The Great Net Zero Retreat

For years, Net Zero was the unquestioned mantra of the Western world.

Governments preached it.
Corporations pledged allegiance to it.
Academia and media enforced it.

Dissent wasn’t debated — it was dismissed.

But something has changed. Quietly at first… now unmistakably. The tide is turning.

Reality Bites

A recent report highlighted a growing trend: countries and industries are abandoning or scaling back Net Zero commitments. (Watts Up With That?)

Not rebranding. Not delaying. Backing away.

Why? Because reality has finally collided with ideology.

The Cost Explosion No One Could Ignore

For years we were told renewables would be cheaper, cleaner, and inevitable.

Instead, what we’ve seen is:

• Soaring electricity prices
• Grid instability
• Industrial flight from high-cost regions

Even traditionally enthusiastic regions are struggling to sustain ambitious targets, as rising costs make those plans harder to deliver. (therightinsight.org)

It turns out you can’t run a modern economy on slogans.

The Iran War – A Brutal Reminder

Then came geopolitics. The recent tensions involving Iran delivered a blunt message:

The world still runs on fossil fuels.

When supply chains are threatened, when shipping lanes are at risk, when energy security becomes existential — wind turbines and solar panels don’t keep the lights on.

Oil, gas, and coal do.

Suddenly, energy policy wasn’t about virtue signalling.
It was about survival.

AI – The Energy Elephant in the Room

Just as Net Zero policies were straining energy systems…

Along came AI.

Data centres, machine learning, and global compute demand are exploding.
And they don’t run on wishful thinking.

They require vast, reliable, always-on energy.

The uncomfortable truth?

The push for Net Zero is colliding head-on with the energy demands of the future.

From “Great Reset” to Great Retreat

For over a decade, Net Zero was framed as inevitable — the only path forward.

Now?

We are seeing:

• Projects cancelled
• Targets watered down
• Investments redirected
• Politicians suddenly… less vocal

Even climate coverage itself appears to be losing urgency in public discourse. Not because the messaging changed. Because the economics did.

Why This Matters

This isn’t a minor policy adjustment. It’s a fundamental shift.

For the first time in years, decisions are being driven by:

• Cost
• Reliability
• National security
• Economic survival

Instead of ideology.

Overdue — But Welcome

Let’s be clear. This shift isn’t happening because policymakers suddenly had a change of heart. It’s happening because: They ran out of road.

You can only ignore:

• skyrocketing energy bills
• struggling industries
• fragile grids
• geopolitical realities

…for so long.

The Bottom Line

Net Zero isn’t dead. But the blind, unquestioned march toward it? That’s over.

What we’re witnessing now is something far more grounded: A return to reality.

And frankly— It’s about time.

Bark Loud, Beg Quiet: Iran’s Ceasefire Theatre

There’s a pattern emerging in the aftermath of the Iran–US ceasefire, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

Iran barks in public… and begs in private.

On the world stage, the Iranian regime is all chest-thumping bravado. Victory is declared. The United States has been “defeated.” Reparations are demanded. Iranian ships, they insist, must have free passage through the Straits of Hormuz—as if they’re dictating terms after a triumph.

And the threats? Relentless.

Destroy US assets. Strike neighbouring countries. Escalate at will.

It’s theatre. Loud, aggressive, designed for domestic consumption.

But then comes the other side—the quiet diplomacy, the back channels, the repeated attempts to re-engage Washington. The same regime that claims victory keeps circling back, trying to extract concessions, probing for weakness, hoping for a way out.

That’s not the behaviour of a victor.

That’s the behaviour of a regime under pressure.

The Reality Behind the Rhetoric

The United States, for its part, isn’t playing along.

The message has been consistent:
We’re willing to talk—but only if Iran is serious.

No reopening of the Straits under threat.
No concessions for bluster.
No deals while nuclear ambitions remain on the table.

And, crucially, no urgency.

Because time is not Iran’s ally.

The Octopus Has Been Crippled

Think back to the image: Iran as the octopus.

For years, its reach extended across the region—Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, militias in Syria and beyond. Each arm projecting power, spreading influence, keeping conflict at arm’s length from Tehran itself.

But those arms have been cut back—severely.

Proxy networks degraded. Supply lines disrupted. Command structures fractured. What was once a sprawling regional force now looks more like a wounded creature, lashing out but losing reach.

