Gardner Goldsmith

Not only was it Wordsmith Wednesday, letting us dive into a great pulp detective author from the 1930s (we'll read a story by him on Friday to close the show), we also had a blast blasting through the blasted bloviators out there, as the Conspiracy reconvened and we dug into major news from great journalists! Check them out if you have yet to follow them, and join us, m-f 6 PM on Rumble or on X! The Audio Pod always follows the close of the show by about 90 min, and is free, via Spotify and here on Substack! Here are some of the big matters we got to discuss tonight!

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HEY! Look! JD Vance Lied again!

Trump is ready to attack again, and ready to call it something new, to skirt the already Constitution-damaging “War Powers Act”

And Trump still claims that the US is dominating Iran. His tie to truth is about as strong as his ties to the US Constitution.

The NYT reiterates the fact that Iran is maintaining a strong defensive posture. Headline: “U.S. Intelligence Shows Iran Retains Substantial Missile Capabilities - The New York Times” LINK And…

The Senate voted late yesterday that, nooo, Trump need not STOP his unconstitutional mass-murder and ocean blockade. Not even the Trump breach of their constitution-eroding “War Powers Act” matters to the majority there.

-UK PM Starmer just announced his intention to provide drones and naval support to Trump’s blockade, adding to the criminal gang, and making sure the UK military industrial complex gets new contracts to replace the arms Starmer will use. Headline: “Britain expands Hormuz mission as Starmer faces calls to quit — RT World News” LINK

Max B elucidates on the insider trading that Trump’s mercurial and fake claims about Iran have inspired

More

The cost, even in the DC under-numbering of the amount, rapidly rises.

And let’s be certain we here re-offer the inflation-price info from yesterday Headline “Iran war drives energy price spike, wages struggle to keep up with inflation” LINK

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More Israeli-committed murders.

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The News re the Israeli Prison-Rape Machine is spreading. These folks (Drop Site and DDN), posted here, have been spreading the news for a long time. Good work, as usual, on their part.

Yet, Zionist US media outlets have not dug into this long-standing criminality.

Yep.

And Trump brings fascist cronies with him - folk from BlackRock, others…

- Xi did not greet Trump. This is a BIG international incident that Trump likely will try to underplay.

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Aaron Mate exposes more details about the false allegations agains Assad in 2018 that he “used chemical weapons” against his population

Natali Morris, of Redacted, offers more on the Ukraine biolab story we covered last night - here is her excellent report, from the Redacted Morning E-mail:

’The U.S. intelligence community has officially opened an investigation into more than 120 U.S. taxpayer-funded biological laboratories operating overseas, including over 40 located in Ukraine.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says the probe is part of an effort to shut down risky “gain-of-function” research. The plan is to “identify where these labs are, what pathogens they contain, and what research is being conducted.”

Gabbard accused officials connected to the Biden administration, along with figures such as Anthony Fauci, of misleading the public about the existence and scope of U.S.-backed biolabs overseas.

The Ukraine connection is what’s drawing the most attention. For years, Russia claimed Western-backed labs near its borders were involved in dangerous biological research, even claiming that those labs were conducting AIDS research on Ukrainian military personnel. At the time, the accusations were dismissed as Russian propaganda by Washington.

Gabbard’s stance hasn’t changed much. Back in 2022, she publicly pushed for the shutdown of the biolabs in Ukraine, while politicians such as Mitt Romney called her actions “treasonous.”

Russia even filed an official complaint over alleged U.S.-backed biological activities in Ukraine. It requested a UN probe into the matter, but the UN Security Council rejected Moscow’s proposal after the U.S., UK, and France voted against it. Weren’t they interested in preventing future pandemics? Wasn’t an investigation in everyone’s interest?

It seems the labs are real enough to investigate now.

We don’t really need another pandemic, so let’s hope the pathogens aren’t released, mishandled, or allowed to fall into the wrong hands.’

****Here is the RT documentary on it, segments of which we have played on Liberty Conspiracy - (Via FB) https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BBMJzEKuM/ and a clip LINK and the official RT documentary site LINK

The US kept Khalil jailed, despite the knowledge that they had no case. Headline: “FBI Quietly Closed a Probe Into Mahmoud Khalil While He Was in ICE Detention” LINK

Headline: “Somali Man Detained at Guantánamo for 20 Years Asks Federal Appeals Court to Intervene in Habeas Case and Order His Release After Years of Inaction by Lower Court | Center for Constitutional Rights” LINK

King Charles is calling for a digital ID in the UK. This might have caused his brother some problems when traveling to meet Epstein and young females being trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell. Headline “King Charles Calls For Digital ID Scheme In Sweeping UK Legislative Agenda | the deep dive” LINK US MAGA-ITES who thirst for immigration policing will see the same kind of system, imposed first on employers through the IRS and DHS-ICE.

Yeah. He implies that Tucker C and Nick F could be working for terroristic terror terrorist terrorerors. Get scared. LINK

The Trump administration has escalated its “maximum pressure” campaign—known as Operation/Economic Fury—against Iran’s oil revenue, with a strong focus on disrupting the China-Iran oil trade through warnings to banks and sanctions on related entities (as of mid-May 2026).

No major Chinese banks have yet been hit with full secondary sanctions (which would cut them off from the U.S. financial system), but the Treasury Department has issued explicit threats and warnings, and it continues to target the broader network of refineries, shippers, and facilitators.

Key Recent Developments (LINK) (LINK)

• Mid-April 2026 warnings to banks: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the department sent letters to financial institutions in China, Hong Kong, the UAE, and Oman. It specifically warned two Chinese banks that they face secondary sanctions if U.S. officials can prove Iranian funds (tied to illicit activities or oil trade) are flowing through their accounts. A broader Treasury statement on April 29 underscored that all banks supporting Iranian trade (including via Chinese “teapot” refineries) risk sanctions.

• Sanctions on Chinese refineries and shippers (April 24 onward): The U.S. sanctioned multiple independent Chinese “teapot” refineries (including Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery Co., one of Iran’s largest customers) for purchasing billions in Iranian oil. It also targeted ~40 shipping firms/vessels in Iran’s “shadow fleet.” Additional refinery sanctions followed.

• May 11, 2026 US sanctions on oil facilitators: The US Treasury blacklisted 12 entities and individuals (including 4 in Hong Kong, 4 in the UAE, and 1 in Oman) tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) oil network. These groups used front companies to sell and ship Iranian oil primarily to China. This was explicitly linked to disrupting the China-bound trade.

• Related actions: The U.S. has also sanctioned Chinese/Hong Kong entities for aiding Iran’s weapons, drones, and missiles programs, and it recently directed U.S. banks to flag suspicious Iranian money-laundering networks (including crypto and shell companies).

China has defied the moves by invoking a 2021 “blocking statute,” ordering its companies to ignore U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil and allowing them to sue entities that comply. However, reports indicate its financial regulator has quietly instructed major banks to pause new loans to the U.S.-sanctioned teapot refiners (while not calling in existing debt), sending mixed signals ahead of President Trump’s planned summit with Xi Jinping in Beijing (May 13–15, 2026).

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For China, the approximate effective U.S. tariff rate on imports was ~19–21% in December 2024 and has risen to ~25–32% as of May 2026 due to layered Section 301 tariffs plus the baseline global surcharge.

For Brazil, the approximate effective U.S. tariff rate on imports was ~2–4% in December 2024 and stands at ~10% (plus some additional duties) as of May 2026 under the Section 122 baseline.

For Japan, the approximate effective U.S. tariff rate on imports was ~2–3% in December 2024 and has increased to ~13–15% as of May 2026 from the Section 122 surcharge combined with autos and steel duties.

For England (UK), the approximate effective U.S. tariff rate on imports was ~2–3% in December 2024 and is now ~10% as of May 2026 under the Section 122 baseline with some steel exemptions.

For the EU, the approximate effective U.S. tariff rate on imports was ~2–3% in December 2024 and is currently ~9–10% as of May 2026 under the Section 122 baseline with steel and auto layers.

For Singapore, the approximate effective U.S. tariff rate on imports was ~1–2% in December 2024 and ranges from ~1–10% (mostly lower) as of May 2026 thanks to U.S.–Singapore FTA preferences.

For Venezuela, U.S. tariffs on key goods were already prohibitive due to sanctions in December 2024 and remain prohibitive as of May 2026 with sanctions continuing to dominate limited trade.

For Russia, U.S. tariffs on key goods were already prohibitive due to sanctions in December 2024 and remain prohibitive as of May 2026 with sanctions and high duties on energy and metals.

For India, the approximate effective U.S. tariff rate on imports was ~3–4% in December 2024 and is now ~10% as of May 2026 under the Section 122 baseline.

For Canada, the approximate effective U.S. tariff rate on imports was ~1–2% in December 2024 and is under 5% (mostly 0% for compliant goods) as of May 2026 thanks to USMCA preferences.

For South Korea, the approximate effective U.S. tariff rate on imports was ~1–2% in December 2024 and has risen to ~13% as of May 2026 from KORUS FTA preferences plus Section 122 and 232 layers.

For Taiwan, the approximate effective U.S. tariff rate on imports was ~2–3% in December 2024 and is currently ~10–15% as of May 2026 with no FTA and the Section 122 baseline applied.

For Australia, the approximate effective U.S. tariff rate on imports was ~1% in December 2024 and is ~10% or lower as of May 2026 thanks to AUSFTA preferences that keep many goods at preferential rates.

That’s it for now, all! Many thanks for supporting freedom, and for sharing the links! And remember, you can back us here by becoming a paid subscriber if you would like, and feel free to watch Liberty Conspiracy LIVE on Gardner’s X @gardgoldsmith and on Rumble! Spread the word! Thanks, again! Please feel free to SHARE the links, and join us every M-F at 6 PM on Rumble, and my X @gardgoldsmith — and you also can donate to help the Liberty Conspiracy, itself! Just visit PayPal to help out! You also can mail GG at:

Gardner Goldsmith

PO Box 581

Amherst, NH, 03031 :)

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LIBERTY CONSPIRACY NEWS NOTES:

Greetings, fellow, Conspirators!

