History will regard the unprovoked attack & subsequent war on Iran as one of the most egregious examples of foreign state capture & of great power hubris in recent eras: “The U.S. Army has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran”

EXCLUSIVE: US has used 'virtually all' of its long-range precision missiles during Iran war, sources say

The U.S. Army has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, according to three people familiar with the data, ​raising concerns about th...

reuters.com

The damage that this war has done to US hegemony in the Middle East & to the ability of the US to project power in the future against adversaries such as China & Russia is immense. We forced ourselves out of the Gulf The US attack on Iran may yet be akin to Britain’s 1956 Suez fiasco Treasonous

E Jones@eofchi.bsky.social · 4mo ago

The new reality is that Iran now has control of the Strait & will continue to control it This unprovoked attack for Israel has cost the US enormously: shredded diplomatic credibility & control lost over an essential strategic area, as well as also likely forced the US military out of its Gulf bases

Politico: Why’d you want to give the speech and why’d you want it there? Rahm: The United States has fought in Iraq, & now has a war in Iran. We have lost 50,000 fellow citizens, either dead or permanently maimed for life. Spent well over a trillion & a half to $2T. I’m not interested in a 3rd war”

Rahm Emanuel on Why Democrats Keep Losing

The former Chicago mayor makes his case for his party’s future.

politico.com

So long, Salvatore. Say hi to Tony and Paulie up there

Culture Crave 🍿@culturecrave.co · 4d ago

Vincent Pastore has passed away at the age of 80

100%. PhDs are desperate to slap a political theory on this administration because the current style of politics causes their life's work to go up in smoke.

E Jones@eofchi.bsky.social · 6d ago

I reject entirely the assertion that this Administration or Trump himself is operating under a strategy underpinned by Madman Theory Few FP-tasked advisers in this admin are IR-studied, & I don’t think there’s a shred of evidence for a Nixonian-like approach. His “strategy” is merely reactive chaos

I reject entirely the assertion that this Administration or Trump himself is operating under a strategy underpinned by Madman Theory Few FP-tasked advisers in this admin are IR-studied, & I don’t think there’s a shred of evidence for a Nixonian-like approach. His “strategy” is merely reactive chaos

The Madman Strikes Back

Nixon’s theory on the power of unpredictability didn’t account for an actual madman adversary.

foreignpolicy.com

Al-Qahtani was largely unknown to most everyone outside of Afghanistan or those hunting for him, but his successful targeting is arguably among the most important kills of the entire war. His potential impact as leader of a future Al-Qaeda or related movement will (thankfully) never be known

Wesley Morgan@wesleymorgan.bsky.social · last yr.

In Oct 2016, JSOC finally killed its no. 1 Afg target, Farouq al-Qahtani, aka OBJ Smokescreen, in a drone strike in the Helgal valley. DOD made no mention of civilian casualties, but al-Qaida alleged that his family died with him. Intelligence personnel involved confirmed to me that this was true.

Missed this last fall: in al-Qaida’s 9/11 24th anniversary video, it released what I think is the only publicly available photo of Farouq al-Qahtani, who the CIA and JSOC viewed as the top AQ figure in Afg and its no. 2 most dangerous figure (after Ibrahim al-Asiri) between 2011 and 2016.

Wesley Morgan@wesleymorgan.bsky.social · last yr.

In Oct 2016, JSOC finally killed its no. 1 Afg target, Farouq al-Qahtani, aka OBJ Smokescreen, in a drone strike in the Helgal valley. DOD made no mention of civilian casualties, but al-Qaida alleged that his family died with him. Intelligence personnel involved confirmed to me that this was true.

I too am waiting for the big expose of Israeli meddling in US elections.

E Jones@eofchi.bsky.social · 3w ago

Which way, American man?

Which way, American man?

Eileen Clancy 🧿@clancyny.bsky.social · 2mo ago

@reuters.com: Israeli firm BlackCore suspected of meddling in New York and Scotland votes, France says By Gabriel Stargardter @gabstargardter.bsky.social

As a kid, I found a $5 Bill James Baseball Encyclopedia in a KMart bargain bin I tried to memorize the statistics of every player on every team every year from 1901-1984. Gehrig fascinated me I can make the argument that Henry Louis Gehrig is among the 3 greatest players in the history of the game

Frank Amari @frankamari.bsky.social · 2mo ago

"There is no room in baseball for discrimination. It is our national pastime and a game for all." -- Lou Gehrig, who died #OTD 1941

Finally!

