Bad policies...unnecessary wars...foolish theories — never go away. Like zombies, they rise up in the light of the full moon, and terrorize the world once again.
I hardly ever comment but I feel compelled. I really admire your view, Bill Bonner. You have taught me a lot over the last 30 years and I thank you. Seeing the Big Picture as well as the Small is a rare talent, gift?, art? especially when seen with your wry sense of humor.
Bill the sadness at this absurd and dangerous invasion is that I was one of those airborne troops in 1966, as many of your readers would have been just 60 years ago, and they (Westmorland) told us the same story that the preceding bombing had wiped out the Viet Kong and this was just a mopping up operation that started in 1966 and did not end for another 10 years .. we lost a lot of fine young men in a fight we had NO business in but then NOBODY read or heeded the French army advice that it was always a minority war that could never be won by force. What a waste of human life and we are still paying for it .. RIP
I voted for DJT twice because I think he was better than the alternative. That doesn't mean I agree with everything he says or does. I do agree Iran has to be neutralized. No more talk, just finish the job. Cut the head off the snake or the future generations, (if there are any) , will live in a constant state of fear. Yes it is ugly but this isn't time for boy scouts.
Jim, pragmatism ("Trump's the best of what I currently have from which to choose") is frowned upon here: it's against the "rules", not permitted. Don't plead your case or throw yourself onto the mercy of the court. You MUST choose sides, irrevocably and forever, and, if you do choose sides, and you make the one that seems sensible to you, and it doesn't agree with the intellectual, know-betters and do-betters on this site, you will be shunned and locked in the vault labelled "calumny". Sorry, but it's their way or the highway, and I'm packing my bags as I write. They can have it. Best always. PM
that's BS and you know it ! there are millions of good sensible strong men in the USA but most were trapped into a post war lifestyle they never imagined .. I grew up amongst WW2 Vets in the 50's/60's who changed my life and the lives of most but the best of us, Dr Ron Paul was totally ignored by the infotainment/media so all we got mediocre draft doggers and BS artist from top to bottom people who thought work was for suckers and the only way to make a buck was to screw others .. so that what you got .. exactly what you deserve.
I have never knowingly sand-bagged on this site. I don't know it's BS, and I can't admit to something I don't know. Yes, Ron Paul was ignored, because nobody in politics likes facts. Yes, I AM getting exactly what I deserve; in that you are correct. Best always. PM
sorry did not mean to "sandbag" anything .. just an alternative point of view .. and it's not what you deserve Paul .. but those who didn't vote for the last great hope are now suffering .. that's the way it has to be i guess
very similar words to what Westmorland said back in '66 before the Tet Offensive ... "cut the head off the snake" is never easy as some snakes are smarter faster and more cunning than others .. good luck to the 8th as they are a great fighting battalion but why now and where are the IDF troops ? oh yes I remember they are not allowed to have direct face to face combat .. its against their religious beliefs ! just another Proxy war to save Bibi face and piss off the Arabs for anther 1000 years of hatred .. and so it goes on
You are correct, some snakes are harder to kill than others. I think Bibi guys are doing the lions share of intelligence gathering. Something our guys couldn't fit in. Spy work is never easy.
Jim, I am so far from your view. I give you your view. However, from my view point, Israel has to be destroyed to bring to the world and the U.S. must focus on itself and get out of trying to control the world. The U.S. debt is out of control and there is nothing going on in the U.S. for us American.
Exactly Jim! We now have F#*%ing morons, commenting on F#*%ing morons, using the words of F#*%ing morons, for their moronic daily blogs. It seems to me, the more money these F#*%ing morons have, the more moronic they become 🤔
Bill as I read your communication this morning I was reminded of the human condition. It is, as it was, unchanged and as strong as when we crawled out of the muck or born of our progenitor Eve and Adam. Select the history you like. The human condition can only be held in check by our religious belief systems i.e., the 10 commandments or other religious beliefs that have been designed to manage the human condition. To the extent that the human condition is well managed is the extent to which commerce flourishes and war is marginalized. The yin and yang of the unpredictable human condition marches on through history only slowed by beliefs designed to disenfranchise its innate power to destroy.
