Professor John Mearsheimer:

We’re not winning against Iran. We’re not winning.

We’re sending a message that we’re a bunch of fools. That we started a war we can’t win.

We didn’t have the required military forces to achieve any of the objectives that we were floating, and we… pic.twitter.com/41Aej2c5GW
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 16, 2026

THIS IS THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

Arthur Kachikan, doctor of political science from Armenia, just delivered the clearest verdict yet on the nine-day Iran war. This is not another regional conflict. It is the final earthquake that buries the entire system humanity built… pic.twitter.com/S3K7zze9Ee
— Mark (@Mark4XX) March 16, 2026

https://twitter.com/SenseReceptor/status/2033230291075281332?s=20 https://twitter.com/kadmitriev/status/2033496662014906702?s=20 https://twitter.com/SciTechera/status/2033441976763494848?s=20

Grok https://t.co/X9t4UTEPMl
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 16, 2026

“We will soon be hearing this from the Israeli-American MIGA movement. It won’t be long before dumbshit Americans are wringing their hands over the “Turkish threat.”

• Turkey Is the Next Iran (Paul Craig Roberts)

Muslims have been disunited ever since the Sunni-Shia succession fight in the 7th century. Weakened by division, Muslims have been ruled by Turks, British, French, Washington, and now Israel. The British and French created the boundaries of the Middle East Arab countries so that the countries contained both Sunni and Shia, thereby ensuring division that made foreign rule easier.

Muslim disunity has made it easy for Washington during the first quarter of the 21st century to go to war against Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and now Iran, in order to free for Greater Israel the land from the Nile to Pakistan. The governments of these Arab countries, blinded by disunity over a succession fight 14 centuries ago, were unable to unite in common defense and were destroyed one by one. If Iran falls, Turkey will be next. Indeed, Turkey set itself up by helping Israeli-America overthrow Syria.
On 17 February 2026, former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, speaking at the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations, declared: “A new Turkish threat is emerging. Turkey is the new Iran.” He launched the demonization of Turkey, warning that President Erdogan is “sophisticated, dangerous, and… seeks to encircle Israel.” We will soon be hearing this from the Israeli-American MIGA movement. It won’t be long before dumbshit Americans are wringing their hands over the “Turkish threat.”
Iran is Persian, not Arab, and shows determination like the Taliban. Just as Washington failed against the Taliban and has now sicced Pakistan on the Taliban, Washington might fail against Iran. It really depends on how strong is the Iranian national consciousness. If Iran prevails, the Israeli-Washington failure might free the United States of domination by Israel of its foreign and domestic policies. It is a strange situation. Americans, real Americans, can again become a sovereign country only if Iran prevails over the Israeli-American attack. Americans should be cheering for Iran if they wish to again be a sovereign country instead of one whose president and MIGA movement are Israeli puppets. Otherwise, how soon before Israel takes us to war with our NATO ally, Turkey? As Trump is willing to steal Greenland from Denmark, a NATO ally, he will be willing to again go to war for Israel.
Iran has been betrayed by Putin and Xi. Both value their relations with deceptive Washington more than they value their Iranian ally. The entire world sees this, and thus Moscow and Beijing have lost all prospect of world leadership. Two craven governments sit out a fight in which their own vital interests are at stake. It is difficult to imagine the stupidity of the Russian and Chinese governments, both of which have convinced Washington of their aversion to confrontation, thereby inviting provocations.
Israeli-America and its MIGA cadre are fighting a war, as they fight all wars, against the civilian population, especially women, hospitals, and girls’ schools. Trump promises to turn Iran into Gaza if Iran doesn’t accept regime change and a puppet ruler who reports to Israeli-America. It is really shameful that Americans have permitted Israel to suborn them and turn them into women and children killers. Americans have been killing women and children in the Middle East for Israel for a quarter century, and it seems the killing will continue until the Zionist goal of Greater Israel is accomplished.

NATO is strong in name only.

• Allies Balk As Trump Pushes Joint Military Action To Reopen Hormuz (ZH)

President Trump and his top officials spent the weekend on the one hand touting the Iran campaign a decisive military win and supposed success, while on the other racing to assemble a naval coalition to force open Tehran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, all the while imploring other countries for help. Europe appears deeply reluctant, with some key NATO countries already slamming the door on this prospect. “As far as I’m concerned, we have essentially defeated Iran,” President Trump said in some of latest remarks aboard Air Force One. “They want to negotiate badly, as they should, but I don’t think they’re ready to do what they have to do… We will finish the job,” he claimed.

But then on Monday Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected calls for a ceasefire, insisting Tehran intends to impose steep and bloody costs on the aggressors. “The reason we say we do not want a ceasefire is not because we are seeking war, but because this time this war must end in such a way that our enemies never again think of repeating these attacks,” Araghchi said at a press conference. “I think they have already learned a good lesson and understood what kind of nation they are dealing with.” He also dismissed reports that Iran had quietly sought negotiations: “As we have said many times and I reiterated last night in an interview with an American network, we have sent no messages and do not request a ceasefire.”
Still, Trump is pressing forward on plans for NATO to send allied ships. According to US officials cited in The Wall Street Journal, there are plans for as soon as this week to announce that multiple countries have agreed to join a coalition escorting ships through the strait. All of this, and especially a timeline, still seems up in the air. And separately per Axios, the White House is simultaneously considering the far more aggressive option of seizing Iran’s main oil export hub on Kharg Island, after much of it has been subject of heavy US bombing, which started overnight Friday, but reportedly left oil terminals and vital export infrastructure in place.
There remains widespread speculation that this is what the multi-thousand strong Marine Expeditionary Force currently en route is all about, raising the states even higher. A direct Kharg Island seizure would require American boots on the ground – already as Iran’s retaliatory blockade of the narrow strait has sent oil and gas prices climbing as a major share of global crude supply remains effectively frozen.

War in oil is expensive.

• The Wrath of Kharg (Ben Picton)

Brent crude is bid again this morning as markets digest the dump of news over the weekend relating to the Iran war. On the bullish side for crude was the US decision to bomb Iranian military assets on Kharg Island – the Persian Gulf port where up to 90% of Iranian oil exports are typically loaded onto tankers. Announcing the strikes via Truth Social, President Trump was at pains to be clear that oil infrastructure was not targeted, but the implicit threat that it could be is an unsubtle one. Trump later said that the US may conduct further strikes on the island “just for fun”.

News also emerged over the weekend that the USS Tripoli has been redeployed from the Western Pacific to the Persian Gulf. The Tripoli is a light aircraft carrier with a complement of 2,500 marines and an F35B stealth fighter air wing. Speculation is rife that the marines could be used to secure oil infrastructure on Kharg Island, or perhaps to help clear the mountains north of the Strait of Hormuz of Iranian belligerents (the latter seems less likely). Either would be a case of ‘boots on the ground’ and interpreted as a major escalation. Iranian officials have said over the weekend that they would respond in kind to any attacks on their oil infrastructure. Indeed, there were further limited attacks on oil assets of US-aligned Gulf states over the weekend, which may explain the bid tone in Brent this morning and a lift in the forward curve since this time last week.
A bizarre intervention in the war came from Hamas, who called for Iran to cease attacks on regional neighbors. Hamas is well-known as an Iranian proxy, so there is some speculation circulating that this may be an attempt from the Iranian side to begin to engineer an off-ramp. Coupled with news last week that Iran had struck agreements with India and Bangladesh to allow crude cargoes to pass, and comments from the Iranian Foreign Minister over the weekend that the Strait was not closed to anyone other than the US, Israel and their allies, there appears to be some cautious optimism in markets this morning that glimmers of hope for an end to hostilities are emerging. AUD and NZD are both trading higher, spot gold is down to almost $5,000/oz and bitcoin is catching a bid.
However, ‘glimmers’ is the operative word. While Hamas was calling for Iran to end strikes on neighboring states the Houthis (another Iranian proxy) were giving signs that they are ready to escalate against shipping being diverted into the Red Sea to load crude cargoes at the Saudi port of Yanbu. Disruptions to Red Sea shipping – which the Houthis have proven adept at over the years – would close off the release valve of the Saudi East-West pipeline that is capable of redirecting 5-7mn bbl/day to offset the ~18-20mn bbl/day supply interruption.

“…because of the war, I want to be here. I have to be here, I feel.”

