I stand with Ukraine! I stand with the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and the hostages held by Hamas! I stand with a Gaza freed of Hamas! And I stand with Israel freed of Netanyahu, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.
I strongly recommend this podcast. This episode of "Ask Haviv Anything" is absolutely incredible! One of the most informative and enlightening I have ever heard. Haviv Rettig Gur interviews Aimen Dean, who as a Jihadist fought in Bosnia, in Afghanistan and in many other countries. Aimen’s journey is fascinating!
DESCRIPTION: Aimen Dean was once a fervent young jihadi fighter, a passionate believer in radical Sunni Islam who had memorized the Quran by 12 and was fighting in the Bosnian jihad by 16.
Haviv talked to Aimen about the religious and psychological journey of a young jihadi, his experiences in the wars in Bosnia and Chechnya, his recruitment by Bin Laden himself in the mountains of Afghanistan, and his sudden and powerful disillusionment, both political and religious, that led him to become an MI6 spy in Al Qaeda's ranks.
They talked about present-day Islam, the "deradicalization" that Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa (Jolani) underwent in recent years. They also talked about why he thinks it's time to end Western experiments in reforming Middle Eastern governance and fall back on what he sees as the most natural and inclusive form of government for the region: the paternalistic monarchy.
A shout out of praise to the governments of South Africa and Ireland who - in December of 2023 at the ICJ -- forthrightly called out their concerns of a genocide in the works. The US's cutting off aid to UNRWA in early 2024 foreshadowed the current regime's cuts to USAID.
You write, "We will fight to block the rancid and dangerous expansion of ICE, and stand against the creation of an unaccountable domestic political police force loyal to only to our leader and his party and not to the Constitution and the American people." I believe this is of the utmost importance. Giving Trump his own SS troops so that he can use them to overturn the 2026 election results and worse is a very bad idea. Very bad. I've been urging my representatives, in my daily calls, to do whatever can be done to stop this. We can't give him this tool and then be surprised when he uses it. Vance told us it was THE one thing they really wanted out of the terrible bill.
I'd love to get a better understanding of what can be done during the upcoming budget fight. Shouldn't we be willing to shut down the government over this?
i think the only way to stop this horse that has left the barn is to kill the funding. $50K bonus to get hired! they are assembling an army who already does not abide by laws, due process nor court orders. you know to be in this country illegally is not a felony. only jay walking misdemeanor. and look at the armed trucks and armed men, tasers, etc. the people they are detaining are not armed. they are on roofs, at home depot, landscaping, in court. why hasnt DHS publicized a list of all the horrible gang/cartel members they have arrested? where is that information? that takes work. they are not sitting ducks. they have resources. they are armed.
I feel the same way Tina when I call my Texas guys at the federal level and just as dismayed by the county elected officials, all Republicans attached to trump.
Grateful for what you do. I call, but I'm in CA and it's very different. However, you have an opportunity to make more of a difference than I do, given that you are dealing w the GOP. Hopefully that can be motivating.
I stand for those things too. I also stand with a return to values, decorum, honesty, truth, justice and cooperation so everyone wins and not just one group. I hope I see it before I die (and I am approaching 80), but am not sure I will sadly.
Great, Simon. A question on phrasing - T's rancid ICE force, "loyal to our leader" would you consider perhaps a different phrasing - loyal to the executive personally [?] or the like?
I stand with Ukraine, the fight for democracy and American leadership worldwide in supporting democracy, human rights, and free trade. Fuck ICE. Trump, Putin, and Netanhayu can go to hell.
I had a strange experience yesterday while listening to Michael Steele in his excellent interview with Simon. During the middle of the interview, I suddenly heard Steele's words (loudly spoken, just in my head):
IT'S THE DEMOCRACY, STUPID!
It was eery, almost as if I had been channelling James Carville's declaration about the economy. But, these four words sum it up for me right now.
I stand with Ukraine as well. But my declaration as one citizen may not matter if Trump, the majority of the Senate, and the majority of the House of Representatives, enabled by the Supreme Court's inaction and the Ineffectiveness of any War Powers Act of history or still in force.
