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#31

SpiritPlants Radio / This Weekend on SpiritPlants R...

Last post by cenacle - March 07, 2026, 10:01:57 AM

Turn on . . . tune in! SpiritPlants Radio is on the air 24/7! And now for 22 years!

SpiritPlants Radio's website can be found at www.spiritplantsradio.com. On this site is the current weekday & weekend schedule & links to listen live, as well as links to the station's archives, blog, forum, chat, playlists, & song history.

During the weekdays you are invited to enter the (M)ystery-(F)low, because you never know . . . what's down below . . .

This special Sound Collage Radio weekend on SpiritPlants Radio features the Mothers of Invention, Minóy, & many others, plus 3 DJs, including Commander Q, Soulard, & Veronica! This weekend (March 7-8, 2026)'s scheduled programming includes:

Featured SpiritPlants Radio DJs:
*** Within's Within: Scenes from the Psychedelic Revolution with DJ Soulard #911 | Show information: https://www.scriptorpress.com/withinswithin.html
*** Electronica with DJ Veronica #359 | Show information: https://www.spiritplantsradio.com/shows.html#DJVeronica
*** 36x with Commander Q #173 | Show information: https://www.spiritplantsradio.com/shows.html#DJCommanderQ

Featured Programs:
*** Sound Collage Radio: The Mothers of Invention - "Freak Out!" (1966) | Show information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freak_Out
*** Sound Collage Radio: Minóy - "Doctor In a Dark Room" | Show information: https://www.discogs.com/ru/master/2937175-Min%EF%BF%BDy-Doctor-In-A-...1
*** Sound Collage Radio: "DJ Soulard - Sound Collages XII" | Show information: https://www.spiritplantsradio.com/djsoulardsoundcollages.pdf
*** Sound Collage Radio: "DJ Soulard - Sound Collages XIII" | Show information: https://www.spiritplantsradio.com/djsoulardsoundcollages.pdf
*** Sound Collage Radio: "DJ Soulard - Sound Collages XIV" | Show information: https://www.spiritplantsradio.com/djsoulardsoundcollages.pdf
*** Sound Collage Radio: "Hypnagogic Sounds - Zoolatry" | Show information: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-music-that-disappears-limi-31091730/episode/episode-79-zoolatry-ambient-drone-podcast-34784020

This weekend's programming commences the 2026 SpiritPlants Radio weekend schedule of new shows and featured programs. Your feedback (spiritplantsradios@gmail.com) will be greatly appreciated in helping to improve our station! And check out Dose One: A SpiritPlants Radio Psychedelic Sampler (http://soundcloud.com/spiri/spiritplantsradio_dose_one)!

We are always looking for new DJs to join our station (email us at spiritplantsradio@gmail.com).

Peace,
Raymond
Station Manager

#32

The Long House / Re: The Long Silence Ends - Sp...

Last post by roach - March 06, 2026, 04:56:10 PM

We have the IRC channel going again?

For now we can use this room 

https://app.element.io/#/room/#spiritplants:matrix.org

[contact [at] spiritplants [dot] org]

#33

The Site / Having Trouble Logging In?

Last post by roach - March 06, 2026, 04:36:25 PM

If you're experiencing issues with the "Forgot Password" feature or no longer have access to the email address on your account, we're here to help.

Please contact us at:
contact [at] spiritplants [dot] org
(Replace "[at]" with @ and "[dot]" with .)

Include your username and any relevant details so we can assist you as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your patience 🌿

#34

The Long House / Re: The Long Silence Ends - Sp...

Last post by jdm - March 05, 2026, 01:38:50 PM

We have the IRC channel going again?

#35

The Long House / Re: The Long Silence Ends - Sp...

Last post by jdm - March 05, 2026, 01:38:02 PM

Welcome back!

#36

The World / Trump’s War Underscores His Ma...

Last post by cenacle - March 04, 2026, 09:01:30 AM

Trump's War Underscores His Massive Betrayal
by Jennifer Rubin - March 4, 2026 - The Contrarian
https://open.substack.com/pub/contrarian/p/trumps-war-underscores-his-massive

A critical problem — aside from constitutional, political, and moral considerations — with a president taking the country to war with overwhelming public opposition, without congressional authorization, and even without public debate is that we do not know its purpose. From all appearances, neither Donald Trump nor any adviser knows the purpose of his strikes against Iran. (If one were being totally honest, the "purpose" likely is to soothe the narcissistic rage of a president headed for a massive defeat.)

