141: Why Western ideas crash and burn in the Middle East, with Simon Sebag Montefiore

In 1938/9, the British rejected two states in Palestine, instead proposing a single state, putting strict limits on Jewish immigration, and restrictions on land sales from Arabs to Jews. The Palestinian Arab leadership rejected it because they wanted immediate independence and the complete and immediate cessation of all Jewish Immigration. So, the Arabs living in Palestine, were offered a single Arab majority state with strict limits of Jewish immigration, and still rejected it. It’s possible they rejected it because, influenced by both Nazi ideology and Islamism, they wanted the Jews eliminated from the land, so the British offer wasn’t good enough.

From the end of WWII to today, elites in some Middle Eastern states reluctantly support dictatorships because the other options that would likely take over if not for the dictatorships are Islamists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiIvGICLla8

Trump Admits To War Crimes During UN Speech | Command Post

The guy Hegseth/Trump have in charge of the new tests for military officer promotion doesn’t have the basic experience to know how to judge competence at high officer levels. When speaking about the current process, he says things that are just wrong.

The historical example Hegseth cites as what inspired him was an exercise to test maneuver and communications capability, not as a test for promotions. It was only used to evaluate commanders as a secondary element.

A lot of the things Hegseth says is needed to evaluate high level officers, are already done…he talks as if he is not aware of this. Is he ignorant, or/and is the point to these tests something else?

In justifying the new policy, multiple things Hegseth said about US military history was inaccurate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIl1AF8yZ0I

Hamas Rejects Historic UN Resolution While Israel Worries About Hidden Dangers | Einat Wilf Analysis

The reason the two-state solution always fails is because Palestinians don’t want to live next to an Israeli state.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFIOk676KGc

Trump’s WILD Address to the United Nations and His U-Turn on Ukraine

Trump defines him ending a war as a war or conflict ending or having a cease fire if the U.S. was involved in some way, even if Trump’s involvement had no impact on the outcome or if the participants say that Trump’s involvement wasn’t important.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otQ1hXjKRxs

U.N. Report Blames Israel and Capitalism for the Conflict in Gaza

“The report includes no mentions of Hamas’ attacks or hostages.”

https://reason.com/2025/07/14/u-n-report-blames-israel-and-capitalism-for-the-conflict-in-gaza/

UN Aid Chief In THERAPY After Gaza Visit

Not enough aid is reaching Gazans. A record number of UN employees have died trying to get aid to Gazans. What is Israel’s goal here? Why won’t Hamas surrender?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG3SuQhJPP0

U.N. Plastics Treaty Talks Collapse

“only about 4 percent of plastic wastes are currently mismanaged in the United States. That figure rises to an average of 6 percent for developed countries.
Poorer countries are doing much worse: The figures for mismanaged wastes in China, India, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa are 27, 46, 42, and 64 percent, respectively. These same regions are responsible for the bulk of the plastic wastes flowing down their rivers into the oceans”

…

“There are two strategies for tackling such environmental open access tragedies: privatization or regulation. In the rich countries like the United States, most wastes, including plastics, are picked up and disposed by public or commercial garbage haulers in the $91 billion waste management industry. Most Americans take responsibility for their wastes by paying local taxes or fees to bury them in landfills, burn them, or recycle them. As a result, relatively little plastic from the U.S. ends up in the oceans. Bans on plastic bags and water bottles in this country are largely instances of symbolic moral preening.”

https://reason.com/2024/12/06/u-n-plastics-treaty-talks-collapse/

UN officials plan to charm Stefanik

“Stefanik is a onetime moderate Republican who has transformed herself into a pro-Trump loyalist. She stood up for Trump relentlessly when he faced impeachment.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/11/un-officials-charm-stefanik-trump-00188868

Why did Bush invade Iraq?–Video Sources

Rationale for the Iraq War Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationale_for_the_Iraq_War Why did Bush go to war in Iraq? Ashan Butt. 2019 3 20. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2019/3/20/why-did-bush-go-to-war-in-iraq Why did the United States Invade Iraq in 2003? Ashan Butt. 2019. Security Studies. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/89641191/09636412.2019.155156720220814-1-uz8wfd-libre.pdf?1660496228=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DWhy_did_the_United_States_Invade_Iraq_in.pdf&Expires=1693797172&Signature=BfD8JRrPuARntWjOy87ELopJBqw6XpZOTSgqNcTcXRzsMj2VGJ5GF3UzLDQLBkNH10u8BbyyYP68FPIRlEUoGBmNy8DU5Vj59NgDkusa2DNN44CQ1~9wFiQuD~8uv-utf5NLDliM0GYyDZ8r3mjYxyDUYnVAcq3KGMLzoJY-NcDlPAy65sWcMH05fVfkmCtnsSiSkC-~2bwkl8vmJ8UT0ATyC10SxHlSu6YAMKCQjOUODnK2lXq~EKGejeNg2y4R33rhlVzzUMGbl97JJ6B7Pb5TfTNC7q2AycwInP8V7qTg4hFBQaJU0gk-LMOAqxW2GkDp09Uu-FGGsYyEy1w5Ng__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA The Idea of an