Mark Ondrejech

Destroyer of curfews and unconstitutional exec actions, K-JD, CLE ‘til I die, Ohio U Bobcat forever, Moderate Liberal populist 21x

[Spencer Hakimian @SpencerHakimian]

8D Chess

[Antony Blinken @ABlinken]

Thoughts on the “Ceasefire” with Iran:

President Trump should share the ceasefire agreement with the American people.  They deserve to see it and draw their own conclusions about the results of the president’s war. Just as they should have been informed before he launched it.

From what’s been reported, it’s a bad deal to end a misguided war of President Trump’s choosing. The only thing worse would be to continue the war that has proven so costly in lives lost — including U.S. service members — and taxpayer dollars spent without making the American people safer or their lives better.

By President Trump’s own terms, the war is a failure.

The Iranian regime is intact and its military wing more empowered, while the Iranian people are more impoverished, repressed and desperate.

Iran apparently retains a significant supply of missiles and drones and the productive capacity to make more. It has renewed links to lethal proxies in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere. The ceasefire agreement seems to be silent about these issues

The attempt to “re-obliterate” Iran’s nuclear program — which President Trump claimed to have wiped out last year — failed. Iran still has the highly enriched uranium it had produced before the war started, along with centrifuges to spin the uranium into weapons-grade material. Maybe that will be addressed in the negotiations that are supposed to start this week. But at what price in terms of sanctions relief and assets unfrozen? At best, we’ll get back to something that looks like the JCPOA — the nuclear deal negotiated by President Obama without going to war that put Iran’s nuclear program in a box. President Trump tore up the JCPOA in 2018 and then failed to replace it. There’s reason to doubt we will come away with anything as strong as the JCPOA — which took two years to negotiate in partnership with all the major powers — in 60 days, playing a far weaker hand. And by the way, if the president tries to claim credit for Iran renouncing nuclear weapons as part of any agreement, look no further than the very first paragraph of the JCPOA, which contains the same pledge.

The only “achievement” of the ceasefire is the likely re-opening the Strait of Hormuz — which was open before the war started. And we will apparently pay Iran to do so, in the form of waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil. Iran has now demonstrated the capacity to stop or slow the passage of oil, natural gas, fertilizer and other critical products upon which so much of the world depend. Going forward, it will almost certainly find ways to collect “fees” for safe passage that will help entrench the regime.

Don’t expect a return to normal any time soon, if at all. Crude oil prices will drop from the record highs they reached — but they’re unlikely to fall to pre-war levels. We will all pay for a sustained inflationary effect. It will take time to restart oil and gas production, repair infrastructure, refill dangerously depleted stockpiles, clear mines, and restore confidence. Just as it will take a lot of time to replenish our own supply of offensive and defensive missiles, to the detriment of our deterrent in other parts of the world.

Maybe the only positive development is the world’s renewed focus on renewable energy as a way to break the stranglehold of the Strait. But China will be the big winner as the world’s leader in wind, solar, EV’s and batteries — further expanding its influence — while the Trump administration is paying wind farms to shut down and gutting incentives to make us more competitive in EVs. (I just returned from Norway, where more than 90 percent of the new cars sold last year were full EV’s. Norway may be ahead of the curve, but we’re driving right off the road).

Meanwhile, the administration achieved a terrible trifecta of alienating our partners in Europe (insulted and threatened for two years, not consulted on the war and then lambasted for not helping bail us out), Asia (which bore the greatest impact of high energy prices and rising scarcity) and the Middle East (the primary target of Iranian retaliation), while diminishing our standing and credibility everywhere.

Most of all, President Trump’s war of choice has failed the ultimate foreign policy test: it has failed to make the American people better off. At a time when more and more American families are struggling to make ends meet, this war has made filling everything from the gas tank to the grocery cart to medical prescriptions harder and more expensive.

We should all be glad the war is over — for now. No doubt President Trump will claim credit for ending it. But that’s like an arsonist boasting about putting out a fire he started after half the house has been burnt down.

[Tina Smith @SenTinaSmith]

They were seriously debating using the military to throw anyone who disagreed with them in jail…

[TiffinOhio.net @TiffinOhioNews]

"Scam artist Vivek Ramaswamy has given Ohioans yet another reason to not believe a word he says," Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer said after federal lobbying disclosures showed Ramaswamy's company paid more than $70,000 to lobby the White House, NIH, and Congress on Covid-19 drug development in 2020–21 — while he now campaigns against "Covid ideology" and attacks Democratic rival Amy Acton's pandemic record. Read more: https://t.co/y76QfEi6fA

[ACLU of Ohio @acluohio]

It's official, our lawmakers have weaponized the Ohio Constitution for their own political gain.