Prices, up, 3.8% in a functional-additive equation, y-o-y. We had a busy night digging into the latest economic news, putting together the pieces from last year (tariffs, clampdowns on migrant labor, virtually no increase in US energy production until 2028) - and we got to look at a great example of market order without the state, plus, key news, from great journalists. Check out their feeds, all! And join us, m-f 6 PM on Rumble or on X! Our audio pod usually is available an hour after each live stream, gotten via Spotify and here, at Substack! - Here are some of the key items we got to explore tonight!

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NeoCon Robert Kagan’s Atlantic piece, discussed yesterday on Liberty Conspiracy, is heating up many in DC and the MAGA world. Kagan was an advisor to Dick Cheney, integral to the “Campaign for a New American Century” and is a hardcore Zionist. He does not need publicity. What he seems to be doing with this article is trying to warn Netanyahu to lay off Iran, because Kagan thinks the confrontation is lost. Kagan favored more military involvement, but one can see that even he recognizes the reality that Iran will control the Persian Gulf and Israel would be at risk of absolute annihilation or decimation if his fight goes on. LINK

Warmonger Scott Jennings and warmonger Sen Rick Scott (R-FLA) had the gall to talk about “fiscal responsibility” and budget-cutting, as they promote unconstitutional and immoral war, funneling of weapons and cash to Israel and other nations, and a military budget over $2 Trillion when much of the sundry insanity is grouped together.

Trump is in a fantasy world.

If only:

Meanwhile, Hegseth appeared on Capitol Hill today, and offered nonsense like this

Here is the entire vid of Heggy and Cain doing their “war-industry” chant, and filling it with lies re Iran. Total posturing.

Here is Karen Kwiatowksi with the Judge on the dangerous expense and immoral direction of the US military, as Trump still pushes the fantasy that he will control the Persian Gulf.

This is about the abuse PRIOR to October 7, 2023 Headline: “Opinion | The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians - The New York Times” LINK Here are Matt Hoh and the Judge talking about it, with added perspective from Matt, who has toured Israel and been close to the evil of one of those prisons. His info is key.

A valuable reminder from Mehdi Hassan

Dave DeCamp has key information on Israel seeking to escalate there, even after breaching the ceasefire from DAY ONE

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And this is just the start of the second phase of de-dollarization, as the liquidation bust is on its way…

INFLATION RATE REPORT

Inflation Report: April 2026 CPI Release (Data Released May 12, 2026)

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in April 2026, following a 0.9 percent increase in March. Over the 12 months ending in April, the all-items index increased 3.8 percent (not seasonally adjusted), accelerating from the 3.3 percent rise recorded for the 12 months through March—the highest annual rate since May 2023. Energy prices were the primary driver, surging 17.9 percent year-over-year due largely to gasoline (up 28.4 percent) amid global oil market pressures, while the food index rose a more moderate 3.2 percent. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, advanced 0.4 percent for the month and 2.8 percent over the year, up from 2.6 percent previously. This is very, very bad. These figures indicate a translation into prices of the money-pumping to feed the federal beast for decades, Trump’s insane tariffs, and the Trump blockage of fuel transportation for trade. Since these numbers are considered when the Fed Reserve Board meets to discuss interest rates, it indicates that the Fed will not be inclined to lower interest rates. This, in turn, will be problematic for the US govt borrowing machine.

Full details and historical tables are available directly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm and the CPI overview page at https://www.bls.gov/cpi/. Additional analysis can be found on Trading Economics at https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/inflation-cpi.

Bond Market Report:

Latest U.S. Treasury Yields and Implications of Elevated Debt Levels (as of May 12, 2026) (LINK)

U.S. Treasury yields have climbed amid persistent inflation concerns and massive federal borrowing needs, with the 10-year note yield reaching approximately 4.45 percent and the 30-year bond yield hitting roughly 5.02 percent on May 12, 2026. These levels reflect ongoing market pricing of higher-for-longer interest rates and the sheer scale of U.S. public debt, which now stands near $39 trillion. The elevated long-end yields signal investor caution over fiscal sustainability, as the government must continually issue new debt to refinance maturing obligations and fund deficits; recent auction supply and reduced foreign demand have further pressured prices upward. Rising benchmark yields have an immediate inverse effect on the market prices of existing lower-coupon Treasury bonds (those issued in prior years when rates were lower), causing their values to decline so that their effective yields remain competitive with newer issues. When the U.S. Treasury rolls over maturing debt—much of which carries lower rates from the post-2020 era—it must now issue replacement bonds at these higher prevailing rates. The result is sharply higher annual interest payments on the national debt, adding hundreds of billions annually to federal outlays and compounding the overall debt burden as more revenue is diverted to servicing costs rather than principal reduction or other priorities. This dynamic underscores the long-term fiscal strain from sustained elevated yields in an environment of record-high debt.

AND HERE is a little reminder of the dishonest nature of the people in 1600 PA Ave Headline: “Fact check: Trump posts wildly deceptive chart on oil prices” LINK

ENJOY THE EVENING! (WINK!) Trump is WINNING!

Or, maybe not

Trump said tariffs are great, right? Headline: “Trump to suspend beef tariffs amid record-high prices” LINK

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Remember those BIOLABS that the US supposedly WAS NOT RUNNING TO DO DANGEROUS RESEARCH in UKRAINE, LATVIA, LITHUIANIA, and ESTONIA? Well, RT has some more information that, clearly, cleeeearrrrlly, must be fake, as well Headline “Remember how the West laughed at Russia’s ‘biolabs’ claims? Here are the facts — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union” LINK

Recall this

This is very, very sad. Headline: “Teen dies hours after his parents reunited with him following immigration detention” LINK

-And, a brief reminder of the data-capture software ICE uses Headline: “ICE’s surveillance app is a techno-authoritarian nightmare | Moustafa Bayoumi | The Guardian” LINK

-The petulant Trump blocks entry of a singer, because his significant other criticized Trump LINK

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What do you think of this? Headline: “Rejecting church and state separation is on the wish list for Trump’s religious liberty commission” LINK

This is a valuable piece. Headline: “When Merchants and Vikings Kept Order Without Kings | The Advocates for Self-Government” LINK

That’s it for now, all! Many thanks for supporting freedom, and for sharing the links! And remember, you can back us here by becoming a paid subscriber if you would like, and feel free to watch Liberty Conspiracy LIVE on Gardner’s X @gardgoldsmith and on Rumble! Spread the word! Thanks, again! Please feel free to SHARE the links, and join us every M-F at 6 PM on Rumble, and my X @gardgoldsmith — and you also can donate to help the Liberty Conspiracy, itself! Just visit PayPal to help out! You also can mail GG at:

Gardner Goldsmith
PO Box 581
Amherst, NH, 03031 :)

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Immense thanks to Eric Peters, of EricPetersAutosDotCom, (his X) for joining us tonight in our Mind Meld to discuss the US warmonger-state, the auto-kill switch, privacy, and more. Big thanks to our fellow Conspirators who joined us and to the great journalists whose work we got to mention! Look them up, if you haven't had the opportunity to follow them, and join us, m-f 6 PM for the big news exploration, on Rumble or here on X! The Audio Pod always arrives shortly after the show, via Spotify and here at Substack! - Here are some of the big items we got to cover tonight…

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Trump exploded last night, after he gave Iran 24 hours to respond to his aggressive demands that a “ceasefire” would come if Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, gave up all nuclear enrichment, and as Iran reiterated their very basic demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with a counter-proposal via Pakistani mediators on Sunday, May 10, and President Trump immediately rejected Iran’s counter as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” (calling it a “piece of garbage” and saying he didn’t even finish reading it). Really? Iran offered that they want from the aggressors (the US and Israel):

Immediate end to the war on all fronts (including Lebanon).

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• Lifting of the US naval blockade and “piracy” in the Gulf.

• Release of frozen assets and full sanctions relief (including on oil).

• “Maritime security” and Iranian sovereignty/control over the Strait of Hormuz.

• On nuclear issues: Iran offered only to dilute/transfer some of its highly enriched uranium to a third country and suspend enrichment for a shorter period than the US demanded. It explicitly rejected dismantling facilities or handing over the full 440 kg stockpile, and wanted the fighting (and Hormuz reopening) to end before deeper nuclear talks.

The Iranians still have offered the opportunity to negotiate nuclear refining AFTER Trump lays off the unconstitutional and immoral attacks on Iran and AFTER Israel actually DOES stop killing and stealing in Lebanon. But Israeli governing maniacs will not stop their aggression in Lebanon, continue to kill in Gaza, expanded their territorial claims in Gaza, and have taken more land in the West Bank WHILE the US has gotten world attention focused on Iran and the Persian Gulf. Here is one report on the situation re Iran and Trump, via RT Headline: “Iran’s response to US peace terms ‘totally unacceptable’ – Trump — RT World News” LINK Here is Antiwar’s Dave Decamp on Trump’s angry response (here is the print report, from Antiwar).

Here is more, from Zerohedge LINK As Zerohedge notes, Iran offered to transfer some of its highly enriched uranium stockpile to a third country but rejected dismantling its nuclear facilities (per WSJ reporting; Iran disputed some details via Tasnim). The response also reportedly included ending the war on all fronts. Trump called it totally unacceptable, and accused Iran of playing games.

Meanwhile, Neocon warhawk Robert Kagan (husband of Victoria Nuland) is saying that unless Trump goes full-bore-invasion, he has lost.

