Nihilism, understood as the absence of a transcendental purpose, lies at the heart of the conflict that Israel initiated against Iran
Friday, July 18, 2025
Trump Reportedly Greenlights Plan for US Attack on Iran Without Congressional Approval
The Trump administration barrels toward U.S. intervention in Iran, with neither reality nor Congress serving as a check.
Will Iran Actually Close the Strait of Hormuz? Eni CEO Weighs In
Investors seem unduly chill about the risk that a US attack on Iran will produce a formal or de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Via the False Claims Act, NIH Creates Another Weapon for Ideological Enforcement at Universities
Universities are loath to take NIH funding due to “evil” grant terms that make ideological non-compliance subject to False Claims Act damages
What’s Next for Capitalism — Reinvention or Authoritarian Rule?
In Capitalism and Its Critics, John Cassidy presents historical foes of monopoly, inequality, environmental peril, and authoritarianism
Coffee Break: Texas Is the MAGA vs RINO Frontline
Texas is the 3rd largest US state. It’s been under GOP rule for 21 years and a civil war is brewing between MAGA and RINO factions.
The Economic Consequences of the Second Trump Administration: A Preliminary Assessment
An overview of the economic impact of Trump’s second term flurry from some Serious Economists. They don’t find much to like.
The Ancients: What Can They Teach Us About Our World and How to Live in It?
I recently added a new volume to my Shelf of Little Books, some of which are not so little but all of which repay re-reading that helps me understand our world a little better with each successive encounter. The newest resident of the shelf was published earlier this year by Princeton University Press: Following Nature’s […]
Rob Urie: As Goes Iran, So Goes Humanity
Discussing the risk of nuclear escalation in Iran.
Plans for More Intense Censorship if US Joins Israel Attack on Iran?
A Twitter post gives a credible forecast of the intensification of censorship that is in store if the US directly attacks Iran.
Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Israel’s Ominous Future
The fog of war is thick over the current hostilities between Israel and Iran, but the intense interest in short-term outcomes of this regional war may be obscuring the ultimate prospects for Israel as negative trends undermine its militaristic foreign policy. I will describe these trends and the likely outcome. Loss of International Support The […]
Laith Marouf on Iran’s Escalatory Path and Its Expectations of a Long War
Lebanon-based jouranlist Laith Marouf provides some granular detail on Iran’s and Israel’s operations and what might come next in the war
