Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Imperialist Realism and American Empire
“May you live in interesting times.” So says the apocryphal Chinese proverb that may well have been more properly attributed to Austen and Neville Chamberlain’s father. All of us here can be said to have lived in interesting times, if interesting means, among other things, unsettled and inscrutable, not to mention ugly and unstable. But […]
Understanding Iranian Victory
Iranian strategic logic and why Tehran believes it has already won against the US.
Is Sikorski’s “European Legion” Proposal a Way for Poland to Deploy “Peacekeepers” to Ukraine?
A sketchy “European Legion” scheme which could deploy to Ukraine illustrates the huge gap between EU belligerent intent and ability to act.
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Humanoid Soldiers and Vanishing Valor
Humanoid robots are approaching the physical capabilities required for infantry combat. Once machines become stronger, faster, more precise, more expendable, and easier to reproduce than human soldiers, military competition could make the human infantryman obsolete. But the deeper consequence may be cultural: what happens to warfare when armies no longer require courage, sacrifice, or heroes?
Gates and Rockefeller Foundations’ Green Revolution Failing Africa
How 20 years of Gates and Rockefeller Foundations’ green revolutions initiatives have yielded little in Africa and even done harm.
Robert Urie: There Is No Bond Market Panic. Who Benefits from Claiming That There Is One?
You have been had! The current bond market media panic is a con! But cui bono, aside from clickbait-y sites?
Iran War: Bessent’s “The Nigger Gets It” Iran Sanctions Strategy as His Ex-Boss Druckenmiller Trashes His New Treasury Scheme; Iran Hits US Escorted Tanker as Strait of Hormuz Transits Fall Further
Today’s Iran war news: Even more Trump Administration flailing about in the form of Bessent’s Operation Economic Outcast.
A Failed Murder-for-Hire Plot in Bolivia Exposes the Inner Workings of the US’s Donroe Doctrine
The rise and fall of “Maga’s Man” in Latin America.
Coffee Break: Trump’s Policies Could Hurt GOP Senate Candidates in Maine and Texas
The crude venality of the Trump administration blew up trade talks with Canada and are triggering a backlash with rural Texans that could cost the GOP control of the US Senate.
How Riding the Subway as a Kid Changed the Way I See the World
An ode to the public transportation commute—for the way it forces a visceral reminder of our shared humanity.
Iran War: Bessent’s Flailing and the Misunderstood Coming, Strait of Hormuz “Closure” Accelerated Crisis
Today’s Iran war post: Bessant’s twin messes, neither of which he is managing well, plus some other sightings.
Spooks Run the Show
Perfidery and treachery abound as the latest Israel-Türkiye standoff leads to many questions.
