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Just a reminder that those who serve, in addition to being heroes, are real people with real people who love them:
- Have we learned nothing from the Vietnam experience?
Julian Sanchez reminds the administration of the important lesson they must apply to the war in the Middle East:
You’re supposed to call them “military advisors”
— Julian Sanchez (@normative.bsky.social) March 26, 2026 at 7:41 PM
- M. Bouffant at Web of Evil doesn’t laugh as Trump uses the sneak attack by the Empire of Japan on Pearl Harbor in 1941 to justify the sneak attack on Iran.
Trump’s comparison rests on the fact that both attacks happened without warning during what seemed to be good faith negotiations.
He directs his point to Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during their sit-down photo-op.Trump thinks the similarities are hilarious.
M. Bouffant links to a dozen and a half or so reactions to Trump’s little joke.
I dunno.
It’s been 84 years since the sneak attack by the Empire of Japan at Pearl Harbor. It was called a Date which will live in infamy because it was done during what the US thought were good faith negotiations with Japan.The sneak attack killed thousands of US military personnel and enraged the public during, and decades after, the war.
That may be why it doesn’t crack me up the way it does Trump and his followers.Launching a similar attack on Iran during negotiations almost seems like an attempt to accomplish what ought to have been the impossible: making the thugocracy in Iran seem sympathetic.
- Infidel753 makes the point that, while Trump exercises a bit of apparent idiocy, and Netanyahu is …well… Netanyahu, responsible adults should stay focused on the single most important aspect of the war with Iran: the vast majority of Iranians wanting freedom from a brutal theocracy.
He has little patience with those of us who lose that focus.
Those in the West who oppose the current military campaign to do so are de facto collaborating with the continued rule of a monstrous evil over tens of millions of people. - From The Borowitz Report, Pete Hegseth bans microphones at the Pentagon after press briefings make him sound like an idiot.
Best line (at least a contender):
After expelling all sound-capturing equipment from the Pentagon media room, Hegseth proceeded to conduct an hourlong briefing entirely in mime. - Great news for Major General Antoinette R. Gant. She was selected to command the Military District of Washington.
Bad news for Major General Gant. She was not only unselected, her superiors were scolded for ever thinking of selecting her.
Our favorite Earth-Bound Misfit links to the several accounts of the angry exchange.
Quoting The New York Times report:
Mr. Buria told Mr. Driscoll that President Trump would not want to stand next to a Black female officer at military events, the officials said.Comrade Misfit’s headline seems accurate:
Trump: Racist to the Core of His Being - Scotties Playtime goes to the lessons taught to us by popular culture as we watched on television or read in comic books while growing up, and finds a lesson in race and sexuality. If you object to inclusion today, it is likely that you grew up intolerant.
- So the assignment of ICE agents to replace TSA workers at airports has provided some unexpected success.
In Canadian satire, The Beaverton has long airport security lines in the US vastly reduced after ICE agents kidnap most travelers.
- CalicoJack in The Psy of Life notices that, seconds before each of Trump’s whimsical moves on oil supply, someone makes an amazing amount of money betting on exactly what he is about to do.
Jack goes all Sherlock figuring out what’s going on in oil futures, and comes up with something.
- With his whim-inspired war, and government organized crime on the streets, Trump is losing popularity like crazy.
Disaffected and it Feels So Good reports as Trump and those around him respond by frantically lining their pockets.
- In Letters from an American, historian Heather Cox Richardson looks at the evidence which is pretty strong… okay, compelling… okay, undeniable… in your face that folks around Trump are heavy, very heavy, into illegal insider trading.
The same analysis is now available in audio format, as Richardson narrates in podcast.
- Massive financial corruption seems almost minor when compared with war and the rape of multiple children.
It isn’t minor.
Hackwhackers has new revelations about just why Trump stole, squirreled away, and lied about all those documents.
- Brian Beutler points out that the Trump rot goes deeper than the insider trading on oil futures during the Iran war, and the stolen classified documents to be sold to the highest bidder. Congress and voters must push to expose all of Trump’s war profiteering and those who enable it.
- Journalist Marcy Wheeler at EmptyWheel has details to support her suggestion that Putin is successfully recruiting Trump to Russia’s side in the coming World War III.
