Iran's Intransigence

Plus: Rent freeze, conservatism, breadwinners by gender, and more...

Iran really wants that maritime traffic: "Iran's Foreign Ministry denied Monday that its negotiators would be meeting with U.S. officials in Qatar on Tuesday after President Trump announced the talks would resume at Tehran's request," reports CBS News. "Both sides exchanged strikes over the weekend, testing the fragile ceasefire."

Meanwhile, Iranian official Kazem Gharibabadi told state TV that the regime really wants to work out a deal with Oman (which borders the south of the strait) to oversee ships passing through Hormuz, but that "if for any reason Oman is not interested in doing so," Iran will move forward, doing its own.

"We have warned the Omanis that other countries have no right to interfere in this matter," he added.

"Under the memorandum of understanding signed with Washington on 18 June, substantive talks over Iran's nuclear programme do not need to start until the lifting of the blockade of the strait—something Iran is required to use only 'its best endeavours' to achieve," writes The Guardian's Patrick Wintour. "Iran is adopting a maximalist interpretation of the memorandum, decreeing that it alone can lift the blockade. Jealously guarding this prerogative, it has been resisting the involvement of any other country or institution in opening the strait."

"But Oman, a neutral nation by temperament and practice, is in a delicate diplomat spot. It knows that if it ignores Iran's objections, Tehran is less likely to agree to Oman's plan for the future of the strait," adds Wintour. "But if Oman does not take the initiative in helping the humanitarian operation to release thousands of trapped sailors, the less likely it is that its proposals for the strait will be accepted by the region or by the UN—and the more likely it is the US will return to all-out war."

---

A deal that means very little: "A security deal between Israel and Lebanon risks entrenching a stalemate rather than resolving Israel's underlying conflict with Hezbollah by tying Israel's ​pullout from southern Lebanon to the Iran-aligned group's disarmament," reports Reuters. "At its core is a bargain few see as workable: Hezbollah ‌has flatly rejected disarmament, and no Lebanese government has the power to enforce it."

Late last week, the Lebanese Ambassador Nada Moawad and the Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter signed a trilateral agreement with the U.S. in Washington, D.C., agreeing to peace between Israel and Lebanon; if Hezbollah—which is distinct from the Lebanese government and backed by Iran—fails to disarm, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli troops can occupy southern Lebanon once again.

Of course, Hezbollah has very little reason to actually do so, and the Lebanese government is not really the party the Israelis must find common ground with here. The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which has been going on since Hamas' infamous October 7 attack on Israel, shows very few signs of truly stopping. And the Lebanese state isn't powerful enough to curb Hezbollah in a meaningful way.

---

Scenes from New York: Now look, I know you can't turn America-celebratin' into a whole entire week, but forgive me for trying! Where are YOU celebrating America this week and weekend? Tell me in the comments/via email/on X.

dispatches from rockaway (God's country) pic.twitter.com/V6zS1qiHYW

— Liz Wolfe (@LizWolfeReason) June 29, 2026

Other plans on the docket: a "best of the Midwest" dinner party co-hosted with a few friends (from St. Louis and Chicago) since I'm obsessed with casseroles and toasted ravioli right now; possibly a Founding Fathers–themed reading/house party here in Brooklyn; and, of course, Tex-Mex and surfing and maybe an American flag cake.

---

QUICK HITS

• "It's a yawn," said President Donald Trump about the housing bill Congress was hoping he'd sign into law. Trump said "he would sign the bill only if Congress would first pass another bill, the SAVE America Act, which would impose stricter voter ID rules that would make it harder to vote," per The New York Times.
• The story of some 52-year-old soup.
• The writer Richard Hanania thinks that Jerusalem Demsas (formerly of Vox) "might be the most successful living journalist" by commissioning "articles that take the right-wing position on some policy debate" for The Argument. "This makes me optimistic," continues Hanania. "It indicates that the reason smart people reject conservatism is that it has the stench of MAGA, racism, conspiracy theorists, and religious fundamentalists. Trump supporters and Republican voters generally want trash content. This repulses smart people." (Hanania too carries some stench; takes one to know one?) But more to the point: You'd have to be very liberal to think that The Argument's arguments are especially right-wing. They seem most like Abundance Agenda centrists, which is distinct from conservative.

Is there a market for smart, right-wing content?

I've gone back and forth on this.

