Michael J. Szanto, PhD

‘We got rid of a tyrant’: Syria’s tumultuous first year without Assad middleeasteye.pulse.ly/caydt6ron6

It is unfortunate that the UN Security Council has once again failed to demonstrate effectiveness and act decisively in the face of such a global threat as the Iranian regime's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. No one should be allowed to block such globally significant sea lanes or undermine the security of dozens of nations through terrorist attacks against the freedom of navigation. We faced a similar challenge in the Black Sea when the Russians attempted to block our ports and civilian shipping—Russia was trying to suffocate our economy. And we found a way to solve that problem through decisive action, not inaction. Now, we see a similar problem on a global scale. The Strait of Hormuz must remain open to all vessels that sustain vital economy lifelines and maintain normal international trade. Countries in the region have spoken clearly on this, and we support the aspirations of the people of the Middle East and the Gulf for peace. Peace and security in this region directly impact stability, market predictability, and the cost of living in every single country. Such problems and this war must not be prolonged. The world needs a functional UNSC that acts more decisively to resolve acute security challenges of global magnitude.

I am very thankful to our Canadian neighbors and friends for supporting us against the terrorists oppressing the Iranian people and sponsoring terror around the world. 🇨🇦 🇺🇸

Millions of Iranians are risking their lives to demand freedom and an end to the brutal Islamic Republic. As the proud daughter of Iranian immigrants, I am in awe of their extraordinary courage. The world must not look away—we must stand with the Iranian people.

Tehran today A sea of people in the streets. The patience of the Iranian people is over. Khamenei and his allies must leave Iran as soon as possible. #Iran

Iranians are heading towards IRGC headquarters in Tehran

@FlagARide @MaxAbrahms I think Colin Powell’s argument was wrong and helped suck us into excessively into the quagmire. I think unfortunately Iraq was already very broken before the second Iraq War and he should not have taken complete ownership of quickly fixing all of its problems.

@MaxAbrahms He was definitely wrong about the difficulty of regime change, but I’m not so sure he’s wrong about the rest of it. Remember what Colin Powell said to George Bush, before invading Iraq? If you break it, you own it. I certainly hope for the best but time will tell. It’s perilous.

After royally humiliating himself on every aspect of Mideast policy analysis, beyond what I ever knew possible, here’s Professor John Mearsheimer extending the humiliation to his Venezuela analysis. Listen, it is so funny.

@MaxAbrahms Yikes. This one is real

@MaxAbrahms I disagree great with him on many things. Though I have recently discovered for what it’s worth there are AI fakes of him. In another video I had the exact same reaction as you but I came to realize it was an AI fake. I’m not saying I’m sure this one is, but it’s worth check

Today I am remembering my friend Yitzhak Rabin, and hoping that we can transform this fragile moment into a lasting peace—the cause for which he lived and died—that protects the dignity and security of Israelis and Palestinians alike. May his memory continue to be a blessing that guides the way forward.

Dick Cheney was a patriotic American who loved his country. While we strongly disagreed on most policy issues, his patriotism was clear when he returned to the House Floor to commemorate the first anniversary of January 6th. We all saw then how proud Vice President Cheney was to see his daughter, Liz, follow in her father’s footsteps to serve in the House with courage and integrity. May it be a comfort to Lynne, Liz and Mary that so many are praying for them at this sad time.

@davidhogg111 No you just have proven yourself to be a terrible antisemite. You are deliberately ignoring the atrocities of October 7th that started this or the fact that Hamas had wanted to massacre millions of Jews

I just said what most members of Congress think but can’t say because they know they will have millions of dollars thrown into an election campaign against them.

Es liegt an Putin, der Welt zu beweisen, dass er endlich bereit ist, seinen Krieg gegen die Ukraine zu beenden. Gestern sprach ich mit meinen Kollegen aus 🇫🇮🇫🇷🇬🇧🇮🇹🇵🇱🇺🇦🇺🇸🇪🇺. Wir sind uns einig: Die #Ukraine benötigt Sicherheitsgarantien. Der Druck auf #Russland muss erhöht werden.

There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones.

The U.S. debt burden has climbed for three reasons. First is the increase in the population aged over 65, which allows them to draw entitlement benefits. Second is the increase in the costs of things the government pays for, including health care. Third is the interest payments the Treasury is making. It’s not that we’ve launched all kinds of big new spending programs.

Look into the troubled soul of Guy Christensen—a man who defends the cold-blooded murder of an innocent young couple. He vilifies me for denouncing the very antisemitic terror he so openly glorifies. “Globalize the Intifada” is not merely an ideology—it is a pathology. It poisons the mind and heart of everyone it touches. It plunges the modern young into an abyss of militant madness. The antisemite who dehumanizes Jews inevitably dehumanizes himself.

I am very sad and disappointed to hear that after all the efforts to deal with the Houthis, they are still shooting ballistic missiles at our friends in Israel. I expect Israel will respond and I will not be surprised if they hold Iran accountable — not just the Houthis. It also appears that Russia is firing ballistic missiles at Ukraine. As Ukraine agrees to a ceasefire and direct talks between leaders, Putin’s Russia plays games and shoots missiles. I appreciate President Trump trying to pursue peace on multiple fronts, however we must hold bad actors accountable when they defy these efforts.

@ianbremmer @DaveLapides And when he says we are like a third world country? We haven’t won a war? We don’t make anything any more? I think he kind of does nothing but anti American!! Trump blew off college completely and got his education from lines in movies written by leftist screenwriters!!!!

@DaveLapides didn’t say he was wrong. i said it was anti-american.

this might be the most anti-american thing i’ve ever heard a us president say

@chucktodd He’s not going to be allowed on most state ballots

Amazing to me how few people are aware of how EXPLICIT the Constitution is about the eligibility of a term limited president running for a third term via VP. I highlighted the last line of the 12thA text.

13 year old Sofiya Fadeyeva from Uzbekistan performed one of the most beautiful renditions of Hava Nagila I've ever heard.