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Linda Weide's avatar

The fact the Trump ignores people he put into place just highlights how much they are figureheads. I am sure Israel is not having Trump share anything with Hegseth again when we know he will just tell his wife on an unsecured Signal call. I don't believe that is a lesson that Trump could have learned because Trump does not learn lessons. This is what a Kakistocracy looks like.

I like this piece that Lucien Truscott wrote about Iran and Trump called A World of Hurt.

https://open.substack.com/pub/luciantruscott/p/a-world-of-hurt?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Reading this piece made me anxious about flying internationally this weekend, but I made it back to Europe in one piece. I was grateful for TSA even though I know that they have been cut back. This trip to the US was very instructive because the security routines of both Border Control and Customs, and of the TSA are different than they were in December and January. Lots of photographing, not so much inspecting shoes, etc... No putting your things in bins. No taking off the sweatshirt. Instead they had you put everything directly on the belt. Interesting.

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Carl Ford's avatar

Somebody get Tulsi back in the clown car.

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Robot Bender's avatar

If I were in US intelligence, I'd look for another job at this point. Why bother doing your job if your work is going to be ignored? Besides, you get paid more in the business world.

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Linda Weide's avatar

In fact, I had thought all the credible people had been fired or left already. Glad to know some are still on the job. Tulsi is always discussed in terms of what each word out of her mouth does for Putin. A war with Iran would take a lot of their resources that they have been selling to Russia. So, I would not think Russia would want that. Neither does Iran want the US directly involved.

As for the Australian Substacker being deported, I felt like it is the kind of platform they wouldn't know about but apparently they do. Some people are moving to Ghost. Still, it is based in the US, so no improvement there to be safer from government intervention if they decide to use it. Censorship of speech is part of us going down a dark path of authoritarianism.

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Jeff Stein's avatar

Thanks for your comment. We don’t know if—beyond the Venezuela-Tren de Argua-ODNI fiasco – the work of intelligence analysts is being ignored. But we are keeping a close eye on it.

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