Monday, March 02, 2026

The “Deep State” Is Real

And is anybody old enough to remember this? I don't think that came up as a reason in the DOD press conference. Gotta break those eggs. 🤔

The Deep State is also broken:
Maj. Gen. Randy Manner (Ret.), who is currently stranded in the UAE: "One of the small things that does matter to tens of thousands of people here as well as their families -- it's a little bit disheartening to hear that the UK govt is arranging transport for the British citizens, whereas here as Americans we feel abandoned. The State Dept is in survival mode because as we know the administration reduced their budget by almost half."
Meanwhile: Points 3 and 4 will indeed take longer than 5 weeks. Which makes this even more relevant.
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The Sound Of Silence

Pretty sure that’s all underway.
Trump's lethal, interventionalist presidency -> No president in the modern era has ordered more military strikes against as many different countries as Trump. He's attacked seven nations, three of which — Iran, Nigeria and Venezuela — had never been targeted by U.S. military.
Not according to our Resolute Leader:
"We had very serious negotiations, and they were there, and then they pulled back,” he said. “They wanted to make a nuclear weapon, so we destroyed them completely, but we found they were in a totally different site — totally different — because the sites that we took out were permanent. They tried to use them, but they were totally, as I said correctly before, obliterated, right? So then we found them working on a totally different area, a totally different site, in order to make a nuclear weapon through enrichment — so it was just time.”

“I said, ‘Let’s go,'" he added.
The build up was massive, and took weeks. You don't assemble that kind of firepower and then say "Never mind."
Polling conducted by Reuters/Ipsos Saturday and Sunday found just 27 percent of Americans approved of the strikes, but Trump said he believes the public broadly supports his decision.
Because, of course he does.
“I think that the polling is very good, but I don’t care about polling," Trump said. "I have to do the right thing. I have to do the right thing. This should have been done a long time ago."

“I don’t think the polling is low,” he added. “Look, whether polling is low or not, I think the polling is probably fine. But it’s not a question of polling. You cannot let Iran, who’s a nation that has been run by crazy people, have a nuclear weapon. I think people are very impressed with what is happening, actually. I think it’s a silent — if you did a real poll, the silent poll — and it’s like a silent majority.”
Once again, he’s Nixon in the late ‘60’s. Nixon was referring to a war, too. Except that war, in the’70’s, had more support than this one does, now. Especially considering McGovern ran in ‘72 on the premise of getting America out if foreign wars, and got shellacked. And Trump promised to not start any wars, but he’s started several, including a war on American citizens.

That “silent majority” he’s referring to, is neither. He’s just whistling past the graveyard, because he doesn’t know what else to do.

And besides: polls don’t mean anything, but the polls show approval (he says). But if they don’t, it doesn’t matter; because the “real poll” is the “silent majority.” And silence= approval.

Unless you aren’t listening.
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HAN SHOT FIRST!!

This suggests that some very senior US officials lied to journalists in their background briefing a couple of days ago.

"Trump administration officials told congressional staff in private briefings Sunday that U.S. intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the U.S., three people familiar with the briefings said."
Trump is basically calling up every journalist in his phone to workshop different timelines and goals for his war. In the past two days:

@washingtonpost : the aim is "freedom for the people" of Iran

@axios : maybe we can "end it in two or three days" with a deal

@nytimes : might be "four to five weeks", I have "three very good choices" who might take control in Iran

@abc : actually, nevermind, we killed those choices

He doesn't sound convinced by any of it. He's throwing spaghetti at the wall. Ultimately I suspect he just wants to say he "solved" a problem that has vexed every American president since Jimmy Carter.

But there's no clear idea what that looks like and no plan for how to get there. And there are plenty of possible scenarios in which Trump declares victory and leaves the region with an absolute mess
[Trump shrugs.] (On a British airbase there.)

