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From the New Yorker’s incredible 2013 profile of Suleimani: How simply labeling Iran part of the “Axis of Evil” destroyed the fragile truce between Iran + US versus the Taliban, with history-shaking ramifications. newyorker.com/magazine/2013/…
The “Axis of Evil” was a rhetorical device invented by White House speechwriters Michael Gerson and David Frum, a few months post-Sept 11, to help justify the pending invasion of Iraq. theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbo…
The “Axis of Evil” line caused diplomatic controversy around the globe, damaging US relations in ways that echo today. Even George HW Bush, as part of his 2015 biography, criticized his son’s language as misguided.
It’s a poignant reminder: One line, in one speech nearly twenty years ago, sparked geopolitical consequences that ripple today.

The path to war — and the diplomacy needed to avert it — can turn on the smallest steps. A public assassination is a large leap into the unknown.
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Dan Diamond
@ddiamond
How many new Twitter followers each candidate’s campaign account gained during tonight’s #DemDebate

· @AndrewYang +4767
· @amyklobuchar +1982
· @BernieSanders +1392
· @ewarren +1151
· @joebiden +614
· @tomsteyer +569
· @PeteButtigieg +245
@AndrewYang @amyklobuchar @BernieSanders @ewarren @JoeBiden @TomSteyer @PeteButtigieg How that breaks out as relative growth:

@AndrewYang +0.44%

@amyklobuchar +0.24%

@tomsteyer +0.23%

@ewarren +0.03%

@joebiden +0.02%

@PeteButtigieg +0.02%

@BernieSanders +0.01%
@AndrewYang @amyklobuchar @BernieSanders @ewarren @JoeBiden @TomSteyer @PeteButtigieg Re-upping this disclaimer on how seriously to take Twitter-follower numbers.
Read 3 tweets
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Dan Diamond
@ddiamond
Q for Bernie Sanders tonight: if your allies admit that Medicare-for-all probably won’t happen, why is it so important for all Democrats to agree on your single-payer vision?
Q for Joe Biden tonight: You’ve argued that the GOP will work with you to achieve shared goals. foxnews.com/media/joe-bide…

Given the GOP’s track record of working for a decade to kill Obamacare — a law you fought to pass — what evidence do you have that you’re right?
👀
Read 3 tweets
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Dan Diamond
@ddiamond
An eye-catching WaPo story about poor patients in Missouri being sued to pay their medical bills - and the rural hospitals struggling to stay open - completely ignores that Missouri rejected Medicaid expansion. washingtonpost.com/national/the-f…
The two previous stories in this WaPo series - on struggling rural patients and hospitals - also skipped over how each GOP-led state in the series has rejected Medicaid expansion.
It’s possible these are deliberate omissions - either to try and focus on people (over politics) or save for a “reveal” later in the series.

But it’s an odd disconnect. Would be like assigning a top writer to big series on struggling soybean farmers that ignores Trump’s tariffs.
Read 3 tweets

Related threads

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Steve Chasmata
@chasmata
#Iran #HRC, #MEK, #GenClark
War ein us-Millitär-Putsch im Iran geplant. Damit wäre nicht die echte Opposition der #Restartees, als Volk, wieder zur Macht gekommen, sondern die von #Clinton unterstützte #FakeOpposition, wie der @RestartLeader die MEK nennt.
facebook.com/freemanthuerin…
@restartleader "Following people& media have things in common:
They are anti-Trump, Pompeo & Israel,
They love #HRC, #McCain& #Pelosi,
They support each other & have millions of $
According to 1000 of docs, they are affiliated with the #IRGC& the #MinistryOfIntelligence.
@restartleader This is precisely what Hillary #HRC was supposed to do, to bring the #MEK to power to run the government while #RezaPahlavi was the monarch in a constitutional monarchy.
The real opponent of the gas price rises are in the pic below.#RestartMIGA #MAGA #MIGA
Read 14 tweets
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Heshmat Alavi
@HeshmatAlavi
THREAD

1)
 As #Iran downgrades the killing of ISIS leader al-Baghdadi by US special forces, a look at the past portrays an interesting image: Iran’s close ties with ISIS.
Zarqawi protected by Iran’s IRGC & provided resources to rebuild ISIS.

Obama knew…
freebeacon.com/national-secur…
2)
 “Iran’s relationship with AQI founder al-Zarqawi has been well documented by U.S. intelligence and complicates the narrative pushed by Obama administration officials in the wake of ISIL’s violent overthrow of several Iraqi cities.”
3)
 “Iran has a long and complicated history of partnering with al Qaeda, particularly in Iraq, and helping to rebuild the terror infrastructure that would eventually allow ISIS to gain strength.”
freebeacon.com/national-secur…
Read 15 tweets
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federalistwatch.com
@FederalistWatch
1/15 Failing @NYTimes fearful that President Trump leading negotiations with #Taliban & #Afghanistan leaders. In gossipy opinion piece posing as news – "How Trump’s Plan to Secretly Meet With the Taliban Came Together, and Fell Apart" – reporters feign outrage that @POTUS would
2/ “not only bring the Taliban to Washington, but to Camp David, the crown jewel of the American presidency.... Thus began an extraordinary few days of ad hoc diplomatic wrangling that upended the talks in a weekend Twitter storm."
3/ "On display were all of the characteristic traits of the Trump presidency – the yearning ambition for the grand prize, the endless quest to achieve what no other president has achieved, the willingness to defy convention, the volatile mood swings and the tribal infighting."
Read 16 tweets
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Esfandyar Batmanghelidj
@yarbatman
1. #Iran's industrialized economy is surprisingly resilient. The real test of sanctions harms is the impact on industrial output, not financial flows. Sanctions hit EU industrial exports, but Iran found other sources for key parts. Total industrial output is stable since 2012.
2. This helps explain why the initial recessionary impacts of sanctions wear off. Sanctions force a reconfiguration of supply chains, but eventually most firms figure out how to keep churning out most of their products via new suppliers (China) or re-export (via Turkey + UAE).
3. Iran has a big domestic market. Sure, it depends on exports to earn foreign currency, especially absent oil sales. But most of what is made is consumed domestically. And in the short-term inflationary pressures can actually encourage/force consumers to boost spending.
Read 16 tweets
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Sasha Ghosh-Siminoff
@SSiminoff
How to decide what to do about #Iran & perceptions of their intentions depends entirely who you are. Having a war with Iran is unwise & may not result in any change in behavior sought by this administration. /1 @faysalitani @RashaAlAqeedi @jomanaqaddour @KenanRahmani @hxhassan
But western policy makers should also understand that the Iranian government is a malign actor who works to undermine the societal foundations of its neighbors, promotes extremism & the proliferation of militias which have helped destabilize the Levant /2
Ask Syrians, Lebanese, Iraqis for example & there will be a significant portion who have strong feelings about Iran’s interventions into their countries & the amount of their fellow citizens/families/friends killed as a result. /3
Read 4 tweets
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Iran News Wire
@IranNW
#Iran Dec 31
Following Tehran's students protest to the unaccountability of university officials on the death of 10 people killed in a bus accident, they call to an protest rally for Monday.
Sources say that security forces closed the main square fear of a new protest.
#Iran Dec 31- Tehran
Students held a gathering in the campus of the Tehran Azad University’s Science and Research in protest for 3rd day to the unaccountability of university officials on the death of 10 people killed in a bus accident.
#Iran Dec 31
Following Tehran student's protest and in a ridiculous attempt, university officials have been washing the buses to provide as a new vehicles to the students.

The presence of older vehicles killed 10 students on Dec 25.

Read 8 tweets

Trending hashtags

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