Tag: Iran

Iran, Joe Biden, and World War III

 

As I follow the thoughtful discussions about the war in Israel here on Ricochet, I can’t figure out why more people are not speaking about Iran. Maybe the reason is that the complexities of the situation are difficult to manage. Or maybe the future looks so dismal that people are afraid to face the truth. Not like I’m a purveyor of truth! But I wouldn’t be quite so alarmed if I believed we were talking about how dangerous Iran truly is.

In researching Iran’s power, the facts are alarming. We talk about the Iranian proxies, but I never realized the pervasiveness of their power. Not only is Hamas serving them, but Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and hundreds of leaders are guiding multiple terrorist organizations within those countries. This graphic gives you a quick look at their influence.

Destroy Hamas: Can It Be Done?

 

As each day passes of the horrific war in Israel, I hear more and more cries to destroy Hamas. A part of me agrees that the Israelis have no other choice: Israel must use Hamas’ ultimate goal against Israel, and wipe these barbaric terrorists off the face of the earth. And yet as I contemplate these actions, I wonder why more people aren’t skeptical about the outcomes of these strategies.

Don’t misunderstand: I fully agree with Israel’s intentions and would like nothing more than to have “Hamas eliminated.” But when I consider what will need to be done, the barriers to success, the destruction, and lives that will be lost—how will Israel evaluate success?

As one commentator wrote, Israel has finally awakened:

Join Jim and Greg as they welcome news of the U.S. striking back against Iranian-backed bases in Syria after an Iranian drone targeted a U.S. position. But they also wonder why the Biden administration is simultaneously easing sanctions against Iran so it can make millions selling electricity to Iraq. They also roll their eyes as Politico rolls out puff pieces on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley. Both Bragg and Milley are lauded as examples of apolitical devotion to their jobs.  But the facts tell a very different story. Finally, they have fun with the Columbia University promotion of Hillary Clinton “running” again – but only to teach her new class on her experience in foreign policy.

Join Jim and Greg as they break down the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and how the financial institution bankrolling many of the nation’s top venture capital-backed firms went into crisis. They also throw a flag on President Biden’s contention that U.S. taxpayers will not be on the hook for bailing out the bank’s depositors. Finally, they shudder at the news of China brokering a restoration of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Why is the restoring of relations a bad thing? In this case, there’s lots of reasons.

It’s media day in our year-end Three Martini Lunch awards and Jim and Greg have plenty to say about how things were covered – if they were covered at all.  Specifically, they look at the stories the mainstream media covered far too much, the ones they conveniently ignored because they didn’t fit their narrative, and they highlight what they saw as the best stories of 2022.

After a brief discussion of the Jets decisive victory over the Bears, Jim and Greg cheer on the brave protesters in China who are fed up with the CCP’s suffocating COVID policies and demanding other freedoms in the face of a repressive regime. They also wince as an Iranian paramilitary group violently confronts protesters and even blinds many of them. And they react to Trump’s dinner with Kanye West last week that also included Milo Yiannopoulos and Nick Fuentes – a trio that Jim refers to as “the Mount Rushmore of lunatics.”

Join Jim and Greg as they are stunned by the Iranian World Cup team refusing to sing their national anthem and the captain directly stating that the players support the protesters back home. Jim also lays into FIFA, which organizes the World Cup, for its pattern of corruption and coziness with authoritarian regimes like Qatar, Russia, and China. And they have plenty to say about how Democrats plan to help Donald Trump become the GOP nominee in 2024 because they think he will be easier to beat than Gov. DeSantis.

Iranians Continue to Resist the Islamic Republic of Iran

 

For over a month, the Iranian people have protested against the Islamic Republic of Iran, even as many of these protesters are killed, jailed, and tortured for doing so. But Iranian willingness to defy authority doesn’t seem to be letting up.

Several weeks ago, an Iranian female rock climber participated in a rock climbing competition in South Korea without being covered according to the government’s requirements. She was detained once she arrived back in Iran.

