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The Sunday open thread. How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb  – politicalbetting.com

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Comments

  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 11,693

    Omnium said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Small gunboats is the how. Very hard to deal with those.

    If your friends are China and Russia, and they're peering in for opportunity creating a little chaos is a win.
    I worked with a Norwegian ex-tanker captain at one point.

    Known for, during the 80s Tanker War, of dealing with an Iranian Boghammar patrol boat that threatened his tanker (including shots across the bow).

    He had the helm put hard over. At 15 knots, quarter-million ton tankers don’t turn, so much as slide sideways.

    The Iranians caught the side of the tanker.
    We can't all be Norwegian.

    Obviously us Brits used to have the skills to command the seas almost irrespective of the actual fleets involved, but that's long gone, and anyway the dreadful reverses that the RN suffered aren't so publicised.
  • wooliedyedwooliedyed Posts: 11,749
    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    malcolmg said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian parliament has already approved closing it, its with the supreme national council to action. Al Jazzy reporting it will now happen.
    Oil should be over 100 dollars a barrel by morning
    Time to give them a real doing.
    Iran just announced a night like no other is coming tonight (for the 7th time this week)
    Absolute pussy cats 🐈
    They’ve hired Shalamar.

    https://youtu.be/Qwvf2ilsogo?si=cqMsO6yVGZsP0Mqd
    They are basing their war on 80s disco. The rascals
    Late seventies early eighties disco was peak music.

    War to a track with 110BPM 👍
    I can live with that, and probably die to it too
  • Dura_AceDura_Ace Posts: 14,559
    Cookie said:

    Omnium said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Small gunboats is the how. Very hard to deal with those.

    If your friends are China and Russia, and they're peering in for opportunity creating a little chaos is a win.
    Russia is very happy to see the Hormuz Strait closed. China I suspect would be less happy.
    Iran's oil exports to China now go by rail on some new Sino-Persian HS2 that opened last month. (According to Al Jazeera Arabic this morning.)
  • LeonLeon Posts: 62,126
    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
  • wooliedyedwooliedyed Posts: 11,749
    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian parliament has already approved closing it, its with the supreme national council to action. Al Jazzy reporting it will now happen.
    Oil should be over 100 dollars a barrel by morning
    Premarkets open in a few hours. We will see the impact of this news then.

    It will be what it will be. In the long term it will all be fine or we will all be dead in a nuclear war.

    On the plus side Bibi avoids jail time. So a price worth paying.
    We won't all be dead in a nuclear war. A lot of us, yes, but by no means all
    Well that's a relief.
    I’m going to dig out my old copy of ‘Protect and Survive’
    The videos are available on YouTube. Like the Charlie Says public information films but with radiation and stoicism
    Apparently Kenny Everett was the ‘voice’ of Charlie. How’s about that, then !
    The kid in it always looked like hed had a fucking hard life. Furrowed brow of a middle aged guy on his fourth wife
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 11,693
    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    Same price internationally though. More or less.
  • YokesYokes Posts: 1,398
    Omnium said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Small gunboats is the how. Very hard to deal with those.

    If your friends are China and Russia, and they're peering in for opportunity creating a little chaos is a win.
    Actually small gunboats are extremely easy to take on if you attack helicopters the Americans and the Gulf nations invested quite a lot in those.
  • TazTaz Posts: 19,144

    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian parliament has already approved closing it, its with the supreme national council to action. Al Jazzy reporting it will now happen.
    Oil should be over 100 dollars a barrel by morning
    Premarkets open in a few hours. We will see the impact of this news then.

    It will be what it will be. In the long term it will all be fine or we will all be dead in a nuclear war.

