The hottest Military Intervention Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways

British spies were commissioned to gather information in Libya by the Democratic Party's overseas political action arm in aftermath of execution of Gaddafi

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 712 implied HN points • 16 Mar 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The National Democratic Institute hired a UAE-based firm run by former SCL staff to conduct MEPI-funded focus groups in Libya after Gaddafi’s fall, showing overt democracy programs used contractors with intelligence backgrounds.
Court documents and emails suggest that the UAE firm (IAS) acted as a cut-out for information-warfare contractors like MSI and SCL, with covert data-collection work — including plans to offload “dodgier” tasks and mobile-phone tracking — moving between private firms.
Declassified records and staff movements reveal long-standing informal links between NED/NDI and U.S. intelligence, blurring the line between overt public diplomacy and covert operations and raising transparency and accountability concerns.

Trump: Iran War Is an Open-Ended, Regime-Change War, Followed by Nation-Building

Glenn Greenwald • 3035 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26

🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Intervention

The president has framed the conflict as an open-ended regime-change war followed by nation-building and says he wants a key role in approving Iran’s next leaders, even if it takes months or longer.
Supporters are using familiar war-propaganda tactics — denying it’s a real war, promising a quick campaign, and recycling Iraq-era arguments — while the fighting has already included heavy strikes and civilian deaths.
The war carries big economic costs and raises the risk of retaliatory violence at home and abroad, and it has pushed the administration into alignment with hawkish allies and warmongers rather than isolationist promises.

This Is Even Dumber And Crazier Than The Iraq War

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2728 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The current campaign against Iran is even more reckless and cynical than the Iraq invasion, with leaders often not pretending to have sincere humanitarian or democratic motives.
Those pushing the attack are using obvious lies and atrocity propaganda to justify bombing, aiming to smash the country like Libya and then walk away without rebuilding or stabilizing it.
U.S. imperial leadership has grown openly thuggish and indifferent to public will or international consequences, escalating toward more brutal and chaotic foreign interventions.

Iran Is Morally Superior To The United States

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2994 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The United States is depicted as morally worse than Iran because it carries out far more murderous, tyrannical, and destructive actions around the world.
US global power is argued to come from deliberate aggression — wars, bombings, coups, sanctions, and nuclear brinkmanship — rather than mere happenstance of strength.
Many Westerners conflate personal comfort with moral judgement, overlooking that US violence is exported abroad and thus the US is morally unqualified to dictate how other countries like Iran should be run.

War Propaganda and Iran: The Exact Script Used for Every Failed US War Is Hauled Out Again

Glenn Greenwald • 4749 implied HN points • 23 Feb 26

🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Intervention

Governments and media keep recycling the same discredited propaganda to sell new wars, claiming humanitarian motives while hiding strategic or political aims.
Friendly exiles and lurid atrocity stories are staged and amplified to portray targets as uniquely evil and eager for liberation, even when those claims are unreliable or false.
Critics of proposed wars are routinely smeared as enemy sympathizers, which suppresses dissent, ignores public opinion, and allows destructive conflicts to proceed with little accountability.

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Tell Iranian And Cuban Diaspora Warmongers To Shut The Fuck Up

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2817 implied HN points • 22 Feb 26

🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Intervention

Some people from the Iranian or Cuban diaspora push for US military intervention and try to silence critics, and those bullying tactics should be called out. You don’t have to defer to them just because of their family background.
Opposing imperialist wars and sanctions is everyone’s right, even if you aren’t from the targeted country. Lived experience doesn’t give anyone a veto over criticizing warmongering policies.
Backing US interventions or the economic strangling of countries is morally wrong and often serves powerful, dangerous interests. People who advance those agendas should be opposed, not given special deference.

No Bro This War Will Be Completely Different, Bro

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2281 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

Claims that a new US war will be "completely different" reuse the same comforting talking points, and history shows similar interventions in the region often cause harm.
Mainstream media, think tanks, and officials frequently justify intervention with WMD scares, humanitarian rhetoric, or promises of bringing democracy, so those narratives deserve close skepticism.
Opposition is commonly met with ad hominem attacks and assurances that leaders will quickly fix mistakes, but real accountability and course-correction rarely follow, so be wary of simplistic reassurances.

"Why Don't You Criticize Iran??"

