I don't know if we can fix a human race that keeps allowing the worst among us to rise to power, but it might help if we tried practicing actual democracy, not just preach it. First, let us get wealth out of politics and bribery out of government. Next, let's make damn sure only Congress can send us to war. Thirdly, maybe a national leader should be suspended when he or she is credibly accused of a crime, i.e., impeached. That is to combat the "wag the dog" motive that has shielded Trump, not mention Netanyahu. No, we can't fix Israel, only US. But we can cut off their military aid and support. Fourth, we need to undo military might everywhere, but especially our own. Our belligerence begets itself everywhere, including nuclear.
To practice democracy, we must first shut down the wealth pump. To do that, we must combat the propaganda machine generated by the morbidly rich. Educators need to continue teaching critical thinking. Even trusted news sites and especially AI reviews can insert "sneaky" ideas that, over time, can change the narrative. I trust Thom Hartmann as one of several who deliver the truth he has sifted from the massive amounts of "news" we are exposed to every day.
AI generated cult of personality voice to tell women to "stay sweet and obey". Women could be a powerful united voting group in America. If and when they are not de railed into thoughts of "not worthy of self determination"
Or maybe they can put Netanyahu, Putin, and Trump all in one cell and let the war criminals drive each other crazy.
Unfortunately they quit executing people back in the 1950's. Hague is derived from a word that means "hunting lodge". All the best to them on that account.
TRump said he could go to Venezuela after his term to be THEIR President. That would be lovely, because THEY are still part of the ICC and they could turn him over. Just another one of my American dreams. See you in the streets.
Two other sparks ignited last night---Trump's hatred of the Pope and his blasphemous meme of himself as God or Jesus healing someone. Watch Jack Cocchiarella's hysterical explanation of how he had to leave the bar and his friends twice to go home and post in order to keep his YouTube show updated about the insanity. Look for this in a browser or on his YouTube channel:
"Marjorie Drops Epstein Post After Trump Screaming Pope Meltdown"
Amazing how that demon tried to act like he just wanted to heal like a doctor in that meme. He got backlash, took it down, and it isn't even TACO Tuesday!
Just a few weeks ago I told my friend this exact same thing! I said to her this reminds me of the beginning of WWI. I was a history major in college, now, I am not a historian by any stretch of the imagination. I graduated with a "C" average, so if grades are any indicator of educational acumen then you see that I am not famous historian material!!;)
But even at the very beginning of studying history in required high school classes I've had a pretty good grasp of a few important events of historical importance. I recall when my history teacher asked the class what one of the causes of WWII was I said WWI! Oh the class tittered & laughed at my ignorance only to hear my teacher say,"that's right!"
And for some reason, many times over the years when I was paying attention to world events similar thoughts came to mind. But when trump was elected the first time for some reason a light bulb/crystal ball lit up & all the interest that I had in WWII kicked in & I could see the various ways the US was succumbing to the rhetoric of trump, much like Germany in the 1930s. It seemed that nearly every book I read or documentary I watched about WWII just jumped out & showed me nearly exactly what to expect next. The one thing I was not prepared for was a repeat of the "Balken" crisis that led to WWI repeating in similar fashion in today's world until I realized that Iran & Russia are allies, Iran & China were on friendly terms. Then came trump's Iran war & the pieces started to fall in place. We bombed Iran, Iran, bombed Gulf state neighbors, as well as United States installations housed there. Israel is bombing Hezbollah in Lebanon & is threatening to occupy & annex southern Lebanon. The US, led by a deranged, dilusionary madman is declaring worldwide domination of international waters!
As the saying goes, what could possibly go wrong?????
Trump’s actions are insane re his blockade in the Straight of Hormuz—a fact. So are the billionaire ship of fools who have installed Mob Boss Trump at the helm. Are they going to be allowed to endanger us to a WW III?