Bill Hunt@billhuntbits.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Imma drop a little something that might make a few folks happy today. Coming to #4K #UltraHD in 2026: Philip Kaufman’s THE RIGHT STUFF (1983). “Sir, is that a man?” “You’re damn right it is!” #physicalmedia @thedigitalbits.bsky.social

Simply one of the purest and most unfiltered depictions of warfare ever put to film Stanley Kubrick is among the few rightfully called Gods of American film

Michael Warburton@michaelwarburton.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Stanley Kubrick and Kirk Douglas behind the scenes on PATHS OF GLORY (1957)

BLUF: He’s backing out of talks The absolute damage this guy is doing to US power is incredible The destruction he’s wreaking will last literally decades. It’ll span the Koreas & East China Sea to the Gulf, & to the Americas Congress is staring in sclerosis & impotence Astonishing & demoralizing

Shipwreck@shipwreck75.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Trump on Iran deal:

"But on that glorious day in May 1963, Gordo Cooper went higher, farther, and faster than any other American. Twenty-two complete orbits around the world, he was the last American ever to go into space alone. And for a brief moment, Gordo Cooper became the greatest pilot anyone had ever seen."

Co-signed

Just did our first interview with a WW2 veteran on @theteamhouse.bsky.social who served with the Navy at Iwo Jima before practicing law for 50 years. Born in 1925.

Baseball only:

Libby Spencer@libbyspencer.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Sports and The Movies: My #blindguess is Field of Dreams. #Jeopardy #jeopardyblindguess

“The Emerging Push to Extend Some US Benefits to IDF Soldiers” I can’t express how… Never mind. My thoughts can’t be conveyed. And that in and of itself should tell the tale This is a real story. This is an actual thing. And this is where we all are in 2026. www.military.com/feature/2026...

The Emerging Push to Extend Some US Benefits to IDF Soldiers

Some U.S. lawmakers seek protections for Americans serving in the IDF, raising questions about fairness since U.S. benefits traditionally depend on service to the United States.

military.com

MATT DAMON just trying to get home

Under appreciated and sadly under-seen GWOT era film Very good, different, well-acted, and highly recommended Traitor (2008)

“History Is Running Backwards: Why reactionaries are taking over the world” I could have written this for you 10 years ago, Atlantic The post-Enlightenment egalitarian liberal order is no more. It’s just a question of when time of death will be called. Left & Right both are done with liberalism

History Is Running Backwards

Why reactionaries are taking over the world

theatlantic.com

The new reality is that Iran now has control of the Strait & will continue to control it This unprovoked attack for Israel has cost the US enormously: shredded diplomatic credibility & control lost over an essential strategic area, as well as also likely forced the US military out of its Gulf bases

FRANCE 24 English@en.france24.com · 4mo ago

🔴 As part of its 10-point proposal to end the US-Israeli war on Iran, Tehran is pushing for ongoing control over the vital Strait of Hormuz. Read more in our explainer: https://go.france24.com/TlS

The fundamental piece that ensures the excess, aggression, militarism, and endless expansionism of Israel is that the United States underwrites every war crime, every land theft, every instance of mass murder that the Israeli regime commits Without the US, Israeli society — and Israel — disappears

🍉paraver🟩🟡🟥@paraver.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Netanyahu admits that he started the war on Iran in order to transform Israel into a supernation We are working on transforming Israel into a supernation in the region and globally.

Bahrain’s Shia majority periodically demonstrates against the minority Sunni regime (2011 & 2013), but is put down either extreme brutality Censorship not unlike what Israel is enforcing itself is now emplaced in Bahrain in the wake of Iran retaliatory strikes www.middleeasteye.net/news/war-ira...

The war on Iran has ignited rare civil unrest in Bahrain

Bahraini authorities are cracking down violently on protesters angry at US role in the state, and detaining people for posting videos of Iranian attacks

middleeasteye.net

E Jones@eofchi.bsky.social · 5mo ago

The monarchy in Bahrain may (soon?) be deposed. Bahrain is majority Shia, minority Sunni rule. Saudi will attempt to backstop it but a Shia uprising will likely soon topple it. Gulf states that have relied on US security will eventually pivot now with the US security umbrella disastrously exposed.

The outlook for this war for US interests is getting very dark, & it’s accelerating by the day. This is the nightmare scenario, an absolute catastrophe for US power US hegemony in the Gulf is quickly coming to an end. Israel has entered a death spiral. The Trump admin is doubling down on disaster