I wonder what is up with Mr Trump's Bored of Peace? Or is it Board of Piece (i.e. we're taking a piece of your territory)? I thought the whole point was to prevent international conflict but I would be very (pleasantly) surprised if there was less conflict now than when that grifters' cabal was formed.

Edited Monday at 11:01 AM3 days by npts2020
spelling

It's clear he's trying to overwhelm the whole system, from the courts to the public, in an attempt to shut us down cognitively. This is Bannon's flood-the-zone-with-shit strategy. Why else would you be trying to actively recruit young men into active military duty for an insane war while also sending ICE after their spouses? Unvarnished cruelty.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-soldier-newlywed-wife-detained-louisiana-military-base/

On 4/6/2026 at 12:00 PM, npts2020 said:

I wonder what is up with Mr Trump's Bored of Peace? Or is it Board of Piece (i.e. we're taking a piece of your territory)? I thought the whole point was to prevent international conflict but I would be very (pleasantly) surprised if there was less conflict now than when that grifters' cabal was formed.

Oh that was just about Gazan real estate for Jared Kushner. It seems to have gone nowhere now that Trump has other things on (the remnants of) his mind.

3 hours ago, Phi for All said:

It's clear he's trying to overwhelm the whole system, from the courts to the public, in an attempt to shut us down cognitively. This is Bannon's flood-the-zone-with-shit strategy. Why else would you be trying to actively recruit young men into active military duty for an insane war while also sending ICE after their spouses? Unvarnished cruelty.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-soldier-newlywed-wife-detained-louisiana-military-base/

Nothing like threatening/conducting war crimes to hold on to power. Worked for Netanyahu.

Iran's 'disappearing' tonight:

2 hours ago, StringJunky said:

Iran's 'disappearing' tonight:

Funny how the proponents of this war always want to start the time line at 1980. Why not 1953? Seems to me that the only reason there is a radical Islamic state in Iran is because the US and its allies were meddling in their affairs to begin with.

3 minutes ago, npts2020 said:

Funny how the proponents of this war always want to start the time line at 1980. Why not 1953? Seems to me that the only reason there is a radical Islamic state in Iran is because the US and its allies were meddling in their affairs to begin with.

Yep. There is a tendency to select arbitrary historical dates in isolation that support and justify some government military action.

Edited Tuesday at 08:58 PM1 day by StringJunky

19 minutes ago, npts2020 said:

Funny how the proponents of this war always want to start the time line at 1980. Why not 1953? Seems to me that the only reason there is a radical Islamic state in Iran is because the US and its allies were meddling in their affairs to begin with.

Dead right. I remember at school and university the stories of deaths and torture by the Shah's secret police, SAVAK. One of their specialities was something called the toast rack, whereby they strapped people onto red hot bedsteads. Ugh. The Shah of course was given great support by the USA and I think NATO. But as you say it all goes back to the overthrow by the US and the UK, of Mossadegh in 1953. Churchill was behind that because of threat to nationalise the Anglo Iranian Oil Company (which became BP). A late spasm of imperialist meddling, well past its sell-by date.

Edited Tuesday at 09:19 PM1 day by exchemist

One of the things that folks tend to forget is that the uprising against the Shah was a popular one, and not really one driven by religion (initially). Quite a few folks that would be considered progressives were part of it, in an effort to overthrow the Shah. As part of this alliance, Kohomeini then promised things like equal rights, freedom of expression, democratization and even agreed to ensure that religious leaders wouldn't be in position of political power.

Of course, that never happened, and when he realized that he was able to consolidate power, he did. And perhaps different to some other autocracies, who are very much focused on the person, he did create a deep system, that is holding on to power even now.

But folks have to recognize how badly folks wanted to get rid of the Shah and it is not simply religious fanaticism that caused and sustained the current regime.

Let's not make the religious regime of the Ayatollahs look like angels by vilifying the Shah and the Americans.
How many people did they kill a couple of months ago ?
The Ayatollahs just used a different 'institution' to control the people, but the methods are the same.

Meanwhile. D Trump is serving up TACO salad again tonight.
And looking like a moron ... again.

12 minutes ago, MigL said:

Let's not make the religious regime of the Ayatollahs look like angels by vilifying the Shah and the Americans.
How many people did they kill a couple of months ago ?
The Ayatollahs just used a different 'institution' to control the people, but the methods are the same.

I don't think that a better understanding of the history excuses the atrocities of the current government. What it does explain, however, is deep-rooted support in parts of the population that, at least originally were not based on irrational fanaticism as sometimes characterized. Historically, it led to different power structures within the regime, that were not exclusively tied to one person (like for example in Iraq). Some articles are discussing that Trump might have thought that Iran is pretty much set up like Venezuela, where decapitation could make sense in order to force compliance. But as he learned in real-time, the power structures in Iran actually run deep and the loss of the leader does in fact not cripple the system.

Iran and Oman are going to charge toll fees for passage through the strait for the next two weeks, where it was free before. The "art of the deal", eh, Mr President?

1 hour ago, StringJunky said:

Iran and Oman are going to charge toll fees for passage through the strait for the next two weeks, where it was free before. The "art of the deal", eh, Mr President?

Did someone make any bets again just before the announcement? Asking for a friend.

Mr President, what is your Vice President doing (at the height of the Iran crisis, WTF) in Hungary, interfering in their forthcoming election by publicly accusing the EU of.............. interfering in their forthcoming election? 🤪🤡🔫

Has he no sense of irony, or indeed self-awareness?

6 hours ago, exchemist said:

Has he no sense of irony, or indeed self-awareness?

He does. And doesn't care. That is the superpower of the new right. I am frankly a bit envious of that ability.

There are ongoing EU investigations into interference by Musk/Twitter and other US companies into European election interference (which are not really subtle, considering that Musk virtually joined far-right party rallies). So of course it makes sense for them to characterize the interference with the interference as interference...

1 hour ago, CharonY said:

He does. And doesn't care. That is the superpower of the new right.

The right doesn't have a 'superpower', any more than if I said I could walk on water, and stupid people believed me.
Their ability to 'spin' is based solely on their supporters' ability to suspend belief in reality.

More like contageus mass insanity.

51 minutes ago, MigL said:

More like contageus mass insanity.

Fair. I guess my envy comes from the fact that there many unscrupulous folks out there making money tapping into that. My life would be so much easier if I could just getting paid for making stuff up.

Heck, students telling me that with their degree they aspire to become youtubers and influencers is incredibly depressing.