a 50% chance of just being a troll for the “chattering skulls” in the media and online social media channels.
Compsci #453180 April 17, 2025 7
I also would say from events that have unfolded, Trump II had an action plan waay before entering office. Trump I was a rank political amateur. This was my biggest criticism of electing a political novice/outsider in 2016. It felt good, but there was no precedent for success outside of a few Hollywood feel good, fantasy movies. Ventura and Schwarzenegger, albeit governors, were basically failures, so was Trump I. But that was then, this is now.
3g4me #453183 April 17, 2025 22
As Zman has noted before, traditional journalists – in the past – were working men, not crusading college grads waving their ivy league diplomas. Since Watergate and their takedown of Nixon, however, they have convinced ‘murkins that everyone has not merely theright but the duty to know everything all the time. Add in Jimmy Carter’s moralism and Bill Clinton’s “I’m your best buddy” pretense, and most ‘murkins consider it a president’s constitutional duty to tell them what he thinks about everything, as well as honoring the latest nogger sportsball team and providing a shoulder to cry on in the event of any sorrow inherent to the human condition. Then, of course, see no contradiction in calling reporters the ghouls that they are as they thrust microphone’s into the latest victim’s face.tl;dr: Journalists are arrogant and entitled, and most people are incredibly stupid.
TenFiftySeven #453193 April 17, 2025 1
Well put. Boredom, social media, and celebrity culture have amplified this behavior in the past decade or so.
Epaminondas #453135 April 17, 2025 8
The Trump announcement was glorious. We all just loved seeing that look on Netanyahu’s face. And now we can see it over and overwhenever we like.
Compsci #453171 April 17, 2025 15
It’s really hard to watch this with a straight face any more. The disassociation with reality is really too much. “Iran must not have nuclear weapons” is the cry of the day, while at the same time threatening, sanctioning, and indeed attacking Iran simultaneously. Meanwhile, Iran sits back and watches how other States with nukes are treated by the same cast of characters. There is simply no way Iran will ever stop its nuke program. North Korea never did. Israel never did. Iran will never do so—because we are teaching them the wrong lesson via our hypocrisy.
Jeffrey Zoar #453185 April 17, 2025 4
For a quarter century now I’ve been hearing about Iran’s imminent Bomb. I recollect it being kicked around in the MSM whether GWB and Ariel Sharon should strike to take out their nuclear program before it was too late. So either they are too inept to build a bomb, GAE/Israeli efforts to deter have been successful (i.e. Stuxnet), or some combination of those two. I dismiss the idea that they just don’t want one (even though that would also explain their not having one). However you add it up, if Iran wanted one, they should have been able to get one by now, if they were strong enough to do it. I conclude that they are not.
Epaminondas #453240 April 17, 2025 3
The Iranian ayatolla Khamenei has forbidden the building of a nuclear weapon. He thinks nuclear bombs are immoral. And when he speaks, Iranians listen. This has been the case for more than two decades.
Hemid #453209 April 17, 2025 7
It’s a strange idea. Iran isn’t the Congo. If it wants nukes, it has them. It’s a solved problem. They can look up the recipe and cook it. Amassing materials is difficult, but they’ve had a long time to do it. The delivery system will be relatively primitive, but the payload isn’t rocket science. They can nukesomebody.It’s like American bioweapons—full-on extinction-level germ warfare. Yes, we can do it. Even without leaks, everyone should know it. We’ve sought such capacity for over a century, and we aren’t the Congo (mostly). The job’s been done, probably fifty times. No one should be surprised if every Slav’s skull suddenly dissolves.Israel is realistic but crazily belligerent. Once they’ve chosen an enemy, every fact/”fact” about them makes warurgent. (The ethnic tendency has been noted.) Putin’s war—the relative meekness of it—is premised onnot quitemaking America flip out and do something truly insane. China feints to test, then pauses to consider, thinking its life is very long.But Europe…Does England get the world war it wants? That italwayswants? Trump would prefer not. He thinks death is real and unfortunate. On cue, “Trump’s America is amad pariah state!” say the British right this week. (I listen to conservatives to find out what the TV says.)