Is it worth it, yet? When does Trump appoint the new head of government and start taking the oil?
Any day now, I guess.
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Sunday, March 01, 2026

The Chaos Is Coming From Inside The President’s Brain

Whatever allows him to put this behind him. He’s tired of playing with this toy.
1. We invaded not because the threat was imminent, but because it was not. Iran was weak.
2. The negotiations were a pretext.
3. There was no day after plan. This is, after all, the "let's-see-what-happens" presidency.
4. Hoping the Iranian people will rise up is not a strategy.
5. This is a giant step toward getting more embroiled in the Middle East, exactly what he promised not to do.
The scary part is, I don’t think Trump understands that. Are we reassured yet? About the price of eggs, I mean.
Pres Trump told me tonight the US had identified possible candidates to take over Iran, but they were killed in the initial attack.

"The attack was so successful it knocked out most of the candidates," Trump told me. "It's not going to be anybody that we were thinking of because they are all dead. Second or third place is dead."
Everything he knows about regime change, he learned from Venezuela. See? "Deal” is the only concept he knows, and he doesn’t understand that correctly. No more than he understands government. Not the flex he thinks it is. Especially when he excludes “the brains.” They really don’t understand how this is done, do they? Because, beyond “Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb bomb Iran,” it’s perfectly clear that there is no plan.

And Art. I, sec. 8, cl. 11, doesn’t include the phrase “…unless the President has a plan….”
Still.
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Future’s So Bright…😎

(Cruz is not up for reelection.) (Nobody could have foreseen.)

Speaking of unforeseen:
Hey, everybody! We’re making omelets! Let’s break some eggs! Trump hasn’t spoken in public for days. He’s only seen in videos, and in this one, he can’t speak. 🤔 And it gets worse (this may be the same video):
In a six-minute video posted on Truth Social, Trump said "thousands" of Iranian regime guards and police have called him and asked for immunity. Trump added that he would give them "full immunity" if they surrendered.

Former CIA Director John Brennan discussed Trump's offer on MS NOW with host Chris Jansing.

"I don't understand what he means by that because there's going to be a lot of bloodletting inside of Iran," Brennan said. "All of the slaughter, unfortunately, that took place at the hands of the regime, with the protests and demonstrators. There's going to be some accountability and a day of reckoning inside of Iran."

On Saturday, the U.S. and Israel coordinated a series of strikes against several sites in Iran. The operation took out multiple military assets and killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the brutal dictator who had ruled the country since 1989.

Brennan added that Trump seemed to be trying to give the Iranian guards a way to escape accountability, which is something he can't guarantee.

"And there's no way that Donald Trump can say, 'Okay, if you surrender now, all of you individuals who have massacred Iranian citizens, you're going to be just absolved of any type of accountability and responsibility,'" Brennan said. "So again, this is really messy. It's going to get worse in the days and weeks to come. I really feel for the Iranian people."
Does Trump imagine he’s now the Supreme Ruler of Iran by some kind of commutative principle? Or is he so stupid he doesn’t understand that Iran is a separate country with a separate government and population, and separate laws? And why would they “surrender” in the first place? So they can get 400 virgins in the paradise of America, their “afterlife” for surrendering to…whom? The missile launchers in other countries? American military personnel on bases in those countries?

The man’s brain is pudding. 

(Brennan assumes Trump is rational, to some degree. I don’t. I think he thinks the IRG will “surrender” and the Iranian people will act like Americans in 1776. The way Trump imagines they acted. Brennan assumes Trump means the surrender to come at the end of hostilities. Trump thinks that’s how he’ll end hostilities. And soon; he’s already bored.)
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But Bibi! And Saudi Arabia!

Trump has always been a fucking idiot, useful only to other countries.

ETTD is an iron rule of the universe. 
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Or….

...not. Didn’t we already win? No fair! We sank their battleship! 

($15 million apiece! Time to throw some more people of good stamps. Maybe close some more rural hospitals, for good measure.)
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Tom Homan Wants To Correct The Pontiff About Church Doctrine

I am following with deep concern what is happening in the Middle East and in Iran during this tumultuous time. Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue.
Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of immense proportions, I make a heartfelt appeal to all the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm. May diplomacy regain its proper role, and may the well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice, be upheld. And let us continue to pray for peace.
Besides, we gotta kill the “right” people! It’s the Murkan way! 🇺🇸
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EOD

What is the endgame here? Didn’t we already do that? So what are we doing now? The bombings will continue until Bibi tells Trump it’s over? MAGA! And apres, the fall...
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With Friends Like This…

!!!! So, “America First” is a death cult? It’s not the President’s job to? And the Congress has no say? So, is it up to Bibi and Mohammed bin Salman?

