164 Comments
User's avatar
Steve Crabtree's avatar

Wow! You’re applying theory of yesteryear to the reality of today and it’s almost a matter of over idealism. My first impulse was to cancel receipt of such babble. But I won’t so I can keep my finger on the pulse of delusional thinking that is being disseminated. Deeply disappointed in such a divisive diatribe.

Phil Davis's avatar

You are completely swept up by Neocon propaganda. Endless wars do not make a great nation. Yet, that is exactly what you and others fall for every single time. It's imbecilic. Tell us, what war by the Neocons has the US won? The answer is zero. Yet, those wars are the reason the US is in 37 trillion in debt, we are still paying interest on war from WW1 till today, and now we will spend another 2-3 trillion on Iran.

How many lives have been lost because of Neocon hatred? How much of society's infrastructure has been ruthlessly destroyed? And for what? What has it gained America? We have lost sons, daughters, husbands, wives, grandchildren, and on and on, yet no Neocon or their families pick up a weapon and fight.

Are you really this blinded by Neocon hatred? Can you not think outside the box that corporate narrative framers have built?

History has proven that empires die because of endless wars.

Paul Ashley's avatar

"Endless wars do not make a great nation."

Six days makes an endless war?

Phil Davis's avatar

About six weeks after the Iraq invasion, Bush Jr on May 1, 2003, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and gave the famous announcement for the "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq.

The United States officially completed the withdrawal of military forces from Iraq on December 18, 2011, ending a nearly nine-year conflict. While combat troops left in 2011, U.S. forces later returned in 2014 to fight ISIS.

RoseMartyn's avatar

And who is the quietest most effective neocon in the administration? My money is on grandma who is the gatekeeper….

pretty-red, old guy's avatar

I agree and second this one. Additionally. . .

Heeeeerrrrreee we are one week. . .

into this battle for Iranian citizen liberty(John, they are celebrating in the streets-- both here and in Iran);

into this end run around China(note Iran and Venezuela are their prime sub-market OIL suppliers);

into this Russian war machine neutering project(note: Russian no longer has a prime drone supplier / designer; no longer has a good source of oil sales.) . . . and,

YOU are impatient that Trumpie will pull the nuke trigger and bring about Armageddon.

Come on man!

Roisin Dubh's avatar

Please give the other side of the argument.

Tom Welsh's avatar

There really isn't one.

Roisin Dubh's avatar

Hmmm....in a debate, one can always rustle up a counterargument.

Anonymiss's avatar

consider this a laughing emoji

Lance Dubea's avatar

This an insane take. Are you even watching what’s going on? Have you not witnessed the terror the Iranian regime has poured throughout the world the last 47 years? Have you not seen Iranian people over the world cheering what is happening? Did you not see the regime kill 35000 of their own people in the last few months? Did you not witness what Iranian funded Hamas did on October 7 a couple years ago to Israel? You need to see someone about your Trump derangement! Appeasement will not work with a leadership that pushes for death to America, death to Israel. It’s convert to Islam or die…. Our world will be so much safer and better off once that garbage is gone. Ridiculous…😞

Antonia Lhamo's avatar

extraordinary,

you have believed every lie told to you, now please take a look. what country has Iran invaded? how many hundreds of thousands have the Israelis killed and continue killing?

Inisfad's avatar

The Islamic radicals (IRGC) have been the sponsors of just about every terrorist campaign and cell, worldwide. There is a reason why even the Arab countries have now joined Israel to dismantle this regime.

Lance Dubea's avatar

I gave very specific example. Can you do the same? Can you point to a time that Israel wasn’t responding to an attack by others? You do understand that Iran, Hamas, Hezbola don’t want to live in peace with Israel? They want to eradicate them. You do understand that is their stated objective…

Donna's avatar

What? Iran didn't do anything- The US reigned terror ( among sovereign nations. ) Do you watch the mainstream news? God. They are lying. Don't know that.

Here; a little bit of truth;

https://no01.substack.com/p/march-4-paint-by-missiles

Paint by Missiles

Wow-Iran has the upper hand. Trump is delusional. God. Give it up. Wow. Iran is doing SO good! 👏🏻👍🏻

Phil Davis's avatar

John, you are absolutely correct. Any followers you lose by this post will be worth it, you've spoken truthfully. You have challenged the Neocon propaganda, which is the same diatribe regarding any war or conflict.

The US government does nothing that benefits the average person, the majority. Defense contractors, their shareholders, and their CEOs are making money. Politicians make illegal financial gains by supporting war. Yet the fighting is always done by the average person. No Neocon or their family fights.

