this is a sad, sad day in American history....I was very proud to serve my country....but today I am ashamed and very, very angry...the fascist monster in the oval must be gone by any means of the will of the people.....this is just another distraction (and a huge one at that) to divert attentions from the Epstein Files....and to declare a state of national emergency to stop all voting to remain in power....
So now Trump and Netanyahu have used Our powerful military to attack Iran again.
Below Is a brief history of the agreement that many nations, including the USA negotiated with Iran that led to Internacional inspectors on the ground in Iran to ensure that they did not develop nuclear weapons.
AND TRUMP TORE IT UP!
This “War” has NOTHING to do with preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. This war is that Military Industrial Complex that President Isenhour warned us about! War is BIG BUSINESS! Billions of dollars are being made every day those multi million dollar wespons are being deployed!
Make no mistake…this conflict did not have to happen. This whole situation is all bullshit to make money!
Period!
Yes. You are referring to the Iran nuclear deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (chatgpt://generic-entity?number=0) (JCPOA), negotiated during the administration of Barack Obama (chatgpt://generic-entity?number=1).
Here is a precise breakdown.
⸻
What the Agreement Did (2015)
The JCPOA was agreed to in July 2015 between:
• Iran
• The United States
• The United Kingdom
• France
• Germany
• Russia
• China
• The European Union
The deal required Iran to:
• Reduce its enriched uranium stockpile by about 98%
• Limit uranium enrichment to 3.67% (well below weapons-grade)
• Dismantle and store thousands of centrifuges
• Redesign its Arak heavy-water reactor so it could not produce weapons-grade plutonium
• Allow continuous monitoring of key facilities
Inspections
Oversight was conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (chatgpt://generic-entity?number=2) (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear inspection body — not a U.S.-only agency.
The IAEA was granted:
• 24/7 monitoring at declared nuclear facilities
• Regular access to uranium supply chains
• Enhanced inspection authority under the Additional Protocol
From 2016 until 2018, the IAEA repeatedly certified that Iran was complying with the agreement.
⸻
What Happened Under Trump
In May 2018, Donald Trump (chatgpt://generic-entity?number=3) announced that the United States would withdraw from the JCPOA.
The administration:
• Reimposed U.S. economic sanctions on Iran
• Applied additional “maximum pressure” sanctions
• Ended U.S. participation in the deal
The other signatories initially remained in the agreement.
After the U.S. withdrawal and renewed sanctions, Iran gradually began exceeding the deal’s limits — increasing enrichment levels and expanding nuclear activity.
⸻
Summary
• Yes, there was a multilateral nuclear agreement during the Obama administration.
• Yes, Iran’s facilities were being monitored by the IAEA with international inspectors.
• Yes, the Trump administration withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018.
2. We may/may not have Congressikonal Republican allies re the way Iran was handled..
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 (or War Powers Act) is a federal law restricting the U.S. President's ability to commit armed forces to combat without congressional approval. It requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying troops and mandates their removal within 60 to 90 days unless Congress declares war or authorizes an extension.
Key Republican Critics of Foreign Military Intervention
While the majority of the GOP currently supports the administration's "peace through strength" approach, the following members have recently broken ranks:
Politico
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY): A leading voice for non-interventionism, Massie co-introduced a War Powers Resolution in February 2026 with Democrat Ro Khanna to halt unauthorized strikes in Iran. He also voted to limit military action in Venezuela in early 2026.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): Often the sole Republican sponsor of anti-war measures, Paul voted in February 2026 to block further military force against Iran. He has criticized colleagues for avoiding "the momentous vote of declaring war" and consistently opposes what he terms "endless wars".
Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH): A member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Davidson announced support for the 2026 Iran War Powers Resolution, siding with Massie to rein in executive military authority.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE): Bacon joined Democrats in January 2026 to vote for a resolution that would have directed the removal of U.S. troops from Venezuela.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) & Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK): Both senators have a history of voting to assert congressional authority over military force, including supporting initial efforts to limit operations in Venezuela in January 2026.