Susan Glasser took a stab at listing the ever-fluctuating reasons for sending men and women to die, while spending billions of dollars:

"(O)utright regime change, assistance to the oppressed peoples of the Islamic Republic, stripping Iran of "the ability to project power outside its borders," stopping future Iranian-sponsored terrorist attacks while exacting revenge for past ones, preemptive action against an imminent Iranian threat to attack U.S. forces, preemptive action to block Iran from building ballistic missiles that could hit the U.S. mainland, and preemptive action to stop the Iranian nuclear program that Trump had, as recently as last week, claimed was "obliterated." Many of these explanations are based on false premises; some already seem to have been abandoned."

Never have we launched a war for yet-to-be-decided reasons without preparation for civilians in the region. We can already draw four conclusions from Trump's blunder.

First, there was never an "imminent" threat to America. (Instead, while Trump lied that he had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear weapons program in the prior war, Iran is still digging out from the last illegal war.) Trump did not even try to make the "imminent" argument in his War Powers letter to Congress, so his minions can stop dissembling to lawmakers and voters. The notion that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "made" Trump do it is as preposterous as it is pathetic. Netanyahu has unsuccessfully hounded presidents for decades to go to war, seeking to bomb Iran; only Trump took the bait. If we outsourced our foreign policy to another country, that would be an even greater constitutional calamity.

Second, if Trump meant to achieve actual regime change — and certainly called on Iranians to rise up — he inexcusably baited civilians to take action without any capability or desire to assist them. No country has ever achieved regime change, as opposed to regime decapitation, through bombing. Furthermore, those civilians will have to face the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, who have sworn to defend the regime, no matter the cost. The IRGC has an estimated 150,000 troops throughout the country; if anything, their grip will tighten as we kill civilian leaders without a plan for leadership. Moreover, we cannot possibly ensure Iran will "never" pursue a nuclear weapon since Iran has the know-how and allies to supply necessary materials.

Third, neither Trump nor the Iranians (if they want a truce) know when and how to stop this. Trump has suggested multiple timeframes, including "far longer" than 4-5 weeks. But the enemy and our bombed allies get a say as well. If regime change is the (unattainable) purpose, this will be the quintessential forever war. If the aim is just to damage the regime, one wonders when enough will be enough.

Fourth, to no one's surprise (in part because Americans do not know why we are at war) Trump's war is incredibly unpopular. If meant to divert from Trump's other unpopular moves — e.g., a pedophile coverup, inflation-boosting tariffs, cuts to healthcare, unleashing a secret police to terrorize Americans — he should have chosen something voters actually wanted. Public opposition is likely to intensify as Americans experience the results of Trump's self-inflicted economic disaster. "A worldwide sell-off for stocks is slamming onto Wall Street Tuesday, and oil prices are leaping even higher as worries rise that the war with Iran is widening and may do more sustained damage to the global economy than feared," the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Democrats will need to remind voters that any sensible president could have avoided a calamitous war simply by continuing negotiations. Moreover, if Trump had not torn up the Iran nuclear deal, inspectors would have been on the ground to tell us what Iran was doing, thereby eliminating the need for wars based on suspicion of progress toward a bomb. But clearly, Trump wanted this war — the facts, the casualties, the law, and the public be damned.

Trump has committed a grievous constitutional violation. Only Congress has the power to declare war under Article I. If the president drags us into in war in violation of the Constitution and the United Nations Charter (which is the law of the land), Congress has the power of the purse (i.e. pull the plug on funding) and/or the power to impeach and remove. But MAGA Republicans refuse to uphold their oaths and will do none of that. So, what next?

Democrats have the facts, public opinion, and the Constitution on their side. (They also know TACO Trump often reverses himself when pressure mounts so an irate public or Gulf allies' ire could trigger retreat.) Democrats do, however, need a clear, unified strategy.

That starts with reminding voters (especially reachable Republicans) constantly that Trump ran twice on no more open-ended wars of choice. He has betrayed every voter who believed him. Democrats should encourage voters to express (peacefully) their outrage and tell their elected leaders that acquiescence in an illegal, immoral war is a deal-breaker for any candidate on the ballot.

Democrats will not win sufficient votes to implement the War Powers Act or cut off funding, but they must force every Republican to go on the record. No one should be able to duck responsibility for an unconstitutional, reckless war that voters overwhelmingly reject.

