Flotsam and Jetsam - Ayatollahs Between a Rock and a Hard Place?

I don't want to get anyone's hopes up that we will finally see the end of Jimmy Carter's perhaps biggest mistake, but it may very well be that we will see "regime change" in Iran soon. At NYPo, Ayatollah’s power may collapse in less than a week as Iran’s street protests expand. The Times, Iran protests: Trump warns Khamenei that US ‘stands ready to help’ "With hospitals overwhelmed and hundreds of protesters feared dead, the president has issued a new warning to the ayatollah" and it looks like Trump may be positioning assets. AT NDTV, Why Images Of Iranian Women Lighting Cigarettes With Khamenei's Photo Are Going Viral "A bold protest trend showing Iranian women lighting cigarettes with photographs of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has gone viral globally." Ward Clarke at RedState, New: Khamenei Orders Missile Cities on Alert Amid Deadly Protests. Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby, "BREAKING: Iranian state TV says that anyone who protests in the streets will be shot. These are crimes against humanity and a violation of the Geneva Convention. Greta Thunberg? Silent. Mehdi Hasan? Silent. Cenk Uygur? Silent. The media? Silent. The UN? Silent." Nioh Berg @NiohBerg "Tehran: Lion and Sun flags going up everywhere to Pahlavi chants. If only we had real internet access and not occasional Starlink updates..." and "Tonight will mark 3 full days of complete blackout - which in 2026 should be considered a crime against humanity. The islamic terrorist regime faces two big problems in doing this: 1) This is extremely costly to keep up and completely unsustainable. They know how desperate this makes them look. They know it's pathetic. It's a panic move from a death cult with zero long term planning. 2) Eventually the internet will HAVE to come back on again, and Iranian citizens are likely to be even angrier and more fired up from all the footage and atrocities they will see. And they'll organise again. Unlike in 2019, they aren't going to simply go about their day as if nothing happened. Hell, I'm even seeing literal regime supporters yell at the mullahs for doing something so deliberately retarded and short sighted that will only infuriate the population more." Trent Telenko @TrentTelenko, "This: The Critical Signal: Reports indicate a shocking development on the ground: there is "no apparent military or police response." The security forces have seemingly vanished." ...is another "Flaming Datum" of an Iranian Regime Security Force GHOST TROOPS THUG SHORTAGE. 1/" Quote The Battlefield @TTheBattlefield, " TEHRAN TREMORS: THE CAPITAL IS BURNING. The Situation: New footage confirms the chaos is escalating. Massive crowds are moving through debris and fires across Tehran tonight." Peter Theroux at Tablet wonders/hopes Is This Time Different in Iran? "After decades of treating the Islamic Republic with kid gloves, American and Israeli hard power exposed the regime’s weakness and fueled historic protests." Rich Toronto @rich_toronto, "Tehran will be safer for Jews than London. Tehran will be safer for Jews than New York. Tehran will be safer for Jews than Toronto. Because Tehran is ridding itself of the Islamic Regime that conquered them 47 years ago. And the others didn’t learn the lesson." Insty, IT’S TRUE. MUSLIMS IN PERSIA WERE LITERAL SETTLER COLONIALISTS: Uri Kurlianchik @VerminusM, "Iranians burning down mosques is the purest form of decolonization." quote James Harris @InHumaneShape, "Zoroastrians worship fire. Very poetic." Elizabeth Barcohana @E_Barcohana, "That’s it. That’s the name." Quote Erick Erickson @EWErickson "My kid just referred to what’s happening in Iran as the Shah Shank Redemption." David Keyes @DavidMKeyes, "Khamenei, in talks to flee Iran, rules out California due to "prohibitive wealth tax.""

RCD explains Trump's New Doctrine of Precision Deterrence. From News Wax, Rubio: 'Don't Play Games' With Trump. unseen1 @unseen1_unseen, "Trump is waking the sleeping giant and filling it with a quiet resolve." Quote David Hookstead @dhookstead, "I honestly can’t remember the last time it was this cool to be an American. We’re kidnapping scumbag communist dictators, stealing Russian oil tankers and there’s not a single thing anyone can do about it." Bob Hoge at RedState hears 'Never Want to Be on the Other Side of That Again': Terrified Venezuelan Guard on Alleged New US Weapon. U.S. Southern Command @Southcom, "Once again, our joint interagency forces sent a clear message this morning: “there is no safe haven for criminals.” In a pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford and apprehended Motor/Tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea without incident. . . " From the Chronic, Maduro’s Fall Could Save Lives in America. Sundance at CTH hosts Topic, Venezuela – President Trump Participates in a Meeting with Oil and Gas Executives and Chevron CEO Mike Wirth Outlines Current and Future Production Capacity of Venezuela Oil. Also, Russia Strikes Back Using Hypersonic Missiles Against Kiev Following Drone Attack on Putin’s Residence. At Althouse, "He wields a replica of a prehistoric club as he rages against enemies of the revolution..." ""...on his weekly television programme. He is rumoured to be one of the richest men in Venezuela, but insists he is but a 'humble soldier.' At night he tours Caracas in his bulletproof Toyota, rifle at the ready, reassuring his millions of TikTok viewers that all is calm in the homeland. This is the mad, bad and dangerous-to-know world of Diosdado Cabello: interior minister, head honcho of the security forces and possible roadblock to the Trump administration’s vision of a vassal-state Venezuela." The London Times reports." AEI, Russia and Venezuela—Toward a New Yalta?  

