Neuralink is not just going to repair sight – it's going to exceed the limits of human biology, eventually delivering high-res vision that outperforms the best natural eyes

"In the next 6 to 12 months, we’ll be doing our first implants for vision, where even if somebody is… pic.twitter.com/FVTcXjO09x
— X Freeze (@XFreeze) March 17, 2026

Professor John Mearsheimer:

Israel has become an albatross around America’s neck.

A great power should not allow a minor power to shape its grand strategy.

It just goes to show you how enormously powerful the lobby is.

When you look at this conflict, it is seriously eroding… pic.twitter.com/5p8VQ7EIph
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 16, 2026

https://twitter.com/robertdunlap947/status/2033500757668831561?s=20

Marco Rubio is correct, the destruction of the US economy was deliberate. What is so sad, we have globalist controlled Politicians who want it destroyed. pic.twitter.com/z4T2F3PCC1
— Hatton, America is back (@jnottah) March 16, 2026

Support for Israel has fallen for every age demographic since 2023, a recent NBC News poll has found.

Among voters 18-34, negative views on Israel have risen by 26% and positive views on Israel have fallen by 13%.

Among voters 35-49, negative views on Israel have risen by 10%… pic.twitter.com/kYSBgWlIRV
— AF Post (@AFpost) March 16, 2026

It is obvious.

• Trump Calls SAVE Act ‘Most Important & Consequential’ Legislation (ZH)

President Trump on Tuesday called on Congress to pass the SAVE Act which requires ID to vote in federal elections, warning that lawmakers who vote against it will have a “guaranteed loss” in future campaigns. “The Save America Act is one of the most IMPORTANT & CONSEQUENTIAL pieces of legislation in the history of Congress, and America itself. NO MORE RIGGED ELECTIONS!” Trump posted to Truth Social. “Voter I.D., Proof of Citizenship, No Rigged Mail-In Voting (We are the only Country in the World that allows this!), No Men in Women’s Sports, No Transgender MUTILIZATION of our Children. 90% to 99% ISSUES ALL!,” he added. (Mutilization?) Trump’s suggestion seems to be that if Democrats are allowed to steal elections, all of the woke societal ills will continue. “Only sick, demented, or deranged people in the House or Senate could vote against THE SAVE AMERICA ACT. If they do, each one of these points, separately, will be used against the user in his/her political campaign for office – A guaranteed loss!” Trump added. Trump also said on Tuesday that he won’t endorse anyone who votes against it.
Good https://t.co/8yF8XGbak9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 17, 2026

Why? Cheap political gain.

• Voter ID Has Massive Public Support: Why Is Congress Standing In The Way? (ZH)

The “controversy” in the US over voter ID requirements is an entirely fabricated affair, and a primary source of obstruction is the very government supposedly elected to represent the public will. That is to say, the only people that don’t support the SAVE Act are politicians, and some of them claim to be conservative.Roughly 80% of all adult Americans support voter ID requirements for US elections; this includes a majority in every minority group and a majority among 95% of Republicans and 71% of Democrats. In other words, voter ID is one of the few issues both sides universally agree on. Public support was enthusiastic before Donald Trump was reelected in 2024.

• Pew Research Center (August 2025): 83% of U.S. adults strongly favored or favored “requiring all voters to show government-issued photo identification to vote.”
• Rasmussen Reports (January 2025): Asked if requiring photo ID to vote is “a reasonable measure to protect the integrity of elections,” 77% of likely voters said yes.
• Gallup (October 2024): 84% of U.S. adults favored “requiring all voters to provide photo identification at their voting place.” Also, 83% favored “requiring people who are registering to vote for the first time to provide proof of citizenship.”
Around 90% of all countries with free elections have laws requiring ID and proof of citizenship before a person votes. The US is one of the few democratic nations in the world that does not secure its elections from interference by non-citizens. It is also the country most targeted by special interests for cultural replacement through mass immigration. It might make more sense if the US was entirely insulated and protected from illegal migrants. One could then argue that elections don’t need identification measures because there is no threat. Of course, the US is far from secure. The Biden Administration’s open border bonanza flooded the country with approximately 10 million illegals. Official estimates suggest there were 20 million total illegals residing in the US before deportations.
The problem is Congress. More specifically, the Senate. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act (H.R. 22) in April 2025. A subsequent, expanded version known as the SAVE America Act also passed the House on February 11, 2026 by a vote of 218-213, requiring strict documentary proof of citizenship to register and photo ID to vote in federal elections. The SAVE Act is relatively simple: A person must provide an ID and proof of citizenship when registering to vote. This could include a birth certificate or a passport. When actually voting, that person needs to have their ID on hand at the polling station. This is not difficult for the vast majority of citizens, yet, Democrats and a handful of Republicans assert that this will “disenfranchise” million of voters.
On the Republican side, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has been a persistent obstacle. Democrat Senators absolutely refuse to pass the bill into law, likely because they know a contingent of illegal migrants vote in state and federal election to keep them in power. There is no other rational reason for them to oppose the measure.

“The passport fees, the birth certificate hunt, the cost and inconvenience — they all collapse the moment you actually read the legislation.”

• 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.mSen. 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.”

So did Germany’s constitution until recently..

• Japan Constitution Forbids Overseas Military Operations (CTH)

Responding to questions about whether Japan would send military ships to the middle east to participate in escorts through the Strait of Hormuz, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi noted the current constitution blocks Japan from conducting overseas military operations. Exactly as we outlined when President Trump first made the request via Truth Social {SEE HERE} Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi may want to support the request, but Japan’s post WWII constitution about military operations doesn’t permit it. Japan’s military can be constitutionally defensive only.

While an argument might be made that escorting oil destined for eventual arrival in Japan may technically squeeze within a narrow interpretation of ‘defense’, considering the operation would take place far from Japan a highly conservative Sanae Takaichi is not going to try and thread that precarious needle.
TOKYO, March 16 (Reuters) – Japan has no plan to dispatch naval vessels to escort vessels in the Middle East, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump called on allies to protect tankers traversing through the Strait of Hormuz. “We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework,” Takaichi told parliament. Trump’s call in a social media post for U.S. allies, including Japan, to help protect oil and gas shipments through the strategic waterway puts Tokyo in a difficult position because while it relies heavily on Middle East energy its war-renouncing constitution limits the scope of overseas military operations it can conduct.
Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force has conducted anti-piracy operations in waters near the Middle East, but those missions were policing operations rather than combat missions against state actors. Japan can deploy its military overseas to respond to what it determines to be an existential threat to the nation, but that would be politically difficult and a high legal threshold for Takaichi’s government to justify. Takaichi will travel to Washington this week for talks with Trump that she said will cover the conflict with Iran.“I would like to engage in solid discussions based on Japan’s views and position regarding the need for early de-escalation,” she told lawmakers. (link)

“He holds the title of being the only person to ever lose a debate to Joe Biden. And that’s a shame, because Ryan was correct on every single debate point. And yet he lost the debate ..”

• Your Gas Prices Are Up? Cry Me a River. (A.J. Christopher)

And so it begins. “Mission creep.” “Quagmire.” “The Ghosts of Iraq.” And no “conservative” armchair assessment of a military conflict that’s extended past ten minutes would be complete without that kiss of death phrase “forever war.” Hey “conservatives,” it’s been two weeks. Two. Weeks. Breathe. Relax. And when you’ve stopped hyperventilating, take a sober look at what’s happening and assess the situation with a rational mind.

President Donald Trump began moving the chessboard pieces into place at the beginning of February. That’s February 2026 for those with short memories. The military campaign was launched in the morning hours of February 28. And what the United States and Israel alone are trying to do is destroy (and hopefully unseat) an entrenched dictatorship that’s had 47 years to dig in and prepare. So, yeah. It’s gonna take more than two weeks. Most conservatives know this, and they themselves are mentally prepared to do whatever it takes to get the job done. But a few too many of us are preemptively freaking out] regarding the political impact of a prolonged conflict. Oh sweet lawdy, what will this mean for the midterms?
What will the RINOs in Congress do to gum up the works? President Trump assured us this would take four weeks….but what if it’s five weeks?!?!?! What if it’s MORE THAN THAT?!?!?!?! These “conservatives” aren’t scared of Iran. They’re scared of swing voters in Arizona. So here’s what we actual conservatives need to do. We have to make our case and make it forcefully. We have to make the case to our wobbly-kneed friends and neighbors and family members and co-workers. And the case to be made, simply and straightforwardly, is this:
This is a 47-year-old war that Iran has intentionally expanded to the point where it can almost be classified a world war, and a nuclear one at that. The Cold War mentality of mutually assured destruction will not deter apocalyptic maniacs whose goal is nothing short of world domination. Yes, oil prices are volatile right now. Yes, our 401(k)s suck right now. Guess what. DEAL WITH IT. If that’s the most you’re being asked to sacrifice in your pampered life, consider yourself blessed. There is no military draft. There are no higher taxes. Nobody is being asked to give up meat or bread for the troops, or to grow victory gardens, or to buy war bonds. So have another spoonful of flax seeds and go fire off an angry email to the airline company for not letting you take your comfort peacock on the plane. Get out of the way and let the leaders lead.
Because the American voter has been conditioned to think that the government must neutralize every global threat, but with the absolute bare minimum disruption to their Starbucks routines, we’ve reached the absurd position of expecting our military to wage a pain-free, cost-free war. It’s up to us conservatives not to go all Paul Ryan. Remember him? He holds the title of being the only person to ever lose a debate to Joe Biden. And that’s a shame, because Ryan was correct on every single debate point. And yet he lost the debate.

NATO without US. Not what the Dems want.

• ‘We No Longer Need Or Desire’ NATO’s Help On Iran: Trump (ZH)

President Trump is not happy with NATO and is letting the world know it. First countries like Spain, Germany, and Greece made it clear they would not heed his call for a coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz, and on Tuesday France’s Macron stated it is “not our war”. Trump said in a fresh Truth Social Post “I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need.” And more:

Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer “need,” or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World…Without doubt, these countries have memories of Iraq and Afghanistan, which were multi-national efforts (and largely failures in terms of becoming unanticipated ‘forever wars’ and quagmires).

Macron: France Won’t Join Trump’s Hormuz Ops
President Emmanuel Macron has just slammed the door on Trump in a huge way, though he did so in his classic meager and weak, somewhat ambiguous fashion.He said Tuesday that though France will not immediately take part in efforts to militarily unblock the Hormuz Strait, it will continue to prepare for a potential future coalition that could provide freedom of navigation once the conflict ends.
“We are not party to the conflict and therefore France will never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context,” Macron said at the start of a cabinet meeting.As a reminder, Trump on Monday said of Macron: “I have spoken to him. On a scale of 0 to 10, he’s been an eight. Not perfect, but it’s France…” And the US president added, “I think he’s going to help. I spoke to him yesterday. I don’t do a hard sell on them because my attitude is that we don’t need anybody. We’re the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far in the world.”