But the other side of the coin is that the religious belief systems unleash the evil in man. Shia against Sunni, Protestants against Catholics, Jews against Muslims, Christians against heretics, etc. Seems like the psychopaths who arise to leadership positions in the world have a unique talent for using religious beliefs to justify their evil actions mumbling the standard God Bless America or God Bless Our Troops.
Cartero, think just a bit more abstractly and you will understand that, that which came out of the muck or from Adam and Eve, as you wish, predates religion by some 200,000 years. Therefore, it is not conceivable that religion is a causal factor of the "human condition", but rather, a contributing factor without a doubt.
Maybe religion in itself isn't a causal factor of violence but it has been used to justify violence. A few weeks ago I saw Netanyahou using the Amaleks from the Bible to justify wiping out Gaza and Pete Hegsteh recently was reading Bible passages at the Pentagon to support his war against Iran.
"Spiritual wickedness in high places" occurs in all cultures and all religions, sometimes more, sometimes less.
I find integrity, good will, and peaceful intent to serve in the Quran, the Bible, Teachings of Buddha, Book of Mormon, Dao de Ching, and the Bagavad Gita - and their followers. I find foolish virgins, pride, and greed too, in every one.
It has been found through sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all human beings, as soon as they gain a little authority (as they suppose), they will immediately - immediately - begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence, many are called, but few are chosen.
The perpetual question is, "What is to be done?"
I consistently find integrity, good will, and intelligent, peaceful intent to serve in BPR.
I find it very sad that the Trump team has been doing the opposite of what the Dems wanted to CONTINUE - you know, like having an extra 100,00+ more illegals be welcomed into the US. Gosh, it is also disappointing that the US has, to date, eliminated Iran's nuclear weaponry - so sad. I was really hoping to see the fireworks and explosions which Iran could entertain us with - maybe also planned for Europe. Oh well, I guess Trump has simply ruined the opportunity for the US demise.
Eloquently stated, but alas, reflects a sense of blindness that Trump is bent on repeating the mistakes of his predecessors in theaters like Iraq & Afghanistan. Could it be that there is a method to what his nay sayers would call his madness, namely that putting boots on the ground in Iran is not a repeat of Vietnam. Rather it might be to conduct a surgical strike ala Venezuela… not to remove a despotic leader but rather to seize and remove Iran’s store of fissionable materials, thus nailing the door shut on any further attempts to reconstitute a build-a-bomb effort. For such an effort, 101st Airborne would be an ideally trained/equipped force.
But putting boots on the ground means more casualties. Is the US ready to accept that? Would you put your own life or that of your loved ones on the line for that? Especially knowing that the Oman Foreign Minister who was mediating the negotiations said just hours before the attack that substantial progress was being made.
Have you considered the alternative? No, Americans have shown themselves more than willing to ignore what occurs beyond the tip of their nose. There is danger however in putting one's head in the ground. The alternative to taking physical possession of any fissionable material the Iranians have is that they will reconstitute their atomic weapons program and use it against the Infidels as they declare that God is on THEIR side...
I'm not ignoring anything. But then you believe the Oman Foreign Minister was lying when he said that progress was being made? Also not ignoring that Marco Rubio specifically stated that they knew Israel was going to attack so the US also attacked to prevent American casualties. That looks like treason - we were drawn into a war because we knew Israel was going to attack. Shouldn't the answer have been if you are going to attack be assured all US aid will end immediately?
First, I used to work in that area. Some of my best operatives were those arabs who knew how to always smile in your face and made you feel you were getting what you wanted/needed. I also learned that negotiating is an olympic sport in that part of the world - alien to most westerners. And then I learned to listen carefully to what was said. No one ever overtly lied to me... but there were always grey areas that more times than not made all the difference.