But I'm now convinced that Jerusalem Demsas might be the most successful living journalist in terms of bringing right-wing arguments to a large, highly educated audience that wouldn't otherwise… pic.twitter.com/dJHjYkmzWY

— Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) June 28, 2026

• "The Rent Guidelines Board, on which I serve, has just voted to freeze rents on New York City's roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments, fulfilling a key campaign promise by Mayor Zohran Mamdani," wrote Arpit Gupta—the lone dissenter. "This settles what will happen to rents this October, but raises the question of whether the rent-stabilized stock is still going to be standing, habitable and occupied in 2046. On its current trajectory, a large share of it will not be—especially if Mamdani and his appointees on the Board follow through on the mayor's pledge to freeze rents every year of his term."
• Interesting:

Sharp observation by @stephmurrayyyy:

"[America] ranks somewhat high on the list for both male-breadwinning AND female breadwinning. It is equal-earning couples that the U.S. lacks."https://t.co/NorShXxz57 pic.twitter.com/6ho3dhRVTg

— Leah Libresco Sargeant (@LeahLibresco) June 29, 2026

Comments

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

Why did you subject us to bohem retardation yesterday?

[ML (now paying)]

Because you touch yourself at night to old Farrah Fawcett movies.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

I don't see how those two are related. My love of logans run and Charlie's angles, and a certain red swimsuit poster has no bearing of having to scroll through bohem retardation

[Fist of Etiquette]

Meanwhile, Iranian official Kazem Gharibabadi told state TV that the regime really wants to work out a deal with Oman (which borders the south of the strait) to oversee ships passing through Hormuz...

If Iran wants to be barbary pirates they should be dealt with the same way the United States did with the original. (That didn't start out smoothly either, as I recall.)

[JFree]

Who committed the US to playing whack-a-pirate 12,000 miles from the US?

[Bubba Jones]

From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli;

[Moonrocks]

Pasha Yusuf Karamanli.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Thomas Jefferson. Israel probably put him up to it.

[Ajsloss]

His real name was Jeffersonstein.

[ML (now paying)]

It was teh joooz!

[But SkyNet is a Private Company]

Thomas Jefferson

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

Jefferson?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Iran is adopting a maximalist interpretation of the memorandum, decreeing that it alone can lift the blockade.

How are they still even able to blockade anything???

[Spiritus Mundi]

Same way one armed gaurd, with a bolt rifle and 5 round magazine, can escort 100's of prisoners on a death march. Nobody wants to be the sacrificial lamb.

[Bubba Jones]

The US has demonstrated for decades that it's a lot easier to blow something up than to keep it from getting blown up.

[charliehall]

Right! Trump not only obliterated Iran's nuclear program, he destroyed its military capability! Trump himself said so!!!

What is interesting is that I have yet to see anyone from the MAGA Cult admit that Trump lied about both.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

Chicago) since I'm obsessed with casseroles

Welcome to the home of the deep dish pizza. Yeah we turned a pizza into a casserole, we're that good

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Has it got mushroom soup and canned onions on top?

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

If you want

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

OK, just none of that jello "salad" stuff.

[mad.casual]

I want to make a desert that's just a thin, flimsy, graham cracker crust with a thin layer of sweet, fresh cheese spread across it, with maybe a little fruit spread on top of that. You could cut a slice, fold it down the middle, and eat it with just your hands. I call it Chicago-style Cheesecake.

For some reason, nobody thinks it's a good idea.

[Zeb]

Sounds pretty good to me.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Hezbollah ‌has flatly rejected disarmament, and no Lebanese government has the power to enforce it.

I guess we're all going to agree to kick this can down the road. Trump was probably the only president who could have had any chance of getting rid of the Mullahs' bullshit and he lost stomach for it, like everyone else.

[Bubba Jones]

he lost stomach for it, like everyone else.

So there *wasn't* a chance, after all?

[charliehall]

One week before Trump started the war I told a bunch of Israelis that no good would come from one. I was right.

[charliehall]

Trump was the least likely of any President to accomplish that. He has no understanding of the Middle East and no understanding of military strategy, tactics or logistics. His entire career has consisted of taking advantage of anyone and everyone who has even the tiniest shred of ethics and morals. In Iran, he is dealing with people who are more evil than he is, and he has no idea how to deal with the problem. Iran is toying with Trump and having fun doing it. America is not great anymore, thanks to Trump.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Where are YOU celebrating America this week and weekend?

In the greatest country in the history of man.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

"Fuck, yeah!"

[Fist of Etiquette]

...which would impose stricter voter ID rules that would make it harder to vote," per The New York Times.

Harder. To. Vote.

[Bubba Jones]

MAGA is going to be really disappointed when they discover which party can actually find their birth certificates ...

