Iran and Trump not mathing

<p>Thank you <a href="https://substack.com/profile/107973962-will-fullwood" target="_blank">Will Fullwood</a>, <a href="https://substack.com/profile/183065704-mandy-ohman" target="_blank">Mandy Ohman</a>, <a href="https://substack.com/profile/9150600-seneca-dunmore" target="_blank">Seneca Dunmore</a>, <a href="https://substack.com/profile/2073006-reda-rountree-sheher" target="_blank">Reda Rountree (she/her)</a>, <a href="https://substack.com/profile/202083829-frank-johnson" target="_blank">Frank Johnson</a>, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.</p><p>I know it’s been a minute since a livestream—about a week and a half, maybe two. But you know the deal: sometimes research requires research. I’ve been on the ground, moving through Detroit, Iowa, and Kentucky, connecting with y’all at the Charles H. Wright Museum, the Debate League, and doing a screening with the homies like Kendrick Sampson and the late great powerhouses discussing Black women’s trust. Shout out to everybody in Des Moines, Waterloo, and Brunel—I see y’all. And shout out to Lanae for taking that NAACP Image Award home. That’s the reason for the radio silence: I’ve been a one-man band with an editor and an assistant, trying to keep up with the demand for real talk.</p><p>But today, we ain’t talking about travel. We’re talking about imperialism.</p><p>We are officially in March of 2026, and the war machine is fully operational. While you were scrolling past the chaos in Dallas County during the primaries or watching the highlights of the “Iran situation,” I was looking at the structural engineering behind the building. Today, we are dissecting the phenomenon of American imperialism—how it deploys itself in Texas voting booths, in the boardrooms of Silicon Valley, and in the bombing of schoolgirls in Iran.</p><p><strong>THE TEXAS WARM-UP: FASCISM SOFT LAUNCH</strong></p><p>Before we cross the Atlantic, we have to look at our own backyard. Yesterday in Texas, we saw a soft launch of what’s coming in November. In Dallas County, there was chaos at the polls—voter suppression dressed up as administrative disarray. They changed the voting destinations, made it a musical chairs game to cast a ballot, and created long lines designed to leave a nasty taste in the mouths of first-time voters.</p><p>Let’s connect the dots: Donald Trump called down to Texas begging for five seats. He knows that if Texas slips, his whole house of cards falls. So what do they do? They create discord. They make sure that in Jasmine Crockett’s political home, the process is so dysfunctional that people feel disempowered.</p><p>We saw it with Ken Paxton and John Cornyn going at each other’s throats. But the real story is Proposition 8—the legalization of cannabis and the clearing of past convictions. We have data that shows a direct correlation between high voter turnout and legalization. Republicans know this. So when you see high Democratic primary turnout, you know they are shaking in their boots. They have to figure out how to discourage the vote, or they lose the state.</p><p>This isn’t just Texas politics. This is the American project. Whether it’s in Dallas County or Tehran, the goal is the same: control the population, suppress the opposition, and secure resources.</p><p><strong>THE INFANTILE POLITICS OF “OLD MEN”</strong></p><p>Speaking of control, we have to talk about the geriatrics running the show. We have a bunch of elders in Washington. These politicians, from Mitch McConnell to the senior citizens in both parties, have tied their political position to their personhood. They believe they are the only ones who can maintain “social order.” They are so self-centered that they think they should dictate the livelihood of people who will be living for the next 50 years, even though they are one foot in the grave.</p><p>We saw it in 2025: five Democrats died in office, Republicans filled those seats, and they pushed through a “big, beautiful bill” that hurt the rest of us. This isn’t just about age; it’s about a paternalistic, selfish worldview. If you’re old enough to qualify for retirement, you shouldn’t be making decisions about a future you won’t inhabit. It’s time to impart knowledge, not hoard power.</p><p><p>Research Over Mesearch is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></p><p><strong>THE REAL REASON FOR THE WAR: FOLLOW THE MONEY (AND THE MEDIA)</strong></p><p>You want to know why we are going to war? It ain’t about “defense.” It’s about the merger.</p><p>This weekend, the largest media merger in American history closed. One family now controls CNN, HBO, CBS, Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures—all running on Oracle’s infrastructure. That same family owns Oracle.