PBS
Recent Legislative Actions
The debate over foreign wars has centered on two primary regions in early 2026:
Iran: Following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, a resolution to block further force failed in the Senate (47–53), with Rand Paul being the only Republican to vote in favor.
Venezuela: In January 2026, several Republicans initially supported a resolution to limit military action following "Operation Absolute Resolve". While Josh Hawley and Todd Young ultimately flipped their votes after White House pressure, Rand Paul, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski maintained their support for the measure.
Here in Baghdad By the Sea, its deja vu all over again.
"Trump hinted Friday that talks with Cuban leaders are progressing and suggested the island’s profound economic collapse could open the door for the United States to regain significant influence over decisions on the Caribbean island just 90 miles off the Florida Keys."
“The Cuban government is talking with us,” Trump said. “They’re in a big deal of trouble, as you know, they have no money. They have no anything right now, but they’re talking with us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba.”
Laws are of no effect if they are not enforced. And in this case, who is the enforcer.
Maybe, a few Republicans that sit in precarious seats, are allowed to flip, so long as the total flips don't flip the balance. Take the Senate, Republicans hold 54 seats, so they can afford to let two or three flip, to satisfy the needs of their constituents.
Take HR 4505 Epstein Files, if a vote had been forced early on, it would have exposed most of the Republicans to their voters, but during the Johnson interregnum, the game planned it that none of the Republicans nor Trump would look guilty,leaving it up to Pam Bondi to stall, redact and hide, because there was no law enforcement that could touch her. And here we are, punked again.
Because I don't believe or subscribe to your bullshit. Then yes. I have the evidence and facts before my eyes, and a fully functional pre frontal cortex, and I don't live in fantasy land.
Thank you, Professor Hartmann, for your excellent essay. You always analyze the regime’s motives and explain what and why they’re doing what they’re doing. We have to stop this monster and must endure his absolute bullshit in the meantime. I know he’s trying to kill democracy and kill our country, and he’s taking it for everything $ he can get. God help us.
Did the Ayatollah just FAFO with Putin? Iran thought they were cool with Vladimir; they were making his drones for the Ukraine war that Russia is losing. The Iranian regime probably thought Putin had TRump on a short leash, but this is not about that. It's about spending down America's money and killing our future. That's exactly what Netanyahu, TRump, and Putin are colluding about.
At least the anticipation is over. Hope that something finally gives for the Iranian people. Try to understand for the sake of the troops. Encourage Congress to cut the funding where they can and to get the rest of the TRump-Epstein Files. See you in the streets.
I would encourage anyone who is opposed to Washington's attempt to overthrow yet another nation to close all personal and/ or business accounts that ultimately benefit the ruling class. We can all live without streaming services, toxic social media platforms, Amazon, etc.
Of course he did. I've been saying it since 2017 -- he cares nothing about the state of the country or the world. All he wants is to stay in power by any means necessary. He has been jonesing for an excuse to invoke martial law and cancel the midterms -- the dude would start WWIII if he thought it would line his pockets.
How does Congress and the Supreme Court allow this? The military are following illegal orders from a completely criminal president. Soldiers need to take personal responsibility for their actions.
This reminds me of the Vietnam invasion when too many soldiers didn't take responsibility for killling 2 million Vietnamese. More than 58,000 U.S soldiers died during that invasion. Even more than 58,000 committed suicide afterwards. Thousands more were wounded in combat. The GI Bill and the veterans administration never compensated soldiers forced into combat! By the criminal government of Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ).
The military is supposed to protect and defend the Constitution not a criminal sexual predator president. This is the kind of thing that makes citizens lose faith in the government an the rule of law.
Just another quiet weekend with Trump in charge, bombing Iran possibly setting of a regional war, healthcare costs rising, Epstein files coverup proceeding, ICE dragging students out of dorm rooms, CNN maybe becoming another administration mouthpiece, and increasing inflation. Oh, and plans to screw up midterms are being pushed out of the news while we bomb people we were negotiating with. Saturday 28 March anti trump demonstrations better be a very loud message that we are not going to take it anymore. Let the white bird smile up.