From the Brussels Signal, Why and how Trump wants Greenland. While Denmark may be a reliable ally now, there's no guarantee for the future. At WUWT, Claim: A US Takeover of Greenland Would Deny Access to Climate Scientists. Mike @midnightriderV2, "Absolutely. Canada could have partnered up with the U.S. and enjoyed a resilient economic ride to the stars along side America but noooo .. another socialist" was elected and up came the scrawny elbows." Quote Eric St-Pierre @EricRStPierre, "It's going to really hurt once Canadians realize how much we took the US for granted. For those of us who already realize it, well let's just say it's damned frustrating."

At RCP Larry Kudlow is predicting 5% Growth? Or Even Better? News Wax reports Mortgage Rates Drop to Lowest Level in Nearly 3 Years. Bill Pulte to Newsmax: Trump Cutting Home Costs, Rates. Sundance, President Trump Proposes One Year Cap on Credit Card Rates at 10 Percent "Details are scant, and I’m not exactly sure how this would work, but President Trump has proposed a one-year freeze on credit card rates at 10%." It could be he just wants Democrats to oppose it on behalf of the big banks. Hat Hair's Steve Moore wonders Why Hasn't Trump Repealed Biden's $50 Billion Backdoor Business Tax Increase? "This giant stealth tax increase was NEVER voted on or approved by Congress. It appears to be a blatant violation of the constitutional requirement that all tax bills start in the House of Representatives. The House never even saw this tax hike coming. Talk about a "danger to democracy.""

At Hat Hair, Dave Strom reports Minneapolis On the Edge of Riot and Chaos Erupts in Minneapolis; UPDATE: Ilhan Omar and Rep. Angie Craig Join 'Protesters' and a video, Leftists Trying to Destroy the Rule of Law in Minneapolis. Driscoll at Insty, THE ULTIMATE HECKLER’S VETO: Anti-ICE Mob Storms Hotels in Minneapolis Looking for ICE, Even Chases and Attacks Police. Yuri Bezmenov's Ghost @Ne_pas_couvrir, "This is the power asymmetry: the right can win the White House, House, and Senate, but the left has a century of institutional depth in the veto layers, courts, bureaucracy, education, media & street networks. So they can mobilize like this without getting immediately crushed." John Hinderacker at Power Line sees ICE Is Cleaning Up Minnesota. Bill Melugin "BREAKING: ICE has provided @FoxNews a list of the most egregious criminal aliens they've arrested during their surge in the sanctuary state of Minnesota, & it's the most disturbing list I've ever seen, including numerous convicted child rapists/sodomizers & ten convicted killers, most with deportation orders going back many years. Several from Laos, Somalia, and Sudan. WARNING GRAPHIC - Highlights below . . . " Sundance, The Minnesota Outrage – We’ve Watched This Unfold Several Times. Matt Vespa at TownHall thinks you should Watch What Happens When This Leftist Protester Accosts a CNN Reporter in Minneapolis. Never mind, you're on our side. 