</p><p>And within the last two weeks, Oracle won brand new contracts to host Medicare and Medicaid data for 150 million Americans, and to run Air Force operations using AI.</p><p>So, follow the internal link:</p><p>* Your tax dollars go to Oracle via federal contracts.</p><p>* That revenue props up Oracle’s stock price.</p><p>* Larry Ellison uses that stock as collateral to finance his son’s purchase of the largest media company in history.</p><p>* That media company now controls the narrative of the war.</p><p>* Another couple billion dollars for this merger is coming from Saudi Arabia and Qatar—the same governments we are now allying with against Iran.</p><p>This is the definition of imperialism. It’s not about “politically correct wars” or “nation-building.” As Pete Hegseth said, it’s about “maximum authorities” and “no stupid rules of engagement.” They are telling us they don’t care about the Geneva Convention. They are bragging about having the most lethal air power in history.</p><p>We were taught that the Nazi regime was inhumane because they engaged in war without rules. We created the Nuremberg trials and the Geneva Convention to prevent that. Now, the very people who claimed to defeat that regime are bragging that they can do the same thing.</p><p><strong>THE VENN DIAGRAM OF IMPERIALISM: DEMOCRATS VS. REPUBLICANS</strong></p><p>I’m not doing the lazy “both sides” rhetoric. I’m drawing a Venn diagram.</p><p>* <strong>Republicans (Hard Power):</strong> Pete Hegseth is telling you straight up: “We fight to win. No democracy-building exercise. No politically correct wars.” They are unapologetic imperialists. They want the oil, the land, and the resources, and they don’t care if you know it.</p><p>* <strong>Democrats (Soft Power):</strong> Democrats care about the <em>quorum</em> and <em>diplomacy</em> while engaging in imperialism. They will wring their hands, clutch their pearls, and then drop the same bombs, but they’ll call it “humanitarian intervention” or “stability operations.”</p><p>The common denominator is <strong>imperialism</strong>.</p><p>And I have the receipts. During the Vice Presidential debate, Tim Walz let a Freudian slip fly. He said, “The expansion of <strong>Iran</strong> and its proxies is an absolute fundamental necessity for the United States.” He meant <em>Israel</em>.</p><p>That slip told us everything. The expansion of Israel is fundamental to the United States. That’s why we can’t have nice things. That’s why they banned TikTok—not because of Chinese data, but because Israel was losing the narrative war. They had to control the story.</p><p>From Hillary Clinton saying we would “totally obliterate” Iran, to every president since the 80s talking about the “Paperclip Theory” (Iran is always 3-5 years away from a bomb), the script has been consistent. They paint the “brown Islamic other” as an irrational actor, while Israel—the only nuclear power in the region that refuses to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty—gets a free pass.</p><p><strong>1953.</strong> Remember that number. That’s when the CIA and MI6 orchestrated a coup against a democratically elected leader, Mossadegh, because he wanted to nationalize Iranian oil. We destroyed their democracy for oil. And now we act surprised when they chant “Death to America.”</p><p><p>Research Over Mesearch is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></p><p><strong>THE BLACK AMERICAN CONNECTION: WHY THIS IS OUR FIGHT</strong></p><p>To my Black American audience: if you think this doesn’t affect you, you are smoking dope and dog food.</p><p>* <strong>The Military:</strong> They go into our neighborhoods and recruit our Black children with promises of scholarships and a way out, only to send them to Iraq and Afghanistan to fight for oil companies.</p><p>* <strong>The Economy:</strong> Texas is the number one manufacturer of weapons in the country. Our communities are starving, but we have “money for war, can’t feed the poor.”</p><p>* <strong>The Morality:</strong> Malcolm X was right. Dr. King was right. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. How can you quote MLK during Black History Month and then turn around and say “I don’t give a f**k about Iran”? That’s faker than pleather.</p><p>Barack Obama was the “commander in chief.” That means he was the commander of the most lethal military in world history. He deported more people than any president before him and he drone-struck weddings. I’m not saying this to take away from the symbolism of his presidency for some, but if you let your cultural pride substitute for your political accountability, you are part of the problem.