“.. 84% of Americans say they care a lot about the U.S. economy. That’s nearly double the number for Iran, and it tells you everything you need to know about where people’s heads are at right now.”

• The Dems’ Iran Attack Strategy Is Backfiring, and CNN Admits It (Margolis)

Have you noticed how Democrats and their media allies have been working overtime to turn Operation Epic Fury into a political liability for President Trump? The rhetoric was nonstop about how Trump was starting an “endless war” and that things weren’t going well. Well, the public isn’t buying it. Just over two weeks in, the attacks just aren’t landing, and even CNN’s own data analyst is admitting it.

CNN anchor Sara Sidner and chief data analyst Harry Enten took a look at the numbers Monday morning, and what they found wasn’t exactly the anti-Trump bombshell the left has been hoping for. The American public, it turns out, is largely tuning out the Democrats’ rhetoric on Iran.
“There’s kind of been a little bit of a collective shrug from the American public,” Enten said. Only 45% of Americans say they care a lot about the situation in Iran — a number that, as Enten pointed out, falls below the majority threshold. Meanwhile, 84% of Americans say they care a lot about the U.S. economy. That’s nearly double the number for Iran, and it tells you everything you need to know about where people’s heads are at right now.
It gets worse for the anti-Trump crowd.
Google search data shows Americans’ interest in Iran is actually collapsing. Searches are down 84% compared to Feb. 28, when the initial strikes began. And over the weekend? Americans were (surprisingly) far more interested in the Academy Awards. I didn’t even realize they were on, but apparently, searches for the Oscars ran three to four times as high as searches for Iran. That’s a brutal number if you’re a Democrat trying to make this a liability for the GOP before the midterms.
“At this point, outside of the situation in Iran perhaps affecting the U.S. economy, which of course is the number one issue, is what Americans are focusing on,” Enten said, “I’m just not thinking that this is necessarily going to be the big political mover and shaker that you might expect, given that this has kind of been a pretty gosh darn big deal, at least globally speaking.”
And then there’s the approval rating data. Oh boy, is that a gut punch for Democrats.
Trump’s overall approval rating stands at 41% — the same as before Operation Epic Fury began. All the breathless media coverage, all the Democratic messaging, all the hand-wringing about escalation and consequences, and none of it moved the needle. Not a single point.
“Despite all the hubbub, despite all the critics of the president of the United States, what we are seeing right now is a president whose approval rating is steady,” Enten said. He added bluntly, “This has been politically a big ball of nothing.”
Enten did leave the door open for things to shift if gas prices climb significantly or broader economic pain sets in. But, of course, the opposite is also true. The war in Iran is not expected to last long. This means that the increase in gas prices will be temporary, and when it’s over, they’ll come down, and Trump will get the credit for finally ending the Iran problem that so many presidents have avoided. https://twitter.com/VigilantFox/status/2033601657536450691?s=20

“President Trump Stands in Support of Levin..”

• Megyn Kelly Said Mark Levin Has a “Micropenis” (Sundance)

I dislike Mark Levin immensely. Long-time CTH readers know I have a very valid reason to dislike Mark Levin immensely. My approach was to essentially ignore old yeller as he shouts and rants about all the things he always shouts and rants about. I dislike Mark Levin very much; beyond what most here would define as immense. That said, I also accept that -for whatever reason he has- President Donald J Trump does not hold the same opinion of Mark Levin. In fact, Donald Trump seems to like Mark Levin. As a consequence, I retain my peace and ignore everything that circles around their time together. However, this is also an πopportunity.

Mr Levin’s audience has been shrinking quite fast. The downward spiral has been happening with greater speed and increasing slope for around 15 years. The diminutive Mr Levin is now a visual representation of the Black Knight Monty Pyton skit. If the name was raised, I quietly just stared in southern. Within the great podcaster war of 2026, apparently Mrs. Megyn Kelly and Mr Mark Levin have been having a very public feud. I don’t know the details but given the reality of the past 12 months it probably surrounds Mr Levin’s Israel-First approach toward everything political. In the latest drama du jour, Mrs Kelly is said to have mentioned that Mr Levin has a small penis, a “micropenis.”
Mr Levin apparently picked up the phone and called his loyal friend, President Donald Trump. Likely looking for an ally of considerable consequence to boost his member-ship status. After all, Levin’s circle of influence is rather, well, small and shrinking.
PRESIDENT TRUMP – “Mark Levin, a truly Great American Patriot, is somewhat under siege by other people with far less Intellect, Capability, and Love for our Country. Mark is Tough, Strong, and Brilliant, hence the nickname, “THE GREAT ONE,” conceived by our MAGA friend, the wonderful Sean Hannity, after years of dealing with Mark in Legal, Media, and other capacities. Mark would often do Sean’s show, speaking as a lawyer, and Sean realized then, as did others, that he was special.
Mark Levin was not looking to do Television, Radio, or anything else, but he was drafted by very smart people who understood that there are few like him. He is a true Conservative, and Intellect, far smarter than those who criticize him but, above all, he is a man of Great Wisdom and Common Sense who truly loves our Country. When you hear others unfairly attack Mark, remember that they are jealous and angry Human Beings, whose “sway” is much less than the Public understands, and will, now that they know where I stand, rapidly diminish. Other than for his wonderful wife and family, Mark Levin only cares and wants one thing, GREATNESS AND SUCCESS FOR AMERICA!
Those that speak ill of Mark will quickly fall by the wayside, as do the people whose ideas, policies, and footings are not sound. THEY ARE NOT MAGA, I AM, and MAGA includes not allowing Iran, a Sick, Demented, and Violent Terrorist Regime, to have a Nuclear Weapon to blow up the United States of America, the Middle East and, ultimately, the rest of the World.MAGA is about stopping them cold, and that is exactly what we are doing. GOD BLESS OUR GREAT MILITARY, WHICH I HAVE REBUILT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF MY FIRST TERM, TO ACHIEVE EVERLASTING PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
~ President DONALD J. TRUMP

“Warmongers in the UK and EU..”

• UK, EU No Longer Hide Their Anti-Trump Sentiments — Dmitriev (TASS)

MOSCOW, March 17. Warmongers in the UK and EU no longer hide the depth of their opposition to US President Donald Trump, said Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian President’s special representative for investment and economic cooperation and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). “The masks have slipped. Warmongers in the UK and EU are demonstrating how anti-Trump they truly are. They tried to hide it for a long time, but now it’s clear for everyone to see. Trump will remember,” he wrote on the X social network.

Earlier, Politico, citing European diplomats, reported that relations between the European Union and the US were once again on the brink of a deep crisis due to disagreements over security in the Strait of Hormuz. According to diplomats, foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday almost unanimously opposed the US request to participate in ensuring shipping security. They pointed out that EU countries will not put their ships and troops in danger unless the US administration is prepared to do so. Trump previously stated that countries importing oil through the Strait of Hormuz should participate in ensuring shipping security by sending their warships there.

You should focus on your own country. Fix that mess and then talk about Trump.

• ‘I Am Extremely Disappointed In Donald Trump’ – AfD Co-Leader (RMX)

The co-leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), Tino Chrupalla, is actively voicing his disapproval of the American and Israeli war against Iran. He has gone so far as to warn that the war could lead to a third world war and indicates that Trump has broken his campaign promises by launching the war. “I am extremely disappointed in Donald Trump when it comes to his campaign promises,” Chrupalla during an appearance on Markus Lanz, generally considered the most influential talk show host in Germany.

“During the election campaign, he also accused Kamala Harris, that she would start World War III. And now we are on the cusp of having probably started the Third World War with Donald Trump. And that’s a breach of his word, which I really resent and which the American people also resent, who incidentally reject this war in Iran at a much higher rate than Germans. So, 70 percent of Americans do not want this war and do not support it. Chrupalla also stated it was clear the United States was dragged into the war by Israel.
“And I think the Americans, as you can really see now if you look at all the events, were dragged into this war by Israel. There were serious negotiations where Oman, as a peacemaker, came to an agreement with Israel together with the USA, and they basically started bombing Iran on the same day. The Omani Foreign Minister has described this as a huge mistake. The entire Arab world has labeled it a mistake. The Norwegian Foreign Minister has described it as a mistake. It has also been labelled a mistake by Turkey. You can’t ignore all that. These are all countries in this region that are naturally extremely worried that this will escalate into a conflagration. And that’s what we’re seeing now. It’s a huge wildfire.”
The AfD co-leader also warned that thousands have already died in the conflict, but in the worst-case scenario, this could reach even into the millions. He further warned that another refugee crisis could ensue, not just from Iran, but also from Lebanon, where Chrupalla said that 700,000 people have already been displaced. Chrupalla said the AfD party program remains against regime change in other countries, adding the end result is often worse, pointing to Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan — all of which have also fueled Europe’s migration crisis. He acknowledged there was internal division within his own party on the strike on Iran and on the topic of Israel, but said that the party can tolerate these divisions, as the AfD is a “pluralistic” party. Chrupalla indicated that if voters do not agree with his positions or the positions of others within the AfD, then they can be voted out or in.
Chrupalla noted that at the beginning of his presidency, he was convinced that Trump was ending wars. In fact, the AfD co-leader traveled to the United States specifically for Trump’s inauguration in January 2025 to show his support. “Now, we are on the cusp of probably starting World War III with Donald Trump. These are broken words that I resent, that the American people also resent,” he said. Now, he said that Trump has to “explain his line to the voters.” Regarding the killing of Khamenei, Chrupalla stated: “So I think it’s difficult when you have a head of state, whether you like him or not. And Khamenei is certainly not a head of state who has done good things for his people. I want to make that very clear. Nevertheless, I think it is rare or unique for a head of state to be killed or eliminated in this way. And the question is: what is the purpose of this and what does it achieve?”
Germany and the rest of the EU are facing an economic disaster. The EU needs Russia to survive.

Belgium already understands this. Who is with Belgium? https://t.co/qAoIeencoE
— Kirill Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) March 16, 2026

“.. taking advice from a nun about sex:”

• Sen. Kennedy Just Shut Down the UK Over Iran…and It Was Epic (Matt Vespa)

I mean, the British Empire fell decades ago. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) finished what was left of our cousin’s once proud standing in the world. The United Kingdom is flooded with Muslims and woke leftists who have been engaged in a long campaign of suicidal empathy that is going to destroy the island nation soon if it doesn’t get a grip on reality and change its immigration policy, though that’s the least of it. It’s well-known that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer isn’t involved in Operation Epic Fury because he can’t risk offending Muslims at home. So, please, spare us your usual snobby Eurotrash advice, dude. We don’t need guidance from a prime minister who’s afraid and stuck on his own island. And we don’t care what those in the cheap seats have to say. Kennedy, with his epic one-liners, delivered this blow to the UK, likening Starmer’s advice to listening to a nun about sex:

Prime Minister Starmer wants to give President Trump advice about our fight with Iran.

