Strained Diplomacy: While U.S. and Iranian delegations were meeting in Switzerland to attempt to resolve the fallout from what the speaker describes as an "elective war," Trump reportedly made aggressive threats, including suggestions of occupying the country and threats directed at the peace delegation (0:11 - 0:52).
Controversial Rhetoric: The speaker highlights recent comments attributed to Trump regarding the Strait of Hormuz, where he warned that closing the waterway would result in severe consequences for Iran (0:56 - 1:11). Trump also indicated a willingness to seize control of the country if the Iranian president maintained current uranium enrichment policies (1:11 - 1:27).
Impact on Negotiations: These threats are being viewed by Iranian officials as violations of existing memorandums of understanding. Iranian negotiators have publicly mocked the rhetoric, suggesting that such threats indicate desperation rather than strength (1:43 - 2:16).
Economic Concerns: The video notes that Trump has previously justified his actions by stating that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could lead to a worldwide economic depression. The speaker argues that Trump's continued rhetoric is counterproductive, potentially emboldening Iran and increasing the risk of further regional instability and global economic damage (2:36 - 4:13).
And on the international stage as well. Even with the most powerful military in the world. All the backbone of baby formula.
The Titanic thread
- Dr Strangelove
- Posts: 14401
- Joined: Wed May 08, 2024 4:50 pm
Re: The Titanic thread
It can be dangerous to believe things just because you want them to be true. - Sagan
Cynicism is acceptance
Cynicism is acceptance
- Dr Strangelove
- Posts: 14401
- Joined: Wed May 08, 2024 4:50 pm
Re: The Titanic thread
Tulsi Gabbard, Her “Guru” & the Mysterious Messages that Shaped Her Career
The Core Story: A Guru, 25,000 Documents & Unexplained Directives
A year‑long Washington Post investigation uncovered 25,000 documents linking Tulsi Gabbard to Chris Butler, the reclusive leader of the Science of Identity Foundation (SIF) — the group in which Gabbard was raised. These documents include memos, directives, and advice that appear to guide:
what legislation she should propose
which policies she should embrace
how she should present herself on television
foreign‑policy ideas she should champion (e.g., a memo pushing her to propose partitioning Iraq)
These memos raised the central question:
Was a secretive spiritual leader influencing the decisions of a sitting U.S. congresswoman?
Who Is Chris Butler?
Chris Butler is the founder of the Science of Identity Foundation, a breakaway Hare Krishna–derived sect. Gabbard’s parents were senior members, and Tulsi grew up inside the group. Former members describe SIF as controlling, insular, and cult‑like, though the organization denies these claims.
Key points:
Butler’s followers practice a strict form of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
Former devotees say he exerted control over major life decisions.
Some believe he spent years trying to extend influence into politics — with Gabbard as the culmination.
The “Mysterious Messages”
The most explosive element is the trove of attached memos found in Gabbard’s congressional records. These documents:
read like instructions from an unnamed authority
include policy proposals, media strategy, and ideological framing
sometimes quote a voice saying it is “time for TG to come up with this idea”
The memos’ tone and content strongly suggested to investigators that they may have originated from — or been inspired by — Butler’s inner circle.
Rebecca Saltzburg: The Insider Who Changed Her Story
A key figure is Rebecca Saltzburg, a former digital strategist for Gabbard:
Her first version (2024):
Gabbard was a freethinker who “took orders from no one.”
Butler had no meaningful influence on her political path.
Her second version (2025):
After a falling‑out with SIF leadership, Saltzburg contacted the reporter again — this time via encrypted messaging — and revealed:
She had been Butler’s secretary in the 1990s.
She lived with Gabbard’s parents and other devotees.
She now believed SIF leaders were covering up abuse and had even engineered her arrest after she sheltered a teenage runaway.
Her reversal added credibility to the idea that SIF exerted deeper influence than previously acknowledged.
What the Investigation Suggests
The combined reporting paints a picture of:
Unusual, possibly inappropriate influence from a religious leader
A political career shaped partly by external ideological directives
A pattern of secrecy and compartmentalization around Gabbard’s spiritual background
A long‑running effort by Butler’s organization to extend influence into U.S. politics
None of this proves direct control — but the volume and nature of the documents raise serious questions.
Why This Matters Now
Gabbard is currently the U.S. Director of National Intelligence (since 2025), making the question of outside influence — spiritual or otherwise — a matter of national‑security relevance.