Everything now hinges on whether the U.S. Navy actually takes any action against foreign vessels in international waters starting today. All we can do is wait a while and see what happens. We may know more by the end of the day or tomorrow. It's a game of chicken and Trump knows this game very well. He's not very good at it but he keeps playing, trying to game the odds. Meanwhile, Americans are starting to get fed up with it all and the economy is sliding down the slope into the ocean.
I think what (as much as I detest her) Hillary Clinton said in an interview this morning, it needs to be about affordability and accountability. That's what the opposition needs to message on in order to make sweeping changes to the U.S. government. Much like the new Hungarian PM did to win the election there. Whether our polarized electorate can get on board with that in a unified manner remains to be seen.
And IMO Affordability needs to mean raise peoples wages! I say support Labor Unions. The oligarchy controlling pricing will not lower their prices. As after Covid- shrinkflation or some other strategy will occur to squeeze consumers.
We have a dangerously mentally ill president who cut USAID which makes him in my estimation the number one mass murderer of the 21st century. Putin, Xi Jinping, are also rivals in the killing department. What a cast of characters. Thom's drawing parallels to the events that led to WW I seem plausible to me. A negotiated peace would require trump to show some humility, flexibility, intelligence ... yeah that's gonna happen uh huh.
The DNC remains in the thrall of AIPAC, and POSOTUS’S chief advisers are Putin, Netanyahu, and his own delusions. It will take at least a generation to undo the damage done in the past 16 months; we’d better start soon.
I do not see a future with nukes going off. For one, America's Trump is clearly Putin's puppet. RU does not need bombs to change America. America has an economic foothold in the Middle East. All 3 superpowers should know that WWIII is a nobody-wins war. For us, WWIII would be our own Jonestown Massacre -mass suicide. The only wild card is that racketeer Don Dementiano (who wants a piece of the Hormuz action) might not be viewing the world realistically anymore, and his sycophantic cabinet members all have the judgment of a 5-year-old toddler. Will they restrain their godfather?
There are several ways to bypass the Straits, including trucking oil, using existing pipelines....
Remember Runsfield saying that the Iraq War would pay for itself and VP Darth Vader Cheney came from Halliburton, with business interests on all sides? A lot of the oil comes from neighboring countries, like Iraq. Iraq is currently repairing its northern pipeline to resume direct oil exports to Turkey’s Ceyhan port, bypassing the Kurdistan region and bypassing the Strait of Hormuz amid high regional tensions. The Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, a 600-mile link (also called the Iraq–Turkey Crude Oil Pipeline), is crucial for bypassing Iranian-controlled waters. Iraq and Jordan are progressing on a proposed ~1,665 km, $10 billion Basra-Aqaba pipeline, crucial for Iraq to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and for Jordan to secure energy. This project faces delays from political, security (ISIS), and financial issues, serving as a long-term plan to lessen Iraq’s economic dependence on Iran.
At present, within Iran, Kurds, who hypothetically are our allies, are operating oil wells.
When oil pricies rise, so should OPEC members. By all accounts Russia's economy is entirely financed via oil prices.
There are nukes and nuke light. I heard cases involving Iraqi crud where allegatios were that our munitions were nuclear enriched and the claimants were exposed to radiation.
The existing pipelines are maxed out and trucks can't move enough oil fast enough to make a difference. Besides, the ports that can accept large tankers are already overwhelmed.
That zounds like Big Oil propaganda. Supposedly the key is Turkey, which blocked its pipelines. The Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which transports oil from northern Iraq to Turkey, is moving toward resuming operations after being offline for nearly two years.
YouTube
Progress Toward Reopening: As of March 2026, Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) reached an initial agreement to restart oil exports through this pipeline.Significance: Turkey is eager to return the pipeline to full capacity to stabilize global markets and boost its role as a key energy corridor between Iraq and Europe.
Background: The pipeline's suspension was largely due to disputes over oil export rights be
Once upon a time, I was in the Corps of Engineeers. Had the capacity to put in emergency pipelines.
"Tactical Petroleum Terminal Operations": Combat engineers, particularly in the Army, are trained to install, operate, and maintain fuel pipeline systems (such as the Petroleum Pipeline and Terminal Operating System - PPTOS) to transport fuel over long distances, often across rugged terrain.
