Just Another Thought

This thought below is my {Diane Sori) thought alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.or google.com   

[[[ Five years ago today we withdrew from Afghanistan in what was in actuality a defeat. Five years from today I hope we’re not facing the same scenario with Iran, which could be a possibility. Why so...because not since WWII has a president's what should be focus to win a war actually been put on the “back burner” while forgetting that ”bombs that go “boom” does not make a war won.

The Korean War, aka“a police action,” still sees Korea divided in two. The Vietnam War saw us hightailing it out of there in 1975 after the fall of Saigon. And our 20-year involvement in Afghanistan saw Biden hastily pulling us out after the Taliban re-seized control of Afghan's government. And to add insult to our injury, Biden forced us to leave behind U.S.military equipment which is now in the hands of the Taliban. But saddest of all is that in the action of withdrawing 13 U.S. service members were killed due to Biden's ineptitude.

So it should not be all that surprising that we have yet to achieve true victory in Iran, especially when our president now seems to be more focused on becoming “king and controller” of all the world's oil supplies then he is on fighting to win this rightful war being fought as he'd rather make deals with the enemy than actually using militarily force to get them to surrender,

And so with Trump's ego puffed up courtesy of his Venezuelan oil win, we could well see Iran becoming both Vietnam and Afghanistan revisited with the Iranian people now sadly being his sacrificial lamb. ]]] 

Copyright @ 2026 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.

Op-ed:

From Vietnam to Iran Questionable Decisions Made

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor

This opinion piece is my opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.or google.com 

 

...And whether some like it or not...no matter which side of the political aisle one is currently on...previous wars both won and lost have shown that when wars are fought minus ground troops peace is usually not achieved. Why so... because airstrikes, missiles, and drones can do only so much. Yes, they do blow things up thus making certain needed things unavailable to the enemy., but bombings alone cannot secure areas, control the population, or secure a war's much needed objective of the enemy completely and “unconditionally surrendering.”

Simply, for Iran not to have yet officially surrendered (which was Trump's original objective that he foolishly strayed away from)...whether it be unconditionally or otherwise... in spite of our overwhelming military victories Iran has incurred...still means that we...that the United States of America...has yet to win this war. Why so...because Iran and its regime has outlasted and outmaneuvered President Trump courtesy of its simple ability to endure, and shift the war outward to encompass its fellow Arab neighbors while also now starting to move outward from there...outward even into the Red Sea at last report... 

Read  entire article here: https://thepatriotfactor.blogspot.com/2026/08/op-ed-from-vietnam-to-iran-questionable.html

Op-ed: 

From Vietnam to Iran Questionable Decisions Made 

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor 

This opinion piece is my opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.or google.com 

Last week I wrote about the “maybe or maybe not” of today's war with Iran possibly becoming a war not unlike Vietnam...a war we lost back in 1975 when we pulled out of the country minus what should have been an easy and overwhelming military victory.

And it was a defeat that still has a haunting degree of political ramifications even today, for the fact remains that misplaced diplomacy was chosen as the path to try and end the Vietnam War, just as still failed diplomacy was chosen to end the war in Afghanistan, and now is still what President Trump hopes will succeed in regards to Iran.

And while diplomacy is altruistic by its very nature, the fact remains that when ones enemy continues to fight back...to engage militarily while talks...whether they be in the open or via back channels...are ongoing, the enemy wins in the “court of public opinion” for they look strong while we look weak. This was the case in both Vietnam and Afghanistan, and as long as Iran has the ability to keep lobbing missiles and drones at their fellow Gulf neighbors and of course at our U.S. military bases and interests, it's Iran that looks strong no matter our newly intensified bombings. Why so...simply because President Trump has not yet stricken the words “diplomatic solution” from his vocabulary.

