Tulsi Gabbard, chosen as voice of Russian propaganda

Posted on June 22, 2026 by borderslynn

There is wide coverage in recent outlets of the grooming of Tulsi Gabbard over her life to ultimately have her placed in a position to influence US National Security, in favour of Russia. Read these links to find out more yourself.

Tulsi Gabbatd was a Democrat.

In January 2019, she announced she was running for president of the United States on the Democratic ticket. She ultimately suspended her presidential campaign in March 2020 and endorsed Joe Biden. In 2024, Gabbard announced that she was joining the Republican Party.1 In the following year, Trump successfully nominated her to the post of Director of National Intelligence. 

https://www.russiamatters.org/analysis/tulsi-gabbard-russia-and-ukraine

She grew up in a cult run by Chris Butler in Hawaii. She seems to have been brainwashed and eventually became a propaganda machine for Russia.

There are numerous documents detailing how she presented Russian propaganda aimed at changing attitudes of American citizens.

she was accused of failing to immediately denounce the launch of Russia’s full-blown invasion into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 and of repeating Russia’s arguments for this invasion. Weeks before the invasion, Gabbard claimed “Biden can very easily prevent a war with Russia by guaranteeing that Ukraine will not become a member of NATO.” That same year Gabbard also took heat for claiming that she was “deeply concerned” over claims about biological weapons in Ukraine, endorsing Russian claims that the U.S. and Ukraine were involved in dangerous biological research before the war. She has also repeatedly claimed that Ukraine is not a democracy.

https://www.russiamatters.org/analysis/tulsi-gabbard-russia-and-ukraine

Tulsi Gabbard’s ties to secretive cult may explain her perplexing political journey

Dr Caroline Sinavaiana Gabbard toldThe Independent in an interview that her niece’s career is all about the pursuit of power

Bevan HurleySunday 16 October 2022 17:43 BST

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on October 16, 2022. Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard, 78, was killed in Samoa on May 25, 2024 Tulsi Gabbard has staked out extreme positions on LGBT+ rights, spread disinformation about Ukrainian biolabs, and claimed she was being shadowbanned by Big Tech while using her vast social media footprint to label Joe Biden a “warmonger”.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/tulsi-gabbard-cult-putin-democrat-science-of-identity-b2556594.html

Through 25,000 pages of documents, including hundreds of memos spanning 2011 to 2017, the American news website has shown Butler’s circle closely guiding Gabbard’s moves throughout much of her early time in Congress. These documents were provided to The Washington Post by Rebecca Saltzburg, who worked on digital strategy for several of Gabbard’s congressional campaigns.

The documents reveal how Butler gave Gabbard instructions on the legislation she should propose while she was in Congress, which policies she should embrace, and how she should conduct herself on television.

One memo about Iraq reportedly suggested that it was time for Gabbard to publicly promote a plan to divide the country into three separate regions. “It’s time for TG to come up with this idea,” the memo quoted an unnamed person as saying.

A 2014 memo from SIF urged Gabbard to propose legislation penalising countries with citizens who had fought for the Islamic State, and to issue a statement about it. “Get it started in the morning,” the person wrote. “You need to be the leader in this regard. Don’t dick around.”

Interestingly, Gabbard issued a statement a day later. And a week later, even introduced legislation on it in the House.

In a document dated 2015, Gabbard was given talking points for an interview with CNN. The memo stated that she should say that being excluded from a Democratic presidential debate was not a “boo-hoo, I don’t get to go to the party” situation. Once again, Gabbard used these very words in her interview: “The issue here is not about me saying boo-hoo, I’m going to miss the party.”

https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/tulsi-gabbard-chris-butler-science-of-identity-foundation-cult-documents-influence-pressure-14024978.html

Hawaii and Sunil Khemeney:

Wall Street Journal
By Brett Forrest


Jan. 28, 2025 9:00 pm ET

To defend and burnish Tulsi Gabbard’s image as her political star was rising, her congressional campaign hired a public-affairs firm in 2017 that tried to suppress coverage of an alleged pyramid scheme connected to her Hindu sect, according to interviews, emails and Federal Election Commission records.

Gabbard, a former House member who is now President Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, was raised in the Science of Identity Foundation, a sect tied to a direct-marketing firm accused of running a pyramid scheme in several countries. Neither Gabbard, the sect nor the firm, QI Group, wanted the relationships scrutinized.

Gabbard’s campaign paid Washington, D.C.,-based Potomac Square Group for the PR cleanup, trying to mask the connections. But the operation was directed by a Science of Identity follower—and longtime Gabbard adviser—who sits on the board of a QI subsidiary.

The revelations shed further light on Gabbard’s ties to the religious group—publicly described by some former followers as a cult that demands total loyalty to its founder—and to the Hong Kong-based QI, which has been a target of criminal and civil cases alleging fraud and racketeering in at least seven countries.

Lawmakers have looked closely at Gabbard’s connections with Science of Identity and QI ahead of her confirmation hearing Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, according to people familiar with the matter. Gabbard’s ties raise questions about her judgment and loyalty, congressional staffers said.

https://similarworlds.com/politics/5214581-As-a-Rising-Political-Star-Gabbard-Paid-to-Mask-Her-Sects

And

https://www.hawaiifreepress.com/Articles-Main/ID/43104/WSJ-Hawaii-Down-to-Earth-Markets-Tied-to-Ponzi-Scheme

From:

https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/tulsi-gabbard-science-of-identity-qi-group-ed51c890

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Avoiding US tech dependency

Posted on June 20, 2026 by borderslynn

French security replaces Palantir with domestic firm ChapsVision, a complicated choice

Used since the 2015 terrorist attacks, the controversial American company’s data analysis software is set to be gradually replaced by that of a French provider. The long-awaited decision presents a significant technological challenge.

By Olivier PinaudPublished on June 17, 2026, at 3:04 pm (Paris) 

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2026/06/17/french-security-replaces-palantir-with-domestic-firm-chapsvision-a-complicated-choice_6754592_7.html

And in Germany:

German intelligence agency chooses French alternative over Palantir

Published: 14 May 2026

Last updated: 15 May 2026

https://cybernews.com/tech/germany-palantir-alternative/

Because Anthropic plug was pulled:

Trump ban on AI access to foreign users forces Anthropic to suspend models

Story by Mauricio Alencar

 • 1w

Trump's order for Anthropic to ban AI for foreigners has rattled tech.

