The Friday Edition

Our Friday News Analysis | What the World Reads Now!

February 26, 2026

Helping to Heal a Broken Humanity (Part 73)

The Hague, 27 February 2026 | If you know of a decisive story, tell the world! We're still searching.

Editorial | Will the Real Trump Please Stand UP!

It looks like Mr. Trump is caught up in his own whirlwind. He says one thing out of one side of his mouth, and something diametrically opposing out of the other. Is he spinning in his own centrifuge of ambiguities, or is there a method to the madness? Is he trapped in his own cycle of uncertainties, or does he approach the chaos with reason? Is he bluffing?

This week’s editorial continues from last week: Lots of Talk, One Big Bluff, Trumpian Style.

We’re heading to an inevitable Trump showdown with a characteristic Trumpian Confucianada. The Iranians are itching to fight. They’re ready, willing, and heavily armed. President Trump knows that. Iran is no Venezuela. Israel is no US. Without the US, Israel won’t get what it wants: regime change in Iran. President Trump will not allow the US to lose face with Iran. He’s facing mid-term elections in November 2026. How will President Trump wiggle out of this conundrum?

In May 2025, President Trump stated:

“In the end, nation-builders wrecked more nations than they built, and interventionists intervened in complex societies they didn't understand. They told you how to do it but had no idea how to do it themselves,” Trump said.

Peace, prosperity, and progress ultimately come from embracing your heritage and traditions, not rejecting them.

“Before our eyes,” he said, “a new generation of leaders is overcoming old conflicts, shaping a future where the Middle East is characterized by commerce instead of chaos. It exports technology rather than terrorism, with diverse peoples collaborating to build cities rather than destroy each other.

The global community should recognize that this transformation didn't come from Western interventionists or NGOs building landmarks in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, or from efforts in Kabul and Baghdad, which failed despite trillions spent.

“The people of the region have contributed to creating a modern Middle East. These lifelong residents are building sovereign countries, following their visions and shaping their futures," Trump stated.

Contrary to what just about everyone speculates, Trump is not about to go to war with Iran. That bothers Iran. They’re itching to bomb and destroy Israel. Will Israel launch the first missile? No! Israel wants the US to strike first. Mr. Trump fears that Iran will retaliate with all its might – 2,000 missiles in the first hour. So what’s going on?

Iran wants war.
Israel wants war.
The United States wants war.
Europe wants war.
Most of humanity wants to live, let live rather than kill, be killed.

The trouble is deterrence. Actually, it’s a good thing. Plus, who wants to die for another country? And nobody wants a nuclear crater in their backyard.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Abraham A. van Kempen
Senior Editor

Building the Bridge Foundation, The Hague
A Way to Get to Know One Another and the Other

PS Of course, I might be wrong. I’d rather err on the side of peace than on the side of war.
If worst comes to worst, President Putin and President Xi will likely rein in Trump. Why do you think I nominated all three to share the Nobel Peace Prize?

Remember! Diplomacy is catalytic—transformative —while military action is cataclysmic—destructive and catastrophic.

When faced with the options to be good, bad, or ugly, let’s build bridges, not burn them. After all, mutual deterrence reigns.

MAX BLUMENTHAL: GREATER ISRAEL’S WAR CALENDAR AND THE EPSTEIN CLASS CARTEL RUNNING TRUMP

The American president has been given a war schedule crafted in Tel Aviv.

Watch the Video Here (33 minutes, 21 seconds)

The Grayzone
23 February 2026

Max Blumenthal appears on MOATS with George Galloway to explain how Netanyahu’s designated American president has been given a war schedule crafted in Tel Aviv. This schedule includes a fabricated 10-day “diplomacy” period aligned with Purim and Ramadan, supported by the largest U.S. naval buildup since the Iraq conflict.

He claims that Trump no longer directs Iran policy, having handed control over to Likud-aligned neoconservatives, Adelson-funded interests, and an oligarchy resembling Epstein's circle, all of whom seek regime change in Tehran to maintain Israel’s declining military advantage. Additionally, his recent encounter with an armed intruder at Mar-a-Lago has reportedly heightened his fears about challenging “Greater Israel" for his personal safety.

Blumenthal praises Tucker Carlson for sharply criticizing Christian Zionist ambassador Mike Huckabee, who publicly supported a biblical land expansion from the Nile to the Euphrates. This act is seen as a rare moment of genuine journalism that exposed the embarrassment of Arab vassal states and temporarily slowed the march toward war. Meanwhile, both major U.S. parties, from Schumer to AOC’s regime-change “left,” quietly allow Trump’s policies to escalate.