- With the passing of Robert Mueller, Dave Dubya contrasts the basic decency reflected in the public reactions of America’s Presidents with that of the one exception.
- At The Moderate Voice Joe Gandelman gathers reaction from all directions…
…after Trump rejoices at the death of a patriot.
This is not simply a “mean tweet.” This is a character assassination of an honorable public servant, a concept Trump will never understand, all to rewrite the history of Trump‘s own dishonor. https://t.co/IflMKgToUi
— Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) March 21, 2026
- tengrain at Mock Paper Scissors chronicles an entirely new level of White House power:
Melania Trump senior adviser Marc Beckman says Melania is working on "new legislation" on the heels of "signing an executive order"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 25, 2026 at 7:18 AM
- PZ Myers watches Melania march on in, accompanied by an unsteady friend…
…and listens to a discussion on all the low level tasks robotic humanoids can take over in the future.
“Bizarre” is the right word — apparently, there was an event at the White House to bless a future of AI humanoid slaves taking over all of our menial jobs, like, you know, teaching. - Dave Columbo scripts from Donald Trump’s actual words at the last cabinet meeting with an emphasis on his mighty pen:
- As Mike Johnson announces a very special, once in a lifetime, golden award for Donald Trump, driftglass is inspired to go somewhat Biblical.
Those who have a passing familiarity with Exodus will understand the reference to another idol predating Trump.
- Legal expert Imani Gandy points out an uncomfortable fact. After 2020 we knew, we all knew, the entire electorate knew, what Donald Trump represented. So how have we come to be watching a fascist takeover in real time? She has some suggestions:
- Right Wing Watch brings us Franklin Graham, explaining how Trump put you heathen WokeFolk on notice that we’re not gonna take it anymore. Trump did it by saying Merry Christmas.
Daring of Trump, courageous if you think about it, saying Merry Christmas right out loud.
- In Nan’s Notebook, she gags as Trump puts his name all over our currency.
My contribution:
I believe that there are also some words right underneath describing the MAGA view of the image. Do you have that?
— burrland01.bsky.social (@burrland01.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 4:49 AM
Never mind.
I found it.— burrland01.bsky.social (@burrland01.bsky.social) March 23, 2026 at 5:53 AM
- Growing up with the Dick Van Dyke show, the ongoing feud between Buddy and Mel was a constant theme. As in:
Buddy: You know what I like about you, Mel?
Mel (surprised, smiling): Why no, Buddy. What?
Buddy: Nothin’!!Ted McLaughlin at jobsanger puts together a host of numbers from different polls all of which show the same inescapable result: people don’t like Trump’s war with Iran.
In fact, in poll after poll after poll after poll, on one issue after another, care to take a guess on what voters like about Trump himself?
- No Kings Day has arrived.
North Carolina pastor John Pavlovitz asks whether today, No Kings Day, will really matter. He suggests it depends on what happens beginning Monday.
For No Kings Day to matter, it cannot be a landing pad; it must be a launching pad.
Yes, Saturday afternoon is something.
But Monday morning is everything. - News Corpse reviews the tirade as a furious Trump reacts to his growing unpopularity by declaring Democrats to be America’s greatest enemy.
- Here in Missouri, Jess Piper looks closely at The Heritage Foundation and the Trump administration’s controlling document, Project 2025, and finds the new government determination that education is the real enemy.
- Noted author John Scalzi says it has finally happened, one of his books has been banned from all schools in a Texas district.
Part of his reaction:
Via this post from @thebloggess.bsky.social, I learn that my book Lock In has been banned from schools in New Braunfels, TX. There is irony here in that Lock In won the Alex Award from the ALA, given for "adult books suitable for teens."
thebloggess.com/2026/03/25/t…
— John Scalzi (@scalzi.com) March 26, 2026 at 3:09 AM
- Jason Linkins posts a bit of It’s about damn time news:
hey some good news today
www.propublica.org/article/utah…
— Jason Linkins (@dceiver.bsky.social) March 27, 2026 at 11:42 AM
- Author and educator Amanda Nelson nags us about the elections. No, not about voting. We already know about that.
It turns out that lots and lots of local offices are filled in elections in which there is literally no opposing candidate.