Trump’s order for Anthropic to ban AI for foreigners has rattled tech.

President Trump has banned non-American nationals from accessing Anthropic’s newest AI model, forcing the company to suspend the model for all users.

According to the multi-billion dollar company, the US raised concerns over a “method of bypassing” the AI model, whereby users might be able to trick the bot for more nefarious purposes. 

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/trump-ban-on-ai-access-to-foreign-users-forces-anthropic-to-suspend-models/ar-AA25xyv2

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When the UK has to fund war: see what happened for the Great War

Posted on June 19, 2026 by borderslynn

We, the UK, are expected to suffer austerity yet again to fund a war. Researchers have put together an understanding of the desperate measures taken to fund their part in the Great War, which began in 1914.

Here is an extract from the piece:

This post contributes to our occasional series of guest posts by external researchers who have used the Bank of England’s archives for their work on subjects outside traditional central banking topics.

In August 1914, Britain was the world’s wealthiest country. Yet there was no guarantee that government would be able to harness that wealth for World War I. Effectively, Britain was forced into a ‘Battle for Capital’ simultaneous with its military efforts — with the efficacy of the latter dependent on the success of the former. Over 80% of the £7,280 million Britain borrowed from 1914 to 1919, was raised at home. New research shows that Britain’s desperate efforts to marshal its citizens’ capital for the purpose of war, while also struggling to direct wartime production, profits and labour, led to a sharp shift in the sources of its borrowings during the war and in the years after.

The shift in the sources of borrowed capital that was so critical to the outcome of the First World War mirror the profound changes inflicted by the conflict on the nation’s finances, its economy and society at large. New information about those changes comes from some of the hundreds of ledgers of War Loan investors who provided capital for war in the years 1914-1932. These ledgers have never been previously opened for research and thus offer, for the first time, a new insight into how modern Britain was shaped by that war. New research looks at a representative sample of investors 1914-32. These investors purchased two War Loan series, one launched in 1914 and the second in 1917. The sample includes investors purchasing the 1917 loan in secondary markets in the post-war years 1919-32. Representative samples of about 2000 investors from each wave have been analysed. 

Access to capital mattered to the outcome of the First World War because, ultimately it was a war of attrition with neither side able to defeat the other. The army able to outlast its enemy would dictate terms of surrender. That required the capital to buy not only arms and equipment but food for soldiers at the war front and civilians at home. Britain borrowed not only to finance its own efforts, it borrowed to support its allies. This included France, which had a large and deep, centuries-old capital market of its own. Of all purchases, historians conclude, food may have been most important. By autumn 1918, starvation undermined the will of German civilians to continue the war.

Britain’s first effort to raise war finance failed miserably; less than a third of the intended sum was raised, a fact kept hidden from the public for decades. That failure would hang over all other fund-raising efforts. While the slogan ‘Business as usual’ characterised Britain’s initial approach to war, the nation gradually abandoned successive long-embraced principles on free trade, taxation and laissez-faire capitalism. In autumn 1915, Britain sharply increased taxes, broadening the base for the lower middle classes and raising rates for the wealthier to draw in more capital. Increased taxation was also intended to act as a brake on private consumption that was driving inflation upwards.

By January 1917, Britain was so desperate for capital that the Chancellor, Andrew Bonar Law, in discussions with the nation’s financiers, threatened confiscation of bank and insurance company assets unless specified minimum amounts of capital were raised. For banks, the minimum was set at £620 million while for the insurers, the minimum was set at £100 million.

https://bankunderground.co.uk/2021/01/18/how-britain-paid-for-war-bond-holders-in-the-great-war-1914-32/

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Is Israel de-coupling from US or knowing it may soon be integrated with the Pentagon?

Posted on June 19, 2026 by borderslynn

I am reproducing a May 2026 Substack by Kareem Ahmed:

Read distraction-free on Substack

What Does Section 224 of the 2027 NDAA Actually Mean When It Talks About Integrating the U.S. and Israeli Militaries?

The language doesn’t create a single military force, but it does point toward deeper technological, industrial, and strategic integration.

May 30, 2026

What Does Section 224 of the 2027 NDAA Actually Mean When It Talks About Integrating the U.S. and Israeli Militaries?

Over the past several days, headlines and social media posts have circulated claiming that Congress is moving to “merge” the American and Israeli militaries through Section 224 of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The claim sounds extraordinary. It conjures images of a single military force, shared command structures, or Israeli officers directing American troops. That is not what the legislation does.

But dismissing the provision as routine cooperation would also miss what makes it significant.

Section 224 creates what lawmakers call a “United States–Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative.” According to the House Armed Services Committee’s summary of the bill, the provision would require the Secretary of Defense to designate an executive agent responsible for synchronizing cooperative efforts between the United States and Israel, including defense technology research, development, testing, evaluation, integration, and industrial cooperation.

In plain English, the proposal seeks to institutionalize and expand military cooperation beyond the areas where it already exists. The United States and Israel have long cooperated on missile-defense programs such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the Arrow system. What Section 224 would do is create a framework for much broader collaboration across emerging military technologies.

Supporters view this as a logical extension of an already close alliance. Israel possesses a highly advanced defense sector, while the United States remains the world’s largest military power. Advocates argue that deeper cooperation could accelerate innovation in fields such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber warfare, quantum computing, directed-energy weapons, and biotechnology.

Critics see something different. They argue that the legislation moves beyond traditional alliance management and toward the creation of a deeply integrated military-industrial ecosystem. Under this interpretation, the issue is not whether American and Israeli soldiers will literally become part of the same armed force. The concern is that research pipelines, weapons development programs, industrial production networks, and data-sharing arrangements could become increasingly intertwined.

That distinction matters.

Military “integration” in modern defense planning rarely means combining armies into a single organization. More often, it means ensuring that two militaries can share information, develop technology together, operate compatible systems, and coordinate planning with minimal friction. NATO itself functions through this kind of interoperability rather than through the creation of a single supranational military.