Beyond that, Democrats would be wise to connect this betrayal to Trump's serial domestic failures (e.g., not bringing down costs). Minority Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) had it right when he declared on the floor on Monday:

"Donald Trump ran for office on the promise to wind down America's endless wars. What he is doing is exactly the opposite. He is picking military fights all over the world and not taking care of business here at home. One year into office Donald Trump has broken his promise to end forever wars again and again and again—from Venezuela to threats against Greenland to now a new war with Iran."

In sum, Democrats have a succinct, overarching message that is more than a list of complaints. The election is about Trump's stunning betrayal of voters, all enabled by spineless Republicans. If Trump betrayed your trust and did the opposite of what you wanted (e.g., forever wars, rising prices, terrorized cities), then vote for the only party that will stop him.

It's that simple.

#37

SPF Chat / New Chat Room!

Last post by cenacle - March 02, 2026, 03:46:40 PM

This is on the main page, at top:
http://www.spiritplants.org/chat/

But it does not work. Need to fix!

#38

The World / Why Strikes Rarely Produce Reg...

Last post by cenacle - March 02, 2026, 03:44:57 PM

Iran Isn't a Target--It's a System: Why Strikes Rarely Produce Regime Change
by Jack Hopkins
Published Mar 2, 2026 at https://www.jackhopkinsnow.com/p/iran-isnt-a-target-its-a-system-why?triedRedirect=true

Not maybe. Not if the bombs are precise enough. Not if the leadership is "decapitated." Not if the West declares victory...at a podium.
Iran will survive.

And...if that sentence irritates you, good. Because irritation means you're still thinking emotionally about a system that operates structurally.

You don't have to like Iran. You don't have to sympathize with its regime. You don't have to excuse its behavior.

But...if you want to understand what happens next...you need to understand one brutal fact:

You can bomb a country and still lose the strategic war.

Iran Is Not a Man. It's a Machine.

Western commentary always looks for a villain with a face. One leader. One tyrant. One "head of the snake."

That's comforting. Because if there's one head, you imagine you can cut it off.

Iran isn't built that way.

Its ruling class is not a single personality cult. It is layered, redundant, and institutional. Thousands of clerics. Interlocking councils. Security organs. Parallel power centers. The Revolutionary Guard. Religious authorities. Bureaucratic structures that don't depend on one charismatic figure.

You can kill ministers. You can kill generals. You can even eliminate senior figures.

What you cannot do is erase the architecture.

This is not a startup with a founder you can remove and watch the company implode.

It's a regime engineered for continuity.

And continuity, not charisma...is what makes a system durable.

Four Thousand Years Is a Different Time Horizon

Iran, Persia in older forms, has existed in some civilizational continuity for more than four millennia.

Empires have invaded it. Greeks, Arabs, Mongols, Ottomans...Russians...British. Regimes have fallen. Borders have shifted. Dynasties have risen and collapsed.

Iran remained.

That matters.

Because states that have repeatedly survived invasion build an internal psychology around endurance. Survival becomes identity.

The United States thinks in election cycles.

Israel thinks in immediate survival cycles.

Iran thinks in generational cycles.
That difference changes everything.

Democracies cannot politically absorb prolonged pain. Casualties translate into headlines. Headlines translate into pressure. Pressure translates into policy reversals.

Iran's system is built to absorb punishment in ways open societies struggle to tolerate.

It does not need to win quickly.

It needs to outlast the outrage.

And history suggests it can.

Geography Is Not Neutral

Look at a map.

Iran is not a small, flat strip of land. It is massive. Mountainous. Compartmentalized. Difficult.

Mountains are not scenery. They are fortifications.

They protect infrastructure. They complicate air campaigns. They make ground invasion nightmarish. They fragment supply lines. They create natural redoubts for insurgency or state defense alike.

You can degrade missile stockpiles.

You can destroy radar arrays.

You can strike air bases.

What you cannot do without extraordinary escalation...is "defeat" Iran in the conventional sense.

Unless someone is preparing for a ground war...real ground war...this is about degrading capabilities...not eliminating the state.

And degraded states can still endure.

Decapitation Does Not Equal Collapse

There is a fantasy embedded in modern warfare: remove enough leaders and the system implodes.

That might work in personality-driven regimes.

It does not work as cleanly in systems with distributed authority.

Iran's political-religious structure is not dependent on a single supreme executive personality the way some other governments are.

Even the most aggressive assassination campaign cannot eliminate thousands of mid-level authorities who are ideologically aligned and structurally empowered.

You can create disruption.

You can create succession struggles.