    On the plus side Bibi avoids jail time. So a price worth paying.
    We won't all be dead in a nuclear war. A lot of us, yes, but by no means all
    Well that's a relief.
    I’m going to dig out my old copy of ‘Protect and Survive’
    The videos are available on YouTube. Like the Charlie Says public information films but with radiation and stoicism
    Apparently Kenny Everett was the ‘voice’ of Charlie. How’s about that, then !
    Really? The early Prodigy used that as a sample, but I'm not sure the song surfaced much during the Keith years.
    Absolutely

    I didn’t even know until last week when someone mentioned it online

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charley_Says
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 24,921
    FF43 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Oops

    @christinalamb

    From foreign minister of Pakistan which had just recommended Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize

    https://x.com/christinalamb/status/1936779186980446588

    You're suggesting irony isn't dead, after all?
    “Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
    ― Tom Lehrer
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 44,416
    Dura_Ace said:

    Cookie said:

    Omnium said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Small gunboats is the how. Very hard to deal with those.

    If your friends are China and Russia, and they're peering in for opportunity creating a little chaos is a win.
    Russia is very happy to see the Hormuz Strait closed. China I suspect would be less happy.
    Iran's oil exports to China now go by rail on some new Sino-Persian HS2 that opened last month. (According to Al Jazeera Arabic this morning.)
    Blow the arse out of the rail line and their storage facilities
  • TazTaz Posts: 19,144

    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    malcolmg said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian parliament has already approved closing it, its with the supreme national council to action. Al Jazzy reporting it will now happen.
    Oil should be over 100 dollars a barrel by morning
    Time to give them a real doing.
    Iran just announced a night like no other is coming tonight (for the 7th time this week)
    Absolute pussy cats 🐈
    They’ve hired Shalamar.

    https://youtu.be/Qwvf2ilsogo?si=cqMsO6yVGZsP0Mqd
    They are basing their war on 80s disco. The rascals
    Late seventies early eighties disco was peak music.

    War to a track with 110BPM 👍
    I can live with that, and probably die to it too
    I think if I got the three minute warning I’d get a bottle of my raisin or date wine from the garage and listen to the instrumental coda from Hotel California.

    I’d happily go to the next life like that. Such a lovely place.
  • numbertwelvenumbertwelve Posts: 7,573

    Total global markets meltdown tomorrow if Straight of Hormuz closure is confirmed?

    Also huge bond market collapse as inflation hence interest rate expectations soar??

    😡😡😡

    I say in all seriousness it is not a bad time to stock up on essentials, and top up the car.

    If we have another big economic shock, the price at the pump will be the first thing to leap, followed by the price of everything else (and the shortages of goods).
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 60,318
    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 38,994
    Apparently not parody

    @atrupar.com‬

    Massie: "There are still voices in this administration -- you've still got JD Vance, Tulsi Gabbard, RFK Jr -- you've still got calmer heads that could prevail."

    https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3ls7e6qodmq2t
  • wooliedyedwooliedyed Posts: 11,749
    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    malcolmg said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian parliament has already approved closing it, its with the supreme national council to action. Al Jazzy reporting it will now happen.
    Oil should be over 100 dollars a barrel by morning
    Time to give them a real doing.
    Iran just announced a night like no other is coming tonight (for the 7th time this week)
    Absolute pussy cats 🐈
    They’ve hired Shalamar.

    https://youtu.be/Qwvf2ilsogo?si=cqMsO6yVGZsP0Mqd
    They are basing their war on 80s disco. The rascals
    Late seventies early eighties disco was peak music.

    War to a track with 110BPM 👍
    I can live with that, and probably die to it too
    I think if I got the three minute warning I’d get a bottle of my raisin or date wine from the garage and listen to the instrumental coda from Hotel California.

    I’d happily go to the next life like that. Such a lovely place.
    I dunno, ive always kinda fancied touring the wastelands first. Last one out, turn the lights off etc
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 11,693
    Yokes said:

    Omnium said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Small gunboats is the how. Very hard to deal with those.

    If your friends are China and Russia, and they're peering in for opportunity creating a little chaos is a win.
    Actually small gunboats are extremely easy to take on if you attack helicopters the Americans and the Gulf nations invested quite a lot in those.
    I don't really believe that this is true Mr @Yokes - if there are helicopters nearby, then sure, but there won't usually be helicopters nearby. Also small boats are potentially armed in a devastating fashion against helicopters.