SJR 10 is a transparent ploy to manipulate the democratic system and impact the governor’s race. The brazen coordination with the Ramaswamy Campaign is not at all subtle; it’s offensive and derivative.

[Cincymilla @CincyShadow]

The @ohiogop stays undefeated in robbing #Ohioans and handing out their hard earned money to mega corporations. #Ohio have you not grown tired of being defrauded by republicans for 30years? They use culture war to divide you and then rob you blind. Wake the fuck up!

[Cincymilla @CincyShadow]

Kasich is also the reason Ohio doesn't have commuter rail running between all it's major cities. The republican party and John Kasich in general have been a blight upon Ohio's prosperity.

[Plunderbund @plunderbund]

Ohio inked a secret 40 year agreement that gives AT LEAST $2.3 billion in tax giveaways to out-of-state tech giants and nobody knew about it?

https://t.co/UrVWTOKrfZ

[Roberto Shenanigans @Rob_Shenanigans]

The Ohio Department of Development just gave $2.3 billion (likely "significantly higher") in "uncapped" sales tax breaks to Google, Meta, Amazon, and others to build AI data centers in Ohio.

Your state government sold you out again, Ohio.
https://t.co/kKMBvLpiIf

[Mall Bangers @MallBangers]

The world lost Anthony Bourdain 8 years ago today. I love this quote from him.

[Aerial Agents @aerialagents]

Big Boy 4104 rolling through Cleveland, Ohio! Big Boy is the largest steam locomotive in the world! Currently on a coast-to-coast tour.

#aerialagents #ComeUp #Cleveland #Ohio #BigBoy4104

[Mike Bundt @Mike_Bundt]

Brazil vs. Egypt friendly in Cleveland before the World Cup!

[Roberto Shenanigans @Rob_Shenanigans]

Question: "Myes wasn't on the block, you weren't auctioning him off... Why not open up the bidding and get a few more picks?"

Berry: "That wasn't the goal. [word salad]"

Maximizing your trade return for Myles was not the goal!?

Not shopping the Rams' offer is GM malpractice.

[Roberto Shenanigans @Rob_Shenanigans]

Andy Berry's kill list is finally complete #BillyMadison

[Historic Vids @historyinmemes]

The bar tab from George Washington’s 1787 farewell celebration still survives today, revealing just how heavily the Founding Fathers partied. Among only 55 guests, they reportedly consumed 54 bottles of Madeira, 60 bottles of claret, 8 bottles of whiskey, 22 bottles of porter, 8 bottles of hard cider, 12 bottles of beer, and 7 large bowls of alcoholic punch.

[92.3 The Fan @923TheFan]

"They did load manage their way here. He's 29 and he's out of gas in the Eastern Conference Finals. Not good. And it makes me look to Koby Altman...maybe you gotta upgrade Donovan (Mitchell). He's not elevating this thing to the level you expected him to elevate it."

🚨 @NickPedone12 and @RuiterWrongFAN on the #Cavs conversation that will follow this postseason

[ArtButMakeItSports @ArtButSports]

Madonna of Milk Enthroned with Child, by Jean Fouquet, 1452-55 (flipped)

[I'm From Cleveland @ImFromCle]

The USS Cleveland entered active service in the U.S. Navy on the lakefront of its namesake city, marking the first time in the nation’s history that a U.S. warship was commissioned in Ohio. The USS Cleveland is the Navy’s newest Littoral Combat Ship and the final Freedom-class variant to be commissioned.

The motto of the new USS Cleveland, “Forge a Legacy,” honors Cleveland’s industrial heritage and the strength of its people. The innovative spirit that helped make this city into a manufacturing powerhouse continues to propel our region—and our nation—into the future.

From Cleveland-Cliffs steel to Sherwin-Williams coatings, local companies across Greater Cleveland contributed materials and expertise to the ship’s construction.

The ship will depart Cleveland on May 19 and sail through the St. Lawrence Seaway to its home port in Jacksonville, Florida.

[DaVinci @BiancoDavinci]

Across the Cities Then vs Now

[Jomboy Media @JomboyMedia]

Giants pretended to fuck each other after beating the Dodgers