Captain Corelli's Pangolin

Jim Hacker: Humphrey, I'm told there's a situation at Diego Garcia. Sir Humphrey Appleby: Only geographically, Prime Minister. Jim Hacker: Geographically? Sir Humphrey Appleby: Yes. It's still in the Indian Ocean. Jim Hacker: Humphrey, Iran fired missiles at it! Sir Humphrey Appleby: Towards it, Prime Minister. Jim Hacker: Towards it? Sir Humphrey Appleby: One missile ceased to function and the other was intercepted. So the island remains entirely where it was. Jim Hacker: I'm not worried about the island moving! I mean the implications. Sir Humphrey Appleby: Ah. Strategically speaking, the implications are extremely stable. Jim Hacker: Stable?! Sir Humphrey Appleby: Yes. Since nothing actually hit us, we can express grave concern without the administrative complications of retaliation. Jim Hacker: But the base is on British territory! Sir Humphrey Appleby: Indeed, Prime Minister. Which means we are in the enviable position of being attacked in principle while remaining uninvolved in practice. Bernard Woolley: It's what the Foreign Office calls a very tidy situation, Prime Minister. Jim Hacker: Tidy? Sir Humphrey Appleby: Yes. Untidy situations are the ones where the missiles land.

U.S. and Israeli officials increasingly view securing the Strait of Hormuz as the most realistic endgame of the conflict, shifting away from earlier ambitions like regime change and fully stopping Iran’s nuclear program, which they now consider unlikely to succeed. Source: WaPo

The anti-Catholic Tennessee Congressman uses Catholic crusaders to argue for evangelical Protestant nationalism.

My wife was formerly promiscuous. I was a virgin. She was then radically born-again. Committed to church, evangelized constantly, Puritan books in her bedroom, prayer journals, grief over past sexual sin, etc.

BREAKING: Iran begins collecting $2 million in transit fees per vessel for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

man I feel bad for the Iranians who trusted the US not to fuck this up spectacularly

BREAKING: 4,500 US sailors and Marines are 'heading to the Middle East', according to Washington Post report, in preparation for a 'battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz and key energy installations'.

IRAN THREATENS TO CUT HORMUZ INTERNET CABLES WHICH HANDLE ~18% OF GLOBAL TRAFFIC

Important: a big chunk of Qatari gas output and LNG train expansion was designed to feed European demand. There was a big investment programme to increase LNG supply by more than 50% by 2027. Not coincidentally, this was the date that Europe was going to ban completely the purchase of Russian gas. In other words, the Iranians are smashing Europe's entire energy plan, such as it was. The big question now is will Putin stick to form and provide Europe with the energy it needs to stave off economic disaster, or will he finally twist the knife by banning sales to Europe in anticipation of the EU ban in 2027? This is the gamble European leaders are now making. Relying on the Russians to play nice after everything. Breathtaking incompetence.

BREAKING: US Treasury Secretary Bessent says the US will have “50 days of higher prices for 50 years of no Iran nukes.”

Support For US-Iran Ceasefire: Support: 66% Oppose: 15% YouGov / March 21, 2026