    I'm probably wrong, but I'd like you to demonstrate that.
  • wooliedyedwooliedyed Posts: 11,749
    edited June 22

    Total global markets meltdown tomorrow if Straight of Hormuz closure is confirmed?

    Also huge bond market collapse as inflation hence interest rate expectations soar??

    😡😡😡

    I say in all seriousness it is not a bad time to stock up on essentials, and top up the car.

    If we have another big economic shock, the price at the pump will be the first thing to leap, followed by the price of everything else (and the shortages of goods).
    Not being a driver is top darts right now
    I always keep a good supply of food etc essentials. Prepper life innit
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,553

    Total global markets meltdown tomorrow if Straight of Hormuz closure is confirmed?

    Also huge bond market collapse as inflation hence interest rate expectations soar??

    😡😡😡

    Great news for savers. ;)
  • LeonLeon Posts: 62,126
    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 38,994
    @chadbourn.bsky.social‬

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi is en route to Moscow to meet with Putin.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 62,126
    I’ve just worked out how Prof David Betz’s infamous prediction of UK civil strife, even civil war, would come about

    Until now this has always been the bit I don’t follow. The Brits are stoical and phlegmatic - to a fault. Also remarkably tolerant

    How do you get a people like that into a civil insurrection?

    I’ve just worked out how
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 84,803
    edited June 22
    More on rail connection between Iran and China. 10,000km remote lands, lots of opportunities for some accidents to occur.

    http://multimedia.scmp.com/news/china/article/One-Belt-One-Road/iran.html
  • wooliedyedwooliedyed Posts: 11,749
    Wicket! Go on fellas
  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 122,425
    viewcode said:

    FF43 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Oops

    @christinalamb

    From foreign minister of Pakistan which had just recommended Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize

    https://x.com/christinalamb/status/1936779186980446588

    You're suggesting irony isn't dead, after all?
    “Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
    ― Tom Lehrer
    It died again.

    BREAKING:

    Russia officially condemns the U.S. for striking Iran:

    “The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law”


    https://x.com/visegrad24/status/1936769550479167923

    Yes, Russia is condemning others for bombing another sovereign state.
  • TazTaz Posts: 19,144

    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    malcolmg said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian parliament has already approved closing it, its with the supreme national council to action. Al Jazzy reporting it will now happen.
    Oil should be over 100 dollars a barrel by morning
    Time to give them a real doing.
    Iran just announced a night like no other is coming tonight (for the 7th time this week)
    Absolute pussy cats 🐈
    They’ve hired Shalamar.

    https://youtu.be/Qwvf2ilsogo?si=cqMsO6yVGZsP0Mqd
    They are basing their war on 80s disco. The rascals
    Late seventies early eighties disco was peak music.

    War to a track with 110BPM 👍
    I can live with that, and probably die to it too
    I think if I got the three minute warning I’d get a bottle of my raisin or date wine from the garage and listen to the instrumental coda from Hotel California.

    I’d happily go to the next life like that. Such a lovely place.
    I dunno, ive always kinda fancied touring the wastelands first. Last one out, turn the lights off etc
    I live in the North East. Touring wastelands is a regular experience.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 45,985
    Leon said:

    I’ve just worked out how Prof David Betz’s infamous prediction of UK civil strife, even civil war, would come about

    Until now this has always been the bit I don’t follow. The Brits are stoical and phlegmatic - to a fault. Also remarkably tolerant

    How do you get a people like that into a civil insurrection?

    I’ve just worked out how

    Stop getting your knickers in a twist. It isn't going to happen, however much you want it to.
  • TazTaz Posts: 19,144

    Total global markets meltdown tomorrow if Straight of Hormuz closure is confirmed?

    Also huge bond market collapse as inflation hence interest rate expectations soar??

    😡😡😡

    I say in all seriousness it is not a bad time to stock up on essentials, and top up the car.

