Laoshi

Is it really a war?

Play along with Andrew Heaton's new game show.

How Trump and His Advisers Miscalculated Iran’s Response to War

NEW: Before the Iran War, Trump ignored warnings that Iran could retaliate across the region and stop oil shipments. Now, with energy markets in chaos, some aides are pessimistic about the lack of a strategy to end the war. But they haven't told Trump. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/10/u...

I was in a 2 hour briefing today on the Iran War. All the briefings are closed, because Trump can't defend this war in public.

I obviously can't disclose classified info, but you deserve to know how incoherent and incomplete these war plans are.

1/ Here's what I can share:

Steve Witkoff on Hannity's show makes a case that Trump last summer both obliterated but also didn't obliterate Iran's nuclear program

Devastating reporting. Like RFK Jr., Kristi Noem, and Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth is reshaping his department to indiscriminately kill tons and tons of children.

A major throughline of the Trump administration.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright, a Colorado oil and gas executive, has been trying to bring down oil prices spooked by war in Iran. He succeeded today using a false claim on social media.

As Iran War Pushes Up Oil Prices, Putin Can Barely Conceal a Smirk The Trump administration has rolled back some efforts to put pressure on Russia’s economy, and held out the possibility of easing sanctions further.

www.wsj.com/world/russia...

While Trump is begging other countries to help people through asylum, he’s essentially shut down our refugee and asylum system — flying directly in the face of our founding ideals and the words on the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”

Iran’s people were facing a horrible shortage of water before the war began. If we are destroying desalination plants and setting fire to Teheran we are committing unfathomable crimes.

Of course he does.

So according to the WSJ a US Senator conspired with another country to manipulate the US into starting a war, am I getting this right

So Iran now has, perhaps for the first time, information about the location of our most sensitive covert sites in the region.

A completely foreseeable, unnecessary consequence of unnecessary war with Iran.

Under fire and then fired: When Kash Patel’s behavior becomes the story An MS NOW analysis finds the FBI director often lashes out after his own bad press — by firing experienced agents and staffers.

NEW FROM @carolleonnig.bsky.social: "MS NOW found that in four key instances, Patel’s decision to fire FBI agents and staff came within hours or days of unflattering accounts emerging about him and his competency to run the FBI."

READ MORE: www.ms.now/news/under-f...

U.S. sub sinks Iranian warship off Sri Lanka, killing 87 and expanding war zone A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, killing dozens of sailors and dramatically widening Washington's pursuit of the Iranian navy.

A US submarine sinking a lonely, dinky Iranian surface ship an ocean away from the theater of the main conflict—and 9000
miles from North America—makes it pretty clear the US is fighting a general war, without the declaration required by the Constitution. www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...

Seems like the media should at least express some curiosity about this.

open.substack.com/pub/jonathan...

Making Americans Unsafe Again

While I generally agree with the 2nd take, “always” disqualifies the 1st, imo. Unfortunately, the immediate events of which I’m most aware are not that complicated. Just because millions share an opinion doesn’t mean that it is equally supported by evidence and argument (false balance fallacy).

Chris Murphy: "It's just so disgusting to listen to the president be waxing poetically about the drapes he's buying while there are six Americans who are dead. There are six families who are about to bury their children because of a war of choice that no one in this country wanted, an illegal war."

Pete Hegseth Clarifies Women Allowed In Combat Roles But It’s A Huge Turnoff

Pete Hegseth Clarifies Women Allowed In Combat Roles But It’s A Huge Turnoff theonion.com/pete-hegseth...

They went to war with Iran (which nobody in America was asking for) so they could conjure an excuse to allow ICE to keep murdering Americans and teargassing schools here at home with impunity (which nobody in America was asking for).

With Trump, there's always a tweet.

Trump Has No Plan for the Iranian People The mere act of bombing Iran will not by itself create a stable regime.

The American bombardment of Iran has been launched without explanation, without Congress, without public support. Above all it has been launched without a coherent strategy for the Iranian people, and without a plan to let them build a legitimate Iranian state.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Strike on Iranian primary school kills 108, authorities say Girls’ education facility hit as US and Israel launch joint military operation

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Strike on Iranian primary school kills 108, authorities say

The ‘Crazy’ Plot to Release the Epstein Files How an unlikely duo of lawmakers partnered with victims to try to hold the powerful accountable

At least 6 Trump Cabinet members or senior administration officials were in contact with Epstein. It is unclear if these relationships w/ Epstein were raised in background checks or security clearances. Every agency involved declined to answer my questions. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

I just found all the 2.0 stuff on the Awakened Realms website. Time to comb through it and see what really changes!

On immigration: "I often am asked to speak as an economist. And what we should never lose sight of is that each of us is a moral being. And you, as I, have to decide how we feel about this form of rhetoric."

Noem’s luxury ‘deportation’ jet is the tip of the ICE-berg Kristi Noem's DHS has acquired at least nine new aircraft in recent weeks, with another one on the way. Half are luxury jets.

SCOOP: Noem's DHS has acquired at least NINE new jets in recent weeks, with another one on the way.

Half are luxury jets.

gillianbrockell.ghost.io/noems-luxury...

If you were worried the Supreme Court tariff decision undermined the Administration's "deals", let me put your mind at rest.

Those "deals" were more reality TV than trade policy: Press conferences, bullet points, and praise, but little substance.

The tell: None were ever signed

ICE "should be abolished, but also it should be prosecuted" - Democratic Rep. @sethmoulton.bsky.social, from the centrist wing of the party, tells me he wants his party leadership to go further than just reforming ICE. Doing that is "no longer believable."

Full interview: zeteo.com/p/moulton-ic...