- Wisconsin conservative James Wigderson considers the candidates and the mood among voters at home in Waukesha County.
James says things don’t look so good for Republicans.
- It was one of 30 or so upsets that Democrats have accomplished so far this year, many in what had been considered ultra‑safe Republican seats, getting voters to reconsider and vote against the party of Trump.
Tommy Christopher captures the moment as Jan Psaki interviews new winner Emily Gregory with what Tommy calls a doozy of a question about 44 seconds in.
What do you think about the fact that Donald Trump is now one of your constituents?Democratic winner Gregory has a pretty good answer:
I don’t think all of that much about it, right? He’s one of 115,000 registered voters in District 87.Tommy brings us the video:
- Vincent at A Wayfarer’s Notes does not speculate as much as simply believes that angels exist.
He does speculate that angels are messengers to us. He wonders whether one angel is assigned to earthly beings or if multiple heavenly beings are with each of us.
Mostly, he defends believing without proof.
- In The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser, youngster Bruce goes through a life crisis not of his choosing, becomes a little rebellious, then a lot rebellious (in a couple of instances, what healthy human wouldn’t?)
This is just awful regardless of one’s spiritual direction. What sort of church are we?
It should have been evident that I was struggling. I was a hurting kid whose parents had destroyed his life. Not one pastor or congregant paid much attention to me, even though the church had become my new family. No one asked how I was feeling or what they could do for me. People weren’t mean; they were indifferent.Then Bruce suddenly converts into a life devoted to preaching.
Well…
…not an entire life.I was a true-blue follower of Jesus, until I wasn’t. In 2008, I left Christianity. - SilverAppleQueen goes all classic with the poem Helen by Paul Valéry a hundred and thirty years or so ago. The cold and unfeeling Helen of Troy gets reflective and a bit weepy thinking about the battles she provoked.
Unless, of course, I got the meaning all wrong.
- The Journal of Improbable Research finds a cross‑university survey of books, literature, manuscripts, going back to ancient scrolls, documenting unusual beliefs about misshapen ears.
- Dave Barry helps us with clarity in language and punctuation with a host of helpful hints as Mister Language Person.
He begins thusly:
Q. When should I use a semicolon?
A. You should use it when you reach the end of a sentence and realize you left out some potentially relevant information.
EXAMPLE: Steve possesses all the requisite qualities to be Director of Human Resources; by the way, he is a practicing cannibal. - The Onion has breaking news as…
…all of the world’s problems were solved overnight as we slept.
More wisdom from our internet friends:
9 responses to “Week of War, Freedom, Oil, Air Travel
No Kings Day, Election Glide to Blue, Mocking Mueller, Pocket Lining”
Howdy Burr!
Our bombing campaign and any occupation of Iranian territory to open the Strait of Hormuz is not going to result in regime change. What it will do and has done is inflict massive pain, suffering, and death on the Iranians. When the quality of your life is being degraded at the speed of Tomahawk missiles, does it matter whether it is from a “benevolent” source “trying” to free you or your oppressive regime?
Opposing this war crime in progress is not condemning the Iranians to living under their brutal theocracy, just as opposing the Israeli genocide in Gaza and crimes against humanity in the West Bank is anti-Semitism.
Clearly the way to ease the pain of oppressed people is to engage their governments with diplomacy, incentivising easing of oppressive tendencies and punishing transgressions as we did in China and Viet Nam — having lived in both, I can assure you that life is much better in both places than it was before the engagement occurred.
Huzzah!
Jack
Those in the West who oppose the current military campaign to do so are de facto collaborating with the continued rule of a monstrous evil over tens of millions of people. Their motives are wholly irrelevant. The same applies to the media, whose preferred spin is rooted mostly in petty domestic political considerations. Similarly, it doesn’t really matter what motivated Trump or Netanyahu to launch the campaign. Only the eventual actual results on the ground are important.“
Maybe it DOES matter what motivated the WAR CRIMINALS Trump and Netanyahu? Maybe their motives weren’t so pure? I don’t care if Netanyahu wants to bomb and assassinate Iranian tyrants, but I do care that Trump is making Israel’s war our war. Americans do not need to die for Netanyahu’s war.