Our national debt is due to endless wars. We destroy families both in America and in the countries we bomb. The Neocons have persuaded those who hate your comments that this is acceptable. One hundred and thirty school girls murdered by US bombs is a matter of war, and is written off by deliberate Neocon propaganda.

Great countries do not engage in endless wars. I am terribly disappointed by Trump. He supports COVID shots, poison sprayed on food crops, and now another endless war. He's a liar and murderer. I'm sick that I used to like him.

You supporters of this war, you will be licking your wounds in the future when you come to realize the wisdom of John's post today. Just as you did with WMD, another Neocon lie. Have you forgotten already?

John Leake's avatar

Thank you!

PharmedOUT's avatar

“Covid” is the BIG “elephant in the room” for me regarding Trump, too. I guess I should mention I was glad Harris did not get in there, but at this point, does it MATTER?! (“Uni-party,” and “Deep State” narratives) ..and, I cannot stress that enough. (the current administration’s silence on this issue) ..Also, if one reads “Covid-19 And The Global Predators: We Are The Prey,” by Dr. Peter Breggin, with his award winning journalist wife, Ginger Breggin, where there are THREE introductions to the book by Dr. Peter McCullough, Dr. Elizabeth Vliet, and Dr. Vladimir “Zev” Zelenko (he has passed away, sometime ago now, due to his own cattle with Cancer, since the book was published, early Fall 2021) ..I SO wish that book had been published a little earlier, and I had known about it, because I would not have made some mis-guided decisions based on the HUGE amount of LIES, and propaganda that “the powers that be” which used the media so effectively to produce fear on a very unsuspecting public, all over the world — along with the TRUTH about the deadly hospital protocols (“Remdesivir,” and ventilators), STILL has not come to full public awareness (Fauci has been pardoned, BEFORE even being charged), a supposed “auto-pen scandal,” now seemingly silenced (financially incentivized, deadly hospital protocols, at the height of this hoax), nor that in this book “Operation Warp Speed” (getting these deadly biological weapons shots ready), had been going on for YEARS (with Bill Gates, and others involved in all of that, for YEARS) ..Also, after what RFK, Jr., wrote, the book about Fauci, etc., before assuming his current position, one wonders if he’s “been absorbed” unwantedly, or if larger powers are “tying his hands.” I see John’s point in this article, BUT I see other people’s point of view, from reading a lot of the comments, as well. How the F**K does ANYONE know what is REALLY going on (pardon my “french”), with ANYTHING anymore? I know I have been very seriously injured, due to mis-guided decisions I made in 2021, and there is “no going back.” (I was on the phone again TODAY with a doctor’s office, due to ramifications of bad decisions I made in 2021, because of LIES — and, here it is 2026) ..Take all of that, and add that in with what I consider crimes by Bill Gates, and his supposed eugenics, and supposed depopulation agenda, along with the nefarious “World Economic Forum,” among other “powers” where we don’t EVEN know their names ..and, that leaves me with “GOD ONLY KNOWS” what the TRUTH is, OR of “their end game,” along with their “Agenda 2030” supposed plans, etc. So, again, the current administration is too silent about the apparent democide at the beginning of this hoax (“Covid”), except for one online post he (Trump) made sometime last year supposedly asking for someone to clear things up for him concerning these “shots.” (I am paraphrasing there, as his post was quite lengthy, on “Truth Social,” of which I do not partake) ..I BELIEVE NOTHING ..and, I TRUST NO ONE !!

Patricia GR's avatar

You need to read "The Iranian Ink Blot" substack by El Gato Malo. Getting rid of these evil men needed to be done. And Thank God we have a leader who will do it. I think you are mistaking self-confidence for narcissism in this case. Joe Biden in his day was a true narcissist. Donald Trump is a savvy businessman who has survived myriads of attacks. If he doesn't end this part of the Axis of Evil, who would?

Deborah's avatar

Laugh Way out Loud! Savvy businessman? Why, because you believe what you simply "read" with no proof? You do have proof that all his endeavors failed and bankrupted. Have you read that? Even lied about the height of his NYC Tower. Another sign of a narcissist is that they inflate their accomplishments. Everything this Narc does is the best, the biggest, the greatest, the most blah blah blah. And what doofe convinced you that a businessman is what the US needs as president? Since it has really become the United Corporation of America, perhaps the idiotic assumption of a businessman or woman makes sense.

Susan Crane's avatar

Amen! The description of narcissism is the best I've seen, being an advocate of Carl Jung who understood human nature better than anyone.

