May 2026

GG—Glenn Greenwald contrasts elite U.S. attitudes with President Obama’s more restrained stance, quoting Obama’s view that confronting Russia militarily over Ukraine would be “idiotic” because Ukraine is vital to Russia but not to the United States. He suggests that domestic political dynamics and historical antagonisms—dating back to Cold War fears—explain why American political players became so invested in opposing Russia, sometimes inconsistently and with opportunistic interventions in other countries’ politics.

DD—The speaker (Russell Dobullar) delivers a candid, often sarcastic commentary on a high-profile US-China summit, mocking simplistic partisan narratives while unpacking deeper geopolitical dynamics. He criticizes American commentators who reduce complex diplomacy to partisan talking points and ridicules the surreal optics—schoolchildren greeting Trump, officials awed by ceremonial trappings, and CEOs flocking to Beijing despite hawkish rhetoric at home. The core argument highlights a strategic divergence: China frames its rise as peaceful development (building infrastructure, trade networks, and institutions) while U.S. policymakers increasingly view that rise as a threat—a modern Thucydides trap. Quoting scholars and analysts, the speaker argues Xi’s invocation of Thucydides is a deliberate historical and legal framing: Beijing insists it is not the aggressor but a rising power provoked by fear-driven containment.

DW—The Iranian leadership has undergone significant disruptions due to decapitation of several leadership layers, complicating communication and negotiation.
Despite this, the Iranian govt remains coherent in policy and military coordination, although the new Ayatollah’s visibility is limited due to security concerns following assassination attempts.

Chinese and U.S. Positions Regarding Strait of Hormuz and Middle East Conflict—

Chinese tankers have recently paid the new Iranian toll to pass through the Strait.
The only common interest between the U.S. and China regarding the Middle East conflict is avoiding a larger world war that might draw in Russia and China against U.S. allies.
Both sides want to keep the Strait open, but this is a universally shared interest, including Iran’s.
The White House statement is seen by Richard Wolff as somewhat symbolic and lacking substantive impact, given instability in U.S. leadership and unclear interlocutors on the Iranian side.