h/t WRSA

Bragging about one’s own blockade being ineffective? Someone, explain that one.

That’s not long after he again claimed that Iran’s navy is completely destroyed, except for that one other second navy that is in fact not destroyed because it didn’t “pose a threat”:

Read the latest from Simplicius …

What if, from the moment one becomes conscious, one is continually fed a particular ideology? Is that not why someone born in modern Iran would automatically be a Shia Muslim? Not because they made an informed decision, but because of the environment in which they’re born? The same can be suggested for the Christian, the Buddhist, or the Hindu.

Let’s take another step. What was the cause of the American War Between the States? Slavery? Really? Who is the most evil man to ever exist on planet earth? That one’s easy. Hitler. Not Mao or Stalin who murdered many thousands more innocent people than Hitler was accused of. Why? Why slavery, why Hitler?

The answer, in my view, is the same in all these questions. It’s what we are constantly fed. It is the narrative those in power want us to believe. However, for the free thinker, the person who can set all their preconceived notions, beliefs and prejudices on the shelf, and examine things calmly, logically, and reasonably, that one may come to different, even though uncomfortable, conclusions.

William Gayley Simpson wrote the book, Which Way Western Man in 1978 to promote his conviction that the West is being controlled by a foreign entity that is conspiring to destroy Western civilization. Consider; how many world leaders down to the level of governors, members of parliaments, and mayors make pilgrimage to a particular wall to don a tiny hat and bend the knee to that entity. How many American Congressmen and Senators are dual citizens and controlled by this entity? Who controls American presidents and dictates American foreign policy? One would be blind not to notice just who that foreign entity is.

It seems that many, if not most, people are finally beginning to notice. So, should one desire to take an additional step away from the programming we have all received from birth, should one be willing to set aside their beliefs and prejudices and review, with an open mind, an alternative to the narratives we’ve all been fed, I offer the following as a thought experiment, just for consideration. One’s first knee-jerk reaction will likely be disgust. That’s what our rulers want. However, if one reads Fundamentals, ask if many, even most, of our current problems would not be erased by such a system.

Caveat: By posting this, I do not claim that the German experiment did not result in some Germans committing war crimes, but for the ‘Allies,’ there was Dresden, Hamburg, Nagasaki, and Hiroshima, and each was ‘justified’ to suit the narrative we all now believe. There are two sides to every story, but enough crimes to go around. Such is war.

I invite – challenge – you to read, consider, and then answer for yourself the questions posed above.

To be fair, he did not use the term terrorism. He said:

“We cannot accept insinuations from an irresponsible rogue state that is, in fact, the perpetrator of the worst kind of state terrorism that we are witnessing in Gaza and in fact in the occupied Palestinian territories for decades.”

Everyone knows that Israel commits genocide in the Middle East and assassinations around the world.

Trump’s erratic comments on relations with Iran and the state of the war have jumped from one extreme to another over the course of the last 10 days. However, I think we do have a clue about Trump’s thinking based on JD Vance’s final address to the press prior to departing Islamabad on Saturday, when he singled out Iran’s refusal to compromise on nuclear enrichment as the major obstacle to an agreement to end the war… He was saying that on instructions from the White House.

In a recent speech to Turning Point USA, Vance signaled what Trump’s exit plan may be:

Trump says to Iran: “If you commit to not having a nuclear weapon, we are going to make Iran economically thrive.”

Today we have Donald Trump, during his interview with Maria Bartiromo, reiterating the anti-nuke theme… i.e., necessary to disarm Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Gone are justifications involving regime change or opening the Strait of Hormuz. The central issue now is whether Iran will build a nuke.

Despite Western news reports claiming the blockade is a great success, it is a charade… so far at least. If the US begins, or tries, to interdict ships — especially those headed to China — then the potential for the blockade to explode into a larger war is significant. But looking at the price of oil futures (see oilprice.com), the folks trading oil futures are firmly convinced that the war is coming to an end and the current shortage of oil will be short lived. I think that is delusional. Unless and until the US fully complies with Iran’s 10-point plan, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to all ships serving Western interests, the shortage of oil will persist and the war will continue. The current cease fire expires Monday, April 20 and Iran is prepared to continue fighting. The wild card remains Donald Trump… What will he do?

Continue reading Sonar21 …

Private credit funds. They’re not banks, but they lend like banks. The only difference is they’re not regulated like banks. Their interest rates are much higher.

For example, while a bank might lend you at 5-7%, these charge 10-15%. Because they’re taking on the risk that the bank refused. In 10 years, this market grew to $2 trillion.

Who’s putting in the money? – Pension funds.

– Insurance companies.

– University endowments.

– Banks.

– Sovereign wealth funds of Gulf countries.

It was promised as high returns, more profitable than bonds, more stable than stocks—it was marketed that way.

Everyone was happy. Until now.