Alan Zweibel

You got any actual evidence to back up your claim about increased tanker traffic through the Suez Canal? Because, as shown earlier, Saudi Arabia actually has a limited ability to send increased production through the Canal. The constraint is how much oil can be loaded onto tankers. The estimated ranged from 3 to 4.5 million barrels a day. But 2 million barrels a day was already being loaded in the form of refined petroleum products coming from a large refinery located on the red sea. It is true that there was a lot of tanker traffic going through the Suez Canal. Not so much anymore: Suez Canal Transit activity through the Suez Canal declined sharply. A total of 23 crossings (15 inbound, 8 outbound) were recorded, representing a 39.47% decrease compared with the previous day and falling significantly below the 7-day average of 36.86 crossings. https://windward.ai/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/image-155-1024x597.png Vessel subclasses included five crude oil tankers, five bulk carriers, and two general cargo vessels, while the flag distribution was led by Liberia and Panama with five vessels each, followed by the Marshall Islands with four vessels. The decline suggests that operators are increasingly avoiding Red Sea routes linked to the Gulf crisis. https://windward.ai/blog/march-15-maritime-intelligence-daily/#:~:text=with%20two%20vessels.-,Suez%20Canal,this%20long%2Dhaul%20diversion%20route.

Ask a manipulative question question and get a manipulated answer. In this case, you didn't define "leftists." But judging by your past form, it's anyone who opposes the policies of Donald Trump. So I asked a question that didn't depend on the assumptions that Leftists = Democrats and that they want to US to lose the war. So, here's my question with the answer from Gemini AI: (It should be noted that asking this kind of question of AI is pretty dumb for obvious reasons) Do the Democrats want the US to lose the Iran War? Gemini saidAs of March 25, 2026, the short answer is: No, Democrats do not state that they want the United States to "lose." Instead, they argue that the current definition of "winning" being used by the Trump administration is a recipe for a decade-long disaster. The debate isn't actually about wanting to lose; it is a fundamental clash over what a "win" looks like and whether the President has the legal right to start this war (Operation Epic Fury) without Congress. The Clash of DefinitionsThe reason you hear accusations of "wanting to lose" is that the two parties are using completely different metrics for success: Feature The Trump Administration / GOP View The Democratic Party View Definition of Victory Total regime change and the physical destruction of all nuclear/missile sites. An immediate diplomatic "off-ramp," stability in global energy markets, and a return to the Constitution. Definition of Failure Withdrawing before the Ayatollah's government collapses; "showing weakness." Getting stuck in a 20-year quagmire that costs trillions and triggers a global depression. The "Losing" Label Frames any call for a ceasefire as a betrayal of U.S. troops and a gift to Iran. Frames the war itself as a "strategic loss" that benefits China and Russia while depleting U.S. resources. Why Democrats are Pushing Back (March 2026)Rather than "wanting to lose," the Democratic opposition is focused on four specific "catastrophes" they believe this war is creating: 1. The "Illegal War" ArgumentDemocrats argue that because the Feb. 28th strikes were launched without a Congressional Declaration of War, the entire operation is unconstitutional. Just yesterday, on March 24th, Senate Democrats forced another vote on a War Powers Resolution to "rein in" the President's authority. It failed 47–53 along party lines, but Leader Schumer argued that "winning" an illegal war still erodes the American system of government. +1 2. Economic SuicideWith gas prices hitting $4.50–$5.00 in many states due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, many Democrats view the war as an economic "loss" for the American people regardless of what happens in Tehran. They argue that "victory" is meaningless if the U.S. economy collapses under the weight of $120-a-barrel oil. 3. The Humanitarian "Red Line"Following the March 4th strike on the school in Minab, the progressive wing of the party (led by the "Squad") has argued that the U.S. is "losing" its moral standing in the world. They believe that high civilian casualties are actually making the Iranian regime stronger by uniting the Iranian people against an outside invader. 4. The "Deep State" SkepticismA significant portion of the party is skeptical of the intelligence used to start the war. Following the resignation of several intelligence officials in early March, Democrats have been demanding public hearings to see if the "imminent threat" used to justify Operation Epic Fury was exaggerated. The Bottom LineIf you listen to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth or the President, they will tell you that Democrats are "handcuffing the military" and "rooting for the enemy." If you listen to Senator Chris Murphy or Bernie Sanders, they will tell you they are trying to save America from a catastrophic mistake that will bankrupt the country and lead to World War III. They don't want the U.S. to lose a war; they want to prevent a war that they believe is a "loser" for the American people from the start. Would you like me to find the specific list of Republican senators who have expressed "concerns" about the war budget, or perhaps track the latest oil price impact in your region?