Rapid Deployment: They specialize in rapidly installing and repairing pipelines in combat or emergency situations to support logistical needs.
Infrastructure Support: They may be involved in larger, infrastructure-related pipeline projects, such as installing water transmission lines or assisting with protective,
If you look at the geography, lots of opportunities beyond exisiting installations to install new piplines. The production from Iraq was probably greater than Iran.
Can also force OPEC to increase production in places like Nigeria, Venezuela.
If the U.S. naval blockade moves beyond targeting Iranian-bound vessels and impacts the freedom of navigation for other nations' vessels, it is more likely to be construed as an unlawful, piratical act.
WWI was different, The Major powers, save for France, were Kingdoms led by Kings, and also three of them cousins, grandsons of Queen Victoria. George, Wilhelm and Nicholas
Where is our Peter Magyar. He overturned Urban,a dictator, in Hungary. He ruled for 16 years. Do we have to wait that long to kick the King and his court out?
I don't know if we can fix a human race that keeps allowing the worst among us to rise to power, but it might help if we tried practicing actual democracy, not just preach it. First, let us get wealth out of politics and bribery out of government. Next, let's make damn sure only Congress can send us to war. Thirdly, maybe a national leader should be suspended when he or she is credibly accused of a crime, i.e., impeached. That is to combat the "wag the dog" motive that has shielded Trump, not mention Netanyahu. No, we can't fix Israel, only US. But we can cut off their military aid and support. Fourth, we need to undo military might everywhere, but especially our own. Our belligerence begets itself everywhere, including nuclear.
To practice democracy, we must first shut down the wealth pump. To do that, we must combat the propaganda machine generated by the morbidly rich. Educators need to continue teaching critical thinking. Even trusted news sites and especially AI reviews can insert "sneaky" ideas that, over time, can change the narrative. I trust Thom Hartmann as one of several who deliver the truth he has sifted from the massive amounts of "news" we are exposed to every day.
AI generated cult of personality voice to tell women to "stay sweet and obey". Women could be a powerful united voting group in America. If and when they are not de railed into thoughts of "not worthy of self determination"
Gloria,read the article in the Nation magazine" The Death of an AI whistleblower" .These AI proponents will not be stopped.
The Hague has a cell with TRump's name on it.....
Or maybe they can put Netanyahu, Putin, and Trump all in one cell and let the war criminals drive each other crazy.
Unfortunately they quit executing people back in the 1950's. Hague is derived from a word that means "hunting lodge". All the best to them on that account.
TRump said he could go to Venezuela after his term to be THEIR President. That would be lovely, because THEY are still part of the ICC and they could turn him over. Just another one of my American dreams. See you in the streets.
Two other sparks ignited last night---Trump's hatred of the Pope and his blasphemous meme of himself as God or Jesus healing someone. Watch Jack Cocchiarella's hysterical explanation of how he had to leave the bar and his friends twice to go home and post in order to keep his YouTube show updated about the insanity. Look for this in a browser or on his YouTube channel:
"Marjorie Drops Epstein Post After Trump Screaming Pope Meltdown"
Alis,do you think the 57% of catholics who voted for the "Nazi" will support the Pope or continue their support for the : Nazi" ?
Still waiting for the excommunications.
The sooner the better.
Hoping the devout stick with Bob and Jesus.
Amazing how that demon tried to act like he just wanted to heal like a doctor in that meme. He got backlash, took it down, and it isn't even TACO Tuesday!
Trump needs to go, one way or another.
Just a few weeks ago I told my friend this exact same thing! I said to her this reminds me of the beginning of WWI. I was a history major in college, now, I am not a historian by any stretch of the imagination. I graduated with a "C" average, so if grades are any indicator of educational acumen then you see that I am not famous historian material!!;)
But even at the very beginning of studying history in required high school classes I've had a pretty good grasp of a few important events of historical importance. I recall when my history teacher asked the class what one of the causes of WWII was I said WWI! Oh the class tittered & laughed at my ignorance only to hear my teacher say,"that's right!"
