Author: Christian Twiste

If Tony Soprano’s “remember when” is the lowest form of conversation, “if then” is the lowest form of political prognostication

Christian Twiste2 Comments
U.S. Capitol building at sunset reflected inside a glass snow globe on a wooden base.

While there’s nothing wrong with indulging in a little fantasy, political prognostication is supposed to be more than mental masturbation, and the same as a sane person wouldn’t consider retirement scenarios that included suddenly being as wealthy as Elon Musk, we shouldn’t consider fantastical outcomes as a basis for rational discussion.  Tony Soprano once claimed… Continue reading If Tony Soprano’s “remember when” is the lowest form of conversation, “if then” is the lowest form of political prognostication

Trump, Iran, and the art of the impossible deal

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Peace symbol made of cracked stone with glowing fiery cracks

The ceasefire is shaky, but we know this: After what everyone said wouldn’t happen, magically happened, they still concluded that what happened was bad, all without missing a beat. It’s impossible to capture the insanity that President Donald Trump’s detractors attempted to pass off as wisdom over the past five weeks in a single post,… Continue reading Trump, Iran, and the art of the impossible deal

I am a farmer ant and I grow my own food better than you ever could

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Ant carrying a green leaf on soil surface

A colony like mine can reach almost 6,500 square feet, about the size of a luxury home with five bedrooms.  The mound of fungus we farm can rise a foot high, nestled inside with thousands upon thousands of workers tending to it.  I am a farmer ant, technically known as an Attini, or fungus-grower.  I… Continue reading I am a farmer ant and I grow my own food better than you ever could

The Orange Man is so bad, progressives can’t even celebrate the daring rescue of a soldier behind enemy lines

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Eight fighter jets flying in formation over desert dunes at sunset

In an ideal world, I would prefer a media that was honest and objective, an opposition that was principled and reasonable, and detractors who could criticize without outright fantasizing. Last Friday, the situation for two US airmen in Iran was dire after their F-15E fighter jet was shot down deep in enemy territory, setting off… Continue reading The Orange Man is so bad, progressives can’t even celebrate the daring rescue of a soldier behind enemy lines

NATO just turned 77, but is it going down in the Strait of Hormuz?

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Chessboard with France, Russia, and China flags on pieces; plaque reads FRANCE-RUSSIA-CHINA ALLIANCE.

As France joins forces with Russia and China at the United Nations, and makes a deal with Iran, supporters of the NATO alliance argue that it is a purely defensive affair. In that case, what purpose does it serve in the modern world? In one of the ironies that seem to increasingly define the modern… Continue reading NATO just turned 77, but is it going down in the Strait of Hormuz?

The MAGA split over Iran is real for now, but not necessarily forever

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New York City skyline viewed through a spiderweb pattern of cracked glass.

Some might insist the media has been wrong time and time again, there’s no risk of a permanent break happening now.  To me at least, that is a misguided perspective.  Because something hasn’t happened, does not mean it will not happen. While some prefer to cling to nonsensical polls insisting 100% of President Donald Trump’s… Continue reading The MAGA split over Iran is real for now, but not necessarily forever

Iran: Honest questions without answers and why I remain optimistic anyway

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Country road at sunrise with a fork leading into misty hills and trees.

To hear detractors tell it, we are badly losing a miscalculated enterprise from the start, facing incredibly limited options with no plan to speak of. Needless to say, supporters disagree and the truth is likely in between. As the world reels from a now unprecedented spike in oil prices (March was the largest single month… Continue reading Iran: Honest questions without answers and why I remain optimistic anyway

Reminder: The media and the experts always predict disaster when Trump is involved

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U.S. Capitol building under a dark sky with a tornado, lightning, and heavy rain.

In his second term alone, there have been panicked freakouts about his plans to trim the size of government, tariffs, other taxes, military strikes, and more.  While this time might be different, I wouldn’t bet against the President. While I have no special ability to foresee the future and am well aware that past results… Continue reading Reminder: The media and the experts always predict disaster when Trump is involved

While much of the world is kicking and screaming, Trump is almost singlehandedly dragging us into the future

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Trump Future

It certainly isn’t pretty at times, but beyond death and taxes, there have been two certainties throughout my life, the Middle East was a strange and scary place from which terrorists launched attacks and communism was a creeping, insidious threat. Trump is finally addressing them both. At the risk of dating myself, I was born… Continue reading While much of the world is kicking and screaming, Trump is almost singlehandedly dragging us into the future

Iran: A crucial lesson from Lord of the Rings

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Lord of the Rings

Given the choice between pursuing wholesale regime change or making a deal that can be improved in the future, I’d take my chances with the deal and hope that like Sauron in Lord of the Rings, Iran’s evil can be diminished such that it will never rise again even if it can’t be destroyed. “For… Continue reading Iran: A crucial lesson from Lord of the Rings