Remember, in Afghanistan...President George W. Bush's initiated war...we saw our military needing but mere weeks to oust the Taliban from the country, yet twenty years later on August 30, 2021 thanks to then President Joe Biden...whose entire presidency was really a joke at best...we left Afghanistan in humiliating defeat, Why so, because Biden chose to ignore what was then obvious Afghan government corruption along with the fact that the Taliban were still being able to cause massive havoc from what was their safe haven in Pakistan...the very same Pakistan now involved in the ever dubious still somewhat ongoing Iran negotiations. Seems President Trump and his advisors did not learn a lesson in what was then Afghanistan/Pakistan betrayal.

And when all Biden's fence-sitting diplomatic efforts failed to win even a modicum of U.S. political legitimacy amongst the Afghan people...people who saw Biden's withdrawal efforts as being both a betrayal and an outright abandonment of the Afghan people...the Taliban quickly moved back into Afghanistan to again rule the country sending the people back to the sixth century while they got to keep all our foolishly left behind advanced weaponry. And again, this was no matter the limited diplomatic efforts the Biden administration put forward to at least try to recoup some of that equipment.

“Diplomacy” and “deals”...two words that infuriate me when it comes to Iran because for years numerous presidents and their administrations...including that of Trump during his first term in office...told us that Iran was the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, and that they had to be dealt with before another 9/11 type scenario were to occur. Yes, numerous administrations “talked the talk” yet no real actions were taken not even after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu...the man whose very country was deemed to be Iran's arch enemy number one...we were number two...addressed a joint session of Congress during Trump's first term in office, and came replete with charts and graphs which laid out the ugly truth for the whole world to see.

But did we listen then...no...are we listening now...yes...while at the same time a certain individual within the current administration publicly stabbed the messenger and his country in the back, and continues to do so albeit trying to choose his words a bit more politically correct and cautiously.

Yet the bottom line is that it took until last summer when Iran was literally on the verge of finalizing construction of a nuclear weapon that we, together with Israel, sprung into action and turned Iran's nuclear facilities into rubble while at the same time Israel sent numerous key members of the regime on a one way trip to allah. And it seems that it was at this high point when things started to “go south” with talks of “negotiations and deals” entering into and dominating the discourse.

Simply, “negotiations and deals” with those infamously famous for making “deals” with fingers crossed behind their backs is something Trump, and his people, have yet to learn go nowhere, because Trump had again put his reinstated bombings on temporary hold, as he once again wanted to negotiate a deal...this time to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

And so while President Trump's intentions and ensuing military actions taken at the beginning of this war, and again now in the war's later stages, were done for all the right reasons and should not as such come into question, what should come into question...and it's long overdo...is why both our president and his advisors do not understand...or simply chose not to accept as fact... that “negotiations and deals” made with the enemy actually do fail more times than they are successful. And why...because not only do these scenarios give both sides time to regroup, rearm, and re-strategize, but what physical actions said deals temporarily stop Iran from doing see their proxies picking up the slack and doing.

Gives new and quite dubious meaning to these six ever truthful words, “with fingers crossed behind their backs,” I'd say.

And then there's this...the difficult balance between compromise and demands, which both sides tend to look at differently...as in non-negotiable demands (Iran demands to be a nuclear power), vs. what are deemed to be transitional time-framed demands (if Iran is still behaving in a decade or so we'll revisit the issue of Iran enriching uranium for peaceful uses alone... meaning if Iran meets our carved in stone demanded time frame, then maybe in time we'll give them one of their lesser demands...you give us this, maybe we'll give you that.

Not a good way to win a war I'd say for all negotiating for deals does...and remember they usually do fail...is prolong the inevitable defeat for one side or the other whether the inevitable is the “good guy” or not. And here let's remember that when he ran for office...all three times that is...that Trump actually pledged to keep our beloved America out of what seemed to be “forever wars”...wars like Vietnam and Afghanistan...and yet now here we are in what could turn Iran into just such a war if we don't figure out a way to end this war with us being the victor, with that sadly meaning having to send in ground troops if that be the case.

And whether some like it or not...no matter which side of the political aisle one is currently on...previous wars both won and lost have shown that when wars are fought minus ground troops peace is usually not achieved. Why so... because airstrikes, missiles, and drones can do only so much. Yes, they do blow things up thus making certain needed things unavailable to the enemy., but bombings alone cannot secure areas, control the population, or secure a war's much needed objective of the enemy completely and “unconditionally surrendering.”