And for some reason, many times over the years when I was paying attention to world events similar thoughts came to mind. But when trump was elected the first time for some reason a light bulb/crystal ball lit up & all the interest that I had in WWII kicked in & I could see the various ways the US was succumbing to the rhetoric of trump, much like Germany in the 1930s. It seemed that nearly every book I read or documentary I watched about WWII just jumped out & showed me nearly exactly what to expect next. The one thing I was not prepared for was a repeat of the "Balken" crisis that led to WWI repeating in similar fashion in today's world until I realized that Iran & Russia are allies, Iran & China were on friendly terms. Then came trump's Iran war & the pieces started to fall in place. We bombed Iran, Iran, bombed Gulf state neighbors, as well as United States installations housed there. Israel is bombing Hezbollah in Lebanon & is threatening to occupy & annex southern Lebanon. The US, led by a deranged, dilusionary madman is declaring worldwide domination of international waters!
As the saying goes, what could possibly go wrong?????
Trump’s actions are insane re his blockade in the Straight of Hormuz—a fact. So are the billionaire ship of fools who have installed Mob Boss Trump at the helm. Are they going to be allowed to endanger us to a WW III?
It's very profitable for them!
kraznov can't even drive a normal car but now we have him in the seat of a Formula One machine. The crash is inevitable.
Absolutely.
Everything now hinges on whether the U.S. Navy actually takes any action against foreign vessels in international waters starting today. All we can do is wait a while and see what happens. We may know more by the end of the day or tomorrow. It's a game of chicken and Trump knows this game very well. He's not very good at it but he keeps playing, trying to game the odds. Meanwhile, Americans are starting to get fed up with it all and the economy is sliding down the slope into the ocean.
Inflation will defeat the Trump administration and the Republicans.
I think what (as much as I detest her) Hillary Clinton said in an interview this morning, it needs to be about affordability and accountability. That's what the opposition needs to message on in order to make sweeping changes to the U.S. government. Much like the new Hungarian PM did to win the election there. Whether our polarized electorate can get on board with that in a unified manner remains to be seen.
She actually BEGGED Republicans to act.
And IMO Affordability needs to mean raise peoples wages! I say support Labor Unions. The oligarchy controlling pricing will not lower their prices. As after Covid- shrinkflation or some other strategy will occur to squeeze consumers.
As a historian, this is fascinating; as a father, grand-father and just regular American guy, I am afraid.
Thom is right in his analysis.
They say we can rely upon "TACO"... Trump Always Chickens Out.
I hope so...
D. Laghezza
Gulf of Tonkin, redux.
Crazy Donnie has turned America into a combination Trump University, Rogue State, and Gambino crime family.
Out of curiosity: Did Kushner get the $5,000,000,000 USD that he was begging for?
Send the self-servers Young Witkoff, Jared, Barron, Eric, and Junior to the Straits.
VOTE !!!
We have a dangerously mentally ill president who cut USAID which makes him in my estimation the number one mass murderer of the 21st century. Putin, Xi Jinping, are also rivals in the killing department. What a cast of characters. Thom's drawing parallels to the events that led to WW I seem plausible to me. A negotiated peace would require trump to show some humility, flexibility, intelligence ... yeah that's gonna happen uh huh.
The DNC remains in the thrall of AIPAC, and POSOTUS’S chief advisers are Putin, Netanyahu, and his own delusions. It will take at least a generation to undo the damage done in the past 16 months; we’d better start soon.
Well if so, it's been nice knowing ya'll!
I do not see a future with nukes going off. For one, America's Trump is clearly Putin's puppet. RU does not need bombs to change America. America has an economic foothold in the Middle East. All 3 superpowers should know that WWIII is a nobody-wins war. For us, WWIII would be our own Jonestown Massacre -mass suicide. The only wild card is that racketeer Don Dementiano (who wants a piece of the Hormuz action) might not be viewing the world realistically anymore, and his sycophantic cabinet members all have the judgment of a 5-year-old toddler. Will they restrain their godfather?