Patricia GR's avatar

Well, probably because I ran a corporation myself.

Patricia GR's avatar

Probably because I ran a multi million dollar corporation myself.

Donna's avatar

https://no01.substack.com/p/march-4-paint-by-missiles

Paint by Missiles

Wow-Iran has the upper hand. Trump is delusional. God. Give it up. Wow. Iran is doing SO good! 👏🏻👍🏻

Elaine's avatar

This war against Iran, who hates America and threatens us ever year for over decade, would wipe us out with the first nuclear warhead they produce, has only been going on one week! Maybe wait until it concludes before writing such negativity and throwing our president under the bus for the world to read? You disappoint me, John Leake, and if it wasn't for Dr. MCullough, I would drop my subscription! Do better!

sandy's avatar

John, I would like to see you interview Dr. Rima Laibow to explore this topic since she is a practicing psychiatrist of many years and Dr. Peter Breggin, another very experienced Psychiatrist. I suspect they will have different opinions about President T as a narcissist, so interviewing them at the same time should be insightful. They both write on Substack.

frogleif's avatar

Narcissist this and Narcissist that, almost like how the left is throwing the nazi label around. Psychiatry and psychology are in many ways blunt pseudo-sciences, yawn, let's look forward to the next woke take xD

RoseMartyn's avatar

I don’t know ANYONE of my neighbors or relatives of any religion or political stripe who wants war with Iran. Pretty much everyone thinks this is madness. But what do we do? Psychological analyses or hand wringing is not gonna right our sinking ship.

Any practical suggestions on how those of us with no power can make a difference?

John Leake's avatar

Don't be afraid to speak out in accordance with your conscience, even if it means becoming unpopular.

Metta's avatar

100%. Thank you, John, for speaking out. Couldn't agree more with your remarks.

"Speaking the truth weakens the lie."

Donna's avatar

Yes!

https://no01.substack.com/p/march-4-paint-by-missiles

Paint by Missiles

Wow-Iran has the upper hand. Trump is delusional. God. Wow. Iran is doing SO good! 👏🏻👍🏻

prsmith's avatar

Sure. Go buy land where nuclear fallout will be minimal. Dig a fallout shelter and stock it well. Get as prepared as you can. There is absolutely nothing else you can do that is going to make a difference.

Sam's avatar

No: better advice - get as close to the centre of the nuclear blast (if known) and make sure you are not around to experience the hellish post-nuclear world...

prsmith's avatar

That's certainly an option.

Texas Evan's avatar

Again you're ignoring the massive amount of internal corruption in the US government that must be destroyed by both shutting down the corrupt politicians at home as well as destroying their money laundering apparatus abroad, including Iran, Venezuela, Ukraine, and a list of countries. $38 TRILLION dollars has obviously been laundered through foreign organizations and domestic NGOs to benefit our own politicians at the city, county, state, and federal levels. The Epstein files are a great illustration of how far the web stretches. Election fraud is how they take power. Importing foreign citizens is how they get voters. Mail in voting with no ID is how they cheat. If you want to examine narcissism, you should be looking at the school boards, city councils and Mayors, especially the election apparatus, in your own town first, because all of this corruption wouldn't be possible without local assent to state tyranny by little dictators who live within a mile of you, seeing to act as parasites to siphon off part of the public funds for themselves and gain even more power. The only solution is for normal people to sacrifice their time and get involved in local government, taking it back from the narcissists who love power. For too long we have let "other people" run our lives. In self defense I have gotten involved in my own city's planning and zoning commission to prevent suburb developers from ruining our city. Use your power to vote wisely. Examine the record of every candidate to determine if they represent you or someone else. We the People are the reason we are in this mess. And only We the People are going to get out of it. No one else is going to change our government except us, until Jesus comes to permanently establish a different government.

Party of 1's avatar

What if "government" is the problem, no matter who is at the helm?

Texas Evan's avatar

Bingo. The founders understood government was the problem because human nature is evil when it has power, which is why they wrote a Constitution that severely limited what the government can do with internal checks on power. However, We the People let them ignore those limitations and voted them more money and more power for 250 years. We let them create a fourth branch of government that no one elects. Hell, we have to pay for the right to drive, get married, work, or catch a fish. We even pay the government for the right to live in the house we own. WE let that happen. We can point the fingers at those evil politicians all day long, but like listening the lies of demons, we listened and agreed to the prison they put us in. Adam and Eve had the Tree of Life, but instead of eating from it all day long every day, they chose to believe a lie that led to shame, prison, and death. Every one of us has done the same. The change starts with changing our identity to align with Christ and his Kingdom rather than our own. And then we gain the wisdom to discern good from evil, reject lies, and pursue truth in public policy and the political candidates that reflect our values. Or better yet, become involved in local government to reflect the Kingdom of God into all matters.