    If we have another big economic shock, the price at the pump will be the first thing to leap, followed by the price of everything else (and the shortages of goods).
    Not being a driver is top darts right now
    I always keep a good supply of food etc essentials. Prepper life innit
    I’m hoping to use the rice, pulses and pasta I stockpiled for covid.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 60,318
    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
  • another_richardanother_richard Posts: 27,787
    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    So they'll pay more for the Canadian oil they import and get more for the oil they export.

    Plus wouldn't it boost oil production in the USA by making economically marginal oilfields more profitable ?
  • LeonLeon Posts: 62,126
    edited June 22
    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
  • No_Offence_AlanNo_Offence_Alan Posts: 5,094
    Leon said:

    I’ve just worked out how Prof David Betz’s infamous prediction of UK civil strife, even civil war, would come about

    Until now this has always been the bit I don’t follow. The Brits are stoical and phlegmatic - to a fault. Also remarkably tolerant

    How do you get a people like that into a civil insurrection?

    I’ve just worked out how

    By cancelling Antiques Roadshow?
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 38,994
    @acyn.bsky.social‬

    Vance: I empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents

    https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3ls7bmorvth2e
  • wooliedyedwooliedyed Posts: 11,749
    Taz said:

    Total global markets meltdown tomorrow if Straight of Hormuz closure is confirmed?

    Also huge bond market collapse as inflation hence interest rate expectations soar??

    😡😡😡

    I say in all seriousness it is not a bad time to stock up on essentials, and top up the car.

    If we have another big economic shock, the price at the pump will be the first thing to leap, followed by the price of everything else (and the shortages of goods).
    Not being a driver is top darts right now
    I always keep a good supply of food etc essentials. Prepper life innit
    I’m hoping to use the rice, pulses and pasta I stockpiled for covid.
    Freeze dried goodies to be used up from covid!
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 35,797
    Leon said:

    I’ve just worked out how Prof David Betz’s infamous prediction of UK civil strife, even civil war, would come about

    Until now this has always been the bit I don’t follow. The Brits are stoical and phlegmatic - to a fault. Also remarkably tolerant

    How do you get a people like that into a civil insurrection?

    I’ve just worked out how

    Like this: half the country votes enthusiastically for Farage and the other half doesn't.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 84,803
    Taz said:

    Total global markets meltdown tomorrow if Straight of Hormuz closure is confirmed?

    Also huge bond market collapse as inflation hence interest rate expectations soar??

    😡😡😡

    I say in all seriousness it is not a bad time to stock up on essentials, and top up the car.

    If we have another big economic shock, the price at the pump will be the first thing to leap, followed by the price of everything else (and the shortages of goods).
    Not being a driver is top darts right now
    I always keep a good supply of food etc essentials. Prepper life innit
    I’m hoping to use the rice, pulses and pasta I stockpiled for covid.
    Just as our bog roll stash had been emptied.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 44,065
    Leon said:

    I’ve just worked out how Prof David Betz’s infamous prediction of UK civil strife, even civil war, would come about

    Until now this has always been the bit I don’t follow. The Brits are stoical and phlegmatic - to a fault. Also remarkably tolerant

    How do you get a people like that into a civil insurrection?

    I’ve just worked out how

    Are you sure you’re British?
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 60,318
    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 84,803
    I thought Trump was just going to make Canada the 51st state….
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 60,318
    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    I’ve just worked out how Prof David Betz’s infamous prediction of UK civil strife, even civil war, would come about

    Until now this has always been the bit I don’t follow. The Brits are stoical and phlegmatic - to a fault. Also remarkably tolerant

    How do you get a people like that into a civil insurrection?

    I’ve just worked out how

    Like this: half the country votes enthusiastically for Farage and the other half doesn't.
    Half vote enthusiastically for Farage... whilt the other half votes for him unenthusiastically.
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 11,693

    Leon said:

    I’ve just worked out how Prof David Betz’s infamous prediction of UK civil strife, even civil war, would come about

    Until now this has always been the bit I don’t follow. The Brits are stoical and phlegmatic - to a fault. Also remarkably tolerant

    How do you get a people like that into a civil insurrection?