And now, for the first time in a long while, the head itself has been hit.

Directly.

Why the Bluster Matters

So why the noise? Why the constant declarations of victory?

Because the regime has something far more immediate to fear than the United States.

Its own people.

Not long ago, an uprising shook the foundations of the state. It didn’t fade away—it was crushed. Brutally. Tens of thousands dead or disappeared, dissent silenced by force.

That kind of repression doesn’t create stability.
It creates pressure.

And pressure builds.

For Iran’s leadership, admitting defeat externally risks triggering collapse internally. Acknowledging weakness could embolden a population already simmering beneath the surface.

So they maintain the illusion.

Victory abroad. Strength at home.

Even when neither is true.

Sanctions, Blockades, and the Slow Squeeze

Meanwhile, the economic reality tightens.

Sanctions bite. Trade routes constrict. The blockade acts not as a sudden shock, but as a slow, tightening noose. Every week without relief compounds the strain—on industry, on currency, on daily life.

This is not sustainable indefinitely.

Which is precisely why the regime keeps returning to the negotiating table—informally, indirectly, persistently.

They need a deal.

But they don’t want to look like they need one.

The Strategic Asymmetry

Here’s the uncomfortable truth for Tehran: The US can wait. Iran cannot.

Washington can afford patience—letting pressure do its work, holding firm on core demands, engaging only when the other side shows genuine intent.

Tehran, on the other hand, faces a narrowing window. Economic decline, internal instability, and a diminished regional footprint all point in one direction.

Time is a luxury they no longer have.

Bark… Then Beg

And so the cycle continues.

Public threats. Grandstanding announcements. Declarations of victory.

Followed by quiet outreach. Back-channel feelers.Attempts to soften positions.

Bark loud enough for the crowd. Beg quietly enough to save face.

It’s not diplomacy as strength. It’s negotiation as survival.

The Bottom Line

Strip away the rhetoric, and the picture is clear.

A regime weakened externally, pressured internally, and running out of options—yet still clinging to the performance of power.

The question isn’t whether Iran wants a deal. It’s whether it can bring itself to admit it.

Until then, expect more noise. More threats. More “victories.”

And behind the curtain—more quiet, urgent appeals for a way out.

Weekly Roundup - Top Articles and Commentary from Week 19 of 2026

 

Here are links to some selected articles of interest and our posts from this week.

• Passports For Terrorists
• When "Welcome"Feels Like Exclusion
• Rules For Thee But Not For Me: The International Law Farce
• Bark Loud, Beg Quiet: Iran's Ceasefire Theatre
  
• Must see Babylon Bee AI Vidoe of America Wihtout Republicans
• The Great Net Zero Retreat

We welcome all feedback; please feel free to submit your comments or contact me via email at grappysb@gmail.com or on X at @grappysb

Rules for Thee, Not for Me: The International Law Farce

There’s a phrase that gets wheeled out with monotonous predictability whenever the West acts to defend itself: “International Law.”

You’ll hear it from activists, pundits, NGOs, and—more often than not—our own political class. It’s invoked as a moral trump card. A conversation ender. A constraint.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: International Law is applied selectively—and almost always against the West.

A recent article from the Gatestone Institute lays this bare in stark terms. You can read the full piece here:
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22482/international-law-tyrannical-regimes

Law Without Enforcement Is Just Theatre

The article makes a simple but devastating point: “International Law” has no real enforcement mechanism.

It relies on voluntary compliance. Which means:

• Democracies comply.
• Tyrannies don’t.

That’s not a theory—it’s observable reality.

Institutions like the UN are portrayed less as neutral arbiters and more as political forums dominated by regimes that have little regard for the very laws they invoke. 

So what happens?

The only countries actually constrained by “International Law” are the ones willing to follow it.

The Double Standard Nobody Wants to Admit

Here’s where the hypocrisy kicks in.

When terrorist groups launch attacks…
When rogue states arm proxies…
When civilians are deliberately targeted…

Where is the chorus of outrage about International Law then?

Silent. Or worse—justified away.

Yet the moment a Western democracy responds—often after provocation—the full machinery of “International Law” suddenly roars into life.

There is a clear imbalance:

• Aggressors ignore the rules.

• Defenders are judged by them. 