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2686 implied HN points • 31 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

Focus criticism on the western empire because that is the power structure people actually live under and can influence. It is often the main source of militarism and global abuse.
Mainstream media push an "Official Bad Guy" narrative to manufacture consent for aggression, which trains people to criticize foreign regimes instead of questioning their own leaders.
Refusing to criticize a foreign government can be a principled choice when such criticism would feed imperial war propaganda; opposing warmongering agendas is a legitimate moral stance.

Only Idiots Believe The War Propaganda About Iran

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2659 implied HN points • 30 Jan 26

🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Intervention

The push to overthrow Iran is about power and control, not bringing freedom or democracy, so official claims and media narratives about Iran should be treated with deep skepticism.
Forcibly toppling Iran would likely result in puppet governments, balkanization, chaos, or a devastating war, all of which would harm ordinary Iranians and the region.
Given what happened in Iraq, Libya, and Gaza, it's unacceptable to fall for war propaganda or support regime-change campaigns; people should reject calls to manufacture consent for such wars.

Dissecting The Belief That The US Should Forcibly Remove Tyrannical Governments

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1830 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

Just because a government commits abuses doesn't automatically justify the United States using military force to overthrow it. Those are two separate claims and forcing regime change needs its own independent moral and legal justification.
The United States has a long record of harmful interventions and often makes situations worse, so it's one of the least qualified actors to claim humanitarian motives. US foreign policy frequently serves geopolitical hegemony rather than genuinely stopping abuses.
Media and political narratives often conflate 'government X is bad' with 'the US should intervene,' so it's important to question assumptions and propaganda. Look at who benefits and whether the motive is truly humanitarian or about power and influence.

They Kidnapped Maduro Because The World Is Ruled By Unaccountable Tyrants

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 3413 implied HN points • 04 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The U.S. carried out a military operation in Venezuela that abducted President Maduro, and its leaders openly framed the action as a move to seize and profit from Venezuela’s oil and to run the country.
This episode shows a pattern where powerful states pursue regime change and resource grabs with little accountability, while official stories about drugs or democracy are used to mask true motives.
Unchecked use of force backed by compliant media undermines global stability and harms the future of people and the planet, so citizens should learn these patterns and be skeptical of official justifications for intervention.

Will the Iran War Turn Trump’s Base Against Him?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 315 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26

🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Intervention

The MAGA movement is split between anti-war non‑interventionists and interventionists who are fighting over the GOP’s future.
Many of Trump’s dovish supporters feel torn between their anti‑war principles and loyalty to him, so they often grumble but stick with him after limited or successful strikes.
GOP voters and lawmakers have largely rallied behind Trump while the Iran campaign is going well, even though some in his base see the strikes as a betrayal.

The Imperial Murder Machine Is In A State Of Hyperactivity

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1872 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The US imperial apparatus is unusually active, launching or backing military operations and interventions across the Middle East, Ukraine, and Latin America.
This surge of aggressive moves suggests the empire still holds significant power and is rapidly consolidating influence rather than fading away.
The counter is popular awakening and collective action; people need to break through propaganda and use their numbers to resist and limit imperial power.

The US Empire Needs Men Like Trump

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1909 implied HN points • 06 Jan 26

🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Intervention

The US power structure values leaders who will carry out long-term imperial goals, and Trump has proven useful as the "bad cop" who can use overt force when needed.
His recent actions and rhetoric around Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran show a willingness to use direct military intervention and extra-legal tactics to achieve regime change.
Trump has moved from earlier anti-intervention posturing to openly allying with hawkish politicians, signaling continued aggressive foreign policy if he stays in power.

The Real Tyrannical Regime

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1788 implied HN points • 08 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The real tyrant is the power that invades other countries, topples governments, starves populations with sanctions, and surrounds the world with military bases, not the nations resisting them.
Political talk about ‘tyrants’ is often hypocritical and shaped by PR — people cheer or condemn interventions depending on who benefits, and propaganda is being used to normalize military action across political bases.
Normalizing quick, low-cost attacks risks repeating past escalations like the Gulf War leading to Iraq, making bigger wars more likely and encouraging more militarized repression at home.