With friends like these, MAGA doesn’t need any enemies. Also, is dementia just a concomitant of aging in office? Because Lindsey’s bulb is just getting dimmer and dimmer.
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Dear Lindsay:

God bless @POTUS for planning and now executing Operation Epic Fury, making America more safe and eventually more prosperous. I seek God’s protection for all under President Trump’s command, as well as our allies in Israel.

My mind is racing with the thought that the murderous ayatollah’s regime in Iran will soon be no more. The biggest change in the Middle East in a thousand years is upon us. The likelihood of normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel getting back on track is exceedingly high – a subject I brought up last week to the key players in the region who concurred if the ayatollah goes down, historic peace advances.

As to the men and women participating in this operation for our country and Israel, may God bless you and keep you safe. If you are injured or fall, I believe with all my heart that your sacrifice makes your country and the world a better and safer place. This moment is why you chose to serve.

This operation has been well-planned. It will be violent, extensive and I believe, at the end of the day, successful. Again the demise of the ayatollah’s regime with American blood on its hands is necessary and more than justified.
Yeah, about that...
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In Time Of War

Now, wait a minute. 

The U.S. and Israel (with the urging of Saudi Arabia) start a war with Iran, kill the Supreme Leader, and he’s replaced with a leader expected to be ever so much more so? 

Color me shocked and surprised! 😳 Who’d a thunk it? Doesn’t 24 hours of heavy, unprovoked bombing always result in immediate surrender and a complete change of heart by the populace and the government? Hasn’t all the violence in the Middle East made it the most pacifist region in the world? I mean, none of those characteristics listed in the tweet apply to Netanyahu after all the violence Israel has suffered. Right?
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Saturday, February 28, 2026

These Are The Times That Try Men’s Souls

I can’t believe I have to keep saying this…
Khamenei is dead. Good.

But I have family in Iran. My dad is there right now. And I'm not celebrating yet. Here's why.

Iran built the most layered contingency plan on Earth for this exact moment. Four levels of succession for every key position. Pre-authorized military strikes. Regional commanders who don't need orders from Tehran to act.

As you read this, there is already a new Supreme Leader. We just don't know who.

This isn't Maduro. The government didn't get overthrown. The system absorbed the hit. That's what it was designed to do.

Don't breathe yet. There's a long way to go.
But continuity of government is not an evil scheme by villains to thwart the forces of good. Venezuela still functions without Maduro. And it’s not because they made a “deal” with Trump. He hardly cares what happens there, anymore. Is it a surprise that Iran is a functioning government comparable to any in Europe or America, at least in its “contingency plans”?  I don’t like the way it functions, but this “head of the snake” analogy/analysis is for the birds. We didn’t have the 25th amendment when Lincoln was assassinated in a theater, nor when JFK was shot on the streets of Dallas. The deaths were shocking, but no one expected the government to suddenly collapse. In neither case did we have the formal chain of succession that we have now.

The real problem is the common level of stupid on the internet. So many people who seem to think government is what Trump thinks it is: a simple arrangement of one person in power and everyone else subservient. Remove that person, and the house of cards collapses until a new person puts it back together again. Maybe we just imagine that countries we know next to nothing about are “primitive” compared to us or Western Europe. Although some just hate Iran for their own reasons. But that just makes their analysis more suspect.

It’s a little scary how easy it is for most people to think like Trump.
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O Sweet Grim Fucking Death ☠️

That last post was getting too damned long. War is good for the arms manufacturers. Besides, we got ‘em! Might as well use ‘em! Sorry, you’re not taking account of American exceptionalism. Please hang up and call back later. By killing everyone who doesn’t agree with you? MAGA in a nutshell. Trump can’t be expected to miss his fundraiser tonight for a little thing like a war! Right?
The Assassination of #Khamenei – Initial Implications

A. A Foundational Event for the Regime For more than three decades, Khamenei shaped the ideological, institutional, and strategic character of the Islamic Republic. His death is not merely a leadership transition — it is a foundational event that could shake the entire structure of the regime.

