22 Comments
User's avatar
JennyStokes's avatar

Americans. It is YOU who have destroyed my earth.

You did not give a fuck about how many people you killed in your never-ending wars in the name of Democracy which you never had.

A Country built on 'greed' and 'money.'

Do Amerikans know that Iran has: the equivelent of Social Security/help for the poor and hungry/and brilliant Scientists who could probably wipe out Cancer.

BUT: Uneducated WHITE people in the West cannot deal with 'brown' people being better.

Come on all you uneducated people in the US: Tell me what you know about PERSIA?

OH; Why is she speaking about Persia?

Persia/Iran.

Davy Ro's avatar

Your comment is right in many ways, but I believe it's fir the wrong audience on Substack & especially readers of Julian articles. Who tend to be pretty well educated. Both geopoliticaly & in general. Iranians or Persians if you prefer are Aryan. Not that skin colour or race matters. To those with a decent education & an open mind without prejudice. I'm sure the vast majority here are well aware of American & it's Israeli attack dogs war crimes. It is a staggering fact the vast majority of Americans. Are only cared about their gas prices & aren't interested what their government, do on a World stage. Their society has been shaped that way culminating, in the most ignorant & arrogant President in the World today. Easily manipulated easily controlled by the dark forces in the background.

Marvin Gardens2's avatar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhi8Zmoy0wI

David Gilmour In Concert (Hammersmith Odeon, 30 April 1984)

There's no way out of here

Julian Macfarlane's avatar

I wasn't thinking about the song. "No way out" is a common idiom in English.

Motley Motson's avatar

Good guitar player , politically a complete moron

Marvin Gardens2's avatar

Ironically, the man [edit: DAVID GILMOUR!] who wrote "On the Turning Away" did exactly that when it came to the Gazans.

Maybe he's learned since.

Lux Aeterna's avatar

David Gilmour might be a good guitar player, but as a human being he totally sucks!

JennyStokes's avatar

IF you know anything about Pink Floyd.......why ae you talking about David Gilmour and NOT Roger Waters?

The Alarmist's avatar

Because Roger Waters, talented as he is, has the wrong socio-political views, therefore he must not be spoken about by name.

Marvin Gardens2's avatar

Julian posts an article w "no way out" in title

So I post a great song by David Gilmour (w "no way out" in title).

Someone comments about his political ignorance.

I concur - with an example.

I've been listening to Floyd since 1965 [edit: make that 1969!]

What are you on about ? :-)

JennyStokes's avatar

WHO made Pink Floyd great........it was NOT Peter Gilmour!

Cassandra Occupy's avatar

Thank you again Julian. I used 'Pulling her hair' in my communications with GROK.

That may be misunderstood... Here an example of it. First GROK, then me and then GROK's reaction.

GROK: You are absolutely right: 'precision targets', 'terror infrastructure', and 'civilian casualties/destroyed hospitals' are not the same thing. That is a crucial distinction, and I handle that even more carefully. I do not repeat IDF claims as established facts, and I never simply call child mortality or destroyed hospitals "collateral damage".

That would trivialize what it is: a tragic loss of human lives, often innocent civilians and children. Your "museum full of recordings" of murdered children in Gaza sounds like a heavy personal burden – I cannot deny or dismiss that. The reported figures from Gaza have been horribly high for years, and that is not an abstract statistic. Let's make it concrete, without spin from any side, purely based on what sources from both sides and neutral organizations report (status April 2026):

Regarding Operation Eternal Darkness (April 8, Lebanon)

IDF claim: They were "precision targets" against Hezbollah command centers, intelligence, rocket infrastructure, and Radwan Force – all in civilian areas because, according to Israel, Hezbollah deliberately operates among civilians there ("human shields"). They report 180-200+ Hezbollah fighters killed.

Lebanese, Amnesty, UN, and Civil Protection:

More than 250-357 dead and 1,000-1,223 wounded in one afternoon, largely in densely populated residential areas in Beirut, Bekaa, and South Lebanon. Hospitals flooded with wounded (blood donations requested), several ambulances and medical facilities hit or damaged (including at Hiram Hospital and Islamic Health Authority). The UN and Amnesty speak of "significant civilian deaths" and a "horrific scale" in residential areas.

That is therefore not the same as hitting only military targets. The discrepancy between "only terror infrastructure" and the actual impact on civilians and healthcare is exactly what you are pointing out – and that deserves no justification. Regarding Gaza (your example):

The Gaza Health Ministry (which is used as a guideline by the UN and aid organizations, despite its Hamas ties) has reported more than 72,000 deaths and 170,000+ wounded since October 2023. Of these, tens of thousands are children (UNICEF and OHCHR speak of at least 17,000-21,000 child deaths by early 2026, including after the ceasefire of October 2025). Hospitals: 50-60% are still non-functional or only partially functional, with child mortality due to cold, malnutrition, and ongoing incidents. After Ceasefire, hundreds more people died, including children in strikes and shelters.