MEANEHILE, on ISRAELI-ALLIED CBS, Major Garrett (formerly of FOX) caught the eel of Netayahu to ask him some easy questions. Netanyahu blames nation-state influence of social media for the loss of popular support for Israel. Strangely, he didn’t mention his own forces posting to TikTok the video evidence of their war crimes, didn’t mention the fact that slaughtering Palestinians in a genocide might turn some folks against him, that killing people and stealing land in Lebanon might cause a drop in primetime ratings, and that occupying the West Bank, blowing the hands of kids via explosive pagers, raping prisoners, pirating food flotilla boats and kidnapping sailors, and sabotaging peace talks… all might not be popular on the hit parade. Here is one of his cuts.

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Lest we forget: Headline “Who are the ‘influencers’ Israel is paying $7k per post? | Responsible Statecraft” LINK And there also is Bob Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, who literally has a “monitor-social-media-and-counter-the-message” center in Gillette Stadium.

And let’s not forget the federal redefinition of “antisemitism” to include criticism of a nation-state.

And there is more CHARM from Netanyahu - as he declares what the US should do.

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A commercial cargo/bulk carrier reportedly yesterday was struck in Qatari territorial waters off the coast of Qatar. Headline: “Iran ceasefire tested as cargo ship catches fire after being hit off Qatar’s coast : NPR” LINK According to reports from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and Qatar’s Defense Ministry:

• A commercial cargo vessel (described as a bulk carrier) was hit by a drone or unknown projectile while sailing approximately 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha, in Qatari waters.

• The ship was traveling from Abu Dhabi toward Mesaieed Port in southern Qatar (i.e., arriving/approaching Qatar, not departing/leaving).

  reuters.com

• The strike caused a small/limited fire on board, which the crew quickly extinguished. No casualties, injuries, or environmental damage were reported. The vessel continued to its destination.

  fortune.com

This happened amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf and a fragile/shaky ceasefire following earlier U.S.-Iran conflict. Multiple outlets describe the event as testing that ceasefire, with suspicions pointing toward Iran (or Iran-linked forces) due to the location, ongoing threats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard about targeting ships, and simultaneous drone incursions reported over the UAE and Kuwait the same day. However, the origin of the projectile/drone has not been officially confirmed as Iranian, and Iran has not claimed responsibility. Qatar condemned the attack but did not explicitly blame Iran in initial statements. LINK The effect of any of these strikes is to frighten the bulk of shippers and insurance companies. The US aggression puts shippers at risk, while Iran has a system by which they can offer safe passage — except of the US Pirates attack at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. What a bizarre and destructive situation!

Again, though we got a chance to discuss this over the weekend, Dave DeCamp has put it well.

Here are Andrew Napolitano and Larry Johnson on it

I think one could see evidence in January of 2020 that the United States would eventually and more fully attack Iran. Jan of 2020 was when Trump ordered the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, who was the Iranian envoy to the Middle East. That signaled a broad disdain within Trump of any negotiation with Iran, and signaled a thirst for lawless bloodshed, in a pattern often exhibited by Israel.

NOW? I think in the first month of this undeclared US-Israeli move of mass death and economic attack, the United States was focused on decapitation, basically trying to kill as many people (civilians and government officials) in Iranian as possible, hoping that that would force global settlement, where the Iranians would surrender and the Americans could enforce regime change.

The Iranians have proven to be much more resilient, much more creative, much more resourceful than the bloodthirsty Americans and Israelis assumed they could be. And now the Trump Admin and compliant US Legislative Branch have moved to phase two of the war, which is essentially a war of attrition, economic strangulation, where they are trying to destroy Iran’s capacity to finance this war, mainly by destroying Iran’s capacity to export oil. And so I think that this is where the war is going to go. If Trump does not back down, but he withholds an attack until after his China visit, it’s more and more likely that this will turn into a slow war, a war that’s going to be pushed down in the headlines. Very much like what happened in Gaza, really, where maybe for the first few weeks, the entire world was disgusted by what the Israelis were doing, but they declared a ceasefire, and then slowly the attention of the world shifted elsewhere. And that’s what Trump, I think, intends to do with Iran, where he’s going to try to apply as much military, diplomatic, political, economic pressure as possible to force global settlement and trying to divert people’s attention away from the war. It will be a long-simmer, rather than what Israel might want to see more rapidly, a defeat of Iran, and Israel will sit tight, as Iran WON’T be defeated, and the US and Israel play off of the GCC to try to recruit allies over a longer time frame.

THE GCC SITUATION: Saudi Arabia and Iran have a rivalry going back decades. The Saudis see Iran as a rival for supremacy in the Islamic world. So even though Saudi Arabia has been trying to promote a diplomatic solution, their orientation remains unclear.

Bahrain (which used to be part of Iran/Persia going back to the 6th Century, BC) is under pressure because most of the population is Shia Muslim and their leadership is Sunni and their leadership is not very popular there and Iranians are very much intent on promoting revolutions across the Islamic world. So these three nations, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Buran, possibly also with Kuwait as well, they want to see this war fought to the end. The Iranians don’t want to go back to the status quo where they were sanctioned. They now control the surgical moves. They want economic relief. They see the surgical moves as their main leverage point against Americans. So they also want to see this war fought to the end. The Americans are stuck because of the petrodollar, where if they leave, basically these DCC nations would start trading in multiple currencies, including the Chinese Yuan, including in gold. And so this would collapse the American economy because they’re so dependent on investment from the GCC nations. The GCC has trillions invested in America, and they’re forced to repatriate these trillions back into the GCC in order to pay reparations to the Iranians. Then this would spell catastrophe for the American economy, especially the US AI sector and the US shifty shift to a CBDC/“Stable-Coin” (not stable at all, but an e-currency tied to US debt - so, highly UNSTABLE).

CHINA? The GCC nation states trade a great deal with China, and mid-April, the UAE leader visited China on a state visit and basically told the Chinese they were in a lot of trouble.

The reality is that China trades with everyone. The Chinese get a lot of oil from Iran, but they actually get more LNG from Qatar. So, the Chinese statecraft is trying to focus on win-win global peace. Chinese influence with Trump likely will be to apply pressure re Chinese holding of US debt and the Chinese supply of rare earth minerals. China’s Xi this week likely will push Trump for security guarantees that the Iranians can accept for a ceasefire.

While this is a strong likelihood, Trump likely will either water it down, and keep forces at the southeastern end of the Persian Gulf, not engaged in hostilities, but present there, ripe for a false flag (while Israel and the US insert more revolutionary figures, money, and weapons into Iran), or he will keep the promise for a few months, then, attack Iran again - because he cannot be trusted.

It is important to note that Trump might try to leverage his power in Venezuela over XI, since the Chinese now have massive deals with VZ for oil…

Since Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, Chinese economic engagement with Venezuela has focused primarily on the oil sector through a mix of ongoing loans-for-oil repayment arrangements, joint ventures (JVs), and production-sharing agreements (PSAs). These built on pre-existing deals but saw active implementation and some incremental developments through 2025, before major disruptions from U.S. actions in early 2026. LINK

China remained Venezuela’s dominant oil buyer throughout 2025, purchasing the majority (often 50–80%) of Venezuelan crude exports—roughly 389,000–470,000 barrels per day (bpd) on average, or about 4–4.5% of China’s seaborne crude imports. A significant portion of these exports was tied to debt repayment under long-standing “loans-for-oil” deals (China had extended ~$60 billion historically, with ~$10–12 billion or up to $17–19 billion still outstanding as of late 2025/early 2026). Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA and its JVs shipped oil directly to Chinese buyers (often “teapot” independent refineries) at discounted prices, with proceeds or barrels allocated to service the debt. LINK

In 2025, the two governments announced plans for over 600 bilateral cooperation agreements covering energy, agriculture, technology, investment promotion, and special economic zones (SEZs). China also supported infrastructure and mining (e.g., iron ore via companies like Minería Orinoco), telecom (Huawei/ZTE), and other sectors, though FDI stock remained low overall (~$318 million by 2024, with modest activity thereafter). A new direct maritime shipping route (e.g., Tianjin to Venezuelan ports) was launched in late 2025 to reduce transit times for oil and goods. Bilateral trade reached around $6 billion in the first 11 months of 2025. LINK

Trump likely will threaten XI on each of these fronts, since Trump has massive sway with the new VZ government and can instill deadly fear in the new leadership there.

WITHIN IRAN:

It’s important to note a rift between the political leadership and the military leadership in Iran. The political leadership in Tehran wants to see a negotiated political segment as soon as possible because they want Iran to prosper, and they know that the longer it is drawn out, the more agents the US and Israel can insert into Iran. Buuuut, the military leadership under the IRGC, wants to see this thing fought, because the Americans killed their leader, Major Gen Qasem Soleimani, and they killed their spiritual leader, the Ayatollah Mikhail Khamenei.

RUSSIA: Russia reportedly is providing more and more support for Iran, not just intelligence but weaponry… And Iran has outlets for trade through land routes and the Capsian Sea.

In essence, the US, NATO, Europe and Israel are pulling others into World War III, in Iran, Ukraine, and with attempts to overthrow governments in Mali, and attempts to spread control throughout the former Iron Curtain nations.

The wickedness of the Israelis on the land of Lebanon is shocking, manifested in numerous ways:

Double-taps as 27 more are killed by the IDF, 37 wounded.

MORE

But the Hezbollah resistors are striking back with drones…

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Mario Nawfal spells this out very well. Many people commented on the initial BBC censorship, and now the film is getting more attention, and the censorship is being called out even more

Volunteers at the remains of Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital (where the IDF buried 500 people in a mass, unmarked, grave) just planted olive trees there to signify renewal.

The US killed more innocent people on Saturday

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Kevin Hassett has outdone his previous fatuousness, now claiming that consumers are angry and disheartened not because the economy is in a tailspin, but because Trump is “fixing” so many things at once!!!! Oh, man!!

Prof Henke:

Here is the original article LINK

Alex Berenson emerges from attacks by the COVID CENSORSHIP COMPLEX as a victor!!