It's obvious the fascists will stop at nothing now. Maybe we will still have an election of a sort in November. But the reality is that we are facing a situation where if you don't already have one, or a dozen, time for a gun. The MAGAts have them, they are itching to use them, and the rest of us need to face the stark reality that they and their morbidly rich puppet masters have won, no matter what emerges after the felon in chief. They have shown that the rule of law is a sham, a fragile farce, the Constitution a limp piece of paper, our ideals so much white noise. The only "god" is mammon, and those who can hoard it as they compete to be the one with the most.
I can't be in the grave soon enough. I hate what this country has become. I pity us, the poor deluded MAGAtariat, even the rich psychos who have brought this about, because they will get the same end I will, and can take none of it with them. Having come late to my religious faith, in part despairing of our species, I can only hope the God I believe in is real and will at some point make sense of all of this in some fashion, be it Judgment Day or something else. I have complete faith in the fact that we humans will not fix things. We will keep screwing them up until the planet is dead. Maybe except for the cockroaches.
We are a toxic plague. No matter the tiny things we have done in art, music, literature, science. We have failed in pursuing what would give meaning and purpose to our lives as a species--preserving our environment, taking care of each other, being kind, compassionate, fair, modest in our desires, decent in their pursuit. Maybe the cockroaches should rule after all.
My first reaction to Thom's question was "Duh..." Sarcastic, I know, but it has been obvious for some time that DT would sooner or later play the "wartime President" card -- even if he had to invent the war himself.
Frankly, I wonder why it took him so long, considering how badly things are unraveling for his MAGA CLOWN CAR circus. I think we can see Venezuela as a trial run.
Now, it gets tricky... No doubt the aforementioned CLOWN CAR is wishing and hoping for Iran to take the bait.
I would think that they believe losing an American vessel in this farce, or dead American soldiers at a Mid-East base, is not enough of a trigger. I fear a 9/11 like incident. It would be perfect for their goals, and mean the end of the USA, as we know it.
They may even work something out with MOSSAD, or the Saudi's network -- or both -- each of whom have an endless supply of double-, triple-, and quadruple-agents working for them. Any of which can work to construct a plausible false flag terrorist attack on American soil, again.
Remember, the Saudis see Shia Moslem Iran as their principal foe in the region.
The possibilities are endless.
I recall on Sept 11 that for the first half day or so after the attack the US news media and narrative was really laying into "W" for his deer in the headlights reaction. Then the right wing echo chamber got to work. The only defense left to us is to head that predictable assault off at the pass with a flood of already prepared counter-points., cries of foul and demands for investigation of any incident.
And we should warn Mamdani that NYC will be the likely sacrifice to enable DT's ascendancy to the throne.
Just speculating here, but it seems outsourcing Middle East policy to Israel, AIPAC, and the ADL may ultimately prove ill-advised, especially when coupled with an ignorant, unimaginative, narcissistic megalomaniac. This war is personally and individually on every elected Repugnican who has failed to honor their oath of office, which is nearly every damned one of them. Dems would do well to pointedly attach that fact to every sitting Repugnican representative or senator against whom they’re campaigning.
Steal an election, YES, distract from Epstein files, YES. Play dictator, YES If anyone sees any of his followers today, remind them their leader promised to release the files and have no new wars. What fools.
this is a sad, sad day in American history....I was very proud to serve my country....but today I am ashamed and very, very angry...the fascist monster in the oval must be gone by any means of the will of the people.....this is just another distraction (and a huge one at that) to divert attentions from the Epstein Files....and to declare a state of national emergency to stop all voting to remain in power....
In order to do that, TRump may have just delivered a barely working aircraft carrier to a region where they might have a weapon to take it out.
Now that would be a big diversion!
Always Faithful. See you in the streets.
So now Trump and Netanyahu have used Our powerful military to attack Iran again.
Below Is a brief history of the agreement that many nations, including the USA negotiated with Iran that led to Internacional inspectors on the ground in Iran to ensure that they did not develop nuclear weapons.
AND TRUMP TORE IT UP!
