Recent Items

Coffee Break: Narrative Wars as US Media Struggles to Manufacture Consent

Posted on by

Narrative wars rage as missiles fly. Various influencers, corporate and national media outlets are firing up their fog of war machines in a vicious fight for control.

What’s the Trump Regime Saying?

Let’s start at the top and look at what the War Emperor declared as he opened the Gates of Janus.

Trump opened the narrative wars with a traditional live television announcement in the very early hours of Saturday the 28th:

Some highlights:

A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran.

Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating eminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people.

Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world.

For 47 years, the Iranian regime has chanted death to America and waged an unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder, targeting the United States, our troops, and the innocent people in many, many countries.
…
From Lebanon to Yemen and Syria to Iraq, the regime has armed, trained, and funded terrorist militias that have soaked the earth with blood and guts. And it was Iran’s proxy Hamas that launched the monstrous October 7th attacks on Israel, slaughtering more than 1,000 innocent people, including 46 Americans, while taking 12 of our citizens hostage. It was brutal, something like the world has never seen before.

Iran is the world’s number one state sponsor of terror and just recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the street as they protested. It has always been the policy of the United States in particular my administration that this terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon.

I’ll say it again. They can never have a nuclear weapon. That is why in operation midnight hammer last June we obliterated the regime’s nuclear program at Ford Natans and Isvahan.

After that attack we warned them never to resume their malicious pursuit of nuclear weapons and we sought repeatedly to make a deal.

We tried. They wanted to do it. They didn’t want to do it again. They wanted to do it. They didn’t want to do it. They didn’t know what was happening. They just wanted to practice evil.

But Iran refused, just as it has for decades and decades. They’ve rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore.

Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing long range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could soon reach the American homeland. Just imagine how emboldened this regime would be if they ever had and actually were armed with nuclear weapons as a means to deliver their message.

For these reasons, the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests. We are going to destroy their missiles and raise their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally again obliterated. We are going to annihilate their navy. We are going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces and no longer use their IEDs or roadside bombs as they are sometimes called to so gravely wound and kill thousands and thousands of people including many Americans. And we will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
…
This regime will soon learn that no one should challenge the strength and might of the United States armed forces. I built and rebuilt our military in my first administration, and there is no military on earth even close to its power, strength, or sophistication.

My administration has taken every possible step to minimize the risk to US personnel in the region. Even so, and I do not make this statement lightly, the Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties. That often happens in war.
…
To the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the armed forces, and all of the police, I say tonight that you must lay down your weapons and have complete immunity, or in the alternative, face certain death. So, lay down your arms, you will be treated fairly with total immunity, or you will face certain death. Finally, to the great proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand.
…
No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let’s see how you respond. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach.

POTUS Trump has also been saturation bombing Truth social with his most bombastic claims:

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS. He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do. This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country. We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us. As I said last night, “Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!” Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves. That process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated. The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP

Yesterday, Trump followed up with some pre-recorded comments that seem to have a bit of the AI about them:

Notable quotes:

Over the past 36 hours, the United States and its partners have launched Operation Epic Fury, one of the largest, most complex, most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever seen.

Nobody’s seen anything like it. We have hit hundreds of targets in Iran, including Revolutionary Guard facilities, Iranian air defense systems.

Just now was announced that we knocked out nine ships plus their naval building. All in a matter of literally minutes.

Iran’s formerly Supreme Leader Ayatollah Hame is dead. This wretched and vile man had the blood of hundreds and even thousands of Americans on his hands and was responsible for the slaughter of countless thousands of innocent people all across many countries.

Last night all over Iran, the voices of the Iranian people could be heard cheering and celebrating in the streets when his death was announced.

The entire military command is gone as well and many of them want to surrender into saving their lives. They want immunity. They’re calling by the thousands. Combat operations continue at this time in full force and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved. We have very strong objectives.
…
Earlier today, Centcom shared the news that three US military service members have been killed in action. As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives, we pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen. And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more. But we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.

Dan Pfeiffer of the liberal Pod Save America podcast responded to the latter with “There is something disturbingly surreal that after launching a regime change war in the Middle East, the president only speaks to the nation through hastily edited video statements released on state-run media platforms.”

Some Gaps in the Trump Communications Offensive

He certainly wasn’t in the mood to answer questions from the press upon returning to The White House yesterday:

Maybe that was because he’s been caught in a lie:

And while no one from Team Trump made the traditional rounds of the network Sunday shows (a traditional arena for fighting narrative wars), Trump was answering his phone when reporters called:

And most reassuringly, Trump is keeping the hotline to Laura Loomer open at all times:

Interestingly, much of the opposition to the war is coming from Trump’s right.