Not like Obamacare is constitutional or ethical in the fist place, now the feds are creating a carve-out for insurance coverage re IVF to be handled with the okay of Obamacare mandates. It’s incredibly deceptive, on many levels, and will lead to the creation of more human beings who will either be killed or placed in stasis as “stored embryos” - Today (May 11, 2026), President Donald Trump discussed a newly proposed federal rule during a White House/Oval Office event on maternal healthcare (tied to Mother’s Day messaging and efforts to boost U.S. birth rates). The focus was not a brand-new direct government-funded IVF program or mandate, but a regulatory change to make employer-provided fertility benefits (including IVF) easier to offer. LINK New Proposed Rule on “Limited Excepted Fertility Benefits”: The Departments of Labor, HHS, and Treasury jointly proposed a rule (announced/released around May 10–11) creating a new category of standalone fertility benefits. Employers could offer these separately from regular group health plans (similar to how dental, vision, or life insurance works). This would exempt them from some Affordable Care Act (ACA) rules, making it simpler and less costly for companies to provide IVF/fertility coverage without raising premiums on core health insurance. Here is video we recorded while the meeting was streamed, live, today…

• Lifetime cap: Approximately $120,000 per worker (with inflation adjustments planned for 2028).

• Voluntary for employers; aims to expand access for workers without requiring them to enroll in the employer’s main health plan.

HEALTH FREEDOM NEWS

The Childrens Health Defense news team offers key info on autism and mitochondria, more…

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The uniformity and lack of choice also raise costs, harm competition, and stop individuals from handling matters themselves. Headline “What a Fuel Pump Says About Things - EPautos - Libertarian Car Talk” LINK

Healine: “DOJ moves to strip citizenship of 12 people amid denaturalization push” LINK

The Goon among goons. Headline: “Trump’s disgraced border goon threatens to go rogue” LINK

Headline: “Pastor defends golden Trump statue from biblical backlash” LINK

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Drop us a line if you have thoughts on the best ways to release this novella and my other works that are ready and waiting in the wings! That’s it for now, all! Many thanks for supporting freedom, and for sharing the links! And remember, you can back us here by becoming a paid subscriber if you would like, and feel free to watch Liberty Conspiracy LIVE on Gardner’s X @gardgoldsmith and on Rumble! Spread the word! Thanks, again! Please feel free to SHARE the links, and join us every M-F at 6 PM on Rumble, and my X @gardgoldsmith — and you also can donate to help the Liberty Conspiracy, itself! Just visit PayPal to help out! You also can mail GG at:

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5-11-26
PGG

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Trump exploded last night, after he gave Iran 24 hours to respond to his aggressive demands that a “ceasefire” would come if Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, gave up all nuclear enrichment, and as Iran reiterated their very basic demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with a counter-proposal via Pakistani mediators on Sunday, May 10, and President Trump immediately rejected Iran’s counter as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” (calling it a “piece of garbage” and saying he didn’t even finish reading it). Really? Iran offered that they want from the aggressors (the US and Israel):
Immediate end to the war on all fronts (including Lebanon).

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• Lifting of the US naval blockade and “piracy” in the Gulf.

• Release of frozen assets and full sanctions relief (including on oil).

• “Maritime security” and Iranian sovereignty/control over the Strait of Hormuz.

• On nuclear issues: Iran offered only to dilute/transfer some of its highly enriched uranium to a third country and suspend enrichment for a shorter period than the US demanded. It explicitly rejected dismantling facilities or handing over the full 440 kg stockpile, and wanted the fighting (and Hormuz reopening) to end before deeper nuclear talks.

The Iranians still have offered the opportunity to negotiate nuclear refining AFTER Trump lays off the unconstitutional and immoral attacks on Iran and AFTER Israel actually DOES stop killing and stealing in Lebanon. But Israeli governing maniacs will not stop their aggression in Lebanon, continue to kill in Gaza, expanded their territorial claims in Gaza, and have taken more land in the West Bank WHILE the US has gotten world attention focused on Iran and the Persian Gulf. Here is one report on the situation re Iran and Trump, via RT Headline: “Iran’s response to US peace terms ‘totally unacceptable’ – Trump — RT World News” LINK Here is Antiwar’s Dave Decamp on Trump’s angry response (here is the print report, from Antiwar).

Here is more, from Zerohedge LINK As Zerohedge notes, Iran offered to transfer some of its highly enriched uranium stockpile to a third country but rejected dismantling its nuclear facilities (per WSJ reporting; Iran disputed some details via Tasnim). The response also reportedly included ending the war on all fronts. Trump called it totally unacceptable, and accused Iran of playing games.

Meanwhile, Neocon warhawk Robert Kagan (husband of Victoria Nuland) is saying that unless Trump goes full-bore-invasion, he has lost.

MEANEHILE, on ISRAELI-ALLIED CBS, Major Garrett (formerly of FOX) caught the eel of Netayahu to ask him some easy questions. Netanyahu blames nation-state influence of social media for the loss of popular support for Israel. Strangely, he didn’t mention his own forces posting to TikTok the video evidence of their war crimes, didn’t mention the fact that slaughtering Palestinians in a genocide might turn some folks against him, that killing people and stealing land in Lebanon might cause a drop in primetime ratings, and that occupying the West Bank, blowing the hands of kids via explosive pagers, raping prisoners, pirating food flotilla boats and kidnapping sailors, and sabotaging peace talks… all might not be popular on the hit parade. Here is one of his cuts.

Lest we forget: Headline “Who are the 'influencers' Israel is paying $7k per post? | Responsible Statecraft” LINK And there also is Bob Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, who literally has a “monitor-social-media-and-counter-the-message” center in Gillette Stadium.

And let’s not forget the federal redefinition of “antisemitism” to include criticism of a nation-state.
And there is more CHARM from Netanyahu - as he declares what the US should do.

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A commercial cargo/bulk carrier reportedly yesterday was struck in Qatari territorial waters off the coast of Qatar. Headline: “Iran ceasefire tested as cargo ship catches fire after being hit off Qatar's coast : NPR” LINK According to reports from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and Qatar’s Defense Ministry:

• A commercial cargo vessel (described as a bulk carrier) was hit by a drone or unknown projectile while sailing approximately 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha, in Qatari waters.

• The ship was traveling from Abu Dhabi toward Mesaieed Port in southern Qatar (i.e., arriving/approaching Qatar, not departing/leaving).

  reuters.com

• The strike caused a small/limited fire on board, which the crew quickly extinguished. No casualties, injuries, or environmental damage were reported. The vessel continued to its destination.

  fortune.com

This happened amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf and a fragile/shaky ceasefire following earlier U.S.-Iran conflict. Multiple outlets describe the event as testing that ceasefire, with suspicions pointing toward Iran (or Iran-linked forces) due to the location, ongoing threats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard about targeting ships, and simultaneous drone incursions reported over the UAE and Kuwait the same day. However, the origin of the projectile/drone has not been officially confirmed as Iranian, and Iran has not claimed responsibility. Qatar condemned the attack but did not explicitly blame Iran in initial statements. LINK The effect of any of these strikes is to frighten the bulk of shippers and insurance companies. The US aggression puts shippers at risk, while Iran has a system by which they can offer safe passage — except of the US Pirates attack at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. What a bizarre and destructive situation!

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Again, though we got a chance to discuss this over the weekend, Dave DeCamp has put it well.