RoseMartyn's avatar

Constitutional term limits needed???

Jimn's avatar

it is - anywhere and everywhere. trouble is, the opposite ie. no government, might be worse.

choose thou this day whom ye will serve.

Party of 1's avatar

It is true that we have been conditioned to believe that people are inherently self-centered, self-interested, competitive, violent, and so on, and that we need the heavy hand of government to make us behave ourselves and suppress our baser instincts and make our decisions for us. But I am willing to consider that our True Nature is collaborative, cooperative, compassionate, and loving at its core, that we are are capable of relating to others without coercion, and the rest is, as I said, conditioning. Divisiveness and self-interest and polarization are encouraged by those who wish to divide, conquer, and disempower us. Pretty radical idea, huh?

prsmith's avatar

Never happen. It is what it is.

Eliz F's avatar

John, I appreciate all your work because I always learn something from your articles. I liked your statement that our politicians project their shadow onto others. I never heard this and I will be thinking it quite often now. I do have a different take on President Trump than you do. I believe his plan is much greater than we are seeing right now. I believe he knows he has a chance to finally after 49 years of Iran supporting terror around the world, killing many Americans in those years. No one else has had the fortitude and courage to do it. I am wondering if this "Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas" is going to be a replacement for NATO. I would absolutely love that, let's protects our hemisphere. I want to trust him in this bold plan and pray he does get the job done. I like that he is thinking outside of the normal way of doing things, certainly not like a politician worried about his next reelection campaign. I am not going to stop reading and supporting your work, you challenge me and teach me about many topics I am lacking in. Keep writing!

Freedom Fox's avatar

Having worked with politicians up close and personal for several decades earlier in my life I can attest to the projecting shadow onto others they do.

Probably three-fourths of the politicians who push for stricter DUI laws (one glass of wine with dinner=DUI), alcohol and drug prohibitions themselves have alcohol/drug abuse problems they struggle to overcome or family members who suffer same. Sames with those who push restrictions on any of the 'sins' like gambling, porn, smoking, whatever. The other quarter of them have suffered loss of familiy/friends. Their motivation more understandable.

The fact that 80% of the population is able to self-regulate is lost on these control freaks, who themselves lack control. Who prey on the sympathies for victims of people like them to punish social drinkers/users, etc. "If *I*, made of the best stuff, don't have control over my addictions then nobody else does and we all must be collectively punished severely or be under threat of severe punishment to prevent us from doing the bad things even *I* would do without threat of severe punishment.

Hypocrisy hath no bounds. Given power the hypocrites ruin it for everyone else.

Sandy Salter's avatar

Iran being the largest contributor to terriost in the world - calls the USA Big Satan and Israel Little Satan - while in the dark kills 20 to 40 thousand of their own people because of crus for freedom from an evil regime - when a fireman rescues me from a fire I’m just glad he’s there - not really complicated so I agree with Trump and his people that they are dismantling a system that was on their way to have the capabilities to accomplish death to our children and grandchildren- it’s not rocket science

John Leake's avatar

The US and Israel recently installed an Al-Qaeda terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head (until the day before he visited the White House) as the ruler of Syria.

Donna's avatar

God. You do believe that lie?

https://no01.substack.com/p/march-4-paint-by-missiles

Paint by Missiles

Wow-Iran has the upper hand. Trump is delusional. God. Give it up. Wow. Iran is doing SO good! 👏🏻👍🏻

mejbcart's avatar
9hEdited

"If this war drags on, I would not be surprised if the United States or Israel resorts to dropping nuclear weapons on Iran, just as the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This would be not only terrible for the Iranians, it would likely open a Pandora’s Box with incalculably terrible consequences for the entire world. "

DISTANCE BETWEEN jAPAN AND US is ~6300 miles, between Iran and Israel ~1100 miles. For a nuclear fallout that's a BIG difference, in particular when big water divides the 2 parties.

Given that the current US 'military forces' with He-g-seth-sss as the 'lead', are complete idiotic LIARS, they might not put these facts into consideration. But before that happens, isn't the official version that Israel does not possess any nuclear weapons?? That alone would make only US as their source...

So far Iran 'BLINDED; the opponents with destruction of the major 'all-seeing' radar systems, thus where would they aim, if they ever get there?? They might as well hit Kuwait..