[Fist of Etiquette]

This is an interesting assertion.

[Murray Rothtard]

i've read plenty of think pieces that run both ways.

there's good reason to believe that urban blue areas actually have their passports, which will count. a lot of rural areas never travel.

neither side has me very convinced that there will be a landslide either way in shutting out Rs or Ds with such a rule. fun to think about though

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

It would make ongoing democrat fraud efforts more difficult.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

That's not how it will work.

The current MAGA strategy is to try to pass laws or uphold standards that appear facially neutral, but in practice, they will grant themselves (and only themselves) exceptions to those standards, so that in practice those rules only apply to the other side.

They complain and complain about waste and fraud and corruption in the government, and it is a problem that virtually everyone can agree is a problem - but then they excuse the unbelievable corruption and incompetence of the current admin. Exhibit A: Reflecting Pool. Fraud and corruption are bad, but the consequences are only leveled against one side.

So when it comes to voting rules, I completely expect that if the SAVE act actually does pass, what will happen in practice, is that in Republican areas, there will be "exceptions" and "extraordinary circumstances" etc. etc. which will allow them to cast votes without the documentation that the law requires - but a Democrat with a crumpled birth certificate will be accused of "voter fraud!!!!".

That is the real dishonesty of the MAGA era. It is a big exercise in the motte-and-bailey fallacy.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Jeff, at this point whatever those dirty Magas do (or you assume they do) will never catch up with the shenanigans from the DNC and progressive activists. But you don't care about that.

[ML (now paying)]

Lying Jeffy's too busy door-knocking for Graham Platner and explaining the subtleties of Nazi tattoos to notice prog shenanigans.

[NealAppeal]

Pure unsubstantiated conjecture. The best we can expect from a brain dead, immigrant rape excusing loser...clutching the pearls before the oyster has even been shucked.

[charliehall]

MAGA loves Loves LOVES no bid contracts to Trump cronies.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

What you call think pieces is dem propaganda. Just a heads up.

[BYODB]

One images rural Republicans will have an easier time obtaining their birth certificate than illegal immigrants will.

[ML (now paying)]

That's right. MAGA is just full of illegals with DNC voter registrations.

[Zeb]

?

[Spiritus Mundi]

One party has a problem with the gender on their birth certificate not matching the 'gender' on their ID.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

How about finding their fathers?

[mad.casual]

Probably not as disappointed as Tim Walz.

[charliehall]

Or change of name certificates. Most women who keep their names after marriage are Republicans. SAVE will disenfranchise them.

[Moderation4ever]

President Trump has been trapped by Benjamin Netanyahu and seems to have no way to extract himself from the problem created. Trump was talked first into abandoning the working JCPOA, then into attacking Iran by Netanyahu. Now when Trump would like to end the conflict with Iran and Netanyahu hold a veto by simply attacking Hezbollah when ever talks are making progress. Now, I see this as just another sign of Trump's incompetence, but those more charitable may see it as just his failing mental state. The bottom line is Trump is trapped and the US with him.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

Holds letter up to his hed
"The jews"
Doesn't need to open the letter, because they are responsible for everuthing

[ML (now paying)]

🎝 Who controls the British Crown? who keeps the metric system down? Jooz do. Jooz do. Who robs cavefish of their sight? Who rigs every Oscar night? Jooz do. Jooz dooo. 🎶

[Quicktown Brix]

Yup.

He (We) could just walk away. No deal, just leave. It's a UUGE loss for Trump and the US and sets the world back, but probably the best option for private Americans. Either way, Iran is in a better position and tolls to pass the strait look hard to avoid short of a ground war.

Sorry rest of the world.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Will you two finish up your tiny circle jerk?

[Quicktown Brix]

We can't. You're here, but that's only half. We have no circle.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

He has to get going anyway. He’s on his way to Misek’s and he got a call asking him to stop at the store to pick up a tub of Crisco for tonight’s festivities.

[charliehall]

I have been saying that for two months!

[Idaho-Bob]

At some point the left needs to realize and accept the muzzies are the enemy of the entire free planet. And should be dealt with accordingly.

The Israelis understand this. Their survival is at stake. Our survival is also at stake, just not this week. But you fuckers are working on it.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

You seek lies! We need to send all the muzzies and fags to an island. Then the left will learn what tolarance means

[ML (now paying)]

We can call it Muzzie Island because the other guys won't last an hour.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

I thought it was called Fire Island.