• Trump Pushes To Delay China Trip Amid Iran Conflict: ‘I Have To Be Here’ (JTN)

President Donald Trump said Monday that he has asked China to delay his official trip to the country by a month amid an ongoing conflict in the Middle East that he feels requires him to stay in the United States. Israel and the United States waged a conflict against Iran last month in an effort to stop the country from developing a nuclear weapon. Approximately 200 American servicemembers have been wounded in the conflict and 13 have died. Trump reiterated during a White House event that he would “love to” go to China, “but because of the war, I want to be here. I have to be here, I feel.” “We’ve requested that we delay it a month or so,” he continued. “And I’m looking forward to being with [Chinese President Xi Jinping].” The request means that the trip would likely take place at the end of April or in early May. The push also comes as the president presses China to help the U.S. reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which would hopefully bring down oil prices. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian has confirmed China and the U.S. are “maintaining communication regarding President Trump’s visit to China,” but did not indicate whether the country agreed to push the trip, per CBS News.

Covid aftermath. They don’t want to let go of vaccine control. So much money in that.

• Judge Blocks RFK Jr.’s Appointees to Vaccine Panel (ET)

A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled on March 16 that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. illegally appointed 13 new members to an influential vaccine panel beginning last June. Biden-appointed district Judge Brian Murphy also blocked that panel’s guidance memo revising the childhood immunization schedule and declared its previous votes invalid. Murphy ruled Kennedy committed “a technical, procedural failure” by skirting around the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to change the vaccine recommendations for children. He said the government committed a similar mistake by removing the previous members of that committee, and replacing them “without undertaking any of the rigorous screening that had been the hallmark of ACIP member selection for decades.” The plaintiffs, led by the American Academy of Pediatrics, originally sued after Kennedy ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant women and healthy children.The suit was later expanded to challenge the restructuring of the ACIP and its changes to childhood vaccine recommendations.

He still wants to be president.

• Boasberg and The Quashing of the Powell Subpoenas (Turley)

Last week, Chief Judge James Boasberg delivered a blow to the criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell by tossing out grand jury subpoenas. Boasberg declared the investigation overtly political and coercive, without any criminal predicate. The decision is a rare rejection of a duly issued grand jury subpoena at this stage of an investigation. In my view, he was premature and could face a difficult appeal in In re Grand Jury Subpoenas, Bd. of Governors of the Federal Reserve System v. U.S.

I have previously expressed skepticism about the investigation into Powell and share concerns about the alleged use of the criminal justice system to pressure the Federal Reserve Board. However, the question is when a court can make such a judgment at this stage of the investigation. Prosecutors are generally entitled to make their case and these subpoenas sought potential evidence of waste or corruption. Boasberg has long been one of the most vocal critics of President Donald Trump on the bench, including a series of orders to stop the deportation of immigrants to El Salvador and, recently, an order for their return. He was also the subject of an ethics complaint by the Administration over statements made at a judicial conference that portrayed President Trump as a threat to the rule of law. (For the record, I opposed the effort to impeach Judge Boasberg).
In the latest controversy, Boasberg rejected the premise of the criminal investigation of Powell: “The case thus asks: Did prosecutors issue those subpoenas for a proper purpose? The Court finds that they did not. There is abundant evidence that the subpoenas’ dominant (if not sole) purpose is to harass and pressure Powell either to yield to the President or to resign and make way for a Fed Chair who will.” Judge Boasberg quotes Trump’s personal attacks on Powell after he continued to refuse to lower interest rates. These include signature all-caps attacks from the President:
“Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell has done it again!!! He is TOO LATE, and actually, TOO ANGRY, TOO STUPID, & TOO POLITICAL, to have the job of Fed Chair. He is costing our Country TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS …. Put another way, ‘Too Late’ is a TOTAL LOSER, and our Country is paying the price!” Boasberg noted over 100 such postings, including “‘Too Late’ Jerome Powell is costing our Country Hundreds of Billions of Dollars. He is truly one of the dumbest, and most destructive, people in Government …. TOO LATE’s an American Disgrace!” He also noted a menacing statement by the President that, if the Fed does not cut rates, “I may have to force something.”
This is not the first time that the President’s social media postings have been used as evidence against Administration policies in federal cases. Many of us have criticized the President over personal attacks on judges or other officials. However, courts generally do not impute an unlawful motive to criminal investigations or prosecutions if there is an otherwise valid purpose or allegation. Judge Boasberg dismisses any such possibility of a valid purpose, writing: “The case thus asks: Did prosecutors issue those subpoenas for a proper purpose? The Court finds that they did not. There is abundant evidence that the subpoenas’ dominant (if not sole) purpose is to harass and pressure Powell either to yield to the President or to resign and make way for a Fed Chair who will.
On the other side of the scale, the Government has offered no evidence whatsoever that Powell committed any crime other than displeasing the President. The Court must thus conclude that the asserted justifications for these subpoenas are mere pretexts. It will therefore grant the Board’s Motion to Quash. It will also grant the Board’s Motion to Partially Unseal the Motion to Quash, related briefing, and this Opinion….” Once again, I do not fault the court for skepticism, but I do have serious concerns over his timing and his own possible bias in issuing such a ruling.
The Administration has an active but still early criminal investigation into the massive spending on renovations to the Federal Reserve building. To that end, the Justice Department served two subpoenas on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, seeking records about the renovations of the Board’s buildings as well as Powell’s prior congressional testimony on those renovations. The Board filed a Motion to Quash, contending that the subpoenas are a raw play to force Powell to resign or to bend to the will of the President.

High time.

• Debunking the Left’s Favorite Lies About the SAVE Act (Matt Margolis)

Democrats have been running the same tired playbook on the SAVE Act. They’ve claimed it’s racist, but those attacks haven’t exactly worked because majorities of minority voters support it. So, they try to scare people with outlandish claims like it will make it impossible for married women to vote. It’s a stupid claim, but some people are willing to believe it. And there are plenty of other accusations that are just as untrue. Sen. Dick Durbin tried to push those fake claims in a recent Senate hearing, rattling off a list of grievances about the bill’s voter registration requirements.

Durbin kicked things off with the passport argument, a favorite among critics of the legislation, when it comes to registering to vote. “What is acceptable is a passport,” he said. “50% of Americans do not have a passport. Those who want to obtain it so they can vote will pay $186 and wait three or four weeks for that to happen.” He kept going with the married woman claim, arguing that anyone who changed their name after marriage would have to dig up not just a birth certificate but additional documentation to prove their eligibility. However, it’s all a lie, and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), the lead sponsor of the bill, was ready for him.
Lee let Durbin finish and then, with barely concealed amusement, delivered the kind of response that makes committee hearings worth watching. “I’m happy to report to my dear friend and colleague Senator Durbin from Illinois — you’re in luck,” Lee said. “We’ve taken care of that.” He went on to point out that the SAVE Act includes an explicit accommodation for people who can’t produce traditional documentation. Lee spelled it out in plain English: “When you read the bill, what you’ll discover is that we’ve made special accommodation for those who don’t have documentation, for those who can’t find their birth certificate. Maybe their house burned down, maybe their dog ate it, or whatever it is.”
So what happens if someone genuinely has no paperwork? The bill has an answer for that, too. “When all else fails, if you don’t have documentation establishing the information on your birth certificate or what would be in a passport or otherwise, the bill contains a provision requiring each state to allow an alternative mechanism by which someone can, by attestation, issue a sworn statement establishing the critical facts underlying their citizenship,” Lee explained. The state then takes responsibility for verifying that sworn statement, using its own records and reciprocity agreements with other states.
Durbin tried to interject a few times. He didn’t get far. Lee kept going, methodically dismantling the argument piece by piece. “We took great pains to go out of our way to make sure that no American, no American would be left in the dark,” he said. “This will not cost them a dime. And no one will be excluded if they can’t find their documentation.” Well, that’s a big problem for the Democrats because this undermines the whole Democratic line of attack. The passport fees, the birth certificate hunt, the cost and inconvenience — they all collapse the moment you actually read the legislation.
The bill anticipates exactly the scenarios Democrats claim to be worried about and has a built-in workaround. With that in mind, they have no reason to oppose the legislation, that is, if those were truly sticking points for them Lee even extended an invitation at the end, suggesting Durbin would surely want to support the bill now that his concerns had been addressed. “I’m sure you’ll be elated to hear that, and we look forward to having your affirmative vote when we vote on the SAVE America Act.”

