cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/47584733
Trita Parsi May 18, 2026
We should first recognize that restarting the war amounts to an admission that Trump’s previous escalatory gambit — the blockade of the blockade — has failed. That, in turn, was itself an admission that the war had failed. Which was an admission that the threats of war in January had failed. As I have argued before on my Substack, this relentless search for an escalatory silver bullet capable of bringing Iran to its knees is not unique to Trump; it has become a defining pathology of American Iran policy for decades.
Although negotiators have made meaningful progress on several fronts, talks have thus far failed to produce an agreement, largely because of irreconcilable differences over Tehran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile. And as Washington has come to realize that the blockade is backfiring, a new and dangerous dynamic has emerged: both sides now believe another round of fighting will strengthen their hand in the negotiations that follow.
Have you seen the Republican primaries this month? Trump’s endorsements won across the board. Even Thomas Massie; a Republican who rallied against data centers, big tech remotely controlling cars, and AIPAC; lost his seat because Trump bashed him. It doesn’t seem like voters regret backing Trump at all, as evident by how much shit Trump’s administration is getting away with.
any R that opposes P47 will get primaried immediately by the gop thats a fact, Mccains daughter for example, MTG quit before being primaried. kAZINGER is another one. nope none, they fully bought into the cult, to think otherwise is uncomfortable to them. 4 years of trump being aired 24/7 +manosphere helped cement his support, and all the gaffes he did prior to the election too, anti-vaxxers are just an extra cherry on top.
Moscow Mitch’s endorsements couldn’t beat Trump. Mitch McConnel. That guy IS the Kentucky Republican Party…except when Trump disagrees.
All the more reason to tell any American trying to say “but we’re not all bad” to shut up and get to work. This gets a lot worse the longer you leave it.
I feel the same. I just don’t see how we get this country to lock in. Even as people get upset—in January 2025 over the DOGE terrorism; more recently over these data centers—nothing ever comes of it. Progressive and rational voices speak up, but we’re drowned out.
I fear there is just too much against us. There are too many distractions for the disillusioned. The only current movement that has overcome that is MAGA, with their ravenous hatred; but they obviously aren’t the solution.
I’m not giving up—for I and many others USA politics isn’t something we can “log out” of—but I can’t ignore that all the introspection and analysis I’ve tried runs into the same seemingly-impassible pitfalls.
MSM pretty much wont report on the actual fallout of doge cuts, trumps attack, or at least downplay it to death. since they are all owned by trump supporters. older people still consume MSMs in large amounts, and it gets distilled by right wing pundits on youtube, or social media, they never hear the actual bad that comes from trump, its all framed as a "non-issue, temporary issue or a positive thing.
One thing they have noticed and will keep noticing is the inflation and fuel prices.
I share your sentiment. There’s a lot of work to be done in running general strikes. There’s also work in sabotaging workplaces.
This is normal. Republicans can’t win a primary without the orange pedo. They can’t win a general election with him.