There are several ways to bypass the Straits, including trucking oil, using existing pipelines....
Remember Runsfield saying that the Iraq War would pay for itself and VP Darth Vader Cheney came from Halliburton, with business interests on all sides? A lot of the oil comes from neighboring countries, like Iraq. Iraq is currently repairing its northern pipeline to resume direct oil exports to Turkey’s Ceyhan port, bypassing the Kurdistan region and bypassing the Strait of Hormuz amid high regional tensions. The Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, a 600-mile link (also called the Iraq–Turkey Crude Oil Pipeline), is crucial for bypassing Iranian-controlled waters. Iraq and Jordan are progressing on a proposed ~1,665 km, $10 billion Basra-Aqaba pipeline, crucial for Iraq to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and for Jordan to secure energy. This project faces delays from political, security (ISIS), and financial issues, serving as a long-term plan to lessen Iraq’s economic dependence on Iran.
At present, within Iran, Kurds, who hypothetically are our allies, are operating oil wells.
When oil pricies rise, so should OPEC members. By all accounts Russia's economy is entirely financed via oil prices.
There are nukes and nuke light. I heard cases involving Iraqi crud where allegatios were that our munitions were nuclear enriched and the claimants were exposed to radiation.
Pipelines are the Achilles heel of fossil fuels.
Alternatives.
Solar is a lot cheaper than fossil fuel. My favorite is hemp. Even Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul agree.
The existing pipelines are maxed out and trucks can't move enough oil fast enough to make a difference. Besides, the ports that can accept large tankers are already overwhelmed.
That zounds like Big Oil propaganda. Supposedly the key is Turkey, which blocked its pipelines. The Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which transports oil from northern Iraq to Turkey, is moving toward resuming operations after being offline for nearly two years.
YouTube
Progress Toward Reopening: As of March 2026, Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) reached an initial agreement to restart oil exports through this pipeline.Significance: Turkey is eager to return the pipeline to full capacity to stabilize global markets and boost its role as a key energy corridor between Iraq and Europe.
Background: The pipeline's suspension was largely due to disputes over oil export rights be
Once upon a time, I was in the Corps of Engineeers. Had the capacity to put in emergency pipelines.
"Tactical Petroleum Terminal Operations": Combat engineers, particularly in the Army, are trained to install, operate, and maintain fuel pipeline systems (such as the Petroleum Pipeline and Terminal Operating System - PPTOS) to transport fuel over long distances, often across rugged terrain.
Rapid Deployment: They specialize in rapidly installing and repairing pipelines in combat or emergency situations to support logistical needs.
Infrastructure Support: They may be involved in larger, infrastructure-related pipeline projects, such as installing water transmission lines or assisting with protective,
If you look at the geography, lots of opportunities beyond exisiting installations to install new piplines. The production from Iraq was probably greater than Iran.
Can also force OPEC to increase production in places like Nigeria, Venezuela.
If the U.S. naval blockade moves beyond targeting Iranian-bound vessels and impacts the freedom of navigation for other nations' vessels, it is more likely to be construed as an unlawful, piratical act.
WWI was different, The Major powers, save for France, were Kingdoms led by Kings, and also three of them cousins, grandsons of Queen Victoria. George, Wilhelm and Nicholas
Good point.
Thanks again, Thom, for elucidating the implications of Trump's blockade order today.
It is so scary.
I will follow your advice and verify that my wife and I are duly registered to vote. And I will contact my representatives in Congress.
Thank you. Thank you.
Where is our Peter Magyar. He overturned Urban,a dictator, in Hungary. He ruled for 16 years. Do we have to wait that long to kick the King and his court out?
I am doing my best to sound the alarm in the rural Pennsylvania county where I spent half my childhood: https://zabethsue.substack.com/p/letter-to-columbia-county-pennsylvania-87d?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=s27m1