“…the measure would restrict “all kinds of IDs Florida voters can use.” By now, you can bet that’s only for good reason.

• Florida Passes Voter ID Bill Modeled After SAVE Act (ET) /span>

The Florida Legislature passed new election legislation modeled after President Donald Trump’s proposed SAVE America Act. House Bill 991, sponsored by state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, passed along party lines by a vote of 83 to 31. “We are the Election Integrity State!” Persons-Mulicka wrote on X after the vote. Sponsors of the bill moved the effective date to appease critics who feared the new identification requirements would discourage some voters from participating in midterm elections. The new laws won’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2027.The bill requires Floridians to show proof of citizenship to register to vote, requires a valid photo ID to vote, makes paper ballots the primary method of voting, and bans student IDs as an acceptable voter ID.

Nearly all Florida driver’s licenses and ID cards are Real-ID compliant—a process that already verifies citizenship. Once in place, the new regulations will also make it a felony for political parties, committees, organizations, and candidates to accept or solicit contributions from foreign nationals for any state elections. Florida state Democrats voted against the bill, dubbing it the “Show Your Papers Act.” Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat representing Orlando, said the measure would restrict “all kinds of IDs Florida voters can use.” “Student IDs and retirement center IDs would no longer be valid; driver’s licenses, state ID cards, military ID, and licenses to carry concealed weapons would still be accepted as proof of voter identity,” Eskamani said in a Facebook post.
The ACLU’s Florida Chapter condemned the measure’s passage, calling it an anti-voter bill. “These changes are not neutral or harmless—they would fall hardest on low-income voters, students, seniors, women, and Black and brown Floridians,” said Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU Florida chapter. “This wave of anti-voter legislation is advancing amid ongoing abuses of power that pose unprecedented threats to American democracy.” A similar effort by congressional Republicans has stalled for months in the U.S. Senate.
Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd encouraged Congress to move forward with the SAVE Act after Florida’s bill passed. “Florida leads the nation in election integrity because we don’t rest on our laurels and are always looking to improve,” Byrd posted on X. “It’s now time for Congress to act on critical election integrity measures.” Republican Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has been unable to advance the SAVE Act, despite growing pressure from the public and within his party. Thune told colleagues on March 10 that he didn’t have the votes to pass the act by employing the talking filibuster. He plans to bring the bill to the Senate floor next week.

‘Hey, Tucker, I know you don’t like this to be about yourself, but we’re going to protect you,’” he said.

• I’m Worried About Tucker Carlson’s Safety – John Kiriakou (RT)

The life and freedom of US journalist Tucker Carlson might be in danger, CIA whistleblower and host of the RT program Deep State John Kiriakou has said. Carlson claimed on Saturday that the CIA is preparing a criminal referral against him to the US Justice Department. “What’s that crime? Well, talking to people in Iran before the war. They read my texts,” he said in a video published on X.The former Fox News star said that he will “apparently” be charged under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. However, he added that he does not “expect this to go anywhere” because he has “never taken money” from another country.

On a new episode of Deep State, which aired the same day and was dedicated to Carlson, Kiriakou said: “I have to tell you, I’m genuinely worried for his safety.” “Tucker is one of those rare truth tellers. He speaks whatever happens to be on his mind, but it’s always very well thought out. He’s not afraid to call important people on the carpet for things that they’ve said or done,” he said. When asked if he believed that Carlson is in danger, Kiriakou’s guest Clayton Morris – the co-host of Redacted, a program on RT – replied by saying: “I think he wouldn’t admit that. He never likes to have the focus be on him at all.” “
There are some realities here. You have these nut job MAGA influencers, these sort of pro-Israel Zionists, who are basically actively calling for him to be arrested, attacked. And they have platforms. I mean, they’re literally not thrown off of X,” he said. Morris, who used to work at Fox News together with Carlson, suggested that the journalist is “doing what he needs to do to protect himself.” “I’m sure he’s got a wife… and he’s got people around him who are saying, ‘Hey, Tucker, I know you don’t like this to be about yourself, but we’re going to protect you,’” he said.

“I’m surprised that Zelensky doesn’t want to make a deal. Tell Zelensky to make a deal because Putin’s willing to make a deal,”

• Trump Calls Zelensky The ‘Last Person We Need Help From’ (RT)

US President Donald Trump has dismissed Vladimir Zelensky’s offer to assist with countering Iranian drones in the Middle East, saying he is the “last person” Washington needs help from. Since the launch of US-Israeli strikes on Iran late last month, the Ukrainian leader has repeatedly signaled his readiness to get involved in the conflict, claiming that Washington has appealed for help defending American assets stationed in the Gulf against retaliatory attacks. On Friday, Zelensky reiterated the offer on X, arguing that without Ukrainian “expertise,” the US will not be able to “stabilize the situation.” In a telephone interview with NBC News on Saturday, the US president rejected the idea that Washington had requested or requires Ukrainian assistance.

“We don’t need help,” Trump said, adding that Zelensky is the “last person we need help from.”Trump also criticized Zelensky’s approach to negotiations with Moscow, arguing that “Zelensky is far more difficult to make a deal with” than Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I’m surprised that Zelensky doesn’t want to make a deal. Tell Zelensky to make a deal because Putin’s willing to make a deal,” he told NBC. Since returning to office last year, Trump has pushed for a negotiated settlement between Kiev and Moscow, leading to US-mediated trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi in January and follow-up negotiations in Geneva last month.
The next round of talks was expected to take place in early March. However, with the Trump administration focused on the conflict with Iran, the meeting has reportedly been postponed until next week at the earliest. Zelensky then sought to insert Ukraine into the Middle East conflict, saying he had instructed officials to “provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists capable of guaranteeing the necessary security.” The head of the national security commission of the Iranian parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, reacted on X, saying that “by providing drone support to the Israeli regime, failed Ukraine has effectively become involved in the war,” and warning that Kiev could face retaliation, with the entire country becoming a target.

There’s a risk.

• Out Of Interceptor Missiles, Will Israel Turn To Nukes? (Paul Craig Roberts)

Do you remember Trump’s 3-day war? Do you remember his boast that US warships would guard oil shipments through the Hormuz Strait? Well, now a “team effort” is required. Last Saturday Trump called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and other countries to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz. The slam-dunk 3-day war has been replaced by the necessity of an “international coalition” to prevent the shutdown of the world economy. Trump should have listened to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but, instead, the White House Fool took Netanyahu’s advice, or, more correctly, orders.

Having got us into another Middle Eastern war, Netanyahu now complains to Trump that Israel has a severe shortage of interceptor missiles. Washington, having stupidly gone to war unprepared, hasn’t any to give Israel. To save itself will Israel use its nukes? It will prove to be a strategic error that Iran did not use its missiles to wipe out Israeli nuclear weapon storage sites and launch capability. Will Russia and China rue the day they did not give Iran protection from this war? Here is an excellent 13 minute explanation of the Trap that the White House Fool has let Netanyahu put America in.

“I can tell the entire internet has doomer fatigue.” — Catturd on X

• What You Get Is Not Necessarily What You See (James Howard Kunstler)

The mysterious financial repo market — which practically no one outside of banking understands (and even some banking insiders don’t) — are going wonky again like they did in September 2019, just before You-Know-What sucker-punched the world with lockdowns, stolen elections, and fake vaccines. Half of America still hasn’t got its head straight. . . and here we go again. The private equity outfits, like giant BlackRock, are wobbling so hard that they had to “gate redemptions” — meaning, investors can’t pull their money out of funds going dark with dubious collateral. It’s exactly what sparks panics. Money can only stand so much unreality. The Rube Goldberg machine of finance — a scaffold of insane complexity designed to bamboozle the rubes — is threatening to fly apart.

The world only needs so many pre-owned yachts. Plus, there’s a war on, which has disrupted the regular flow of the world’s primary resource: oil. That’s the really-real side of the picture. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed. You’ve got to wonder how much additional pounding the lunatic state of Iran can take. It’s not clear who is even in charge there. Iran’s supposed foreign minister, one Aras Araghchi, is suddenly offering to give up those 440 kilos of 60-percent enriched uranium that are at the heart of this quarrel. Sounds a little surrender-ish, though he made the offer with a certain defiant bluster. Let’s see where that goes. Maybe the war will be over sooner than you thought.