It’s the geopolitical equivalent of tying one hand behind your back—and then being criticised for not fighting “fairly.”

Wars Don’t Start in Press Conferences

Another point often ignored in polite commentary: wars don’t begin with the response—they begin with the attack.

But much of the International Law debate deliberately skips that inconvenient first chapter.

Instead, it zooms in on:

• The counterstrike
• The retaliation
• The attempt to restore deterrence

…and pretends that’s where the story begins.

This selective framing allows critics to:

• Ignore causality
• Downplay aggression
• Recast the defender as the villain

It’s not analysis—it’s narrative control.

A System That Rewards Bad Behaviour

If you step back, the incentive structure becomes obvious.

If you’re a tyrannical regime:

• Ignore international norms
• Use civilians as shields
• Provoke conflict

You suffer few consequences—because enforcement is weak or nonexistent.

If you’re a Western democracy:

• You’re scrutinised
• Restricted
• Condemned

Even when acting in self-defence.

That’s not law. That’s asymmetry dressed up as morality.

The Real Question

So here’s the question we should be asking:

Is International Law being used to uphold justice—or to restrain those already inclined to act justly?

Because if the rules only bind one side, they’re not really rules at all.

They’re tools.

Final Thought

International Law, in its ideal form, sounds noble.
In practice, it often functions as a political weapon—wielded against the compliant, ignored by the ruthless.

Until that imbalance is addressed, expect more of the same:

• Tyrants acting freely
• Democracies second-guessing themselves
• And commentators insisting the problem lies with those trying to defend themselves

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If you want the full argument, read the original Gatestone article here:
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22482/international-law-tyrannical-regimes

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When “Welcome” Feels Like Exclusion

There was outrage this ANZAC Day. Wall-to-wall condemnation. Politicians lining up to denounce the crowd.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: they’re yelling at the wrong people. Because what happened at the dawn services in Sydney and Melbourne didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s been building for years.

And if they’re honest—really honest—they know it.

At the centre of the storm was the now-routine “Welcome to Country.” Once rare. Now everywhere. Sporting events. Council meetings. Even airline flights. What began as a gesture has become a ritual. And not just any ritual—a compulsory one.

As highlights, even critics like Peta Credlin—hardly someone given to theatrics—say the message from the public is clear: We’ve had enough.

Let’s be clear. This isn’t about disrespecting Indigenous Australians. It’s about something else entirely. It’s about being repeatedly told—subtly or not—that you are a guest in your own country. That the land beneath your feet belongs to someone else. That your place here is conditional.

And on ANZAC Day of all days—that message lands badly. Very badly. Because ANZAC Day is supposed to be one thing: A moment of unity. A day where Australians stand together—not divided by race, not separated into categories—but united in remembrance.

People didn’t gather at dawn to be lectured about land ownership. They gathered to honour sacrifice.To remember those who fought and died for this country.

And that’s where this went wrong. Badly wrong.

As the Peta Credlin's editorial points out, some of the Welcome to Country speeches at official services barely mentioned the ANZACs at all. No reference to sacrifice. No reference to veterans. Just a message about land, ancestry, and ownership.

That’s not a welcome. That’s a political statement. And people noticed.

Now, would I have booed? No. And many who felt the same frustration didn’t either.

But here’s the point the outrage brigade refuses to accept: People weren’t booing individuals.They were booing the system that put them there.

The politicians who made it mandatory. The creeping politicisation of everything—including our most sacred national day.

And here’s the real kicker. When the Welcome to Country is short, respectful, and relevant—there’s no backlash. We saw that at the MCG. We saw it at other events.

Short. Simple. No lecture. No problem.

But when it becomes long, political, and inserted everywhere? That’s when the goodwill evaporates. Fast.

There’s also a deeper frustration at play.

Australians were asked about the Voice. They answered. And yet, many feel the agenda didn’t stop—it just changed form. Treaties. symbolism. endless acknowledgements.

So when politicians now clutch their pearls and demand respect…

People are asking a simple question: Where was the respect for our vote?

Here’s the reality. You can’t force unity. You can’t mandate respect. And you certainly can’t lecture people into silence.

Push too hard—and eventually, people push back. That’s what ANZAC Day was. Not a triumph. Not something to celebrate. But a warning.

And unless our political class starts listening—really listening—that reaction won’t fade.

It will grow.

Watch the full editorial here: