Tea at Trianon: USA and Israeli Forces Attack Iran

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, March 1, 2026

USA and Israeli Forces Attack Iran

From CDM:

The attack on Iran is large-scale and is expected to continue for at least several days, reports NYT. First wave of Iranian ballistic missiles launched toward Israel. 30 missiles reportedly fired. Yemen's Houthis will resume attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor. IRGC: In response to the aggression of the hostile and criminal enemy against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the first wave of large-scale missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran toward the occupied territories has begun.
Israel's Defence Minister says Israel has launched a preemptive strike against Iran to remove threats to the state. A missile and drone attack on Israel is expected in the immediate timeframe. Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared a nationwide special state of emergency and urged the public to follow Home Front Command instructions and remain in protected areas.
IDF spokesperson says that starting Saturday at 8:00 a.m., the country will shift from full activity to essential activity only. Schools, gatherings, and most workplaces are suspended, except for essential services. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on airstrikes in Iran: There is no coalition and opposition — there is one people and one army, and we all stand behind it, reported Clash Report.

About 30 targets across Iran have been struck so far, including the Iranian President’s residence and an intelligence headquarters, Israeli reports claim. Iran closes its entire airspace as strikes hit Qom, Khorramabad, Isfahan, and Tehran. (Read more.)