With all this in motion, things slip-sliding all over the place, the week ahead may be one in which nobody can think straight or get a straight answer. Here’s something to chew on: do you think Great Britain is our dear friend because we speak the same language? Great Britain has been allowing Iran’s ruling Revolutionary Guard to park its money in London for half a century while Lloyd’s offers jacked-up insurance rates to all those tankers faring through the Strait of Hormuz.
This dynamic has made world oil up to 15-percent more expensive since the 1970s, and Britain’s banks have been creaming off the premium all the while. Trillions. Mr. Trump is putting an end to that racket while he also terminates Iran’s ability to export Jihad thuggery throughout the Middle East. That’s the meaning behind the Abraham Accords and the new Board of Peace set up to figure out Gaza — and probably to replace the broken United Nations as a mediating force in the region’s long-running conflicts.
Mr. Trump is also sending a message to China: the US will have something to say about the flow of oil going there out of the Persian Gulf, which is to say most of China’s imported oil. (The US imports relatively little oil out of the Persian Gulf, two to three percent of total US oil consumption which is 20-million barrels a day.) This is pretty serious power politics, but notice that China has not started World War Three over it. Mr. Trump and Xi are still talking, and are scheduled to meet in Beijing in April. Meanwhile, Xi is having plenty of trouble of his own with twitchy PLA generals, a staggering deflationary export economy, and a lot of angry young people thrown out of work.
One thing our country will not get a straight answer on this week is the SAVE Act. Senate Majority Leader John Thune made noises over the weekend about staging a half-assed “debate” on the floor, a demi-filibuster. . . then holding a guaranteed-to-fail cloture vote. . . making it impossible to reach a place where the bill might be subject to a simple majority vote. The procedural bullshit at issue is surely a challenge for the general voting public to understand. The bottom line is that Majority Leader Thune is entirely in-charge of the filibuster process and could make it work to advantage the SAVE Act if he wanted to. He could call for a full, “standing” filibuster that would require the bill’s opponents to explain themselves — that is, to explain why they prefer election fraud.
So, for now, the Save Act will fail to pass. The public will register the failure, if not the twisted route that got it there, and they will be mighty pissed-off. The really interesting part is what happens after all this is acted out, especially Senator Thune’s comic attempt to explain why he did this. And especially if, in the weeks just ahead, the nation watches federal indictments rain down for election fraud in Georgia, Wisconsin, and other states where so many weird things happened right before our eyes in November, 2020, 2022, and 2024. Sometime after that, the SAVE Act will come up for a vote again, and with a vengeance!

The Democrats have lots of money, but no serious candidates.

• The Obama Gravy Train Just Hit a Disgusting New Low (Matt Margolis)

It wasn’t even a week ago when we reported that Valerie Jarrett was raking in a staggering $740,000 from the Obama Foundation. New tax filings reveal that she’s hardly alone, as other Obama insiders also pull down bloated, above market salaries, thanks in part to the fact that the foundation pays just $10 a year for 19 acres of prime Chicago parkland. As we previously reported, salaries and benefits paid by the organization have climbed from $18.5 million in 2018 to $43.7 million in 2024. “Illinois Democrats are truly living their best lives — making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to help design the ugliest building in Chicago,” Illinois GOP Chairman Kathy Salvi said.

Even though the Obama Foundation is funneling cash to his inner circle and extending his legacy of corruption thanks to a little help from subsidized public land, paying regular folk is apparently a bridge too far. The Obama Presidential Center is opening in Chicago this June — not that you care — and for its launch, the foundation behind it wants 75 to 100 unpaid “ambassadors” to greet visitors, guide tourists across the 19.3-acre Jackson Park campus, and explain exhibits in that horrifically ugly tower and other buildings.
The lack of shame is incredible. In fact, the foundation is framing the ask as something noble. “Volunteerism has been a cornerstone of President Obama’s vision for civic engagement since his early days as a community organizer on Chicago’s South Side,” the foundation said in a statement. Jarrett added that the center will serve as “a place where the world meets the best of Chicago and our ambassadors will help bring that vision to life every day.” Nice sentiment. Just don’t ask for a fair wage while you’re living the vision. According to a report from Fox News Digital, “It’s common for presidential libraries, museums and nonprofit cultural institutions to employ unpaid volunteers.”
The Obama Center’s roughly 300 full-time and part-time paid staff will do the heavy operational lifting, and the volunteers supplement that workforce. And yes, nobody is forcing anyone to sign up. But when you take everything into account, like the corrupt land deal that saves the foundation millions and the exorbitant salaries Obama insiders get working for the foundation, and the millions it brings in in donations, it’s disgusting that they aren’t paying these people. Six of the foundation’s 10 highest-paid executives previously held senior roles in the Obama administration or campaign. David Simas, Obama’s former White House political director, earned up to $626,000 annually heading the foundation from 2017 through 2020. Adewale Adeyemo, another senior Obama official who later became deputy Treasury secretary under Joe Biden, earned about $540,000 as the foundation’s first president.
Anne Filipic, a former White House public engagement official, earned roughly $400,000 annually. Christina Tchen, former chief of staff to Michelle Obama, also pulled in roughly $400,000 a year. Michael Strautmanis, another Obama campaign and White House aide, earned more than $300,000 annually. Is there really nothing to spare that they have to use volunteers? The foundation constantly promotes itself as a gift to the community, will exploit every possible tax advantage and corrupt deal to so they can pay excessive salaries to Obama cronies, and yet can’t even offer minimum wage to its army of “ambassadors?” The sad thing is, I’m sure they’ll get plenty of these volunteers, and they won’t care they’re being taken advantage of.

She’s literally the quiet in the eye of the storm..

• Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Has Cancer (Sarah Anderson)

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has announced that she has breast cancer, but it sounds like her prognosis is good. The 68-year-old told the New York Times that it was caught in its early stages. She will begin treatment in Washington soon, and she doesn’t plan to take a leave of absence from her role in the Donald Trump administration. “Nearly one in eight women in the United States will face this diagnosis,” she told the Times. “Every day, these women continue to raise their families, go to work, and serve their communities with strength and determination. I now join their ranks.”

She added, “I am grateful to have an outstanding team of doctors who detected the cancer early and are guiding my care, and I am encouraged by a strong prognosis. I am also deeply thankful for the support and encouragement of President Trump as I undergo treatment and continue serving in my current role.” She said she told the president the news last week and said that he has “an effective team around him” that would ensure that “there were no disruptions to the West Wing during her treatment.”
[..] Many on social media have noted that Wiles wore a pink jacket on Monday as she joined the president for a press conference. The color has become a universal symbol of breast cancer awareness. https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/2033579041651908691

AfD https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2033541628456255869?s=20 https://twitter.com/sollidnuclear/status/2033514949461279176?s=20 https://twitter.com/sciencegirl/status/2033465111411662851?s=20 https://twitter.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2033467263567769871?s=20

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March 17, 2026 at 10:34 am #235002

Raúl Ilargi Meijer
Keymaster

Henri Matisse Flowers 1907 • Turkey Is the Next Iran (Paul Craig Roberts) • Allies Balk As Trump Pushes Joint Military Action To Reopen Hormuz (ZH) •
[See the full post at: Debt Rattle March 17 2026]

March 17, 2026 at 10:41 am #235003

Topcat
Participant

The Gulf States are Going to Hell

Happy International Blasphemy Day!

blas·phe·my
/ˈblasfəmē/
noun
noun: blasphemy; plural noun: blasphemies

the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk.

March 17, 2026 at 10:55 am #235015

Topcat
Participant

Some Advice from your Dutch Uncle

March 17, 2026 at 10:57 am #235016

Dr. D
Participant

Yesterday: Thankfully I went and did work and not this crap.

Bizarrest end: Gold, Silver plummet. Huh? Oil under $100, USDX 100.

Boy they are not looking at the war progress I’m looking at! Okay then. I just report it. Apparently fine, fine, this is fine…

Eeeeeeveryone is on board with this. My job is to put the pieces together, not tell them what to do. They seem very on board.

“Germany Merz election trouble. SPD collapse” The Duran•19K views

The answer? ARREST MORE PEOPLE!! Yes, more AfD people, run by a gay woman and her immigrant wife. Nothing says Nazi like that. Kinder Kuchen Kirche.

