The free, the weak, and the dead
The first order effects are those we see in the news...misery, suffering, death, and destruction. The victors offer no apologies, no excuses and no quarter. Might makes right.
Friday, March 6th, 2026
Bill Bonner, from Youghal, Ireland
The poor, weak Iranians...
...bombs from America
...missiles from Israel
...earthquakes from God Himself.
And now this. Boots on the ground...and not their own!
The Daily Mail:
Ground invasion launched against Iran as thousands of US-backed Kurdish fighters storm border
President Donald Trump on Sunday night spoke with the heads of Kurdish militant groups in Iraq to discuss the situation in Iran.
The pride of the Iranian navy got sunk, too. BBC:
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said an American submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. Washington says it’s the first time since the Second World War it’s used a torpedo to sink an enemy vessel.
Piling on, Pete Hegseth outlined what their lives will be like with the US and Israel in complete command of the airspace over Iran...and showing ‘no mercy’:
“We will fly all day, all night, day and night, finding, fixing and finishing the missiles and defense industrial base of the Iranian military. Finding and fixing their leaders and their military leaders, flying over Tehran, flying over Iran, flying over their capitol, flying over the IRGC. Iranian leaders looking up and seeing only U.S. and Israeli air power. Every minute of every day until we decide it is over. And Iran will be able to do nothing about it.”
Pity their next Supreme Leader. The Wall Street Journal reports:
Son of Khamenei Is Top Contender for Supreme Leader
Mojtaba Khamenei would likely lead country in even more hard-line direction.
Hold on. Donald Trump claims the right to approve the new leader. The New York Post:
Trump: ‘I have to be involved’ in picking Iran’s next leader — rules out Ali Khamenei son Mojtaba
That could be good luck for Mojtaba. Yahoo! News:
Israel says it also plans to target and kill Khamenei’s successor
But at least, as America’s own Supreme Leader has promised, after the apocalypse come the clear skies. The Iranian people will soon be free to make their own destiny:
“The hour of your freedom is at hand...When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will probably be your only chance for generations.”
Free at last...free at last. The Iranians will be allowed to take control of their country...if there is anything left of it. And provided Trump gives the okay.
The first order effects are those we see in the news...misery, suffering, death, and destruction. The victors offer no apologies, no excuses and no quarter. Might makes right.
The second order effects take more time. They tend to sneak up on you. The gods give victories to the strong…but often with fuses attached. Success nourishes pride. And we know what that goeth before. Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 44 BC. He was now indomitable...the most powerful man in Rome...and probably in the world. Five years later he lay crumbled up on the floor of the Curia of Pompey.
In 1812, Bonaparte, the most powerful man in Europe, sat amid the flames of Moscow, with the first snowflakes falling on the city. He must have suddenly realized that his Grande Armee was about to be annihilated.
More to come.
Regards,
Bill Bonner
Unfortunately, Trump and the rest of the gang in Washington are completely delusional. They can constantly spew propaganda - we are great, we are wonder, everything is fine - but it is all nonsense. China's economy is in ruins and the U.S. economy is the best it has ever been. How can anyone actually believe all their bullsh!t. Seriously, folks, there is a huge financial and economy crisis coming shortly. The World has turned against the U.S. - no one believes and more importantly trusts the U.S. including Canada and Mexico. I know, I know - this will blow over just like it always has until it doesn't. Time to wake-up and smell the roses - Trump isn't making anything great again. It is going to horrific for us peons. And, of course, when it does it won't be Trump's fault - maybe he'll blame Biden or Obama or Iran or China or Russia - anybody but himself. Not his fault he is GREAT! The best there has ever been. America needs to get a gripe.
Bryon King has written an interesting essay on military operational readiness. He is a geologist who once was a navel pilot and has kept current on military matters. His analysis clearly puts forth the lack of depth in the US military’s capabilities to wage a large-scale and long-duration war. There is little interest and support from the American public in doing such, but sometimes the US citizenry has little choice in the matter [although I doubt we will ever see a Pearl Harbor event in the world]. However, one aspect that is more likely is China’s decision to take back Taiwan, something they have repeatedly said over the past half century.
There is much talk about how DJT’s stymying China by his “takeover” of Venezuela’s oil production and the anticipated takeover of Iran’s oil production and how this will cause great angst in China. Probably so, although Russia seems more than willing to supply China and are currently increasing pipeline supply routes into China. An interesting thought comes out of Bryon King’s essay in that should the US deplete our military arsenal between Ukraine's War and now Iran’s War, China may see an opportunity to move on Taiwan and thumb their nose at the US’s threatened response. I suspect the US military’s response would be substantially muted no matter what DJT says or does.
I have been against the military action in Iran but have held my tongue because it is happening, nobody asked me, and now that it’s here we should support it. My reasons against are the obvious ones, but additionally include the lack of capability in the US military to sustain a large-scale war with China [our most-likely opponent], without the combat going nuclear. From what I hear, China is a mess right now with the Premier having an economy that is questionable, and not having a solid base of support in his military. I see that lack of stability meaning the present leadership could end up changing overnight and a military leader becoming the new guy in charge. I see that as a threat to a conflict going nuclear.
DJT has said both personally and through his minions that he is not going to wage a prolonged war. I can only hope so. We seem to be waging a war where Israel is the only winner in whatever outcome happens. Nothing wrong with this, except for when the US begins to pay the piper for our involvement. Israel will have its consequences, but they have faced these for generations and is used to it. In the US’s case, our consequences will be larger, more numerous, possibly more disastrous, and clearly more expensive. I hope DJT honors his assurances and gets us out of this quagmire as soon as possible.
Now, could I expect an in-depth discussion from Bill on this topic? Nooo! He will spend his time bitching about what an idiot DJT is and how he isn’t getting any smarter. Could we get suggestions on how we could invest in this “windfall opportunity” to profit at Iran’s expense and possibly get something positive from this unnecessary war? Nooo! Bill feels he needs to continue his diatribes against Trump which only causes his subscribers to rail against each other, call each other vile names, and unscribe from his publication. Is DJT an idiot? Certainly in some capacity he is. Is Bill an idiot? It seems in every capacity he is. Thank God for Dan and Tom, or I’d quit calling myself an idiot for listening to Bill’s tripe.