Steve #453219 April 17, 2025 0
Nukes are not THAT easy. Not to go undetected. There’s a huge difference between commercial fuel and weapons grade. Remember that whole “yellowcake” thing? Where they had to account for all the centrifuge-grade aluminum?My sneaking suspicion is Putin had a hand in this whole thing. The agreement to cooperate on fuel and reprocessing means they wouldn’t need to spend resources on nukes. Iran’s missiles are already more than enough, and their air defenses made Israel’s F-15s turn tail.Putin is not an idiot. Hegseth was a tell. Hegseth never commanded at company level, to the best of my knowledge, and did not take on a mentor to help him with his weaknesses in managing a massive organization. Completely out of his league. Which tells Putin (and Iran, and every other country with a competent leader or at least competent intel) that despite all the bluster, Trump is not seriously considering a military option. He’s not having that level of Cabinet meetings, and is simultaneously gutting the warmongering flags, ostensibly over DIE, but likely because they are compromised.
Jack Dodson #453220 April 17, 2025 4
(I listen to conservatives to find out what the TV says.) Inspired. And your ears have my sympathy.
Anonymouseguy #453278 April 17, 2025 2
Dont have a lot of time for the “the bad guys are all powerful and simply dont do [dastardly thing X] because [nonspecific reasons]”If the last few years have shown anything it’s that there is nothing too evil for those in power but there are plenty of things beyond the reach of their actual competency. So if there is some evil thing they dont do it’s not lack of will but only lack of capability, QED.If Nuland and the rest of her cousins could have indiscriminately murdered every one of their ancestral enemies (read: every christian in russia) you really think they’d be like nah, that’s a little too vindictive? Do you see how they treat the palestinians when they really have innocents at their mercy?Instead theyre losing the war and some of the most valuable strategic territory in the world to Russia as we speak. It’s not for lack of trying and definitely not out of scruple.
FooBarr #453244 April 17, 2025 1
Just seeing Trump there with only an American flag lapel pin is enough cause for joy. I think, well, I hope, everyone is sick and tired of that dual flag lapel pin. It is absurd that over the decades that our country was deconstructed, demographically replaced, borders dissovled and bombarded with porn, usury, degneracy and all manner of ills and evils, that we’ve been simultaneously helping build out other nations.It is absurd and I really hope a large number of Americans who are close to the circles of power are at least as sick and tired of it as we are.I honestly want to live to see the day where that gargoyle voiced Mr. Potato Head looking guy gets that perennial smirk wiped off of his face.
Lakelander #453237 April 17, 2025 6
This begs the question: what kind of false flag are the Israelis planning to force the US into overturning the wise and prudent path Trump has set forth regarding Iran?
Dutchboy #453271 April 17, 2025 6
That is why I don’t think an Israeli attack on Iran is out of the question. Get a war going, get Iranian retaliation against Israel and the whole AIPAC/Christian Zionist machine will go into high gear to get the USA fighting Iran.
Steve #453279 April 17, 2025 3
Hand them an M4 and a plate carrier and wish them the best of luck. I, for one, wouldn’t mind thinning that herd a bit.
Robbo #453325 April 18, 2025 0
That’s my concern too, Dutch.
Robbo #453324 April 18, 2025 0
Exactly.
Ben the Layabout #453151 April 17, 2025 3
Thanks to Zman for views I rarely read anywhere else. His remarks today were “new to me” – the distinction between the American Jewish lobby, which he calls the Israel Lobby, somewhat confusingly to me, versus the actual government in power in Israel.A moment of insights: If Israel (the geographic place and government there, not in any other sense of the term) were really the promised Paradise for all Jews since its creation in 1948, then it would seem that there would no longer be a worldwide Jewish Diaspora, that all her wayward children would have returned to the Motherland. Surely 77 years is long enough. Since we know that this is very much not the case, it would seem to call into question just how wonderful a place to live Israel is. Yes, it has much history and is suitable for religious pilgrimage or perhaps a visit to long-lost Unkel Shmuel from the old country. And, perhaps, a bolthole in extremis if one must decamp one’s current country posthaste. Instant citizenship if you don’t already have it, and that guarantee aganst extradition not too shabby either! But voluntarily emigrate there? Oy veh!Note that all the above will do little to devalue the ever-popular anti-Semitic trope about how Jews secretly control our own government, if not all the world’s governments.Upon closer inspection however, it’d seem that Jewry present far from a unified front. As with any other human group larger than perhaps a small family, they are no more immune to the usual human vices as are any other group of hairless apes. We attribute unusual powers to them at our own peril and, probably, at their amusement.