Simply, for Iran not to have yet officially surrendered (which was Trump's original objective that he foolishly strayed away from)...whether it be unconditionally or otherwise... in spite of our overwhelming military victories Iran has incurred...still means that we...that the United States of America...has yet to win this war. Why so...because Iran and its regime has outlasted and outmaneuvered President Trump courtesy of its simple ability to endure, and shift the war outward to encompass its fellow Arab neighbors while also now starting to move outward from there...outward even into the Red Sea at last report.

In fact, when I started writing this article...the bombings were back on again do to Iran's not only having launched a targeted missile attack against U.S. troops stationed in Jordan which resulted in three American deaths... to which President Trump then rightfully vowed to,“beat the f-king s-t out of” Iran...but the bombing attacks continued on as we and Saudi Arabia jointly struck Iran's proxy-aligned terrorists in Iraq...terrorists who had launched 30 drone attacks on U.S. aligned forces and assets in the region included Saudi's oil fields.

But now those “payback” attacks have ended...at least as I finish writing this...for we did what needed to be done while Trump remains caught up in a cycle that hoped for negotiations and deals can still end this war, which in my opinion it cannot. Why so...because right from the beginning President Trump and his people underestimated Iran's military arsenal as witnessed by the fact that they're still fighting back which has helped in the destabilizing of global energy markets, while at the same time putting some long held U.S. alliances in jeopardy.

In fact, in Iran's successfully playing the “let's make a deal and then break it game” it shows that they still possess “strategic liabilities” for the U.S., Israel. and all those aligned with us. Why so...because to date no winner has been declared in this war...no one on either side has surrendered to the other, for the fact remains that the true end to any war fought is solely attained when one side “surrenders” in defeat to the other.

And while I really don't see that happening anytime soon...unless Israel is allowed to do our job for us...I ask with all due respect that President Trump rejoin together with Israel...but leave JD Vance at home...and together finish the job that you started together. We as a nation do not need or want another Vietnam let alone another Afghanistan, most especially with not just the midterms fast approaching, but the 2028 presidential election only two years away. President Trump, it really does all rest on your shoulders...do what needs to be done, and please do it soon for there really might not be a later. Case closed.

Copyright @ 2026 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.

************************************************************************************************** For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, The Iran War – Options vs. Alternatives Part 2.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE! 

Tomorrow, Tuesday, August 4th from 7 to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'From Vietnam to Iran Questionable Decisions Made'; 'The Iran War – Options vs. Alternatives Part 2, and important news of the day. Tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE.'

Just a Thought...

Op-ed: 

Political Musings 2028 

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio

The article posted here is the authors opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google.  

 

...So with all that said, plus the fact that American's from both sides of the aisle made it clear last November 5th that they're fed up with all the illegal/border nonsense, the social issues in general, DEI and trans/he-she /pronoun nonsense that's being forced down our collective throats, coupled with all the wasteful government spending and mandated must do nonsense, Tim Waltz still continues to spout off that what the Democrats need to win in 2028 is to double down on said nonsense. A foolish man indeed for it's but a sure way for Democrats to lose yet again, as well they should.

However, if the the Democrats are serious in wanting even a chance to win in 2028...which by the way they won't do as Trump's successful “America First” four years will see to that...at least they won't go down like they did in 2024's humiliating election defeat if they chose a more palatable candidate...a more moderate, more centrist, candidate whose vision for America is more aligned with “We the People's” wishes...Read entire article here. 

Op-ed: 

Political Musings 2028 

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio

The article posted here is the authors opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google.  

In politics, as in life, most people tend not learn from their mistakes let alone even try to rectify said mistakes. Some people even continue making the same mistakes over and over thinking that eventually they will be proven right and that everyone else was wrong all along. Oh how foolish some people, some politicians, and political parties can be. But thankful a caveat exists in that politically, both in 2026 and in 2028, the Democrats sure to be continued mistakes will become Republican victories once again.