“In my 20s ‘treat ’em mean, keep ’em keen’ felt like power. In my 50s I see that dating strategy for what it is: fear I am capable, a woman of substance. Yet I get a ‘maybe’ from a man I meet on a dating app and I regress three decades” — The Guardian”

Abuse everyone you can find, your whole life long. That’ll fix’r.

“I Regret Saying Yes To My Boyfriend’s Proposal I’m dreading getting married. Is this regular cold feet or a bigger problem? Bustle

Engineer no family, no society, no defense. You’re helpless, owning nothing but your DoorDash Account online.

‘Like a Trap You Can’t Escape’: The Women Who Regret Being Mothers. — From mourning the life they no longer have to feeling never-ending pressure, women tell the BBC why they regret becoming mothers. BBC

Happy Mother’s Day!!! Wow. they haven’t done enough already. “If ONE Briton (or white person) is left alive it is too many.” — Women of the BBC.

“Berlin Youth Center Hid Girl’s Gang-Rape By The Usual Suspects To Avoid ‘Typical Muslim’ Label

Some animals are more equal than others. Well it’s good to know it’s okay if they become mothers by rape.

The women are apparently the ones that want this. The men are against it and would burn it down. It’s up to you to say the word, ladies. Why are we here? Why do these words have to come out of my mouth?

See how all those articles are connected?

“Yet Another Tech Titan Flees California For Texas

Likewise they are fleeing Nazi Germany before the war. California brain drain. Well, the goal is to destroy it, and it’s going extremely well.

“Sen. Mike Lee: We’ve ‘Turned Kind Of A Corner’ On The Save Act

I don’t want to hear anything but you’ve passed it. Because even then the states will refuse. Thune’s plan is to go to the end, then Ooopsie!! We dun a mistake.

“Robert Barnes argues that Donald Trump underestimated the consequences of war with Iran and ignored warnings from intelligence officials and advisers.”

BUT ALSO that they, being Generals, sold him triumphamism, that “let’s go to war it’ll be fine.” Both. Neither. Ai.

You know history: WHICH do you think is more plausible? Every General in the Pentagon said “We hate war. In fact, you should probably close our bases and fire us.” Uhhh, no.

You want the reality I can tell from here, being: Humans? Some said yes, some said no. Every General said Yes, BUT! But in our lay terms some were over the line and some under it. Again, there is only one man in the Universe, he is the only one who acts or matters. There is no Team. Trump is God, you say. No. I disagree with your TrumpIsGod theory. It’s embarrassing for you.

“AI is dissolving our ability to decide what is true, what is real”

That’s for sure. Right now 6 warships are both sunk and floating. Markets say floating.

“the U.S. military must utterly defeat it and bring about a regime change, or else “you go through this, and then in five years you realize you put somebody in who’s no better.’”

“Put somebody in”? That’s not our job. Now here’s the problem: if we don’t, China will. France will. Russia will. Do you want to be “So Godly you’re no Earthly good”, or what?

“Iran is fighting for more than survival: Iran wants the USA gone from that part of the world, as well as the end of the Zionist occupation of Palestine.”

Okay, so now IRAN gets to decide what all other sovereign nations do. It’s bad when we do it, but good when Iran and China do it.

Because America is uniquely evil, they are unlike all other men in the world.

“The government is wrong and is killing. If you think that is right then there is something wrong with you.”

The Iranian killing is good tho’. People are ecstatic hearing Iran killed pepo.

“IRGC’s 50th wave of attacks:

It’s nice that they can count, what does that mean? They only have one hand grenade left each time? Is ‘our’ side on #5? #105? Iran only GIVES damage, never receives it. We only record damage done BY Iran, never TO Iran…unless it’s bad. C’mon, TRY to be fair and level here. That’s honesty.

“risks provoking Iranian retaliation across Gulf countries.”

Ummm… the past exists? “Risks”? “If we don’t look out, bombs MIGHT start flying??” I think that ship has sailed.

“The Iranian Navy launched several strikes on the USS Abraham Lincoln, partially disabling it,”

Sure. Why not? But then we’re seeing some weird reports that aren’t true either. They also are rotating out to re-arm.

“Several European countries fear that the US-Israeli operation could trigger a large influx of migrants, potentially testing the EU’s reformed asylum system, Politico reports.”

Huh? Why? Just say no. So they’re going to say “Yes, infinity please!” then blame the U.S. for not doing what nations have done for 10,000 years: exist for their Ethnos, their people. ALSO, do you have any idea how far away Iran is from Sweden? JHC, man. Holland and not India? I’d go to India. Russia is their ally, I thought. No? Door’s locked now? China hates their guts, I guess.

A: Nobody has any responsibility or duty except the West. America takes all actions and does all things and there is only one man in that country. No one else has any responsibility at all.

The Stupid. Coming out of their mouths. It hurts, it hurts.

“Within less than 24hrs, Iran has struck Israel 15 times. Drone attacks are taking place around the clock.”

They wanted it. Here you go. Btw 15 seems like nothing. There’s 15 shootings in Chicago each weekend. Or maybe 15 deaths and 115 shootings. Hard to tell. It’s a gun-free zone.

“Trump just invited China to send warships”

Just saw this from a crypto guy on the use of the Yuan. Snap! Burn! Man the U.S. won’t like that, ha ha.

Why? We literally DO want that. We definitely, definitely want that. Every single thing done since 2016 shows we want that and have fought tooth and nail to get it. The quotes are legion, but they asked Powell – who almost only job is to keep the USD, the “Federal Reserve Note”, about competing currencies and he said “IDGAF. Do whatever currency you want. Bitcoin, Yuan, have at it.” Because that’s important, no one reported it.

So Iran says they’ll open the strait to use Yuan? 1st, HOW DO YOU REALLY CHECK THIS??? Okay, nevermind, that’s not my point, that’s only plausible deniability for them. The second is: Of course and who cares? The only thing that can save us from Triffin’s Paradox and complete collapse IS to remove the US$ as Reserve. We all three of us – and probably Iran – are going on the gold standard.

So all I hear in that statement is: “Iran opened the straits for no reason.” Ok, we won. Thanks. We opened them for China, just like Bad Man said. We now don’t need to be there, which he also said. I can’t stand the winning.

“AI, hyper-intelligent, more intelligent than we can comprehend”

Apparently he is illiterate. Frankenstein was a genius too. The monster. And Amoral. Went around murdering. Many very smart people go insane, often because of it, and AI appears more deadly than ever in that regard. So they are hell-bent to create a human-killing super-capable monster, here you go. I say Don’t??

So you’re raising not ONE supergenius child, which maybe you have to do, but creating THOUSANDS on the assembly line, to make very, very CERTAIN you get an insane, murdering one. Great.

“But top admin officials say it’s bullshit ½”

We can’t possibly know. The CIA does this all the time, and Tucker, being domestic, is somewhat illegal for them. …As if they care. Everyone can make up a story they like, but can they show it in court? It doesn’t seem Trump’s style – he’d do different things. But it does seem literally everybody else’s style, the Pentagon, CIA, Congressmen, either to screw them, or to feed Tucker false Info every day so he looks stupid.

One thing all this DOES do is, if the war fails, Vance, Tulsi, and Tuck were against it.

“They appointed the dull son, who is likely in a coma, and he can serve as a leader in the way Joe Biden served as the US president.”

So he wasn’t hit by the U.S. at all but they just stabbed him? Why not? Hit him with a rock: Instant Joe Biden.

“Israel is taking a bloody good hiding,”

You can say that again. And they’re going to cease to exist (n their present form). That’s way worse than a hiding.

1,000 Americans sounds about right. 750? Close enough. That’s not the population of the smallest town in the U.S., a nation with millions of towns.

“Alastair Crooke : Trump’s Plan Is To Have No Plan”

Yup, that’s why Bessant had the Insurance thing ginned up and ready to go, and why Russia was stocking oil for months. Because no plan except all the clues of plans we saw, and see, and he says openly, almost daily, like with China. Nice. Crooke wouldn’t be anywhere near London, would he?

“Larry Johnson : Trump’s Trapped and Doesn’t Know It”

No problem then! I guess! No brain, no pain! Markets agree with Trump though, so…explain?

“They already have factories that produce completed vehicles almost totally with automated AI and without humans.”