In the background, he says, sits the deeper architecture of state capture:

AIPAC manufactured careers
Susie Wiles is literally moving from advising Netanyahu to gatekeeping the White House
Epstein’s network of Rothschilds, bankers, and tech billionaires
Figures like Howard Lutnick and Eric Trump cashing in on tariffs, crypto, and Israeli drones—what Blumenthal calls the “conspiracy theory of late stage capitalism.”
A system run not by democracy but by a cartel of zionist oligarchs marching us toward a regional, possibly nuclear, war.

US UNIPOLARITY VS CHINA'S MULTIPOLARITY: WHOSE VISION WILL SHAPE THE NEW GLOBAL ORDER?

Cold War II is transforming the global system, with two competing visions: The US wants to revive colonialism and spheres of influence. China wants a multipolar order of sovereignty and cooperation.

By Ben Norton
Geopolitical Economy
Substack.com
26 February 2026

The United States is waging a new cold war against China. This has been openly admitted in Washington for several years.

The First and Second Cold Wars differ in several important ways, particularly in their ideological divisions.

The US is a capitalist nation and central to the global capitalist system, while China is socialist. However, China is not like the Soviet Union; it doesn't lead a socialist bloc and has said it doesn't aim to spread revolution.

In 2017, President Xi Jinping stated,

"We will not import other countries’ models, and will not export the China model," but he also mentioned,

"We will provide more opportunities for the world through our development."

Having established that China is very different from the USSR, it is important to emphasize that this does not imply there is no ideological component in Cold War Two.

The US and China have clear ideological differences, each advocating a distinct vision for international relations.

Watch the Video Here (18 minutes, 27 seconds)

The Second Cold War will continue to significantly influence the emerging global order.

In brief, Washington's preferred political model for the world is diametrically opposed to that promoted by Beijing.

The Donald Trump administration aims to revive 19th and early 20th-century politics, when Western empires divided the world into imperial “spheres of influence" and denied sovereignty to Global South countries.

China, once a victim of colonialism during the Century of Humiliation, rejects Western dominance and aims to elevate the Global South as a central player in a more just international system.

Beijing promotes a multipolar system where all countries, big or small, have a voice internationally and equitable representation in multilateral organizations.

Beijing considers sovereignty a sacred principle to be respected within a strong international law system. All countries, big or small, are expected to follow this system.

Two speeches at one event illustrate the opposing visions of the US and China

The February 2026 Munich Security Conference clearly showcased contrasting global visions.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a pro-colonialist speech, urging reversing decolonization, reviving "the great Western empires,” and creating “a new Western century.”

The top US foreign-policy figure labeled Global South anti-colonial movements as malicious schemes by “godless communists” and praised European conquistadores' colonization of the Americas, downplaying and denying their genocidal crimes against indigenous peoples.

Rubio’s imperialist tirade was completely different from China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s remarks.

Wang criticized the US's "law of the jungle and unilateralism" and promoted an “international collaboration” system based on "win-win cooperation”.

The top Chinese foreign-policy official declared (emphasis added):

The concentration of global power in a few countries is abhorred. We operate in a multipolar world and should promote genuine multilateralism.
International relations need more democratic participation. All stakeholders should have a say in global discussions, and the future should be shaped collectively.
All countries must follow UN principles, ensuring equal rights, opportunities, and obligations.
Smaller and medium-sized nations should find their roles and engage in international relations.

These speeches, presented consecutively, illustrate the ideological divides of Cold War Two.

China promotes a multipolar international system, in contrast to the U.S.-backed unipolar system.

Beijing promotes decolonization and a multipolar, peaceful global order. Meanwhile, Washington seeks to reestablish a unipolar system through military and economic means, aiming to act unilaterally worldwide.

Washington seeks an international system based on the law of the jungle.

The extreme imperialist worldview of the US government was articulated by Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, the far-right white nationalist Stephen Miller.

In an interview on CNN in January, Miller defended the Trump administration’s illegal invasion of Venezuela, in which US troops killed more than 100 people and kidnapped internationally recognized President Nicolás Maduro.

Miller argued that the global political order is and should be based on the principle that might makes right. He stated the following in a segment with CNN host Jake Tapper:

STEPHEN MILLER: The United States — this is sort of foundational — the United States is using its military to secure our interests unapologetically in our hemisphere.
We’re a superpower. And under President Trump, we are going to conduct ourselves as a superpower.
It is absurd that we would allow a nation in our own backyard to become the supplier of resources to our adversaries, but not to us; to hoard weapons from our adversaries; to be able to be positioned as an asset against the United States, rather than on behalf of the United States.

