The geopolitical world is in immense turmoil. Forget climate change, that has nothing to do with anything. Think about US oil independence, the restructuring of decades-old international relationships based on oil’s key suppliers, and the fact that the US no longer needs to cater to oil dictators. It’s going to be some ride. Read on…

Intelligencer;

In the wake of the crash of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 in Tehran this morning, two schools of thought quickly emerged. The first accepted the explanation given by Iranian authorities: that the 3-year-old 737-800, which had taken off minutes before, had suffered engine failure before plunging into the ground at Khalaj Abad, killing all 176 aboard. The second, widespread on the internet, was that the Kiev-bound plane had been accidentally shot down by an Iranian air-defense missile.
 

Given that the facts are just starting to trickle in, it’s far too early to say with any certainty what actually happened. Based on past experience, much of what has been reported as fact will turn out to be wrong; the true cause may very well turn out to be something no one has yet considered. But given the information we have right now, the second explanation makes more sense than the first.

I've seen a lot in my life – stuff I hope others don't.

Rarely am I in AWE…..

and BEWILDERED

This tweet…..

I can't stop looking at it.

It makes absolutely no sense to make something like this public. https://t.co/K7HdJDHITP

— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) January 8, 2020

Bomb, bomb Iran.

WASHINGTON D.C. (WATE) – UPDATE – 7:30 p.m.: ABC News reporting:

“We have spoken to a source in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) who confirms that three missiles were fired at the international airport and adjoining US military base.
Two of the missiles were shot down by anti-missile batteries and the third missile fell behind the airport but did not explode.”

Well, they weren’t going to do nothing. Now we wait to find out if Iran gets away with the face-saving exercise — or not.

More here.

BREAKING — A US official confirms ballistic missiles have been fired from inside Iran at multiple US military facilities inside Iraq. Facilities include Erbil in N Iraq and Al Asad Air Base in W Iraq.

Early reports are indicating 20 American deaths, but it hasn’t been confirmed.

— Michael Coudrey (@MichaelCoudrey) January 7, 2020