MAGA Ain’t With This

Just ask former US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene:

Or Matt Walsh:

Or Nick Fuentes:

And this rejection of Trump’s war is coming when Americans are not even privvy to all the facts.

Israeli Press Reports Trump Seeking Ceasefire

Any American concerned that censorship is clouding domestic media is advised to check what’s being said in the Israeli media. This time it’s YNet reporting some uncomfortable claims:

Trump seeks swift end to Iran operation
Opinion: The killing of Iran’s supreme leader is a major intelligence and military feat, but Tehran’s regime has not collapsed; US official, via a mediator, proposed an immediate ceasefire; Iran rejected it outright, as Trump looks for a quick exit

On the eve of the strike on Iran, U.S. officials envisioned a four- to five-day operation that would return a weakened Tehran to the negotiating table. According to one source, an American official conveyed an even more immediate proposal. Through a mediator, apparently Italy, he suggested reaching a ceasefire agreement today or tomorrow. Iran rejected the idea outright.

What Do the Polls Say?

Reuters has one that doesn’t look so good for Trump:

How About that Liberal Media?

Let’s check in on the gang at CNN (whose parent company WBD was just acquired by the Ellison Family’s Paramount empire), I’m sure they’re living up to everyone’s expectations:

How about MS Now, the hardcore opposition, no doubt they’re doing us proud:

In fairness, American audiences can’t handle the truth, or even interesting rumors:

Nor can the Brits

What’s the New York Times saying?

The editorial board has concerns:

started this war without explaining to the American people and the world why he was doing so. Nor has he involved Congress, to which the Constitution grants the sole power to declare war. He instead posted a video at 2:30 a.m. Eastern on Saturday, shortly after bombing began, in which he said that Iran presented “imminent threats” and called for the overthrow of its government. His rationale is dubious, and making his case by video in the middle of the night is unacceptable.

Among his justifications is the elimination of Iran’s nuclear program, which is a worthy goal. But Mr. Trump declared that program “obliterated” by the strike in June, a claim belied by both U.S. intelligence and this new attack. The contradiction underscores how little regard he has for his duty to tell the truth when committing American armed forces to battle. It also shows how little faith American citizens should place in his assurances about the goals and results of his growing list of military adventures.

Mr. Trump’s approach to Iran is reckless. His goals are ill-defined. He has failed to line up the international and domestic support that would be necessary to maximize the chances of a successful outcome. He has disregarded both domestic and international law for warfare.

The Iranian regime, to be clear, deserves no sympathy. Nobody should mourn the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, who was reportedly killed in the attack.

But NYT op-ed columnist Bret Stephens has none:

…it’s a mistake to say that Trump got America into war on Saturday. What he did was respond to a war that Iran has been waging against the United States since 1979.

It waged war when it seized our embassy in 1979, murdered (via proxy) hundreds of our service members in Beirut in 1983 and supplied the I.E.D.s, or roadside bombs, that killed or maimed over 1,000 of our troops during the war in Iraq. It waged war when it sought to assassinate former senior U.S. officials, including John Bolton, Mike Pompeo and, according to a 2024 report in Politico, Trump himself. One reason Iran behaved as it did is because it drew the lesson that it would pay no great price. No more.

Second, Tehran had an opportunity to change course last June, after its 12-day pummeling by Israel and an overnight strike by the United States. Instead, it set out to begin reconstituting its nuclear capabilities while rapidly rebuilding the missile force that is now terrorizing civilians in Tel Aviv, Dubai, Manama and Riyadh, and targeting U.S. military assets in the region.

Would the United States, the Arab world or Israel have been safer if we had waited a year or two for Iran to build several thousand more missiles? Or after Russia had supplied the regime with thousands of advanced shoulder-fired air defense missiles, as The Financial Times reported last week that it had agreed to do?

Third, Iran does not exist in a geopolitical vacuum: With Moscow and Beijing, it is a core member of the axis of autocracies that threaten the democratic world broadly.

In fairness, they’re giving little Nicholas Kristof room to decry “The Folly of Attacking Iran” but even their opposition is “nuanced” and anti-Iran:

Like Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, Iran has a repressive and unpopular government that is a malign influence on the region. Iran just massacred thousands of protesters — at least 6,800 civilians and perhaps many more, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. The regime is a pillar of misogyny, supports bad actors throughout the Middle East and holds back millions of well-educated people.

And as with Iraq in 2003, a war is not necessarily the best tool to deal with a brutal and hostile government. There are more problems in international relations than solutions, and in the past the illusion of an easy military answer has repeatedly caused tragedy for ourselves as well as for others.