Join Jim and Greg discuss how the 3 Martini Lunch factored into a major debate Tuesday night! Then the turn to the martinis as they welcome polling evidence that even more House races are tilting towards the Republicans and nearly all generic polls show a GOP edge…but you still need to vote! They also groan as Saudi intelligence suggests Iran is planning an “imminent” attack but also note the likely return of Benjamin Netanyahu to in Israel. And President Biden plans to discuss why voting for his party is needed to save democracy after his party spent millions trying to get Republicans nominated who they considered the most extreme.

Rob Long is in for Jim, Join Rob and Greg as they discuss why American feminists don’t have much to say about women in Iran risking their lives for freedom – and when they do it gets really weird. They also groan as President Biden names the wife of his chief of staff as a “diplomat for plants and animals.” Lastly, they get a kick out of lefties finally realizing that “Latinx” is only hurting their efforts to win back Latino voters – only to come up with an equally absurd name and declare war on Spanish language articles and pronouns.

Join Jim and Greg as they serve up three bad but very important martinis. First, they sigh as the Biden administration gives in to yet another Iranian demand in order to reach a new nuclear deal. They also wince as Democrats win the lone congressional seat in Alaska and blast the state’s ranked choice voting system that allowed a candidate who finished fourth in the actual vote with just 10 percent of the vote to win the election. And they raise alarms in response to California urging people not to charge their electric vehicles just days after announcing plans to ban gas-powered vehicles while residents in Colorado were forbidden from lowering the temperature in their own homes due to an “energy emergency.”

Join Jim and Greg as they serve up two bad martinis and a crazy one. First, they groan as the Biden administration foolishly pursues a new Iran nuclear deal that in several ways would be even worse than the original. They also fume as California lays out plans to ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035, explain how electric vehicles are a thoroughly unacceptable option for millions of Americans, and how government has no business forcing options on us that we don’t want. And they have a LOT to say about the Biden administration’s rollout of its plan to force Americans who didn’t take out student loans or have paid them off to cover those costs for others.

Join Jim and Greg as they credit the Washington Post for calling out a blatant Biden lie about energy policy in his recent Wall Street Journal column. They also shake their heads as Biden’s messaging on the economy appears to be that the economy is great and we just don’t appreciate it and that he has a plan for inflation when he already admits that he doesn’t. Finally, they slam the Boston Globe for urging Biden to remove Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from our terrorism list on the very same day FBI Director Christopher Wray says Iran tried a cyberattack against Boston Children’s Hospital.

Join Jim and Greg as they welcome what appears to be the Biden administration’s grudging admission that there won’t be a new Iran nuclear deal. They also hammer President Biden for reportedly getting ready to pander to his base through massive student loan forgiveness and explain who will really benefit. And they find the timing curious as Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey demands “algorithmic justice” after Elon Musk buys Twitter.

Could Biden Trigger a Middle East War?

 

Joe Biden’s obstinate decision to continue to re-negotiate the Iran deal reminds me of the famous quotation often attributed to Einstein, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” These efforts are not only true for Biden and his administration, but for the entire Progressive Movement. They never learn anything from their failures and when they fail, they blame others or insist they just need more money or more time.

This time the danger that’s developing is not just about Iran in isolation, but the entire Middle East, and therefore, the security and safety of the world:

In a message directed at the Biden administration and the other Western powers involved in the Vienna negotiations, the Arab countries said that Iran and its terrorist militias are continuing to create chaos and instability, especially in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.

Join Jim and Greg as they roll their eyes at the overdue admission from the New York Times that the Hunter Biden laptop was not Russian misinformation, but a real story as the New York Post reported in October 2020. They shame the United Nations for being an expensive “Debate Society” that has proven itself completely useless in solving international issues. And despite its long record of evil, including the targeting and killing of American troops, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may soon lose its “Foreign Terrorist Organization” tag as part of the ongoing nuclear negotiations.

Join Jim and Greg as they dive into a new poll showing Democrats underwater with Hispanic voters and what it means for the upcoming midterm elections. They also criticize the Biden State Department’s meek responses to missile strikes close to a U.S consulate in Iraq and Russian strikes near the Polish border. And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi comforts Americans struggling with higher prices at the pump and grocery store by assuring them that runaway government spending actually decreases inflation.