That’s like taking advice from a nun about sex. pic.twitter.com/OE05TRUSVB
— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) March 17, 2026

You’re too scared to fight. That’s good to know. Europe remains one of the most feckless lots we can be attached to at present. Here are some more great lines from Kennedy:
https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1904616539979907145

Next up. No violence.

• Cuban Chaos: What’s Real and What’s Speculation (Sarah Anderson)

We’ve reached the point where everyone and no one is an expert on what’s happening in Cuba. I just watched this happen with Venezuela in the weeks leading up to Nicolás Maduro’s arrest, and I’m not in the mood for a rerun, but here we are. It’s quite painful to see people whom I would normally respect read off talking points from MSM “anonymous sources” as if they know them to be facts, especially when they haven’t been paying attention to what’s actually happening. With that in mind, I’m going to lay out what we actually know and what’s just speculation in Cuba from the last week or so.

Fact #1: Trump is still talking “takeover,” but he hasn’t confirmed any details.
Trump has been talking about taking over Cuba since January. He’s let us know that Marco Rubio is largely handling it, and that’s about the only thing he’s confirmed. He keeps his responses to the media purposely vague, but many in the inner circle claim he has a plan. His most recent comments occurred in the Oval Office on Monday, where he said, “I do believe I’ll have the honor of taking Cuba.” “Taking Cuba?” the reporter asked. “Taking Cuba in some form… whether I free it, take it — I can do anything I want with it if you want to know the truth. They’re a very weakened nation,” Trump replied. “They were for a long time — very violent leaders. [Fidel] Castro was a very violent leader. His brother’s a very violent leader — extremely violent. That’s how they governed, they governed with violence.”
And on Tuesday morning, Trump said, “Cuba right now is in very bad shape. They’re talking to Marco, and we’ll be doing something with Cuba very soon.”

The Cuban people are demanding fundamental needs: basic services, sustenance, and freedom from tyranny. The Cuban regime must respect these fundamental rights.
— Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (@WHAAsstSecty) March 17, 2026

Fact #2: Cuba is still in the dark.
As I reported on Monday, Cuba’s National Electric System (SEN) suffered a total collapse, leaving almost the entire island without power. Blackouts are the norm in Cuba, but this one is, by far, the worst it’s seen in a long time. Hospitals are running on generators, people have no running water, and food is spoiling. Another significant problem is that people are finding it more difficult to communicate their situation to the outside world. They have no internet and can’t charge their phones, which I’m sure is just fine with the regime. Some have called on Elon Musk to offer Starlink as a solution, but Musk himself has confirmed that Starlink is technically available in Cuba. The problem is that the regime considers it illegal interference, and it can’t be sold or distributed.
The regime blames the U.S. for blocking oil, but the fact is that this isn’t just about a lack of oil. The energy infrastructure has been neglected for years and is crumbling as fast as the regime itself. As of Tuesday, some power has been restored, but it’s slow going, and most of the country remains in the dark. The U.S. Embassy warns that there is no timetable for restoration.

https://twitter.com/upholdreality/status/2033617692280676437?s=20

This happened under a “conservative” government https://t.co/xNxL9pS0f5
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2026

Trump says Putin wants peace and Zelenskyy is the obstacle.

Russia's Foreign Ministry names Britain as the saboteur.

Two great powers pointing at the same enemy is not a coincidence — it's the sound of the imperial chessboard being flipped over. pic.twitter.com/j3lGGvWCsV
— Promethean Action (@PrometheanActn) March 16, 2026

"It's like being dropped into a zone of shocking competence."

Marc Andreessen on working at one of Elon Musk’s companies:

"Everybody is like ultra competent… If they're not, Elon sniffs it out and fires them."

"The best engineers in the world want to work for him because… pic.twitter.com/qMRtuyXbW1
— a16z (@a16z) March 16, 2026

https://twitter.com/IslanderWORLD/status/2033680043424235810?s=20

Support the Automatic Earth in wartime with Paypal, Bitcoin and Patreon.

This topic has 86 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 3 weeks, 5 days ago by WES.

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March 18, 2026 at 10:05 am #235163

Raúl Ilargi Meijer
Keymaster

Sophia Loren seated by the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis during filming for ‘Boy on a Dolphin’, 1957 • Trump Calls SAVE Act ‘Most Important & Co
[See the full post at: Debt Rattle March 18 2026]

March 18, 2026 at 10:27 am #235182

Topcat
Participant

So what’s “Real” anymore?

If you dismiss my ‘proof’ as being AI, I can counter accuse your ‘proof’ of being AI too.

Like generating a video of Khomeini drinking coffee at the same cafe as six fingered Bibi the Butcher was ‘drinking it at’.

each side questioning the “Reality” of the other.

Perception being phucked purple by AI

That’s the Event Horizon Artificial Reality has ushered in.

A free floating Miasma

This scenario highlights the era of “epistemic nihilism”

Where the ease of generating hyper-realistic, AI-driven fakes—like the hypothetical Khomeini drinking coffee in Naziyahoo’s cafe video—renders traditional digital “proof” unreliable.

When both sides can fabricate convincing evidence, trust shifts from content to context, verification, provenance, and trusted, established sources rather than raw, unverified media.
.
The Crisis of “Real” in the Age of AI:

From the Empire of Lies comes The Liar’s Dividend:

As AI deepfakes become indistinguishable from reality, it becomes easier for people to dismiss real, incriminating footage as “AI-generated,” a phenomenon known as the Liar’s Dividend.

Context over Content: In this environment, the source of the information matters more than the content itself. Metadata, verified chains of custody, and established, reputable journalistic sources become the only reliable “proof.”

Verification Technologies: Tools designed to detect AI, such as cryptographic signatures, digital watermarking, and blockchain-based provenance (e.g., C2PA), are increasingly necessary to verify that a video was recorded by a camera, not generated by a prompt.

Ultimately, “real” is becoming synonymous with “traceable” and “verified,” rather than just “visible.”

AI is the Abyss

March 18, 2026 at 10:28 am #235183

Topcat
Participant

March 18, 2026 at 10:33 am #235184

Topcat
Participant

March 18, 2026 at 10:57 am #235185

Topcat
Participant

The “Market” is a form of voting.

Perceptions can be faked in the short run and fool the Market, but given Time the Market ferrets out the Fake.

Even in the current AI perception war the Market will ultimately discover the the Emperor of Lies has no clothes.

When the Market is fooled short term that there is “plenty of food” but you and your community can’t find any, you and your family all get to die from starvation as a reward. for your ‘judgement.

The current Mindphuckery with West Asia is going to manifest as having “Real” consequences in the form of record high prices and record high inflation.

In the short run the Market can be fooled with relatively small distortions of ‘reality’, gaming stats, false PR, spin, the usual culprits that we now see via Media Whores and Presstitutes.

And now using the new tool of AI

The Empire of Lies is hiding casualties now. A lot more injureed and killed in West Asia.

Most USSA military bases in the Gulf States didn’t have hardly any secure bunkers for the personnal to take shelter in during missile attacks. They were living in flimsy barracks and tents in many cases because the hubris and arrogance of the Empire of Lies alway assumed no one would ever attack the Mighty USSA.

Ding, ding, ding. Wrong answer.

Plenty of soldiers in the Gulf were caught off guard, especially the ones moved to local hotels instead of evacuated and were hit by missiles and drones going after those same hotels.

Another thing to consider:

Details Of Fire On US Navy’s Largest Carrier Much Worse Than Previously Known

“There was chaos aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford after a major onboard fire knocked out a big swathe of living quarters, leaving hundreds of US sailors without beds in the middle of a live war deployment, in what marks a much bigger incident than what the Pentagon previously disclosed

The fire occurred last week, raising immediate questions of whether it was hit by an Iranian drone or missile attack, as Tehran has claimed, amid Pentagon insistence that it was none of these – but just an accidental fire.”

They LIED about what happened in the intial reports.

What are they still lying about now?

March 18, 2026 at 11:09 am #235186

Topcat
Participant

March 18, 2026 at 11:12 am #235187

Topcat
Participant

Watch the Youth of Ah’…merica Prosper

A penny for your thoughts.

March 18, 2026 at 11:30 am #235188

Topcat
Participant

MAHA

Be Proud of Your Cultural Heritage

March 18, 2026 at 11:39 am #235189

Dr. D
Participant

“What does… Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful US Navy cannot do?”

He expect you to fully demonstrate you’re not allies and have no power at all. And to tell that to the bond market while your oil lifeline is held by us, or shortly, by China and Russia. He never really expected you to lift a finger, as you haven’t in 40 years. You only criticize us for doing it wrote, sitting on your Euro-butts in Paris cafes, taking the free health care we paid for.

I don’t want to sound like that; there are a lot of problems, but it isn’t false. THAT is the perception we’re trying to update. The only Enemy is the Truth. That’s why Europe is against free speech from Galway to Warsaw.

“Trump-Appointed Counterterrorism Director Joe Kent Resigns In Protest Over U.S. War With Iran

Sounds good. He should. Do your thing.

“Trump Says ‘War Won’t Be Over This Week’, Iran Denies Talks Taking Place; Pentagon Confirms 200 US Casualties

Which Iran? Weren’t they meeting in that hotel that got bombed? By themselves?

“Appeals Court Lifts Block On Expedited Third Country Deportations

It’s legal! It’s Illegal! It’s Legal! It’s Illegal!

Duck Season! Wabbit Season! Duck Season! Wabbit Season! …Yeah that’s how the law works.

“Las Vegas Cops Refuse To Release Violent Repeat Offender, Defying Judge’s Order

Wow. Good. They must be PISSSSSSED at this guy. They should arrest the Judge.

“Is President Trump himself caught in a Kobayashi Maru scenario…”

You mean in the sense that he upturns the game board to win? Have you SEEN this guy before? Anyone?

“Judge Orders DHS To Submit Internal Documents Over Concerns About ICE Detainees’ Due Process

They don’t actually have “Due Process” in the normal sense? CITIZENS are entitled to Due Process. That’s actually the reason “Citizens” exist?