The criminality of this entire endeavor is being watched by the entire world ending with nobody with a clear mind would ever consider US, the EPSTEIN REGIME, to be trustworthy.

ANY respect for US is LOST, worldwide.

The amount of idiocy in all of this, just begs one question, what took the human mind in such a prison? Covid genetically modifying and human bodies (and thus mind) reprogramming shots???

I'd say so..

John Leake's avatar

I too have wondered about the shots and how they seem to have accentuated the impairment of critical thinking that is so evident in so many

mejbcart's avatar

also forgot to add, this might be, if not plain, will be, 'THE END' of the petro-$...

Peter W Allen's avatar

John, make us mad..no way, you have written so well and so insightfully that we simply admire you more. A sane voice in this madness. I esp was drawn to your notice that we have been living in a cultural state of narcissism, promoting as as a state of personal entitlement..Good to read and point out. Brilliant really. We fear, many us, what you fear: Trump is finished, he is boxed in, he has adopted the Zionist Gazan Strategy, KILL THEM ALL, every living body that made me fail, by association only. Like you I am stunned to listen to Hegseth, Trump, as if the Iranians as a people lived to destroy us, so we must annihilate them. It appears Trump, Hegseth et al are possessed with madness only revenge can mitigate.

God help us.

As you write about Jung and his thesis on Shadow and dealing with, I thought of Catholicism and its Sacrament of Reconciliation, all aimed at humility, self awareness, and crying for help.

John Leake's avatar

I too thought of the Catholic practice of confession.

Billie Kelsey's avatar

Once again, you’ve made a direct hit. You are one of the last of the great observers. As always, I am dismayed by the general ignorance; particularly historical, of your audience. It is particularly astute to parse out the difference between what DJT is good at and what he might be persuaded to actually do. Baby Bush was handled in that way.

Historically, human existence is recorded as wave after endless wave of the rise and fall of thousands of civilizations. The common denominator to the Fall is usually psychopathy.

As I read some of the comments, I wonder if anyone making them remembers (or was even born at the time) the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) and the names of all who signed it. Certainly they are not seeing the PanAmerican part unfolding before their very eyes; Canada for resources, US for financial activity and Mexico for labor.

Then there was the part about creating endless hot wars on multiple fronts and the monstrous transfer of wealth to fund them while killing off generations of young men and women.

Nor do people appear to see the global AI disaster quickly engulfing us all.

This is the profound Race to the Bottom of life itself. I’d say more but I’m going outside to count Chemtrails…

SBJay's avatar

The hostility of many Americans to the Iranians is unfounded.

We overthrew their Democracy in 1953, installed a brutal regime, and now we don't like the regime that got rid of the Shaw. Give me a break.

They have a Constitutional system with a religious head vs a Constitutional Monarchy. They have more Jews and Synagogues in Iran than in any other West Asian country other than Israel. They consider Jesus an "Infallible Prophet". They have a train station named after St. Mary. There is even a sitting MP that's Jewish.

According to our own State Department statistics, the vast majority of terrorism is funded by Saudi and other Wahabi family dictatorships. Not the Shia Iranians. ISIS and Al-Qaida are Sunni thugs that the Shia were fighting in Syria.

Rosa's avatar

John, I think you are correctly over target, unfortunately. Many of us ignored, or tried to ignore, the personalities and hoped all would work out well for all of humanity, without us having to experience the intense madness of the psychopaths and narcissists. Eventually, I know peace will prevail. In the meantime the psychopaths and narcissists keep pulling us into one horrific episode after another as they seemingly try to out do each other. It seems to be their favorite sport. In addition, very few of our elected "leaders" seem to have any courage whatsoever to do the right thing!!! Most elected "leaders" do nothing to stop the madness. They don't seem to even try. But, those same cowardly "leaders" can rise to the occasion to loudly ridicule the few decent corageous, real leaders, who do stand and speak up for what is truly right and honest. Thank you, John, for your comments! I always enjoy reading them, whether I agree with you or not. Thank you, John, for having the courage to write from your heart!

John Leake's avatar

Thank you!

Metta's avatar

Agree 100% 🙏👍

Allen EDGAR Brian Coward's avatar

I will continue paying my subscription. I was glad to read a contrary opinion. I did not agree with the general thrust. Trump and the Administration seem to be able to cause their own psychiatric disorders in the electorate. TDS is definitely a disorder.

I always read your articles with interest.

Best Wishes from North Wales.

John Leake's avatar

Thank you!