B. The Succession Mechanism – Theory vs. Reality
According to the constitution, the Assembly of Experts is responsible for convening and appointing a new Supreme Leader. In practice, this has happened only once (1989), and even then the decision was effectively shaped behind the scenes through political understandings among key power brokers. It is therefore likely that the real decision will again be made within a narrow circle of elites rather than through a purely formal process.

C. The Future of the Doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih
Beyond the identity of the successor lies a deeper question: the future status of the doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih. Will Iran maintain the model of a strong, centralized Supreme Leader as shaped by Khamenei, or could the system evolve toward a more collective or limited leadership structure? This will be a crucial test for the regime’s ideological continuity.

D. A Succession Vacuum
The death of President Ebrahim Raisi — widely viewed as a leading candidate for succession — deepened the uncertainty. Names previously mentioned as potential successors include:
Hassan Khomeini – grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, perceived as relatively moderate. Sadeq Larijani – a senior institutional figure.
Hassan Rouhani – former president, though his relationship with Khamenei was complex Mojtaba Khamenei – the Supreme Leader’s son, long rumored as a possible candidate.
At present, no clear consensus candidate exists.

E. A Major Shock — But Not Necessarily Regime Collapse
Khamenei was a central pillar of the system, yet the regime rests on multiple power centers, foremost among them the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC has significant political, military, and economic interests in preserving the current order and possesses the capacity to stabilize the system if needed.

F. Low Probability of Immediate Dramatic Change
In the absence of an organized and capable opposition, and given the relative cohesion of Iran’s security elites, most assessments would suggest that even such a dramatic event is unlikely to trigger immediate revolutionary change. Rather, it may lead to an internal recalibration process.

G. Interim Leadership or Rapid Appointment?
A critical question is whether a temporary coordinating figure will be appointed until a permanent successor is selected, or whether a swift appointment will be made to project stability and continuity. The decision will reflect the balance of power among competing factions.

H. Regional and Religious Implications
Will Iran’s regional proxies, particularly Hezbollah, escalate as part of a narrative of revenge? Will senior Shiite clerical authorities — such as Grand Ayatollah Sistani in Iraq — issue religious rulings framing retaliation as a duty? The response of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” will serve as an important indicator of post-event regime cohesion and control.

I. Implications for Negotiations with the West
If the regime survives and stabilizes, it is unlikely to project flexibility in the near term. On the contrary, it may adopt a more hardline posture in order to signal strength and consolidate internal legitimacy.

J. The Beginning of a Different Era Khamenei’s death would mark the historical end of a distinct era — but it remains unclear whether any internal actors will be able or willing to leverage the moment for structural transformation. But, even if the regime endures, Iran may emerge different, with a recalibrated internal balance of power and altered leadership dynamics.

Conclusion:
This would be a dramatic event with the potential to reshape both Iran’s internal political order and the broader regional landscape. However, the strength of state institutions, the IRGC, and the absence of a viable alternative political force suggest that any change — if it occurs — is more likely to be gradual and managed rather than immediate and revolutionary.
In brief: this assault is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Maybe Bibi keeps his job, but it’s at the expense of taxpayers in two countries.
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It’s Like He’s Looking In A Mirror

Trump: "Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS. He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do. This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country. We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us. As I said last night, 'Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!' Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves. That process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated. The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP"
And honestly, if Trump died, or was killed by a foreign power (or if the victim was Bibi, or Starmer, or Macron), would we expect the government to collapse? Or proclaim some kind of sick victory? How many people throughout the world ;including America), have been killed or mutilated by Trump and his gang of bloodthirsty thugs?

These are the mindless rankings of an idiot child, not of a leader in the world stage. Especially the “war is peace” part. 
Russia has been bombing Ukraine for four years. Just wondering: when does Russia win? If we’re going to rejoice at the death of leaders, when does Trump die? He’s killed Iranians, he’s killed Americans, he’s killed immigrants. This sick calculus does not balance some kind of cosmic scales. All it does is say the people “we” kill deserve to die. The people “they” kill deserve retribution. Which Trump is disgustingly calling “justice.” "The bombings will continue until morale improves.”
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I Guess We’re Through, Huh?