Jack Dodson #453161 April 17, 2025 3
Something else Z points out bears a look. Jewish Neocons are focused primarily on Russia, while most of the rest of the diaspora concentrates on Israel. You can see a similar split finally forming over mass migration. There is of course overlap. The people who claim Jews control the world’s governments apprehend their undue influence and hostility to Europeans but overestimate the unity of opinion. Frankly, I am weary of talking about them and Israel, and that seems to be more widespread now.
G Lordon Giddy #453148 April 17, 2025 3
I hope you are right, this outcome would be the wise move. Now if it really happens……we should know by summer.
pyrrhus #453223 April 17, 2025 2
Excellent points made by Z-man…To add a little amplification, the US has only about 175,000 combat ready army troops..throw in another 50,000 Marines, and you have a force that couldn’t even warm up Russia or China, and would be incapable of fighting a war for a large country like Iran…As to American jews, I am friendly with many, including some who have come here from Israel…Having taught chess in my spare time at a Jewish school, while no one wants to criticize Israel openly, they are far from thrilled with Netanyahu’s murderous ways, and the bad publicity he is creating for all jews…..
Pozymandias #453221 April 17, 2025 2
I do find it very satisfying that Trump pulled a Minsk on Benny Yahoo.
Dutchboy #453203 April 17, 2025 2
There are reports that Trump was considering a strike on the Iranian nuclear facilities but opposition inside his administration (including Hegseth) and leaks about the plans dissuaded him. I don’t know how much truth is in this story (Hegseth as peacemaker seems doubtful), esp. since it was in the NY Times. Among the details is that Israel intends to strike Iran whether the USA joins in or not.
Tarl Cabot #453226 April 17, 2025 1
Hegseth is an obsequious opportunist. He will support whatever he believes Trump thinks at the moment. The instant Trump’s thinking changes, so will Hegseth’s
Hemid #453242 April 17, 2025 2
Hegseth’s a cop guy. He loves a man in uniform punishing somebody who isn’t. If a situation isn’texactly that, his position on it is unpredictable. If someone who has his ear understands that, he could have been on the right side of this. He could beput there. We should figure out who that guy is. We don’t have many guys. (The average “pro-Israel” conservative is just a fan of uniforms killing non-uniforms. The stories—from the eschatological to “outpost of the West”—are excuses to enjoy the cop show.)
Steve #453177 April 17, 2025 2
Plausible, I suppose, but the far simpler explanation is that the Trump administration just doesn’t operate under the same rules that all other administrations have. Hard to tell with Trump I — he was always distracted by the Dims pulling every dirty trick in the book. And, to be fair, he is easily distracted.Let’s say the story of Adelson and Rubio is true. Two things noticers should have noticed. Rubio has not been repeating standard Zionist talking points, and he has almost nothing to do with events. He hasn’t been in on Middle East stuff since the middle of February. It’s almost as if he is SoSINO. The hard work has been done by Witkoff, who I think is probably Jewish, in a completely new position Trump created, probably so that there was no chance of carryover Deep State underlings to undermine him.I suspect what we are seeing was probably Phase II (real estate moguls love to talk about the Phases of the development) of the Abraham Accords, which the Israel lobby thought they put an end to with the 2020 shenanigans. Being a real estate developer himself, Witkoff is quite familiar with focusing on Phase 2, while in the background, facilitating Phase 3. Or at least not having Phase 2 developments cause problems for Phase 3.Listen closely to McGovern and Johnson. To the extent they will allow that this administration functions differently than other administrations, they expect it to morph back to the familiar any day now. About a month ago, Ritter seems to have started considering the possibility that the unconventional just might continue.