We know what Trump is going to do. Ukraine knows what Trump is going to do? NATO and our European allies know what Trump is going to do? What I don't know, beyond sending useless messages to my Republican senators and Republican representative, is what can I do that will stop the boulder from rolling down the mountain and burying our village of people who care about Ukraine, true peace, and the rule of law. I will work for GOTV efforts and support candidates, but what will stop Trump from selling out America once again? We have known this was coming.
"What I don't know, beyond sending useless messages to my Republican senators and Republican representative, is what can I do that will stop the boulder from rolling down the mountain."
Thanks for your response, but this posting is only for paid subscribers, what is the unpaid part is a lament that more Democrats are not paying attention to the author's posts and that Democrats are losing heart. I'll consider subscribing for a short time to get the post, but I'm kind of tapped our right now, and this intro is not encouraging. I appreciate your response and will likely take a shot, however.
Free subscribers can read the chat, but cannot post their own comments or participate in the live zoom on Wed. nights that is available on Thurs. I hope you will continue to support Hopium Chronicles.
Thank you, Jane. Your imagery of a boulder brought back a wonderful thought of my father -- of blessed memory -- when I was about 5 or 6. We were driving through a large metro park (Detroit) and I spotted a few large boulders on the side of a hill. I pointed to the biggest one and asked him:
"Dad, can 5 people lift that boulder?" "No... impossible."
"How about 10 people?" ... "No. Way too big."
"How about 100 people?" .... His answer, which I could not understand at the time:
"Maybe, but they could not get around it."
Like you, I am in a red state. The boulders that need to be dealt with are nowhere near us.
I was worried about this census post he put up but realize it’s probably nothing. But it made me think we’re in Stop the Steal again and this will go on until the midterms. But it helped me to remember he *lost* Stop the Steal last time. He was president then too. It’s hard to stay the course but I think it will be worth it.
Maybe on the Ukraine question, we can break through the MAGA information curtain with Putin's child-trafficking catalogue ... I am doing searches on every search engine I can find with "Putin child trafficker", and getting plenty of hits. Given that this is an issue that seems to resonate?
Quick update on this: there is some weird stuff, likely misinformation, woven through the more reliable hits on a topic like this. So be careful before you click. However I interpret the misinfo effort as a sign that it is in fact an issue on which the Tsar is vulnerable, like his fanboy on this side of the Pacific.
Thanks for your diligence and investigative rigor on this Alberta Mom. Putin is probably not vulnerable but Trumps deference to him and his clear role as Putin's lap dog will hurt if there is anything to Putin's involvement in trafficking. Any angle that diminishes the legitimacy of either tyrant is fair game.
I still worry how Trump will declare that the wars over just because he and Putin have agreed to fork. over eastern Ukraine. The Europeans will have to step up we will have to do what we can to shame Putin's enablers in the Republican Party. We must stand in support of Zelensky. Trump will do everythin he can to oust him.
Great statement - and let us also stand for our federal workers being targeted and scapegoated. Something like 200,000 kicked out of the government so far, which will be a HUGE issue in the Virginia election, where so many current or ex-federal workers, plus their friends, neighbors and family live. See this appalling story about how MAGA thugs are targeting career civil servants for harassment, by name: https://www.reuters.com/investigations/pro-trump-group-wages-campaign-purge-subversive-federal-workers-2025-08-07/
I stand with Ukraine.
I stand with Ukraine, too.
I stand with Ukraine.
I stand with Ukraine and Palestine.
I stand with Ukraine! I stand with the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia and the hostages held by Hamas! I stand with a Gaza freed of Hamas! And I stand with Israel freed of Netanyahu, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.
INTERVIEW WITH A FORMER AL QAEDA FIGHTER
I strongly recommend this podcast. This episode of "Ask Haviv Anything" is absolutely incredible! One of the most informative and enlightening I have ever heard. Haviv Rettig Gur interviews Aimen Dean, who as a Jihadist fought in Bosnia, in Afghanistan and in many other countries. Aimen’s journey is fascinating!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-34-my-life-in-al-qaeda-a-conversation-with-aimen-dean/id1794590850?i=1000720959053
DESCRIPTION: Aimen Dean was once a fervent young jihadi fighter, a passionate believer in radical Sunni Islam who had memorized the Quran by 12 and was fighting in the Bosnian jihad by 16.
