We Have Gas

Hey Friends,

Good morning to everyone, unless you are currently reading this while filling up your gas tank. Gas prices are up, and so are our subscribers. For context, take a look at this graph.

As you can see over the course of time, gas prices are volatile, while readers of The Lorem Ipsum continue to rise steadily. At the same time, paid memberships have remained flat after an initial spike, despite rising prices for other household items.

I'll also note that the stats associated with The Lorem Ipsum are much easier to draw, which my art department (me, fifteen minutes ago) appreciates. So may The Lorem Ipsum be with you as you fill up, because by my math, you're still in the black.

Four More Years

For a moment, I'm going to reflect on the recent past. About this time, four years ago, I wrote an article about a new and unprovoked war in Ukraine, perpetrated by Russia, at the direction of Vladimir Putin. First, I predicted the war just before it was certain and talked about how short Putin is. I should note in particular that he looks a little soft without a shirt on, but also, like the back of a postcard in the 70s. A couple of weeks later, I covered the beginning of the war when Russia breached Ukrainian borders. As I said then, the British Invasion was better, and I stand by that.

That war continues today, with no end in sight. It had no clear goal, except to seize more power. The case for the war is based on phony intelligence and craven grievances. The ambitions of one man are the only justification for the loss of life. Today, casualties of killed, wounded, or missing are approaching 2 million lives with both sides combined.

Now, the USA is the perpetrator of just such a war, along with Israel. Donald and Benjamin discussed their plans one morning, in bed, over toast and Diet Cokes. In days, American troops are being deployed to re-win a war we also won months earlier. His motivations can be inferred. If Trump, who loves power, force, and leverage, has control over oil production in Venezuela and Iran, he has more leverage over China and other countries.

Whether American ground troops and the massive casualties will be part of this war is yet to be confirmed, but it's hard to see a likely path for Trump's war with Iran ending anytime soon. Right now, the USS Tripoli is on its way to Iran, a large warship carrying over 2,000 troops. It's a warship, used for the purpose of bringing troops to shore. Yesterday, Pete Hegseth asked Congress for $200 billion, nearly a quarter of the total annual defense budget.

The analysis of the war in Iran is mixed. One guy says it was necessary, another says it was not needed at all. Of course, both of those people are Donald Trump. The same man who was leading the negotiations before the war. The same person who is leading the war now.

To put it simply, "we are fucked." But to be fair, so is Iran. They will not likely win, if their military strength says anything about their chances. But when receiving your loved one's remains in a bag, that's hardly a victory when you don't know the cause you are fighting for.

Is it regime change? Maybe. At a minimum, a regime will be reorganized by killing as many as possible.

According to studies, roughly 3 out of 28 instances of US attempts at regime change have succeeded. Many have resulted in anti-American sentiment, one of the best recruiters for military enlistments. The exact same reason why the US population was largely in support of the Bush wars, when we were attacked. Many military recruiters saw lines out the door, three times what they were used to handling of young men volunteering to go to war.

To recall another example, for Japan and Germany, which we crushed in World War II, the regime change was considered the most successful in history. It was 7-10 years of occupation, with a focus on investment and partnership rather than a decade of humiliation and prosecution. Both countries have emerged as great partners. Of course, that is, until recently.

The same is not likely in Iran. Under Trump, we've reneged on agreements, promised we would not attack, then attacked, with no clear demands. Among the Iranian population, there are many who are against the regime. But many are also against the US policy toward Iran.

A life at war is not new to the people of the Middle East, but I doubt they want to die any more than we do. As we saw in 2001, after 9/11, Nothing will drive you to enlist more than an attack on your homeland. It's no wonder this has been going on for thousands of years. It would be a marvel if we ended it. It would be no surprise at all if we ensured it continued.

While we are deploying our own soldiers, we are undoubtedly motivating new ones in Iran. So even if we win this war, we'll have to be careful we don't also lose it.

That's it for this week.

Remember: The Lorem Ipsum is not fueled by fossil fuels. It's fueled by you. By your paid subscription, and by you sharing this newsletter with friends.

Have a great weekend!