[Zeb]

I'm curious how exactly you think they ought to be "dealt with". It's easy to make broad statements like this, but what are you really proposing? I don't really disagree with the general statement, but we're talking about like a billion people here.

[Idaho-Bob]

Halt all immigration from muzzie countries. No exceptions. IDGAF about "refugees".

Current muzzies in the US - One religion-based violent act equals deportation to a muslim country. Citizen status irrelevant.

They hate Jews, Christians, atheists, women, gays, dogs, bacon, wine, beer, and the entire Western Civilization.

They can dwell with like-minded people.

[Zeb]

OK, I could mostly get onboard with that. Maybe not the deporting citizens part.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

Small problem with your plan.

What about non-Muslims that live in Muslim-majority countries? Wouldn't they qualify as genuine "refugees" even according to you?

Also, what do you do if a Muslim from, say, Syria first emigrates to Sweden, then decides to emigrate to the US? Do you say no because they were born in Syria even if they are legally now have Swedish residency? What if that Muslim claims to have converted to Christianity while in Sweden? Still a no?

Here is a better idea: why not judge *individuals* based on the content of their character? Instead of blanket judgments based on group characteristics?

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Nope. The platinum rule: treat people like they treat you. So if some individual demands un-American society they can find it elsewhere.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

Except that is not really the standard that is being considered here. The actual standard is closer to "treat all individuals in a group as if they all behave the same as their worst members".

This would be equivalent to, say, treating all Trump voters as if they were all racist Nazi Confederate assholes. Are you okay with this?

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

“This would be equivalent to, say, treating all Trump voters as if they were all racist Nazi Confederate assholes. Are you okay with this?”

I’ve got some fat news for you Fatfuck, no it isn’t. It would be far more like treating every Democrat as some retarded blue haired tranny schizo communist antifa domestic terrorist.

Oh, and sorry to see you back.

[damikesc]

"This would be equivalent to, say, treating all Trump voters as if they were all racist Nazi Confederate assholes. Are you okay with this?"

Democrats already do this. Have done so for decades (Truman called Dewey a fucking Nazi, for God's sake). We would not notice a difference.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

"This would be equivalent to, say, treating all Trump voters as if they were all racist Nazi Confederate assholes."

Like you do?

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

This is like gerrymandering. Pedo Jeffy threatens something they’ve already done.

[Marshal]

This would be equivalent to, say, treating all Trump voters as if they were all racist Nazi Confederate assholes. Are you okay with this?

Since Jeffey, Dems, and leftists all do exactly this on what basis do they object to others doing it as well? As usual they advocate one standard for themselves and another for everyone else.

[Zeb]

I think that's called "tit for tat". Which is OK on an individual level, but I'm not a fan of collective punishment.

[Murray Rothtard]

you are on the wrong message board to go around supporting treating humans as individuals, man.

we are all collectivists now.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

I think it was Austin Peterson, former Libertarian Senate candidate, who decided to go MAGA and declare he was now a "Libertarian Nationalist". I mean, WTF? That's like saying you're a "Socialist Entrepreneur" or a "Christian Atheist". It is a contradiction. MAGA and nationalism are inherently collectivist, libertarianism is inherently individualistic. Not sure what these clowns expect to get out of this.

[damikesc]

The LP Presidential candidate of 2020 demanded we all be ACTIVELY "anti-racist". Cannot claim that she does not represent a prominent school of thought in the LP.

That is many things --- individualistic is not one of them.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

No Fatfuck, You democrats are collectivist. Stop with your lies.

[Marshal]

WTF? That's like saying you're a "Socialist Entrepreneur" or a "Christian Atheist". It is a contradiction.

Stupidly wrong, it's not a contradiction at all except to people whose only interest in libertarianism is justifying open borders.

Rather "Libertarian Nationalis[m]" means recognizing we can only influence political outcomes within our jurisdiction. Recognizing national borders is perfectly consistent with not involving ourselves in other countries' business.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

Yes, you democrats are collectivists.

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

New guy, Jeff is not the individualist his name suggests.

[damikesc]

"What about non-Muslims that live in Muslim-majority countries? Wouldn't they qualify as genuine "refugees" even according to you?"

There ain't a ton of them. Muslim states have done an impressive job kicking most of the non-Muslims out of their country.

"Also, what do you do if a Muslim from, say, Syria first emigrates to Sweden, then decides to emigrate to the US?"

They'd be a no. Not a tough choice at all.

"What if that Muslim claims to have converted to Christianity while in Sweden? Still a no?"

Yup, still a no.

"Here is a better idea: why not judge *individuals* based on the content of their character? Instead of blanket judgments based on group characteristics?"