The language surrounding Section 224 suggests Congress is attempting to move the U.S.-Israel relationship further in that direction. The bill’s supporters describe it as technology cooperation. Critics describe it as military fusion. Both are describing the same underlying process from different political perspectives.

The larger question is not whether the United States and Israel are literally becoming one military. They are not.

The real question is whether Congress is creating a permanent institutional structure that makes the two countries’ defense sectors increasingly inseparable. If enacted in its current form, Section 224 would move U.S.-Israeli military cooperation beyond specific joint programs and toward a standing framework for technological, industrial, and strategic integration.

In conclusion, Section 224 does not authorize a merger of the U.S. and Israeli armed forces, nor does it establish a unified chain of command. What it does propose is a more formal and enduring mechanism for coordinating defense technology development and industrial collaboration. Whether viewed as a prudent strengthening of a longstanding alliance or as a step toward deeper strategic dependence, the provision represents a meaningful shift in how military cooperation between the two countries could be structured in the years ahead.

That is a significant development, even if it falls short of an actual military merger.

The debate, therefore, is not about whether American and Israeli armed forces will become a single military. The debate is about how closely linked the two countries’ military-industrial and technological futures should become—and whether that level of integration serves American national interests.

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By Kareem Ahmed · Launched 2 years ago

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Hacker reveals who Peter Thiel invites to his covert gatherings under his Dialog Society project

Posted on June 17, 2026 by borderslynn

This list might be of interest (may not be accurate) now it is out in the public domain. Seems a bit like Jeffrey Epstein’s networking with influential thinkers:

Leak exposes members of Peter Thiel’s secretive ‘dialog’ society

Posted  by shijie

Tags: politics.usa, usa, elitism, billionaires, peter thiel, security, technology, right wing, leaks, secrecy, author.dell cameron, author.yulia almazova, source.wired, paywall

Link information

This data is scraped automatically and may be incorrect.AuthorsDell CameronPublishedJun 16 2026Word count1465 words