“If I think I could offer something...I would certainly consider that.” - - 2024 VP candidate Tim Walz when asked if he is considering running for president in 2028

So here let's begin by my saying have you noticed how much air and press time Minnesota Governor and Kamala Harris' 2024 VP running mate Tim Walz has received of late. I most certainly have as it seems the man even more disliked then Kamala Harris is now one of a handful of those being “groomed,” if you will, to be the possible 2028 Democrat presidential candidate.

And if the thought of Tim Walz isn't bad enough there's the ever infamous Alexandria Ocasio Cortez...or AOC as she's more commonly known...now being seen by some as a “leading star” within the Democrat Party, thus making her a possible 2028 contender for the party's presidential nomination. In fact, an early March CNN poll showed that AOC was the “top politician” amongst both Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents when asked which “one person best reflects the core values” of the party, with her scoring even higher then Kamala Harris who, unfortunately, will remain in the Democrat's presidential nomination mix until she herself says...or Barack Obama tells her to say...that she will not be running for the office of president in 2028.

Now also add these five, in no particular order, Democrat names into the cauldron as possible nominees starting, in my opinion, with: 

1. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, the Democrat who even The New York Times named as being the “third most liberal senator” based solely upon his voting record...a record that clearly shows he is in full support of affirmative action, same-sex marriage, a single-payer healthcare system, the call for “reparations” for descendants of slavery, and far left economic reform regarding supposed race based “wealth inequality” being at the top of his priorities list. An easily manipulated and controlled Democrat party loyalist who easily meets certain must be checked off boxes, Booker does rake in the dollars when running for offiice...something the Democrat hierarchy loves.

2. 
   Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, the man who constructed his state's agenda of “defending Pennsylvanians fundamental freedoms” by using “common sense,” which, to me, means that he is the best of possible Democrat nominees to date. Why so...because Josh Shapiro understands the importance of bipartisanship, and worked with Republicans to invest more monies in PA's public educational system, has hired hundreds of new State troopers, and invested millions in economic development to help create jobs in communities previously ignored. Shapiro could be a formidable rival if Democrats get over the fact that Shapiro is both Jewish and a supporter of Israel.

3. 
   Michigan Governor Gretchen E. Whitmer whose main agenda continues to encompass increasing women's rights, adding more legal protections for both abortion rights and LGTBQ+ rights, with a small dose of increased educational funding and monies for road and infrastructure repairs thrown in for good measure. But, the bottom line is that the woman who promised to “get things done that will make a real difference in people's lives,” still sees her priority being the social issues which, while it helps to check off certain key boxes, it's still not enough for her to secure her party's nomination let alone the presidency.

4. 
   Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey who not only sued the Trump administration more than 100 times...a plus checked off for the far left...but she is the one who relishes in vocally deeming that Border Czar Tom Homan has a “fixation” on Massachusetts. A “climate change” advocate who wants Massachusetts to become a “world leader in combating the climate crisis,” Healey wants the entirety of our nation's economy to become solely “clean energy” driven, And not to be overlooked is her want to turn unused state owned land and public property into affordable rental housing within a year's time...a hoped for vote garnering operation that will go nowhere.

5. 
   And lastly, California's water rationing, “I basically was fiddling while Los Angeles burned,” Governor Gavin Newsom rounds out the list of whom I think are the most likely leading Democrat possibilities for president come 2028. The governor whose poorly designed and executed economic policies not only destroyed California's what once was a thriving manufacturing industry, but saw it leading to record high housing and energy costs, sky high taxes, failing public schools, and homelessness becoming an acceptable new norm. Yet he remains the party hierarchy's “golden boy.” Why so...because Gavin Newsom has, for better or worse, enough national name recognition and clout to draw the party defectors back into the Democrat fold.
   

But know there could be others as well, others who while not having enough name recognition to pull votes away from top name contenders, but who could easily become the pivotal wrench thrown into what would be a spoiler mix. Names like former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, New York's nursing home/covid disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Obama loyalist and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel whose name not so unexpectedly always seems to pop up on the political radar just around election time.

