AMERICAN BRAINWASH

INDRAJIT—Now let me offer my own opinion, which is that I support Iran. I do not try to map Western views onto them, and I try to understand them on their own terms. I approach them with respect and try to learn from them, especially if I don’t immediately understand what they’re doing. The first point is that Iran obviously takes their faith seriously and I agree with Khamenei that nuclear weapons are bad, I think everybody does. This is both a Quranic imperative and a Kantian categorical imperative. I don’t know when everybody got so cynical, but Iran is showing in many ways that taking a moral stand is possible and I support this wholeheartedly.

OLIVER BOYD-BARRETT—The damage to the global economy caused by the closure of Hormuz is hardly limited to oil and gas, but also extends to fertilizer (manufactured from natural gas), shortages of which will decrease food production in coming months and increase food prices and, therefore, hunger, something of concern to Iran too, given that it has faced food and water shortages for quite some time in advance of this war, which is why it is allowing some grain ships through the Strait. Just as the shortage of oil is benefiting Russia, so also is the shortage of fertilizer, as Russia is a preeminent supplier worldwide.

EDITOR—A playground for the sociopathic global rich, and a den of hypocrisy and appalling depravity, Dubai, the hyper-Las Vegas of the Middle East, is now collapsing from within in the wake of Iran’s righteous assault.

MOATS—Joe Kent’s outspoken resignation is not merely a personal act but a symbolic protest against an unjust war. His military background and direct connection to battlefield losses lend credibility and weight to his dissent. Such resignations can catalyze further dissent within the military and intelligence communities, potentially undermining the administration’s war efforts from within. This shows the deep fractures and moral conflicts faced by those serving in the US government and military apparatus.

RON UNZ—Although Iran definitely seems to be winning the war, the continuing conflict does pose major risks to everyone in the world. This certainly includes China, which has carefully avoided any direct involvement.

The Chinese have allowed the Iranians to use their satellite positioning system and have also probably provided some important intelligence and reconnaissance information, crucial contributions that help to explain the excellent targeting of the Iranian missiles. But I believe that it is very much in China’s interests to do far more than this, and bring the conflict to a speedy conclusion, involving what amounts to an American surrender.

If the war goes on, there’s a good chance that the cycle of attacks and retaliations will destroy much of the energy infrastructure of the Gulf, leading to long-term losses of supply, hurting the Chinese along with everyone else. Probably China would suffer relatively less than Europe, Japan, or most other parts of the world, but it could hardly escape very substantial economic damage, as well as the loss of markets as most of its customers became impoverished.

Even more importantly, I’m deeply concerned over the possibility that Iran’s continuing success might result in either America or more likely Israel taking the conflict nuclear, with incalculable dangers for everyone in the world, including China.