12 comments

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  1. shijie(OP)LinkHackers discover a member list from a secret cabal of elites founded by Peter Thiel.
  2. Here’s the list according the hacker—-Immad Akhund, Founder & CEO, Mercury.
    Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, Founder, King Faisal Foundation. Fmr. Minister of Intelligence, Saudi Arabia.
    Reema Al-Saud, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the U.S.
    John Arnold, Co-Chair, Arnold Ventures. Fmr. Founder, Centaurus Advisors.
    Susan Athey, Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business. Fmr. Chief Economist, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice.
    Peter Attia, Physician, Attia Medical, Author, Outlive.
    Scott Belsky, Partner, A24 Films. Fmr. Chief Strategy Officer & Chief Product Officer, Adobe. Founder, Behance.
    Nicolas Berggruen, Founder & President, Berggruen Holdings.
    Scott Bessent, Secretary, U.S. Treasury.
    Preet Bharara, Fmr. U.S. Attorney, New York Southern District.
    Elizabeth Blackburn, Fmr. President, Salk Institute for Biomedical Studies. Nobel Prize winner.
    Sarah Bond, President of Xbox, Microsoft.
    Cory Booker, Senator (New Jersey), U.S. Senate.
    Rachel Brand, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary, Walmart. Fmr. Associate Attorney General, U.S Department of Justice.
    Scooter Braun, CEO, Hybe America. Founder, Ithaca Holdings.
    Pete Briger, Principal & Chairman of the Board, Fortress Investment Group.
    Greg Brockman, Co-Founder & President, OpenAI. Fmr. CTO, Stripe.
    Manuel Bronstein, Chief Product Officer, Roblox.
    Peter Brown, CEO, Renaissance Technologies.
    Thasunda Brown Duckett, President & CEO, TIAA.
    Sophia Bush, Actress, One Tree Hill.
    Mike Cannon-Brookes, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Atlassian.
    Cesar Carvalho, Co-Founder & CEO, Wellhub.
    Wences Casares, Founder & Fmr. CEO, Xapo Bank. Founder: Wanako Games, Banco Lemon, Lemon Wallet.
    Julian Castro, Fmr. Secretary, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
    Bob Cialdini, Author, Influence.
    Matt Clifford, Prime Minister’s Advisor on AI Opportunities, U.K. Government. Co-Founder, Entrepreneur First.
    Caroline Cochran, Co-Founder & COO, Oklo.
    Matt Cohler, Fmr. General Partner, Benchmark.
    Scott Cook, Co-Founder & Chairman, Intuit.
    Tyler Cowen, Professor of Economics & Director, Mercatus Center, George Mason University.
    Ted Cruz, Senator (Texas), U.S. Senate.
    Adam D’Angelo, Co-Founder & CEO, Quora. Fmr. CTO, Facebook.
    Mitch Daniels, Fmr. Governor, State of Indiana. Fmr. President, Purdue University.
    Dan Driscoll, Secretary, U.S. Army.
    Charles Duhigg, Author: The Power of Habit, Supercommunicators.
    Steve Ells, Founder & Fmr. CEO, Chipotle.
    Tim Ferriss, Author: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef. Host, The Tim Ferriss Show.
    Marcos Galperin, Co-Founder & CEO, MercadoLibre.
    Atul Gawande, Author: Being Mortal, The Checklist Manifesto. Fmr. Assistant Administrator for Global Health, USAID.
    Tom Goldstein, Partner, Goldstein & Russell. Founder & Fmr. Publisher, SCOTUSblog.com.
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Actor, 500 Days of Summer, Inception, Looper, Snowden.
    Adam Grant, Organizational Psychologist, Wharton School of Management. Author: Think Again, Originals, Give and Take.
    Severin Hacker, Co-Founder & CTO, Duolingo.
    Jonathan Haidt, Professor, Stern School of Business, NYU. Author: The Anxious Generation, The Righteous Mind, The Coddling of the American Mind.
    Peggy Hamburg, Fmr. Commissioner, U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
    Sam Harris, Podcast Host, Making Sense. Author: Free Will, Lying, Waking Up.
    Jim Himes, Congressman (Connecticut), U.S. House of Representatives.
    Auren Hoffman, CEO, NOB8. Chairman & Fmr. CEO, SafeGraph. Founder & Fmr. CEO, LiveRamp. Chairman, Dialog.
    Reid Hoffman, Partner, Greylock Partners. Co-Founder & Fmr. Executive Chairman, LinkedIn.
    Rob Hur, Fmr. Special Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice.
    Bob Jain, CIO, Millennium Management. Founder, Jain Family Institute.Bryan Johnson, Founder & CEO: Kernel, Blueprint.
    Kaja Kallas, Vice President, European Commission. Fmr. Prime Minister, Estonia.
    Gaurva Kapadia, Founder & CEO, XN.
    Karen Karniol-Tambour, Co-CIO, Bridgewater Associates.
    Garry Kasparov, Fmr. Member, Russian Opposition Movement’s Coordinating Council. Fmr. World Chess champion.
    Neal Katyal, Partner, Milbank. Fmr. Partner & Supreme Court Practice Leader, Hogan Lovells.
    Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Fmr. Prime Minister, Pakistan. Founder, Airblue.
    Ezra Klein, Opinion Columnist, The New York Times. Founder & Fmr. Editor-in-chief, Vox. Host, The Ezra Klein Show.
    Tarö Köno, Digital Minister, Japan. Fmr. Minister of Defense, Japan.
    Henry Kravis, Co-Founder, Co-Chairman & Co-CEO, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
    Jared Kushner, Founder, Affinity Partners.
    Jason Kwon, Chief Strategy Officer, OpenAI.
    Leonard Leo, Co-Chairman & Fmr. Executive Vice President, Federalist Society.
    Jon Levin, President, Stanford University.
    Howie Liu, Founder & CEO, Airtable.
    Joe Lonsdale, Founding Partner, 8VC. Co-Founder: Palantir, Addepar.
    Micky Malka, Founder & Managing Partner, Ribbit Capital.
    Stan McChrystal, Founder & CEO, McChrystal Group. Fmr. General, U.S. Army.
    Neal Mohan, CEO, YouTube.
    Lisa Monaco, Fmr. Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice.
    Wes Moore, Governor, State of Maryland.
    Elon Musk, Founder & CEO, SpaceX. Co-Founder & CEO, Tesla Motors.
    Demet Mutlu, Founder & CEO, Trendyol Group.
    Vas Narasimhan, CEO, Novartis.
    Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform.
    Mike Novogratz, CEO, Galaxy Digital. Fmr. CIO, Fortress Investment Group.
    Jim O’Neill, Nominee for Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Co-Founder, Thiel Fellowship.
    Chamath Palihapitiya, Founder & CEO, Social Capital LP. Co-Owner, Golden State Warriors.
    Benj Pasek, Songwriter & Producer: La La Land, The Greatest Showman, Dear Evan Hansen. Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony winner.
    Daniel Pink, Author: Drive, To Sell is Human, The Power of Regret. Fmr. Chief Speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore.
    Steven Pinker, Professor, Harvard University. Author: Enlightenment Now, The Better Angels of Our Nature.
    Jared Polis, Governor, State of Colorado.
    Jonathan Ross, Founder & CEO, Groq.
    Robert Rubin, Fmr. Secretary, U.S. Treasury. Fmr. Co-Chairman, Goldman Sachs.
    Gretchen Rubin, Host, Happier with Gretchen Rubin. Author: The Happiness Project, Better Than Before, The Four Tendencies.
    Sheikh Nawaf Saud Nasir Al-Sabah, CEO, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.
    Will Scharf, Co-Founder & CTO, Oscar Health.
    Mario Schlosser, Staff Secretary and Assistant to the President, U.S. White House.
    Eric Schmidt, Founder, Schmidt Futures. Fmr. CEO: Google, Alphabet.
    Dan Schulman, Fmr. President & CEO, PayPal.
    Drew Scott, Co-Founder, Scott Brothers Global. Co-Host, Property Brothers.
    Kim Scott, Author, Radical Candor.
    Pete Shadbolt, Founder & Chief Science Officer, PsiQuantum.
    Ali Siddiqui, Board Chair, OnZero. Fmr. Ambassador of Pakistan to the U.S.
    Barry Silbert, Founder & CEO, Digital Currency Group.
    Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America. Professor, Princeton. Fmr. Director of Policy Planning, U.S. Department of State.
    Charlie Songhurst, Board Director, Meta. Fmr. Head of Corporate Strategy, Microsoft.
    Jens Spahn, Member of Parliament, German Bundestag. Fmr. Federal Minister of Health, Germany.
    Scott Stephenson, Chairman, President & CEO, Verisk Analytics.
    Barry Sternlicht, Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, Starwood Capital Group.
    Bret Stephens, Opinion Columnist & Associate Editor, The New York Times. Pulitzer Prize winner.
    Lawrence Summers, Fmr. President, Harvard University. Fmr. Secretary, U.S. Treasury.Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots, X.
    Peter Thiel, Co-Founder: Founders Fund, Palantir, PayPal, Dialog.
    Nick Thompson, CEO, The Atlantic. Fmr. Editor-in-chief, Wired Magazine.
    John Townsend, Author, Boundaries.
    Tom Tugendhat, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom.
    Tim Urban, Writer & Illustrator, Wait But Why. Author, What’s Our Problem?
    Rick Warren, Author, The Purpose Driven Life. Podcast Host, Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope.
    Strauss Zelnick, Chairman & CEO, Take-Two Interactive Software.
    Shivon Zilis, Director, Neuralink.17 votes
    1. bkimmelLinkParentReal who’s who of Epstein-class pedolites there.7 votes
      1. GrennoLinkParentJoseph Gordon-Levitt is a surprise for me.7 votes
        1. unkzLinkParentI think he probably falls under the “entertainment” class of guests. This is an interesting article by someone else invited in that capacity (Noah Hawley who was invited to be a dancing monkey for Bezos).https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/05/billionaire-consequence-free-reality/686588/11 votes
        2. cutmetalLinkParentAlso:
          • Ezra Klein
          • Cory Booker
          • Wes Moore
          9 votes
          1. Gazook89LinkParentAtul Gawande stood out to me the most.2 votes
            1. DefinitelyNotAFaeLinkParentOne of the things that stood out with Epstein was his connections with academia and researchers – his money funded them (and bought them) and he collected people who interested him4 votes
          2. DefinitelyNotAFaeLinkParentThe thing is with these lists – not everyone on them is absolute evil. Some are unwitting guests of evil. Some are tempted by the “everyone who’s anyone will be there” thing. Some are curious but would never go back. Some miss the evil part entirely because they were invited because they’re famous or have the ability to introduce the evil guys to someone else further on. And some are secretly actually evil.A lot of people can talk themselves out of noticing evil shit for the sake of whatever “good” thing they think they can do by “taking advantage of the opportunity” (probably a lot more of us than we’d like to admit)Idk which JGL is. I’m not excusing him, but I’ll acknowledge that not everyone on a list like this is actively doing the evil things. (And plenty of folks will disagree with me about who in this list is the absolute evil the rest are consorting with anyway)8 votes
    2. DefinitelyNotAFaeLinkI feel like this saved us a future “files” situation. We know (a good number of) the people involved in engaging with the horrible influence peddlers this time.Thanks, hacker.9 votes
    3. moocow1452LinkNever in my life would I have figured that the illuminati is real, and there are two of them, and both of their roster leaks within a year of one another.3 votes
      1. TheRtRevKaiserLinkParentWhat was the other one?3 votes
        1. moocow1452LinkParentThe Epstein Island crowd. I’m assuming there might be a little overlap, but probably different stuff going on.2 votes