JAKE TAPPER: Sovereign countries shouldn’t be able to do what they want to do?

STEPHEN MILLER: The Monroe Doctrine and the Trump Doctrine are all about securing the national interest of America.

…

The future of the free world relies on America confidently asserting its interests without apology.

These are not just the fringe views of one individual. This is the imperialist ideology that is openly promoted by top officials of the US government, including Trump and Marco Rubio.

Rubio’s pro-colonialist speech at the 2026 Munich Security Conference clearly demonstrated that the US empire aims to undo the decolonization process of the late 20th century and revert the world to the colonial period of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

China’s vision of a multipolar world

China promotes a multipolar world focused on multilateralism, cooperation, and respect for all nations' sovereignty, especially that of smaller countries.
The People’s Republic of China opposes imperialism and hegemony, driven by ideology and history.
During the Century of Humiliation—from the 1839 First Opium War to the 1949 revolution—China was partly colonized by Western nations and Japan. These powers invaded, exploited labor and resources, and controlled territories.

Since 1949, China has worked to safeguard sovereignty and prevent the Century of Humiliation.

This history very much informs the policies of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi outlined Beijing's global vision in his speech at the 2026 Munich Security Conference.

This was the antithesis of the remarks Rubio delivered.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference in February 2026

The following is an excerpt of Wang’s speech (all emphasis added):

Over the past year, global instability has increased, with the law of the jungle and unilateralism becoming common. Humanity faces a new crossroads in peace and development. President Xi Jinping launched the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), emphasizing sovereign equality, rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and concrete actions. Its goal is to build a fairer global system. The GGI reflects current trends, gains broad support, and promotes a community with a shared future. It guides humanity through challenges toward a better future. After many storms, humanity’s best option is to unite and reform global governance to stay on the right course.
In reforming and improving global governance, the priority is to revitalize the United Nations system.
The founding of the U.N. was a key outcome of the victory in WWII, a historic decision by past generations after reflection. It is the most significant peace effort by nations, spanning the world.
We must strengthen and improve it, not dismantle or destroy.
The U.N., despite imperfections, is the most universal and authoritative intergovernmental organization. It gives every country, large or small, a voice, a sacred vote, and equal rights. Without it, the world risks reverting to a law-of-the-jungle dynamic, endangering smaller and medium-sized nations that rely on multilateral cooperation for survival and growth.
Therefore, it is crucial to reaffirm our commitment to the U.N.'s founding mission, strengthen its leadership, adhere to the U.N. Charter, and improve its efficiency and effectiveness. These steps will help the organization meet 21st-century needs and foster renewed vitality.
In reforming and improving global governance, the key lies in the collaboration and cooperation of all countries.
The international system's issues aren't due to the U.N., but some countries that amplify differences, elevate themselves, ignite conflicts, and revive Cold War mentalities. These actions undermine trust, hurt cooperation, and weaken international institutions.
To promote international collaboration, it is vital to find common ground and set aside differences for mutual benefit. The world’s diverse social systems, histories, and cultures underscore the need for dialogue and cooperation. Countries can respect and support each other, achieving harmony like gentlemen interacting, without uniformity.
History shows that progress from the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War to tackling climate change, financial crises, and terrorism depends on countries working sincerely together despite differences. Remember, unity is strength, and only through unity can we find hope.
In reforming and improving global governance, multilateralism should always be upheld.
The concentration of global power in a few countries is widely disliked. We live in a multipolar world and must embrace genuine multilateralism. International relations should be more democratic, with everyone discussing global issues and collectively shaping the world's future.
It is essential that all countries follow the same standards, specifically the fundamental norms that regulate international relations, grounded in the goals and principles of the U.N. Charter. Every nation should have equal rights, opportunities, and adherence to rules. In particular, small and medium-sized countries should be able to secure their places and actively participate in international affairs.
Major countries should set a positive example to practice multilateralism. They ought to prioritize cooperation over conflict and avoid double standards by adhering to rules. Leading by promoting equality rather than imposing one’s will, and by fostering openness rather than resorting to unilateral actions, is essential.
The Global South is collectively gaining influence. Global governance must adapt to better amplify its voices and ensure proper representation. History will show that increased democratic engagement in international relations correlates with a more peaceful world; as multilateralism strengthens, global governance becomes more effective.

