Kevin Duffy on wars in the Middle East

Wars are the embodiment of collective delusions.  The same laws that govern bubbles apply: the madness of crowds, intolerance for dissent, promotion of false and simple narratives and a rush of euphoria that brings about an orgy of poor decisions.  The good news is that all bubbles eventually burst, reversing a long, ruinous trend and exposing the false belief that supports them.  

In the Middle East there are multiple delusions taking place.  The first is that Israel has a history of acting in self-defense.  The second is that the U.S. has long been a “global force for good.”  The third is that Donald Trump is opposed to “forever wars” and a threat to the military industrial complex.

~ Kevin Duffy, "The End of the Innocence: American Foreign Policy in the Middle East," The Coffee Can Portfolio, August 27, 2025

 

Philip Giraldi on America being drawn into Israel's 12-Day War with Iran

The fog of war may have lifted for now and the phony ceasefire between Israel and Iran has paused the immediate bloodshed, but don’t be fooled.  The respite is to allow an exhausted Israel to rearm with US provided weapons so the neoconservatives and the Israel Firsters aren’t done.  The war drums are still beating, and Trump’s America First movement is starting to fracture under the strain, with a growing divide inside MAGA over America’s pointless wars for Israel.  One group wants to stay out of foreign conflicts while the other is ready to back Israel completely, no matter the cost.  Trump is either consciously or inadvertently playing his usual role of spewing contradictions and sowing confusion and instability every time he speaks or acts.  Israel cannot retreat, it can only continue on its path of blood and slaughter, and Iran will not surrender.  This might create in the near and long run the potential for a major false flag operation by Israel to draw the US in and trigger a full-blown war against Iran. 

~ Philip Giraldi, "Trump Rolls Over for a New War," The Unz Review, June 30, 2025