Or are we just waiting for the people to rise up? You know, the way they did in Germany, after we bombed it into the Stone Age. Or in Vietnam. And Laos. And Thailand. Or Iraq, during the Gulf War.

You know; something no bombing campaign in history has ever done.

Thought experiment: let’s blow up the Capitol during a State of the Union, and see how quickly the U.S. capitulates. (That is the scenario of a TV series, “Designated Survivor.” Spoiler: the federal government does not collapse. What’d you expect?)
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So, Nothing Changes?

 Anybody have any clue what this means?

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayotollah Ali Khameini, was confirmed dead on Saturday after the U.S. and Israel coordinated attacks against the country, according to reports.

Khameini, 86, had led Iran for more than 35 years following the death of revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. His death marks a major blow for the country and sets off an immediate succession crisis in the country.
Or it just gets worse?

Yeah, my money’s on that one.
Surely a revelation is at hand.
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FFS

VOTE FOR JOHN CORNYN! HE DOESN’T KNOW SHIT AND ACCEPTS WHATEVER TRUMP DOES! WAR IS PEACE! Well, sure.
OFFS. When Iran tried to interefere in 2020, researchers caught them and called them out. Then the Benz-Weiss-Taibbi-Musk-Jordan-Trump axis labeled those researchers "censors" ... and set about defunding them and dismantling their organizations.
And:
Here's the background on that operation: Iranian agents obtained voter registration data, impersonated Proud Boys and sent intimidating letters to Dem voters. It was discovered (1st by academic researchers, I believe), voters informed, & likely had no effect on election. https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa20-304a
So, basically, Trump voters voting more than once. Or Elmo mailing out filled in ballots to voters.
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Trump Has Nothing More To Say Today

God bless @POTUS for planning and now executing Operation Epic Fury, making America more safe and eventually more prosperous. I seek God’s protection for all under President Trump’s command, as well as our allies in Israel.

My mind is racing with the thought that the murderous ayatollah’s regime in Iran will soon be no more. The biggest change in the Middle East in a thousand years is upon us. The likelihood of normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel getting back on track is exceedingly high – a subject I brought up last week to the key players in the region who concurred if the ayatollah goes down, historic peace advances.

As to the men and women participating in this operation for our country and Israel, may God bless you and keep you safe. If you are injured or fall, I believe with all my heart that your sacrifice makes your country and the world a better and safer place. This moment is why you chose to serve.

This operation has been well-planned. It will be violent, extensive and I believe, at the end of the day, successful. Again the demise of the ayatollah’s regime with American blood on its hands is necessary and more than justified.
Clearly that third paragraph is foremost in Gatsby’s Trump’s thoughts, too.
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Jonathan Lemire Is Full Of Shit

And Trump is done. Fact the first: We tried this “imperialism” shit under the Monroe Doctrine. We wound up with Castro in Cuba, and right-wing butcher governments in Central and South America. We could have helped those countries prosper, but we exploited them, left them to evil madmen, and to this day refuse them at our borders as they try to escape the consequences of the “banana republics” we benefited from. We got the killing fields of Pol Pot for our efforts in Vietnam. We crushed Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany with our allies, but the effort very nearly bankrupted us, and cost millions of lives. And that was because Japan and Germany wanted “regime change,” not us.

How quickly we forget.

We never went to war with the USSR, but it collapsed under its own weight. Had we helped it, the way we helped Germany after the war, things might be different in Russia. But we patted ourselves on the back for what we didn’t do, like accurately assess Russian military prowess, after Afghanistan. The Russian military we were told (by the CIA) to fear, is stalled in Ukraine, and needs mercenaries and foreign aid to not completely collapse in failure and self-defeat.

We have been wrong from the start, and haven’t learned a single lesson from the postwar era following WWII.