From Shipwreckedcrew, Minneapolis Is Not Even A Close Call --A Lawsplainer On Officer-Involved Shootings "The only perspective that matters is the perspective of the Officer at the time he uses deadly force in response to a threat." PJM's Matt Margolis thinks a New Video From Before Shooting Destroys Another Left-Wing Narrative About Renee Good. jimtreacher.substack.com @jtLOL, "In that case, I'm glad to admit two errors off the top of my head. I assumed: 1. She panicked 2. Trump was crazy to call her a domestic terrorist In light of this new evidence, I stand corrected on both counts." Quote Robby Soave @robbysoave "It's incredible that the new ICE footage has convinced everyone—and I mean, absolutely everyone—that their initial, extremely partisan take was correct. I have not seen a single person change their mind, or at least soften their initial take, in the face of new evidence." Dave Strom doesn't approve of Mayor Frey's New Standard: You Can Injure Cops Fox News @FoxNews, "MAYOR JACOB FREY: "Donald Trump said that Renee ran the ICE agent over." "Don't take my word for it. Don't take their word for it. Watch the video from every single angle." "I mean, the ICE agent walked away with a hip injury that he might as well have gotten from closing a refrigerator door with his hips." "He was not injured." "Give me a break. No, he was not ran over. He walked out of there with a hop in his step." and The Gaslighting Is Intense. Scott Greer 6’2” IQ 187 @ScottMGreer "So true 2016 David French", David French @DavidAFrench, "News flash -- a cop doesn't have to wait until a suspect is actually pointing the gun at him before using deadly force." Insty, SOUNDS INSURRECTIONY: Rep. Janelle Bynum @RepBynum, "The White House is targeting me for calling them out on their BS. They added me to a list of “Democrats Declaring War on Law Enforcement” and lied about what I said. I will not be intimidated and I will never stop demanding the truth." Quote Andy Ngo @MrAndyNgo, "You did declare war. You said the federal agents were engaged in terrorism. And then when you were asked about inciting violence on CNN, you said you stood by what you said. This is after you learned federal agents were trying to arrest violent Tren de Aragua suspects before allegedly being nearly run down by their truck." Joe Chalfant at TownHall wonders Why Did Democrat Senator Ruben Gallego Just Lie About This ICE Officer? Because he's a Democrat. Ngo Comment, EXCLUSIVE: Violent Suspect Arrested at Portland Antifa ICE Riot Is a Registered Sex Offender. "Andrew James Simmons has been repeatedly charged for failing to register as a sex offender." From Twitchy, Not Your Job! Philly Police Commissioner Lays the SMACK Down on the City's Seditious DEI Sheriff.

A very Driscolly (lot of Tweets) post at Insty, OCEANIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT WAR WITH HAMAS: "Zohran Mamdani Calls Hamas A “Terrorist Organisation” Amid New York Protests." Jaimee Michell @JaimeeUSA, "How to tell it’s an election year: Democrats condemn Hamas. The talking points went out and they’re so transparent. You don’t get to do that now after inciting and encouraging antisemitism for the past 2 years. Those are YOUR people. You ARE Hamas." KT at Ace's Collectivists vs. Rugged Individualists, January 10.

Scott Pinsker at PJM wonders Have You Noticed the One Question That the Media REFUSES to Ask Tim Walz? " not one single question about what Gov. Walz learned from the BLM riots!" From the Cowboy State Daily, Cheyenne Restaurant Turns Heads With Money-Making Idea: Open Minnesota Day Care, "Espi’s Restaurant in Cheyenne is famous for its green chili, breakfast burritos, and irreverent roadside messages. On Monday, people were stopping to take photos of its latest: “I am so broke, moving to Minn. and opening a daycare.”

Robby Starbuck @robbystarbuck, "In less than 1 year Democrats got a subset of left wing women to support or defend: Tren De Aragua, Somali fraud, MS-13, communism, running over law enforcement, Antifa, Maduro, Hamas, Sharia law, assassinations & sex changes for kids. Evil but impressive psychological operation." Ed Ring at Am Great holds out hope, How the Left and Right Can Unite to Restore Opportunity in America "America can restore opportunity by ditching corrupt welfare expansion for a left-right bargain: rebuild real infrastructure, deregulate to spur competition, and reward work over dependency." The left will never agree.

News Wax sees Google Founders Quit California Over Billionaires Tax Proposal. Go ahead, kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, or at least, send it flying to Texas. 

John Solomon at JTN, Jack Smith team approved $20k payment to informant to snitch on Trump team during Arctic Frost probe "Revelation included in tranche of new FBI memos that Director Kash Patel turned over to Congress this week that provide more clarity on the tactics and scope of the inquiry that the FBI used to try to build a case against Trump and his allies." From Twitchy, Here’s the Judge Who Blocked Trump From Freezing $10 Billion in Childcare Funds. "U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden, did not rule on the legality of the funding freeze but said the five states met a legal threshold “to protect the status quo” for at least 14 days while arguments are made in court." Stephen Miller@StephenM "Federal district court judge rules taxpayers must fund infinite refugee daycare scams. This is not a legitimate system. This is not democracy." John Sexton is happy to see the California Law Hiding Trans Identity From Parents Heads to Supreme Court. Ben Weingarten at RCP, One Fell Swoop: Lawsuit Eyes Death Blow to Racial Preferences. John Yoo celebrates Trump’s War Against the Watergate “Reforms”.

News Max hears MTG Fires Back at Report She Tipped Code Pink on Trump's DC Dinner Location.

More, more, more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.10.26!