    I’ve just worked out how

    By cancelling Antiques Roadshow?
    How long though before there was even the slightest effect given the repeats strategy. So far as one can tell they cancelled it about 5 years ago.
  • ChrisChris Posts: 12,024
    Scott_xP said:

    @acyn.bsky.social‬

    Vance: I empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents

    https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3ls7bmorvth2e

    I thought Vance was meant to be intelligent. Is that really the best he can do?
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 84,803
    edited June 22
    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    malcolmg said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian parliament has already approved closing it, its with the supreme national council to action. Al Jazzy reporting it will now happen.
    Oil should be over 100 dollars a barrel by morning
    Time to give them a real doing.
    Iran just announced a night like no other is coming tonight (for the 7th time this week)
    Absolute pussy cats 🐈
    They’ve hired Shalamar.

    https://youtu.be/Qwvf2ilsogo?si=cqMsO6yVGZsP0Mqd
    They are basing their war on 80s disco. The rascals
    Late seventies early eighties disco was peak music.

    War to a track with 110BPM 👍
    I can live with that, and probably die to it too
    I think if I got the three minute warning I’d get a bottle of my raisin or date wine from the garage and listen to the instrumental coda from Hotel California.

    I’d happily go to the next life like that. Such a lovely place.
    I dunno, ive always kinda fancied touring the wastelands first. Last one out, turn the lights off etc
    I live in the North East. Touring wastelands is a regular experience.
    I went to Middlesbrough once….did they use it for inspiration for the Fallout games?

    I also once went to Gary, Indiana, birthplace of Michael Jackson…that made Fallout universe look like Knightsbridge.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 62,126
    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 44,065
    Scott_xP said:

    @acyn.bsky.social‬

    Vance: I empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents

    https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3ls7bmorvth2e

    That’s nothing, 8 years ago we had a US president who was a reprehensible idiot and the American Hitler.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 11,064
    It would be really nice if we could unlink our economy from internationally traded oil and gas

    #justsaying
  • Stark_DawningStark_Dawning Posts: 10,145
    Chris said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @acyn.bsky.social‬

    Vance: I empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents

    https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3ls7bmorvth2e

    I thought Vance was meant to be intelligent. Is that really the best he can do?
    Tricky for Vance. He could be seeing his presidential hopes evaporate before his eyes. He probably needs to stir up a bit of war jingoism and then do (another) shape shift into diehard NeoCon.
  • ChrisChris Posts: 12,024

    Scott_xP said:

    @acyn.bsky.social‬

    Vance: I empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents

    https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3ls7bmorvth2e

    That’s nothing, 8 years ago we had a US president who was a reprehensible idiot and the American Hitler.
    Evidently Vance really is so stupid that he didn't realise Trump was president for 4 of those 25 years.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 55,812
    https://x.com/keir_starmer/status/1936793042414977131

    This government will never forget the legacy of the Windrush generation, who laid the foundations for modern Britain.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 32,501
    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    Calm down dear.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 11,064
    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    You talk about this stuff like it's Civ VI. Attempting to force the Canadians to nationalise their oil and export to the US at below market rates is not going to have the effect on the US economy you assume.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,814
    edited June 22
    Eabhal said:

    It would be really nice if we could unlink our economy from internationally traded oil and gas

    #justsaying

    On the subject of climate change, has anyone assessed the impact of the Ukraine -Russia war, Gaza, other less publicised conflicts, and now this

    It would be interesting to assess the cost to economies and effect on net zero
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 18,148
    edited June 22
    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Partly because it can. Iran is weakened and doesn't have many options to retaliate against the US.

    Actually I think it is a relatively restrained measure. Iran could have sunk the tankers directly.

    I think it could work as a negotiating card for the Iranians on the assumption the closure is short lived. They will want America not to sign up to Netanyahu's maximalist agenda. It also puts pressure on the Gulf states and through them on Trump. They all told Trump on his last visit to leave Iran alone. They won't be at all happy the way things have gone so far. The longer the blockade goes on however the less effective a card it becomes.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 15,387

    Leon said:

    I’ve just worked out how Prof David Betz’s infamous prediction of UK civil strife, even civil war, would come about

    Until now this has always been the bit I don’t follow. The Brits are stoical and phlegmatic - to a fault. Also remarkably tolerant

    How do you get a people like that into a civil insurrection?