“Tulsi Too? GOP Hits Back After Counterterrorism Chief Quits; Says Iran Threat To Americans Was ‘Imminent’

Why not go further? Rubio said Israel was just gonna act, so that’s why we did, keeping it non-nuclear. That. Is called. Extortion. (P.S. all nations do it all the time) Why limit the field? So Israel sure was going to use a nuke…on Baltimore…if Trump doesn’t obey. Because he won’t take the bait to split his base between war/no war factions, Home/Israel factions, no problem! We’ll just kill everyone you’ve ever met one by one starting with Barron. You are GOING to do this thing. And I’ll kill every human on the planet one by one in front of you until you do. And have. They’ve already shot him half a dozen times and you remember first week in 2017? Guy gets Taco Bell, hops the fence, sits around eating it on the White House lawn, No Secret Service anywhere, nobody gets in trouble? Yeah well a week after, USSS was sneaking into Barron’s room and taking selfies with him and posting them. That’s what we call in movies “A horsehead in your bed.”

WHY? A: COUNTER-Terrorism head leaves. A Boy Scout. WHY? Because HE would have to HELP. Like Kash, when this guy gets shot on camera with the OPPOSITE of a 30-06, when Planes fly around the air for hours and cause buildings to collapse that have never been hit, they need THIS guy to “Not be able to figure it out.” Again.

That’s how this all works, people. Always has. So he resigns because he can NOT do that, but if so, at this level they’ll kill him too, so he can pick up a different fight.

So as this all happened what does TRUMP do? A: He does exactly what they always wanted. Good and Hard. Yesterday, messing with Tucker, not Trump’s style? This is EXACTLY his style. Okay then, fine, Here’s your war, Israel! Do you like it now?

Looks like we solved that blackmail/Israeli Lobby problem doesn’t it? When Israel ceases to exist. So you’re welcome.

Like I keep saying, IRAN wants this, ISRAEL wants this, 2/3 of Congress wants this, all the Intel agencies want this, some 1/3 of America wants or is okay with this, Then you’re all mad! Can nothing please you people?

Every one of you wants Israel to cease to exist in its present form. But when the very large event appear that will finally allow it to happen, you now don’t want it! You’re now mad at the guy who made it happen! This guy is making your dreams come true, and you hate him. I just don’t get it.

I mean, you thought we’d take a sharpie and cross off “Israel” on a paper printout like we did the “Gulf of America” and Israel would go “Oh, okay then, I guess we die now”??? No. Be an adult. It’s going to take slightly more than that.

So: Ol’ Blackmailin’ Bibi is missing! So sad! If I were Trump I would have kidnapped or blown him up MYSELF. Why wouldn’t he? Why would we not think he has, with all the assets at his/our disposal? The Barzini’s blackmail the Corleones and threaten his kids? Okay, fine, Michael just kidnapped your Uncle. They’re like “Noooooo!!!! That would mean governments use Mafia tactics!!! Don’t be MEAN! Governments never, never do that!” AYFKM.

You’re all like, “Governments would never lie or kill anyone, when faced with death, they play on Queensbury Rules concerning Lobbies and Elections and Judges, tho” Uh, no. They perfer that bc they’re not exposed but we’re on how many assassination attempts, which tie in people as close as Pence, Pompeo, and Haley, and as we’ve just noticed Kash and Kirk on national TV?

This should be the FIRST assumption, they will do that, not the last. It’s cheaper and EASIER to kill them and set off a nuke than to lobby Congress for 3 years.

Back to the Gulf, they wanted it: so give it. Then “Accidentally” Israel has no radar/air defense, although needing infinity AD is the most predictable thing in the history of predictions. They “Accidentally” shut off all Europe’s energy, almost certainly the original source of the pressure. We “Accidentally” don’t take the bait but write in China and Russia for a win, as they will have to fight the “Original source” at some point too. The Barzinis will move on their territory before our bodies are cold.

“Greenwald: 9/11-Like Mass Casualty Attacks Could Trigger Permanent Emergency Measures

What “event”? Weird timing to be talking about an Event that was averted and never happened.

“U.S. Abandons Strong Dollar Policy. Higher Gold Price in the National Interest.” maneco64 •34K views

This is the problem: No one can update their map. Trump has wanted a LOWER dollar for how long, fighting with Powell, bc competitive exports, etc?

Maneco AI pics Trump collapsing, by handing Xi all our gold. …Xi has control of Rare Earths. See???? Trump fail!! (In Planet AI) Ha Ha! Yeah, guys?? That’s called “Buying things.” I give you gold, YOU give me whiskey in Ye Olde Saloon. It has been known to “Buy things” and as a trader, you might have noticed that. Why not the other way, CHINA, has bought all our useless gold, the Chumps! For these super-useful Rare earths.

What. The literal? Every minute of the day now. Now Capitalists no longer know what “buying” in “Fair voluntary exchange” is anymore, and 10 year old public policies are sooper-secret embarrassments.

O…..K…….

Back to Maneoco, I realize same with Duran and the Alexes all day. They’ll be RIGHT on the case, then suddenly with some stupefying non sequitur. They’ll even hit and and say “I don’t’ understand this at all! Makes no sense!!!” concluding “Everyone on earth is an idiot but me“….who admits he has no idea what’s going on. Riiiiight. Covering Iran, Alex C then says, “Trump is embarrassed, pinned down in Ukraine.” Huh???????? You mean with the 10 million men we have stationed there? Wait: NO men? And NO money? Yeah, he’s super-embarrassed he’s “Losing” a war he’s told everybody and the Pope to F’ing stop for the love of Christ. B-tch slapped all Europe senseless in the Oval Office and dismissed them to eat pizza and play WoW with Putin?

They can’t update their map. Ever, it seems.

The other one is the REASON they can’t and the reason for 60% of their like “Are you f—ing RETARDED” misses: Very European. What they can’t get over is “Europe R Us.” So TRUMP loses when gas is cut off to Europe from Kuwait. TRUMP loses when oil doesn’t leave the Straits. Uh, no. EUROPE loses.

Only

Only

Only

Only

Europe.

America has all the oil and gas we need. We don’t NEED the Strait! AND he’s told you 25 times on camera right now we’re NOT ALLIES. And then you proved it and concurred by NOT sending any warships to secure your own oil. Not even an airbase.

But like Borderline Personality Disorder, the Alexes are unable to distinguish and separate that the United States is NOT Europe. Like a Crazy Ex, WE OWN YOU. You can never divorce and leave her where she has to, you know, work a day job and stop poisoning the kids’ food.

So they’ll be perfectly clear and functional until they reach any event that requires saying “Europe and the U.S. aren’t the same person.” Then they collapse into gibberish.

This is WHILE they say they hate Trump’s guts and they wish our President and all our people would die, ha ha, something I hear here every day. Yeah, um, when you wish everyone in my whole country dead, you’re not ackshully an Ally, are you? We’re not actually “One Family”, “One West” as many say here. “One Cabal”. It’s impossible to make it any clearer. As mentally ill BPD maniacs, they can’t digest it, and just carry on with their mental illness unaffected.

They say, “But America’s actions are our enemy tho!!!!!!!!!!” …Then for the love of Jumpin’ Jesus KEEP SAYING WE’RE ONE PERSON. Take your own advice: IF America is against you, then ACT like we’re not your NATO Army and free money-pot. Nope.

So look for that in their discussions. This is likewise like all the Fox News Londonists (Maneco, Alex1 and Alistair, etc are all literally London) make the exact same error, just slightly less.

“The Straits will collapse all oil supplies!!!!” (To Europe)
“ISRAEL IS BEING DESTROYED!!!!” (Good! Yay! Why would I be sad? That’s GREAT news for a free Congress.)
“Iran is destroying Empire!!!” (You mean the one we don’t want and vowed 10+ years ago to end or die trying? That I also oppose?)

All their conclusions are dead wrong because their GOALS, internalized, are all London/CIA line items. Yes, but if we do THAT, American will be in a “MultiPolar world” and lose our “Exorbitant Privilege”. GOOD!!! That was the whole POINT, that’s why we exist, and told you daily for 10+ years ahead of time.

Johnson and Fox Constellation: “But you’re destroying the One Ring tho! No one would do that because – I – want it!” Hahahaha! No.

Since their GOAL is colonialism and Empire, every time it ends, they call it Losing. And we all call it Winning.

So they get on TV, tell the American People Trump is a stupid loser, ending Empire, and the American People say “Good! IDGAF” and his poll numbers go UP, and they can’t understand it. Daily for a decade. And are still on tomorrow as “Experts”.

“”We’re At War”: Ecuador Deploys 75,000 Troops, Launches Anti-Cartel Missile Strikes; Colombia Warns “We’re Being Bombed”

Looks like Ecuador is ending Empire. Good. They’re now sovereign as the Globalists are too busy. Good. We are in full support of this, with our help. Ask Rubio. Happening worldwide while the camera is on us WINNING in Iran. …Because EUROPE is taking all the hits.

March 18, 2026 at 11:39 am #235190

those darned kids
Participant

“You should focus on your own country. Fix that mess and then talk about Trump.”

sorry, but “Trump” is everybody’s mess.

tell the gazans or iranians or venezuelans or yemenis or greenlanders or somalis or cubans to “focus on your own country”.

March 18, 2026 at 11:41 am #235191

those darned kids
Participant

“Looks like Ecuador is ending Empire. Good.”

ecuador is empire. it is the central hub for cia drug ops.

March 18, 2026 at 11:56 am #235192

Topcat
Participant

Maybe our gracious host here at TAE forgot about this:

“The Empire of Lies supported a ruthless dictator in Iran for 27 years to steal Iran’s oil”

Period

That statement is not up for fact checking

dr d will but,but,but with an incoherent word salad of pseudo rationality but, but, but that was Pure Evil on the part of the Empire of Lies.

And it lies even today about that historical FACT.

America’s 1953 coup in Iran led to decades of conflict

Today’s war spreading across the Middle East has deep roots in history.

Like many other Americans, President Trump seems not to know what happened or why it matters.

The bombing campaign he launched against Iran threatens the entire Middle East.

In 1953, the United States helped overthrow Iran’s democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, who had rejected Western claims and nationalized Iran’s oil industry. President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized a CIA coup that ended Iran’s democracy and empowered Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as an absolute monarch on the Peacock Throne.

The Empire of Lies supported a ruthless dictator for 27 years to steal Iran’s oil and finally got kicked in the gonads in 1980 and has never gonna over it.

Russia and China will not let Iran fail.

Trumpturd bit off more than he can chew in West Asia

All he has is Lies and those are coming to Light.

March 18, 2026 at 12:03 pm #235193

Topcat
Participant

Fake on the left & gay on the right

March 18, 2026 at 12:05 pm #235194

Topcat
Participant

Another episode of: Liar, Liars Pants on Fire

March 18, 2026 at 12:08 pm #235195

Topcat
Participant

Episode II of Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

Yeh, I know, super disappointing

March 18, 2026 at 12:19 pm #235196

Topcat
Participant

Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Everything’s fine. Truly. Nothing to see here.