The Imperial Crosshairs Move To Cuba, And Other Notes

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1620 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The United States is aggressively reasserting imperial control in Latin America and the Middle East, pressuring countries like Cuba and Venezuela and carrying out military and regime-change actions.
Political promises to fight the deep state have given way to advancing neocon and intelligence-agency agendas, creating chaos that helps authoritarian politics at home.
There is stark media and policy bias: Palestinian civilian deaths are downplayed while calls for regime change (e.g., Iran) would expand US imperial power, so opposing intervention and defending the right to criticize Israel are framed as both moral and civil-rights imperatives.

Venezuela: The Precedents

Thinking about... • 1029 implied HN points • 04 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The U.S. action in Venezuela continues a long pattern of choosing foreign leaders to advance American interests rather than promoting genuine democracy, and the sensible response would be to hold or recognize legitimate elections.
Forcibly removing a leader does not reliably create stability or democracy — the Iraq example shows occupations breed chaos and can force occupiers to cooperate with the very forces they claimed to overthrow; backing violence undermines legitimacy and invites unpredictable resistance.
Ignoring international law and using foreign interventions as tools for domestic political gain makes the U.S. resemble authoritarian powers and risks normalizing violence at home, so courts, journalists, Congress, and elections must check that logic.

New Issue Of JOHNSTONE: The Empire Stole Venezuela

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1136 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

Powerful countries are intervening in Venezuela to seize its oil and strip the nation of its sovereignty.
The Monroe Doctrine is an old, made-up imperial rationale rooted in racist thinking and doesn’t legally or morally justify invasions.
Mindless parroting of pro-empire slogans helps cover up these actions, and the empire is actively working to dominate and silence opposition across Latin America.

World's Most Tyrannical Government Wants To Free Venezuela From Tyranny

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2132 implied HN points • 03 Dec 25

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The United States talks about "liberating" other countries while repeatedly using military force, coups, sanctions, and global bases to impose its will, which makes its claims hypocritical.
The US government is considering military regime-change action in Venezuela even though a clear majority of Americans oppose such intervention.
If the US truly wanted to reduce global tyranny it should stop its imperial practices or dismantle its empire, because it has no moral standing to claim it can "liberate" other nations.

Why Venezuela Is Not Iraq

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 2023 implied HN points • 12 Dec 25

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

Venezuela is politically different from Iraq or Libya because it had democratic traditions and was more of a competitive authoritarian system until recently, so regime change there isn’t the same kind of gamble.
There are Western Hemisphere examples, like the 1983 Grenada intervention, where outside intervention helped restore democracy and stability, showing regime change can sometimes work.
Venezuela lacks the Islamist extremism and sectarian divides that made Middle Eastern interventions chaotic, and Venezuelans still hold elections and mobilize, so post-Maduro politics could be less violent and more manageable.

America is a Gangster State

The Chris Hedges Report • 1070 implied HN points • 03 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

U.S. actions like kidnapping foreign leaders show it behaving as a gangster state that tramples international and humanitarian law.
Violent interventions and regime change do not bring peace; they create more violence, failed states, warlords, and lasting chaos as seen in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya.
When local militaries and security forces resist imposed leadership, interventions backfire and create long-term instability that harms everyone, including the intervening country.

Sudan, Venezuela, And Other Notes

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1504 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces have reportedly carried out massive massacres in places like El Fasher, and the UAE is accused of arming them while Western powers largely ignore it.
Calls for US military intervention in Venezuela are often suspicious and dangerous, and history shows US regime-change actions tend to make things worse rather than help civilians.
People claiming emotional relationships with chatbots point to deep loneliness and emotional disconnection, since a real relationship requires genuine curiosity about another person’s inner experience.

US Regime Change Interventionism Is Reliably Disastrous, And Other Notes

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1671 implied HN points • 30 Nov 25

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

US regime‑change interventionism reliably causes disaster and is often sold with dishonest pretexts; current US moves on Venezuela look driven more by geopolitical interests like oil than by genuine drug‑control concerns.
Serving in or working for the US military/intelligence apparatus can increase the risk of violent behavior back home, and US policy shows hypocrisy by pardoning allies and labeling convenient enemies while ignoring root causes.
Public radicalization and moral double standards are widespread — examples include celebration of extremist leaders and calls to 'deradicalize' victims instead of aggressors — and generative AI is simultaneously destroying creative careers and making it harder to tell what’s real online.