I'll also point out that Rex Tillerson was the Secretary of State and not the Secretary of Defense. Once again Bill's hate and vitriol blinds him from stating simple things accurately.
I wish all the MAGA sycophants who read your Substack and who are clamoring and cheering on this bogus, illegal war would enlist and “walk their talk”.
An example of folly which Mr. Bonner uses over and over is that of attacking Russia. No one has successfully attacked Russia from the West and occupied Moscow, thereby conquering the country, and the two best examples of that failure are Napoleon and Hitler, one low-tech approach, and one (at the time) high-tech approach. Hitler believed he could not fail in the attempt, because he, as opposed to Napoleon, had armor, meaning mechanical transportation and fighting vehicles, and airplanes, the latter, of course, with the whispers of Goering in his ear. And yet, if you listen to past and current Russian propaganda, what you will hear, DESPITE THE VERDICT OF HISTORY, is the argument of dread, perhaps, fatal vulnerability: "Poor, pitiful, underprivileged, outnumbered, second-class Mother Russia! We have these expansive lowland steppes and thousands of kilometers of unfortifiable borders; we HAVE to attack Ukraine and occupy Crimea for the sake of territorial integrity! We are so vulnerable there! NATO has been parking in Europe, inching ever closer, with unfair and deadly missiles pointed at us for lo these 75 years! We have NO CHOICE, but to do what we are doing." It's all a crock. As Paul Simon said and sang, "A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest." Best always. PM
But what would the US do if Russia was establishing not only bases but book and in Mexico or Canada. I seem to remember that when the USSR placed missiles in Cuba it caused quite an uproar. Plus, current coverage of the Ukraine invasion ignores the fact that the Minsk Agreements for a peaceful settlement of the civil war that began in 2014 were ignored by the West. In fact, Merkel and Hollande both said that they fraudulently signed the accords to give Ukraine time to rebuild their military. Our press didn't cover the civil war and the vast majority of Americans don't even know that the Azov Battalion was bombing their own people for years before Russia invaded.
What's good for the goose is good for the gander, as the saying goes. I'm pointing out that the pretenses of both sides are predicated on BS they're trying to get over. Best always. PM
But if you were Putin what would you have done knowing that Ukraine had amassed at least 40,000 troops in the region and had been bombing the separatists for 8 years killing over 3,000 civilians?
Thank goodness for Dan Denning. Without him I would drop this site in a hot minute! Bill, you offend my intelligence and your own. I know you’re not ignorant but I think you let your politics get in the way.
History may not exactly repeat itself but have we forgotten that famous statement by Neville Chamberlain “peace in our time.” Kick the can down the road seems to be the consensus here. Maybe Israel should just pack their bags and go home. The rest of the Middle East as well and then they will have no more worries about being attacked or destroyed by Iran and its proxies .
If you are that concerned about fissionable material would you agree with JFK's position that Israel also should not have nukes especially with the gray areas, the Samson Option and the attack in the USS Liberty?
I love America at least, the idea but, the US is just becoming or is, another nation state in milking its existence from the bulk of the unsuspected. I suggest sweeping over those who had a hand in usurping a respected culture and its institutions. Forget Trump he's simply a conveniance much like many before him. I look at Canada I think of Bill and his wit regarding history and I find there's a commonality to the present and it all revolves around theft and debt the beginning and the end.
Bill; I have to imagine that someone has pointed out that Rex Tillerson was the Secretary of State in the 1st Trump term until he couldn't take the F_ing Moron anymore.
I hardly ever comment but I feel compelled. I really admire your view, Bill Bonner. You have taught me a lot over the last 30 years and I thank you. Seeing the Big Picture as well as the Small is a rare talent, gift?, art? especially when seen with your wry sense of humor.
Beautifully stated
The Daily Reconning
Bill the sadness at this absurd and dangerous invasion is that I was one of those airborne troops in 1966, as many of your readers would have been just 60 years ago, and they (Westmorland) told us the same story that the preceding bombing had wiped out the Viet Kong and this was just a mopping up operation that started in 1966 and did not end for another 10 years .. we lost a lot of fine young men in a fight we had NO business in but then NOBODY read or heeded the French army advice that it was always a minority war that could never be won by force. What a waste of human life and we are still paying for it .. RIP
Comparing Trump to Hitler is an insult to Hitler.
😂
I voted for DJT twice because I think he was better than the alternative. That doesn't mean I agree with everything he says or does. I do agree Iran has to be neutralized. No more talk, just finish the job. Cut the head off the snake or the future generations, (if there are any) , will live in a constant state of fear. Yes it is ugly but this isn't time for boy scouts.
Jim Marshall
Jim, pragmatism ("Trump's the best of what I currently have from which to choose") is frowned upon here: it's against the "rules", not permitted. Don't plead your case or throw yourself onto the mercy of the court. You MUST choose sides, irrevocably and forever, and, if you do choose sides, and you make the one that seems sensible to you, and it doesn't agree with the intellectual, know-betters and do-betters on this site, you will be shunned and locked in the vault labelled "calumny". Sorry, but it's their way or the highway, and I'm packing my bags as I write. They can have it. Best always. PM
Enjoy your trip Paul.
that's BS and you know it ! there are millions of good sensible strong men in the USA but most were trapped into a post war lifestyle they never imagined .. I grew up amongst WW2 Vets in the 50's/60's who changed my life and the lives of most but the best of us, Dr Ron Paul was totally ignored by the infotainment/media so all we got mediocre draft doggers and BS artist from top to bottom people who thought work was for suckers and the only way to make a buck was to screw others .. so that what you got .. exactly what you deserve.
I have never knowingly sand-bagged on this site. I don't know it's BS, and I can't admit to something I don't know. Yes, Ron Paul was ignored, because nobody in politics likes facts. Yes, I AM getting exactly what I deserve; in that you are correct. Best always. PM
sorry did not mean to "sandbag" anything .. just an alternative point of view .. and it's not what you deserve Paul .. but those who didn't vote for the last great hope are now suffering .. that's the way it has to be i guess
very similar words to what Westmorland said back in '66 before the Tet Offensive ... "cut the head off the snake" is never easy as some snakes are smarter faster and more cunning than others .. good luck to the 8th as they are a great fighting battalion but why now and where are the IDF troops ? oh yes I remember they are not allowed to have direct face to face combat .. its against their religious beliefs ! just another Proxy war to save Bibi face and piss off the Arabs for anther 1000 years of hatred .. and so it goes on
You are correct, some snakes are harder to kill than others. I think Bibi guys are doing the lions share of intelligence gathering. Something our guys couldn't fit in. Spy work is never easy.
Jim, I am so far from your view. I give you your view. However, from my view point, Israel has to be destroyed to bring to the world and the U.S. must focus on itself and get out of trying to control the world. The U.S. debt is out of control and there is nothing going on in the U.S. for us American.
Exactly Jim! We now have F#*%ing morons, commenting on F#*%ing morons, using the words of F#*%ing morons, for their moronic daily blogs. It seems to me, the more money these F#*%ing morons have, the more moronic they become 🤔
FM would be more efficient me thinks
Bill as I read your communication this morning I was reminded of the human condition. It is, as it was, unchanged and as strong as when we crawled out of the muck or born of our progenitor Eve and Adam. Select the history you like. The human condition can only be held in check by our religious belief systems i.e., the 10 commandments or other religious beliefs that have been designed to manage the human condition. To the extent that the human condition is well managed is the extent to which commerce flourishes and war is marginalized. The yin and yang of the unpredictable human condition marches on through history only slowed by beliefs designed to disenfranchise its innate power to destroy.