I reached out on the eve of the war to a heroic Iranian human rights lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, whose courage and defiance of the regime have periodically landed her in jail. She told me that the best time for military strikes would have been January, when they might have stopped the slaughter in the streets.

But Thomas Friedman brings NYT readers back from the brink of opposing the war:

First, I hope this effort to topple the clerical regime in Tehran succeeds. It is a regime that murders its people, destabilizes its neighbors and has destroyed a great civilization. There is no single event that would do more to put the whole Middle East on a more decent, inclusive trajectory than the replacement of Tehran’s Islamic regime with a leadership focused exclusively on enabling the people of Iran to realize their full potential with a real voice in their own future.

The NYT also gives former Obama National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes room to ask some key questions:

Foundational questions are at stake for Americans. Do we want to continue forever wars financed with borrowed money and fought by service members whose sacrifices stand in stark contrast to the cowardice of our billionaire class? Do we want to regularly bomb other countries while endangering the lives of millions of human beings by dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development? Do we want to remain in a permanent state of war that migrates from one place to another while rampant inequality and revolutionary technologies remake our communities with little resistance?

Presumably NYT readers like Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham are answering “yes” to most of the questions Rhodes poses.

How’s About that Nominal Opposition Party?

The Guardian more or less sums up the dilemma the Democrats find themselves in:

Democrats faced their own divisions and a reckoning over how to present a united front.

Most were quick to condemn the US president for sidelining Congress to launch an illegal and unconstitutional war and demanded a swift vote on a war powers resolution that would restrain his military onslaught.

But some in the party also felt obliged to acknowledge the authoritarian Khamenei’s death as a positive development and demonstrate their support for US troops. A small band of centrist Democrats have even threatened to scupper a war powers resolution if it comes to the floor.

“President Trump has been willing to do what’s right and necessary to produce real peace in the region,” tweeted John Fetterman, a Democratic senator for Pennsylvania and staunch supporter of Israel, declaring himself a “hard no” on a war powers vote and posting an image of the ayatollah with the provocative statement: “Let’s see who grieves for that garbage.”

…the sharpest voices accused the president of riding roughshod over the constitution. Senator Bernie Sanders denounced the assault as “an illegal, premeditated and unconstitutional war”, while Senator Chris Van Hollen warned it amounted to a “regime-change war” that would leave the US less secure. Senator Tim Kaine, long a thorn in the side of presidents of both parties on war powers, called the strikes “a colossal mistake” and demanded a swift vote requiring Trump to seek authorisation.

Others, however, were more qualified. Tom Suozzi, a New York Democrat who co-chairs the Problem Solvers caucus, wrote on X: “I agree with the President’s objectives that Iran can never be allowed to obtain nuclear capabilities.” Henry Cuellar of Texas said the threat posed by Iran was “real and longstanding”.

And not all Democrats are lining up behind a war powers rebuke. In the House of Representatives, Josh Gottheimer applauded the administration’s “decisive action” to defend American interests and allies. Greg Landsman argued that the US “is destroying Iran’s missiles and bombs to stop them from taking more lives”, and said he would oppose a resolution that he fears would amount to abandoning Israel.

Congressman Jared Moskowitz rehearsed Tehran’s long record of sponsoring violence across the region and insisted the focus must now be on shaping what comes next rather than relitigating what has already happened.

As tragi-comic as the Democrats can be, there’s even more dire pathos out there.

Influencers Posting Brave From Dubai

Despite Iran’s warnings they would be hitting American bases in the region, many in the UAE were caught off guard.

Semafor reports:

Riyadh has emerged as a key exit route for the super-rich and senior executives stranded in the Gulf looking for a safe passage out of the region.

Cities including Abu Dhabi and Dubai have become playgrounds for the wealthy over the past few years, attracted by the year-round sunshine, tax-free lifestyle, and perception of safety. That was shattered over the weekend as Iranian missiles and drones rained down on the two cities, along with Qatar and Bahrain, causing those that could to attempt to flee.

The Saudi capital’s airport is one of the few still operating in the region, forcing executives and their families stranded in other parts of the Gulf to take the long drive in order to catch private jets or commercial planes.

Private security companies have been booking fleets of SUVs to ferry people on the 10-hour drive to Riyadh from Dubai and then charter private planes to take them out of the region, according to people familiar with the matter. They have been evacuating a mix of people, including senior executives at global finance firms and high-net worth individuals in the region for business or holidays, the people said. The rush in demand is sending prices for private jets and SUVs soaring, these people said.