Haviv talked to Aimen about the religious and psychological journey of a young jihadi, his experiences in the wars in Bosnia and Chechnya, his recruitment by Bin Laden himself in the mountains of Afghanistan, and his sudden and powerful disillusionment, both political and religious, that led him to become an MI6 spy in Al Qaeda's ranks.
They talked about present-day Islam, the "deradicalization" that Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa (Jolani) underwent in recent years. They also talked about why he thinks it's time to end Western experiments in reforming Middle Eastern governance and fall back on what he sees as the most natural and inclusive form of government for the region: the paternalistic monarchy.
A shout out of praise to the governments of South Africa and Ireland who - in December of 2023 at the ICJ -- forthrightly called out their concerns of a genocide in the works. The US's cutting off aid to UNRWA in early 2024 foreshadowed the current regime's cuts to USAID.
And the U.S. freed of right wing christian nationalists.
Amen.
I stand with you on all of the above 💪
Brilliant, Simon!
You write, "We will fight to block the rancid and dangerous expansion of ICE, and stand against the creation of an unaccountable domestic political police force loyal to only to our leader and his party and not to the Constitution and the American people." I believe this is of the utmost importance. Giving Trump his own SS troops so that he can use them to overturn the 2026 election results and worse is a very bad idea. Very bad. I've been urging my representatives, in my daily calls, to do whatever can be done to stop this. We can't give him this tool and then be surprised when he uses it. Vance told us it was THE one thing they really wanted out of the terrible bill.
I'd love to get a better understanding of what can be done during the upcoming budget fight. Shouldn't we be willing to shut down the government over this?
We should
i think the only way to stop this horse that has left the barn is to kill the funding. $50K bonus to get hired! they are assembling an army who already does not abide by laws, due process nor court orders. you know to be in this country illegally is not a felony. only jay walking misdemeanor. and look at the armed trucks and armed men, tasers, etc. the people they are detaining are not armed. they are on roofs, at home depot, landscaping, in court. why hasnt DHS publicized a list of all the horrible gang/cartel members they have arrested? where is that information? that takes work. they are not sitting ducks. they have resources. they are armed.
I call my corrupt Florida legislators but it leaves me shaking with anger and fear it is not good for my mental health.
I feel the same way Tina when I call my Texas guys at the federal level and just as dismayed by the county elected officials, all Republicans attached to trump.
Grateful for what you do. I call, but I'm in CA and it's very different. However, you have an opportunity to make more of a difference than I do, given that you are dealing w the GOP. Hopefully that can be motivating.
I stand with Ukraine!!! 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦💔
I stand for those things too. I also stand with a return to values, decorum, honesty, truth, justice and cooperation so everyone wins and not just one group. I hope I see it before I die (and I am approaching 80), but am not sure I will sadly.
In 200 days trump has destroyed America.
He is destructive, but We the People will never let maga destroy Our Country.
The return to decent human values is imperative. Locker room talk is both boring and juvenile. Not helpful.
Great, Simon. A question on phrasing - T's rancid ICE force, "loyal to our leader" would you consider perhaps a different phrasing - loyal to the executive personally [?] or the like?
You asked, Simon, are you with me proud American patriots? Yes, absolutely, yes!
Agree with all four missions.
btw, speaking of positivity, ran across this statement by Mallory McMorrow re: her concept of the new American Dream
reposted by fred wellman
https://nitter.poast.org/JessicaTarlov/status/1953935042901647849#m
Mallory McMorrow is tops! 🫶🏼 I wish I could vote for her.
I live for the day McMorrow is on a national ticket.
Yes, Bee! Even her name has an optimistic ring to it. Mallory McMorrow … for the Children of Tomorrow! I love her.
I stand with Ukraine, the fight for democracy and American leadership worldwide in supporting democracy, human rights, and free trade. Fuck ICE. Trump, Putin, and Netanhayu can go to hell.