Here are Andrew Napolitano and Larry Johnson on it

I think one could see evidence in January of 2020 that the United States would eventually and more fully attack Iran. Jan of 2020 was when Trump ordered the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, who was the Iranian envoy to the Middle East. That signaled a broad disdain within Trump of any negotiation with Iran, and signaled a thirst for lawless bloodshed, in a pattern often exhibited by Israel.
NOW? I think in the first month of this undeclared US-Israeli move of mass death and economic attack, the United States was focused on decapitation, basically trying to kill as many people (civilians and government officials) in Iranian as possible, hoping that that would force global settlement, where the Iranians would surrender and the Americans could enforce regime change.
The Iranians have proven to be much more resilient, much more creative, much more resourceful than the bloodthirsty Americans and Israelis assumed they could be. And now the Trump Admin and compliant US Legislative Branch have moved to phase two of the war, which is essentially a war of attrition, economic strangulation, where they are trying to destroy Iran’s capacity to finance this war, mainly by destroying Iran’s capacity to export oil. And so I think that this is where the war is going to go. If Trump does not back down, but he withholds an attack until after his China visit, it’s more and more likely that this will turn into a slow war, a war that’s going to be pushed down in the headlines. Very much like what happened in Gaza, really, where maybe for the first few weeks, the entire world was disgusted by what the Israelis were doing, but they declared a ceasefire, and then slowly the attention of the world shifted elsewhere. And that’s what Trump, I think, intends to do with Iran, where he’s going to try to apply as much military, diplomatic, political, economic pressure as possible to force global settlement and trying to divert people’s attention away from the war. It will be a long-simmer, rather than what Israel might want to see more rapidly, a defeat of Iran, and Israel will sit tight, as Iran WON’T be defeated, and the US and Israel play off of the GCC to try to recruit allies over a longer time frame.
THE GCC SITUATION: Saudi Arabia and Iran have a rivalry going back decades. The Saudis see Iran as a rival for supremacy in the Islamic world. So even though Saudi Arabia has been trying to promote a diplomatic solution, their orientation remains unclear.
Bahrain (which used to be part of Iran/Persia going back to the 6th Century, BC) is under pressure because most of the population is Shia Muslim and their leadership is Sunni and their leadership is not very popular there and Iranians are very much intent on promoting revolutions across the Islamic world. So these three nations, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Buran, possibly also with Kuwait as well, they want to see this war fought to the end. The Iranians don’t want to go back to the status quo where they were sanctioned. They now control the surgical moves. They want economic relief. They see the surgical moves as their main leverage point against Americans. So they also want to see this war fought to the end. The Americans are stuck because of the petrodollar, where if they leave, basically these DCC nations would start trading in multiple currencies, including the Chinese Yuan, including in gold. And so this would collapse the American economy because they’re so dependent on investment from the GCC nations. The GCC has trillions invested in America, and they’re forced to repatriate these trillions back into the GCC in order to pay reparations to the Iranians. Then this would spell catastrophe for the American economy, especially the US AI sector and the US shifty shift to a CBDC/“Stable-Coin” (not stable at all, but an e-currency tied to US debt - so, highly UNSTABLE).
CHINA? The GCC nation states trade a great deal with China, and mid-April, the UAE leader visited China on a state visit and basically told the Chinese they were in a lot of trouble.
The reality is that China trades with everyone. The Chinese get a lot of oil from Iran, but they actually get more LNG from Qatar. So, the Chinese statecraft is trying to focus on win-win global peace. Chinese influence with Trump likely will be to apply pressure re Chinese holding of US debt and the Chinese supply of rare earth minerals. China’s Xi this week likely will push Trump for security guarantees that the Iranians can accept for a ceasefire.
While this is a strong likelihood, Trump likely will either water it down, and keep forces at the southeastern end of the Persian Gulf, not engaged in hostilities, but present there, ripe for a false flag (while Israel and the US insert more revolutionary figures, money, and weapons into Iran), or he will keep the promise for a few months, then, attack Iran again - because he cannot be trusted.
It is important to note that Trump might try to leverage his power in Venezuela over XI, since the Chinese now have massive deals with VZ for oil…
Since Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, Chinese economic engagement with Venezuela has focused primarily on the oil sector through a mix of ongoing loans-for-oil repayment arrangements, joint ventures (JVs), and production-sharing agreements (PSAs). These built on pre-existing deals but saw active implementation and some incremental developments through 2025, before major disruptions from U.S. actions in early 2026. LINK
China remained Venezuela’s dominant oil buyer throughout 2025, purchasing the majority (often 50–80%) of Venezuelan crude exports—roughly 389,000–470,000 barrels per day (bpd) on average, or about 4–4.5% of China’s seaborne crude imports. A significant portion of these exports was tied to debt repayment under long-standing “loans-for-oil” deals (China had extended ~$60 billion historically, with ~$10–12 billion or up to $17–19 billion still outstanding as of late 2025/early 2026). Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA and its JVs shipped oil directly to Chinese buyers (often “teapot” independent refineries) at discounted prices, with proceeds or barrels allocated to service the debt. LINK
In 2025, the two governments announced plans for over 600 bilateral cooperation agreements covering energy, agriculture, technology, investment promotion, and special economic zones (SEZs). China also supported infrastructure and mining (e.g., iron ore via companies like Minería Orinoco), telecom (Huawei/ZTE), and other sectors, though FDI stock remained low overall (~$318 million by 2024, with modest activity thereafter). A new direct maritime shipping route (e.g., Tianjin to Venezuelan ports) was launched in late 2025 to reduce transit times for oil and goods. Bilateral trade reached around $6 billion in the first 11 months of 2025. LINK
Trump likely will threaten XI on each of these fronts, since Trump has massive sway with the new VZ government and can instill deadly fear in the new leadership there.
WITHIN IRAN:
It’s important to note a rift between the political leadership and the military leadership in Iran. The political leadership in Tehran wants to see a negotiated political segment as soon as possible because they want Iran to prosper, and they know that the longer it is drawn out, the more agents the US and Israel can insert into Iran. Buuuut, the military leadership under the IRGC, wants to see this thing fought, because the Americans killed their leader, Major Gen Qasem Soleimani, and they killed their spiritual leader, the Ayatollah Mikhail Khamenei.
RUSSIA: Russia reportedly is providing more and more support for Iran, not just intelligence but weaponry… And Iran has outlets for trade through land routes and the Capsian Sea.
In essence, the US, NATO, Europe and Israel are pulling others into World War III, in Iran, Ukraine, and with attempts to overthrow governments in Mali, and attempts to spread control throughout the former Iron Curtain nations.

The wickedness of the Israelis on the land of Lebanon is shocking, manifested in numerous ways:
Double-taps as 27 more are killed by the IDF, 37 wounded.

MORE

But the Hezbollah resistors are striking back with drones…

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Mario Nawfal spells this out very well. Many people commented on the initial BBC censorship, and now the film is getting more attention, and the censorship is being called out even more

Volunteers at the remains of Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital (where the IDF buried 500 people in a mass, unmarked, grave) just planted olive trees there to signify renewal.

The US killed more innocent people on Saturday

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Kevin Hassett has outdone his previous fatuousness, now claiming that consumers are angry and disheartened not because the economy is in a tailspin, but because Trump is “fixing” so many things at once!!!! Oh, man!!

Prof Henke:

Here is the original article LINK

Subscribe now

Alex Berenson emerges from attacks by the COVID CENSORSHIP COMPLEX as a victor!!

Not like Obamacare is constitutional or ethical in the fist place, now the feds are creating a carve-out for insurance coverage re IVF to be handled with the okay of Obamacare mandates. It’s incredibly deceptive, on many levels, and will lead to the creation of more human beings who will either be killed or placed in stasis as “stored embryos” - Today (May 11, 2026), President Donald Trump discussed a newly proposed federal rule during a White House/Oval Office event on maternal healthcare (tied to Mother’s Day messaging and efforts to boost U.S. birth rates). The focus was not a brand-new direct government-funded IVF program or mandate, but a regulatory change to make employer-provided fertility benefits (including IVF) easier to offer. LINK New Proposed Rule on “Limited Excepted Fertility Benefits”: The Departments of Labor, HHS, and Treasury jointly proposed a rule (announced/released around May 10–11) creating a new category of standalone fertility benefits. Employers could offer these separately from regular group health plans (similar to how dental, vision, or life insurance works). This would exempt them from some Affordable Care Act (ACA) rules, making it simpler and less costly for companies to provide IVF/fertility coverage without raising premiums on core health insurance. Here is video we recorded while the meeting was streamed, live, today…

• Lifetime cap: Approximately $120,000 per worker (with inflation adjustments planned for 2028).

• Voluntary for employers; aims to expand access for workers without requiring them to enroll in the employer’s main health plan.

HEALTH FREEDOM NEWS

The Childrens Health Defense news team offers key info on autism and mitochondria, more

Share

The uniformity and lack of choice also raise costs, harm competition, and stop individuals from handling matters themselves. Headline “What a Fuel Pump Says About Things - EPautos - Libertarian Car Talk” LINK

Share

Healine: “DOJ moves to strip citizenship of 12 people amid denaturalization push” LINK
The Goon among goons. Headline: “Trump’s disgraced border goon threatens to go rogue” LINK

Headline: “Pastor defends golden Trump statue from biblical backlash” LINK

David Knight offered key thoughts on this, and we will discuss that tonight, if time permits.

That’s it for now, all! JOIN US TONIGHT AT 6 AND GRAB A FRIEND TO JOIN US, TOO! We’ll be streaming on Rumble and X “AT” gardgoldsmith, and our MIND MELD GUEST WILL BE ERIC PETERS!!!

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It’s Sunday, May 10, and what we usually release on Friday night is just coming to you today! We ran a special live show on Friday, the 8th, and it was four-and-a-half hours of news, plus, the debut live reading of my complete novella, “FUEL”. The title came to me before Trump and Netanyahu attacked Iran, so it’s turned out to be curiously appropriate. Today, we can send you the entire 4.5-hour program, including the audio reading, and we hope it gives you some great information and a great story!

Drop us a line if you have thoughts on the best ways to release this novella and my other works that are ready and waiting in the wings! That’s it for now, all! Many thanks for supporting freedom, and for sharing the links! And remember, you can back us here by becoming a paid subscriber if you would like, and feel free to watch Liberty Conspiracy LIVE on Gardner’s X @gardgoldsmith and on Rumble! Spread the word! Thanks, again! Please feel free to SHARE the links, and join us every M-F at 6 PM on Rumble, and my X @gardgoldsmith — and you also can donate to help the Liberty Conspiracy, itself! Just visit PayPal to help out! You also can mail GG at:

Gardner Goldsmith

PO Box 581

Amherst, NH, 03031 :)

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The world economy is in crash mode, and this is just the beginning. While Trump preps for a May 14 visit to China, where, perhaps, Xi’s influence might get some sense into Trump’s brain re the US aggression on Iran, it is unlikely that Trump will stick with peace after a brief, performative, seeming “agreement” w Xi to “begin negotiations” again. Xi will reiterate the Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz as a fact that is not going away, and he will stress Iranian interests in nuclear power, recovery of funds for damages inflicted by the US, Israel ending its attacks on Lebanon, and, of course, an end to US-Israeli aggression on Iran. Trump likely will feel the pressure of China possibly shutting down even more Chinese involvement in supplying rare earth minerals, Chinese decisions to decrease bank support of US corporations, and warnings about Trump attempting to impose “secondary tariffs” on any nation dealing with Iranian fuel.
That’s something important to watch, and we have additional news from Lebanon, key news on ICE, information on the Russian Victory Day celebration and the Ukrainian attacks, and a fascinating video link, thanks to the great YT channel, “Interesting Books, Reviewed”! As always, please feel free to read all, or just portions, of the Assembly, to leave and return, and to SHARE the internal links and the whole release! Be sure to head to Rumble or Gardner’s X at 6 PM eastern each M-F for the news, from Liberty Conspiracy LIVE! We hope to provide as much big info for freedom fighters as we can!! ALSO, check out the new Former Star Trek Writing Fellow Channels - On YT, and on Rumble!

**AND feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the Assembly, and you also can donate to help the Liberty Conspiracy, itself! Just visit PayPal to help out!

And now, as Mario and Luigi might say, “Let’s-a-GO!!