That'd require an INCREDIBLY closed border where each individual person has to go thru extensive vetting to even be allowed to come in to our country.

If you are finally supporting that, welcome aboard.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

What if a bear escapes from a trunk, gets on mass transit in a large urban area and proceeds to stab a non muslim woman in the neck?

Just more trivial culture war stuff?

[Marshal]

Here is a better idea: why not judge *individuals* based on the content of their character?

It's quite insulting when people whose entire worldview is driven by broad based (and wrong) assumptions about groups nevertheless lecture others about judging only individuals.

[charliehall]

Trump is concentrating on rounding up and deporting Christians from the Western Hemisphere, not Muslims.

[ML (now paying)]

TBQH I think anyone with a Harvard degree are the bigger enemies of a free planet. In 1975 women in Iran and Afghanistan could wear miniskirts and drink a Margarita. It took a lot of Harvard-educated clever people to help some obscure clerics change that.

[damikesc]

Basically. I also love that IF Marxists gained power --- these Leftists would be the FIRST ones that they execute (no enemies to the Left before you deal with the Right). Why do they assume Marxists would permit loudmouth wannabe revolutionaries to remain?

The Ivy League is tied with Islam in terms of destruction of Western civilization.

[charliehall]

I agree with your last statement. Both Donald Trump and J D Vance have Ivy League degrees. Biden, Harris, and Walz don't.

[ML (now paying)]

???
Biden's University of Delaware is totally a Public Ivy League school.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

I for one welcome a return to the day when hot Persian chicks in Iran can wear mini skirts again.

[charliehall]

The US Constitution does not agree.

[But SkyNet is a Private Company]

BWAHaaHAHA - “Working JCPOA” - Lololol

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Well, working for the mullahs.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

Not anymore.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

I don’t know how anyone can say that with a straight face.

[Moderation4ever]

It was working and what everyone is starting to realize is that whatever we get from Iran now will be less than what the Obama Administration got in JCPOA. Iran got rid of enriched uranium, halted enrichment, and allowed inspectors. We will never get that again.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Uh, how retarded can you be?

[Moderation4ever]

Can I take your response, as you have nothing to say to offer as a counterpoint, so you just throw out insults?

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Idiot statements get the response they deserve.

[charliehall]

Idiot MAGA trolls like you can only engage in namecalling when they realize that someone has posted a fact that is inconvenient for them.

[ML (now paying)]

"Idiot MAGA trolls like you"
"only engage in namecalling"

You've got Sarcasmic-tier levels of self-awareness going on there, bud.

[MWAocdoc]

The greatest president probably ever!

[Quo Usque Tandem]

S.O.S.; it never changes with you

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

All the apartment owners should send mamdani a bill for the rent. It is a takings and he is on the hook to pay.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

They would be better off pooling their resources and hiring a black ops team to exterminate Mamdani and his entire administration. Then he and his fellow travelers can finally be good commies.

[Fist of Etiquette]

It is equal-earning couples that the U.S. lacks.

What spousal team makes the same money?

[Ron]

they realized woman make as much as men so now they moved the ball, again, and are creating a new line to vomit all over us with hate.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Wait, did we figure out how to identify a woman?

[Moonrocks]

A security deal between Israel and Lebanon risks entrenching a stalemate rather than resolving Israel's underlying conflict with Hezbollah by tying Israel's ​pullout from southern Lebanon to the Iran-aligned group's disarmament

What in the hell is this take? Israel's underlying conflict with Hezbollah is that Hezbollah keeps attacking Israel. Tying the dissolution of a buffer zone to the disarmament of the group that prompted the establishment of that buffer zone in the first place is nothing short of resolving the underlying conflict.

[Spiritus Mundi]

Hezbollah can launch as many rockets into Israel as they want. 'Asians' can rape as many white British girls as they want. Mexicans can drive as drunk as they want. Sihks can stab as many people as they want. Iran can fund as many terror proxies as they want. 'Teens' can take over as many malls/streets as they want. BLM can loot and burn as many stores as they want. Trannies can groom as many kids as they want.

JUST DON'T FIGHT BACK IF YOU ARE WHITE. THAT IS RACISTS!!!

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Also, white culture is inferior. The Smithsonian proved that. So who wants it anyway?

[Quo Usque Tandem]

They just want the latest IPhone from them; nothing else matters

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

iPhones? That magical little box that is a human right?

