Author: Thomas L. Knapp

Mandatory Conscription Makes War Easier, Not Harder to Fight

Source: CounterPunch
by Ron Jacobs

“An aspect of the argument that a draft would make politicians think twice before allowing a war to take place because politicians’ children might get drafted into the war is not really much of an argument when considered historically. Looking at the last war where US citizens were drafted — the war in Vietnam, it is more than apparent that those draftees who did most of the killing and dying in that war were working class men. If those men were black, they were even more likely to end up as nothing but cannon fodder. … Another part of this same argument is that the US people would be more likely to oppose US involvement in a war if their children were involved. Once again, history tells us something different.” (03/18/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/03/18/mandatory-conscription-makes-war-easier-not-harder-to-fight/

Thomas L. Knapp

Donald Trump, Petropresident

Source: Paul Krugman
by Paul Krugman

“Why did Donald Trump attack Iran? Did he believe that a quick victory would boost his poll ratings? Was he looking for a way to change the subject from the Epstein files and affordability? Was he seduced into war by the Israeli government? The answer, surely, is all of the above. Bad decisions don’t have to have a single explanation. In fact, debacles on the scale of what we’re now experiencing usually have multiple causes. But when I look into the larger picture of Trump administration policy — not just the attack on Iran but domestic policies, especially the administration’s seemingly irrational hatred of renewable energy and its determination to keep America burning fossil fuels no matter what — I keep coming back to the huge influence now being wielded by oil money.” (03/18/26)

https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/donald-trump-petropresident

Thomas L. Knapp

Yes, MAGA’s Fracturing Over Iran

Source: The American Conservative
by Andrew Day

“I AM THAT I AM. Thus spake God to Moses, instructing him to ‘say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.’ President Donald Trump has been saying something similar lately: I AM MAGA! Trump’s latest declaration of his MAGA-ness came in a long post on Truth Social defending the Israel-first blowhard Mark Levin, who has gotten into recent spats on social media with conservatives who criticize the war with Iran. … Many Trump voters have been surprised to learn that ‘MAGA is about’ war on Iran. To be sure, Trump hasn’t always been rhetorically consistent on matters of war and peace, but in 2016 he distinguished himself in the Republican primary by lambasting the Forever Wars, in particular the one in Iraq. And in the 2020 and 2024 elections he bragged about not starting any new wars in his first term.” (03/18/26)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/yes-magas-fracturing-over-iran/

Thomas L. Knapp

Immigration questions for Markwayne Mullin

Source: The Watch
by Radley Balko

“Stephen Miller has reportedly set a quota that federal immigration officers deport 3,000 people per day. Do you think arrest/deportation quotas are good policy? Miller’s reported ultimate goal is to deport more than a million people per year. No country has ever forcibly displaced that many people without mass casualties, particularly in such a short period of time. Do you think this is a realistic goal? Do you think the U.S. currently has the infrastructure to deport that many people humanely? Does it matter if it’s done humanely? DHS has routinely denied members of Congress access to immigration detention facilities despite a federal law that authorizes members to enter and inspect any facility unannounced. Will you enforce that law, or will DHS continue to ignore it under your watch?” (03/18/26)

https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/immigration-questions-for-markwayne

Thomas L. Knapp