Why We Will Never Stop Bombing the Middle East

Gideon's Substack • 38 implied HN points • 10 Mar 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

Every US administration has promised to pull back from the Middle East but has ended up deepening America’s involvement through interventions, support for allies, and periodic bombing.
The core reason isn’t just lobbies or oil or contractors but the US’s hegemonic position and the public’s desire to disengage without accepting the risks and costs of truly leaving, which makes withdrawal politically and strategically hard.
Empires don’t just walk away, so the pattern of managing regional conflicts with diplomacy plus occasional force is likely to keep repeating until a major collapse or catastrophe forces a permanent change, and the current war could help trigger that instability.

America the Rogue State

The Chris Hedges Report • 689 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

America’s democratic checks and balances are collapsing as power concentrates in the executive and corporate interests, sidelining Congress, courts, and diplomacy.
U.S. foreign policy increasingly relies on lawless military interventions and covert actions for strategic and economic gain, producing disasters in countries from Venezuela to Iraq and Libya.
A corporate-controlled media, money-soaked elections, and expanding police and surveillance powers at home suppress dissent, enrich elites, and strip protections for people and the environment.

Why Tump's Venezuela Invasion is "Good"

Erik Examines • 716 implied HN points • 04 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The US kidnapping of Venezuela's leader is a blatant violation of international law and sets a dangerous precedent, even if it also exposes and weakens Trump’s political support.
Venezuela has an existing opposition and some democratic traditions, so a US intervention might avoid the chaos seen in Iraq, but heavy-handed control or an attempt to seize oil could unite Venezuelans and spark violent resistance.
Europe and other democracies need to stop appeasing the US and act together with coordinated, legal measures like sanctions and diplomacy to defend the rules-based order and deter further aggression.

Exxon Presents: Regime Change™

The Rubesletter by Matt Ruby (of Vooza) | Sent every Tuesday • 427 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26

🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Intervention

U.S. moves on Venezuela are mostly about oil and profit, with big oil companies and military contractors standing to gain from regime change.
Toppling a dictator can feel like a win, but forced regime change risks major instability and harm to ordinary Venezuelans even if some people celebrate.
Political leaders are likely to wrap resource grabs in patriotic or populist language, normalizing militarized actions and ignoring the hypocrisy of criticizing 'socialism' while seizing foreign assets.

Yemen must be the last straw

New Means • 4284 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

Yemen has been enduring bombings and suffering from poverty due to conflict with the involvement of multiple countries.
International laws and principles are being ignored in conflicts like the bombing of Yemen for reasons like shipping delays.
There is a call to build power and organize protests to effect real change and end the cycle of violence and injustice.

Trump kidnaps Venezuela’s president to steal the country's oil

Aaron Mate • 317 implied HN points • 04 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The U.S. carried out a military attack that kidnapped Venezuela’s president and reportedly killed at least 80 people.
Trump framed the operation as a new “Donroe Doctrine,” openly asserting renewed American dominance in the Western Hemisphere.
The apparent goal was to seize Venezuela’s vast oil reserves for U.S. oil interests, and the operation was compared to Mafia-style theft using violence and intimidation.

The US Is Attempting Regime Change In Venezuela

Phillips’s Newsletter • 320 implied HN points • 03 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The U.S. appears to be conducting a military operation aimed at ousting Maduro, with air strikes and possible special forces reported in and around Caracas.
Cuba is a key backer of Maduro through thousands of operatives and relies on Venezuelan oil, so removing Cuban influence will be central to any successful regime change.
Getting rid of Maduro may be the easiest part; who replaces him matters most, and a stable democratic outcome will depend on Venezuelan participation, the military, and regional cooperation rather than outside control.

How Trump’s Boat Strikes Could Lead to Full-Scale War

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 338 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25

🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Intervention

If you threaten to topple a dictator, you better not be bluffing. Military threats can quickly escalate into full-scale war.
Venezuela under Maduro faces sanctions, economic collapse, repression, and Cuban-backed militia support. Still, back-channel talks suggest he might accept stepping down in exchange for immunity.
The U.S. sending military assets near Venezuela mirrors the lead-up to the 1989 Panama invasion. That posture raises the real risk that boat strikes or other actions could trigger direct intervention.

