Black Hats

Here is a detail from “Black Hats” depicting the 19th Indiana of the famed Iron Brigade at Gettysburg, July 1, 1863. (Troiani) “I used either water or mineral oil to make the models look sweaty enough.” https://artofdontroiani.com/

“Here is another detail from the other side of “Black Hats” which depicts the 19th Indiana of the famed Iron Brigade at Gettysburg, July 1, 1863. I hate painting trees, but these are probably my best examples.”

 

Foreign Relations

President Trump has cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials and told protestors that ‘help is on its way,’ suggesting direct intervention on his latest Truth Social post.

In a significant escalation of ‘maximum pressure’ rhetoric, Trump has shifted from diplomatic sanctions to an overt call for grassroots regime change by urging Iranian citizens to ‘take over’ their institutions.

‘Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a high price,’ he wrote yesterday morning.

Snatching Maduro & wife was one thing, but Iran is quite another. I hope that the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate are linked into this one.

The best estimate of executed civilians in Iran as of today is 12,000.

The Saudis want in on this, but they want to drive the bus. They don’t have much of a military. They can only be valid if they hire a military (mercenaries) in sufficient numbers to make a difference in Iran, and that’s not happening.

Russia and China are looking at this situation too and are wondering how they can come out with a chair to sit in when the music stops.

 

Bullet Points:

** It’s not easy to be a wolf.

** RIP Scott Adams

** Oppressive totalitarian regimes are capable of clinging to power for a very long time. There are virtually no limits on what they are willing to do to maintain control. For weeks now, the people of Iran have been in the streets. They are demanding an end to the Islamic tyranny under which they have lived for forty-five years now. They want freedom. They want a future. The beards gave them some space, hoping the protests would abate. They did not. It has now moved on to the next phase. Their spiritual leader has chosen mass murder.

** Trash Panda in operation.

** People are sometimes jealous of what you’ve got. They are not jealous of what you had to do to get it.

** Colonel Sajjad Azadeh has openly defected from Iran’s Ground Forces — and he’s not alone. Reports say tens of thousands of senior officers are now aligning with the “National Cooperation Campaign to Save Iran,” launched by Reza Pahlavi, the son of the Shah.

In his message, Colonel Azadeh doesn’t sound hesitant. He calls himself a soldier of the Iranian people — and a soldier of the Lion and Sun flag. He tells Iranians to prepare, because “great events are on the way.” He promises the lies, deception, and occupation imposed by the regime will be rolled up and ended.

This is the part authoritarian regimes fear most. Colonel Azadeh: “Greetings to you, my dear compatriots. I am Colonel Azadeh, your soldier, a soldier of the National Army of Iran, and a soldier of the Lion and Sun flag. In the coming days, we will talk more with each other and have much more work to do together. Great events are on the way, and very soon we will roll up the scroll of lies, deception, and occupation.”

** (ISW) More Iranian security officers have died during the current protests than in any other protest wave in Iran. IRGC-affiliated media reported on January 11 that at least 114 regime security personnel from the Law Enforcement Command (LEC), Basij, and IRGC have been killed since the start of the protests on December 28. The actual death count for Iranian security personnel is likely higher than the number that IRGC-affiliated media reported, given that CTP-ISW has observed reports of security personnel casualties in areas, such as Tehran Province, that IRGC-affiliated media did not include in its death count.

** (h/t Claudio) – Strategypage – The big problem in Russia was that for centuries the government has been a police state, one imposed by allegedly enlightened czars. The Soviets dumped the monarchy, expanded the police state, and suppressed the market economy. That did not work, but there’s no general agreement in the current leadership about exactly why. Many Russians feel more comfortable with a strong man in charge, be they czar, communist, or the deliberately macho Vladimir Putin, telling them what to do. Tyrants are part of the Russian legacy.

 

More on Greenland

(h/t Stringshot) (NY Times) Under a little-known Cold War agreement, the United States already enjoys sweeping military access in Greenland. Right now, the United States has one base in a very remote corner of the island. But the agreement allows it to “construct, install, maintain, and operate” military bases across Greenland, “house personnel” and “control landings, takeoffs, anchorages, moorings, movements, and operation of ships, aircraft, and waterborne craft.”