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Hegseth’s May 7 “Fiscally Responsible Department of War” video went viral because it was so full of offensive rhetoric and assumptions. From his calling it a “deal” or “investment” to his complete disdain for the US Constitution or basic economics and ethics, his slogan-filled vid long will be recalled by many who will cite him, and it, for the War Crimes it attempts to overlook. Here is Antiwar on it Headline “Hegseth Calls Inflating the Pentagon Budget by 50% to $1.5 Trillion a 'Fiscally Responsible Investment' - News From Antiwar.com” LINK

To offer a sample of the completely unreal mindset that Trump and his team continue to exhibit, here is Daniel McAdams, reiterating the reality to Rubio.

And the prime example of MAGA-tied media schilling, Mark Levin continues to lie and push for more unconstitutional, international mass murder.

-The US and Israel definitely are targeting civilians in Iran

This revelation is not surprising, and he “US had knowledge” phrasing likely is tepid, and should read, “the US had to have had knowledge, and the US likely assisted this in numerous ways.” Headline: “Israel built secret base in Iraq to bomb Iran – WSJ — RT World News” LINK
-Away from Infowars, Owen Shroyer again nails it

-And as Karoline Leavitt and her husband celebrate the birth of their new daughter, the Iranian government reminds her of her complicity on the war-crime slaughter of hundreds of children. The criticism might seem poorly timed to some, but it is very justified.

Mother’s Day is not the same for many in Lebanon, Gaza, The West Bank, Somalia, Venezuela, and many other locations touched by US militarism, crony-corporatism, and crony-banksterism

Despite Israel targeting journalists in Lebanon and Gaza, this woman is on the ground in Lebanon. Toura (also spelled Tura) is a village in the Tyre District (also known as Sour District), in the South Governorate of southern Lebanon. It lies roughly 9 km (about 5.5 miles) northeast of the city of Tyre, near the Lebanon-Israel border area. The Israelis hit this place on Friday, May 8.

Verified reports from Reuters, Haaretz, and others confirm this May 9, 2026 incident in al-Asasa village, at an elderly man’s newly-dug grave

First, not only does the US Constitution not contain a provision allowing the Prez or an Executive Branch office to impose “sanctions”, the specific sanction on a join Cuban-Canadian mining company noted here further will restrict the supply of nickel, which is a pretty dumb idea. Headline: “US imposes sanctions on Cuban military conglomerate, mining joint venture” LINK For an in-depth look at the disastrous and immoral US “Sanctions” on Cuba, see the end of the Assembly!!

I usually find Brookings material to be very neo-con, pro-Zionist, but this is a decent overview of some of the matters Trump has made worse when it comes to relations with China. Headline “What will happen when Trump meets Xi? | Brookings” LINk

The Russian government days ago announced a ceasefire to respect V-E Day, 81 years to the day. It’s a massive matter for Russians, that victory over the Axis Powers, and the ceasefire was important. Yet, Zelinsky today embarked on another terror campaign, attacking Russians. Headline: “Ukraine has violated Victory Day ceasefire – Moscow — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union” Link
-And Maria Zakharova makes very strong points about many western powers continuing to associate with Nazi figures, over many decades of western influence and imperialism in the former Soviet Bloc nations. Here us the opening of the pertinent article: “The West is busy rewriting the history of World War II, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has stated ahead of the 81st anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany.” LINK
-More: Headline: “‘People are forbidden from honoring Victory’: How Europe is erasing the memory of Nazism’s defeat — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union” LINK

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As Prof Henke notes, if the US doesn’t lay off its insane, Quixotic, attempt to overthrow Iran, and Iran continues to respond by restricting the traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the US will begin experiencing fuel shortages and a lack of availability in July. This, atop higher prices due to supply not meeting world demand, a lack of fertilizer, higher shipping costs, and Trump TARIFFS.

Yet, of course, Trump lies re the difference btwn his policies and the Biden record on gas prices (which, itself, was abysmal). Here, we see Trump claiming to have brought gas prices WAYYY down from Biden’s days. But, as you might have guessed, Trump is focusing on the highest price under Biden, not the last weeks of Biden. LINK Here is some reality. Headline “Fact check: Trump posts wildly deceptive chart on oil prices” LINK

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A person horror story - Headline “Teen brothers detained by ICE speak out after emotional ordeal” LINK
-And this piece, from Jacob Hornberger, is excellent. Headline “The Immigration Police-State's Infliction of Harm – The Future of Freedom Foundation” LINK

SO, get this, if you want to collect information on price-demand trends and offer it to willing buyers, but you decide not to make that information universally visible? The Antitrust division will attack you. Not only is this a matter of free speech and not only is this attack no sanctioned by any provision of the US Constitution, the prectical outcome of it is to stifle information-sharing speed. This is one of the major problems of the monopoly of government going after people for so-called “insider trading”. If a person can get key information before others, and he talks to others, not only is that beneficial for those people, it incentivizes others to try to get the information on their own, racing for faster info-collection. Attacks on this kind of reporting retard, rather than promote, market dynamics. Note, also, how this ties in with the recently announced Antitrust attack on the four big meat processors (two located in the US, and two in Brazil). The PR machine in DC really wants US Consumers to think they are being helped, not hurt, by Trump’s goon squads. Headline “Trump administration settles meatpacking antitrust case in bid to bring down grocery prices” LINK

It’s a rare moment when one can applaud the people at The View, but this is one of those times. It’s too bad they don’t approach constitutional scholars who can tell their audience how utterly unconstitutional the FCC is. This is a very good opportunity to let the folks know… Headline: “ABC says Trump’s FCC is threatening free speech in 'The View' probe” LINK

This conversation, between Danny Haiphone and Stanislav Kaprivnik, is a very informative look at the temporal and monetary hurdles facing the world as the US and Israel inspire more destruction of oil wells, pipelines, and repositories. There is a lot to absorb, thanks to these two well-informed men.

This conversation btwn Prof Mirandi and Prog Diesen is very worthwhile to watch. Key info re Iran.

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The US maintains a comprehensive, longstanding economic embargo (often called the “blockade” by Cuba) against Cuba, primarily enforced through the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR, 31 CFR Part 515) administered by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). This regime prohibits most direct US-Cuba trade, financial transactions, and travel, with limited exceptions (e.g., certain licensed agricultural/medical exports paid in cash, family remittances, and humanitarian aid). It has extraterritorial elements that affect third-country parties trading with Cuban-based businesses or the Cuban government.

ofac.treasury.gov

Major recent escalations (as of May 2026) under the current Trump administration have added broad secondary sanctions risks for non-US persons and foreign financial institutions (FFIs). These build on the core embargo but significantly increase exposure for international companies. Cuba remains designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST, re-designated January 2025), which layers additional financial and aid restrictions.

Key Categories of Restrictions, Start Dates, and Third-Party Impacts
Here is a breakdown by major category:

1. Core Comprehensive Embargo on US Persons (Primary Sanctions via CACR)

   • Started: Partial restrictions (arms, certain goods) began in 1958–1960 under Eisenhower after the Cuban Revolution and nationalizations. Full trade embargo proclaimed by President Kennedy in February/September 1962 (Proclamation 3447 and related actions). Cuban Assets Control Regulations issued July 1963 under the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA, 1917, later supplemented by IEEPA). Codified and tightened by the Cuban Democracy Act (1992) and Helms-Burton Act (1996).

   • Current prohibitions: US persons (including US-owned/controlled foreign subsidiaries in many cases) are broadly barred from exporting/importing goods/services to/from Cuba, dealing in Cuban property, providing financial services, or engaging in most travel (with narrow general licenses for family visits, certain educational/professional travel, remittances, and support for the Cuban private sector). Most exports require a license from BIS/OFAC and are often denied.

   • Third-party impact: Indirect via US subsidiaries and “facilitation” rules. Limited direct effect on pure non-US entities until recent changes.

   • Estimated commerce hit: Primarily affects US-Cuba bilateral trade (near-zero in most sectors). Older USITC estimates (2001) projected potential US exports to Cuba of ~$658 million annually (1996–1998 data) without the embargo. US Chamber of Commerce (2009) estimated ~$1.2 billion/year in lost US sales/exports. Cuban government and UN analyses attribute a large share of annual losses to restricted trade/shipping (e.g., higher freight/insurance costs of tens of millions annually in recent years). LINK

2. Helms-Burton Act (Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, 1996) – Extraterritorial Provisions

   • Started: Enacted March 1996 (Titles I–IV). Title III (lawsuits for “trafficking” in confiscated US/Cuban-American property) was suspended by presidents until reactivated by Trump in 2019 and remains active. Title IV (visa denials) has been enforced periodically.

   • Current prohibitions: Allows US nationals to sue in US courts any person (including foreign companies) that “traffics” in property confiscated by Cuba after 1959. Title IV bars entry to the US for executives (and families) of companies involved in such trafficking. It deters foreign investment in tourism, hotels, ports, and other sectors linked to expropriated assets.

   • Third-party impact: Significant deterrent for non-US companies investing or operating in Cuba (e.g., cruise lines, hotels, mining). Examples include multimillion-dollar judgments against foreign firms.

   • Estimated commerce hit: Deters foreign direct investment (FDI) and tourism. Cuban/UN reports link it to billions in lost investment over decades. Specific litigation (e.g., 2022 cruise line cases) exceeded $400 million in damages. Broader FDI losses are folded into overall embargo estimates (hundreds of millions to billions annually in forgone projects).

3. State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) Designation and Related Financial Restrictions

   • Started: Originally designated 1982; removed by Obama (2015); reinstated by Trump (January 2021); re-designated January 2025.

   • Current prohibitions: Bars most US foreign aid, restricts exports of certain items, and complicates Cuba’s access to the international financial system (banks often avoid Cuba due to US secondary sanctions risk and compliance costs).

   • Third-party impact: FFIs face heightened scrutiny/risk of US penalties for processing Cuban transactions.