    I’ve just worked out how

    Are you sure you’re British?
    Have you met the rest of the world?
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 32,501

    https://x.com/keir_starmer/status/1936793042414977131

    This government will never forget the legacy of the Windrush generation, who laid the foundations for modern Britain.

    At last! A positive story from Starmer.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 11,064

    Eabhal said:

    It would be really nice if we could unlink our economy from internationally traded oil and gas

    #justsaying

    On the subject of climate change, has anyone assessed the impact of the Ukraine -Russia war, Gaze, other less publicised conflicts and now this

    It would be interesting to assess the cost to economies and effect on net zero
    It's probably a good thing for Net Zero. Conflict and economic depression suppresses consumption of everything, including fossil fuels. Longer term, more countries and populations will recognise the folly of depending on a resource influenced so heavily by arsehole regimes.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 15,387
    Leon said:

    I’ve just worked out how Prof David Betz’s infamous prediction of UK civil strife, even civil war, would come about

    Until now this has always been the bit I don’t follow. The Brits are stoical and phlegmatic - to a fault. Also remarkably tolerant

    How do you get a people like that into a civil insurrection?

    I’ve just worked out how

    Is it something to do with tea?
  • wooliedyedwooliedyed Posts: 11,749
    edited June 22
    The Canadian economy is in the toilet, Carney hasn't got nearly the hand he pretends he has. And Alberta/Saskatch will turn the screw internally imo
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,814
    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    Canada and the EU have been marginalised and like the G7/6, G20, NATO, and the UN impotent to do anything to stop Trump

    However, Canada will not yield to the US, but may well have problems for some years to come with their trading relationship with Trump, indeed so may the EU

    Who knows where this ends
  • LeonLeon Posts: 62,126
    edited June 22

    Leon said:

    I’ve just worked out how Prof David Betz’s infamous prediction of UK civil strife, even civil war, would come about

    Until now this has always been the bit I don’t follow. The Brits are stoical and phlegmatic - to a fault. Also remarkably tolerant

    How do you get a people like that into a civil insurrection?

    I’ve just worked out how

    Stop getting your knickers in a twist. It isn't going to happen, however much you want it to.
    Remember I am the Great PB Extrapolater

    I AM EXTRAPOLATING

    It is frighteningly obvious once you work it out

    But, I am not saying this WILL happen - more that I now understand what Betz is going on about and perhaps why he is so “certain”
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 74,012

    Chris said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @acyn.bsky.social‬

    Vance: I empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents

    https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3ls7bmorvth2e

    I thought Vance was meant to be intelligent. Is that really the best he can do?
    Tricky for Vance. He could be seeing his presidential hopes evaporate before his eyes. He probably needs to stir up a bit of war jingoism and then do (another) shape shift into diehard NeoCon.
    Every cloud...
  • FF43FF43 Posts: 18,148
    Eabhal said:

    Eabhal said:

    It would be really nice if we could unlink our economy from internationally traded oil and gas

    #justsaying

    On the subject of climate change, has anyone assessed the impact of the Ukraine -Russia war, Gaze, other less publicised conflicts and now this

    It would be interesting to assess the cost to economies and effect on net zero
    It's probably a good thing for Net Zero. Conflict and economic depression suppresses consumption of everything, including fossil fuels. Longer term, more countries and populations will recognise the folly of depending on a resource influenced so heavily by arsehole regimes.
    Yes and no. It will drive the move to electrification using renewable sources. I suspect it will also drive people back to coal rather than rely on gas or oil.
  • TazTaz Posts: 19,144

    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    malcolmg said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian parliament has already approved closing it, its with the supreme national council to action. Al Jazzy reporting it will now happen.
    Oil should be over 100 dollars a barrel by morning
    Time to give them a real doing.
    Iran just announced a night like no other is coming tonight (for the 7th time this week)
    Absolute pussy cats 🐈
    They’ve hired Shalamar.

    https://youtu.be/Qwvf2ilsogo?si=cqMsO6yVGZsP0Mqd
    They are basing their war on 80s disco. The rascals
    Late seventies early eighties disco was peak music.