Crossroads

March 18, 2026 at 12:28 pm #235197

those darned kids
Participant

March 18, 2026 at 12:47 pm #235198

those darned kids
Participant

“an incoherent word salad of pseudo rationality” [ed. sorry for the double quote!]

i’m sorry doc d, but you [ed. you] keep saying i [ed. me] believe and think all sorts of things that i just do not do.

it is very annoying.

i try to scroll slowly through your mondologue to be polite, but my politeness is dissipating.

yes, many people believe many things commonly. it is true that you breathe oxygen, and you drink water, and you sleep, and that you, in fact, eat your food.

but as far what i, and others, believe, all you do is lump all thoughts and opinions into a big ugly lumpy “YOU”.

please leave i out of your lumpy mess.

speak of “people” or “many” or “regretfully, so few”, BUT NO MORE “you”.

it makes you [ed. you] look bad, and it is frankly,

rude.

thanks!

tdk

March 18, 2026 at 1:02 pm #235199

kultsommer
Participant

“.. 84% of Americans say they care a lot about the U.S. economy. That’s nearly double the number for Iran, and it tells you everything you need to know about where people’s heads are at right now.”

The same goes about being thrilled by the Musk’s “rocket garden” .

March 18, 2026 at 1:20 pm #235200

Dr. D
Participant

“Professor John Mearsheimer: Israel has become an albatross around America’s neck.”

Which is why of course, all of our 500 moves against Israel are an inexplicable accident. Trump is highly obedient to conforming to the will of others. Everyone sez!

“Support for Israel has fallen for every age demographic since 2023, a recent NBC News poll has found”

What a shame! If Republicans had saved them from themselves again, like every day since Kennedy, nothing would have changed. By letting them get what they want, the People wake up and don’t want it. …Same thing they did in the Democratic Party, quit stopping them, let everyone see how violently insane they actually are. Tried everything else! Ask “Promethean” as they also said all same things since 1960. People heard the words but didn’t listen, just deny it for decades. How do you break the spell of their denial?

It’s not a big accident: this is EXACTLY what Ayn Rand wrote one of the most famous books about. This and nothing else. The WHOLE premise of 1,000 pages was: “Let them”. Stop helping. In 1950.

You destroy Israel by giving them what they ask for. Same as the other lunatics. Note: We’ve tried everything else! Not like this was our first move! Same with the Democrats!

They wanted a war against a larger enemy that would destroy them. Okay! Don’t let me stop you, tell you your own business: Here you go! Khorramshahr 4 for you! I can keep this up all day! The missiles aren’t actually mine, they’re Iran’s! And none of the rubble bounces to Florida!

Knock yourself out! Anything else you need, buddy?

“Japan Constitution Forbids Overseas Military Operations (CTH)

Like Ukraine, suddenly these Constitutions “Just change” overnight when they want to! Amazing! Everything is “Impossible” for 50 years until AI wants infinity nuke plants then “Suddenly it’s safe and legal” and 1,000 plants go up overnight!

It’s all Kayfabe. It’s all a hologram, a scam. None of it is real. Quit talking about “Lobbyists” or “Democracy”, clearly none of that exists and never has.

“Hey “conservatives,” it’s been two weeks. Two. Weeks. Breathe”

Like the cartoon, above, put in 100 million MAGA hats, out come…three coffins. So like 200 men, not 20,000 like VietNam? Yeah, that’s called “A Lie”? 200 ≠ 20,000. Stop, you’re insane.

Do I LIKE 200, 700, 1,000 men? No I do not. But you’re not giving me any time to argue against that when you wake up each morning claiming we have 5 Million men deployed in Ukraine, Venezuela, and Iran. Each. And gas prices are now $136,000 a gallon at the pump. And the Dow is negative a Billion. Gas is $3.02 actually.

See how all those extra zeros matter? And “Reality” is not something we “Just make up” in our minds?

If things are so bad, why do you need to make up everything and lie? All that tells me is things are so awesome, you don’t have a case, or you’d point at REAL things we all agree actually happened. Not even a moment for that. Hey, seems to be confirmed at least 136 girls were killed in a bombing. THAT seems to be real. Nope. Not a thought for it. Have to make stuff up. Why? A: Never cared about the girls in the first place.

Too harsh? Probably 136 Israeli girls have been killed by now and I’m against that too. Because I don’t believe in murder same as I don’t believe in collective punishment. It’s a failure. If they’re Kuwaiti girls, then it matters again? Or if they’re boys instead?

What if they’re 20 and not 12? Are they still dead now, or are their dead the good dead?

It’s a really easy position I have. Defending it is effortless. It takes tremendous Drang und Strum to do what everyone else has to “Some lives are more equal than others” or that any actions, and any mistakes, make us Hitler.

“• ‘We No Longer Need Or Desire’ NATO’s Help On Iran: Trump (ZH)

As above, previous section. Alex2 will say “Trump is destroying NATO and Europe Tho!!!!” Ya think? Like take a clue, man. Point here is, unlike a lot of things (Whacking Spain with tariffs) NATO IS A TREATY. He Actually can’t leave. Only the SENATE can do that, and they’re 2/3rds Globalists.

Bc how it operates tho, he can de FACTO leave. NATO in Name Only. And piss everyone off so they do it for him in Greenland. Totally good and legal. I don’t WANT to be Europe’s free army to give them free health care. No thank you.

“Have you noticed how Democrats and their media allies have been working overtime to turn Operation Epic Fury into a political liability for President Trump? The rhetoric was nonstop about how Trump was starting an “endless war” and that things weren’t going well. Well, the public isn’t buying it. Just over two weeks in, the attacks just aren’t landing, and even CNN’s own data analyst is admitting it.”

That was the plan, as above, maybe threatened to Nuke LA, I dunno. Have to pin Cheeto between Israel and MAGA and anti War. Totally their plan, yup, we know, Bannon told us what his evil friends were. But Is it? I’d check these numbers. We ARE less annoyed by it than I expected but still pretty pissed off. I think the operative part may be “The Media” and “The Democrats” Say. Like if they SAY anything we immediately ignore it as false. They SAY the war is good/bad, so we immediately take the other side.

…Thank GOD at last. Never thought we’d get here.

My take is, nobody knows wtf he’s doing and are just watching right now. Why not? Nothing we’ve ever said mattered before! Why would protesting now be different!?

“• Megyn Kelly Said Mark Levin Has a “Micropenis” (Sundance)

Awesome. More of this.

Trump probably has Levin by his micro-balls and is using him.

“UK, EU No Longer Hide Their Anti-Trump Sentiments — Dmitriev (TASS)

Exactly my point, above. Alex2 plus every Fox Constallation all hate America with a burning passion of a lover scorned, BUT ALSO we have to love, love, love Europe as our true wife forever. No matter how many times she poisons, bankrupts, or talks about our micropenis in public.

WE’RE NOT ALLIES, people. Get a clue. YOU did that. We said “Hey what about this 40 years of no NATO investments, pay your 3% and we’ll forget the trillions owed in the past”. Nope. How about helping secure your own oil? Nope. How about not starting WWIII with Russia for no earthly reason and dragging us into it? Nope. How about not pillaging our companies and ending all free speech HERE? Nope.

How about not treating us like punks and scolding, criticizing, belittling us with every waking breath since 1975? Nope. Hey, I’m not an expert or anything but sounds like you’re in such an abusive relationship that History books will be aghast, claim this didn’t happen, and speak of it in whispers?

“How,” they will ask, “Could anyone be so RETARDED” they will say, “As the EUROPEANS?”

Free NATO for 40 years and not dying in any wars while Daddy did all that for you was not enough! Still needed to sabotage more! Spend more! Close more nuke plants! Piss off more neighbors!

It’s not “Anti Trump” statements. There is not a DAY in all my long, miserable existence that Europe has not been Anti AMERICA. Mocking, Scolding, Hating, belittling, undermining, controlling. Not an hour of one day. Example: non-stop hourly lectures on gun rights. How we’re racist and no one in Europe ever talked bad about rival nations and told Polish jokes, sterilizing all Greenlanders.

That loooooong precedes Trump. This was a crisis before anyone knew Trump.

Canada too, by the way. Their collective hatred of America is the only thing that binds them together as Canadians. Motto: “We’re not America!” Whyyyy? You sell yourself short, sir. No one can be their full selves in relation to one other. You’ve done more damage to Canada with this thing than we could ever do to you.

“she would start World War III. And now we are on the cusp of having probably started the Third World War with Donald Trump.”

How??? I thought wars needed two sides. Who’s on the other side? Bulgaria?

Also: Europe is disappointed in us? Wow. So sad. Never heard that before. WHO, again?

Oh wait, I forget, Iran is landing in Fairfax and has surrounded the White House. Nebraska may surrender today.

“It’s well-known that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer isn’t involved in Operation Epic Fury because he can’t risk offending Muslims at home. So, please, spare us your usual snobby Eurotrash advice, dude.

Is he? No, he’s actually doing that because MI6 RUNS Iran and NEEDS the wars. But yeah, no lectures from the world’s most failingest place, thanks.

“• Cuban Chaos: What’s Real and What’s Speculation (Sarah Anderson)

We probably can’t tell. We probably can’t be sure what’s happening in Alabama or New Jersey. No? We had hundreds of UAPs hovering over Jersey for a week, then all disappeared and that never happened. That wasn’t even AI. Yup. So that happened. Wait: You haven’t heard about it in a year? No one’s followed up? Not curious at all?

So we can’t know that, but we know everything in Iran, every thought that ever crossed Donald Trump’s mind.

“”Absolutely deranged president. Out of control CIA and military. And the greatest rogue state on the whole planet — Israel.”

He is one that knows every thought that ever crossed Trump’s mind. He gently spoons him every night. And we all know the CIA is nothing if not loyal and obedient to Trump’s every whim. The military likewise! Like when he told them leave Syria and Afghanistan, they didn’t want to, but boy they did it, lickedy-split! Wasn’t a week to follow his lawful, commanding orders. Boom.

So says Sachs.

Or is it the OTHER way? He’s not clear. So NO ONE is following Trump’s orders, but it’s STILL his fault? Right?

All things are bad. Up is bad, Down is bad. Yes is bad, No is bad. Left is bad, Right is bad. Obeying is bad, not obeying is bad.

You know – totally unrelated subject here – you remember that “Bezmanov” guy? Something about “Demoralization” campaigns? Lie enough that people believe they’re evil, they’ll destroy THEMSELVES. Huh. It’s not a Theory or an explanation if all possible evidence leads to the same conclusion: America should die and give me money.