But that hasn’t stopped the UAE from doing what they can, agit-prop wise:

Some of the most notorious residents of Dubai have joined in as well:

Ian Miles Cheong:

Andrew Tate acting tough for his camera:

Now that we’ve heard from the UAE, let’s let Iran have the last word.

What the Empire Is Up Against

Professor Marandi is familiar to many followers of the alt news on YouTube, his response to the pretender follows:

Here’s how they’re rallying the masses to resist:

Stay safe out there.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Subscribe to Post Comments
71 comments

  1. Carolinian

    I’ve mentioned that I like Hans Zimmer, the German and now American film composer. Out on DVD is a concert he and his troupe did in Dubai, and between numbers he says how much he loves Dubai and how he wishes “the world could be like Dubai.” He’s very wealthy and successful and it’s likely that many of his fellow Hollywood and jet set Big Names would agree with him.

    And this is our problem. Even the talented live in a bubble where they believe what it is convenient to believe. Perhaps they all will be able to retreat to their “treasure islands,” but those drones and missiles from the real world are ever increasing in range and accuracy. You can’t stay in a hidey hole forever.

    1. Michaelmas

      Carolinian: Even the talented live in a bubble, … You can’t stay in a hidey hole forever.

      Bubbles burst. As of now, in the FT —

      Half of Dubai is booking’: expats drive to Oman and Saudi Arabia to find flights out
      Charter operators vie to secure slots in Muscat as airports in UAE and Qatar remain constrained

      ‘…Another operator was charging £20,000 per seat on a jet leaving Oman for Milan on Monday. Robinson said a charter from Oman to Paris, scheduled for Tuesday, was selling for €215,000 for a 13-seater aircraft — almost double standard rates.’

      https://archive.ph/XL7Nf
      Original: https://www.ft.com/content/7ecea3fe-295d-4592-abf2-206da6f6b8ca

    3. Giovanni Barca

      “Even the talented live in a bubble.” I disagree to the point of tears. “The talented” also live in total obscurity, which is to say, amongst the vast majority. How many living rooms in the western Carolinas even tonight have some informal get together with a mandolinist to shame Bill Monroe and a banjoist to rival Earl Scruggs? We must not equate talent or skill with visible success. That is part of the dehumanization the entertainment complex pushes like a debillitatinf drug, part of the passivity foisted upon us by financialism and imperialism and “the society of the spectacle.” The quilters, the local historians, the restorers of antique tractors and classic cars, the bar band virtuosi–all of these are “the talented.” God only knows how many computers store compositions at least equal to Zimmer’s on the DAWs of people who work in hardware stores and behind the counters and drive thrus of fast food and Big Coffee. The privileged live in a bubble, and that is what Zimmer is. Doubtless many of those in the bubble are talented. But we must not let them arrogante the name The Talented.

    4. Christopher Mann

      I can imagine why an absolute bore like Zimmerman (now an American! Wow! So exciting!) would love the evil banality of Dubai. The place seems to attract the dregs of humanity – shout out to the murderous scum, the Kinihan Cartel, who made it their lair.

  2. Es s Ce Tera

    In the invasion and occupation of Iraq the constant word associations had the masses beleiving first that Saddam had attacked the US via 9/11 and then that he was hiding WMD’s.

    Now it seems the same machine has, again through constant word associations, convinced the masses that Iran currently has nukes and that this is about nuclear disarmament.

    1. Paul J-H

      Yesterday in a bus in where I live (Finland) an agitated middle-aged man loudly proclaimed his support for the attack on Iran, as they hide nuclear weapons in caves underground and the country is a threat to the world. Then an old lady calmly told him that even the Pentagon knows they don’t have nuclear weapons, and that the war is illegal because Congress didn’t approve it. Some people to read proper news!

  3. Balan Aroxdale

    Nobody’s seen anything like it. We have hit hundreds of targets in Iran, including Revolutionary Guard facilities, Iranian air defense systems.

    Just now was announced that we knocked out nine ships plus their naval building. All in a matter of literally minutes.

    Apart from the naval base attacks and Khamenei’s compound, I’ve seen scant few details of all these attacks. I don’t think the Epstein Pact nations have their best foot forward at the moment. It seems like the Iranians are winning the standoff war for now.

    1. ambrit

      All Iran has to do is to survive the next two weeks. The “rest of the world” will notice that fact and draw appropriate conclusions.
      If it goes nuclear, then no Jew worldwide will be safe. This may have been a strategy by the Ultra Zionists all along. “If they won’t support Eretz Israel voluntarily, then we will force them to do so.”
      Stay safe.

      1. Wukchumni

        All the American Jews I know are secular and really have no connection with Israel aside from kinship.