But the other side of the coin is that the religious belief systems unleash the evil in man. Shia against Sunni, Protestants against Catholics, Jews against Muslims, Christians against heretics, etc. Seems like the psychopaths who arise to leadership positions in the world have a unique talent for using religious beliefs to justify their evil actions mumbling the standard God Bless America or God Bless Our Troops.
Cartero, think just a bit more abstractly and you will understand that, that which came out of the muck or from Adam and Eve, as you wish, predates religion by some 200,000 years. Therefore, it is not conceivable that religion is a causal factor of the "human condition", but rather, a contributing factor without a doubt.
Maybe religion in itself isn't a causal factor of violence but it has been used to justify violence. A few weeks ago I saw Netanyahou using the Amaleks from the Bible to justify wiping out Gaza and Pete Hegsteh recently was reading Bible passages at the Pentagon to support his war against Iran.
"Spiritual wickedness in high places" occurs in all cultures and all religions, sometimes more, sometimes less.
I find integrity, good will, and peaceful intent to serve in the Quran, the Bible, Teachings of Buddha, Book of Mormon, Dao de Ching, and the Bagavad Gita - and their followers. I find foolish virgins, pride, and greed too, in every one.
It has been found through sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all human beings, as soon as they gain a little authority (as they suppose), they will immediately - immediately - begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. Hence, many are called, but few are chosen.
The perpetual question is, "What is to be done?"
I consistently find integrity, good will, and intelligent, peaceful intent to serve in BPR.
A different view of the which I tend to agree.
Bill, Correction, Rex Tillerson was Secretary … of State and Not Defence ✅; It didn’t take him long to SEE that DJT was in fact a Fu#%^*g Moron🤣
At least he will be a rich moron.
I find it very sad that the Trump team has been doing the opposite of what the Dems wanted to CONTINUE - you know, like having an extra 100,00+ more illegals be welcomed into the US. Gosh, it is also disappointing that the US has, to date, eliminated Iran's nuclear weaponry - so sad. I was really hoping to see the fireworks and explosions which Iran could entertain us with - maybe also planned for Europe. Oh well, I guess Trump has simply ruined the opportunity for the US demise.
Eloquently stated, but alas, reflects a sense of blindness that Trump is bent on repeating the mistakes of his predecessors in theaters like Iraq & Afghanistan. Could it be that there is a method to what his nay sayers would call his madness, namely that putting boots on the ground in Iran is not a repeat of Vietnam. Rather it might be to conduct a surgical strike ala Venezuela… not to remove a despotic leader but rather to seize and remove Iran’s store of fissionable materials, thus nailing the door shut on any further attempts to reconstitute a build-a-bomb effort. For such an effort, 101st Airborne would be an ideally trained/equipped force.
That's assuming we know where those canisters are hidden.
I'd make book the IDF & Mossad know exactly where they are.
But putting boots on the ground means more casualties. Is the US ready to accept that? Would you put your own life or that of your loved ones on the line for that? Especially knowing that the Oman Foreign Minister who was mediating the negotiations said just hours before the attack that substantial progress was being made.
Have you considered the alternative? No, Americans have shown themselves more than willing to ignore what occurs beyond the tip of their nose. There is danger however in putting one's head in the ground. The alternative to taking physical possession of any fissionable material the Iranians have is that they will reconstitute their atomic weapons program and use it against the Infidels as they declare that God is on THEIR side...
I'm not ignoring anything. But then you believe the Oman Foreign Minister was lying when he said that progress was being made? Also not ignoring that Marco Rubio specifically stated that they knew Israel was going to attack so the US also attacked to prevent American casualties. That looks like treason - we were drawn into a war because we knew Israel was going to attack. Shouldn't the answer have been if you are going to attack be assured all US aid will end immediately?
First, I used to work in that area. Some of my best operatives were those arabs who knew how to always smile in your face and made you feel you were getting what you wanted/needed. I also learned that negotiating is an olympic sport in that part of the world - alien to most westerners. And then I learned to listen carefully to what was said. No one ever overtly lied to me... but there were always grey areas that more times than not made all the difference.