The revelations have reignited debates about:
her ideological shifts (Democrat → Independent → Republican)
her foreign‑policy positions
her long‑standing ties to a group many former members call a cult
The Core Story: A Guru, 25,000 Documents & Unexplained Directives
A year‑long Washington Post investigation uncovered 25,000 documents linking Tulsi Gabbard to Chris Butler, the reclusive leader of the Science of Identity Foundation (SIF) — the group in which Gabbard was raised. These documents include memos, directives, and advice that appear to guide:
what legislation she should propose
which policies she should embrace
how she should present herself on television
foreign‑policy ideas she should champion (e.g., a memo pushing her to propose partitioning Iraq)
These memos raised the central question:
Was a secretive spiritual leader influencing the decisions of a sitting U.S. congresswoman?
Chris Butler is the founder of the Science of Identity Foundation, a breakaway Hare Krishna–derived sect. Gabbard’s parents were senior members, and Tulsi grew up inside the group. Former members describe SIF as controlling, insular, and cult‑like, though the organization denies these claims.
Key points:
Butler’s followers practice a strict form of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
Former devotees say he exerted control over major life decisions.
Some believe he spent years trying to extend influence into politics — with Gabbard as the culmination.
The most explosive element is the trove of attached memos found in Gabbard’s congressional records. These documents:
read like instructions from an unnamed authority
include policy proposals, media strategy, and ideological framing
sometimes quote a voice saying it is “time for TG to come up with this idea”
The memos’ tone and content strongly suggested to investigators that they may have originated from — or been inspired by — Butler’s inner circle.
A key figure is Rebecca Saltzburg, a former digital strategist for Gabbard:
Her first version (2024):
Gabbard was a freethinker who “took orders from no one.”
Butler had no meaningful influence on her political path.
Her second version (2025):
After a falling‑out with SIF leadership, Saltzburg contacted the reporter again — this time via encrypted messaging — and revealed:
She had been Butler’s secretary in the 1990s.
She lived with Gabbard’s parents and other devotees.
She now believed SIF leaders were covering up abuse and had even engineered her arrest after she sheltered a teenage runaway.
Her reversal added credibility to the idea that SIF exerted deeper influence than previously acknowledged.
The combined reporting paints a picture of:
Unusual, possibly inappropriate influence from a religious leader
A political career shaped partly by external ideological directives
A pattern of secrecy and compartmentalization around Gabbard’s spiritual background
A long‑running effort by Butler’s organization to extend influence into U.S. politics
None of this proves direct control — but the volume and nature of the documents raise serious questions.
Gabbard is currently the U.S. Director of National Intelligence (since 2025), making the question of outside influence — spiritual or otherwise — a matter of national‑security relevance.
The revelations have reignited debates about:
her ideological shifts (Democrat → Independent → Republican)
her foreign‑policy positions
her long‑standing ties to a group many former members call a cult
It can be dangerous to believe things just because you want them to be true. - Sagan
Cynicism is acceptance
Cynicism is acceptance
- Dr Strangelove
- Posts: 14401
- Joined: Wed May 08, 2024 4:50 pm
Re: The Titanic thread
Trump was just pressed at length by
@edokeefe
on his claims that vandals are responsible for the state of the reflecting pool, and it did not go well
REPORTER: Are the contractors who did the initial work for the reflecting pool to blame for the condition of it?
TRUMP: No no. We had vandalism. They went in there with a knife.
REPORTER: But National Guard and police have been all over the Mall. How would these vandals have gotten so close to do something like that?
TRUMP: ... ... ...
REPORTER: In April said the guy was gonna do the reflecting pool in a week for about a million dollars. It's been two months and $16.5 million
TRUMP: Are you ready? Barack Hussein Obama
It can be dangerous to believe things just because you want them to be true. - Sagan
Cynicism is acceptance
Cynicism is acceptance
- Dr Strangelove
- Posts: 14401
- Joined: Wed May 08, 2024 4:50 pm
Re: The Titanic thread
Step 1: Remove filters in Reflecting Pool because Obama put them in.
Step 2: Give your criminal neighbor who runs "Greenwater Services" a $20 million no-bid contract to paint the pool.
Step 3: Fill the pool with water from the Potomac River, the phosphates from which cause algae blooms.
Step 4: Freshly sealed pool and extreme heat result in a super scum event
Step 5: Direct National Park Service to dump hydrogen peroxide into the pool which causes the paint to peel.
Step 5: Deploy US National Guard to stop people from taking photos of the swamp as a perfect metaphor for the administration.
Step 6: Blame someone else.
Donald Trump will go down in history as the only US President to be outwitted by a single-celled organism.
It can be dangerous to believe things just because you want them to be true. - Sagan
Cynicism is acceptance
Cynicism is acceptance