The Trump Card...

ATeam · Saturday at 9:58 PM

muttly said:
Good, good.

much on the list is self-evident if you're willing to simply glimpse at the news and not rely on Trump's Truth Social posts as the single source of truth. For example, no news source -- left or right -- is reporting that the Iranian people have risen up. No news source is reporting that Iran has not launched any attacks today. No news source has reported that gas prices have returned to their pre-war levels. No news source is reporting that Iran has surrendered its nuclear materials.

This is not difficult.

muttly · Sunday at 2:22 AM

ATeam said:
much on the list is self-evident if you're willing to simply glimpse at the news and not rely on Trump's Truth Social posts as the single source of truth. For example, no news source -- left or right -- is reporting that the Iranian people have risen up. No news source is reporting that Iran has not launched any attacks today. No news source has reported that gas prices have returned to their pre-war levels. No news source is reporting that Iran has surrendered its nuclear materials.

This is not difficult.

Do you think gas prices would return to pre war levels after a few days? Thats not how it works. It’s not difficult.

muttly · Sunday at 2:24 AM

muttly · Sunday at 8:27 AM

Ragman · Sunday at 8:36 AM

muttly said:
View attachment 24751

Got a link for this cut and paste?

ATeam · Sunday at 9:07 AM

The Trump/Iran Partnership Continues

While Trump says he wants the Straight of Hormuz open, he is literally working with Iran to keep it closed.

Actions speak louder than words. While Trump says one thing, he is doing something else. From his actions, we can presume that Trump actually wants the Straight closed. Hence the US Navy blockade aligned with Iran's actions. A couple days ago, when Iran announced it was opening the Straight, Trump did not lift the US Navy blockade. This further suggests he wants the Straight closed.

The question now is, why does Trump want the Straight of Hormuz closed? What purpose does that serve? How do Americans benefit from that? Or, perhaps more specifically, what Americans in particular benefit from that?

muttly · Sunday at 10:42 AM

Ragman said:
Got a link for this cut and paste?

No, not anymore. You both don’t provide links to your cut and pastes. Don’t expect it from others.

muttly · Sunday at 10:47 AM

Iran losing over 400 million a day:

Ragman · Sunday at 11:24 AM

ATeam · Sunday at 11:47 AM

It Ain’t Fun Being MAGA No More

Click to Hear the Song

ATeam · Sunday at 7:29 PM

Trump's War Enters its Eight Week

And this war seems no closer to ending now than it the day Trump started it. Trump says he's sending people to Pakistan to negotiate. I have to ask, with who? Iran says it is sending no one. That's a long flight to talk to yourself. Why not hole up in a room in Washington to do that and save the travel time and expense?

muttly · Sunday at 9:51 PM

Ragman said:
View attachment 24755

muttly · Sunday at 9:52 PM

ATeam · Sunday at 11:19 PM

muttly said:
View attachment 24758

Yes, "Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship ..."

Is this good or bad for America? Whatever your answer, please explain why.

ATeam · 2026-04-20T07:34:25-0400

ATeam said:
Yes, "Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship ..."

Is this good or bad for America? Whatever your answer, please explain why.

I'll answer. It's bad for America. This enforcement action is Trump using US military might to keep the Straight of Hormuz closed. The longer it stays closed, the longer gas prices stay high at US pumps. Also, the longer the Straight stays closed, the greater the negative, longer-term effects (like fertilizer and industrial chemical shortages).

Ragman · 2026-04-20T07:55:10-0400

The insider trading suspicions looming over Trump's presidency

The insider trading suspicions looming over Trump's presidency

The BBC has found a pattern of spikes in trades ahead of public announcements by the US president.

www.bbc.com

ATeam · 2026-04-20T07:59:45-0400

The Upcoming Round of Peace Talks in Pakistan

At the moment, the best information I have is that Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner have landed in Pakistan for another round of talks with Iran. And it is also true that Iran is sending no one to this meeting. This is going to be a PR disaster for Trump as his three stooges stand empty handed and ignored, looking like idiots.

Beyond the PR embarrassment, what might this mean? One interpretation is Trump is looking for a way out of the war he started, and Iran is not.

Iran has the upper hand in this conflict, and they know it. The longer they can string this out, the weaker Trump and the US become.

The trend Trump's trade wars fueled has been accelerated by the war. The whole world is reorienting it's trade practices and political alliances around a declining US empire and an ascending China. Iran has more power today than it had before the war started. The long-term global trends are shifting in their favor.

ATeam · 2026-04-20T08:01:04-0400

Ragman said:
The insider trading suspicions looming over Trump's presidency

This is another area Congress and a revived DOJ will focus on after the Republican Party collapse is complete.

ATeam · 2026-04-20T08:29:18-0400

Would Trump Actually Do This?

Trump has frequently talked about destroying Iran's bridges and electrical grid. Iran has responded by saying that if Trump does this, they will destroy the energy infrastructure of Israel and the Gulf states.

There is little doubt they can do that. Their missile reserves remain strong and the interceptor missile supplies of Israel and the Gulf states have been or are rapidly being depleted. Increasingly, Iranian missiles are getting through the defense systems and hitting their targets with pinpoint accuracy.

This video describes the effects of such attacks for Iran, the Gulf states, and Israel. While US mainland targets would not be struck and we'd still have our power and water, the economic effects would be devastating and lasting.

I'd like to believe that even the impulsive Trump would be smart enough to avoid this totally preventable outcome, but I don't believe that. His war judgment to date has been less than wise.

The video begins with a description of Iranian suffering that will make the MAGA war hawks salivate. But if they continue to watch, they may think twice about such an outcome and do what they can to bring Trump back to his "no more wars" campaign rhetoric.

What Happens in the Next 5 Days if Middle East Power Grids are Destroyed?

ATeam · 2026-04-20T11:34:56-0400

Trump: Israel Never Talked Me Into War With Iran

I was wondering about that. So are many others. (Source)

Trump either started this war on his own or he didn't. He claims he did. I have been operating under that assumption, but Israel's involvement cannot be denied. Trump critics are saying Trump was indeed talked into the war by Israel. If so, that's a big problem since US blood and treasure are being spent not for "America First" but for Israel. Of not, that's a big problem because starting a foreign war is not America First.