          

    I see Peter Attia is there:

    Until recently, Attia was known as a wellness influencer in the manosphere and a newly appointed contributor at CBS as part of the “Free Press to network TV” pipeline. He has a popular podcast and wrote the best-selling book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. But Attia is also all over the Epstein files—his name pops up more than 1,700 times in the Justice Department’s latest batch of documents. From 2015 to 2018, Epstein and Attia exchanged numerous emails. Many of them are mundane: Epstein writes to Attia about “a very strange vein like red pattern” on his stomach; he asks Attia what kind of probiotic he should use; there is talk of MRI scans of Epstein’s spine. But others are vile. In a June 2015 back-and-forth about cancer and longevity, Epstein muses that he’s not sure why “women live past reproductive age at all.” (CBS did not respond to a request for comment; the network is reportedly expected to drop Attia after last week’s revelation.)

    https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/02/peter-attia-epstein-files-wellness/685861/

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    Qatar, Iran, US relations

    Posted on June 17, 2026 by borderslynn

    Qatar and Iran share ownership of the largest gas field in the world.

    During Trump’s first term:

    The Iranian Funds Frozen in Qatar

    21/02/2025

    Leaders meeting in Iran discussing international relations.

    The Geopolitical Context of Iran’s Frozen Funds

    In the wake of escalating tensions in the Middle East, the issue of Iran’s frozen financial assets has re-emerged as a focal point of geopolitical maneuvering. At the heart of this controversy is approximately $6 billion of Iranian oil revenues that were transferred to Qatar following a U.S.-brokered prisoner exchange agreement in September 2023. Originally intended for humanitarian purposes—such as food, medicine, and essential supplies—these funds were effectively placed under strict oversight to prevent misuse. However, following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in Israel, the United States and Qatar reimposed restrictions, blocking Iran from accessing the funds due to mounting concerns that Tehran would redirect them to finance its vast terror network.

    The recent meeting between Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, underscores the high stakes of this financial impasse. Iran, desperate for economic relief amid intensifying sanctions and military defeats, is pressuring Qatar to release the money. This confrontation is not merely about frozen assets but is emblematic of a broader struggle between Iran’s regional ambitions and the Western-led efforts to contain its influence. The fate of these billions will likely have profound implications—not just for Tehran’s ability to sustain its terror operations but also for the security and stability of the Middle East at large.

    Sanctions, Pressure, and the U.S. Withdrawal from the JCPOA

    The origins of Iran’s financial predicament can be traced back to 2018, when the Trump administration withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and reinstated maximum pressure sanctions against Tehran. One of the most significant consequences of this policy was the freezing of Iranian oil revenues held in foreign banks—especially in South Korea, where roughly $6 billion in Iranian oil earnings became inaccessible to Tehran due to banking restrictions tied to U.S. sanctions. This move was part of Washington’s broader strategy to cripple Iran’s economy, limit its ability to fund terror groups, and force the regime back to the negotiating table on nuclear and regional security issues.

    https://middleeast.observer/analysis/the-iranian-funds-frozen-in-qatar/

    After the US-Israeli illegal war in Iran, Pakistan have worked toward brokering a cease fire. Now Qatar is taking up the final stage of the Memorandum of Understanding, helping Trump with an off-ramp process.

    Look at the headlines for investors in crypto currencies:

    Qatar mediates US-Iran agreement after weeks of negotiations, crypto markets react

    The deal covers everything from the Strait of Hormuz to frozen Iranian assets, while US sanctions on Iran’s largest crypto exchange add a wrinkle for digital asset markets.

    Share

    by Editorial Team

    Jun. 16, 2026

    Qatar has brokered an agreement between the US and Iran after weeks of intensive diplomacy. The implications extend beyond traditional foreign policy, with crypto markets already pricing in the de-escalation.

    Qatari mediators arrived in Tehran on June 14 for intensive negotiations aimed at bridging the remaining gaps between Washington and Tehran. The result is a proposed agreement that covers reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz, addressing nuclear concerns, and facilitating the release of Iranian frozen assets estimated between $12 billion and $25 billion.

    What’s in the deal

    The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important chokepoints in global energy markets. Roughly a fifth of the world’s petroleum passes through it on any given day.

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    The agreement also includes an extension of a ceasefire and provisions related to Iran’s nuclear program. Pakistan has joined Qatar in the mediation efforts, building on preliminary discussions that began in 2025.

    A formal or electronic signing of the agreement is expected around June 2026, likely in Geneva.

    Crypto markets are paying attention

    Bitcoin climbed to around $64,000 to $65,000 as progress in the negotiations became public.

    Even as diplomatic channels opened wider, Washington sanctioned Nobitex, Iran’s largest digital asset exchange. The US has also seized approximately $1 billion in Iranian-linked digital assets.

