The power of the purse is the surest way Congress can stop the Iran war, or any war. If Congress funds war, Congress authorizes it. If Congress cuts off funds, a war will end. Up to 15,000 of the 50,000 American troops in the Middle East region are being positioned to participate in an assault on…
Two-Week Reprieve “Big money will be made.” The remark was made by President Donald J. Trump on Truth Social following the ceasefire deal with Iran. Who will make the big money is unclear. But it sounds good, nonetheless. With the announcement of the two-week reprieve in bomb dropping and missile strikes, and the supposed resumption of shipping…
Freddie Ponton21st Century Wire Hours after the Pakistan-brokered Iran war ceasefire took effect, Israel struck Lebanon again, killing scores of civilians and displacing tens of thousands overnight during major strikes on April 8-9, 2026. The Western press went silent. At least 1.2 million Lebanese have been forced to flee their homes since March 2026, building on nearly 900,000 displaced…
If there is a mantra among progressive American political and media elites, it would be “our democracy,” usually preceded by what they believe to be a threat from the Right. For example, progressives deemed the recent reversal of Roe “a threat to our democracy” because it removed laws regulating abortion from Supreme Court jurisdiction and returned the…
Japan plans to reclassify cryptocurrencies as financial products under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. Japan has taken a decisive step toward reshaping its digital asset framework after its cabinet approved a draft amendment that would classify cryptocurrencies as financial products under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA). The proposal marks a shift from Japan’s current approach, which…
As much as many centrists and libertarians are opposed to Donald Trump’s ongoing strikes against Iran, I have to say, the downstream result might end up becoming one of the most libertarian results I have ever seen. For decades, small government activists like those in the Ron Paul movement have been calling for a comprehensive…
For the past six weeks, as this US-Israeli war with Iran has played out, the economic impact of the conflict has gotten a lot of attention. And rightfully so. As anyone who’s consumed any news about this war knows well by now, the Strait of Hormuz is a major energy chokepoint, the Iranian government did…
The United States and Israel are systematically targeting hospitals in Iran. In one month of bombing, the two countries have hit at least 307 health centers across the country, according to reports from the Iranian Red Crescent. The carefully planned destruction of the Islamic Republic’s medical infrastructure fits into a long history of deliberate U.S. attacks on…
Iran is still holding traffic through the Strait of Hormuz hostage, and the entire world is going to suffer. Before the war, commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz flowed freely, and the global economy functioned normally. But even though there is a temporary ceasefire, Iran continues to maintain a stranglehold on the waterway, and…
The Fed is likely thinking bailout or backstop for private credit, while banks look to monetize its demise. I’ve been saying this for months: despite “experts” just sounding the alarm moments ago: the private credit unwind that started months ago and has now spiraled into a very real liability for the economy wasn’t some unknowable tail…
