“With the Middle East in flames, President Donald Trump’s desperate lobbying campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize looks ever more bizarre. Of course, his claim to have ended and prevented numerous wars is more fantasy than reality. Worse, his surprise bombing of Iran amid negotiations, twice, demonstrated that his goal is anything but peace. Moreover, his proposal for a massive military buildup with no connection to American security suggests he is preparing even more reckless wars of choice. … However, it would be a shame to disappoint someone so desperate for public acclaim. It is time to create a Nobel War Prize, to denounce rather than praise the year’s most ostentatious warmonger or warmongers. Although 2026 is far from over, Trump would be a strong favorite this year.” (04/23/26)
“Sadly, the history of nations that defeated the US provides Iran’s current misgivings with even more reasons not to trust anything Washington might promise. Soon after signing peace agreements with both North Korea and Vietnam, the United States of America immediately violated them. In short, the US cannot be considered trustworthy, no matter who is president. Whether Democrat or Republican, presidents come and go, but US dishonesty and deception remain steady.” (04/23/26)
“Despite rampant human rights violations, European elites refuse to break pact giving Israelis access to business and over a billion euros through 2027.” (04/23/26)
“American Airlines on Thursday cut its 2026 earnings forecast, becoming the latest airline to lower its outlook after a surge in fuel costs added billions to expenses this year. American said it could post an adjusted per-share loss of 40 cents up to earnings of $1.10 a share, lower than the per-share earnings of $1.70 to $2.70 it forecast in January, though Wall Street analysts have been trimming their forecasts for the industry since the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran this year. Airlines have been either cutting their full-year forecasts or holding off on further guidance because of volatile prices for jet fuel since the war started. Fuel is generally their biggest expense after labor.” (04/23/26)
“[Max Rangeley talks] through different theories of the rise and fall of civilisations, and the extent to which they apply to the West’s current predicament.” (04/23/26)
“When Americans sign up to serve the nation under arms, they agree to temporarily forego many of the freedoms of civilian life. They must wear uniforms, not street fashion. They must eat Army or Navy food. They must salute officers and obey orders. They must, in other words, adhere to military discipline. It won’t surprise you to learn that Hegseth is completely hypocritical on this subject. He says that your body, your faith, and your convictions are not negotiable. But he has banned most beards from the U.S. military and cracked down on religious exemptions.” (04/23/26)
“When I talk to climate people in rich countries, I find a lot of concern about capitalism, about our alienation from nature and the way capitalist consumption unbalances our relationship with the natural world. Which figures: when you talk to first-world people, you hear a lot about first-world problems. Most climate activists don’t seem very worked up about poverty in the developing world, probably because they just haven’t spent a lot of time with poor people in poor countries, and they just don’t think about them very often. The results are unsurprising. First-world climate activists tend to favor policies that risk making poverty in the developing world worse, and they don’t seem much troubled by this.” (04/23/26)