If Infidel is so firmly pro-war to liberate people living under tyranny, then why won’t he advocate we invade Russia, China, and North Korea? Don’t those people count? Or is Infidel de facto collaborating with the continued rule of a monstrous evil over those “less worthy” tens of millions of people?
Our fellow blogger Infidel has arrived at the “ends justify the means” excuse for Trump’s war. Well, that’s fine, as long as those ends are attained without hundreds or thousands of Americans killed and triggering global war and depression. But at least Putin and Crime Boss Trump’s insider trading henchmen will rake in the cash.
And what if the Criminal President Trump’s war FAILS? What if we only inspire more terrorists to attack us in our country? Will that still make Trump’s failed war justified? Will our our dead American soldiers’ families find consolation with, “It was worth a shot”? Will the next civilian American victims of terrorism find consolation in Trump’s war of choice?
I do hope Infidel’s dream of liberation and democracy for Iran comes true.
What concerns me is how great a nightmare will be required first, whether liberation and democracy happens or not. What will be the cost? The only certainty is death, destruction, debt, and more chaos.
What are the chances Trump will bring a “golden era” to Iran? If what he’s done here for “America’s golden era” is an indication, I fear the worst.
Also, I’d like to know how this isn’t relevant to “our petty domestic political considerations”, since electing Trump got us into this mess. One of those petty domestic political considerations is having a criminal president responsible for his unaccountable goons murdering non-violent protesters. Renee Good and Alex Pretti are just as dead as the murdered Iranians.
Infidel may be an expert on Iran, but I can’t find one lesson from history that shows an authoritarian criminal leader’s war of aggression is good for any country. Iraq still has Iranian allies. The Taliban still have Afghanistan.
If I am “collaborating” with Iranian tyrants by objecting to Trump’s war, then Infidel is collaborating with Putin, XI, and Kim Jong Un for not supporting wars against them.
Does this “reasoning” even pass the smell test?
All of these points are already addressed in my various posts on the topic.
Yes, Infidel, and now I’ll take my turn.
You’ll have to pardon me for addressing your points that I am “collaborating” with tyranny because of my being part of the “ignorantsia”.
Neocons have insisted war with Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran is the answer, all right. Until it isn’t.
Then what? Trump and his voters own this war because they hate people like Obama and Kamala.
Obama had an agreement that was working.
Then Trump destroyed any trust for American diplomacy and nuclear agreements.
We are NOT the “good guys” here. We murdered scores of schoolgirls without so much as an apology. Israel is stealing more land because “God” said they can, and Trump’s war is now about OIL.
If this is the path paved with good intentions to peace and human rights, it will surely disappoint anyone not profiting politically and financially from war.
Some things never change, but that’s the “ignorantsia” for you.
Don’t buy the lies about Iran killing “thousands of Americans”, unless you want to count the HUNDREDS of thousands of Arabs and Iranians killed by the US and with US involvement.
The body count from Trump’s war in Iran is already in the thousands.
https://bsky.app/profile/rantingdubya.bsky.social/post/3mibwzlur7s2l
Thank you for linking Scottie’s, Burr. We appreciate it, and appreciate your hard work every week.
Thanks as always, & if I may presume to type for them, from everyone you’re kind enough to feature.
I didn’t mention that my father was aboard the USS Tangier, moored on the north side of Ford Island during the attack. Had he not survived, I wouldn’t be here today.
> Those in the West who oppose the current military campaign to do so are de facto collaborating with the continued rule of a monstrous evil over tens of millions of people.
Seems like that logic would apply to the Iraq war or the Afghanistan war which didn’t turn out all that well. It seems like saying that if the oppressed people can’t step up and spill their own blood to rid themselves of their oppressors, we should step in and shed the peoples’ blood for them—what are friends for.
Here’s a sober and grim assessment of how Trump’s war will go from another member of the “collaborating ignorantsia”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcDxGveoplc
America Is Trapped In This War — And There Is No Way Out (Professor Jiang Analysis)
“Can America stop this war? Can it negotiate a ceasefire? Can it withdraw. Can it find a way out?
The answer — when you look at it carefully — is deeply unsettling.
America is trapped. It cannot go forward. It cannot go back.”