Complete Disregard for International Law (MOATS w/ George Galloway)

The Chris Hedges Report • 167 implied HN points • 06 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

There is a complete disregard for international law in recent military interventions and foreign actions.
Those interventions are argued to be motivated by the seizure of vast oil reserves rather than legitimate legal or humanitarian reasons.
Independent commentators and reader-supported outlets are highlighting and criticizing this pattern, urging the public to recognize resource-driven motives.

Regime Change is Good Sometimes

I Might Be Wrong • 7 implied HN points • 11 Mar 26

🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Intervention

Regime change can sometimes produce better governments, but it often comes with huge human and financial costs that must be weighed carefully.
What matters most are the details — timing, planning, and execution — because a poorly planned intervention can make things as bad or worse than before.
Treating 'regime change' as a slogan is dangerous; leaders need consistent goals and strategy, or they risk empty threats or catastrophic outcomes.

To Catch a President

Taipology • 124 implied HN points • 04 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The US carried out a rapid, low-casualty removal of Maduro that looked like a polished PR victory and may have relied on deals or a military stand-down rather than heavy fighting.
This action signals a push to reassert US dominance in Latin America — aiming to secure influence, resources, and compliant governments while European actors largely appeased it.
China is unlikely to directly intervene over Venezuela, and the episode won’t by itself reshape BRICS or Taiwan policy; the bigger contest will be economic and strategic control of supply chains and resources, with Venezuela’s political future still uncertain.

Trump’s “help” offers Iranians far more pain

Aaron Mate • 106 implied HN points • 14 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

Trump's 'help' to Iranians looks like threats of bombing and harsher economic pressure, not lifting sanctions, which would deepen suffering and raise costs more broadly.
Longstanding US sanctions have crippled Iran's economy, shrinking the middle class and driving people into poverty, which helped spark the current protests over basic hardship and mismanagement.
US and Israeli policy appears aimed at exploiting unrest to justify further military action and influence, risking more violence and leaving ordinary Iranians to absorb the pain.

Chaos In Iran

Theory Matters • 5 implied HN points • 10 Mar 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

Iran’s government is a fragile, hollowed-out authoritarian system facing deep domestic pressure from economic collapse, drought, and recurring mass protests, and it lacks broad legitimacy.
Military strikes or targeted killings risk backfiring by creating martyrs, uniting elites, and sparking wider chaos, and airpower alone is unlikely to produce stable democratic change without a clear plan.
There are no easy answers: past interventions show forced regime change is costly and unpredictable, so policymakers should act with caution and prioritize long-term, non-military strategies.

Biden's Dangerous Yemen Blunder

Eunomia • 825 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

Military intervention in Yemen may escalate into a wider regional conflict.
Airstrikes may not effectively deter Houthi attacks and could increase risks to commercial shipping.
Focus on ending the war in Gaza as a way to address the conflict with the Houthis in Yemen.

The weird alliance between Matt Gaetz and the Congressional Progressive Caucus (it's a good thing)

Bad News • 1218 implied HN points • 11 Mar 23

🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Intervention

Matt Gaetz and the Congressional Progressive Caucus formed an unlikely alliance on war policies.
There was a significant bipartisan effect on voting for war resolutions.
The presence of U.S. troops in Syria impacts the future of the Kurdish autonomous region.

To Be Pro-Israel Is To Be Pro-War

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1546 implied HN points • 13 Nov 24

🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Military Intervention

Being pro-Israel often means supporting ongoing military conflicts. This connection makes it hard to advocate for peace while backing the state of Israel.
Many politicians, regardless of party, continue harmful policies that lead to violence and suffering. They often ignore public outcry while pursuing their agendas.
People have very different views on what free speech means. It can range from accountability and truth to defending harmful comments without consequence.

Yoink! Got Your Dictator!

QTR’s Fringe Finance • 53 implied HN points • 03 Jan 26

🌍 World Politics Military Intervention

The U.S. carried out a military operation that captured Venezuela's president, a major escalation in Latin America that will spark intense domestic political and legal debate over presidential war powers.
The strike puts Venezuelan oil infrastructure and exports at risk and could lift energy prices, while the administration appears likely to try to secure Venezuelan oil, adding market uncertainty.
The action increases tensions with Russia, China, and regional leaders, raising the risk of a geopolitical backlash that could accelerate moves away from the dollar and amplify longer-term financial instability.