Yes, I can push a button on a vending machine too, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t millions of people in that Chocolate-coffee supply chain. Can’t look at one gear in a whole system.

AI in space. Yes!!! Everything it said is true. …And false. Add ONE tiny rock. Day after month after year. And fragility, replacement cost, a panel breaking off… All things have costs. Entropy’s a b-tch. Maybe: they always talk about mining asteroid and not like, the 7-11. A 100 year old mine that already has train tracks and a power grid. It’s about the cost. The WORST place in Antarctica is 100x better and cheaper than the cheapest place in space.

“US pivoting from carriers to long-range bombers?
From sitting ducks to flying ducks?

No. Luongo said they were fling B52s with the largest radar signal ever known to man, more or less immediately and have been all along. I dunno, but they sure are now! Days now. Carriers do different things, different planes.

So they, Iran, both have NO air defense (clearly) but are ALSO unharmed and firing at will, sinking everything. Okay.

“Prof. Jeffrey Sachs : Are We Drifting Toward a Global War?

Not according to Russia and China. Don’t they get a vote? Without them, then…who? Uraguay?

“Strategic Petroleum Reserve What a joke

It’s not meant to. Wtf TOLD you it’s a fund for all oil use everywhere??? I just shut off Greg Hunter and Armstrong: “What if we blow up every dam everywhere, and blow up every drop of fresh water…????” …And then aliens land, and make us ice cream sandwiches, and roll us in crackers, and smoke us like a blunt?? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING??

What if an asteroid strikes earth and eBola breaks out? Like, I dunno! How about something that MIGHT happen. We have reason to think is POSSIBLE to happen. Somebody has said WANTS to happen. Bc we’ve got a lot of that going on and Daddy is sorta busy right now? Go back to the kid’s table.

Here, “JustDario” clips a pic “What if every other oil source on the planet magically disappeared and was replaced with butter taffy tomorrow? What then, smart guy?” Like, that’s not ever going to happen? That’s why I didn’t bother considering it?

Please consider scenarios where ONLY the straits are closed. Or even ONLY the gulf oil mostly stops. Brazil and Russia are not going offline that we know.

“Iran Launches ENDGAME Weapon” Asian Guy

Yup. All wars have ended now. With the new Wunderwaffen. Hey, um…one question: Aren’t NUKES that exact weapon? That stops all wars and ends all weapons? And didn’t we already invent them? Wow, thankfully no wars in 1953, 1973, 1993, 2003, 2023… Yup! Wunderwaffe Iran has now conquered the Middle East to Algeria.

To quote Inspector Clouseau: “It is, a bomb. It goes Boom.” It did not change anything.

“Kremlin meanwhile is quivering from fear, watching the US losing the war”

Why would the Kremlin quiver? If the U.S. disappears Russia is nearly preeminent. It’s like second-best outcome.

Those Russians! Always sitting around, quaking in fear! We Make S–t Up! Did you know we invented this thing called a “Phone” so you can call them and ask?

“Jeffrey Sachs: Israel Could Use Nuclear Weapons Against Iran”

It depends. They’ve also been sharply degraded. If he means are WILLING to use them and give the orders then yes. Since day 1 when they got them.

Pepe Escobar & Larry C. Johnson: Trump is LOSING Control – Iran WIPES OUT Strategic Military Targets

Several problems: two guys that have been regularly wrong the last 2-3 years. Then the headline is “Hey, didja know things get blown up in wars?” A: “Noooooooo!!!!” –Sarcastic’s Anonymous.

“20 Shermans’ were blown up in France.” Okay, this tells me nothing about if the Americans are advancing or retreating. See the problem?

“The petrodollar is as absolute massive scam”

It is but we’re trying to END it and give indications of it weekly for years.

“The beginning of the end of the cabal”

What is “The Cabal”? Which one? OPEC?

“self destroyer class. When launched it blows itself up.”

Absolutely. However they’ve also said that every day for 10 years. Now Israel is being blown up, Epstein is exposed, Empire is ending, and we’re returning to a gold standard. Everyone is mad.

March 17, 2026 at 11:05 am #235017

Topcat
Participant

March 17, 2026 at 11:10 am #235018

Topcat
Participant

From the Empire of Lies:

“Liar, Liar pants on Fire”

Treasury Secretary Bessent went on television Monday and announced that the United States is “allowing” Iranian oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

“The Iranian ships have been getting out already, and we’ve let that happen to supply the rest of the world”.

Iran has been controlling who enters and exits that waterway since day 5.

Chinese tankers have sailed freely since day 1.

March 17, 2026 at 11:13 am #235019

Topcat
Participant

March 17, 2026 at 11:19 am #235020

Topcat
Participant

Trouble in River City

Oops, someone didn’t get the Memo

Fujairah got hit. Again.

Its pumping equipment was targeted.

The port that was supposed to bypass the Strait is offline.

The bypass needs a bypass now.

March 17, 2026 at 11:21 am #235021

Topcat
Participant

March 17, 2026 at 11:32 am #235022

Topcat
Participant

“The WTI futures market appears to have concluded the Iran war ended yesterday while forgetting to inform the refined product market, which continues to tighten. And the real achievement of all this jawboning is a delay in the production response the world actually needs to offset the shortfall.

Paper says peace. Physical says war.”</

a>

March 17, 2026 at 11:41 am #235023

Dr. D
Participant

Topcat, what are you doing here? I thought you signed up with the IRGC so you could kill your countrymen. Go act on your beliefs. You want all your neighbors dead, don’t just sit around and let Iran shoot them. Help!

Aras Araghchi, is suddenly offering to give up those 440 kilos of 60-percent enriched uranium that are at the heart of this quarrel. Sounds a little surrender-ish” – Kunstler

They’re winning so hard they’re losing. …Or something. They also said anyone could transit if they pinky-promise to use Yuan, which means everyone.

“This is pretty serious power politics, but notice that China has not started World War Three over it.”

Another thing I forget who said, wouldn’t it be Ironic if China started a war in Taiwan right now? Ha ha. Actually no: that would be the OPPOSITE of ironic, because that would be expected. AND we’re not going to do anything about it, since we have nothing to do that with. China very specifically has NOT. While they’re also supporting all of Trump’s moves. The other signal? There was a UN resolution Russia and China abstained from. This means nothing, just signaling, so it signals neither wanted their veto power. At no cost to themselves. To support an ally.

Just what Trump says: he’s securing oil FOR China. And the rest of the world. AGAINST blackmail. And cutting the 15% insurance vig to London since it’s “dangerous” there so long as MI6 sells weapons and whispers lies in their ears.

Again, markets agree.

“Marjorie Taylor Greene Tells CNN That MAGA Feels ‘100% Betrayed’ By Iran War
“It’s actually very split. And it’s split along generational lines…”

Totally true. Now what.

“Cuba Suffers “Total Disconnection” Of Power Grid; Trump Says Deal With Havana ‘Pretty Soon’

Another place Russia and China could easily help, but no one has any duties or responsibilities but the United States. There are no other non NPC actors on earth I guess.

“It is currently illegal under Canada’s Criminal Code to possess any item for the purpose of self-defense.” –TDB

What. Is this quote?

“SNAP: That framing assumes junk food is a non-negotiable line item. Recipients who want soda and candy remain free to purchase them… with their own money…”

Positive and negative rights. You’re free to buy all the junk food you want…just not with my money. Is that so hard? Apparently yes. Because you’re free to sleep with zucchini, marry one, and wear a dress. But that’s not enough: they care about nothing else, cannot rest until – I – say, am forced to say, to stop whatever work I’m doing in my day, and say “You’re stunning and brave, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, better, greater, more majestic than any other human I’ve ever met, read, or heard about. Thank you for having a beard, wearing a dress, and doing things with zucchini in you bedroom. I am prostrate on my knees before your majesty. Thank you. Thank you.” …Or else they’ll stab me. From pure love and tolerance, of course!

Negative vs Positive Rights. They matter. That’s “Liberty” and the entire United States’ premise of law is based on them.

“We’re not winning against Iran. We’re not winning.”

That’s not what markets say. Or China and Russia.

“We didn’t have the required military forces to achieve any of the objectives that we were floating,”

Everyone “Just Made Up” that we were going to land 5 million men and occupy for 80 years, then say “He lost” because we never planned that in the first place.

