First week of Iran war cost more than $11.3B
Alternatively, we could have replaced every single lead pipe in the city of Chicago for about that amount. Cost: $9-12B
There are many, many other things on which this money could have been better spent to improve the lives and safety of Americans.
We had a book and at least two films on the Manchurian Candidate.
Appears the not yet fully realized story of the Muscovian Candidate is still unfolding.
Given state of play & trajectory of US economy when he came into office, if Trump did absolutely nothing, except these:
-Pass & implement Lankford’s immigration bill
-Negotiate end to Gaza war
-Continue Ukraine support
Then just went away and played golf, he/we would be in much better position
So Indiana is now good at football and bad at basketball…more evidence we may be living in the upside down.
Does he think he is the president of a HOA and he’s demanding whichever homeowner put up the sign advertising this weekend’s garage sale to take it down?
Roman Anthony…Wow!!
Combine the war in the Middle East, threat of Iranian asymmetric reprisals, the US President’s low approval and inclination to invoke emergency powers, and the perceived risk to his power posed by the midterms…and have been thinking a lot about the 1999 Moscow apartment bombings and rise of Putin.
Lucas Ramirez (Manny’s son) has homered twice and Brazil is keeping it close with the USA heading to the 9th.
Realize they are both playing for the USA, but still doesn’t feel right having #RedSox Anthony driving in #Yankees Judge.
He did give up being Acting Archivist of The United States, so has some room on his plate for new challenges.
He and his boss decided, since there is nothing else going, this is the best use of their time.
Think next week they are discussing implementation of the ABS challenge system in baseball.
Think this is exactly how Grant put it to Buckner when he demanded his capitulation at Fort Donelson:
"Simon, don't think of unconditional surrender as an actual thing, think of it more as a state of being that I get to determine on your behalf."
This is a fascinating story on what happens when the FIFA circus comes to town expecting everyone to bend to its will and a small town stands firm:
FIFA vs Foxborough, Massachusetts
The embedded video recording of the Select Committee is worth watching...FIFA topic starts about minute 50.
Realize there are other factors at play, but as a rule maybe the US Attorney General should not be weighing in on the performance of the stock market.
The Dow is down about 3,000 points since Bondi made her sycophantic boasts on February 11th.
The actions against Iran and its predictable response was always going to benefit Russia (at least in near-term). Will be surprised if this is not extended beyond 30 days.
If they did not anticipate this, difficult to see how they are prepared for the more complex consequences of their war.
It’s nice to see the Night’s Watch embracing diversity and inclusion, and now accepting women to guard the wall and be part of the shield of the realm.
Suppose this is partly the result of the DOGE-ing of the State Department
Also, US currently does not have confirmed Ambassadors in any of the following:
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Egypt
Iraq
Kuwait
Pakistan
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
UAE
+ US does not currently have diplomatic missions in Afghanistan or Syria
One of those “wars” that may not be as resolved as some like to think.
Its unsettling, but if you are a ‘middle power’ or an authoritarian leader and reflected over past 10-15 years on Libya, Ukraine, Iran, as well as weakening US support for multi-national defense alliances, may well conclude path PRK took on nuclear weapons is the best way to ensure your security
Not sure the undue influence of current Israeli gov on US foreign policy & military actions is in Israel’s long term interest
Moral foundations of US-Israel relationship have been fractured over past 2+ years and US may come to resent being pushed into things by country / economy size of Austria
Your Honor, I had to punch that guy in the face because there were other people in the bar thinking about punching that guy in the face first.
If they had punched him first, that might have put me at risk, therefore in order to defend myself I had to do the proactive punching.
The Defense rests.
@nytimes.com w/ a useful reconstruction of US path to war with Iran.
"[Trump's] move toward war grew inexorably, fueled by allies like Mr. Netanyahu who pushed the president to strike a decisive blow against Iran’s...government"
Not in the piece, so who were the other "allies like Mr. Netanyahu"?
The current US Government appears to be answering the following questions:
What if the Corleone family was in charge of the government?
And, what if Fredo was in charge of the Corleone Family?
US / Iran relations were complicated long before 1979:
Today in 1953 Americans were caught in a power struggle between the royalist Shah and the national government of Premier Mossadegh
Five months later a British-American engineered coup would topple Mossadegh, consolidating power in the Shah
“Most of those people [US was negotiating with] are gone”, so not exactly clear to whom, in what has to be a fairly chaotic situation, he would be talking
Realize it’s not primary focus of the piece, but you diminish the publication if you don’t offer a corrective on Trump’s claim about the economy
Does the FIFA Peace Prize have a relegation system?
Used to be when you ‘Totally Obliterated’ something, it stayed ‘Totally Obliterated’
Now, when you ‘Totally Obliterate’ something you have to go back 6 months later and ‘Totally Obliterate’ it all over again
‘Totally Obliterate’ used to mean something. We just don’t destroy things like we used to.
The spike in oil prices likely to result from the instability & supply disruptions and indications that OPEC+ is considering increasing supply to compensate will benefit Russia and its ability to fund its war on Ukraine.
Key question will be how long the spike in prices lasts.