        Kayaking the Colorado River in a few weeks-a floatilla of 15 including a couple Jewish friends, i’m gonna hit ’em up for how they’re feeling about goings on, and guilt by association.

        1. ambrit

          Be kind. If they are Reform, they have probably already had to endure several lifetimes worth of mean spirited shaming from Ultra Zionists.
          Do let us know if you encounter one of those Dolphin class subs on the River.

          1. Wukchumni

            Thanks for the tip on the submarines, it’s only 31 miles as the carrion flies in the clutches of a vulture to the Vegas Strip from the river.

            These are Jews that camp, so I feel earlier indoctrination efforts have worn off by now.

            1. ambrit

              I’m reminded by our in house geopolitical “expert” that we should also keep an Eagle Scout eye on Lake Havasuez. (Where it would be a London Bridge too far for the IDF I fear.)
              Stay safe, paddle responsibly.

      2. Paul J-H

        The risk that Israel will use nukes at some point is not negligible. What I am even more worried about though is what the automatic detection systems of countries like Russia, India and Pakistan (I suppose they also have these) will react.

  4. Balakirev

    My wife’s got a friend whose husband has clients in Doha. To make a long story short, he’s there but safe in his hotel, where he and other resident Americans got a whiff of war in their souls when USian and Iranian missiles duked it out. If we actually saw more of war, here in the States, perhaps most of us would finally realize what General Sherman meant when he wrote, “War is cruelty and you cannot refine it.”

    But our leaders can hide it behind bread and circuses.

  5. ThirtyOne

    Influencers? Is that the new terminology for a prostitute with an Instagram account?

    1. Bugs

      Nate is very conversant in the current culture, as I’ve learned from reading his work, and I’m grateful that he covers these people here, because they are an important barometer of the attitudes of the ruling class. The influencers are followed and admired by millions, who copy their looks, take their advice, and yearn for their logo plastered lifestyles. It’s a truly sickening postmodern phenomenon that I wish would be better exposed for what it is, but the ability of the influencers to get around any noise about the reality of their identity is almost superhuman. We live in disturbing times.

      1. vao

        “who copy their looks”

        Good gracious! That Australian woman with her artificial lips. Am I the only one to find that kind of plastic surgery repulsive (I could not stand looking at the clip till the end)? How can that kind of “influencer’s look” be a model?

        By the way: I notice that in that clip of the bloke touting the nightlife in Dubai they are using flares atop bottles. Those sparklers caused a fire in a Swiss nightclub (that did not respect construction standards) in January, causing 41 dead and 116 wounded (many seriously burnt). Once again, I just cannot understand the appeal of those gimmicks.

        As for that Andrew Tate, his environment looks so artificial and sterile…

        But perhaps I am just old.

        1. Tom Stone

          Vao, that Australian influencer cos plays Daisy duck, it’s much cooler than just being a “Furry”!

          1. vao

            I had heard about the fearsome Australian wildlife, but I did not know the bees there could sting with such a devastating impact.

            Thinking again, I seem to remember some statistics that out of the 10 most venomous animals in the world, 12 are found in Australia — it is that bad. Snakes, spiders, jellyfishes, varans, platypuses are venomous — so I suppose it is normal for Australian bees to inoculate a terribly toxic, lips-deforming poison as well.

          2. ceco

            “If I don’t have a hideous, distended cloaca on my face, doctor, you haven’t done your job…”

        4. Quintian and Lucius

          Nothing whatever in that australian woman’s face was real, I don’t think any part of the polyethylene she’s trying to pass off as skin even moved in the clip.

          1. Giovanni Barca

            But isnt that also true of “mar a lago face?” A strange offering to an evil false god. Mutilation as initiation rite. Not just for “primitives” anymore.

            1. Yves Smith

              I don’t know about you…but when I look at that style of face, it looks like a doll out of a horror movie, the sort that turns into something evil when the sun goes down.

              Plus I am told it will age horribly (as in literally, not as a statement of style) and be hard to correct later.

              1. Ben Panga

                >a doll out of a horror movie

                Oh my, yes!

                There are many many such trout pouts in my city. Particularly the Russian women seem to love them. There are UK and Aussie versions too.

                Usually partnered by very muscled guys, in a “I look in the mirror while doing curls in the gym” rather than “I am genuinely fit and strong”

                Ghastly, and IMO a sign of mental illness.

              2. David

                It does age horribly. Which is pretty impressive when you think how horrible it starts out.

                You read about the use of mercury in makeup by Elizabeth the first or other such crazy forms of makeup, etc. And then think it’s nothing compared to all the poisons that are injected now.