</p><p>The American project doesn’t care about you. It doesn’t care about you regardless of the blackface you put on it. It is designed to operate a certain way. If you can be critical of Trump’s wars but get defensive when I mention Obama’s drone strikes, you aren’t anti-war. You’re just a fan of a sports team.</p><p><strong>KEY TAKEAWAYS</strong></p><p>* <strong>Imperialism is Bipartisan:</strong> The flavor changes (soft vs. hard power), but the meal is the same. Both parties prioritize the American empire and the security of Israel over the welfare of the American people and the sovereignty of other nations.</p><p>* <strong>Follow the Internal Link:</strong> There is always a connection between the geopolitical event and your material reality. Whether it’s Oracle’s stock price, the price of gas, or the recruitment of our youth, the war machine impacts you. Don’t be infantile and say it doesn’t.</p><p>* <strong>The “Paperclip Theory” is a Lie:</strong> For 40 years, we’ve been told Iran is on the verge of a nuclear bomb. The only country to ever use a nuclear weapon on civilian populations is the United States. The pathology of the “irrational brown boogeyman” is a tool to manufacture consent for war.</p><p>* <strong>Israel is the Center of Gravity:</strong> The U.S.-Israel alliance is the only thing both parties can agree on. It dictates our foreign policy in the Middle East. Understanding the “Greater Israel Project” and the goal of regional hegemony is key to understanding why we are bombing Iran today.</p><p>* <strong>Don’t Be a Bootlicker:</strong> Stop defending politicians because of their skin color or party letter. Hold them accountable. Malcolm X warned us about the “bootlicking Negroes” who will justify anything for a crumb from the master’s table. Prove him wrong.</p><p><strong>CLOSING THOUGHTS</strong></p><p>I’m not here to force you to follow me. If this made you uncomfortable, block me, unfollow me, unhand me. I’m an acquired taste. But if you are still here, I challenge you.</p><p>Whatever you understood about American imperialism when you woke up this morning, I challenge you to know more when you go to sleep. Do better.</p><p>Education is elevation. Never take my word for it. As my grandma said, “A pair of lips can tell anything.” Do the research.</p><p><strong>CALL TO ACTION #1</strong></p><p>This kind of structural analysis takes time, travel, and resources. I’m in the streets, from Detroit to Iowa to Kentucky, and I’m bringing those receipts back to you. If you value this content and want to see it continue, I need your support.</p><p><strong>Become a paid subscriber to Research over MeSearch on Substack.</strong> Your subscription allows me to stay independent, travel to where the story is, and push back against the algorithm shadow bans. It keeps the lights on and the research flowing. Link in the bio. Let’s build.</p><p><strong>COMMENTS & RESOURCES</strong></p><p><strong>Shout out to Luis Polo:</strong> You said, “Just more rich people problems, not interested.” I hear you, but that’s the point. The phenomenon we are dissecting is about how rich people’s desires dictate poor people’s lives. Don’t divorce yourself from the analysis because you hate the subjects.</p><p><strong>Related Reading & Resources:</strong></p><p>* <em>The CIA and MI6 Coup in Iran (1953):</em> Look up Operation Ajax.</p><p>* <em>The Greater Israel Project:</em> Research the biblical borders and the political movement to expand Israeli territory from the Nile to the Euphrates.</p><p>* <em>Oracle & Government Contracts:</em> Follow the merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount, and look into Larry Ellison’s involvement.</p><p>* <em>Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:</em> “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.”</p><p>* <em>Malcolm X:</em> “The Ballot or the Bullet.”</p><p><strong>CALL TO ACTION #2</strong></p><p>If you made it this far, you know I’m not playing with this information. The algorithms are working against voices like ours. Don’t let them silence this conversation.</p><p><strong>Upgrade to a paid subscription today.</strong> You’ll get access to exclusive threads, the sources I use for my research, and early episode drops. This is how we build an autonomous space for real talk. Don’t wait—lock in now.</p><p></p> <br /><br />This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://theconsciouslee.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">theconsciouslee.substack.com/subscribe</a>