“THIS IS THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

The ENTIRE PLAN, the only thing that will save Europe and the Epstein Class, is to START WWIII. These guys are all helping. Every Ritter, MacGregor, Bannon, Mearshimer, all TRYING to start WWIII that lets Europe escape their debts and re-start the Matrix Banking system for the 6th time in the rubble. Under the new Fascism they’re feverishly installing there.

They trotted out all that Millennial Eschatology no one here believes in. Americans don’t even know who Jesus IS. No one in Iran believes in. No one in Russia or Europe believes in anymore. All they need to win is for YOU to believe:

“It is the SOUND, of the INEVITABLE, Mr. Anderson” – Agent Smith.

That’s it. The war expands from Iran, on YOUR hate, YOUR love and elation of death, just as I’m seeing here. That’s all it takes. Which path, Western Man? Hate and love of death?

“What’s in it for them is implementing the control grid and depopulation together.”

That’s why they need the war. Van Der’Lyin’ is very exposed when she does all the tyrannical, fascist things when there’s no Russian enemy. It depended on “Thesis / AntiThesis” You have your side, but then you CREATE the other side to fight you. Out of thin air. Like the Cold War. Or Bannon. Or Republicans and Democrats, Left and Right. Pop! Suddenly appear, overnight, fully capitalized, waving expensive flags. Yeah, no. That’s ALL MADE UP. It’s all Kayfabe. They MADE Russia attack, yes. But they’re not inside Russia directing it afterwards, the way Churchill was during the Russian Revolution, and they’re not being the Bogeyman and opposition they desperately need.

So it WOULD have made sense to do all this control, IF there was a war. …Which there isn’t. IF Russia was in E Germany. …Which they’re not. IF the U.S. took the bait and was in a clash of titans, not a safe Stock-and-Bond haven away from the lawless, confiscating Nazis on the continent.

So it’s nowhere near as easy for them to attempt this, completely exposed right now, and all of us watching for any opening to whack them with a stick. They have to distract and channel our anger: “Look! 30 years ago! An Epstein!!” ; “Look! 80 Years ago! An Israel!!!” It’s working great because being mad about something 30 years ago means you can be perfectly LAZY now and not stop girls being raped in Rotherham. You don’t have to take on Thune and Theil NOW.

…But there’s a limit, regardless of how well that’s working. On us. Sadly.

“Ideologically driven wrong energy decisions have dire consequences.”

I guess, but not one leader or bureaucrat will be inconvenienced and will get all the jam and wagu steak first, just like all Socialist regimes. The Proletariat will be crushed and bled white. So I’d call that a win! Why would they care? It’s going great!

“• Turkey Is the Next Iran (Paul Craig Roberts)

It is. And it IS next. But both are run by London to insure endless violence in the world. And in this case, contain Russia forever, Crimean War style, as London has been invading Russia non-stop since 1853. Turkey is their “Ukraine” to attack Russia again. But PCR wants this, I guess.

Also, Why is Iran bombing Turkey, Paul? That seems important.

“A bizarre intervention in the war came from Hamas, who called for Iran to cease attacks on regional neighbors. Hamas is well-known as an Iranian proxy,”

Yeah, because Hamas is real. The IRGC is fake. So they’re asking what they’re doing by attacking themselves in the service of London. Good question! Track that thought to the end!

“• Allies Balk As Trump Pushes Joint Military Action To Reopen Hormuz (ZH)

Of course! They’re not allies, silly. They don’t want to PAY to do what armies do. They want to NOT pay, and have 90% of their oil magically appear by little shoemaking elves. I would too, but I’m not a lunatic and know that “Things” take “Work.” Sometime we call that “Work” “Money” as in 3% GDP to NATO they’ve skipped for 40 years.

“• Judge Blocks RFK Jr.’s Appointees to Vaccine Panel (ET)

Every Judge runs every decision. There is no government except unelected judges.

““I’m surprised that Zelensky doesn’t want to make a deal. Tell Zelensky to make a deal because Putin’s willing to make a deal,”

But, but, the Ukraine war is all American, Alex!?! There is no impulse to war except from us! Here every move – this one, and ALSO all the oil and gas warning, then a war, — say “Europe you’re going to STOP THE RUSSIA WAR, or DIE.”

…They wish to die, of course. Nazis have a romance with death. The citizens, however, do not.

“Out Of Interceptor Missiles, Will Israel Turn To Nukes? (Paul Craig Roberts)

It’s a thought. But are any of their sites able? Also, anyone seen Nutsy yet? So sad.

“The Democrats have lots of money, but no serious candidates.”

I wouldn’t bet on it. They were LITERALLY bankrupt, when Hillary bought them, then after BECAUSE Hillary bought them. Donations have been terrible. Etc.

“Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles Has Cancer (Sarah Anderson)

Isn’t this a good thing since no one trusted her? I never got into it, but a lot of people were sure she was the mole most tireless against American interests.

March 17, 2026 at 11:46 am #235024

Topcat
Participant

CENTCOM: “We have successfully destroyed over 100 Iranian naval vessels, and we aren’t done”.

Clap like a Circus Seal.

Arf, Arf

100 boats. Hint dude: the boats were never the problem.

Iran’s navy was always irrelevant……

the fight was always missiles, drones, and coastal defense.

Destroying 100 small craft doesn’t open the Strait.

It’s like announcing you’ve won the chess match because you captured all the pawns……

… while the Queen is still staring at your King.

March 17, 2026 at 12:11 pm #235025

Dr. D
Participant

Treasury Secretary Bessent went on television Monday and announced that the United States is “allowing” Iranian oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”

Topcat believes the whole U.S. military combined is unable to sink a 1,000 foot supertanker going 6 miles an hour. You go with that.

“Chinese tankers have sailed freely since day 1.

Of COURSE. Yes, we are securing the Straits for CHINA. The Straits are OPEN. Pick one.

…Tirelessly scouring the world, looking for any chart that looks even somewhat scary. Okay, let’s take your premise: ONE type of oil in ONE port in the world is up. What happened after the last spike on that chart, 2008, 2022? Uhhh…not much. Still here. Some of them had oil at $30 or NEGATIVE after. Singapore’s still there after every previous spike, last I checked. Since “Nothing ever happened” then this new spike on the new chart means… Nothing will happen just like last time?

““The WTI futures market appears to have concluded the Iran war ended yesterday while forgetting to inform the refined product market, which continues to tighten.”

Uhhh…??? Yes? Let’s say we lose the railroad to the Copper smelter. Then the Copper backs up at the mine? In fact, price at the Mine might DROP. These two are not…related, or related as a non sequitur to your argument?

I think what you’re looking for is, I dunno, Oil price is a high but tolerable $100 in London/NY but like $200 in…everywhere else. That’s not what a refined products chart is.

If you’re saying it will cause costs downstream in the economy, then yes, the market already knows that and does not seem to be alarmed. Now I can’t explain that. As your argument goes, I agree with it. I’d think the market SHOULD be tanking and whot-not. However, IT’S NOT.

You know what? That means I’M wrong, not the market. Everyone is NOT dum but me. They know something I don’t.

March 17, 2026 at 12:14 pm #235026

Topcat
Participant

The Beat Goes On

Trumpturd had asked every NATO ally to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz yesterday.

Japan, France, Germany, Switzerland. Today the list grew longer.

Australia said no.

Estonia – Estonia! – wants Article 5 invoked first.

Canada won’t participate in offensive operations.

South Korea will “think about it”, which is diplomatic speak for no.

Germany’s Chancellor Merz made it official: “What does Trump expect from European frigates that the powerful American Navy cannot manage alone? It is not our war”.

Every ally. Every single one.

Hahaha, please make it stop

Trump’s response evolved through the day.

First he threatened NATO with a “very bad future”.

Then he demanded countries come “protect their own territory, because it is their territory”.

Then, in a moment of clarity: “Maybe we shouldn’t even be there at all. We have a lot of oil”.

From unconditional surrender to maybe-we-shouldn’t-be-there in 16 days.

Crazyland to the Rescue

March 17, 2026 at 12:16 pm #235027

Topcat
Participant

March 17, 2026 at 12:18 pm #235028

Dr. D
Participant

All boats sinking are relevant…if they’re ours.

All boats sinking are irrelevant….if they’re theirs. Ah.