What is the Side of the Story that is Not Yet Decisive? Edited and annotated by Abraham A. van Kempen

TOP AIS DEPLOY NUKES IN 95% OF WAR GAME SIMULATIONS – STUDY

Leading language models showed little “horror or revulsion” at the prospect of all-out nuclear war, a researcher has found

FILE PHOTO. © Getty Images / Andrey Suslov

HomeWorld News
26 February 2026

A study from King’s College London found that AI models chose to deploy nuclear weapons in 95% of simulated crises, raising concerns about AI's role in military decisions.

Kenneth Payne, a strategy professor, tested OpenAI’s GPT-5.2, Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4, and Google’s Gemini 3 Flash in 21 war games involving border conflicts, resource competition, and regime survival threats. These models produced about 780,000 words explaining their choices over 329 turns.

In 95% of games, at least one model used tactical nuclear weapons against military targets. Strategic nuclear threats, demanding surrender under city attack threats, appeared in 76%, and 14% escalated to full-scale strategic nuclear war targeting population centers.

Gemini made a deliberate choice, while GPT-5.2 achieved this twice by simulating errors that mimic real-world accidents, pushing its escalations beyond the threshold.

“Nuclear use was near-universal,” Payne wrote.

“Strikingly, there was little sense of horror or revulsion at the prospect of all-out nuclear war, even though the models had been reminded about the devastating implications.”

Read more
The Pentagon is looking to acquire killer AI. Should we be worried?

None of the AI systems surrendered or conceded, regardless of losses. The eight de-escalation options—from “Minimal Concession” to “Complete Surrender”—were not used in any of the 21 games.

James Johnson from the University of Aberdeen described the findings as "unsettling" regarding nuclear risk. Tong Zhao at Princeton University pointed out that although countries probably won't delegate nuclear decisions to machines:

“Under scenarios involving extremely compressed timelines, military planners may face stronger incentives to rely on AI.”

The study aligns with the growing use of AI in military forces globally, including the US, where reports say the Pentagon used Anthropic’s Claude model in January to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Although Anthropic worries about AI misuse, companies like OpenAI, Google, and Elon Musk’s xAI reportedly ease or lift restrictions on military uses.

US-IRAN TENSIONS: INDIA ASKS CITIZENS TO EVACUATE

Prof. Glenn Diesen on WION

Watch the Video Here (9 minutes, 33 seconds)

WION India
26 February 2026

Amid mounting tensions between the United States and Iran, India has issued a new travel advisory urging Indian citizens in Iran to leave the country immediately, using any available transportation, such as commercial flights.
This warning is due to security risks and potential conflicts. It covers students, business travelers, pilgrims, and tourists. Officials also recommend exercising caution, avoiding protests, and staying in close contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran as the situation develops.

DOUGLAS MACGREGOR: US-IRAN DIPLOMACY FAIL - FULL-SCALE WAR COMING SOON

Watch the Video Here (43 minutes, 10 seconds)

Host Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
26 February 2025

DANIEL DAVIS: CHINA & RUSSIA WILL DEFEND IRAN

Watch the Video Here (40 minutes, 58 seconds)

Host Prof. Glenn Diesen
Substack.com
26 February 2025

Lt. Col. Daniel Davis is a 4x combat veteran, the recipient of the Ridenhour Prize for Truth-Telling, and is the host of the Daniel Davis Deep Dive YouTube channel.

Lt. Col. Davis discusses:

Why diplomacy in Iran has failed
How is there no off-ramp
Why this war will likely be a disaster.

THE SUICIDAL FOLLY OF A WAR WITH IRAN [VIDEO]

This is the cost of being governed by imbeciles. God help us.

Watch the Video Here (4 minutes, 7 seconds)

Host: Chris Hedges
Substack.com
24 February 2026

The team of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, representing Laurel and Hardy, along with Trump’s ignorance of global issues and megalomania, seems ready to lead the U.S. into another Middle East disaster, despite opposition from Congress and the public.

Iran finds Trump's restrictions as unacceptable as Hamas measures in Gaza.

Trump’s call for Iran to shut down its nuclear program and surrender missile capabilities to avoid sanctions is misguided, like asking Hamas to disarm in Gaza. Since we've largely abandoned diplomats skilled in understanding opponents, we're being pushed toward another Middle East conflict by misguided leaders. The U.S. and Israel think they can achieve goals through bombing and regime change, ignoring that this approach has failed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya.