I'll also point out that Rex Tillerson was the Secretary of State and not the Secretary of Defense. Once again Bill's hate and vitriol blinds him from stating simple things accurately.
Thank you Bill!
I wish all the MAGA sycophants who read your Substack and who are clamoring and cheering on this bogus, illegal war would enlist and “walk their talk”.
Fat chance of that happening!
An example of folly which Mr. Bonner uses over and over is that of attacking Russia. No one has successfully attacked Russia from the West and occupied Moscow, thereby conquering the country, and the two best examples of that failure are Napoleon and Hitler, one low-tech approach, and one (at the time) high-tech approach. Hitler believed he could not fail in the attempt, because he, as opposed to Napoleon, had armor, meaning mechanical transportation and fighting vehicles, and airplanes, the latter, of course, with the whispers of Goering in his ear. And yet, if you listen to past and current Russian propaganda, what you will hear, DESPITE THE VERDICT OF HISTORY, is the argument of dread, perhaps, fatal vulnerability: "Poor, pitiful, underprivileged, outnumbered, second-class Mother Russia! We have these expansive lowland steppes and thousands of kilometers of unfortifiable borders; we HAVE to attack Ukraine and occupy Crimea for the sake of territorial integrity! We are so vulnerable there! NATO has been parking in Europe, inching ever closer, with unfair and deadly missiles pointed at us for lo these 75 years! We have NO CHOICE, but to do what we are doing." It's all a crock. As Paul Simon said and sang, "A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest." Best always. PM
But what would the US do if Russia was establishing not only bases but book and in Mexico or Canada. I seem to remember that when the USSR placed missiles in Cuba it caused quite an uproar. Plus, current coverage of the Ukraine invasion ignores the fact that the Minsk Agreements for a peaceful settlement of the civil war that began in 2014 were ignored by the West. In fact, Merkel and Hollande both said that they fraudulently signed the accords to give Ukraine time to rebuild their military. Our press didn't cover the civil war and the vast majority of Americans don't even know that the Azov Battalion was bombing their own people for years before Russia invaded.
What's good for the goose is good for the gander, as the saying goes. I'm pointing out that the pretenses of both sides are predicated on BS they're trying to get over. Best always. PM
But if you were Putin what would you have done knowing that Ukraine had amassed at least 40,000 troops in the region and had been bombing the separatists for 8 years killing over 3,000 civilians?
For sure, I would have opted for the sanctioned and pre-approved "minor incursion". It was a no brainer. Best always. PM
Rex Tillerson was not Secretary of Defense. Rex Tillerson was Secretary of State. His moron comment about Trump is still valid.
Thank goodness for Dan Denning. Without him I would drop this site in a hot minute! Bill, you offend my intelligence and your own. I know you’re not ignorant but I think you let your politics get in the way.
History may not exactly repeat itself but have we forgotten that famous statement by Neville Chamberlain “peace in our time.” Kick the can down the road seems to be the consensus here. Maybe Israel should just pack their bags and go home. The rest of the Middle East as well and then they will have no more worries about being attacked or destroyed by Iran and its proxies .
If you are that concerned about fissionable material would you agree with JFK's position that Israel also should not have nukes especially with the gray areas, the Samson Option and the attack in the USS Liberty?
Bill, as the book Sapiens suggested, it is more likely fear than evil that seems to dominate human behavior
Agreed! Just look at Convid.
I love America at least, the idea but, the US is just becoming or is, another nation state in milking its existence from the bulk of the unsuspected. I suggest sweeping over those who had a hand in usurping a respected culture and its institutions. Forget Trump he's simply a conveniance much like many before him. I look at Canada I think of Bill and his wit regarding history and I find there's a commonality to the present and it all revolves around theft and debt the beginning and the end.
Bill; I have to imagine that someone has pointed out that Rex Tillerson was the Secretary of State in the 1st Trump term until he couldn't take the F_ing Moron anymore.