              4. JohnW

                The mar-a-lago face looks to me like a living, breathing example of the uncanny valley effect

        5. The Rev Kev

          Everybody here in Oz knows that when you survive a Drop Bear attack, that you are left with a permanent case of duck lips. :)

        6. skippy

          “Australian woman Louise Starkey, 33, moved to Dubai to escape Sydney’s cost of living crisis and for “more opportunity, more excitement and more growth.””

          But some background.

          https://www.realestate.com.au/news/how-one-australian-woman-swapped-sydneys-rent-crisis-for-a-taxfree-dubai-lifestyle/

          Wellie she has been ripped in OZ [&international] media big time … post was deleted pretty quick due to response about context and more important too her – looks. As it said here at NC … if your job/business depends on someone else platform … you don’t have one[.]

          1. ceco

            I also read in the comments that she risked, expulsion, possibly a fine and jail time for posting that video.

            Apparently, it’s against the mall sheik’s rules to post videos that could harsh the tourism mellow – a dark corollary to all the paid influencer videos featuring grade AAA douchenozzles raving about how amazeballs and safe Dubai is while they nervously scan the skies for signs of incoming missiles or drones…

    3. JBird4049

      Perhaps, but I would think that they are still more honest than columnist Bret Stephens.

  7. mrsyk

    Thanks Nat, do you have a special elixir to protect you from the never-ending hypocrisy avalanche?

    The Iranian regime, to be clear, deserves no sympathy. Nobody should mourn the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (from the NYT quotes), the messaging from the “opposition” is saturated with this sort of language and delivered by people whom I am not convinced know the least bit about Khamenei. Do you have to take a pledge to get airtime?

    “I solemnly swear to make it abundantly clear in my comments that I support war, just not Trump’s war”.

    1. Nat Wilson Turner Post author

      The hypocrisy bothers me much less than the delusion that makes Trump, Bibi, et. al. think they are invincible.

      1. mrsyk

        Heh, and I get the feeling that it’s going to be an all-play when them learning the hard way that immortality ain’t true comes round.

      2. .Tom

        It’s even worse than that, Nat. They aren’t invincible and I think they know it. But they can always rely on impunity. When you know for sure you won’t be held to account, what does invincibility matter? When you know you can fail, cause death, destruction and suffering way beyond nuking Hiroshima and Nagasaki and get a presidential library out of it, why would they care about outcomes for everyone else?

      3. Ignacio

        I would reverse it. The delusion that makes Trump, Bibi believe they are invincible and Macron, Merz or Starmer believe they are inevitable, bothers me less than those tons of hypocrisy which load the lips of the influencers or the ink of the stenographers. The enablers of this idiocy. This said, good job Nat.

    2. motorslug

      The main goal of legacy media is to make sure the masses don’t notice what ‘enlightened’ (possess critical thinking skills and logic) people do – reality.
      Khamenei, like Hamas’ Sinwar, are cowards hiding in bunkers and using human shields is what they repeat over and over. Yet, both died where they lived. Sinwar even threw a stick at the drone that killed him.

      Conversely, where are bibi and the orange clown when the missiles fly?
      We know bib-elzebub’s wife and spawn are safely in Miami.

      1. Acacia

        The main goal of legacy media is to make sure the masses don’t notice what ‘enlightened’ (possess critical thinking skills and logic) people do – reality.

        Yes. Agree. This also aligns with Adam Curtis’ argument in HyperNormalization (2016) that Western political, social, and financial institutions have retreated into a “carefully constructed fake world”, because the real world became too complex and did not conform to the order that the elite, managerial classes wished to pursue.

        The political Left also became part of this hypernormalised discourse, in part because it abandoned collective action for a new politics of self-expression, and in part due to a failure of its political imagination.

  8. Balakirev

    Non-Shah Reza Pahlavi’s latest Web comments (“My heart aches for the 3 American heroes killed,” etc), while ignoring completely the deaths of roughly 180 pre-teen girls by Israeli/US a missile on an Iranian elementary school–what does remind me of…?

    Oh. Right:

    Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, referring to him as a “bloody, parasitical imperial whore.”

    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/imperial-whore-top-pakistani-official-goes-after-son-overthrown-shah-iran

    Yep. That’s it.

    1. lyman alpha blob

      And he doubled down when questioned on his choice of language –

      “It is sad that there are people who are worried about linguistic niceties when a genocide is taking place under the watch of ‘civilised world’, 1000s of children are being butchered non stop,” he said.

      “This is not a sit down dinner where one should mind the language and manners. Pahlavi stands with Netanyahu a genocidal maniac, all he deserves is contempt and nothing else.”

