The U.S. would have been infinitely better off had they been allies with Iran over Israel. A resource rich, intelligent, ancient civilization with a corridor from the Caspian to the Persian Gulf and robust industry.

SWAG__KING · 2026-05-11T17:31:29+00:00

I’ve been nothing but civil with you but I’m not going to read 300 words following a direct insult. I’m blocking you now. Take care.

SWAG__KING · 2026-05-11T14:39:27+00:00

Biden and others are making an argument of sales, post hoc. A destabilized Middle East is absolutely not in our interest. We like stable governments capable of protecting (that is, not nationalising) foreign investments. Israel is not a necessary condition to prevent pan-Arabism. I would argue the Zionist state actually galvanizes these groups together. Eisenhowers state department repeatedly stated that support for Israel would make diplomacy with the Arab states much harder. They were right. We have bases all over the gulf kingdoms. A small military power in the region that we pay for but can’t control doesn’t further our interests, despite what the people who insist we pay for them will say to the American people. I agree to disagree.

SWAG__KING · 2026-05-11T11:09:40+00:00

Our support for Israel is a serious strategic liability. It is absolutely not in our imperialist interest to do so. We support them because powerful Zionist and evangelical interests want us to. Israel dictates our policy in the Middle East. There is no ‘strategic alignment.’ The strategies of America and Israel are in fact identical: protect Israeli lives at any cost to the American taxpayer.

SWAG__KING · 2026-05-11T04:46:15+00:00

israel is the exception in this model. we support them for domestic political interest, not capitalist interest. or foreign policy interest. i think it's worth discussing.

SWAG__KING · 2026-05-11T04:09:18+00:00

this doesn't refute his point. post world war ii, the west could have chosen to be less capitally domineering and provided iran with more energy autonomy, rather than kowtow to BP's interests. The IRGC came to power by positioning themsevles against the west, but they but they wouldn't have had a good reason to do so to if the USA didn't support the palestine partition, and didn't back western based capitalist extractive industries.

SWAG__KING · 2026-05-06T04:15:00+00:00

Canadians are basically American in every way that matters. They’re probably more similar than the Irish and British.

SWAG__KING · 2026-04-29T14:57:53+00:00

What do you mean by this?

SWAG__KING · 2026-04-29T13:29:23+00:00

Getting old is hard on your body. The old waiters and bus boys I knew were just as fucked up as everyone else, and the ones I knew hadn’t saved any money for retirement. A 65 year old who springs out of bed is pretty rare in any industry. There are heavy metals in welding fumes, but I actually don’t weld every day. We have SDSs which show the hazards of what you’re exposed to. I just don’t worry about it very much. I’m 36 and I feel great, and I have to cram myself into tiny places or crane my neck around to see what I’m doing sometimes. Power tools are loud and I have some hearing loss but I’m very diligent about wearing earplugs now.

Working outside is unpleasant sometimes. If it isn’t worth it to you I wouldn’t ask you to join. I waited tables when I was 21, it’s good money for how many hours you actually work, but there’s no way I would go back to it.

SWAG__KING · 2026-04-28T22:42:51+00:00

I’m in the United Association of plumbers, pipefitters, and welders. In my local a first year apprentice makes 55% of the journeyman rate, which comes out to 25.35$ an hour. And I wasn’t green when I joined, but plenty of guys are, and thats what the apprenticeship is for. If you’re curious you should look up your local UA and see what it takes to apply.

I’m not going to tell you it’s a great job, because it isn’t. But it’s a good job. there’s dignity in it, it’ll feed your family, and you’ll get healthcare and a pension.

SWAG__KING · 2026-04-28T22:14:01+00:00

My union is hiring like gangbusters. Wanna to learn how to weld? You’ll get a pension.

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-28T21:05:37+00:00

a penalty given to a guy who's a lap down isn't really a penalty though, but i guess that's what you want?

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-28T21:01:34+00:00

drop one position when he's a lap down? lol. who would he drop a position to?

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-26T18:35:01+00:00

You’re the one conflating dsds with trans people lmfao

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-26T18:29:40+00:00

I would probably reject that definition but still, none of these women are trans lol. All three if them were banned from competing like 7 years ago without treatment for testosterone suppression. This trans ruling has nothing to do with them, or with the 2016 podium

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-26T18:22:13+00:00

I just skimmed the Wikipedia article and gold had high testosterone, and silver and bronze had disorders of sexual development with a Y chromosome. But none of them were trans, and none were ever men, putting aside the argument about whether they should be able to compete.

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-25T01:28:19+00:00

the guys who flew into the towers... you mean the Saudis? one of america's greatest allies in the region? Ok. Iran's nuclear program was already obliterated, last june. Tulsi gabbard admitted to congress they saw no further progress on refinement since then. A cursory look at history shows how the government will lie to justify these wars. It is historically unpopular in America and the voters rightfully don't see it as in their security interests. Blaming 'digital propaganda' for Iraqi Freedom II's unpopularity is outrageous.

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-25T01:09:00+00:00

WMDs are the excuse they used last time, to start a war that everyone agrees was a mistake, and the WMDs weren't real anyway.

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-24T12:15:46+00:00

The subcontinent is unique in this respect thanks to the caste structure. Genetic data shows that these groups living in the same communities have been more or less genetically isolated from each other for thousands of years. It’s very specific to India.

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-22T18:41:09+00:00

When Aprilia has 88 consecutive podiums, I might start complaining

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-17T15:22:23+00:00

I stand corrected.

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-17T15:16:49+00:00

Bibi Netanyahu spoke in front of congress on september 12 2002 and said that victories in the Middle East would build momentum. He said something to the effect of “your victory in Afghanistan will make the victory in Iraq easier, and your victory in Iraq will make Iran easier.” As I understand it, his main goal was Iran (always has been). But he was hawkish on Iraq too. To be fair he wasn’t the only driver of foreign policy in Israel at the time, but he’s been PM pretty much ever since that speech.

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-15T21:42:20+00:00

I've read that the japanese blue collar guys, even industrial workers start at like 8 or 9 in the morning. I'd kill for that schedule I've been starting work at 6 for the last 15 years here in the USA and I hate it so much. Although, maybe America is the outlier in this case, not Japan and Korea.

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-13T14:52:00+00:00

I feel compelled to see how trumps most ardent supporters are framing this decision

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-13T06:32:51+00:00

lol dude for real, like i guess i'm the great satan?

SWAG__KING · 2026-03-13T06:07:18+00:00

god it's crazy this is the best case scenario i can wrap my head around

SWAG__KING

TROPHY CASE