    The sanctions angle matters more than you think

    The seizure of $1 billion in Iranian-linked digital assets and the sanctions on Nobitex signal that even as broader geopolitical tensions ease, the US intends to maintain its grip on Iranian crypto infrastructure. Targeting a foreign exchange platform as part of a broader diplomatic strategy sets a precedent for how governments can weaponize crypto-specific sanctions as a negotiating tool rather than just a punitive measure.

    Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

    Trump asserts Iran accord prevents nuclear weapon development

    Trump asserts Iran accord prevents nuclear weapon development

    The interim Iran accord may stabilize geopolitical tensions, impacting global markets and potentially reshaping future nuclear diplomacy dynamics.

    Share

    by Editorial Team

    16 hours ago

    President Donald Trump declared on June 15 that a newly signed interim agreement with Iran includes commitments from Tehran to refrain from developing nuclear weapons. The framework accord, which also reopens the Strait of Hormuz and lifts a US naval blockade, triggered an immediate rally across risk assets, with Bitcoin and Ethereum among the beneficiaries.

    The deal was effectively signed by Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. It establishes a 60-day negotiation window focused specifically on nuclear issues, meaning the hard details are still ahead.

    What the deal actually says, and what it doesn’t

    Iran has consistently maintained it does not seek nuclear weapons. The new framework essentially puts that claim in writing, which Trump is treating as a meaningful concession.

    The previous major nuclear agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed in 2015 and included detailed provisions on uranium enrichment limits, centrifuge operations, and international inspections. Trump pulled the US out of that deal in 2018, calling it “the worst deal ever.” The new interim framework has yet to approach that level of specificity.

    The geopolitical backdrop

    This announcement didn’t materialize from calm waters. The period spanning 2025 and early 2026 was marked by escalating tensions between the US and Iran, including military strikes and a series of temporary ceasefires that ultimately failed to hold.

    The US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints, had been a particularly aggressive lever. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s petroleum passes through that narrow waterway on any given day, so its closure had ripple effects well beyond the Middle East.

    The 60-day negotiation clock starts now, meaning markets will be watching for progress, or lack thereof, through mid-August. That’s a tight timeline for what is essentially the most consequential arms control discussion since the JCPOA itself. The JCPOA negotiations spanned roughly two years of intensive diplomacy involving multiple world powers.

    Why crypto markets are reacting

    Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Dogecoin all posted gains in the immediate aftermath. When geopolitical uncertainty decreases, investors become more willing to move capital into higher-risk, higher-reward assets.

    Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

    Trump to send Iran deal to Congress as Bitcoin surges past $66K on peace optimism

    Trump to send Iran deal to Congress as Bitcoin surges past $66K on peace optimism

    The potential US-Iran peace deal could stabilize global markets, impacting oil prices and reshaping crypto regulations amid sanctions changes.

    by Editorial Team

    16 hours ago

    President Trump announced on Tuesday that he plans to submit the framework agreement aimed at ending the US-Iran war to Congress for approval. The move, disclosed during a bilateral meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, sets the stage for what could be one of the most consequential geopolitical shifts in years, and crypto markets are reacting accordingly.

    Bitcoin jumped over 3% to climb above $66,000 following the announcement. It wasn’t alone. XRP surged roughly 8.8%, Ethereum gained about 6.6%, and Solana rose approximately 7.5%, as traders rushed into risk assets on the expectation that a peace deal would stabilize one of the world’s most volatile regions.

    What the deal actually looks like

    The agreement centers on an immediate cessation of hostilities between the US and Iran, with nuclear discussions set to follow over a 60-day negotiation window. A signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding is planned for June 19-20 in Geneva.

    Trump’s decision to route the deal through Congress aligns with the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, known as INARA, which mandates legislative oversight for any nuclear-related agreements with Tehran. When asked by a reporter whether he’d send it to Congress, Trump replied simply: “I wouldn’t mind.”

    This isn’t a rehash of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Obama-era nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from in 2018. That agreement traded sanctions relief for nuclear compliance. The current framework flips the priority order: stop the war first, then talk about enrichment. Core negotiations reportedly began after 2024 and accelerated amid conflicts earlier in 2026.

    Why crypto cares about an Iran deal

    The Strait of Hormuz is responsible for roughly a fifth of global oil transit. Oil prices reflected the announcement immediately. WTI crude dropped an estimated 4-5% on the news, as markets began pricing in the potential reopening of stable trade routes through the strait.

    What this means for investors

    Congressional approval is not a formality. INARA gives lawmakers a review window during which they can potentially block or modify the terms of any nuclear-related agreement. The 60-day nuclear discussion period that follows the MOU signing also introduces a long tail of uncertainty.

    One underappreciated angle: the deal’s potential impact on sanctions infrastructure. Iran has been one of the most heavily sanctioned nations on earth, and its citizens have historically turned to crypto to move value across borders. Any loosening of the sanctions regime as part of nuclear discussions could reshape how regulators think about compliance requirements for exchanges and DeFi protocols that interact with Iranian wallets.

    Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

    https://cryptobriefing.com/qatar-mediates-us-iran-agreement-crypto-impact/

    And in September 2025, Saudi and Pakistan sign Defence Pact:

    Saudi Arabia signs mutual defence pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan

    Pact declares any attack on Saudi Arabia or Pakistan an attack on both, deepening shared security alliance.

    Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embrace each other on the day they sign a defence agreement
    Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embrace each other on the day they sign a defence agreement, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 17, 2025 [Saudi Press Agency/Handout via Reuters]

    By Usaid Siddiqui and Reuters

    Published On 17 Sep 2025

    Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have signed a formal mutual defence pact, state media from both countries said, in a move that significantly strengthens a decades-long security partnership.

    “This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both,” a joint statement published on Wednesday said, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

    Recommended Stories

    list of 4 items

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/17/saudi-arabia-signs-mutual-defence-pact-with-nuclear-armed-pakistan

    Posted in anthropocene | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

    From Viktor in Kyiv

    Posted on June 16, 2026 by borderslynn

    I am reproducing the personal experience of Viktor Kravchuk, Ukraine, Substack:

    They Tried to Burn a Thousand Years

    Viktor Kravchuk

    Jun 16READ IN APP

    You have seen these golden domes before.

    You have seen them here, in this journal, more times than I can count.

