Do Cartel Leaders Truly Die? Is Crypto Financing Terrorism? & Trump Finally Gets His Hand Slapped
February 24, 2026
What I am Discussing Today:
Kareem’s Daily Quote: Sometimes, even when it’s wrong it’s right.
Drug Lord Killed: Or, one El Mencho down, who knows how many to go.
Video Break: Jack Hughes, because he can.
Iran and the Cosy Crypto Cache: What’s it like to have friends in high places.
It’s the Zombies: No, not the ‘60s band or the movie villains…
What I’m Watching: The latest by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Jukebox Playlist: The Harder They Come
Kareem’s Daily Quote
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled.” —usually attributed to Mark Twain
This is not an actual quote from Mark Twain. It’s attributed to him only because it fits snugly into something he might’ve said. When I looked to see who actually said it, the answers were less than satisfying, so we’ll have to say “anonymous” for now. But there’s a reason the line, whoever’s it is, hits so hard. It’s not just about a person being tricked. Being tricked is the easy part. It’s about that uncomfortable sensation of realizing the ground you were standing on isn’t nearly as solid as you thought.
I’ve seen this play out in sports, in politics, in business, in everyday life. When I was younger, I thought being wrong meant something was wrong with me. That’s a heavy weight to carry. Most people feel the same way, even if they don’t say it out loud. And that’s scary and embarrassing as hell. So, instead of admitting we were misled, we double down. We defend the thing that fooled us because it feels safer than facing the shame of being wrong. Because being wrong begs the question: “What else have I been wrong about?” And that’s where the proverbial ground starts to shake.
But here’s the truth I learned over the years, especially during my time in the NBA and then later as a writer: being wrong is not a character flaw. Ignorance doesn’t equal stupidity. But staying wrong because you’re afraid to face the truth, is where the real damage happens. (And, frankly, it’s also where ignorance ends and stupidity begins.)
You see this everywhere today. Leaders promise simple fixes to complicated problems. Companies talk about “transparency” while hiding what really matters. Institutions tell us they’re protecting us, even when the results say otherwise. And when the truth finally comes out, people cling to the original story because it’s familiar and comfortable. It’s what they voted for, what they pledged allegiance to, what they were certain they learned, what they based their future on. It’s become a part of them, and suddenly the truth is suspect, even dangerous.
Admitting you were fooled means admitting you trusted the wrong person, or believed the wrong headline, or followed the wrong crowd. I try to remind myself that changing my mind is a sign of strength, not weakness. The world is full of people who will lie to protect their power, money and image. But the only person who can keep me stuck in a lie is me.
The real courage is in saying, “I didn’t know then what I know now.”
The real maturity is in choosing truth over pride.
The real freedom is in letting go of the story that fooled you and writing a better one.
Whoever came up with the supposed Mark Twain quote wasn’t warning us about con artists. It was, and is, a warning about ourselves, about how easy it is to hold onto the wrong thing just because it feels familiar. But every time we learn to face the truth, even when it stings, we become that much harder to fool the next time.
So, even if Mark Twain didn’t say it, or especially because he didn’t, let’s keep it in mind. And if we’ve been fooled, let’s admit it and move on.