This “War” has NOTHING to do with preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. This war is that Military Industrial Complex that President Isenhour warned us about! War is BIG BUSINESS! Billions of dollars are being made every day those multi million dollar wespons are being deployed!
Make no mistake…this conflict did not have to happen. This whole situation is all bullshit to make money!
Period!
Yes. You are referring to the Iran nuclear deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (chatgpt://generic-entity?number=0) (JCPOA), negotiated during the administration of Barack Obama (chatgpt://generic-entity?number=1).
Here is a precise breakdown.
⸻
What the Agreement Did (2015)
The JCPOA was agreed to in July 2015 between:
• Iran
• The United States
• The United Kingdom
• France
• Germany
• Russia
• China
• The European Union
The deal required Iran to:
• Reduce its enriched uranium stockpile by about 98%
• Limit uranium enrichment to 3.67% (well below weapons-grade)
• Dismantle and store thousands of centrifuges
• Redesign its Arak heavy-water reactor so it could not produce weapons-grade plutonium
• Allow continuous monitoring of key facilities
Inspections
Oversight was conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (chatgpt://generic-entity?number=2) (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear inspection body — not a U.S.-only agency.
The IAEA was granted:
• 24/7 monitoring at declared nuclear facilities
• Regular access to uranium supply chains
• Enhanced inspection authority under the Additional Protocol
From 2016 until 2018, the IAEA repeatedly certified that Iran was complying with the agreement.
⸻
What Happened Under Trump
In May 2018, Donald Trump (chatgpt://generic-entity?number=3) announced that the United States would withdraw from the JCPOA.
The administration:
• Reimposed U.S. economic sanctions on Iran
• Applied additional “maximum pressure” sanctions
• Ended U.S. participation in the deal
The other signatories initially remained in the agreement.
After the U.S. withdrawal and renewed sanctions, Iran gradually began exceeding the deal’s limits — increasing enrichment levels and expanding nuclear activity.
⸻
Summary
• Yes, there was a multilateral nuclear agreement during the Obama administration.
• Yes, Iran’s facilities were being monitored by the IAEA with international inspectors.
• Yes, the Trump administration withdrew the United States from the agreement in 2018.
1. We need to keep Epstein on the front page
2. We may/may not have Congressikonal Republican allies re the way Iran was handled..
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 (or War Powers Act) is a federal law restricting the U.S. President's ability to commit armed forces to combat without congressional approval. It requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying troops and mandates their removal within 60 to 90 days unless Congress declares war or authorizes an extension.
Key Republican Critics of Foreign Military Intervention
While the majority of the GOP currently supports the administration's "peace through strength" approach, the following members have recently broken ranks:
Politico
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY): A leading voice for non-interventionism, Massie co-introduced a War Powers Resolution in February 2026 with Democrat Ro Khanna to halt unauthorized strikes in Iran. He also voted to limit military action in Venezuela in early 2026.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): Often the sole Republican sponsor of anti-war measures, Paul voted in February 2026 to block further military force against Iran. He has criticized colleagues for avoiding "the momentous vote of declaring war" and consistently opposes what he terms "endless wars".
Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH): A member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Davidson announced support for the 2026 Iran War Powers Resolution, siding with Massie to rein in executive military authority.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE): Bacon joined Democrats in January 2026 to vote for a resolution that would have directed the removal of U.S. troops from Venezuela.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) & Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK): Both senators have a history of voting to assert congressional authority over military force, including supporting initial efforts to limit operations in Venezuela in January 2026.
PBS
Recent Legislative Actions
The debate over foreign wars has centered on two primary regions in early 2026:
Iran: Following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, a resolution to block further force failed in the Senate (47–53), with Rand Paul being the only Republican to vote in favor.
Venezuela: In January 2026, several Republicans initially supported a resolution to limit military action following "Operation Absolute Resolve". While Josh Hawley and Todd Young ultimately flipped their votes after White House pressure, Rand Paul, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski maintained their support for the measure.
Here in Baghdad By the Sea, its deja vu all over again.