      Bravo.

  9. Balakirev

    Drop News just released a report from Tehran of yesterday’s double-bombing of Niloofar Square earlier last night. It’s a densely populated, middle class location of cafes, homes, and a police station. “Double-bombing” refers to a small blast in the general vicinity, followed by a much heavier one soon after. Over 20 people were killed, and many more injured. Both the US and Israel have used this, ah, technique, in their recent wars.

    The article goes on to print some of War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s remarks in response to Iranian reactions. A sample: “We fight to win and we don’t waste time or lives. As the president warned, an effort of this scope will include casualties.”

    https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/tehran-iran-double-tap-bombing-trump-israel-war-niloofar-square?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-restack-comment&r=3wlos9&triedRedirect=true

    Video is also available on Youtube. Let’s see ’em manufacture consent to this.

    1. JBird4049

      A tactic like this does nothing, except to enrage a population and make them fight harder. If it was an attack on a military base or a power plant, that would both be militarily justifiable and it might be demoralizing, but it has been known since the end of the second world war that direct attacks on the civilian population only make that population fight harder.

      So, it is militarily counterproductive, unless you are a sadist and/or a génocidaire. I will let you decide for yourself the truth of it.

      1. Balakirev

        I was just discussing this issue with my wife. There are countries where this kind of unnatural approach to war might arguably work–that is, if you’re dealing with an already demoralized population. This is decidedly not the case with Iran; and the version of the Islamic faith that they worship approves of their martyrs, based on precedents that go back to their founder. The US government’s near-complete ignorance of a country we’re attacking has managed to turn a calm, reasonable people into a nation of fighters who will stop at nothing to get revenge.

        In keeping with your offer above, I’m going to add C:, rampant stupidity, to the selection. With all three being correct.

  10. OliverN

    Thinking about the NC article yesterday about the backlash to the Democrat party’s limp-wristed reaction to the Trump-owned war over “process” and the poll above that has 74% of Democrats opposing the war and 7% in support…

    Is it any wonder why they lost the last election? Just one more piece of evidence that the democrat leadership is out of touch with its base, and another answer to the question of ‘why aren’t the Democrats getting increased popularity despite the massive unpopularity of Trump’.

    1. Hepativore

      Because it is clearly evident that the DNC leadership does not really care about winning elections anymore, as the main purpose of the Democratic Party is to fundraise off of the discontent caused by the Republican party. If they actually did something, then not only would they anger their corporate donor base, but they would also lose the aggravation that drives ordinary people to send money to the Democrats.

      This is why when they actually win the presidency or prominent Congressional seats, they try and be center-right to appease their corporate backers, as the mainstream Democratic Party has no interest in governing but fundraising off of people’s misery as the downward spiral of the US continues.

  12. Tom Stone

    It’s been three years since an acquaintance said “Ya know Tom, living in the evil empire sucks”.

    Evil may not be infinite like Human stupidity is, but it is damn close.

  13. Ben Panga

    Dubai Influencers: UK old people edition

    My Dubai brunch was interrupted by Iranian missiles (Telegraph)

    Excerpts:

    The amazing thing when you’re in a good hotel is that the staff have been so well trained: not for this necessarily, but they know how to keep their focus on the guests.

    After all, lots of things happen in hotels – good staff become unflappable. If a loo explodes or someone falls ill, they know what to do.

    …everything is working like clockwork. Everyone is doing their jobs, whether it’s tending the gardens, repairing the heating in the swimming pool or preparing and delivering room service.

    …It is extraordinarily calm because people here have incredible faith in their government. They believe their government is in control and dealing with things. They think, “if there are lots of missiles coming in, the government will down them”.

    …Everybody assumes that the UAE is built on oil, but Dubai is built on tourism. The authorities here decided they were going to create an incredible tourist destination, and they have done so. By the way our hotel has handled this crisis, they have certainly created a whole new group of guests who will definitely return.”

    3. Bugs

      I don’t understand the attraction of Dubai. I’ve been there. There’s nothing to do there. It’s like a desiccated Miami Beach without the edge or natural beauty. And the food is bad, except in cheap Indian joints serving the workers.

      1. Yves Smith

        Have you ever been to Monaco? It is a similarly terrible place. Lots of low rise buildings with sea views. So crowded that there is almost no green. Nice harbor and I assume many there spend a lot of time on boats. Lots of over-tanned older men in gold chains and expensive shoes with no socks with hooker-esque young blonds in tow. No culture. Casinos and bars seem to be the main form of entertainment. Due to proximity to France, food is likely to be good. But it feels like a very upscale prison.