“This immigration did NOT happen under a Conservative government. Because the Tories are communists, collectivists. Always have been. The joy here is that they were finally exposed and ceased to exist, thank God. OBVIOUSLY this chart cannot be anything other than Tories are 100% against Brexit, demands Unity with Brussels and complete erasure of England, and will PUNISH the British people for any opposition, even to raping and murdering every last one of them. For starters. Funny: did not know being the #Opposite of patriotic and England is supposed to be “Conservative”.

“”Everybody is like ultra competent… If they’re not, Elon sniffs it out and fires them.”

Nobody ever claimed that Dr. Frankenstein wasn’t a pure genius. His astonishing ability and competency wasn’t the problem, actually. Look into it.

March 18, 2026 at 1:23 pm #235201

kultsommer
Participant

Bidness folks of the You-Es-Ay.

March 18, 2026 at 1:26 pm #235202

kultsommer
Participant

DC is full of ’em….
Polite and smiling.

March 18, 2026 at 1:33 pm #235203

kultsommer
Participant

Prime Minister Starmer wants to give President Trump advice about our fight with Iran.

That’s like taking advice from a nun about sex.

Funny in the world of one way streets only.

March 18, 2026 at 1:51 pm #235204

kultsommer
Participant

In 1953, the United States helped overthrow Iran’s democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh, who had rejected Western claims and nationalized Iran’s oil industry.

The one and only word as the reason of relentless attack against “socialism” so the people here in the US do not get some weird ideas.
“Private is always more efficient than state owned” is the #1 on propaganda charts despite being proven wrong (MIC expenditure….) and the logic that all the commodities and industries of vital national interest should not be in private hands

March 18, 2026 at 2:08 pm #235205

zerosum
Participant

A Real Hunt for Russian Tankers Has Begun
14 KM to the Main Battle
Military Summary For 2026.03.18

———-

March 18, 2026 at 2:15 pm #235206

kultsommer
Participant

Some more.
“Triple chin” and companions are so out the touch that they are not even aware of a gravity what just has been filmed.

March 18, 2026 at 2:18 pm #235207

those darned kids
Participant

don’t forget

all the

b2

b52

destroyers

and frigates

are burning the same oil as your rav4.

March 18, 2026 at 2:21 pm #235208

those darned kids
Participant

thanks, kult

March 18, 2026 at 2:27 pm #235209

those darned kids
Participant

hey, america, check this factoid out!

Low-End Estimate (175,000 gallons): This is equivalent to the daily fuel consumption of roughly 233,000 Toyota RAV4s.

High-End Estimate (260,000+ gallons): This is equivalent to the daily fuel consumption of roughly 347,000 Toyota RAV4s.

To put that in perspective, 347,000 vehicles is more than the total number of cars registered in a city the size of Miami, Florida. You are essentially looking at the daily energy needs of a small metropolis, mobilized for military operations.

March 18, 2026 at 2:47 pm #235210

John Day
Participant

Point Of Order:

Taking advice about the Iran war from Kier Starmer is much more like taking advice about sex from a prostitute than from a nun.

March 18, 2026 at 2:49 pm #235211

John Day
Participant

Backed Into Technocracy https://drjohnsblog.substack.com/p/backed-into-technocracy

As our global industrial economy enters a downturn and financial reset at the end of growth, our elite owners would like for all of us to have personal digital assistants and programmable smart money to help them smooth the transition out. We would not even have to think about what to do to be of help, because unhelpful things just would not be possible, and incorrigible people would find themselves increasingly excluded from any possibility to harm others or harm the system. Important resources like food, fuel, water and medicines could be directed preferentially to the most important and productive members of society, assuring continuity of the economic essentials, even in hard times.
Of course wars and depressions are hard on everybody, but it is worse if the economic life support system that keeps all of us alive fails. Everyone will have to understand that people are just not self-sufficient hunter-gatherers or living on small rural mixed farms these days.
The system will be very simple to use, just like GPS, but for everything now. It is the dream of Technocracy, an economic and governance system without waste or internal contradictions, finally coming true. ;-D

We are in the messy phase of starting World War-3 to jump-start all of the changes in global economy that have to take place. Right now it looks like wars in Ukraine and the Mideast, with the $US empire seeking to stamp-out centers of economy that do not pay $US tribute to support the system. About 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas is bottled up right now, with shortages expected to cause crises next month. Fertilizer for spring planting flows through the Strait of Hormuz, about 40% of global supply, and it is not stockpiled,but just-in time delivery, partly due to explosive risks with large stockpiles. Sulfuric acid for leaching copper from ores comes from “sour” heavy Mideast crude oil. Plastics, fabrics and synthetic oils are made from natural gas, as is helium for making microelectronic circuits and computer chips.
The tightly interwoven complexity of our global economic life support system, and human-nature when attacked and threatened, resisting, rather than complying, are frustrating President Trump’s efforts to lead the world into this new global technocratic governance vision, which he shares with Larry Ellison, Peter Theil and the other tech-bro’s, a vision nurtured for decades by Robert and Ghislaine Maxwell, and Jeffrey Epstein, amongst others.
There is a competing team in the technocracy race to neo-Utopia, not merely centered in London, New York, Paris, Frankfurt and Washington, but in the interests of the Gulf monarchs, who have very high expenses keeping their growing populations placated enough to not revolt.
There is political splintering in western elites now over the war on Iran going badly for the US & Israel. Distancing has begun. If Netanyahu turns out to be dead,maybe Trump can say Bibi tricked him and declare victory, but the problem of Israeli nuclear weapons, now confirmed since Trump blurted it out, and how to survive their being in the hands of a desperate group of genocidal war criminals as they must face the consequences of their perfidies.

Patrick Wood cracks the door for a peek into that here: Why Trump’s Takeover In Gaza Preceded The War In Iran – On the Iran war, the Board of Peace, USD1 and “The Final Betrayal”
The central argument of our book is not comfortable. We did not write it to please any political constituency, and we have paid for that in criticism from both sides. The argument is this: technocracy — the organization of society by unelected technical and financial experts, operating outside democratic accountability — has staged a sweeping coup in Washington. It did not arrive wearing the face of socialism or communism or fascism. It arrived wearing the face of populism. It rode the MAGA movement into power and then systematically betrayed it.
That betrayal has a specific mechanism. The Dark Enlightenment — the neo-monarchist ideology championed by Peter Thiel, Curtis Yarvin, and a cluster of Silicon Valley arch-Technocrats — proposes replacing the democratic nation-state with techno-feudal city-states managed by CEO-dictators. It is not a fringe position. It is the operating philosophy of a significant portion of the people now running the American government’s technological and financial apparatus.
Tokenization is the economic instrument. When you tokenize an asset — real estate, natural resources, financial instruments, eventually labor itself — you convert it from something owned outright into something held digitally, conditionally, and revocably. The World Economic Forum told you where this leads in 2016: you will own nothing. They removed the statement when it drew too much attention. But the program did not change.
AI is the control layer. Not AI as a productivity tool, but AI as the mechanism by which a managed population is sorted, scored, surveilled, and if necessary, excluded from economic participation.
These three elements — the Dark Enlightenment’s monarchist theory, tokenization’s asset capture, and AI’s control infrastructure — form the architecture we documented. The Iran war did not create this architecture. It is accelerating it. https://patrickwood.substack.com/p/why-trumps-takeover-in-gaza-preceded

Simplicius, Frustrated by Failure, an Unhinged Trump Begins to Tilt as Hormuz Standoff Heats Up
The biggest story has been Iran’s vindication over its claims that US naval forces had retreated under the growing threat of strikes.
Recall last time we spoke about the ~300km range of Iran’s anti-ship assets, but that Iranian Brigadier General Fadavi stated no US ship was operating within 700km of Iran’s shores.
It seems he was telling the truth, because latest Chinese satellite intel indicates that the USS Lincoln has now retreated to roughly 1,000km from Iranian shores…
..The supporting evidence comes by way of flight tracking which appears to indicate that air refuelers operating out of KSA are bridging the gap for this extremely long combat radius:
US Air Force KC-135Rs Stratotankers from Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base have been refueling fighter jets from USS Abraham Lincoln this afternoon…
..More interesting is the fact that Iranian officials had claimed the reason for the USS Lincoln’s withdrawal was that it was successfully hit by drones.
From Tehran Times:
Spokesperson of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters (Iran’s military coordination HQ):
The USS Abraham Lincoln was targeted by the naval forces of the IRGC and was rendered inoperable. The carrier has left the region and is currently returning to the United States…
..This was after CENTCOM itself confirmed that a fire had broken out aboard the USS Gerald R Ford, currently hiding way in the rear of the Red Sea. They claimed someone’s undies had caught fire in the laundry room… which if true only advances theories regarding low morale and ongoing sabotage aboard the troubled flagship…
..The fact is: US’s chief symbols and instruments of global power projection have both been curtailed or outright neutralized by Iran thus far, one relegated to hiding behind Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea 2,000km from Hormuz, the other now shielding behind Oman…
..Trump is now veritably begging allies to come unblock the Strait, blaming them for its closure after the US miraculously “decimated” all of Iran… Rumors claim he’s been secretly frustrated at his military command for their inability to unblock it themselves…
..Trump continues to beat his chest about having “totally defeated” or “wiped out” Iran, while being completely helpless when it comes to the most important objective in the region…
..Trump and his top figures are growing increasingly irate given the escalating failure of their floundering ‘Special Combat Operation’, with Trump snapping at reporters who dared question his sending of Marines for a potential boots-on-ground mission…
..Trump is faced with a perilous zugzwang of his own making: back off now and the ‘war’ will be seen as a major Iranian moral victory, as Iran was able to deter the US from completing any of its chief objectives despite a widespread and aimless bombing campaign. But should Trump double down, he faces an even worse catastrophe as the US may get totally exposed militarily, or risk losing ships or even carrier groups…
..Trump is faced with the mother of all sunk-cost fallacies for another important reason: If he were to pull out now, Iran would gain an historic symbol of deterrence against the US. It would expose the US as a paper tiger, which will have generational repercussions: a grand showcase on the world stage of the diminishment of the US’s most hallowed tool of imperial power—its mighty naval forces.
It would usher in an historic turning point moment in the Mideast, destroying the aura of invincibility of the US war machine built through years of thuggish bullying… Iran will actually emerge as a stronger nation relative to the US than before the war…
..We know for a fact the US is rushing radars from all over the globe, including South Korea to fill the gaps of destroyed equipment. This proves the US is losing critical capability that will not be replaced for years—and the same goes for munitions expenditures…
..As such, Iran stands to emerge from this rebuilt, while the US will have lost critical capability that will weaken its own projection and deterrence for years to come.
This creates a major problem for Trump: he cannot allow the US to be weaker relative to Iran when a hypothetical Round 3 kicks off a year from now, as the US would then suffer an even worse humiliation than is already in progress. Thus, Trump is forced to double-down and continue trying to eliminate Iran entirely, with the preferred method being causing some type of popular revolt that could bring a puppet leader to power over whom Trump would have control…
..In the meantime, sensing the coming end of its national arc—and its bloodlust somehow still not yet fully sated—Israel has gone for broke and announced a new invasion to seize all of Lebanon up to the Litani River… “We are going to do what we did in Gaza,” a senior Israeli official said, referring to the flattening of buildings Israel says Hezbollah uses to store weapons and launch attacks.
Like we’ve been saying for a while now, this is Israel’s last chance at salvation, and it knows it. Israel believes a weakened Iran and a neutralized Syria now allows it to finish off Hezbollah and expand Greater Israel, but the attempt will come at great cost to Israeli society, as per usual—and it will likely fail…again as per usual. https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/frustrated-by-failure-an-unhinged