It was signed in 1951 by the United States and Denmark, which colonized Greenland more than 300 years ago and still controls some of its affairs.

“The U.S. has such a free hand in Greenland that it can pretty much do what it wants,” said Mikkel Runge Olesen, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies in Copenhagen.

“I have a very hard time seeing that the U.S. couldn’t get pretty much everything it wanted,” he said, adding, “if it just asked nicely.”

Larry Correia – “America and Denmark are both gonna feel dumb when all of a sudden a bunch of Somalis show up and buy Greenland with their sweet daycare money.”

Nick Shirley asked Greenlanders if they would want to become part of the United States, and according to him, every single one said yes. Locals reportedly shouted things like “No more Danish, [they] lie!” and “USA, Greenland? It’s good!” The message is clear: many Greenlanders see huge benefits in joining the U.S., from economic opportunities to stronger protection and global influence. The viral footage has sparked a worldwide debate about sovereignty, strategic alliances, and the potential future of the Arctic region.

 

A Significant Change

El Salvador was a blighted, gang-ridden shithole in an appealing location. The criminals are imprisoned (warehoused) for life, and it’s becoming a tourist destination. Imagine that.

(h/t Sharyl Attkisson) El Salvador’s top tourism draw is its 190 miles of coastline and 74 top surfing spots. First discovered by this Pittsburgh woman during America’s COVID shutdown.

American tourist: I’m 65, but I learned how to surf at 60, 61 years old, when I first came here.

Sharyl: What’s the short version of how you discovered El Salvador?

American tourist: My daughter was dating a surfer in Long Island during COVID. And he was from New York, too. But to get away from New York during COVID, they came here, and the border closed, and they stayed here. And at first I thought this was dangerous, but then she was sending me all these beautiful pictures. As soon as the border opened, I came here, fell in love with this place, and have been back many times since.

El Salvador tourism has tripled, from 1.4 million visitors in 2018 to an estimated 4.2 million this year—a record that puts it on the map as one of the fastest-growing destinations on the globe.

The strategy, driven by Tourism Minister Morena Valdez. She was appointed to the post by President Nayib Bukele because of her unique credentials.

Morena Valdez (As translated): The President called me up, he said, “You’re a surfer.” I said, “Yes.” He said, “And you live at the beach,” and I said, “Yes.” [He said] “That’s what I need.” He said, “We are going to build Surf City, and I need someone to build that with me. We need to stand out for something. And I need someone who understands why a surfer would come to El Salvador and how we’re going to position El Salvador as a new destination, just like Hawaii, where they focused on their lifestyle.”

Valdez executed the president’s plan to brand El Salvador for its surf, officially dubbing a popular beach “Surf City.” Now, it routinely attracts professional surfers and world-class competitions.

Sharyl: Do you know how many of your visitors or what proportion of them are American?

Valdez (As translated): Yes. Our main market is the United States. It’s approximately 40 to 41%, at least so far in 2025.

Valdez says the corner was turned when El Salvador finally got a grip on its rampant crime, transforming it, through President Bukele’s reforms, into one of the safest countries in the world.

Valdez (As translated): I live in Surf City, where I used to surf, and I saw that there weren’t many tourists there. And now, you can see tourists from all over the world, all different nationalities, surfing these waves and doing so very safely. That’s when you can really see, “Alright, it’s changed. We’ve turned the corner.” You see tourists everywhere. You see them at the beach, you see them on the bus, you see them downtown.

They include this first-time visitor we met from Los Angeles.

Sharyl: Tell me what brings you here.

American tourist: The perfect waves and the warm weather. People are really friendly. It’s easy to get around.

Sharyl: What are you gonna tell your friends?

American tourist: Gonna keep it a secret. No, no. It’s amazing here. I love it.

Sharyl: Last year, tourism was the #3 industry in El Salvador, generating $3.7 billion. Interestingly, the number one industry driving the economy is “remittances,” which refers to El Salvadorans outside of that country sending money back home, most of it from the U.S.