[charliehall]

Why would this be a surprise? Trump tried to install a pro-Hezbollah candidate as President of Lebanon, tried to end military aid to Israel (with the support of Vance and Rubio), and sent surrogates to Michigan to tell Arab-American voters that he would be tougher on Israel than Biden or Harris (and they weren't lying).

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

'Iran really wants that maritime traffic'

Well, how about they take a market approach and offer positive enticements (free coffee, dancing virgins, etc.) instead of blowing holes in ships?

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

Since there aren’t so many mullahs anymore maybe they can share the 12 year old boys that they’ve historically used for fuck dolls. Certainly Pedo Jeffy would approve.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Liz, Rockaway might be a 10 in the NYC dating pool, but without your Big Apple goggles--and compared to the rest of the country--it's a 2.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

But it's not far not far to reach
We can hitch a ride to rockaway beach

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

I get it. I grew up a couple of towns over. When I was a kid I thought it was hot stuff. Then I left the area and got real.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

Did you listen to the Ramones growing up?

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

I assume every non leftist here did.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

No, but I did go to rock, rock, rock, rock, rock and roll high school.

Ramones sucked.

[MK Ultra]

Their best version is from the "It's Alive" album.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

'"stricter voter ID rules that would make it harder to vote," per The New York Times'

Wanna bet the NYT is willing to make voting even easier? Just turn your ballots over to them and they will do all the hard work.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

Why bother with ballots? Just have NYT call elections as they see fit the moment the polls close. I’m sure the democrats would enthusiastically approve that.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

Excellent!

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

"This makes me optimistic," continues Hanania. "It indicates that the reason smart people reject conservatism is that it has the stench of MAGA, racism, conspiracy theorists, and religious fundamentalists. Trump supporters and Republican voters generally want trash content. This repulses smart people."

The smugly cunty superiority complex is strong in this one.

[ML (now paying)]

The same kind of smart people who talk about their chakras and trust funds and read Walter Duranty's newspaper every morning.

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

…..and think the planet is doomed, and dudes can be chicks, and wet markets, and Everything Is So Terrible And Unfair, and importing mass poverty is a good thing, blah, fucking blah.

I’ll pass on their enlightened content. Lol.

[mad.casual]

You know he's smart because he says not smart things stink and he can smell it and Trump supporters and Republicans can't and that's why smart people like him avoid it.

Like stupid pig farmers for hundreds of years got up every morning and said, "I can't smell a thing!" and not acknowledging the reality of "This shit stinks, but it's the price of bringing home the bacon."

[ML (now paying)]

"A security deal between Israel and Lebanon risks entrenching a stalemate rather than resolving Israel's underlying conflict with Hezbollah by tying Israel's ​pullout from southern Lebanon to the Iran-aligned group's disarmament," reports Reuters."

A totally unbiased, even-handed source there. The Chemjeff News Network.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

Clearly, paragons of journalistic integrity and even-handedness, such as Breitbart and Conservative Treehouse, should be the gold standard for reporting. Right?

[damikesc]

Did they comically misreport the Israel v Hezbollah issue?

Perhaps you might be better informed reading Breitbart instead of Reuters. Reuters bought into the Russia hoax completely. Bought into COVID being from a wet market hoax. Seems they are incompetent on the important stories.

[ML (now paying)]

Chemleft would be better informed reading 50 year old issues of Highlights for Children, than the shit he usually gobbles down.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

Can you show how they’re not, outside of your claims and attacks from DNC propaganda media networks.

[MWAocdoc]

To be fair, this is not a "report" by Reuters. This is an opinion from a reporter distributed by Reuters. The news stopped being the news long ago. At one time reporters reported what happened. Then reporters started quoting bystanders. Then they started quoting officials about what happened. Finally they stopped bothering to report the news and simply repeated the official line according to the bias of their chosen demographic.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

"This settles what will happen to rents this October, but raises the question of whether the rent-stabilized stock is still going to be standing, habitable and occupied in 2046."

Havana provides the answer.

[Earth-based Human Skeptic]

"[America] ranks somewhat high on the list for both male-breadwinning AND female breadwinning. It is equal-earning couples that the U.S. lacks."

Trad wives vs beta males!

[chemjeff radical individualist]

Womp womp. Trump learns that executive orders don't supersede the Constitution.

https://apnews.com/live/birthright-citizenship-decision-supreme-court-updates-06-30-2026

[chemjeff radical individualist]

Let me pre-empt a few counter-arguments:

"But but but the Fourteenth Amendment was only intended to grant citizenship to former slaves! It wasn't intended to grant citizenship to illegals!"