Thanks Eleni. Turkey shock claim: If Netanyahu is dead, Israel’s collapse has already begun
A sensation has been caused by the position of the well known Turkish journalist Ibrahim Karagul, columnist of Yeni Safak and adviser to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, regarding the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Turkish journalist questions whether Netanyahu is alive, intensifying with his post the relevant rumor that has developed in recent days regarding the Israeli prime minister and his fate…
..Fuel to the relevant speculation regarding the fate of Netanyahu was also given by the latest announcement of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
They reported that they struck ten locations where, according to information, Israeli officials were located, as reported by the network Al Jazeera.
“The targets were 10 residences of Zionist leaders in Israel,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) emphasized in its announcement.
The IRGC clarified that of the ten targets that were struck, seven were located in Tel Aviv, two in Rishon LeZion, and one in Shoham.
In addition, it was clarified that three gathering and shelter locations of American commanders were identified and attacked. https://www.bankingnews.gr/diethni/articles/862379/turkey-shock-claim-if-netanyahu-is-dead-israel-s-collapse-has-already-begun

Lots of tweets and photos from Israel: I think, by now, we can asssume that something untoward has happened to NETANYAHU https://seemorerocks.substack.com/p/i-think-by-now-we-can-asssume-that

March 18, 2026 at 2:54 pm #235212

John Day
Participant

Israeli PM Netanyahu’s Coffee Video Under Scrutiny, Grok Calls It ‘Deepfake’ https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/benjamin-netanyahu-death-rumours-israeli-pm-netanyahus-new-video-under-scrutiny-grok-calls-it-deepfake-11221132

Reporter in Tel Aviv: “Iron Dome is not operational” https://www-n–tv-de.translate.goog/mediathek/videos/politik/Reporterin-in-Tel-Aviv-Iron-Dome-ist-nicht-in-Betrieb-id30472458.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp&_x_tr_hist=true

Trump acknowledges Israel’s secret nuclear arsenal during war with Iran
The UN General Assembly voted in 2022 on a resolution – introduced by Egypt – demanding that Israel destroy its nuclear weapons arsenal
President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that Israel will not use its nuclear weapons during the war with Iran, publicly acknowledging that Tel Aviv maintains a secret arsenal. “Israel will never use its nuclear weapons on Iran,” Trump said. https://trendsinthenews.substack.com/p/trump-acknowledges-israels-secret

Gold & Geopolitics, Daily digest: 2026-03-16
Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed – Goldman Sachs confirms flows collapsed from 19.5M to 0.5M bpd. Zero oil tankers recorded crossing on March 12. Net disruption after Saudi pipeline rerouting: 17.2M bpd offline…
..All major NATO allies decline Hormuz coalition – France, Australia, Japan, Germany, UK all said no to Trump’s warship request. South Korea “under review.”…
..IRGC launched Wave 55 of Operation True Promise 4. First combat use of the Sejjil solid-fuel ballistic missile, which travels at 10 Mach in exoatmospheric phase and is extremely difficult to intercept with Patriot or Arrow…
..Petrodollar recycling system under existential stress
Chinese shadow tankers are the only vessels transiting Hormuz – carrying Iranian crude settled in yuan through CIPS. Kpler confirmed 11.7-16.5M barrels reached China since Feb 28.
Eric Yeung’s framework: GCC oil → USD → US Treasuries was the backbone of dollar hegemony. If GCC starts selling oil to China in RMB and parking surpluses in physical gold/silver, the entire loop breaks…
..Saudi Arabia secretly running the hawks: NYT reported March 15: MBS has been privately urging Trump throughout the war to “keep hitting the Iranians hard.” …
..Mojtaba Khamenei flown to Moscow for treatment – Multiple reports from Kuwaiti Al-Jarida citing source close to Supreme Leader. Fractures, bruised eye. First public statement read by TV anchor…
..UAE GlobalEye surveillance aircraft destroyed – Worth ~$1B, destroyed by a drone worth $20,000. Only one in the Middle East…
..Taiwan power grid – Running out of power in approximately 10 days. https://no1sdailydigest.substack.com/p/daily-digest-2026-03-16

Gold & Geopolitics, Daily digest: 2026-03-17
Strait of Hormuz: tollgate, not blockade: Iran has not closed Hormuz universally. It has converted it into a permissioned system. Ten nations granted conditional transit: China, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq. First non-Iranian vessel to transit with AIS on: Pakistani-flagged Aframax Karachi carrying Abu Dhabi crude. Payment: diplomatic alignment, not dollars…
..CENTCOM listing “95% of mine delivery systems destroyed” while mines are actively being laid…
..Ship transits collapsed from 130-150/day pre-war to 0-3/day; Goldman estimated 17.2 mb/d disrupted
Physical Dubai crude hit $150-154/bbl vs WTI paper at ~$94-96 — a 40-75% premium over crude it is refined from…
..US Embassy Baghdad directly hit by Iran-backed Iraqi militia drone after C-RAM radar was previously blinded; FPV drone flew unchallenged for ~2 minutes over Green Zone…
..Hormuz bypass route no longer safe: Oil tanker struck at anchor 23nm east of Fujairah. Dubai International Airport fuel tank hit (third confirmed drone event near DXB). UAE closed airspace entirely. Iran is specifically targeting the Hormuz bypass infrastructure…
..USS Gerald R. Ford fire burned 30+ hours, displaced 600 crew, sleeping on floors. 10th month of deployment. CENTCOM described it as “non-life-threatening injuries.” …
..Hormuz coalition collapses before forming: Germany, UK, France, Japan, Australia all formally declined Trump’s request for warships. China did not respond. Zero confirmed commitments as of March 17…
..Trump explicitly cited Japan gets 95% of oil through Hormuz, China 90%, South Korea 35% as justification for demanding their navies. Actual China number is ~33% …
..Iran’s Mosaic Doctrine performing as designed: 31 autonomous IRGC provincial commands operating independently. No Supreme Leader authorization required per command. Wave 57 of Operation True Promise 4 ongoing as of March 17.
Iran conducting ~30 missiles + ~65 drones per day at current pace — down from peak waves but sustainable…
..Trump admitted: “They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries… We were shocked.”…
Trump-Xi summit delayed “a month or so.” US-China Paris talks lasted 3 hours, “constructive.” Bessent: “very good.”
Trump Truth Social post creating “Hormuz Peace Board” — same post claims war started by “Obama and Biden 47 years ago.” Not satire…
..KC-135 tanker fleet attrition: one crashed over western Iraq March 12 (6 dead), at least 5 more damaged at Prince Sultan. One KC-135 (61-0324) made emergency landing at Ben Gurion March 17.
B-2s still flying from CONUS because Pentagon fears staging them at Diego Garcia, within Iranian missile range…
..Hezbollah: 23 operations March 16. Iraqi Resistance: 21 operations. IDF ground operations now entering southern Lebanon.
AN/FPS-117 long-range early warning radar destroyed in Saudi Arabia…
..Iran’s internet at ~1% connectivity since late February per NetBlocks; regime shut down domestic servers after Israeli/US strike destroyed IRGC internet/jamming facility. ATMs offline. Banking networks down…
..Ali Larijani warns of possible false flag operation styled after 9/11 being prepared by “what remains of Epstein’s network” to blame Iran. Iran categorically denying involvement in advance…
..NATO disintegration accelerating – Belgium PM De Wever publicly called for EU-Russia normalization: “European leaders agree with me, but no one dares say it out loud.” First sitting NATO-member PM to break ranks publicly…
..EU stripped Greek Patriot PAC-2 reserves (~25% of stockpile) to Qatar. South Korea THAAD components moving to Gulf. European missile shield thinning… France running low on Mica/Meteor air-to-air missiles after sustained Shahed interceptions…
..Gold moving east; paper moving west – US Trade Deficit shrinks 25% driven by gold exports… – Gold as top US export category for 3 of past 4 months…
..US gold reserves now just 3% of federal debt — lowest on record. Would need $26,000/oz to match 1980 ratio…
..Malaysia declared US trade deal “null and void” after Supreme Court IEEPA ruling February 20 voided the legal authority underpinning reciprocal tariff deals. First country to say it out loud. ~$500B in annual US trade flows potentially affected. Shanaka Anslem Perera. MEDIUM — one country, but legal foundation destroyed for all.
Iran mining Bitcoin at ~$1,320/coin using subsidised electricity; IRGC processed $3B+ through crypto channels 2023-2025 per Chainalysis. Crypto treasury intact even as conventional military is degraded. BTC up 7-13% since war started. https://no1sdailydigest.substack.com/p/daily-digest-2026-03-17

March 18, 2026 at 2:54 pm #235213

John Day
Participant

Iran war live: Israel says Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani killed https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/3/17/iran-war-live-trump-scolds-allies-for-not-joining-strait-of-hormuz-mission

The missiles with warheads over a ton: IRGC: We used about 7 percent of the missiles, and we have about 100 of them https://en.topwar.ru/279440-ksir-my-primenili-porjadka-7-procentov-raket-a-ih-u-nas-okolo-100-tysjach.html

Iran Launches Solid-Fuel Sejjil Ballistic Missile in 54th Wave of Strikes Against Israel https://www.thedefensenews.com/news-details/Iran-Launches-Solid-Fuel-Sejjil-Ballistic-Missile-in-54th-Wave-of-Strikes-Against-Israel/

China Reportedly Transfers 1,000 Long-Range Kamikaze Drones to Iran Through Pakistan Corridor https://www.thedefensenews.com/news-details/China-Reportedly-Transfers-1000-Long-Range-Kamikaze-Drones-to-Iran-Through-Pakistan-Corridor/

French Air Force Suffering Acute Air-to-Air Missile Shortage in Ongoing Operations Against Iran
The French Air Force is suffering from an acute shortage of air-to-air missiles, due to extensive operations against Iranian drones in the Gulf region. According to the French paper La Tribune, the rapid depletion of ammunition has raised serious concerns regarding the further combat capability of the air force, with French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu having convened an urgent crisis meeting. https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/french-air-force-acute-missile-shortage-iran