And so Tim Waltz who recently was not only asked about his 2028 political ambitions, but asked why he believes the 2024 Democrat presidential ticket failed, answered the first part by using a football analogy. Saying that, “In football parlance, we were in a prevent defense to not lose when we never had anything to lose because I don’t think we were ever ahead,” a truth many of us knew all along as the public momentum needed to win this race was never behind the Harris/ Waltz ticket. Also, Waltz continues to ignore the fact that “We the People” simply did not believe that neither he nor Harris championed American values and ideals or that they would fight for right over wrong.

Now as to the specifics of exactly why their ticket failed, Waltz answered because, “the Democrats played it too safe during the cycle,” by their not being“bold enough' to stand up for diversity, equity and inclusion and immigration.” Oh how wrong Tim Waltz is as America...as Americans...as a whole, is fed up with and tired of all the race baiting distractions that are the hallmark of both the DEI rhetoric and unfettered immigration... simply what I consider to be even more infamous “Obamaisms” now sadly come back to haunt.

And so Tim Waltz, who loves to state that he never lost an election before last November, needs to understand that his chances are slim to none of his ever becoming the Democrats 2028 nominee for the political baggage he carries will only get heavier if he tries to continue on this course.

So who then do I think might become the Democrat 2028 presidential nominee?

But before I tell you the answer to that and why, let me begin by saying that many on both sides of the political aisle still think it will, in the end, be CA. Governor Gavin Newsom, And why so...because of Newsom's national name recognition; his still being able to swing political clout; his self-anointing of himself as the leader of the fight against Trump and his agenda; and the fact that Newsom has mastered the all-important, much needed to win an election skill of what I call the sometimes dirty “art of political deflection.”

How so? Here's but one key example. Remember after the devastating Los Angels wildfires how, as governor, Newsom successfully shifted the bulk of the fire blame game off of himself putting it squarely on the shoulders of Los Angeles' Mayor Karen Bass, who rightfully must share in the blame. Only a true politician obsessed with himself and with a dedicated cause would be able to do that. And besides, the narcissism that drives Newsom ever forward, also finds this man possessing the trait of single focused “self-determination”... as in no one best stand in the way of what he wants. Remember, Gavin Newsom has been laying the groundwork since mid-2023 for a 2028 presidential run that he deems should rightfully go to him.

So with all that said, plus the fact that American's from both sides of the aisle made it clear last November 5th that they're fed up with all the illegal/border nonsense, the social issues in general, DEI and trans/he-she /pronoun nonsense that's being forced down our collective throats, coupled with all the wasteful government spending and mandated must do nonsense, Tim Waltz still continues to spout off that what the Democrats need to win in 2028 is to double down on said nonsense. A foolish man indeed for it's but a sure way for Democrats to lose yet again, as well they should.

However, if the the Democrats are serious in wanting even a chance to win in 2028...which by the way they won't do as Trump's successful “America First” four years will see to that...at least they won't go down like they did in 2024's humiliating election defeat if they chose a more palatable candidate...a more moderate, more centrist, candidate whose vision for America is more aligned with “We the People's” wishes.

And for me, a least this far out from 2028, I believe Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro would be the most sensible choice for the Democrats because he is more of a JFK style Democrat in that he has successfully worked and continues to work with Republicans to get things done in his state. Putting his state's needs before what is his party's leftist agenda sends a powerful message to all voters. A centrist Democrat who puts his country first...like did JFK...would at least be somewhat palatable to our Republican side if by some outside chance he were somehow to win, which thankfully I seriously doubt.

But even with that said, I know that Gavin Newsom could well still become the Democrats nominee for Newsom is one thing that Josh Shapiro is not...a Catholic and not a Jew. You, dear reader, figure it out as the sad times we're now in speak for itself. Case closed.

Copyright © 2025 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved.

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, A Vacuum of Credibility.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!                                           

Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 8th from 7pm to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Political Musings 2028'; 'A Vacuum of Credibility'; and important news of the day. Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50pm EST, show begins at 7pm EST.