"Trump hinted Friday that talks with Cuban leaders are progressing and suggested the island’s profound economic collapse could open the door for the United States to regain significant influence over decisions on the Caribbean island just 90 miles off the Florida Keys."
“The Cuban government is talking with us,” Trump said. “They’re in a big deal of trouble, as you know, they have no money. They have no anything right now, but they’re talking with us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba.”
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article314867643.html#storylink=cpy
And.
https://theconversationus.substack.com/p/history-shadows-a-deepening-uscuba?utm_campaign=email-half-post&r=zc69i&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Laws are of no effect if they are not enforced. And in this case, who is the enforcer.
Maybe, a few Republicans that sit in precarious seats, are allowed to flip, so long as the total flips don't flip the balance. Take the Senate, Republicans hold 54 seats, so they can afford to let two or three flip, to satisfy the needs of their constituents.
Take HR 4505 Epstein Files, if a vote had been forced early on, it would have exposed most of the Republicans to their voters, but during the Johnson interregnum, the game planned it that none of the Republicans nor Trump would look guilty,leaving it up to Pam Bondi to stall, redact and hide, because there was no law enforcement that could touch her. And here we are, punked again.
Mr. Negative.
Because I don't believe or subscribe to your bullshit. Then yes. I have the evidence and facts before my eyes, and a fully functional pre frontal cortex, and I don't live in fantasy land.
Thank you, Professor Hartmann, for your excellent essay. You always analyze the regime’s motives and explain what and why they’re doing what they’re doing. We have to stop this monster and must endure his absolute bullshit in the meantime. I know he’s trying to kill democracy and kill our country, and he’s taking it for everything $ he can get. God help us.
No honor among psychopaths.....
Did the Ayatollah just FAFO with Putin? Iran thought they were cool with Vladimir; they were making his drones for the Ukraine war that Russia is losing. The Iranian regime probably thought Putin had TRump on a short leash, but this is not about that. It's about spending down America's money and killing our future. That's exactly what Netanyahu, TRump, and Putin are colluding about.
At least the anticipation is over. Hope that something finally gives for the Iranian people. Try to understand for the sake of the troops. Encourage Congress to cut the funding where they can and to get the rest of the TRump-Epstein Files. See you in the streets.
I would encourage anyone who is opposed to Washington's attempt to overthrow yet another nation to close all personal and/ or business accounts that ultimately benefit the ruling class. We can all live without streaming services, toxic social media platforms, Amazon, etc.
Shut. It. Down.
Rationales, in no order:
- Tyranny loves company. So tyrant Putin winked AND nodded his greenlight
- War sops up some of his MAGA and Independent disaffected back into the fold
- War permits some minor suspension of what's left of our democracy
- It provides a magician's misdirection from kiddie rape/torture/murder
- The tyrant Netanyahu TOLD him to do it
- His Christian base needs to be raptured asap
- Gotta spend all that denied food stamps and tariff money somewhere
The Orange Commie is limited mentally, has no frigging idea what he's doing.
Vote every possible R out !!! And all feckless Ds, too.
1. Both Trump and Netanyahu needed a distraction.
2. Raises oil prices....finances Putin's war.
Apply Tempertantrump’s words to USA. “Take your country back, this may be your only chance”.
Of course he did. I've been saying it since 2017 -- he cares nothing about the state of the country or the world. All he wants is to stay in power by any means necessary. He has been jonesing for an excuse to invoke martial law and cancel the midterms -- the dude would start WWIII if he thought it would line his pockets.
I was going to write about Trump doing this, but woke up to find out he already had...
So much for writing that Substack. Trump did what I was going to say he'd do. He's started a Mideast war.
Read more:
https://halbrown.substack.com/p/i-was-going-to-write-about-trump
You're clairvoyant.
How does Congress and the Supreme Court allow this? The military are following illegal orders from a completely criminal president. Soldiers need to take personal responsibility for their actions.
This reminds me of the Vietnam invasion when too many soldiers didn't take responsibility for killling 2 million Vietnamese. More than 58,000 U.S soldiers died during that invasion. Even more than 58,000 committed suicide afterwards. Thousands more were wounded in combat. The GI Bill and the veterans administration never compensated soldiers forced into combat! By the criminal government of Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ).