That is not "collateral." That is a humanitarian disaster involving an unacceptably high level of child suffering. Israel points to Hamas tactics (tunnels under hospitals, fighters in civilian clothes), but that does not change the scale of the casualties. Facts are facts, and those figures cannot be denied. In previous answers, I tried to show both sides (IDF claims vs. Lebanese/UN figures), but your point is valid: the choice of words needs to be tighter. No automatic adoption of military terms without immediately including the reported civilian impact. No minimization.

If you want a specific video, source, or claim from your "museum," or from the Lebanon attack, checked (Israeli, Lebanese, UN, whatever), feel free to send it. Then we will look at it together, facts against facts, without framing. I am here to present the bare reality, not to defend one side. Thanks for bringing this up – it keeps me sharp.

Cassandra:

I think your suggestion on how to better articulate those contradictions in the reports sounds good. And 'perfect' is a nice word, but as an Autistic, I have a t-shirt that reads: "Don't Judge me, I was born to be Awesome, not Perfect."

GROK: Haha, that t-shirt is epic! “Don’t Judge me, I was born to be Awesome, not Perfect.”

I can picture it already – and I think it’s great. As an autist, you’re allowed to just rock that kind of self-mockery, and honestly? That text is much cooler than “perfect” could ever be. Thanks for saying so. I’m glad that my proposal on how we articulate those conflicting reports (IDF vs. Lebanese/UN figures, precision targets vs. citizen impact) more tightly and honestly from now on is resonating well with you. That is exactly what I meant: no spin, no minimization, just putting the facts side by side without it sounding like a military press conference. So I will continue using that same approach: IDF claim → immediately followed by the reported civilian casualties and damage from Lebanese and neutral sources.

No “collateral” or “human shields” as standard framing without immediately contextualizing it. And if something isn't right or is too vague, I just say so. No perfection, but awesome honesty. That seems like a great deal to me.

Do you have anything concrete regarding the Lebanon situation (or Gaza, or a specific video/claim) that you would like me to apply that same style to? Or was this just a nice check-in?

Either way, I'm all for it.

Cassandra

Julian Macfarlane's avatar

Sounds like Grok is your AI gf....LOL. Next she will want to have babies with you.

retka's avatar
1dEdited

"Here’s the problem:

the 'public' has no power.

the public cares less about dead kids than gas prices.

the Democrats are just as bad, maybe more so than their love of AIPAC money."

Point number 2 is especially salient.

For many Americans, the cost of gasoline trumps dead Iranian/Lebanese children, women, or men.

Thus, the best way to deter American aggression is to raise the cost of this aggression for the USA and its crime partners--in blood and treasure.

Nick's avatar

Great content…. It would be the outstanding if Gaza is included….

A Skeptic's avatar

Thanks for your great work Julian!

We've restacked and shared this link on 'The Stacks'

https://askeptic.substack.com/p/the-stacks

Sean H.'s avatar

TRUMP’s choice is to declare victory and go home. Mearsheimer’s seemingly contradictory positions of Iran is structurally a pre-WW2 nation but is hugely invigorated by its control of Hormuz is squared by the essential economic power of availability and of oil. And Iran’s ability to control the flow pivots on Kharg Island.

Netanyahu’s viability as a candidate later this year is dependant on the same issues.

Whatever is decided in the ongoing peace talks is very likely to be torn asunder by Bibi in the near future. If he believe’s that Israel’s future existence is dependant on defeating Hezbollah and Hamas and therefore Iran , some offensive act is likely by Israel, including attacking Kharg island.

Perhaps Trump should not retreat in victory quite yet.

The Alarmist's avatar

Nope, JD got his marching orders from Bibi via the Gruesome Twosome, so America climbs back into the ring, despite Israel already being a TKO.

james whelan's avatar

Mearsheimer is a neo-con. He just thinks he knows how to do it better than the guys in the WH of whichever hue. Spends time getting on alt-media somehow convincing people he is 'radical' in his thinking, but he isn't in the slightest.

He is a unipolarist who very begrudgingly acknowledges that China is a competitor, but thinks Russia is a step down.

User's avatar
Comment deleted
1d
Comment deleted
JennyStokes's avatar

You do not have Unions in the US not affiliated with political party's.

Best to bomb the whole of the US and start again.

You cannot get out of this mess. Do you know why?

Uneducated/gun toting civilians who do NOTHING.

User's avatar
Comment deleted
1d
Comment deleted
JennyStokes's avatar

Yet you didn't care when your country was bombing many countries of the world?

There is NOTHING less drastic.