   • Estimated commerce hit: Major driver of banking isolation. Cuban reports cite hundreds of millions in annual financial-sector losses (fines on European banks historically reached billions cumulatively). Contributes to dollar access issues and higher transaction costs. LINK

4. New Secondary Sanctions and Oil/Fuel Measures (2025–2026 Escalations)

   • Started: “Total pressure” strategy announced January 2025 (including SST re-designation and military contractor sanctions). EO 14380 (January 2026) declared a national emergency and authorized tariffs/duties on countries/entities supplying oil/petroleum to Cuba (extraterritorial “fuel blockade”). New EO 14404 (May 1, 2026) under IEEPA authorizes broad blocking sanctions on foreign persons/FFIs. State Department designated GAESA (Cuba’s large military-controlled conglomerate) and affiliates on May 7, 2026. LINK

   • Current prohibitions: EO 14404 targets foreign persons engaged in transactions with the Cuban government or in sectors like energy, defense/materiel, metals/mining, financial services, and security. It enables secondary sanctions on FFIs for “significant” transactions with blocked persons. Prohibits US persons from dealing with those designated. Oil-related tariffs pressure third-country suppliers (e.g., Russia, others).

   • Third-party impact: Major escalation — non-US companies and banks now face direct designation/blocking risk for routine Cuba business, similar to Iran/Russia regimes. This affects virtually any party trading with Cuban-based businesses (especially state-linked ones).

   • Estimated commerce hit: Too recent for full quantified studies (May 2026 EO is days/weeks old). Already contributing to Cuba’s acute fuel shortages, blackouts, and economic contraction (e.g., GDP declines and energy crisis in 2025–2026). Broader deterrence expected to reduce foreign trade/investment further; Cuban analyses project additional hundreds of millions to billions in annual losses from such measures.

Overall Estimated Hits to Commerce
Precise per-category breakdowns are limited and disputed (US sources emphasize regime responsibility; Cuban/UN reports attribute nearly all losses to the embargo). Independent estimates are dated, but here are key figures:

• To Cuba (Cuban government/UN estimates): Cumulative losses since 1960 in the hundreds of billions to “trillions” (adjusted for inflation; e.g., $933 billion by 2018 per Cuba; UN 2023 cited trillions). Annual damages: ~$4.87 billion (2022–2023), over $5 billion (2023–2024), and $7.5 billion (March 2024–February 2025). Sectors most cited: trade/shipping overruns, tourism/FDI deterrence, finance/banking isolation, agriculture/tech imports, and energy (recent oil restrictions worsened blackouts and productivity losses).

• To the US: Older estimates of $1.2 billion/year lost exports (US Chamber, 2009) or $3.6 billion/year in broader economic output (2002 Cuba Policy Foundation). These are primarily from foregone bilateral trade.

The embargo affects all major sectors of the Cuban economy (trade, tourism, FDI, finance, energy, agriculture), with recent measures exacerbating shortages and isolation. Note that some impacts overlap with Cuba’s internal policies, global events (e.g., COVID, Venezuela issues), and sanctions evasion challenges. For the absolute latest designations or licenses, check OFAC’s Cuba page directly, as enforcement evolves rapidly.

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That’s it for now, all! Thank you for caring about freedom and being energized to push the principles! And come back Monday for our new DAILY NEWS NOTES! It’s for paid subscribers, and will give you a midday look at some of the breaking news you might want to follow, to compare notes with others, and utilize to keep an eye on the statists in politics and the statists in the “commentary/reporting” realm! Remember, you can watch Liberty Conspiracy Live, each weeknight, at 6 eastern! Help others learn about all the facets of freedom, from markets, to privacy, to speech, to parental control and education, and much MORE! You can watch, listen, and join the chat for freedom as we broadcast on my X and Rumble. Hit me up at X as @gardgoldsmith there and on GAB as “GardnerGoldsmith”! And, of course, I want to mention that if you’d like to get some of my fiction, grab my current novellas at Amazon and Barnes and Noble!! As a rocking opener, I recommend “Fishing” as a dark, well-composed crime tale with some very unusual turns (this contains some scenes of dark violence, so please, be warned)…

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Welcome, fellow Conspirators!

Thank you to all the folks who joined us tonight for a fast-paced and fun time as we dug into the big breaking info. Thanks for all the ++ vibes for Theology Thursday about Christian anarchism and Romans 13, as well! Big thanks to the great journalists we got to mention!- Have a great night, everyone! Join us tomorrow at 6PM for Fiction Friday and the full reading of the new novella, "FUEL"! Here are some of the big stories we got to cover, tonight…

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This is the Zionist mindset behind the Greater Israel Project and much of the US aggression (that, plus the desire to prop up the Petro Dollar and pump up the Military-Industrial-Corporate Empire of the US).

And this is how it manifests in rhetoric and policy-murder-theft in the Zionist Genocide Machine of Israel.

(MORE, on LEBANON, A FEW ENTRIES DOWN…)

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NBC reports that Trump ended his “Project Freedom” after getting blank stares from high-ups in Arab states. Here is ANTIWAR adding great insights. And RT has amplification of it. LINK

-But the US attacked that ship we mentioned yesterday, because, evidently, it amused Trump LINK

-Iran rejects Trump’s latest DEMANDS Headline: “Live updates: US awaits Iran’s response to latest proposal to end war | CNN” LINK

-And these are Iran’s new rules for passage. Mr. Trump and Mr. Hegseth claim that Iran is not in charge, but, something indicates that both US warmongers are incorrect, likely very aware they are lying, of course. LINK

HERE IS AN OVERVIEW:

While the exact wording of all 14 points remains internal/diplomatic, here is the clear, consolidated list of the core demands consistently reported across major sources (Al Jazeera, NPR, The National, Firstpost, and Iranian officials):

1. Full and permanent termination of the war (not merely a ceasefire extension) — all issues to be resolved within 30 days.

2. Security guarantees / non-aggression commitments — binding assurances from the US and allies (including Israel) against any future military attacks on Iran.

3. Complete withdrawal of US military forces from areas surrounding Iran (the region/periphery).

4. Lifting of all US and international economic sanctions on Iran.

5. Release of all frozen Iranian assets held abroad (worth billions of dollars).

6. Payment of war reparations / financial compensation for damages caused by the conflict.

7. Immediate end to the US naval blockade on Iranian ports and shipping.

8. Cessation of all hostilities across every front, including a full end to fighting and involvement in Lebanon and other regional conflicts.

9. Establishment of a new mechanism / framework for secure navigation, shipping, and control in the Strait of Hormuz (including full reopening and guarantees against future disruptions).

10. Affirmation of Iran’s right to uranium enrichment — as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) — with substantive negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program deferred until after a comprehensive peace agreement is reached.

The remaining points (11–14) appear to cover procedural and verification elements, such as timelines for implementation, monitoring mechanisms, regional de-escalation protocols, and a sequencing that prioritizes ending the war before deeper talks on other issues. Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that this plan is “exclusively focused on ending the war” at this stage.

-A confidential CIA analysis delivered to administration policymakers this week concludes that Iran retains about 75% of its prewar inventories of mobile launchers and about 70% of its prewar stockpiles of missiles. The regime has recovered and reopened almost all of its underground storage facilities, repaired some damaged missiles, and even assembled new ones that were nearly complete when the war began. This assessment indicates that Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities have not been badly diminished overall, despite weeks of intense U.S. and Israeli bombardment. It suggests Tehran retains substantial launching capacity and stockpiles to sustain operations, including threats to regional targets, U.S. forces/bases, shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and allies. The same analysis concludes Iran could survive a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for at least 3–4 months before facing more severe economic hardship—further evidence of its remaining deterrent and fighting ability. This, from the WaPo LINK



HEGSETH CLAIMED $25 Bil for the IRAN MESS, it’s much higher, by orders of magnitude. Steve Semler, whose work has appeared via Brown University’s “Cost of War” Project, and who writes his own Substack (linked here) offers his more honest estimate of the Pentagon’s ledger and the real costs to taxpayers.

Some highlights:

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Acting Comptroller Jules Hurst told Congress last week that the Iran War had cost $25 billion through the first 60 days. The next day, CBS reported that officials familiar with the Pentagon’s internal assessments estimated the cost was actually closer to $50 billion — double the amount department leadership had just stated publicly. However, even the figure reported as the war’s “true cost” is at least $22 billion too low.

Popular Information conducted a cost estimate of the Iran War based on officials’ statements, military procurement and operations data, and reporting on deployments and armament use. Through 60 days, the US spent an estimated $71.8 billion on the Iran War, or $1.2 billion per day on average. This includes the cost of operations, munitions, combat losses, and arming co-belligerents. Like the estimates from Pentagon leadership and unnamed officials, this figure refers only to direct war costs — near-term expenses for military operations, munitions, and the like — and not indirect costs, which include broader economic impacts, interest on the national debt and longer-term expenses like veterans’ care.

Why is Popular Information’s estimate so much largest than even the Pentagon’s internal figure? Factors include incomplete accounting of damaged or destroyed military assets, the exclusion of costs outside the department (including billions of dollars in State Department-funded military aid to Israel), and a flawed method for tracking munition expenditures. The last is likely the biggest factor.

The Pentagon tracks munition “burn rate” costs by merging operational logistics (what munitions are fired, and in what quantities) with financial values (how much each one costs). The issue lies in how the Pentagon determines unit cost. The war costs that show up on the Pentagon’s ledger — and that media outlets report — are much lower than the costs the US public will ultimately be forced to pay.

For example, the largest categorical munition cost is for interceptors, which are missiles designed to shoot down other missiles. The cost to fire one SM-2 interceptor is approximately $1.2 million. If 50 are withdrawn from the stockpile and fired, the Pentagon’s ledger would show $60 million in expenses from consuming those munitions. The $50 billion cost estimate unnamed officials gave lawmakers likely reflects this accounting method, as it’s the department’s standard.