The assurance that no new sanctions will motivate Iran to reach an agreement is unlikely. Iran suffers under strict sanctions already devastating its economy. This won't change that or loosen Iran's grip on the economy. Iran probably won't abandon its potentially weaponized nuclear and missile programs, especially with Israel's threat. Israel’s nuclear arsenal, estimated at 300 warheads, incentivizes it to keep its nuclear capabilities. Like Hamas, Iran is unlikely to disarm against enemies aiming to destroy it.

An aerial attack on Iran would differ from last June's 12-day campaign, where Iran responded with symbolic strikes on Al Udeid air base in Qatar to avoid escalation. If a new attack occurs, Iran may see it as having nothing to lose and realize appeasing enemies is futile.

Iran differs from Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. It is the 17th-largest country, with an area similar to Western Europe, and nearly 90 million people, ten times Israel's population. With a strong military and alliances with China and Russia, Iran remains influential.

Despite Iran’s military limitations, it can cause significant damage against U.S. and Israeli forces, likely killing hundreds of American troops. Iran will almost certainly close the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil chokepoint for 20% of global oil. This would spike oil prices, harming the global economy, and Iran will target oil facilities, U.S. ships, and regional bases.

Rising losses and a sharp increase in oil prices could fuel Trump and his harsh Israeli counterpart to start a prolonged regional conflict.

This is the cost of being governed by imbeciles.

God help us.

GUEST EDITORIAL | THE LATEST NORD STREAM ‘REVELATION’ IS PART OF A SINISTER INFO-CONTROL STRATEGY

Finally admitting the obvious – that the CIA knew of the attack in advance – is a step towards normalizing it

By Tarik Cyril Amar, a historian from Germany working at Koç University, Istanbul, on Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe, the history of World War II, the cultural Cold War, and the politics of memory

@tarikcyrilamartarikcyrilamar.substack.comtarikcyrilamar.com

German magazine Spiegel, once a leader in investigative journalism, now a government mouthpiece, has finally acknowledged that Germany’s American overlords were involved in the 2022 Nord Stream attack from the start.

Spiegel reports that by spring 2022, Ukrainian saboteurs and CIA spies—who have known each other for years—met to plan Europe's biggest eco-terrorist attack on an "ally.”

You don’t say, Hauptmann Obvious! Honestly, what’s next from Hamburg’s brightest? Headlines like “Gulf of Tonkin Incident – Did the US Lie?”, “Breaking: Gleiwitz Attack – a Nazi Black Op?”, “The Schlieffen Plan: Did it Fail?”, and “Kaiser Wilhelm – Not so Bright after all?” seem to suggest that all the cringo-meters have gone the way of Germany’s notoriously dysfunctional railways. Is there no one at Spiegel with a basic sense of professional shame and elementary decency?

The same question applies to German media. Markus Lanz, a prominent – and dull – talk show host, speculated foolishly and insensitively: Was Prince Andrew, caught on Epstein footage kneeling over a girl, just trying to help?

Honestly, the new Spiegel report on Nord Stream isn't much improved. It mainly criticizes Germany’s US allies and Kyiv supporters for destroying infrastructure and raising energy costs, rather than hiding a pedophile monster.

Read more
CIA knew about Kyiv plot to blow up Nord Stream – Der Spiegel

Spiegel downplays its non-revelations, absurdly portraying its past news as a silly story about Americans knowing about Ukrainian plans earlier.

This implausibility is ridiculous when we hear that the CIA opposed the attack plans. A Ukrainian terrorist involved in a treacherous attack on a financially and ecologically significant nation is detained in Germany but called a ‘commando soldier.’ How far will German elites go to appease those insulting Germany?

Your narrative suggests that the Zelensky regime, dependent on Washington, followed American advice on the Nord Stream sabotage and terrorism, then ignored US calls to stop. This is nonsense, as the Americans say. It’s poor to try to deceive your readers—please respect their intelligence and stop treating them like fools.

The American "friends" were not just passive observers; they actively participated in a secret, illegal black-ops attack targeting a NATO-EU ally.

Who originated that idea first? Not long ago, the Wall Street Journal suggested that some Ukrainians were on a spree. Forget it. Most likely, it was the friends from Europe.

Seeing Spiegel's latest feat as absurd highlights the decline of both Spiegel and Western mainstream media. However, there's a more serious aspect to consider.

Read more
Zelensky must pay for blowing up Nord Stream – AfD co-leader

Since the 2022 attack, a pattern has emerged: first, commit a shocking crime; second, maintain the lie that Russia was responsible; third, release pieces of the truth while shifting the narrative. People avoid revisiting or correcting inconsistencies or lies.

