Dateline:      WhatThe?Ville, June 20, 2026

After days of suspense-building over its actual provisions, the much-anticipated MOU with Iran was finally made public. Trump claims that the framework amounts to total victory over Iran. However, the provisions spell a different story.

The resolution of most of the issues between the US and Iran are left to further negotiation. A 60-day period has begun to try to settle those matters.

The MOU does resolve three issues immediately: (1) the unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz; (2) US facilitation of Iran’s oil sales; and (3) the US release of Iran’s frozen assets to its radical regime. The value of the assets are estimated to run into the tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, in US dollars.

What’s wrong with this deal? After almost four months of military operations, the destruction of Iran’s enriched uranium, the primary justification for the conflict, is still TBD.

Further, Trump has abandoned the fate of the Iranian people to the radical regime. And Israel’s self-defense right is severely criticized even in the face of Hezbollah attacks.

Under the MOU the US gives Iran immediate, and significant, economic relief and 60 more days of stalling while the US gains nothing. True, the Strait is freely open once again, but it was closed on March 1 by Iran only after the US commenced Epic Fury. So, the framework restores passage through the Strait to the status quo ante bellum. That’s not a gain. It’s a costly climb out of the hole Iran put us in.

Trump’s motivation for the immediate opening of the Strait is political. The skyrocketing price of oil and the goods and services dependent upon it must come down or the GOP will suffer significantly in the midterms. Big loses will tie Trump’s hands for the remainder of his term. He’s willing to sacrifice others to avoid that result.

The only crowds that cheer that on are in the IRGC.

Dateline:      DecisionVille, May 31, 2026

It seems that President Trump’s massive ego is the motivating factor for too many of his actions.

In the first year of his second term, Trump put his name in the title of the Kennedy Center (“The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts”). It is now referred to as The Trump Kennedy Center. Trump’s justification was the amount of money his administration would spend renovating the complex.

A federal judge ruled on Friday that the renaming was unlawful. Since Congress named the Center only Congress can change the name.

Trump also has an unfortunate habit of referring to himself as “your favorite President”. He’s given himself the honorific on several occasions such as the 2025 Daytona 500 and, more recently, to troops in the Strait of Hormuz.

In March, Trump’s people announced that his signature will appear on future paper currency in commemoration of the Country’s 250-year anniversary. Trump also wants his likeness on a gold coin. The design of the coin has been approved by a federal arts panel.

Trump’s Treasury Secretary announced on Friday the creation of a new paper currency. The $250 bill will bear Trump’s angry-looking visage, again commemorating our upcoming anniversary. The new currency requires Congressional approval.

Trump’s egomaniacal nature is a major turn off for voters of all political stripes. The Dems push it repeatedly as a prime example of why they must win the midterms.

Aggravating as Trump can be, his accomplishments are unparalleled. He is a super star in foreign relations and has put the U.S. economy back on a business footing. Even with the Iran conflict, the economic forecast is extremely positive.

Meanwhile, the Dems have become the Progressive Party, sliding into socialism and beyond. Their pitch is to change fundamentally American governance and culture to a morass of government control, higher taxes and loss of individual freedoms.

There really is only one choice. Trump.

From the launch of Epic Fury, President Trump’s messaging on the purpose of the conflict has been mixed.

Within one week of the commencement, the goals were variously stated as destruction of Iran’s military, including nuclear, capability; freedom for the Iranian people; ending the current regime and preventing Iran from funding terrorists outside its borders. The motivation for the conflict was stated as defense of the U.S. or being forced into action by Israel depending on the day the question was asked.

Almost three months have passed since conflict began. Some of Iran’s military capability has been destroyed. The Strait of Hormuz is closed. The economic fallout of the closure has hit countries across the globe including ours. Negotiations have been on-going and endlessly fruitless.

A few days ago, Trump announced the prospect of a memorandum of understanding with Iran and the Gulf Arab nations that could lead to the end of the conflict. He’s given the parties 60 days to negotiate the MOU. At least one source claims that the terms include, among others, a gradual opening of the Strait, Iran handing over its enriched uranium and the U.S. unfreezing Iran’s monetary assets held overseas.

These terms are a very far cry from the objectives Trump stated in the early days of conflict. No regime change, no total destruction of Iran’s military capability, no regime change and no freedom for the Iranian people.

Through all of this the light has finally dawned on Trump’s conflict objective, that is, the Gulf Arab nations solidifying a permanent alliance with Israel and the U.S. Apparently, the alliance is more important than the failed objectives of the early days of conflict.

Very eerie.

Dateline:      WhinerVille, May 14, 2026

‘Death’ is a strong term and a really big downer. But, in truth, our system of jurisprudence is under existential threat from congressional screamers. They demand fundamental changes because they’re not getting their way in the courts. Their goal is to morph the bench from an independent judiciary into a political rubber stamp for the legislative branch.  If successful, it would mean the end of our system of governance replaced by self-dealing powermongers.

After the Virginia Supreme Court nixed the Dems redistricting move, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries came up with a fix.  He advocated forcing the Justices out of office through mandatory early retirement and retrying the case before a newly constituted, friendly court. The move is such a naked power grab that it’s unlikely to gain popular support.

Undeterred, the US Supreme Court’s recent rulings barring race-based gerrymandering spurred another, more encompassing, remedy. Jeffries called for “massive judicial reform, state by state and at the federal level” with ‘everything’ on the table. He also advocated other reforms, including electoral, to help Dems regain majorities in the House and Senate this year and win the White House in 2028.

Apparently, Jeffries’ lust for power blinds him to the criticality of an independent judiciary. To him, institutions that protect and strengthen democracy are simply roadblocks to run through without a backward glance.

Jeffries’ moves would tear an irreparable hole in our political fabric. It would be a shame to sacrifice it to his personal ambitions.

Dateline:      DisharmonyVille, April 20, 2026

A lot of analysis of the Iran conflict has been published. Here’s a different take for your consideration.

Unless it launches nukes, which it doesn’t currently have, the Iran leadership knows it can’t beat us militarily. So, to win the conflict the leaders are going for Trump’s political jugular.

With our midterms a mere hop, skip and a jump away, Iran is playing for time. The longer a resolution is delayed, the worse it gets for Trump. He knows that without a positive outcome and soon, the GOP will lose seats in the House and even the Senate. To avoid a major midterm defeat he may be forced to declare victory and depart the field leaving Iran, with its enriched uranium and lunatic leadership, to rebuild from the rubble.

Iran is dragging out the conflict by playing Trump like a fiddle. The notion of a split leadership in Iran with the ‘moderates’ on one side and the ‘crazies’ on the other is an illusion. The idea that the crazies would allow moderates to negotiate is foolish. Since when has division been tolerated in Iran’s power structure? Since never. The crazies, who obviously have the firepower, would just kill the moderates. Rather than being a divided leadership, it is necessarily united.

The Iranians have Trump on a seesaw. The moderates negotiate terms favorable to Trump. The U.S. markets soar, public opinion ticks up for Trump. Then the crazies close the Strait of Hormuz and fire on a few vessels. The market reacts negatively and public opinion in the U.S. dips.

Up and down. Up and down. If it goes on long enough, the Iranians will win through a GOP defeat at the ballot box.

Trump ran himself up a blind alley weeks ago by declaring victory prematurely. He better bite the bullet and get the job done. Now.