    When I needed a way to show you Kyiv, I reached for them. When I needed an image for home, I reached for them again.

    By now, you know them the way you know a street near your own house.

    In Orthodox Christianity, a lavra is one of the highest names a monastery can carry. It is given to places that have lived long enough to become more than stone.

    The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra has stood above the Dnipro River for almost a thousand years.

    It was here when Moscow was still forest.

    Last night, a Russian drone struck the roof of its cathedral and set it on fire.

    This cathedral was destroyed once before, during the Second World War. Ukraine built it again. Last night, Russia came for it once more.

    It was my city burning, the oldest part of it on fire in the dark. Flames between the domes. Smoke rising over a place where people have prayed for centuries.

    I felt sick before I had words for it.

    This place belongs to more than me. It belongs to more than Ukraine. The world itself named it a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a treasure that belongs to all of humanity, including people who will never set foot here.

    When a place like this burns, the loss does not stop at our border, because Russia decided to burn something that belongs to all of us.

    Russia, as usual, says it did not do this. Their ministry claims that one of our own missiles fell there by accident.

    Our own missiles, of course.

    The fragments on the ground say, surprise, a Russian drone.

    Photo: Ukraine’s Security Service has identified the drone that struck Kyiv Pechersk Lavra during Russia’s overnight attack on Kyiv on June 15 as a Geran-2, the Russian version of the Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drone.

    Their own propagandists used to swear on television that Kyiv’s holy places were untouchable. They said no one in Moscow would ever give the order to strike the Lavra.

    The order was given.

    This was not for a warehouse of weapons. There is no arsenal under those domes, and they know it.

    There was no battlefield under those domes. Only prayer, stone, memory, and the old stubborn proof that Ukraine was here.

    They aimed at the Lavra because they wanted us to feel that nothing we love is out of their reach.

    They wanted the world to see that a thread running back a thousand years could be burned in a single night.

    This is the place many of you told me you would come and see when the war is over.

    They aimed at that.

    The same night, in Kharkiv, Russia struck a building. When rescuers came to put out the fire, Russia struck the same place again. Five people there were killed, including those who had come to save others.

    Eleven people across Ukraine did not see the morning.

    The cathedral can be rebuilt.

    They cannot.

    This is why we mourn the people first. Always. The fathers, sons, friends, colleagues, the hands that ran toward fire because that was their duty.

    Then, we mourn the places that hold our country’s memory.

    By morning, people were carrying the old icons out through the smoke by hand. Things that cannot be reprinted or ordered again.

    Things that survived centuries of madness, and survived once more because someone walked into the damage and carried them out.

    UNESCO recognized this place as part of the world’s inheritance. A jewel of history with no equal on Earth.

    Russia treated it as something to burn.

    If a thousand years can burn inside a World Heritage site in Kyiv, it can burn anywhere.

    World Heritage means a place belongs to all of us because humanity would not fully recognize itself without it.

    It was yours before it burned.

    It is yours now that it must be defended.

    —Viktor

    🇺🇦

    There’s no team here. Just me, in Ukraine, four years in. I keep this open to everyone and always will. Paid subscribers are the guardians who keep it that way. Stand with them, or read for free, you belong here either way.

    If you are new here, welcome. Start here.

    Freedom Line by Viktor Kravchuk 🇺🇦🇺🇸

    Minneapolis Is Not Far From Kyiv

    Minneapolis…

    Read more

    5 months ago · 633 likes · 100 comments · Viktor Kravchuk

    Книги Любові та Віктора Кравчуків

    If you enjoyed reading this post, feel free to share it with friends!

    Share Viktor Kravchuk 🇺🇦LikeCommentRestack

    © 2026 Viktor Kravchuk
    Ukraine
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    See the World War II German encirclement of the Red Army in Kiev:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kiev_(1941)

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    Orthodox Dormition Monastery struck by Shaheed drone sent by Russia

    Posted on June 15, 2026 by borderslynn

    Russia Blames ‘Expired’ US Patriot Missile for Strike on Kyiv Landmark Cathedral – Despite Shahed Debris at Site

    In brief: Russia denied striking Kyiv’s UNESCO-listed Lavra after the monastery complex caught fire during a massive attack involving 70 missiles and 611 drones. Moscow blamed a malfunctioning US Patriot missile, while Zelensky urged G7 leaders to respond decisively and strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses.

    by Kyiv Post | June 15, 2026, 11:49 am

    Russia Blames ‘Expired’ US Patriot Missile for Strike on Kyiv Landmark Cathedral – Despite Shahed Debris at Site

    Ukrainian firefighters work at the roof of the damaged Dormition Cathedral in the Orthodox complex of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra following a Russian missile and drone strike in Kyiv on June 15, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Serhii Okunev / AFP)

    Russia on Monday denied targeting a landmark cathedral in Kyiv during an overnight barrage on the Ukrainian capital, instead claiming the UNESCO-protected site was hit by a US-made Patriot air defense missile.

    In a statement following the overnight strike, the Russian defense ministry claimed that the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra complex was struck not by Russian weapons, but by a US-supplied interceptor missile that “malfunctioned” during the attack.

    “According to confirmed reports, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra complex was hit by a missile from an American Patriot anti-aircraft missile system. One of the reasons for the system’s malfunction could have been that Western countries supplied the Kyiv regime with expired missiles,” the ministry said.

    Those claims were debunked before the ministry statement even came out. According to the Guardian, reporting from the site: “Outside the Perchersk-Lavra complex on Monday morning a group of state security officers stood over the remains of two Shahed drones at the site, contradicting the Russian claim.”

    Dating back to the 11th century, the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (or “cave monastery”) is considered one of the most sacred religious sites in Ukraine. The UNESCO-recognized site is owned by the Ukrainian government as a national reserve, and much of it has long been open to the public.

    Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has called the strikes deliberate attacks on humanity’s shared cultural heritage and urged the use of international accountability mechanisms, including UNESCO procedures.