We succeed in regime change in Japan and Germany because we utterly destroyed their governments and worked with the survivors to establish ones that were viable. We occupied Japan and divided Germany. Berlin was divided into four sectors. It was the cost of war. We have never fought such a war again.  

And we aren’t now. If Trump withdraw from Iran in 60 days (most likely outcome. Israel won’t send in boots on the ground, either), this abuse of our military won’t win him GOP turnout in November. If anything it will galvanize more votes for Democratic challengers, especially in primaries (Texas goes early. The impact of this action will resonate in other states throughout the year.). This is Trump’s “Hail Mary,” but he’s throwing a hand grenade, not a football, and he’s throwing it into the middle of his own party.

There isn’t even the prospect of a gamble here. Trump has moved aircraft into the area; not troops. He has no intention of putting soldiers in Iran. He’s not looking for regime change. Not the way Shrub meant it, or Cheney. He’s just doing what Bibi told him to do, because he’s a kid in the playground playing “War.” He’ll get bored and want to start a new game before the two months are up.

God help us all. We certainly can’t seem to help ourselves.
I wonder if Lemire folded this into his analysis?
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Anybody Else Remember What Trump Said…

... about the “losers” buried at Normandy?

Maybe it’s time we did.
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ABOLISH DOD

 “Abolish ICE” is the moderate stance. If you want to be radical, remember Eisenhower’s Farewell Address, and abolish the DOD. 

This is the military industrial complex he warned us about. This is the standing army the “Founding Fathers” worried about. Cubed. On steroids. In the hands of an idiot, who is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. In ever sense of that final phrase.

The Constitution was never going stop this. Congress was never going to stop this. Trump only has to notify Congress by Monday morning. He probably thinks his video did that. And he has 60 days to commit mischief, if he even gives a wet snap about the War Powers Act. Which, notably, doesn’t require him to do anything whatsoever to justify his actions before he assaulted Iran at the behest of his BFF, Benny Netenyahu.

We are here because we didn’t listen to Ike. The Vietnam war protesters did. But nobody listened to them, either. We are here because we have a standing military that “keeps us safe” and “protects our freedom,” and that freedom includes the ability to bomb shit out of anybody we choose. Well, do long as they don’t have nukes. We are here because of Chekhov’s observation. If you have a gun onstage in Act One, it had better go off by Act Three. We are here because on this point the sentiment of the colonists was sound: a standing military allows the monarch (read: military commander in chief) to engage in mischief. Twain railed about it in the 19th century, when armies could be whipped up.  William Hearst/Citizen Kane did the same thing a few decades later.  Now all we need is Donald Trump and the price of eggs in an election year.

The problem is not the Constitution. The problem is us.

The activists in the sixties wanted to end the war and establish civil rights for all. They got some of the latter. The war finally ended because America got sick of it. Now we’ve buried those lessons. So it goes. The activists today want to abolish ICE. They are too timid. We must abolish the DOD. The justification for so many military bases around the world, was “keeping the peace.”

What peace are we keeping now? Or was Orwell right, and we all speak Newspeak now? Where ignorance is bliss, and war is peace.

Abolish DOD. It’s the only way to be sure. Or maybe Vonnegut was right when he imagined an America in the future, balkanized by the rest of the world, so we could never be a threat to the world again. More and more I’m wishing I’d kept my Vonnegut books. Some of the wisdom of the’70’s would be very useful right now.

Abolish DOD. And think about something besides the price of fucking eggs in the election years.

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“Not Just An Israeli Operation”

Wars are always easy for people far away from the battlefield, and who will never be held responsible for what happens there. What’s the worst that will happen to Trump? Or Fetterman?

This is the system we have wrought.
"Not just an Israeli operation” is very important perspective.
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Wrong Premise

The question is not: “Is it justified?”

The question is: “Is it authorized?”
[The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; . .
Art. I, sec. 8, cl. 11, says it was not. I hear he has a party at MAL. I guess he can’t miss that. Although I have to ask: where were you during the massive build up to this inevitability?
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Sounds Familiar

That was pretty much Japan’s objective at Pearl Harbor in 1941. Their excuse was imperialism.

What’s our excuse?
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HAN SHOT FIRST

"Unitary executive,” donchaknow. "I’m not saying we won’t get our hair mussed!”—Gen. Buck Turgidson Still wondering who authorized this. Or is Trump just the king, now?

Trump really wanted a “Department of War,” didn’t he?
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Friday, February 27, 2026

🥬 Another, Slightly More Amorphous, Point 🥬

Think about the power Hegseth is asserting here. He is claiming that the DoD can force all contractors to stop doing business of any kind with arbitrary other companies.

In other words, every operating system vendor, every manufacturer of hardware, every hyperscaler, every type of firm the DoD contracts with—all their services and products can be denied to any economic actor at will by the Secretary of War.

This is obviously a psychotic power grab. It is almost surely illegal, but the message it sends is that the United States Government is a completely unreliable partner for any kind of business. The damage done to our business environment is profound. No amount of deregulatory vibes sent by this administration matters compared to this arson.
Or perhaps more direct. “Psychotic power grab” seems like a pretty good description. A) AI is not magical.

B)  Anthropic is actually concerned about privacy rights. Funny that our own government isn’t.
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Start The Cabbage…🥬

Trump: “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL NEVER ALLOW A RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY TO DICTATE HOW OUR GREAT MILITARY FIGHTS AND WINS WARS! That decision belongs to YOUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, and the tremendous leaders I appoint to run our Military.

The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution. Their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY.

Therefore, I am directing EVERY Federal Agency in the United States Government to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic’s technology. We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again! There will be a Six Month phase out period for Agencies like the Department of War who are using Anthropic’s products, at various levels. Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase out period, or I will use the Full Power of the Presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow.

WE will decide the fate of our Country — NOT some out-of-control, Radical Left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP”
Start the cabbage to see which lasts longer. The law of unintended consequences, a/k/a ETTD. I think the cabbage will still be edible.
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Nice Guys Finish First

And this is why I hope Talarico wins the primary. Well, this, too:
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Court Matters

No. But please, try anyway. It would be entertaining.

He’s not gonna like this, either.
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“..: more people moved out of the country than moved in.”

Americans are leaving the United States in record numbers and relocating to destinations including Europe. In 2025, the U.S. experienced something not seen since the onset of the Great Depression in 1929: more people moved out of the country than moved in.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. population declined by 150,000 last year. The outward migration appears set to continue in 2026, based on estimates from the Brookings Institution.

For many, the new American dream no longer involves living in the United States. Millions of Americans are studying, working remotely, or retiring abroad—many choosing Europe as their destination.

In Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, Americans are purchasing so many apartments that some newcomers complain they hear more English than Portuguese. In Dublin, Ireland, one in fifteen residents in the sought-after Grand Canal Dock district was born in the United States—an even higher share than the percentage of Americans born in Ireland at the beginning of the 19th century. Meanwhile, in Bali, Indonesia, and in Thailand, local residents have protested what they describe as an influx of Americans working “from home” abroad.

According to the Brookings Institution, immigration to the United States fell to between 2.6 and 2.7 million in 2025, down from nearly six million in 2023. Last year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security deported 675,000 individuals, while 2.2 million departures were categorized as “self-deportations.”

Based on entry data from 15 countries, The Wall Street Journal estimates that at least 180,000 additional Americans left the United States last year, joining the estimated four to nine million U.S. citizens already living abroad. More than 1.5 million Americans now reside in Europe, according to the Paris-based organization Association of Americans Resident Overseas.

Factors driving the appeal include Europe’s lifestyle, lower healthcare costs, walkable cities, widespread use of English, relatively more affordable and spacious housing, and secure, well-ranked schools.

— Berlingske
Stephen Miller says it is all going according to plan. Of course, the people who are leaving are the ones who can afford to leave:
Factors driving the appeal include Europe’s lifestyle, lower healthcare costs, walkable cities, widespread use of English, relatively more affordable and spacious housing, and secure, well-ranked schools.
The uber-wealthy are perfectly fine. The rest of us are just fodder for the xenophobic and imperialist fever dreams of Trump and Miller. Welcome back to the 19th century, in the 21st.

How’s the price of eggs, by the way?
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