Benjamin Radd

Did anyone else catch — and appreciate — @jaketapper.bsky.social opening his show today with a classic Kent Brockman “Simpsons” line? 🐜

Re: the humanitarian disaster in Gaza …

Hamas is to **BLAME** for the overall political, economic, and human misery of the Palestinians living there.

But Israel is **RESPONSIBLE** for what is happening right now, and since its invasion and re-occupation of the enclave. They must do more.

U.S. Says It Will Withdraw From U.N. Cultural Organization, Again

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/w... This isn't America First, it's America ONLY. Just saying.

The longer the "Epstein files" drama is allowed to play out, the worse the Trump Administration looks. It's too late to get in front of the story, PR-wise, but the fallout can still be contained ... if anyone cares to do so. My thoughts, via CNN:
video.snapstream.net/Play/3IdzTeG...

Yes, but also rife with mis/disinfo on X, as well!

“Family, friends, religion — these are the three demons you must slay to be successful in business.”

-- C. Montgomery Burns.

For this reason, there will never be normalization between the US and the IR because it would amount to political suicide for the clerical regime. Any such talk or diplomacy to that effect is a farce, and only delays the inevitable — as Ronaghi articulately states.

Going against any one of these three principles would cause the regime to topple. By that logic, any diplomacy with the US that would normalize relations in any way would undermine the first pillar, and therefore is inconsistent with the IR’s mission statement. It would have no basis to exist.

The Islamic Revolution which Khomeini led rested on three pillars, each of which served as the founding principles (“mission statement”, if you will) of the subsequent Islamic Republic: (1) anti-American, (2) anti-Israel, and (3) exporting the revolution.

“Your top priorities don’t align with mine, ergo you’re a fascist” is just 🤦🏻‍♂️

I want them to debate many things. My priorities (ie, top three) don’t necessarily align with the ones above that you are reacting to. But a reordering of priorities is not, by itself, a marker for fascism. Hyperbole helps none of us, here.

There are a hundred or more suggestions one could make. He happened to list three. It wasn't meant to be an exhaustive list of three, but rather three that you and maybe others wouldn't prioritize or agree with. They still doesn't make them prima facie fascistic.

How is any of that "fascistic"?

Trump sees the post-WW2 world order as a form of DEI diplomacy: a system foisted upon the US by liberal elites, that brought otherwise marginalized and colonized states into the family nations, gave them a seat at the UN and the opportunity to stand up against imperialist or revanchist bullies..

YouTube video by The New York Times Germany’s Far-Right Comeback | NYT Opinion

“We’re not Nazis, we’re just against liberty, equality, and liberalism in general.”

youtu.be/bLWLb0RM7HQ?...