        1. Paul J-H

          I have been there twice, and although this is a while ago, I was suprised that the coffee at the café next to the casino is fairly affordable! Good place to watch expensive cars. But there’s nothing to do there. I think the general way of building there is like in France, near Nice. The hills are full of houses with pools etc. No parks of mention, for that you have to get away from the sea.

        2. Bugs

          Yes, I actually spent a week in Monaco for work and it was like a gilded prison. They offered us helicopter service from Nice airport but I preferred to find my own way in a rental car, which was probably stupid because there wasn’t anything to drive to except for one of the dinners, where I ended up being a taxi service for colleagues. At least the food was good and Italy was close enough for me to swing down there and clear my mind after the function was over. Like you said, Monaco is nothing but clean pavement, posh gambling, shopping, and a Med view. This exchange reminds me that there were some nice benefits to the corporate legal profession that have now entirely disappeared. I don’t know anyone who’s flying around on jollies anymore.

      2. Yaiyen

        They are only there for tax, same with Monaco. These countries are so dangerous, many foreign people end up in prison for breaking religious law. Just couple years ago a UK boy end up in prison, the person used the religion law against him and escape the country

    4. Ignacio

      What if this Morgan-Hewitt discovers in horror that many of the Shia hotel servants might be very much angry with people like him.

  14. ChrisFromGA

    A narrative is emerging, and it is quite disturbing:

    https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5764030-trump-administration-iran-strikes-israel/

    Senior lawmakers in both parties said Monday that the Trump administration’s decision to launch bombing and missile strikes across Iran this weekend was largely dictated by Israel’s plan to attack Iran with or without U.S. support.

    So, both parties are admitting they let the highest level of leadership get blackmailed by Israel.

    WHOEVER PUT THIS COUNTRY IN SUCH A WEAK POSITION IS GUILTY OF TREASON.

    Alternatively, they know things are going badly, and they need to re-frame things to create some sort of scapegoat for failure.

    1. dao

      Johnson’s and Rubio’s defenses don’t even pass a basic logic test. What I’m reading is made up excuses and lies.

  15. The Rev Kev

    Great coverage Nat Wilson Turner and I might suggest that you circle back in a few weeks to see what the media is saying then. I think that a lot of people are understanding that the wheels have come of this attack on Iran, an attack most Americans did not want. As Iran savages Israel and the US bases in the Gulf States, some people are having a hard time understanding how the US is “allowing” this to happen. Trump is saying that he will keep the war going for four or five weeks and Iran has said “Challenge accepted!” but Trump is already running around trying to find an exit to save himself but the Iranians are telling him to f*** off. In fact, people like Trump and Lindsey Graham are almost begging the Iranians to overthrow the government as there is no other way that they can win. Circling back, the media may not be sure how to really cover this war. Already the Neocons are slowly starting to blame Trump for the failure of this war so that nobody blames them. So will the media still back Trump? Or will they pile on the criticism and demand that Trump be impeached. And that is why I say that it might be an idea to see what the media will be saying in a few weeks.

    1. Nat Wilson Turner Post author

      Good suggestion but timing will be everything. I was sure on Friday that Monday’s post would be about the end of the Paramount vs Netflix war for WBD but here we are. Not even sure what I’ll cover for tomorrow, possibly the US primary elections. Events are moving too fast.

  16. Kouros

    “Earlier today, Centcom shared the news that three US military service members have been killed in action. As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives, we pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen. And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That’s the way it is. Likely be more. But we’ll do everything possible where that won’t be the case.”

    Trump’s tone when he said those sentences oozes of hypocrisy and disdain and shows how a profoundly despicable individual he is.

    Also, to add just a wrinkle here, beside the complete unconstitutionality of US attack on Iran. Nobody mentions Regan’s Executive Order 12333 (1981), Section 2.11
    “No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination.”

    The prohibition developed after investigations in the 1970s revealed CIA involvement in plots against foreign leaders (e.g., Castro, Lumumba, Diem). In response:
    1976 – President Gerald Ford issued EO 11905, the first explicit assassination ban.
    1978 – President Jimmy Carter strengthened it in EO 12036.
    1981 – President Reagan replaced those with EO 12333, which still governs today.

    While the US government has argued that killing enemy leaders during war or authorized military operations is not “assassination,” but rather a lawful act of war, the present attack on Iran was not legally authorized, and it is not a response to an act of war commited by Iran. Trump is soooo impeacheable by sooo many accounts….

    1. Buzz Meeks

      If Trump is impeached yet again, I hope they keep that Zionist plant Schiff away from the proceedings. He has already blown it twice.

Comments are closed.