Well, the authors of the Fourteenth Amendment could have chosen to write it in this way, but they chose not to. Despite what certain specific senators may or may not have said at the time, the text of the Constitution is what matters.

"But but but the illegals aren't really 'subject to the jurisdiction' of the US because they are citizens elsewhere!"

Well, if that's your argument, then they aren't really "breaking the law" by being here - based on this argument, US law has no force on illegals. Is that really the argument that you want to make?

"But but but while the illegals are subject to the LEGAL jurisdiction, they aren't subject to the jurisdiction in a broader way - they are still loyal to their native countries!"

Well, the government cannot peer into the souls of individuals and determine how loyal a person is or is not. If the phrase "subject to the jurisdiction" is read to represent some type of intangible spirit of loyalty to the United States, how is anyone supposed to measure that in any credible way?

[TJJ2000]

Leftard Self-Projection.

If you leftards spent even 10% of your time on self-evaluation as you did self-projection and making up stories about those 'icky' people you might actually learn something.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

WTF are you talking about? Do you deny that the three arguments that I presented above are ones that are commonly used to argue against birthright citizenship as granted by the 14th Amendment? FFS Clarence Thomas used the first one in his dissent. They aren't made-up arguments.

What would you like me to learn about the so-called 'icky' people (your phrase, not mine)?

Also, I find it particularly amusing that you seem to think that interpreting the Constitution as written is now somehow a "lefty" position.

[Murray Rothtard]

he's just a super-originalist.

if you support any of the amendments to the constitution as written, it really means you hate the original document and are trying to destroy it as a lefty.

shit... these guys are happy to go after the 1st amendment. they are that serious.

[chemjeff radical individualist]

Not sure if there is any consistent ideology or philosophy behind these ranting. Most of it seems to be based on feelz and grievance.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

Fatfuck, we all know that everything you writes is direct advocacy for open borders or an attempt by you to lay some semantic trap which never ever works.

This is n different. America doesn’t want your open borders and we don’t want to keep tens of millions illegals. This is why we elected Trump again.

[ML (now paying)]

Every day Lying Jeffy gives us an update on the morning's DNC talking points, and every day he expects us to believe he's some sort of impartial observer.

[TJJ2000]

As-in every single item you list is a complete corruption of the correct interpretation of the US Constitution and you know it. You're too busy Self-Projecting your corruption to do any Self-Evaluation.

FFS... Why TF would there even be naturalization if "and subject to the jurisdiction thereof" meant anyone here? Maybe a little less ignorance about the CRA it was based on would help you interpret but, Nope, your too busy corrupting it and blame-shifting that corruption onto the other side.

[charliehall]

You know that he is right otherwise you wouldn't have engaged in namecalling.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

The 14th is clearly written. You’re trying to ignore the historical context of the language used and apply a modern one. This is beyond disingenuous and a good example of why you are universally regarded as a lying sea lioning shitweasel.

M’kay?

[MT-Man]

Or the court believes men can't be women...

[TJJ2000]

Yeah... MORE Female (Gov-Gun) Empowerment to ENTITLE-[WE]-Identify-as (STEAL) from you 'icky' Males earnings! /s

Here's a thought. Maybe wasting time ranting and raving about "Empowerment" over those 'icky' people is exactly why those earnings are lower. Do women really think 'crying' is a paid profession that can sustain itself?

[mad.casual]

Interesting:

A technically more accurate rendering of that one hypergamy chart, at least as far as earnings are concerned.

Considering the "hypergamy chart" specifically doesn't apply to the sum total of human interactions, only certain social markets and genetic conclusions, and the chart has every "front hole haver" matching with a "penis haver" with a one-directional arrow, it seems even more blatantly and dishonestly lopsided and ideological.

Again, imprinted several times in the genetic record is the fact that relatively large number of women survived to reproductive age and and reproduced, while something like 85% of men did not reproduce. Whether they wandered off into the woods and were eaten by bears or were sacrificed to Gods or by conquerors or fought in wars and killed each other or were worked to death in the fields is not known. What is known is that there was no broader bottleneck of genetic variance (indicating 85% of women died without reproducing too) and that, somehow, women managed to reproduce with the ~15% of males who survived or were at the top of the evolutionary chain or whatever.

[Mickey Rat]

So society should be organized into "Top Men" who each have a harem of up to 6 women and the bottom 15% are SOL, which tends to make for a recipe for violence.

[mad.casual]

Neither is an "ought".

“Most American wives are married to men who earn more than them” is true. “Women will only marry men who earn more than they do” is not.