You can create temporary instability.

But collapse? That requires internal fragmentation at scale.

And...historically, external pressure tends to consolidate Iranian factions...not dissolve them.
Calls for "uprisings" from outside actors have often produced the opposite effect:

Nationalist consolidation in the face of foreign aggression.

Iran's Alliances Are Tools, Not Friendships

Now let's talk about the regional chessboard.

People like to bundle Iran together with Hamas, Hezbollah, Russia, China...as though this is some coherent ideological super-bloc.

That's lazy thinking.

Iran is Shia Persian.

Hamas is Sunni Arab.

Theologically, they consider each other apostates; those who renounce a religious faith, political party, or previously held principle...often viewed as a traitor to their former cause.

They cooperate...because it is strategically useful.

That's it.

From Iran's perspective, Hamas is not a sacred ally. It is an instrument.

If Hamas can inflame tensions, disrupt regional normalization...and complicate Israeli-Saudi alignment...then Hamas serves a purpose.

If Hamas burns out? Iran recalibrates.

If Hezbollah is more useful tomorrow? Iran leans there.

If an entirely new proxy emerges next year? Iran adapts.

Durable systems do not marry tactics.

They use them.

That flexibility is power.

The Real Battlefield May Be Riyadh

In the short term, the more interesting question may not even be Tehran.

It may be Riyadh.

If normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia fractures under pressure, Iran wins strategically...even if it absorbs tactical damage.

If internal Saudi generational divides widen...older factions prioritizing Palestinian identity politics, younger factions prioritizing power alignment...that tension becomes part of the regional equation.
Iran understands this.

It does not need battlefield dominance to influence outcomes.

It needs friction....between its adversaries.

And...if it has played any role...directly or indirectly...in shaping events that create that friction, then from its perspective, there is limited downside.

Even failed operations...can succeed strategically...if they destabilize opposing coalitions.

Nuclear Ambiguity Is a Leverage Tool

For decades, Iran's nuclear posture has been described as "breakout potential."

Not a weapon. Not open weaponization.

The capacity to assemble one quickly if deemed necessary.

That ambiguity is leverage.

If pressure intensifies...incentives shift.

States under existential threat behave differently from states under sanction.

And...if Iran concludes that survival requires deterrence at a higher level...the calculus changes.

You cannot bomb knowledge out of existence.

You cannot strike engineering capacity out of memory.

Once a nation acquires technical capability, the question is political will...not intellectual possibility.

Durable Does Not Mean Dominant

None of this means Iran will thrive.

Its economy is constrained. Oil exports are limited. Infrastructure is aging. Youth dissatisfaction is real. Brain drain exists.

Durable does not equal prosperous.

It means survivable.

Iran may emerge weaker.

It may emerge economically strained.

It may face internal turbulence.

But extinction? Regime vaporization? State disappearance?

Those are fantasies...unless escalation reaches levels few actors appear prepared to accept.

The Hard Truth

Iran survives.

Not because it is morally right.

Not because it is militarily unbeatable.

Not because it is beloved by its people.

But...because it is structured to endure pressure in ways its adversaries often underestimate.

If policymakers treat Iran like a target...instead of a system...they will miscalculate.

If they confuse damage with destruction...they will be surprised.

Because when this phase ends...however it ends...Iran will still be there.

Altered...perhaps.

Bruised...certainly.

But present.

And...in geopolitics, survival is the first victory.

Everything else...comes later.

[Trump Stays Out of Public View After U.S. Launches Military Assault on Iran (NYT Gift link)]

#39

The World / Re: US Attack on Iran - Status...

Last post by cenacle - March 01, 2026, 05:45:49 PM

Trump Stays Out of Public View After U.S. Launches Military Assault on Iran (NYT Gift link)
President Trump did not deliver a formal address to the American public to explain why the country was at war, a departure from his predecessors.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/us/politics/trump-iran-public-comments.html?unlocked_article_code=1.P1A.Vl4l.1ReAv-dEWZtu&smid=url-share

From the moment he announced an extensive military attack against Iran by posting an edited social media video at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, President Trump made clear that he would be taking a different tone and approach than his wartime predecessors.

Mr. Trump did not scramble back to the White House from Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Palm Beach, to oversee the U.S. and Israeli strikes. He did not deliver a televised address informing the public of the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was the nation's supreme leader for nearly four decades.

Instead, the president capped an extraordinary day of U.S. aggression abroad by attending a glitzy fund-raising dinner at his club.....

