Friends, you might be forgiven for arching your copious Brezhnevian eyebrows at signals that the U.S. and Iran are close to a deal to end the conflict between them... I mean, we've heard all this before. However, the terms of the deal are intriguing: they offer Iran a way back into the good graces of the whole world, including the global financial system, if it gives up its enriched uranium and scales back its support of terrorists and thugs throughout the region. Basically, the rewards provided to Iran would be contingent on good behavior. Okay, fair enough, but the problem is that the main reward that Iran is looking for is an end to military strikes and a resumption of its access to world oil markets, both of which it would receive immediately in return for the mere promise of good citizenship going forward. On the other hand, the U.S. blockade and/or bombings could resume at our discretion as well. Is it a good deal? That's hard to say. It depends on how serious Iran is about changing its behavior. Certainly, I have no objection to reducing sanctions on the regime if it rachets down its beastliness. All in all, I'd say this approach might be worth a try, but we should be watchful and skeptical from the very start.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c39y02x98k8o
In other news, as expected, Elon Musk is now the world's first trillionaire. Kudos to you, Elon! The irony, as I see it, is that, while all the excitement now focuses on Musk's ventures with electric cars, A.I., and rocketry, his stewardship of Twitter/X is probably the most powerful lever he has to influence modern life -- and, if I may say so, he has utilized that leverage brilliantly in order to protect Western Civilization and human freedom, in the face of blistering attacks from the global establishment. Will he get us to the Moon and to Mars, as promised? It would not surprise me if he did, but he has already gotten us back to a place where we have genuine pluralism in our politics and our discourse, and that's worth well over $1 trillion, in my book!!!
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