Vxxc #453249 April 17, 2025 1
The Iranian Revolution was caused by failure to manage the Israeli issue?LOL NO it wasn’t.seriously, edit that out. one had nothing to do with the other,
Robbo #453315 April 18, 2025 0
This is a very optimistic interpretation, and may well be right. However, it assumes two things: firstly, that Team Trump knows what the hell it is doing, and secondly, that they really DON’T want war with Iran. Neither of these is a given. For the latter, we will see what comes out of the upcoming meeting, but the US ultimatum seems very similar to the one that Austria gave Serbia in 1914: dismantle your whole state apparatus and hand over your national sovereignty to us. When the Iranians refuse this – as they will – what next? Will Trump agree to some kind of remake of the Obama deal or will he do something really, really stupid? With Trump, you never know.
c matt #453616 April 21, 2025 0
I do tend to think Trump 2.0 really does not want a war with Iran. Mostly because I think he has been persuaded it would be an economic disaster for the US at a minimum, and his support is very sensitive to economic downswing. Particularly as this would be seen (accurately) as a downswing of Trump’s own making to please Israel.
TempoNick #453252 April 17, 2025 0
“The same populist forces that spooked the oligarchs into supporting Trump’s political and economic reforms may have prompted the Israel lobby to reconsider its approach to Iran.” This is why I continue to post on these boards. The tiny part I play in amplifying the message is indeed having an effect. The “Israel Lobby” seems to have heard us loud and clear. On another matter, Tucker Carlson’s interview with former Rep. Curt Weldon also makes you wonder. https://youtu.be/8SWoEGXk-V8?feature=shared
Jeffrey Zoar #453285 April 17, 2025 1
A lot of chatter about Weldon’s rant, but I learned very little from it. Early on he was yelling about how he was going to name names at the CIA and he ended up naming not a single one. He’s 77 years old, what’s he waiting for? He did implicate Condoleeza Rice in the 9/11 coverup (which I hadn’t heard anyone do before), but barely in passing, he didn’t dwell on it.
TempoNick #453312 April 17, 2025 0
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Almost 25 years after the fact, what’s he waiting for?
Blasphemous #453250 April 17, 2025 -4
The stench of dirty sheckles hangs over this blog. You supported Trump in 2024 after being a critic in his first term. Admit to your audience that you sold out, and that you made a horrible mistake. There would be more dignity in it before you met your end.
Ploppy #453239 April 17, 2025 -6
Utter blasphemy. Any educated person knows darn well that all Jüs share a collective hive mind ever since the first Jülings sprouted from the great furrows created when Loki released the great world-rat Rottnir to drag his pendulous testicles across Midgard. This is why Christians will always lose to the you know whos, they’re stuck with the mythology of their enemy.
Ride-By Shooter #453264 April 17, 2025 -2
Those Christians are stuck in the myths of an enemy whose own mythology exceeds that of the triadolaters. We are stuck in neither their respective myths nor with the usual mythologies. We can make better use of the myths of Israel and defeat both factions.
aditya #453153 April 17, 2025 -41
This whole analysis is shallow and ahistorical. The sins of the Israelis are not unique to them but their virtues are unique in this region.Israel is a “crusader state.” Attacks upon them are ultimately attacks on the civilized West. It is in our self-interest to preserve and protect our most successful colony in that hellish region.These people only understand strength and violence. While that doesn’t mean a “forever war,” it also doesn’t mean selling out the only Western nation in the Muslim Middle East. And, in spite of the rubbish claims made herein, Trump is not doing that. Any arrangement herein will be to the benefit of the Israeli State and therefore, in a broader sense, the US.Also, it is absurd and ahistorical to suggest that there is some “Greater Israel” policy pursued by the State of Israel. Fantasists of that stripe may be found in the legendary Israel Lobby, not in the hard-headed and practical men walking the corridors of power in Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv. Need I remind anyone that the Israelis gave up Sinai, the West Bank, and Gaza and withdrew from Lebanon.Anyone who nods in agreement to this analysis is ignorant and probably prejudiced.