This accounting can lead to undercounts when a rapidly consumed munition like the SM-2 isn’t planned to be purchased in the future. The Pentagon no longer buys SM-2s; the interceptor is being replaced by the more advanced and expensive SM-6. So each time an SM-2 is fired in the ongoing war, the Pentagon’s accounting system registers a cost closer to the SM-2’s $1.2 million unit cost from 2010 than the $6.3 million unit cost budgeted in 2027 for the SM-6 that will replace it. For US taxpayers, the cost of firing 50 SM-2s isn’t $60 million; it’s $315 million.

There are many more examples of expended munitions (or destroyed equipment) that are budgeted to be replaced by much more expensive variants.

The $25 billion war cost given by Pentagon Secretary Hegseth and acting Comptroller Hurst before Congress was a lie. It was a denial of the Iran War’s spiraling costs, one of several foreseen consequences of the Trump administration’s decision to go to war. The closing of the Strait of Hormuz is another predictable consequence. As nonproliferation expert Joe Cirincione told Popular Information last June:

There’s a whole list of things [Iran] could do, including closing the Straits of Hormuz. By closing the Straits of Hormuz, you cut off one-fifth of the world’s oil supply overnight. That will send stock markets crashing. That could tip the world into a global recession, even a depression.

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Headline, from Antiwar “Israel Kills 16 in Lebanon, Expands Attacks Into Eastern Bekaa Valley, Beirut - News From Antiwar.com” LINK

As we know… But it is good that Sky is reporting on this

The BBC tells us what we have known for years, now. But it IS good that they are getting out this information

Another strike by IDF, in Gaza City, on people living in TENTS

And, from yesterday, a reminder of the way the Israelis view “ceasefires”. This, in Gaza

If you know folks who thought that news of US troops leaving Germany would mean the US is completely leaving that nation, that is incorrect. Only about 1/4 are leaving, and now, the Polish gubment is inviting them to hang out near the Ukrainian border. Probably not a good idea, for US-Russian relations, for the US budget, or for the US Constitution. Headline “Poland Wants To Host US Troops That Are Leaving Germany - News From Antiwar.com” LINK

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Marco Rubio - who “fills” both the slot of US Secretary of State and that of National Security Advisor - actually appears to be oblivious to the fact that the markets for fertilizer and fuel are worldwide. Demand does not stop signaling when it reaches international borders.

A reminder, from last night

ANOTHER BAD SIGN - WHIRLPOOL

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Russian political leaders are ready to have a brief ceasefire to celebrate WWII Victory Day, but will Ukraine reciprocate, and what of the upcoming St. Petersburg Economic Conference coming soon? LINK

His “suicide note” has been released. “Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged ‘suicide note’ unsealed (PHOTO) — RT World News” LINK

“Antigua and Barbuda has sworn in a new government under revised constitutional rules that for the first time removed allegiance to the British monarch from the official oath of office.” LINK

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It is unwise and unbiblical to claim that Romans 13 is a bulwark supporting statism over individual rights and free-will, granted by God. Over millennia, state-pushing political-religious operators, and, perhaps, an easy tendency among people to look towards “the governing authority” stealthily have replaced governance through voluntary means based on social, familial, and tribal hierarchies, with arbitrary political muscle. -

Romans 13:1–7 (ESV)¹ Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,

⁴ for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

⁵ Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

⁷ Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.These italicized terms (“governing authorities,” repeated authorities, instituted/appointed, rulers, authority, ministers of God, and the taxes/revenue commands) are the ones most frequently disputed by Christian anarchists and voluntaryists. They argue that the underlying Greek (exousia for authority/powers, tetagmenai for arranged/instituted, archontes for rulers, etc.) refers to any functional “higher powers” that maintain order and justice — not necessarily the coercive territorial state (the polis). In their reading, these words describe the function of governance (punishing evil, rewarding good) that can exist through voluntary, non-monopolistic institutions rather than political government. The ESV’s phrasing (like adding “governing” before authorities) is seen by them as an interpretive layer that tilts the text toward statism.

The original Greek of Romans 13:1-7 does not contain a word directly equivalent to the modern English “government” (as in coercive political statism or the polis/state institution). The key term is exousia (authority, power, right, or jurisdiction), which appears multiple times and is far broader and more general than any specific political system.

Here is the Greek of verse 1 (Nestle 1904 / standard critical text):

Πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἐξουσίαις ὑπερεχούσαις ὑποτασσέσθω. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐξουσία εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ θεοῦ, αἱ δὲ οὖσαι ὑπὸ θεοῦ τεταγμέναι εἰσίν.

Word-by-word breakdown of the crucial terms (interlinear style):

• exousiais hyperechousais → “to the authorities/powers that are superior/higher” (exousia = authority/power/right; hyperechousais = those holding a position above).

• hypotassesthe (imperative of hypotassō) → “let [every soul] be subject / arrange itself under / submit” — a military/hierarchical term for orderly positioning under something higher, not the stronger Greek word for “obey” (hypakouō).

• exousia (repeated) → “authority” (no implication of a territorial monopoly on force).

• tetagmenai (from tassō) → “having been arranged / appointed / instituted / ordained.”

The passage continues in verses 3–4 with archontes (“rulers/officials”) and describes these authorities as God’s “ministers” (diakonoi) who bear the sword to punish evil (kakos — civil wrongdoing/aggression) and praise good. Verses 6–7 mention “tribute”/taxes as something “due,” but only in the context of rendering to all what is owed, immediately followed by the command to “owe no one anything except to love one another” (v. 8).

Modern translations like the ESV render it as “governing authorities” (adding the political flavor), while the KJV uses the more literal “higher powers.” The choice of “government” in many English Bibles is an interpretive gloss that imports later statist assumptions. In the 1st-century context, exousia could refer to any superior power — human officials, spiritual principalities, or even church/parental authority — and Paul uses the same word elsewhere for non-state “powers and principalities.”

Anarchist and Voluntaryist Interpretations

Christian anarchists, voluntaryists, and libertarian Christians (e.g., Jacques Ellul, Vernard Eller, David Lipscomb, James Redford, and Reformed libertarian writers) generally agree that Romans 13 does not command unconditional obedience to coercive political states or endorse statism as God’s ideal. Instead, they read it as a call for pragmatic, non-violent submission within a fallen world, while insisting that ultimate allegiance belongs to God’s Kingdom and that legitimate authority must serve justice without initiating force.

Key themes in these views:

• Submission (hypotassō), not blind obedience: Christians are to “arrange themselves under” existing powers to live peaceably, avoid unnecessary persecution, and not take personal vengeance (context of Romans 12: no repaying evil for evil). This is prudential and tactical — Paul himself repeatedly defied earthly rulers (escapes, preaching despite bans, etc.) without contradiction. Submission ≠ endorsement or participation in evil.

• Only authorities that do good are truly “ordained”: Verses 3–4 limit the description to those who are “not a terror to good works” but a terror to evil, God’s ministers for good. Evil or tyrannical rulers who initiate force, steal (via taxation-as-extortion), or terrorize the innocent fall outside this category and are not the “authorities” Paul endorses. Many voluntaryists emphasize that the “sword” is for responsive justice (punishing aggression against persons/property), which aligns with voluntary civil governance (arbitration, restitution, private defense) rather than a coercive monopoly state.

• Distinction between de facto power and moral authority: God may providentially permit or “order” even bad rulers to exist (for restraint of chaos in a fallen world), but He does not morally institute or bless coercive statism. Hosea 8:4 (“They set up kings, but not by Me”) and Jesus’ critique of Gentile rulers (Mark 10:42–45) are often cited. True authority flows from God’s moral law, not might-makes-right.

• Taxes and “what is due”: The command to pay tribute is rhetorical or limited to what is legitimately owed (e.g., user fees or restitution in a just system). Voluntaryists note that the state’s taxation is coercion, which violates the love command immediately following (Rom 13:8). Pragmatic payment may be wise to avoid conflict, but it does not make the system legitimate.

• No endorsement of the polis/state: Governance (rules for interpersonal behavior, justice, order) can and should occur without the coercive polis. Reformed libertarian and voluntaryist readings distinguish “civil governance” (non-monopolistic adjudication of rights via voluntary institutions) from the “state” (territorial monopoly on initiated force). Romans 13 describes the function God wants (justice) but is compatible with stateless mechanisms.

Prominent voices include:

• David Lipscomb (19th-century restorationist, often cited by anarcho-Christians): Human governments originated in rebellion against God; Christians live as citizens of Christ’s kingdom and do not participate in coercive civil government.

• Jacques Ellul (Anarchy and Christianity): The Bible overall points toward anarchism (“no domination”); Romans 13 is an exception that calls for peaceful non-resistance, not state worship.

• James Redford (“Jesus Is an Anarchist”): Paul uses rhetorical misdirection; he never tells Christians to submit to earthly governments as they actually exist.

• Reformed libertarian writers: Romans 13 ordains the office of justice but not the state monopoly; it supports stateless civil governance.

  reformedlibertarians.com

In short, anarchist and voluntaryist Christians correctly read Romans 13 as explaining that governance is not found through political edicts, that you are granted free will for a reason. You must use your own mind and exercise your free will to see your soul delivered to God, and you must respect the right of others to do the same, so you cannot claim power (as a person or a group) over others.

God’s sovereign use of whatever powers exist for order, means people must be non-aggressive, non-participatory in establishing statism, while, if seeing statism, governing according to non-state, Godly rules, living under God’s higher law. The passage is seen as compatible with (or even supportive of) voluntary modes of governance and justice that reject the initiation of force — exactly the “rules for interpersonal behavior without the polis” I often mention. Mainstream statist readings rely on the later interpretive layer added in English translations rather than the original Greek. Different Christian traditions have long debated this, but the anarchist/voluntaryist line has deep historical and textual roots.

Romans 13 fits seamlessly into Paul’s broader argument in the epistle about living as citizens of God’s kingdom while navigating life under earthly powers. It flows directly from the end of chapter 12 (“Do not repay anyone evil for evil… live at peace with everyone”) and leads into the love command in 13:8 ff.

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