    Before Attack

    After attack

    See one of my earlier blogs about the weaponisation of religion in Ukrane:

    https://borderslynn.com/2026/01/01/ukraine-disinformation-using-religious-influence/

    Posted in anthropocene | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

    About-face: from hawks to paying protection money

    Posted on June 14, 2026 by borderslynn

    UAE paid Iran billions of dollars to halt strikes: Report

    IRGC officials stayed at the UAE national security advisor’s guest house last week to cut a de-escalation deal.

    The UAE paid Iran billions of dollars in return for a halt to attacks on the country in an about-face for the Gulf state that staked out the most hawkish position on Iran, lobbying the US to continue waging war on the Islamic Republic, Reuters reported on Friday.

    The UAE has already delivered $3bn to Iran as part of the agreement, which two regional sources said reached as high as $10bn. Two other sources told Reuters that the UAE would eventually pay Iran $20bn.

    The report reflects a stunning turn of events for Abu Dhabi and an indicator that Iran has emerged stronger from the war.

    The UAE joined the US and Israel in conducting dozens of strikes on Iran during the war. It also tried to prevent Pakistan from mediating an end to the conflict.

    Saudi Arabia had to supply a fresh loan to Islamabad after the UAE called in its debt obligations as punishment for hosting talks.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a wartime visit to the UAE, according to Israeli authorities. Israel and the UAE then sealed a deal to develop a joint defence acquisition fund, Middle East Eye revealed.

    Last week, the UAE hosted members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for a meeting with Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser and deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi.

    The IRGC officials, who are sanctioned by the US, stayed at Tahnoun’s guest house.

    The UAE also dispatched diplomats to engage in face-to-face talks with senior Iranian officials this week to de-escalate tensions, Bloomberg reported.

    A Gulf diplomat told MEE their government believed the meeting was held in Tehran as part of an effort to ensure the UAE wasn’t attacked.

    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uae-paid-iran-billions-dollars-halt-strikes-report

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    A perspective on cage fighters as staged for Trump celebration

    Posted on June 14, 2026 by borderslynn

    Robert Reich on Substack, opinion, reproduced here:

    Sunday Thought: The Horrifying Truth About Trump’s Cage Match

    What Trump and his “manosphere” are trying to tell us with their public displays of testosterone

    Robert Reich

    Jun 14READ IN APP

    Friends,

    Tonight, Trump is throwing an 80th birthday bash for himself (he says it’s in honor of the 250th birthday of the United States) with a “Freedom250” Ultimate Fighting Championship cage match on the South Lawn of the White House at 8 p.m. ET.

    It will be a bloody gladiator fight taking place inside a 600-ton, 154-feet-tall skeletal structure called “the Claw,” painted red, white and blue. Opponents will punch, kick, wrestle, choke, and use jiu-jitsu on each other until one of them is unconscious or verbally concedes, or a referee stops the fight because one is judged too damaged to absorb any more violence.

    This is a money-making operation for the UFC (which is offering special-access VIP packages for $1.5 million), for Trump buddy David Ellison’s Paramount (which will livestream it to you if you buy a subscription for $8.99 a month — see here), for Crypto.com and Ram (which are sponsoring it), and for Trump (who’s deciding which of his billionaire friends and CEO buddies will be invited ringside. Last night, Trump held a $1 million-a-person dinner at the Trump National Golf Club at Potomac, Virginia, to benefit his Super PAC, Maga Inc.).

    Beyond the usual Trumpian issues of self-dealing and pay-to-play corruption, today’s fight also raises the question: What does a cage match on the White House lawn have to do with America’s 250th anniversary?

    Just this: Trump and his regime are seeking to project an America that’s like the winner of a cage match.

    Trump sees everything and everyone in terms of dominance or submission, and he’s hellbent on dominance. “You’ll never take back our country with weakness, you have to show strength and you have to be strong,” he told his supporters on January 6, 2021, before urging them to go the Capitol.

    He views America as locked in a zero-sum match with the rest of the world, and there’s no limit to our violence. Unless Iran opened the Strait of Hormuz, he memorably said, “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”

    Trump’s entire “manosphere” is obsessed with force and violence. His secretary of “war,” Pete Hegseth, threatens “no quarter, no mercy for our enemies” and “maximum violence to the enemy.” When told some fishermen survived the American bombing of their boat, Hegseth reportedly ordered his commander to “kill them all.”

    Trump’s secretary of health and human services frequently posts shirtless workout videos in which he’s lifting weights alongside figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kid Rock. He claims Trump has “the highest testosterone level” ever seen in an individual over 70 years old.

    Trump’s whole circle — including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and JD Vance — glorify male prowess and power. (In a Twitter exchange a few years ago, Musk said he was “up for a cage fight” with Zuckerberg, who replied: “Send me location,” eliciting from Musk: “Vegas Octagon,” and the suggestion that podcaster Joe Rogan referee.) Musk and Vance champion pronatalism — the belief that the single greatest threat to Western civilization is collapsing birth rates — and argue that Western women must have more children.

    Much of the Republican Party is likewise focusing on male virility. Texas Republican senatorial candidate Ken Paxton calls the Democratic candidate “low-T Talarico.”

    Part of this comes directly from the fascist playbook, organized around a “strongman” touting male dominance. In that playbook, war and violence are thought means of strengthening society by culling the weak and extolling heroic warriors.

    I suspect many Americans find Trump’s neofascist “strongman” attractive because they feel powerless in a society that’s left them behind. The cage match and similar public displays of aggression enable them to feel vicariously powerful.

    Young men in particular — who make up a disproportionate share of Trump’s base — have been economically emasculated. Most lack college degrees at a time when such a degree is necessary (although hardly sufficient) for a decent job, and when some 60 percent of university undergraduates and 67 percent of graduate students are female.

    In this way, cage matches darkly echo “The Full Monty,” the 1997 British comedy about unemployed steelworkers in Sheffield, England, who form a male striptease act to make quick cash.

    But the cage match today on the White House lawn is no laughing matter. It’s deadly serious and deeply troubling.

    When so many Americans are struggling to make ends meet, Trump’s gladiator fight suggests that the essence of the nation on its 250th birthday isn’t the democratic ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution, nor is it the pull-yourself-up-from-the-bootstraps ambition that’s driven our economy, but zero-sum violence and male aggression.

    What do you think?

    © 2026 Robert Reich
    548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104
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    Posted in anthropocene | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment