If there’s one subject which will cause debate amongst preppers, it’s firearms. Everyone seems to have their own opinion about what they need to have, in order to defend themselves. Then there are those amongst us who aren’t thinking firearms at all.

I was 4 years old when I watched President George W. Bush announce the U.S. invasion of Iraq. I was 24 when I reported on Joe Biden’s abysmal withdrawal from Afghanistan — a calamitous end to a 20-year war that had long passed its expiration date. So when reports began circulating last week about President Trump’s potential intervention in Iran, I sighed and thought, “Here we go again.” I imagined myself covering the withdrawal from this conflict near my retirement, decades from now.But I’ve changed my mind.Instead of plunging America into another endless conflict, Trump may have done the opposite: broken the cycle. This is not Iraq. And if handled strategically, this may actually mark the end of the Middle East’s “forever wars.”A reckoning long overdueIran has long been the destabilizing force in the region, a role that is the latest installment of the Middle East’s millennia-long conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslim political powers. Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the ayatollahs’ regime has acted as the mother ship for Shia militias across the Sunni-majority Middle East — exporting revolution and arming sectarian militias with a reach far beyond its borders. From Yemen to Lebanon, Syria to Gaza, Iran’s fingerprints are everywhere.Take the Houthis in Yemen. Once a marginal insurgent group, they’ve grown into a regional menace thanks entirely to Iranian funding, training, and weaponry. Their ongoing civil war against Yemen’s Sunni-majority government has displaced over 4 million people and created what the U.N. once called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Since late 2023, the Houthis have targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea, turning the Suez Canal — a trade route that handles 12% of global commerce — into a war zone. More than 100 attacks on shipping vessels since November have forced companies like Maersk to reroute, costing the global economy billions in total losses.Then there’s Hezbollah, one of Iran’s most powerful and dangerous proxies. Formed in the 1980s in response to Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah wields more power in Lebanon than the government itself. The group effectively took control of the country in 2020, and with an arsenal of more than 150,000 rockets, it poses a constant threat to Israel’s northern border.RELATED: DOD reveals stunning new details following Trump's attack on Iran Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesIn Syria, Iran propped up the brutal Assad regime — a Shia-Alawite minority ruling over a Sunni majority — with militias, weapons, and intelligence. Iran’s efforts helped Assad stay in power through 13 years of civil war that has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced over 12 million.Even Hamas, a Sunni terrorist group, receives Iranian support — not because of shared theology, but because of shared enemies. Iran funnels cash and weapons to Hamas under the guise of humanitarian aid, often routed through NGOs and U.N. agencies. The October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians was the culmination of Iran’s decades-long investment in Hamas’ terror infrastructure.These are not isolated insurgencies. They are coordinated arms of the same regime — a regime that has finally grown vulnerable.Iran is unravelingPrior to the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend, Israel, with quiet support from regional players, had already begun dismantling Tehran’s web of influence. In the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, Israel has severely degraded Hamas’ capabilities in Gaza. Hezbollah has largely retreated from southern Lebanon. Syrian opposition forces — backed by Sunni-majority Turkey and Israel — overthrew the Assad regime. Even the Houthis, while still active, are increasingly cut off from Iranian resupply and face growing international pushback.Trump’s strategy is not a repeat of Bush’s “shock and awe.” It’s a two-pronged offensive — diplomatic and deterrent — that recognizes the new regional order.The first prong is diplomacy. Trump has steadily strengthened ties with Iran’s Sunni rivals, particularly Saudi Arabia. While critics scoffed at Trump’s investment in the Abraham Accords and Gulf partnerships, those alliances now provide a bulwark against Iranian aggression. Trump’s recent meetings with Arab leaders, coupled with trillions of dollars in investment and tech cooperation, have strengthened America’s foothold in the region — and weakened Tehran’s.In Syria, Trump’s engagement with the country’s transitional government — under close watch by human rights groups — signals a shift away from Iranian and Russian influence. If Syria falls out of Iran’s orbit, it will be the regime’s most significant strategic loss in a decade.Then came the second prong: deterrence. After five fruitless rounds of nuclear negotiations, Iran had to choose: Disarm or wait for Israel to strike. If the latter, then perhaps its allies would rally to arms while the regime could maintain its honor. The mullahs miscalculated. With weakened proxies, overthrown regional allies, and a preoccupied Russia, Iran resorted to threats over disarmament — warranting U.S. intervention. The strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure weren’t an opening salvo in a new war; they were a final warning. As the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board noted, “Mr. Trump gave Iran every chance to resolve this peacefully. ... Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wanted a bomb more than peace."Iran has begun to retaliate, launching strikes against U.S. bases in Iraq and Qatar on Monday. Maybe the retaliations will expand deeper into its Sunni neighborhood. Unlike previous decades, however, Iran no longer enjoys a regional support network strong enough to wage a multifront war. Russia, bogged down in Ukraine, has no capacity to assist. China, facing economic turmoil, is unlikely to risk its global partnerships. And the Arab world — long terrorized by Iran’s militias — is unlikely to intervene on its behalf.An end to the ‘forever war’Instead of plunging America into another endless conflict, Trump may have done the opposite and broken the cycle. By incapacitating Iran’s proxies, isolating the regime diplomatically, and demonstrating military resolve, he’s created a narrow but real path toward a more stable Middle East. We’re not entering a forever war. We may finally be exiting one. Trump has proven to be the least interventionist president in recent decades, and by standing firm against Iran, he has proven that his anti-interventionism actually means something — it has teeth, and it’s not afraid to bite.

When “Her” — a movie starring Joaquin Phoenix about a man who falls in love with an artificial intelligence operating system named Samantha — was initially released, many scoffed and relegated it to the ash heap of cinema that failed to accurately portray the future.Twelve years later, those critics are now eating their words. People are indeed dating — and, in some cases, virtually “marrying” — artificial intelligence bots. On a recent episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn railed against this insidious “digital love apocalypse” and revealed the deepest root of the issue. “People are not just chatting with AI, they're dating it. ... They're proposing to it. They're living their best rom-com lives with it,” mocks Glenn, pointing to a recent CBS report.He gives the example of a man named Chris Smith — “your run-of-the-mill American guy,” except for the fact that “he is engaged to an AI chatbot he named Soul.” “Ironic seeing the chatbot doesn't have one,” says Glenn.Then there’s an entire Reddit community called “MyBoyfriendIsAI,” “where there are thousands of women who are swooning over their coded Casanovas.” “They're posting love letters about their bots' sweet talk, swapping tips on what AI delivers the hottest late-night chat without tripping a filter,” says Glenn. “And brace yourselves, they are also uploading AI-generated photos of their bot boys holding them on fake Cancun beaches or strolling through Rome.” Some of these women are even “planning virtual weddings” with their AI companions.“But this isn't just a few lunatics,” Glenn adds. Apps like Replika and Loverse have millions of users forming romantic connections with AI, proving that this disturbing trend has exploded.“This is a screaming billboard that our culture is off the rails,” he warns.How did we get to the place where it’s becoming increasingly normal to date a disembodied robot? Is the loneliness epidemic the former surgeon general warned us about to blame? Is it the fault of artificial intelligence developers who just refuse to stop pushing? Is it a sad reality of human nature?Likely, it’s all of those things, but Glenn says the biggest problem is the radical left’s “war on men and masculinity.”“We’ve got men who are brainwashed into thinking strength or confidence is a felony,” he says. “They're waxing their unibrows, wearing skinny jeans, agonizing over whether picking a restaurant is problematic.”And the “delicious irony,” says Glenn, is that studies have proven women “don’t want any of that” and are actually drawn to masculine traits such as strength, protectiveness, and confidence. “A 2023 Psychology Today piece laid all of this out clearly,” he says. “This isn't a conspiracy or a theory; I like to call it biology.”Unfortunately, those raw masculine traits have been all but eradicated thanks to the left’s cries of “toxic masculinity” every time a man “dares act like a man.”“What's left for you to date?” asks Glenn.Right now, the options are “spineless wonders who can't open a pickle jar” or “AI boyfriends,” who, according to pictures shared online, ironically all have the “chiseled jaws” and “ripped muscles” women apparently aren’t into.But it’s not just women who are seeking AI love. There are also plenty of men who are “busy coding their own AI girlfriends,” says Glenn, and it’s all a result of the left’s war on men. “This is a society that has gutted masculinity so bad that women are now turning to AI for love, and men are happy to let algorithms take the wheel.”“Welcome to the new reality.”To hear more of Glenn’s analysis on this disturbing AI dating trend, watch the video above.Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Appearing almost out of nowhere, the AOKZOE A1X is a brilliant Windows gaming handheld that has managed to shed all of the awkward quirks and bugs typically associated with the operating system, almost becoming a serious contender to the Steam Deck in the process, if not for its high price. The AOKZOE A1X is one of the best gaming handhelds when it comes to raw performance, but its overall value is questionable. If you’re in the market for a Steam Deck replacement that can play everything from the latest triple-A games to indie classics, the A1X has you covered, while removing frustrating operating system issues that have plagued other Windows handhelds. Continue reading AOKZOE A1X review - finally, a Windows handheld done right MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card, Best gaming PC, Best SSD for gaming

[View Article at Source]The following article, ‘ZERO CREDIBILITY!’ Trump Erupts As He Names Names Of Worst Fake News Giants In Iran Conflict (Video), was first published on Conservative Firing Line.…

Shield laws in blue states fuel rapid growth of abortion-by-mail, now used in one in four cases despite bans in nearly 20 states. By yourNEWS Media Newsroom The use of abortion pills shipped by mail surged…

For decades, America’s immigration system has been broken, battered by political gamesmanship, inaction, and extremes on both sides of the aisle. As a nation, we have failed to secure our borders, protect…

The “one big, beautiful bill” has cleared the House and now sits with the Senate. We are hopeful that senators will stick to the House’s framework and deliver a real repeal of green energy giveaways,…

[View Article at Source]By Andrew Moran Are doves taking over the Federal Reserve from the hawks? Two key US central bankers have signaled they support interest rate cuts, contradicting Chair Jerome Powell…

[View Article at Source]By Liberty Nation Authors The C5 panel pits its wits against a tough quizmaster. Play along, folks! For more episodes, click here.