So, you're going to have to explain the reasoning behind your question before I answer it.

I guess you believe my secret identity is RFK Jr. Should I be flattered?

Donald Trump’s war on Iran appears to be a fiasco, and speaking to reporters, he made a surprising claim: He insisted no one anticipated that Iran would attack other countries in an effort to widen the war. But this was indeed widely expected, and amusingly, in saying that, Trump revealed that he didn’t anticipate it. That’s a striking admission about his own lack of foresight. https://newrepublic.com/article/208082/trump-accidentally-admits-epic-iran-blunder-war-takes-worse-turn Trump said no one could have predicted Iranian attacks on other Middle Eastern countries. His advisers had warned him President Donald Trump was reportedly briefed on the possibility of Iran retaliating against other nations in the Middle East — despite his claims that the response was unexpected. Trump was warned Iran could retaliate against Gulf allies, Reuters reported, citing a U.S. official and two sources familiar with the issue. These pre-conflict intelligence reports did not say the response was “a guarantee,” but rather that it was “on the list of potential outcomes,” a source told the outlet. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-said-no-one-could-152128769.html

Donald Trump’s Department of Justice quietly caved in one of its biggest brawls with the federal judiciary on Monday, conceding district courts’ authority to appoint U.S. attorneys after a series of stinging legal defeats. In a filing, the Justice Department accepted a court’s appointment of Robert Frazer as head of New Jersey’s U.S. attorney’s office, an abrupt reversal of its assertion that courts have no such power. Its capitulation ended an eight-month standoff during which New Jersey lacked a lawfully serving U.S. attorney after the DOJ refused to replace Alina Habba with a legitimate successor https://archive.ph/PRcbE

I wouldn't be surprised if raccoon penis makes it to the top of RFK's food pyramid.

The admission during a closed-door hearing undercuts President Donald Trump’s claims of “criminality” in the central bank’s $2.5 billion office renovations. A top deputy to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro acknowledged in a closed-door hearing this month that the Justice Department did not have evidence of wrongdoing in its criminal investigation of the Federal Reserve over the cost of its building renovations, according to a transcript of the court proceedings. The prosecutor’s admission, which has not been previously reported, undercuts President Donald Trump’s claim that “there is criminality” in the $2.5 billion overhaul of the Fed’s headquarters overlooking the National Mall. https://archive.ph/zxX8j#selection-385.0-393.222 Just when you thought the Dept. of Justice couldn't sink any lower.In other cases, the Justice Dept at least claimed it had evidence. Maybe Pam Bondi should follow the lead of Pete Hegseth and change the name of the Department she runs. From the Department of Justice to the Department of Persecution.

Trump is already doing just that: Trump, Bessent struggle to defend easing of Iranian oil sanctions amid a war When the international nuclear agreement with Iran was completed in 2015, it opened the door to Iran gaining access to roughly $1.7 billion of its own money, which had been frozen by U.S. officials. At the time, Trump said allowing Iran to get such a cash infusion was “insane” and “ridiculous.” Roughly a decade later, the Republican administration is clearing the way for Iran to receive $14 billion in oil revenue, even as the U.S. wages war against the Middle Eastern country. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-bessent-struggle-defend-easing-192122629.html

Good thing that Trump didn't lift the ban on Iran selling oil already loaded into tankers. That payload is estimated currently to be worth about $14 billion. Oh...wait a minute...

