www.wsj.com/world/middle... so many cards.. such dullards across the table

Four-byline alert: 🚨 (WSJ) - Iran still has thousands of ballistic missiles in its arsenal that it could use by retrieving launchers from underground storage areas, according to American officials familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments. @wsj.com www.wsj.com/world/middle...

www.contrariannews.org/p/feel-like-... form your own club!!

because only Trump is a moron

he is SO close to getting it: The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Operation Enduring Glory... OMG... hysterical and horrifying open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Ruh Roh: www.cnbc.com/2026/04/10/c...

This would be a prophylactic impeachment necessary to remove a ticking time bomb (excuse the metaphor) that could go off at any time. open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

The issue is not whether Trump will be forced from office — his toadies for now will make sure that doesn't happen — but whether he should be. Ds who make the case that Trump has irreversibly revealed his unfitness to lead do the country and our democracy a service open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

utterly fascinating open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Critical read;

open.substack.com/pub/contrari... Doug Jones is a national treasure

www.cnbc.com/2026/04/09/c... loser economy: Gross domestic product, a measure of all goods and services produced, rose just 0.5% on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, down from the prior reading of 0.7% and the initial estimate of 1.4%. The full-year growth rate held at 2.1%.

Trump has handed over an international waterway to the Iranians, who will now charge (at least) $2M per vessel. Trump, unbelievably, contemplates this “joint venture” — a “beautiful thing” — with Iran. (If that is not evidence of mental defect, I’m not sure what is.)

Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and their MAGA cult can tell themselves whatever lies they want about “victory” against Iran, but make no mistake: The United States suffered a decisive and devastating defeat in an illegal war that was doomed from the get-go. open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Yes, Trump and Hegseth think they are fighting the Crusades... the frightful vision of Christian war open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

a fun conversation with @gregsargent.bsky.social

This is what comes from cadre of white, Christian evangelical leaders who adopt nationalism rather than faith; from legacy media ignoring Trump’s mental and physical decline; from bastardization of Wa Post and CBS; from GOP abdicating constitutional functions. open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

While Hegseth has been written off as a crank and imbecile (albeit one who once tainted our uniformed military ranks), this brand of religious fervor becomes deadly serious when uttered by the commander-in-chief, who possesses access to nuclear weapons.

Trump’s belated construction of some muddled tale of a diplomatic breakthrough should in no way diminish the illegality of his genocidal threats, the political horror it represented, or the frightful intrusion of religious zealotry into our politics. open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

I'm there: Vance would be better. He should invoke the 25th A

Iran understates the depth of the problem in declaring he is on “the brink of madness.” We need less sane washing, more explanation of Iran’s resilience/determination to wait us out, and increased attention to Trump’s serious mental deterioration and incapacity to make rational decisions.

The legacy media’s taking at face value Trump’s declarations that the U.S. has achieved “total and complete control over the skies” amounts to stenography. Frightfully, Trump lacks any semblance of control even over himself.

Trump Threatening War Crimes on Easter Sunday .. @neeratanden.bsky.social always a wealth of information and insight open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Inspiring!! open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

important piece from @staceyabrams.com open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

educate the public about DOJ’s depravity, expose spinelessness of senators voting to confirm, gather evidence to use later to exact accountability for the nominee or others (e.g., bar complaints, perjury charges), and remind courts this DOJ does not deserve the presumption of regularity

One of best:

after 5 weeks we still do not have air superiority. this is the poorly executed war. ever.

Fire. Hegseth. NOW. "The developments belied earlier assertions by the Trump administration that U.S. forces had obtained air superiority over Iran and raised immediate questions about how much of the country’s arsenal remained after a month of targeted strikes on the regime’s weapons facilities."

open.substack.com/pub/contrari... what do all your favorite Contrarian legal minds think about Bondi firing?

Leon’s thorough and snarky put down of each preposterous argument is precisely the sort of undaunted, unflinching, and unequivocal response Trump’s increasingly ludicrous legal arguments requires.

“The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

wonderful piece, stunning and moving documentary open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Wonderful opportunity!

No other president could possibly have done this much damage in such a short time. The United States stands alone — more despised and less respected than we have ever been in the modern era.

For a war ostensibly designed to reduce Iran’s military capabilities and ability to threaten the region, it would seem an extraordinary outcome to have a result…be a situation in which Iran could now export oil freely, but our allies would have to pay fees to Iran for the privilege of doing so”

Consider the hue and cry if Obama had left Iran in control of the Strait of Hormuz and failed to force Iran to give up its enriched uranium, ballistic missile program, or support for regional terrorism.

Can't wait for AIPAC to fall in behind Trump and do an utter 180 on a stance they have spent decades promoting: letting Iran keep enriched uranium is an existential threat to Israel (maybe even US). ... unreal...

Trump says he doesn't care about Iran's enriched uranium or the strait of hormuz. this allows him to justify a humiliating defeat. If neither of those things matter we went to war for nothing. In fact we are worse off now.

UPDATE: Trump left

mass movements suffused with joy, love, and mutual support have repeatedly triumphed over brutal and menacing ..we see the whimsical costumed characters, an ever-expanding array of witty signs, the near-total absence of any violence, widespread impromptu community-organized aid, etc

autocracies are inherently brittle and susceptible to pressure because they eliminate the very things necessary to survive, such as reality-based decision-making, advisers picked on merit, a healthy flow of information, and the ability to discern spin from reality. open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Historically, autocrats often have turned out to be remarkably fragile, while effective mass movements have demonstrated unexpected strength to topple them. Trump’s recent serial disasters vs. burgeoning Resistance movement suggest the same might hold true in U.S. open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Norm at the Supreme Court for birthright citizenship!