Into the Valley of Death...

Today's title is courtesy of Tennyson's poem "Charge of the Light Brigade" which describes another group of soldiers sent on a senseless suicide mission that accomplished nothing. The mission to open the Strait of Hormuz is reminiscent of the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli which had tragic results as Doug Macgregor relays in his conversation with Danny Davis below. Our politicians, much like Sam Cooke, don't know much about history or geography. This war of choice isn't working out well, and looks as if it might cause a global depression. Trump's ego won't let him admit defeat and withdraw from the Middle East, besides his Zionist owners won't allow him to do so. So on we go sowing more senseless death and destruction in our effort to maintain global hegemony.

Let's start with a history refresher...
Every Empire That Attacked Iran Died There — America Is Next - Prof Jiang Xueqin Analysis

(22 min) From Alexander the Great to Rome, from the Mongols to modern superpowers, every major empire that has attempted to dominate Iran has faced unexpected resistance, long-term instability, or strategic failure. But why does this pattern persist—and what does it mean for today’s global balance of power, especially involving the United States?
In this deep-dive geopolitical breakdown inspired by analyst Jiang Xueqin, we examine the historical, geographic, economic, and strategic forces that make Iran one of the most complex and resilient nations in world history.
This is not just history—it’s a framework for understanding modern geopolitics through the lens of game theory, strategic depth, asymmetric warfare, and global economic interdependence.
00:00 – The Pattern Behind Empires vs Iran
01:45 – Why This Question Matters Today
03:20 – Ancient Empires and Persia
05:10 – Alexander the Great’s Campaign
07:25 – Rome vs Persia: 300 Years of Conflict
10:05 – Mongols and Cultural Transformation
12:40 – Strategic Geography of Iran Explained
15:10 – Strategic Depth and Defense Advantage
17:30 – Modern Warfare and Asymmetric Strategy
19:15 – Economic Pressure & Energy Chokepoints
21:00 – Final Insights: Future of Global Power

and one more from Prof. Jiang...
Putin Is Waiting for One Move — And When America Makes It, It's All Over | Prof. Jiang Xueqin
00:00 – The Hidden Move No One Is Talking About
01:05 – Why Putin Appears Calm Amid Global Tension
02:30 – The Strategic Trigger That Could Change Everything
04:00 – America’s Window of Strategic Flexibility
05:25 – The Risks of Overextension in Modern Warfare
07:00 – Historical Lessons from Vietnam, Iraq & Afghanistan
08:40 – Why Iran Is a Unique Military Challenge
10:15 – Asymmetry Between Superpowers and Defenders
11:30 – Russia’s Strategic Advantages in a Fragmented World
12:55 – The Role of Energy, Trade, and Global Supply Chains
14:20 – The Shift Toward a Multipolar World Order
15:45 – The Point of No Return in Escalation Dynamics
16:50 – Final Strategic Insight: What Happens Next

Why any U.S. ground operation in Iran will end in DISASTER

(14 min) This is not the Normandy landing; it's the highest level of difficulty, and the U.S. will have to concede. In this episode ex-CIA analyst Larry Johnson explains why U.S. command is driving the country into the abyss.
Larry gives details on the deployment and the nature of the planned attack.

So why would we instigate this doomed mission? Mischa has an idea...

(1.5 min) U.S. Politicians Are DEMANDING This Erectile Dysfunction Cure!

War, what's it good for? Grifting and graft that's what.
Col Doug Macgregor IRAN WAR CORRUPTION, MAGA Being Taken For a Ride

(63 min) Suspicious oil trades—worth hundreds of millions to over a billion dollars—were placed minutes before President Donald Trump announced a delay in Iran-related actions, suggesting possible insider knowledge.
He claims this indicates high-level corruption inside the White House, comparing it to past political scandals and alleging officials may be profiting from privileged information.
According to him, accountability is unlikely because:
The executive branch won’t investigate itself.
Congress is also compromised by similar behavior (e.g., insider trading).
He frames this as part of a broader pattern where elites exploit crises (like tensions with Iran) for financial gain, showing “contempt” for ordinary Americans.
He warns that unchecked corruption could lead to serious societal consequences, drawing a historical parallel to pre-revolutionary France.
On foreign policy, he disputes claims that the Strait of Hormuz is fully closed, saying it’s selectively restricted—particularly against the U.S. and its allies—while countries like China and India can still move oil under certain conditions.
Overall: He presents a highly critical and skeptical view of the government, alleging insider trading, systemic corruption, lack of accountability, and misleading narratives about both markets and the Iran situation.

The Gallipoli story was at about the 45 min. mark

Larry Johnson & Col. Wilkerson: US–Iran Ground Conflict Could DEVASTATE Israel & UAE

(59 min) The two Larry's draw on their experience to explain the current situation in Iran.