Mr. Trump's decision not to make a formal address to the public — besides the two videos and conversations with several individual reporters — also came after he made little effort before the attack to lay out the case for a military assault against Iran.

His lack of public engagement, after launching a military attack that could spur a broader conflict and has already cost the lives of at least three U.S. service members and dozens of people in Iran, Israel and other countries in the region, was a striking departure from how other presidents have handled the gravity of war.

"What Americans of our time are accustomed to is a president giving a White House speech — usually from the Oval Office — that befits the supreme importance of making war," said Michael Beschloss, a presidential historian and the author of the book "Presidents of War: The Epic Story, from 1807 to Modern Times.".....

But Mr. Trump's approach Saturday was a departure from how even Mr. Trump himself has handled other major military actions. Last year, when the United States attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, the president addressed the nation from the White House......

The president did not let the bombing of Iran upend his schedule, including his plans to attend a fund-raising dinner to support MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC.

Ms. Leavitt said Saturday that Mr. Trump had no intention of breaking that commitment. The fund-raiser, she said, was "more important than ever."

[U.S. and Israeli forces carried out coordinated strikes inside Iran]

#40

The World / US Attack on Iran - Status - 0...

Last post by cenacle - March 01, 2026, 05:35:23 PM

Summary of the U.S. attack on Iran — verified facts (current to Sunday, 1 March 2026)
What happened (concise factual timeline)

• U.S. and Israeli forces carried out coordinated strikes inside Iran beginning Saturday; the operation targeted military and government sites. CBS News
• Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reported killed in the strikes; Iranian state media and officials confirmed his death. CBS News
• Iran has launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes toward Israel and at locations where U.S. forces operate in the region; explosions were reported across multiple countries. Aljazeera
• Casualty reports vary by source: one live tracker compiled preliminary figures of hundreds killed in Iran and dozens elsewhere; U.S. Central Command reported U.S. service-member casualties (several killed and wounded). Aljazeera ABC7 New York

Why it happened (verifiable motives and official statements)

• U.S. and Israeli officials framed the strikes as a response to threats and to degrade Iran's military capabilities. U.S. leadership described the operation as "major combat operations" and said strikes would continue as necessary. CBS News
• Iran had previously warned of retaliation if attacked; after the strikes Tehran said it would respond and then launched missile/drone attacks. Aljazeera

What is happening now (operational and immediate effects)

• Ongoing strikes and counterstrikes: additional rounds of strikes were reported after the initial operation, with explosions in Tehran and other areas. CBS News Aljazeera
• U.S. forces in the region have increased force protection and some bases have tightened security measures. U.S. bases (for example, Camp Lejeune) announced heightened checks and restrictions. WRAL
• Allied support and basing arrangements: the UK prime minister publicly said Britain would allow U.S. use of some UK bases for specific defensive strikes against Iranian missile sites. Yahoo

Forecasted near-term developments (scenarios grounded in current reporting)
Below are plausible, verifiable scenarios that analysts and officials are discussing in news coverage; these are scenarios reported by sources, not new predictions.

• Sustained military exchanges and regional escalation — continued reciprocal strikes between Iran and Israel, and strikes on facilities used by U.S. forces, increasing risk to regional stability. This scenario is consistent with the pattern of immediate retaliatory strikes already reported. Aljazeera CBS News
• Heightened U.S. force protection and allied posture — more bases and personnel will likely adopt stricter security measures; some allied governments may permit limited basing or logistical support. Reports already show increased base security and at least one allied basing agreement. WRAL Yahoo
• Diplomatic pressure and calls for de‑escalation — international actors and some U.S. allies are publicly urging restraint and may push for diplomatic channels; media coverage notes both calls for peace and preparations to defend interests. US News Aljazeera

Key verifiable facts to watch (what will confirm which scenario unfolds)

• Official casualty and damage tallies from Iranian authorities, U.S. Central Command, and independent monitors. Aljazeera ABC7 New York
• Public statements from U.S., Israeli, and Iranian leaders about further operations or ceasefires. CBS News Aljazeera
• Changes in allied basing or force posture (formal announcements by the UK, NATO members, or host nations). Yahoo WRAL

Short takeaway
Confirmed: U.S. and Israeli strikes inside Iran have occurred; Iran's supreme leader was reported killed; reciprocal missile/drone strikes and heightened military/security measures are underway; allied basing support and tightened base security have been publicly announced. CBS News Aljazeera WRAL Yahoo