 

Will the Couple Reside in Somalia?

The offspring of that union should be studied.

 

To Live and Die in Florida

Florida has lower homicide and violent crime rates than most states in the U.S. But what is the state’s history? We conducted a crime analysis of Florida and wrote a report that compares homicide trends and rates with those of other states.

If you’re in a hurry, here are our report highlights:

• Florida ranked 29th in the United States for the highest homicide rates in 2024.
• Of all reporting Florida cities, Miami Gardens reported the highest violent crime rate in 2024 at 11.77 per 100,000 people.
• In 2024, Florida (382 per 100,000) had a lower homicide rate than its peer states, California (480 per 100,000) and Texas (389 per 100,000).

As one of the nation’s most populous states, Florida seems to be performing well. Please read and share the complete report, linked here:

https://ammo.com/research/florida-murder-rate

 

Germany – WW2 – Waffen SS Recruiting

Every male German, having reached the age of eighteen, had to join the “Wehrmacht”, the German army. Unlike what many people think, Germans were generally not allowed to volunteer for the Waffen SS. The German compulsory military service law caused a big recruiting problem for the Waffen SS, and the composition of their field divisions very much reflects this problem:

Germans who were serving in the “Leibstandarte”, Hitler’s bodyguard regiment, were exempted from compulsory military service, and therefore the first unit of the new SS Verfuegungstruppe (Waffen SS) was the “1. SS Panzerdivision Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler”.

When WWII broke out, one regiment of the Leibstandarte, the “Standarte Das Reich”, was separated and became an independent unit. It would be called the “2. SS Panzerdivision Das Reich”.

This was not enough for the SS leadership, and very soon they discovered another group of people that were exempted from military service and could be recruited: concentration camp guards, the so-called “Totenkopf Verbaende” (Death Head squads). They formed the third Waffen SS unit, later called the “3. SS Panzerdivision Totenkopf”.

The next division would be recruited from police officers. Like in many countries, this group of people didn’t have to serve in the regular army and could volunteer for the Waffen SS. Their unit was called the “4. SS Polizei Panzergrenadierdivision”.

After Germany conquered new territories, it became easier for the Waffen SS to find new soldiers. In each newly occupied country, foreign volunteers were found, and new units were created.

Many “foreigners” who served in SS units, however, were so-called “Volksdeutsche” (ethnic Germans) who had been living as minorities in Yugoslavia (“Donauschwaben”), Romania (“Siebenbuergen”), or the Soviet Union (“Wolgadeutsche”). By German laws, however, they were not foreigners. As they also were not “Reichsbuerger” (German citizens living in the “Reich”), the compulsory military service law couldn’t be applied to them, and they were free to join the SS. There were also many foreigners who were fighting in foreign formations attached to the Wehrmacht. Some of these units were later integrated into the Waffen SS:

The “Russian Liberation Army” had more than 125,000 soldiers and was fighting as the “600. Infanterie Division (Russland)” for the German Army. Non-Russian Eastern European volunteers were gathered in the so-called “Ostlegionen” (Eastern Legions). They fielded 53 infantry brigades totaling approximately 50,000 soldiers. There was also the Spanish Blue Division, a 45,000-soldier force, fighting alongside the Wehrmacht. Its official name was 250 Infanterie Division.

Two battalions of the “Legion of French Volunteers against Bolshevism” were fighting on the Eastern Front as “Infantrieregiment 638”. This unit was later disbanded, and its surviving volunteers joined the “33. SS Waffengrenadierdivision Charlemagne”.

It is estimated that roughly one million “Soviet Citizens” served in the Wehrmacht, while “only” 200,000 foreign volunteers served in the Waffen SS (not counting the approximately 300,000 Volksdeutsche). This means that many more foreigners fought with the Wehrmacht than with Waffen SS units. Their story is simply less well-known.

 

Identify the Aircraft

1

 

Identify the Ship

2

 

3A

 

3B

 

Parting Shot

 

End