Source: Informed Comment
by Mojtaba Mahdavi

“The Discourse of ‘Iranian exceptionalism’ appears in both negative and positive forms. The negative version must be examined within the broader framework of ‘Middle Eastern exceptionalism’ and its various manifestations. In this view – whether in Orientalist discourses, Orientalism in reverse found in autocratic Islamism or authoritarian secular nationalism, or even in certain strands of cultural relativism – Iran, as part of the Global South, the Muslim world, and the Middle East, is deemed unfit for democracy. … The present analysis, however, is more concerned with a positive version of a particular articulation of Iranian exceptionalism that has been mobilized in support of war and sanctions, and in the normalization of the moral justification of military aggression, including alignment – whether strategic or discursive – with Trumpism and Netanyahu’s far-right, war-criminal regime.” (07/28/26)

https://www.juancole.com/2026/07/iranian-exceptionalism-rethinking.html

Source: Karl Dickey’s Freedom Vanguard
by Karl Dickey

“Hey, did you hear the latest? Gallup put out the results of a poll showing that a record 45% of American adults now identify as political independents, while the old Democrat and Republican parties have each dropped 27%. Here in Florida, political independents (NPA) account for 3.3 million registered voters, rapidly catching up to Republican and Democratic Party registrations. Also of note, over half of Gen Z and Millennial voters prefer no party label and tend to register as independent voters, in Florida, known as NPA (No Party Affiliation). But we have seen this movie before. Polling of rising independent voters, yet when they get in the voting booth, they seem compelled to pull for either D or R (Democratic or Republican parties). Perhaps things will change sooner than later.” (07/28/26)

https://palmbeachexaminer.substack.com/p/why-45-percent-of-americans-left

Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jon Duffy

“Earlier this month, the Pentagon quietly extended the National Guard’s ‘D.C. Safe and Beautiful’ mission in Washington through Jan. 20, 2029. That date corresponds to no publicly identified security condition, crime objective or military task. It is simply the day President Trump’s term officially ends. The extension raises obvious questions: How will we know when this mission has been accomplished? If January 2029 is its only publicly announced endpoint, what tells the military its job is finished?
Defense Department missions are supposed to begin with defined objectives and include clear conditions for ending them.” (07/28/26)

https://archive.is/33VQ3

Source: Antiwar.com
by Trita Parsi

“Compared to previous negotiations, Riyadh has secured remarkable concessions. It no longer appears to have to normalize relations with Israel as part of the package. It is reportedly not required to sign a traditional Section 123 agreement that would deprive KSA of enrichment technology. And there are no comprehensive IAEA safeguards comparable to those Washington has long insisted upon elsewhere. If these reports hold, Saudi Arabia has achieved what few thought Washington would ever accept.” (07/28/26)

https://original.antiwar.com/trita-parsi/2026/07/27/the-us-saudi-nuclear-deal-makes-no-sense

Source: Washington Monthly
by Bill Scher

“The socialist group’s vision of a federal government without three equal branches providing checks and balances would facilitate the whims of a would-be authoritarian. Sound familiar?” (07/28/26)

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/07/28/the-dsa-platform-would-destroy-american-democracy/