March 18, 2026 at 2:56 pm #235214

John Day
Participant

Will Trump be replaced by Vance for dementia before midterms? Major White House Split Leaks as Trump’s War Spirals
Senior White House officials are reportedly having “buyer’s remorse” over the Iran war as the realization sets in that President Trump was “high on his own supply” when he launched it.
That bombshell is buried inside a new Axios dispatch. It lays bare a deep fracture inside Trump’s inner circle…
..A source close to the administration told the outlet that key officials had not been fully on board with Trump’s plans before the 79-year-old president overruled them all. “He ended up saying, ‘I just want to do it,’” the source said…
..A senior administration official told Axios that Iran’s disruption of the Strait of Hormuz was only making Trump “more dug in.” This has raised the specter of what the outlet terms an “escalation trap,” in which a stronger force keeps attacking to assert dominance as the returns diminish and the exit narrows. https://www.thedailybeast.com/major-white-house-split-leaks-as-donald-trumps-iran-war-spirals/

Trump’s billionaire adviser publicly rebukes Iran war as JD Vance camp erupts over Israel nuke threat
One of Donald Trump’s closest advisers has broken with the President over his war with Iran, warning the conflict risks spiraling into nuclear catastrophe.
David Sacks, Trump’s czar for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, said Israel was weighing whether to deploy a nuclear weapon against the Islamic regime. Sacks, a close ally of Vice President JD Vance, made the remarks on the All-In podcast, cautioning there are ‘risks’ of an ‘escalatory approach’ by Israel. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15650523/Trumps-billionaire-adviser-publicly-rebukes-Iran-war-JD-Vance-camp-erupts-Israel-nuclear-threat.html

Jeremy Scahill, Iranian Officials Say They Have Been Ignoring Witkoff’s Private Requests to Talk
Trump’s special envoy has been texting Iran’s foreign minister asking to start talks. Tehran says the war will end only when Iran believes it has established long-term deterrence.
“They want to negotiate. They want to negotiate badly,” Trump said Sunday night. “We’re talking to them. But I don’t think they’re ready, but they’re getting pretty close.”
Behind the scenes, it is the Trump administration that has been asking for talks. Two Iranian officials told Drop Site that Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff personally sent messages to officials in Tehran, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, last week exploring possibilities for resuming negotiations. Iran has not replied to Witkoff. https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/iran-war-trump-witkoff-araghchi

Russia Seeks To Keep Iran ‘In The Fight’ As Pentagon Eyes Mass Kamikaze Drone Production
Russia is trying to keep its regional ally Iran “in the fight”; Pentagon eyes ramping up Kamikaze drone use and production.
Trump: War will be over “soon” after which “oil prices will drop like a rock”; We are “not ready to leave Iran yet” but will in “near future”. Brushes off potential for ‘Vietnam-style quagmire.’ Trump on China and delayed Xi meeting – “Looks like it’ll happen in five weeks.” https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/not-our-war-allies-shun-trump-coalition-iran-security-chief-alleged-killed-oil

US senator criticizes Trump administration’s strategy in Iran war
“The ‘no quarter’ comment by the SecDef and this ‘just for fun’ remark by the President tells me there was never a clear strategy for this war,’ says Mark Kelly https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-senator-criticizes-trump-administration-s-strategy-in-iran-war/3867381

March 18, 2026 at 2:57 pm #235215

John Day
Participant

Johnson Hits Back After Counterterrorism Chief Quits; Says Iran Threat To Americans Was ‘Imminent’
Shortly after the departure of Joe Kent as director of the National Counterterrorism Center over the Iran war – insisting that Iran posed “no imminent threat to our nation,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) insisted there was. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-appointed-nctc-director-joe-kent-resigns-protest-over-us-war-iran

‘I am extremely disappointed in Donald Trump’ – AfD co-leader warns of WWIII
The AfD co-leader said he is convinced “the Americans were drawn into this war by Israel”
“I am extremely disappointed in Donald Trump when it comes to his campaign promises,” said Chrupalla during an appearance on Markus Lanz, generally considered the most influential talk show host in Germany.
“During the election campaign, he also accused Kamala Harris, that she would start World War III. And now we are on the cusp of having probably started the Third World War with Donald Trump. And that’s a breach of his word, which I really resent and which the American people also resent, who incidentally reject this war in Iran at a much higher rate than Germans. So, 70 percent of Americans do not want this war and do not support it.” https://rmx.news/article/i-am-extremely-disappointed-in-donald-trump-afd-co-leader-says-us-and-israel-violate-law-with-iran-war-warns-of-wwiii/

More registered US voters view Israel negatively than positively, poll finds
Poll shows a surge in negative views on Israel among independents, a key voter bloc that helped Trump win back the White House https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/more-us-voters-now-view-israel-negatively-positively-poll-finds

Hospitalized in Russia, a written statement: ‘Strait of Hormuz will remain BLOCKED’: Iran Supreme Leader’s first speech, vows REVENGE against US https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ptBEGNxB4s

Arab states urge US not to stop short in war on Iran
Several Arab states along the Persian Gulf are urging the United States not to halt its military campaign against Iran before significantly weakening the country’s military capabilities, Reuters reported Monday, citing regional officials.
Those governments did not press Washington to launch the war, the report said, but fear that ending the campaign prematurely could leave Iran able to threaten the shipping lanes, oil infrastructure and commercial hubs that underpin their economies. https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603169790

March 18, 2026 at 2:58 pm #235216

John Day
Participant

U.S. Mint Removes Olive Branch from Dime for America’s 250th Anniversary. https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/03/16/u-s-mint-removes-olive-branch-from-dime-for-americas-250th-anniversary/

Can’t risk ships in the strait right now: U.S. Navy Minesweepers Assigned To Middle East Have Been Moved To Pacific (Updated)
Two of the three Littoral Combat Ships that had taken over the minesweeping role in the Middle East have just appeared in Malaysia. https://www.twz.com/sea/u-s-navy-minesweepers-assigned-to-middle-east-have-been-moved-to-pacific

If they get to a beach: What tasks can US Marines perform in Iran? https://en.topcor.ru/69550-kakie-zadachi-mogut-vypolnjat-morpehi-ssha-v-irane.html

Monetary disagreements: Iraq Urges Kurdistan Region to Restart Northern Oil Pipeline to Turkey as Strait of Hormuz Closure Disrupts Exports https://www.thedefensenews.com/news-details/Iraq-Urges-Kurdistan-Region-to-Restart-Northern-Oil-Pipeline-to-Turkey-as-Strait-of-Hormuz-Closure-Disrupts-Exports/

Video of this war crime: Footage Indicates Use of White Phosphorus Artillery in Khiam During Israeli Operations in Southern Lebanon https://www.thedefensenews.com/news-details/Footage-Indicates-Use-of-White-Phosphorus-Artillery-in-Khiam-During-Israeli-Operations-in-Southern-Lebanon/#google_vignette

March 18, 2026 at 2:58 pm #235217

Michael Reid
Participant

Very interesting
Gilbert Doctorow : How Trump’s War Affects Russia and China

March 18, 2026 at 2:59 pm #235218

John Day
Participant

WHO Condemns Israeli Attacks on Lebanese Health Care Workers That Have Killed at Least 31
IDF claims Hezbollah using ambulances to resist ongoing invasion https://news.antiwar.com/2026/03/15/who-condemns-israeli-attacks-on-lebanese-health-care-workers-that-have-killed-at-least-31/

Israel Killed Over a Dozen Lebanese Paramedics in Three Days, Now Claiming That Ambulances Are “Hezbollah” Targets https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/lebanon-medical-workers-paramedics-israel-targeted-ambulances-hezbollah-islamic-health-authority

Hamas: Israel’s massacres in Gaza, West Bank part of ongoing war of extermination against our people https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/03/15/359608/

Euro-Med: Israel exploiting Iran war to escalate starvation in Gaza https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/03/16/359667/

Israeli attacks kill 13 in Gaza, including 2 children and a pregnant woman
Meanwhile, more than 20,000 patients await evacuation as the Rafah crossing is set to partially reopen on Wednesday. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/15/israeli-attacks-kill-12-in-gaza-including-2-children-and-a-pregnant-woman

March 18, 2026 at 3:00 pm #235219

John Day
Participant

Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Father, Mother, and Their Two Children in the West Bank
An 11-year-old who survived the attack said the IDF troops told him they ‘killed some dogs’ https://news.antiwar.com/2026/03/15/israeli-forces-kill-palestinian-father-mother-and-their-two-children-in-the-west-bank/

Palestinians seek answers, justice after West Bank family gunned down by Israeli cops
After Ali Bani Awda was killed with his wife and two kids when returning from a shopping trip, his uncle eschews calls for revenge but demands those behind tragic shooting be held accountable https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinians-seek-answers-justice-after-west-bank-family-gunned-down-by-israeli-cops/

‘I Liked the House’: When Israeli Soldiers Turn Palestinian Homes into Barracks
Iyad Dawabsheh was taken by surprise when Israeli soldiers carried out a large-scale raid on his home on Tuesday. Without offering any explanation, they informed him that they intended to occupy the house for two full days.
The house, located in the town of Duma, south of Nablus, is home to a family of nine. Yet this did not stop the soldiers from ordering the family to leave their warm home so it could be turned into a military barracks. https://israelpalestinenews.org/west-bank-israeli-war-crimes/

Israeli strike kills eight policemen, injures others in central Gaza
Local sources said Israeli aircraft targeted a police jeep at the entrance of al‑Zawaida, resulting in eight fatalities and a number of wounded people. https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/03/15/359605/

Monitor: Israel systematically destroyed over 93 per cent of Gaza Strip cemeteries amid ongoing genocide https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/03/15/359591/

March 18, 2026 at 3:01 pm #235220

John Day
Participant

Settlers fence off 500 dunums west of Salfit in preparation for land seizure https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/03/16/359664/

Hundreds join banned UK pro-Palestinian march https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/hundreds-rally-london-banned-pro-163332620.html

4.500 demonstrators show support for Palestine in downtown Toronto – Provincial bid to get court order banning event tossed out by judge https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/4500-demonstrators-show-support-for-palestine-in-downtown-toronto/3865110

“Tear Up Texas”: FBI Encouraged a 2015 Islamic Terror Shooting & Did Nothing to Stop It
Remembering the Curtis Culwell Center attack in which an undercover FBI agent encouraged shooters, followed them to the attack site, and didn’t stop them. https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/tear-up-texas-fbi-encouraged-a-2015-1eb

Cuba’s entire power grid has collapsed after US blocked oil shipments for 3 months, Cuban president says https://www.theblaze.com/news/cuba-power-grid-oil-blocked
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