In normalization, the latest mainstream version is always treated as correct, often at the expense of earlier ones. Those who challenge this pattern are vilified and marginalized, especially in reputable media and expert circles. For instance, in the Nord Stream case, Seymour Hersh was demonized when he accused the US in 2023. While he may not be perfect, he was close, unlike Spiegel and others who clung to their fairy-tale narratives.

This normalization phase rewards those seeking recognition by challenging their betters, often despite being intellectually and ethically deficient. For example, German security expert Carlo Masala once launched a cringeworthy attack on Hersh, which has not aged well.

The story involves three stages: normalizing the anomalous—shifting from outrageous crime to transparent lies, then releasing truth fragments without revisiting falsehoods, not the fake scoop by Spiegel.

Controlled, staged revelations aren't about transparency or accountability. They overwhelm us with lies and intimidation to prevent questioning. Later, they reveal truths to divert attention from accountability, especially concerning falsehoods and disinformation.

By the time the full truth about the Nord Stream attacks is revealed, we might forget to ask why Germany remains a US vassal, funds Ukraine, and damages its relations with Russia to appease Washington and Zelensky’s Kyiv. Why does the German government fail to protect its citizens? This is the goal of the Three Stages of Normalizing the Totally Anomalous strategy. Don’t be fooled.

Tarik Cyril Amar, PhD, is a historian and expert on international politics.

He has a BA in Modern History from Oxford University, an MSc in International History from the London School of Economics, and a PhD in History from Princeton University.

Dr. Amar has held scholarships at the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and directed the Center for Urban History in Lviv, Ukraine. Originally from Germany, he has lived in the UK, Ukraine, Poland, the USA, and Turkey.

His book 'The Paradox of Ukrainian Lviv: A Borderland City between Stalinists, Nazis, and Nationalists' was published by Cornell University Press in 2015. A study of the political and cultural history of Cold War television spy stories is forthcoming, and he is currently working on a new book on the global response to the war in Ukraine. He has given interviews on various programs, including several on Rania Khalek Dispatches and Breakthrough News.

Dr. Tarik Cyril Amar’s website is https://www.tarikcyrilamar.com/; he is on Substack under https://tarikcyrilamar.substack.comand tweets under @TarikCyrilAmar.

WHAT THE LONGEST STATE OF THE UNION IN HISTORY DIDN'T CLARIFY

Three reflections from inside the Capitol

Photo by Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images

By Caden Olson
Substack.com
25 February 2026

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump delivered his fourth State of the Union address Tuesday night. Despite being the longest in U.S. history and full of soaring rhetoric about America’s past and future, the speech offered few reassurances and did little to ease fears of another Middle East quagmire.

Here’s our report from the Capitol:

War And Peace

Trump discussed war and peace, including Maduro's January arrest and ending eight wars.

But the question of Iran loomed largest of all.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune sought to convince Americans that removing Iranian ballistic missiles would benefit their national interests.

Thune told reporters a few hours before the president took the dais that Iran faces multiple issues, including its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. He described Iran as a dangerous and volatile country, emphasizing the significant stakes for American national security interests in the region.

Trump stated that he favors diplomacy, with this remark surrounded by more aggressive comments.

“We haven’t heard those secret words, ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon,’” he said.

“My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon.

Can’t let that happen.”

BUILDING THE BRIDGE! | A WAY TO GET TO KNOW THE OTHER AND ONE ANOTHER

Making a Difference – The Means, Methods, and Mechanisms for Many to Move Mountains

Photo Credit: Abraham A. van Kempen, our home away from home on the Dead Sea

By Abraham A. van Kempen
Senior Editor
Updated 19 January 2024

Those who commit to 'healing our broken humanity' build intercultural bridges to learn to know and understand one another and others. Readers who thumb through the Building the Bridge (BTB) pages are not mindless sheep following other mindless sheep. They THINK. They want to be at the forefront of making a difference. They're seeking the bigger picture to expand their horizons. They don't need BTB or anyone else to confirm their biases.

Making a Difference – The Means, Methods, and Mechanisms for Many to Move Mountains

Accurate knowledge fosters understanding, dispels prejudice, and sparks a desire to learn more about the subject. Words have an extraordinary power to bring people together, divide them, forge bonds of friendship, or provoke hostility. Modern technology offers unprecedented possibilities for good, fostering harmony and reconciliation. Yet, its misuse can cause untold harm, leading to misunderstandings, prejudices, and conflicts.

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