I had a strange experience yesterday while listening to Michael Steele in his excellent interview with Simon. During the middle of the interview, I suddenly heard Steele's words (loudly spoken, just in my head):
IT'S THE DEMOCRACY, STUPID!
It was eery, almost as if I had been channelling James Carville's declaration about the economy. But, these four words sum it up for me right now.
I stand with Ukraine as well. But my declaration as one citizen may not matter if Trump, the majority of the Senate, and the majority of the House of Representatives, enabled by the Supreme Court's inaction and the Ineffectiveness of any War Powers Act of history or still in force.
We know what Trump is going to do. Ukraine knows what Trump is going to do? NATO and our European allies know what Trump is going to do? What I don't know, beyond sending useless messages to my Republican senators and Republican representative, is what can I do that will stop the boulder from rolling down the mountain and burying our village of people who care about Ukraine, true peace, and the rule of law. I will work for GOTV efforts and support candidates, but what will stop Trump from selling out America once again? We have known this was coming.
"What I don't know, beyond sending useless messages to my Republican senators and Republican representative, is what can I do that will stop the boulder from rolling down the mountain."
here's another good resource: https://substack.com/home/post/p-170503918
Thanks for your response, but this posting is only for paid subscribers, what is the unpaid part is a lament that more Democrats are not paying attention to the author's posts and that Democrats are losing heart. I'll consider subscribing for a short time to get the post, but I'm kind of tapped our right now, and this intro is not encouraging. I appreciate your response and will likely take a shot, however.
Free subscribers can read the chat, but cannot post their own comments or participate in the live zoom on Wed. nights that is available on Thurs. I hope you will continue to support Hopium Chronicles.
Thanks.
Thank you, Jane. Your imagery of a boulder brought back a wonderful thought of my father -- of blessed memory -- when I was about 5 or 6. We were driving through a large metro park (Detroit) and I spotted a few large boulders on the side of a hill. I pointed to the biggest one and asked him:
"Dad, can 5 people lift that boulder?" "No... impossible."
"How about 10 people?" ... "No. Way too big."
"How about 100 people?" .... His answer, which I could not understand at the time:
"Maybe, but they could not get around it."
Like you, I am in a red state. The boulders that need to be dealt with are nowhere near us.
I was worried about this census post he put up but realize it’s probably nothing. But it made me think we’re in Stop the Steal again and this will go on until the midterms. But it helped me to remember he *lost* Stop the Steal last time. He was president then too. It’s hard to stay the course but I think it will be worth it.
Maybe on the Ukraine question, we can break through the MAGA information curtain with Putin's child-trafficking catalogue ... I am doing searches on every search engine I can find with "Putin child trafficker", and getting plenty of hits. Given that this is an issue that seems to resonate?
Quick update on this: there is some weird stuff, likely misinformation, woven through the more reliable hits on a topic like this. So be careful before you click. However I interpret the misinfo effort as a sign that it is in fact an issue on which the Tsar is vulnerable, like his fanboy on this side of the Pacific.
Thanks for your diligence and investigative rigor on this Alberta Mom. Putin is probably not vulnerable but Trumps deference to him and his clear role as Putin's lap dog will hurt if there is anything to Putin's involvement in trafficking. Any angle that diminishes the legitimacy of either tyrant is fair game.
I still worry how Trump will declare that the wars over just because he and Putin have agreed to fork. over eastern Ukraine. The Europeans will have to step up we will have to do what we can to shame Putin's enablers in the Republican Party. We must stand in support of Zelensky. Trump will do everythin he can to oust him.
Great statement - and let us also stand for our federal workers being targeted and scapegoated. Something like 200,000 kicked out of the government so far, which will be a HUGE issue in the Virginia election, where so many current or ex-federal workers, plus their friends, neighbors and family live. See this appalling story about how MAGA thugs are targeting career civil servants for harassment, by name: https://www.reuters.com/investigations/pro-trump-group-wages-campaign-purge-subversive-federal-workers-2025-08-07/
Disgusting.