The "less accurate" hypergamy chart makes the former claim. Even most of the bitter of incels don't generally make the latter claim.

Overarchingly;

Educational hypergamy is kinda dead now. Income hypergamy is definitely still a thing. Just not the only thing. Especially if you look overseas.
...
Moving on. Let’s compare hypergamy in America to our pals in Europe.

Europe is the only continent currently undergoing significant population decline and is expected to be the worse going forward; to the point of unsustainability without immigration. Given the metrics of post-modern education and gender-equity financial reforms, I remain unconvinced of the "technically more accurate rendering". She's grasping at data to argue against a claim that no one is making.

Re: "TOP MEN having 6 women and the bottom 15% are SOL", this is the, rather pointedly, affection-as-capital argument to "Elon Musk didn't *earn* a trillion dollars." I'm not saying Elon *can't* have 14 kids with 4 different women, I'm saying the "fairytale" of the hypergamous nuclear family builds wealth (better) while guarding against the perils of your TOP MEN situation. Elon didn't 'steal' 3 women from 3 other men. He's so exceptionally productive and they're so socially derelict that the 3 worst women wouldn't associate with them and that translates up the chain. The problem of those 3 women thinking they deserve an Elon Musk, or the stable life his wealth provides, isn't really any less perilous than the men's thought that the women owe them something.

[Mickey Rat]

I am saying our current societal arrangements around sex likely came about as humans became more civilized and males beating the crap out of each other for mating rights became suboptimal.

It is one of those Chesterton's fences that you change at your petil.

[mad.casual]

It is one of those Chesterton's fences that you change at your petil.

Right. And we can see that the "equigamous" pasture on the other side of the fence (as policy or desirable social policy) isn't any more empirical or less religiously derived and is turning into tumbleweeds and hardscrabble, rather than fertile and abundant fields of grassland, faster.

[MWAocdoc]

"This ... raises the question of whether the rent-stabilized stock is still going to be standing, habitable and occupied in 2046"

Well, no ... it does not raise that question. There may be no housing stock still habitable and occupied in 2046 with or without a rent freeze. Cause and effect are tricky to prove even in simple physically testable hypothesis settings. In my opinion high-population-density urban centers have been dying for a very long time, having outlived the socioeconomic conditions that led to their formation in the first place. The infrastructure maintenance costs for the city centers are increasingly unsustainable despite corrupt city governments and their bedfellows in the city employee union gangs. It is almost impossible to tease out the death throes of a dying city from the self-inflicted wounds caused by the increasingly incompetent government.

[Agammamon]

>which would impose stricter voter ID rules that would make it harder to vote,"

In what ways would it be harder to vote?

[Zeb]

And why is making it easier to vote supposed to be the goal? Is more people who don't actually pay attention voting supposed to be a good thing somehow? People who are really engaged and care face no significant hardship in registering to vote or getting to the poll on election day.

[Super Scary]

Any chance we'll get an article that reviews Citizen Vigilante?

[Spiritus Mundi]

It doesn't support open borders, so no.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

Irans cards:

The Ace in the hole: The Strait of Hormuz (Never give that one up)

Queen of Hearts: Hamas constantly bombarding Israel and kidnapping, raping, and murdering its citizens in the name of “resistance”

Jokers Wild: slaughtering your own citizens by the thousands and oppressing any religious minority

The only reasonable outcome is to kill such a lying, cheating, nefarious card holder because they ain’t ever gonna play right

[MWAocdoc]

False. The only reasonable outcome would be for America to station our military back inside the boundaries of the United States of America and leave the rest of the world alone to achieve whatever end it can manage. If oil companies want to send tankers to load oil in the Persian Gulf, let them pay for whatever protection against pirates they think is advisable. Although I have no real objection to the United States Navy conducting live fire practice maneuvers by destroying pirate bases in the Persian Gulf region, pretending that we have any justification for destroying the Fundamentalist Islamic Dictatorship of Persia is not only unnecessary but actually counterproductive to enabling commercial shipping access to the region.

[SCOTUS gave JeffSarc a big sad]

Your plan is idiotic and unrealistic. This would allow China to rapidly achieve global economic and military hegemony. Russia would also become a significant problem.

We are far past being able to bury our heads in the sand.

[jagjr]

"We have warned the Omanis that other countries have no right to interfere in this matter,"

Iran can say whatever they want about the Strait, but the fact of the matter is that international law, both traditional and the newer UNCLOS regime, recognize the Strait as an international passage. that means that Iran cannot control it, neither can Oman, & EVERY other country in the world has a right to interfere.