Col Doug Macgregor EPIC IRAN WAR TAG TEAM w/ Lt Col Daniel Davis

(43 min)

Pepe Escobar : How Iran is Beating Trump

(26 min)
Pepe's article...
The Iran-U.S.-UAE-Pakistan riddle
What’s in effect now is the rewriting of the global operating system. And the new OS runs on petroyuan.

Nima talked with Pepe about this article:
Pepe Escobar: New World Busy Being Born While Old One is Busy Dying

(58 min) Pepe Escobar: Iran’s Silent Strategy: How It’s Ending US Dominance in West Asia

War On Iran: Exorbitant Munition Spending + Lack Of Success = Iran Is Winning
Today the USraeli strikes hit Iranian steel plants in Khuzestan and Mobarakeh near Isfahan. Iran announced that it will hit back at similar installations in Israel and the Arab Gulf states. It is this ability to retaliate that is protecting Iran from the potentially most devastating attacks.
Iran’s position is giving it escalation advantage.

Prof. Marandi continues reporting from Tehran.

(60 min) M. Marandi: Yemen Enters the War - US-Israeli Strikes on Energy Sites Spark IRAN’S RETALIATION

Inside Israel’s “SU*CIDAL” Decision to Attack Iran
Israeli-American activist and author Miko Peled argues that the Israeli military uses "human shields" by placing its headquarters in the heart of Tel Aviv.
00:00 Israeli violence a continuation of 1948
01:13 Trump blames Iran for civilian deaths
01:57 White supremacy clearly driving US conflicts
02:49 Israeli media ignores attacks on Tel Aviv
04:08 Israeli military headquarters in center of Tel Aviv
05:13 Miko warns Israel will pay a heavy price
05:51 “Samson Option” and risks of nuclear escalation
07:11 Iran a smokescreen for Gaza
07:39 Iran's restraint mistaken for weakness

What about things at home in the US?
The war has its effects at home (and across the world)
Stocks retreat, oil pushes past $100 again

Yesterday there were "No Kings" protests all over the country including here in the boonies. I'm sorry they weren't anti-war protests instead of just anti-Trump.

Whitney Webb once again reminds us of the war on "domestic" terrorists...
Whitney Webb: What They’re NOT Telling You About Joe Kent!

(14 min) Whitney Webb joins Jimmy to explain her deep skepticism of Joe Kent, the former CIA counterterrorism official who resigned over the Iran war, warning that he may be part of a long-game psy-op to create a "domestic terrorist" profile that the national security state can later target. She connects this sentiment to the first Trump administration's DHS hearings where officials explicitly defined anti-Semitic right-leaning populists as the emerging domestic terror threat—a classification that could now be triggered by conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
Webb argues that the same infrastructure built for the War on Terror abroad is now being turned inward, and that figures like Kent may be engineered to "signal boost" anti-Zionist sentiment to create a category of Americans the government can later round up as subversives. She urges critical thinking and vigilance, noting that the "MAGA civil war" may be deliberately orchestrated to provide pretext for domestic surveillance expansion.

I liked Whitney's advice: be vigilant, watch what they DO, and think critically. I must admit to being skeptical about Joe Kent too. I watched much of his interview with Tucker, and wasn't impressed.

Let's close with Caity's piece on the US Israeli relationship...
The US-Israel alliance exists to fix the problems created by its existence.
The US and Israel have sown death and destruction throughout the middle east for generations, creating generation after generation of survivors who hate them and want them gone, and then it cites the existence of people who hate them and want them gone as the reason why the US needs to keep supporting Israel.
The US needs to help Israel harm people or else the people who are mad about being harmed might harm Israelis. It’s circular reasoning all the way through.
Ask an American Israel supporter why it benefits the US to defend Israel, and they’ll tell you it advances American interests in the middle east.
Ask them what American interests it helps advance in the middle east and they’ll tell you it counters the malign influence of Iran and terrorist groups.
Ask them to describe exactly what Iran and the terrorist groups are doing which directly harms American interests, and they’ll tell you they threaten American troops in the region.
Ask them why American troops can’t just leave the region to remove the threat, and they’ll tell you they can’t because that would be abandoning Israel.
Ask them why the US can’t simply abandon Israel, and they’ll tell you it’s an important US ally.
Ask them to explain why Israel is an important US ally, and they’ll tell you it’s because it advances American interests in the middle east.
The official narrative about the importance of the US-Israel alliance is self-justifying circular logic the whole way through, no matter what point you start examining it from, they can’t because that would be abandoning Israel.

The next few weeks will be telling. I regret US Israeli war mongering, and see these parties as the aggressors and in the wrong. I think most of the world sees it that way as well. Empires slowly erode, they don't suddenly fall. This process will continue for the rest of my life.
I hope you have some stories and insights to share below. Have a great Sunday!