In what can only be described as a prelude to cultural suicide Israeli lawmakers have done this: Bill expanding rabbinic and Sharia court systems passes into law 65-41 Following an hours-long opposition filibuster, a government-backed law significantly expanding the authority of the state’s rabbinic and Sharia court systems is passed into law by the Knesset, with 65 lawmakers voting in favor and 41 against. The bill, sponsored by the ultra-Orthodox Degel HaTorah and Shas parties, gives the religious tribunals the power to arbitrate civil disputes which are currently the purview of the secular court system. Rabbinical courts were allowed to act as arbitrators in financial disputes until 2006, when a court decision determined that they had no standing to do so. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/bill-expanding-rabbinic-and-sharia-court-systems-passes-into-law-65-41/ Clearly the Israelis don't understand that threat posed by Islamic masqueradiing. They need to learn from the good folks in Texas: Governor Abbott Signs Law Banning Sharia Compounds In Texas Governor Greg Abbott today ceremonially signed House Bill 4211 into law to ban residential property developments, like EPIC City, from creating Sharia compounds and defrauding and discriminating against Texans. The Governor also noted that the legislation he signed into law preserves religious freedom, a bedrock value of our great state, while also protecting against efforts to forcibly impose Sharia law onto Texans. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-signs-law-banning-sharia-compounds-in-texas Or from the wise people of Alabama: Islamic Academy of Alabama drops relocation plans after Islamaphobic pushback Following inflammatory remarks from Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the Islamic Academy of Alabama withdrew its relocation request to Hoover City Council. he Islamic Academy of Alabama has withdrawn its request to the Hoover City Council to relocate to a building in Meadow Brook Office Park after a week of Islamophobic pushback from locals and U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville... Following the Hoover Planning and Zoning Committee’s decision to deny IAA’s relocation from Homewood to Hoover, Tuberville asserted in an interview about the school that Islam “preaches hate” and instructs to “kill all infidels” and “kill all Christians.” Butler echoed similar rhetoric claiming that people “screaming to kill the infidel” or saying “Death to America” have “no place here.” The school has existed in the community for three decades, but Tuberville—the frontrunner to be the next governor of Alabama—said he would not allow Islamic schools in the state if elected. https://www.alreporter.com/2025/12/09/islamic-academy-of-alabama-drops-relocation-plans-after-islamaphobic-pushback/ It Doesn’t Need to Be Here’: The Right Vilifies a Muslim School in Alabama The school, the Islamic Academy of Alabama, has occupied the same small cinder block building in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood for the past three decades. It is considered one of the state’s highest-performing K-12 institutions, with graduation and college acceptance rates close to 100 percent. Located on the same campus where a school for Black children was burned down twice in the 1930s by the Ku Klux Klan, it had long gone without attracting controversy. https://archive.ph/wjphm https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/us/politics/muslims-alabama-islamic-school-republicans.html

I just wonder what the Iranians are going to do as the Expeditionary Force gets closer. I wonder if the Iranians are kicking themselves for not launching their attacks or at least threatening attacks before the US fleet arrived. Are they going to do nothing until the Marines get there? Or will they demonstrate that they have learned their lesson by threating destruction to infrastructure in the Gulf if the Expeditionary force passes a certain point? A line in the sand, so to speak.

I doubt that the Ashkenazi Jews will flee Israel on account of internal problems. The Jews of Ashkenazi descent in Israel aren't culturally tied to Ashkenazi Jews elsewhere. Except among the Haridim, who among them speaks Yiddish. For better or worse, they're Israelis now with their own distinct culture. If flight occurs, most likely it will be because of loss of support from the United States. And it won't be only those of Ashkenazi descent. Polls how this loss of support from Americans is happening rapidly. Even the younger generations of evangelicals mostly no longer support Israel.

That does make sense. Just like the negotiations that were taking place before the war was launched.

Russia is a minor exporter of rare earths. And even if it could send sizable amounts to the USA, there's a bottleneck there, too. The USA has a very limited ability to process rare earths. It's going to take years to remedy that deficiency.