Wackadoo #453174 April 17, 2025 23
Hey, retard. I think you came to the wrong site by mistake. Here is what you are looking for:https://ace.mu.nu/https://instapundit.com/https://www.foxnews.com/
FooBarr #453184 April 17, 2025 23
Nice. Way to win friends.Anyone who agrees is a zombie nodding their head. Okay. Heard that before. On top of that they are ignorant, and getting warmer, probably prejudiced and, and … come on bud. You can say it. WWII consensus alive and well here. If they disagree with me they are an … come on here we go let’s roll out that WWII Consensus Bingo Word dice.You know what? It isn’t going to work anymore. You know why? Because of the hard-headed, perfidious vile men walking the corridors of power in America. Guys like Mayorkas, Kagan, Perle, Greenblatt, Blinken … …While our country is burned to the ground all of our energy and attention must be somewhere else. And, because of the great and sole Western country in the Levant we must forfeit Western civilization and its blessings we created. Free speech. But not if you are a <insert WW2ConsensusBingoWord>.It isn’t going to work anymore, and this type of post is doing your cause more harm than good.
Casimir #453257 April 17, 2025 4
“Israel is a “crusader state.” Attacks upon them are ultimately attacks on the civilized West. It is in our self-interest to preserve and protect our most successful colony in that hellish region.”There you go again trying to tether our fates together. No, you don’t get to act in hostile opposition to Western Civilization for centuries and then turn tale and say you’re actually part of it. What do we care if we “sell(ing) out the only Western nation in the Muslim Middle East”? Leave the Middle East to their natural inhabitants, we can trade for their oil like any other country. We are not your personal body guards. You better hope to God people like me never gain power in this country, it won’t be a good time for people like you.
Ride-By Shooter #453274 April 17, 2025 0
“Also, it is absurd and ahistorical to suggest that there is some “Greater Israel” policy pursued by the State of Israel. Fantasists…”That’s mealy-mouthed. Ben-Gurion made it entirely clear back in the 1960’s that the long term goal for Israel includes Jerusalem as world capital of a federation of the continents (his phrase). He wanted also a supreme court of mankind (again, his phrase) in Zion. The State of Israel was conceived by narcissists for exceptionalist unipolarism.“Need I remind anyone that the Israelis gave up Sinai, the West Bank, and Gaza and withdrew from Lebanon.”So what? You can infer that they aren’t as rigid as the German NatSocs were whenthoseNatSocs’ fortunes were reversed on the eastern front. Israel’s retreats were tactical or stratigic, temporary accomodations with contemporary facts.“Attacks upon them are ultimately attacks on the civilized West.”Sophomoric nonsense, at best. If the SoI collapsed overnight, we’d be much better off the day after. It would be like the USA’s “Black Lives” being driven into the sea and told to swim to Dahomey and other parts of their slave coast, the only coast they need. Without us, and without foreign aid, millions of BL’s would starve to death within a few years. Without them, we lose a major source of troubles in our cities, in commerce, and in politics.It’s mild criticism for me to write here that you’re either naïve or just dissembling. We know about Israel’s intentions and long-term vision for the world.Your((Western)) civilization is evil and a dead end menace to us and to the other nations. So the State of Israel must collapse, which will likely come from Israelis’ own miscalculations. The rabbinate must be dispersed or converted, since its theology is wrong. Levites must be crushed into fine powder and allowed to blow away. Animal sacrifice violates the first precept of all good religion. Even the Samaritan remnant must vanish. (We’ll safeguard their torah.) This is a matter of national security which must become the common sense of all nations, including the scattered nation called Israel.
Shotgun Messenger #453288 April 17, 2025 -1
Between the envenomed preference for Talmudic lore to the much more reliable material they twisted themselves into knots to retcon and the opposition to animal sacrifice, I’m fairly certain I know who you are, or at least who you’re in with. Any good homosexual tristes lately, or still proteccing that sacred chocolate lotus?
Ride-By Shooter #453289 April 17, 2025 0
O Unpredictable Shitgun Angel, What would it take to boost your certainty to 100%?
Shotgun Messenger #453290 April 17, 2025 0
Interesting that you read “angel” from what is only slightly archaic slang for a completely unrelated thing. I don’t see anything resembling a denial, I think I’ve got my answer.
Ride-By Shooter #453293 April 17, 2025 0
Really? That’s all it took?


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