The military is supposed to protect and defend the Constitution not a criminal sexual predator president. This is the kind of thing that makes citizens lose faith in the government an the rule of law.
Just another quiet weekend with Trump in charge, bombing Iran possibly setting of a regional war, healthcare costs rising, Epstein files coverup proceeding, ICE dragging students out of dorm rooms, CNN maybe becoming another administration mouthpiece, and increasing inflation. Oh, and plans to screw up midterms are being pushed out of the news while we bomb people we were negotiating with. Saturday 28 March anti trump demonstrations better be a very loud message that we are not going to take it anymore. Let the white bird smile up.
It's obvious the fascists will stop at nothing now. Maybe we will still have an election of a sort in November. But the reality is that we are facing a situation where if you don't already have one, or a dozen, time for a gun. The MAGAts have them, they are itching to use them, and the rest of us need to face the stark reality that they and their morbidly rich puppet masters have won, no matter what emerges after the felon in chief. They have shown that the rule of law is a sham, a fragile farce, the Constitution a limp piece of paper, our ideals so much white noise. The only "god" is mammon, and those who can hoard it as they compete to be the one with the most.
I can't be in the grave soon enough. I hate what this country has become. I pity us, the poor deluded MAGAtariat, even the rich psychos who have brought this about, because they will get the same end I will, and can take none of it with them. Having come late to my religious faith, in part despairing of our species, I can only hope the God I believe in is real and will at some point make sense of all of this in some fashion, be it Judgment Day or something else. I have complete faith in the fact that we humans will not fix things. We will keep screwing them up until the planet is dead. Maybe except for the cockroaches.
We are a toxic plague. No matter the tiny things we have done in art, music, literature, science. We have failed in pursuing what would give meaning and purpose to our lives as a species--preserving our environment, taking care of each other, being kind, compassionate, fair, modest in our desires, decent in their pursuit. Maybe the cockroaches should rule after all.
My first reaction to Thom's question was "Duh..." Sarcastic, I know, but it has been obvious for some time that DT would sooner or later play the "wartime President" card -- even if he had to invent the war himself.
Frankly, I wonder why it took him so long, considering how badly things are unraveling for his MAGA CLOWN CAR circus. I think we can see Venezuela as a trial run.
Now, it gets tricky... No doubt the aforementioned CLOWN CAR is wishing and hoping for Iran to take the bait.
I would think that they believe losing an American vessel in this farce, or dead American soldiers at a Mid-East base, is not enough of a trigger. I fear a 9/11 like incident. It would be perfect for their goals, and mean the end of the USA, as we know it.
They may even work something out with MOSSAD, or the Saudi's network -- or both -- each of whom have an endless supply of double-, triple-, and quadruple-agents working for them. Any of which can work to construct a plausible false flag terrorist attack on American soil, again.
Remember, the Saudis see Shia Moslem Iran as their principal foe in the region.
The possibilities are endless.
I recall on Sept 11 that for the first half day or so after the attack the US news media and narrative was really laying into "W" for his deer in the headlights reaction. Then the right wing echo chamber got to work. The only defense left to us is to head that predictable assault off at the pass with a flood of already prepared counter-points., cries of foul and demands for investigation of any incident.
And we should warn Mamdani that NYC will be the likely sacrifice to enable DT's ascendancy to the throne.
D.
Just speculating here, but it seems outsourcing Middle East policy to Israel, AIPAC, and the ADL may ultimately prove ill-advised, especially when coupled with an ignorant, unimaginative, narcissistic megalomaniac. This war is personally and individually on every elected Repugnican who has failed to honor their oath of office, which is nearly every damned one of them. Dems would do well to pointedly attach that fact to every sitting Repugnican representative or senator against whom they’re campaigning.
Steal an election, YES, distract from Epstein files, YES. Play dictator, YES If anyone sees any of his followers today, remind them their leader promised to release the files and have no new wars. What fools.