Iran was never going to use the Navy. To plant all the mines they have thousands of in reserve I’ve heard every day for decades in this exact scenario. If they weren’t going to use the Navy and plant mines, why did they buy and stock them? They’re expensive and dangerous. Is Iran retarded?

No. The answer is, the Iranian Navy WAS relevant and they DID want to have that bishop on the chessboard to use. And ‘we’ removed it. You don’t want to admit ANY wins. Like Trump blowing up an “Austere scholar and loving father”, not ONE thing can be right. Never. Like every town Putin takes, all critical defenses until gone, then they were always totally irrelevant, ackshully.

IRAN HAS OTHER PIECES. Great! More power to them. They have drones n’ stuff and even Trump said you can’t have a constant low-level harassment there because boats will still occasionally sink and that can’t be tolerated. (other discussion). I’m not saying Iran does NOT have that, I’m pointing it out to you.

What I’m saying is the Iranian Navy was always relevant for 1,000 reasons or Iran wouldn’t have spent a billion dollars on it, trained, then drowned 1,000 strong and valuable Iranian men. Right? Navies are a thing that help attack other Navies, right? That’s why we built them, right?

March 17, 2026 at 12:31 pm #235029

Topcat
Participant

I love the smell of an Israeli Merkava tank burning in the morning

Zionazi Merkava tank crew fried to death by a Almas anti-tank guided missile

It was reverse-engineered from the Israeli Spike system that Hezbollah captured in 2006

The IDF’s own technology, rebuilt by its enemy, fired back across the same border 20 years years later.

Karma is a Bitch

March 17, 2026 at 12:46 pm #235030

Topcat
Participant

Hey, I was told Iran is out of missiles by the Empire of Lies Media Whores

What’s Up Doc?

Wave 55 of True Promise 4 landed with 357 impacts in a single salvo

Submunitions and debris from recent Iranian missile strikes (March 2026) struck areas including
Lod and Shoham, with significant impacts concentrated around Ben Gurion Airport, causing damage to infrastructure and creating large craters. The attacks, targeting central Israel

The Zionazis can’t abandon ship very easily without an airport.

Ben Gurion Airport out of commission, that’s a lot of Butthurt

Ultra heavy hypersonic ballistic missiles

March 17, 2026 at 12:46 pm #235031

Celticbiker
Participant

Jews wanted a Hell on earth and they got it, all it took was $ printed and backed by 0. Yakking about the captured West changes nothing Not only does government ignore you, they want you dead. Focusing on these pedophiles and traitors is a waste of time, a new younger batch is waiting with anticipation in the wings. Doc John is right, plant a garden, fuck it, walk away. Happy St. Patricks Day.

March 17, 2026 at 1:00 pm #235033

those darned kids
Participant

will markets put the babies back together?

March 17, 2026 at 1:07 pm #235034

those darned kids
Participant

PRESIDENT FUDD ANNOUNCES GRAND COALITION OF WABBIT HUNTERS

March 17, 2026 at 1:11 pm #235035

those darned kids
Participant

President Fudd threatening to unleash new hypersonic missile, “The COFEFE”

March 17, 2026 at 1:13 pm #235036

those darned kids
Participant

It’s more fun to sink ’em

March 17, 2026 at 1:15 pm #235037

Topcat
Participant

Dubai International Airport the World’s Busiest

But, but, but, I was assured Iran was running out of missiles…

on the Dubai International Airport took a drone strike fuel depot.

Fire at Terminal 3.

British Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Air France, KLM, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Finnair, Virgin Atlantic – all suspended Dubai flights.

Emirates rerouted. The busiest international airport in the world, and every non-Emirati carrier pulled out in 1 morning.

March 17, 2026 at 1:27 pm #235038

those darned kids
Participant

March 17, 2026 at 1:40 pm #235039

Topcat
Participant

Attrition not Addition

Equals Subtraction

The UAE has officially lost its advanced early warning and air surveillance aircraft, the Saab GlobalEye.

Today a $20,000 Iranian drone destroyed a $1 Billion UAE aircraft

A billion dollars gone for the price of a Used Car

March 17, 2026 at 2:09 pm #235040

those darned kids
Participant

president fudd at his finest:

https://t.co/hzMWWRuSW4

March 17, 2026 at 2:32 pm #235041

zerosum
Participant

The Strait is not, was not closed to anyone other than the US, Israel and their allies.

the president presses China to help the U.S. reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis (another Iranian proxy) were giving signs that they are ready to escalate against shipping being diverted into the Red Sea to load crude cargoes at the Saudi port of Yanbu.
Disruptions to Red Sea shipping – which the Houthis have proven adept at over the years – would close off the release valve of the Saudi East-West pipeline that is capable of redirecting 5-7mn bbl/day to offset the ~18-20mn bbl/day supply interruption.

True or False.
It doesn’t matter.
Nobody wants to join the battle to try to open the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Navy Destroyer SUNK by Iran —Next Days That Changed Everything
————-

March 17, 2026 at 2:34 pm #235042

Michael Reid
Participant

March 17, 2026 at 3:02 pm #235043

those darned kids
Participant

holy mooly, when hisandherstorians go back and look at the statements of president fudd and his obvious path to madness,

they are gonna dance the whiskey tango foxtrot like never before.

<little mouse in corner> maybe he found hunter’s stash.. </little mouse in corner>

March 17, 2026 at 3:03 pm #235044

those darned kids
Participant

No results found for “hisandherstorians”

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March 17, 2026 at 3:05 pm #235045

those darned kids
Participant

holy mooly, when hisandherstorians© go back and look at the statements of president fudd and his obvious path to madness,

they are gonna dance the whiskey tango foxtrot like never before.

<little mouse in corner> maybe he found hunter’s stash.. </little mouse in corner>

©2026 tdkmeme and partners, L.L.C., S.A. de C.V.

March 17, 2026 at 3:08 pm #235046

Michael Reid
Participant

https://www.palestinechronicle.com/iran-announces-crushing-rapid-strikes-as-wave-58-hits-ben-gurion-tel-aviv/

March 17, 2026 at 3:12 pm #235047

Michael Reid
Participant

March 17, 2026 at 3:52 pm #235048

kultsommer
Participant

Cher and the ex-mayor of Palm Springs.
For the late boomer generation that video can be from silent era movies as far as they are concerned.
An eerie disconnect.
And yet they are thrown with the same “privileged” basket with the early deliveries.

March 17, 2026 at 3:54 pm #235049

those darned kids
Participant

BiBi Brothers Productions Proudly Present!!!

president fudd and his looney band of suckophants:

president fudd
vice president vancy duck
sec of state speedy gusanez
sec of ¡¡¡WAR!!! the petemanian devil
sec of treasury porky scotty
spokesmodel foghorn leavitt

and far, far, too many more..

will they ever catch that pesky باگز بانی?

خبر چیست، کوچولو؟

March 17, 2026 at 3:56 pm #235050

zerosum
Participant

The situation in Iraq as of 17 March 2026 is marked by a severe escalation in hostilities between the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) and U.S. forces, while the relationship between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has reached a critical breaking point.

As of today, the IRI claims to have conducted over 312 operations in the last 13 days. This morning (17 March), they launched their most intense assault to date, using at least five explosive drones against the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

All U.S. forces are expected to leave federal Iraq by September 2026, but most probably will be kicked out much earlier. While the Iraqi government has not “officially” dismantled the Kurdistan Region, on 15 March, Baghdad delivered a stark warning to the KRG: if Kurdish authorities do not prevent armed groups from using their territory to launch attacks on Iran, Iraqi federal forces will move to take control of the KRG’s borders. Baghdad is using the current instability to dismantle the Kurdistan Region altogether, and they will do that.There is significant “accumulated resentment” toward the U.S. occupation.

Posted by: James | Mar 17 2026 8:26 utc | 653

March 17, 2026 at 3:56 pm #235051

kultsommer
Participant

This place is American as American pie.
Gallon hats and all.
Kunstler can find himself at home in there, producing satisfying farts in the local bagel shop while writing how the “rug-heads” are incompatible with the Western culture.

March 17, 2026 at 3:58 pm #235052

kultsommer
Participant

Better soundtrack for that dragonfly X-post.

March 17, 2026 at 4:04 pm #235053

those darned kids
Participant

wow, fleetwood mac can actually create good music..

today’s silver lining!
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