Critical Spectator

Ah, so that means allies can’t use local bases or fly over allied territory? Let’s not pretend to be naive - NATO exists ti protect Europe from Russia and yet Europe for decades has done nothing to prepare for it, relying on Americans instead, while lying to them about defence spending commitments. And now that Americans are fighting for our common interests Europeans deny them the smallest requests. Of course let’s not forget that Iran supplied Russia with thousands of drones that are still falling on Ukraine daily. I thought Europeans cared about that?

NATO. Is. A. Defensive. Alliance. You. Attacked. Someone. Absolute dimwits.

@MercuriusFilius There are two answers: 192, 021 191, 1021

How would you answer this common Deutsche Bank interview question?

Spain has reopened its embassy to the Islamic Republic regime in Tehran. It closed its embassy to Israel. The current socialist government of Spain supports Islamist extremists over democratic allies.

When a Christian resident of Dearborn, Michigan, spoke out against naming a street after well-known Hezbollah supporter Osama Siblani, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud got very angry: “You do not belong in this city, Islamophobe! Get out, you are not welcome here!”

I still think about this tweet once a week.

In the middle of Dearborn, Michigan, an entire crowd of Hezbollah, Hamas and Ayatollah supporters chanted “Death to America.” When asked about it, Rashida Tlaib refused to condemn it.

@oscilloscoping @CanadianPolling How rapidly? With what? With whom? :)

@CanadianPolling All the people screeching in the comments about how NATO is nothing without the USA: cool, leave NATO. Take your troops and use them how you want, the rest of the NATO countries are rapidly building up their armies now that America is unreliable for defence.

New polling finds 76% of Canadians say NATO should move on without the US

@CanadianPolling Good luck and adiós!

And Europe seems to assume that miraculously someone like Newsom is going to win in 2028 :) Meanwhile the frontrunners are Vance and Rubio. Vance would be far worse for Europe than Trump and Rubio, once staunch supporter of NATO, is losing patience with Europeans as well. And he will be much tougher to disparage in the same way Trump is. So, Europeans are looking at a decade of administrations increasingly turning the screw on them.

People do not understand Rutte’s job. Rutte’s job is to keep Trump interested in NATO until the midterms at least and through the end of his term ideally, while also ensuring security and unity. It is Rutte’s job to be called names and disparaged by people. He is trying to keep the most important member of NATO interested. Remember, the worst case scenario is not an apathetic America, it is an America which is overtly hostile. You have seen a taste of that with Greenland. This must be avoided.

@NotWoofers Nobody needs them after the ceasefire.

Rutte playing his role and everyone is mad at him. What I think is overlooked is that European nations have consistently said they would be willing to assist…. After hostilities concluded. So them coming in during a ceasefire would be in line with this.

@latimes You get what you voted for.

L.A. County lost 54,000 residents last year—the largest numeric drop in the nation. With birth rates falling and international migration plummeting by 68%, experts warn of a crisis that could "haunt us for decades." latimes.com/california/sto…

France says they want to play a leadership role in the Middle East. Let them start in their former (Christian-majority) colony/mandate of Lebanon. France should disarm Hezbollah. Beirut was the Paris of the Middle East until Jordan threw out the radical, violent PLO, which took over southern Lebanon in the 1970s. It was called Black September and it led to a 20-year civil war between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon. The Muslims largely won. Then came Iran and southern Lebanon and much of Beirut became home to Iran’s proxy militia, Hezbollah. If France wants to be useful, Macron should send in his military to help the Lebanese Army disarm Hezbollah, as required by UN resolution 1701. Why should Israel have to disarm Hezbollah? France wants to play a leading role. France claims it has a strong military. This is their chance to do something other than issue a communique. Let France lead the fight. Help Lebanon and get rid of Hezbollah. (The sad truth is France is too weak to do it, no one trusts them, and they’d rather issue statements than do anything concrete.)

@CAgovernor You're gone. You have no political future in this country.

California is again leading the charge against large-scale identity theft and hospice fraud. Today, we're taking decisive action against 14 providers who tried using stolen identities to bill Medi-Cal for nonexistent hospice services.

You tried to paint me as a pervert for exposing fraud, and as a result radical leftists started trying to dox me and send death threats, wanting to kill me. Now you are taking credit for “leading the charge” on the fraud. Are you serious? You are the fraud.

It cannot be understated just how wrong these 'experts' were.

نطالب بفصل لبنان عن مسار مفاوضات وقف إطلاق النار بين إيران وأميركا وإسرائيل. لبنان ليس جزءاً من إيران، ولن يكون. إدخاله في هذا المسار يكرّس هيمنة إيران على قراره السيادي، ويحوّله إلى ورقة تفاوض. قد نكسب وقفاً مؤقتاً لإطلاق النار وحمايةً للأرواح، لكننا نخسر على المدى الطويل سيادتنا وهامش قرارنا المستقل. لبنان ليس ورقة بيد أحد. ومن يفاوض باسم لبنان هي الدولة اللبنانية فقط، على أن يبدأ أي تفاوض بفرض هيبة الدولة وسلطتها على كامل أراضيها. #لبنان

They already have plenty and some are nearing completion. UAE is pumping 40% of its exports through Fujairah, which will be capable of handling up to 90% in 2 years. Saudis are pumping 4+ million per day through Red Sea port of Yanbu. It's about 60% of KSA's normal exports. UAE is currently completing Hafeet rail connection to Oman's port in Sohar, which is also being expanded to handle over 4 million TEU and is already a major bulk cargo harbour.

Long term Iran may have shot itself in the foot closing the Straits. Don’t be surprised if the States in the region start looking to build alternative routes to move their products. And Israel could end up being a major beneficiary of that. It won’t be cheap and it won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible.

@zerohedge He finished his statement with Allahu Akbar!

Starmer Says Trump’s Iran Rhetoric Is Contrary to British Values

BREAKING: Lebanese MP Camille Chamoun defends Israel: “Nothing in war is humane — but if Israel wanted to annihilate Shiites in Lebanon, it wouldn’t give warnings. We’d be seeing 100,000 casualties, not 2,000.”

@BBCNews And probably none of them are going to end up on welfare.

US has let in 4,499 refugees since October - all but three were South African bbc.in/4tBPLTG