    War to a track with 110BPM 👍
    I can live with that, and probably die to it too
    I think if I got the three minute warning I’d get a bottle of my raisin or date wine from the garage and listen to the instrumental coda from Hotel California.

    I’d happily go to the next life like that. Such a lovely place.
    I dunno, ive always kinda fancied touring the wastelands first. Last one out, turn the lights off etc
    I live in the North East. Touring wastelands is a regular experience.
    I went to Middlesbrough once…..
    Thoughts and prayers.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 62,657
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    I’ve just worked out how Prof David Betz’s infamous prediction of UK civil strife, even civil war, would come about

    Until now this has always been the bit I don’t follow. The Brits are stoical and phlegmatic - to a fault. Also remarkably tolerant

    How do you get a people like that into a civil insurrection?

    I’ve just worked out how

    Stop getting your knickers in a twist. It isn't going to happen, however much you want it to.
    Remember I am the Great PB Extrapolater

    I AM EXTRAPOLATING

    It is frighteningly obvious once you work it out

    But, I am not saying this WILL happen - more that I now understand what Betz is going on about and perhaps why he is so “certain”
    Are the capitals a sign you're speaking like a Dalek? :D
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,814
    edited June 22
    Eabhal said:

    Eabhal said:

    It would be really nice if we could unlink our economy from internationally traded oil and gas

    #justsaying

    On the subject of climate change, has anyone assessed the impact of the Ukraine -Russia war, Gaze, other less publicised conflicts and now this

    It would be interesting to assess the cost to economies and effect on net zero
    It's probably a good thing for Net Zero. Conflict and economic depression suppresses consumption of everything, including fossil fuels. Longer term, more countries and populations will recognise the folly of depending on a resource influenced so heavily by arsehole regimes.
    The immediate problem for the west and NATO is the need to urgently increase defence spending and this will be a big issue next week at the NATO meeting attended by Trump

    Starmer is only committed to 2.6% by 2027, and even now he is looking at trying to avoid the 3% by 2035 let only 3.5% + 1.5% that Trump will demand

    Whether you agree or oppose Trump's actions yesterday, the world is in a very much more dangerous place and the first duty of government is to keep its citizens safe
  • YokesYokes Posts: 1,398
    The claim that the Iranians didn't know the Americans were coming is nonsense. They knew they were there before the bombs landed.

    Their defence capabilities are so far degraded that their capability to respond was zero but they could not have missed the electronic warfare that was deployed. It was massive across the scale. The USAF took no risks
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 65,814
    I have barely been watching the cricket since England were bowled out, but notice India are 45 - 1 already !!!
  • LeonLeon Posts: 62,126
    Eabhal said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    You talk about this stuff like it's Civ VI. Attempting to force the Canadians to nationalise their oil and export to the US at below market rates is not going to have the effect on the US economy you assume.
    But there’s a thousand ways America can put really intolerable pressure on Canada - if it is so minded. Until now it’s been unthinkable because no president has “thought” like Trump

    It doesn’t need the Marines parachuting into Winnipeg
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 45,773
    edited June 22
    Chris said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @acyn.bsky.social‬

    Vance: I empathize with Americans who are exhausted after 25 years of foreign entanglements in the Middle East. I understand the concern, but the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents

    https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3ls7bmorvth2e

    That’s nothing, 8 years ago we had a US president who was a reprehensible idiot and the American Hitler.
    Evidently Vance really is so stupid that he didn't realise Trump was president for 4 of those 25 years.
    Although Vance did think Trump was a moron back then. He has since recanted and can now recognise a great man when he sees one.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 60,318
    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    The Canadian government is not going to legislate to nationalise the entire oil and gas industry in Canada to enable Trump to keep petrol prices low.

    Just a few months ago, the Conservative Premier of Ontatio - Doug Ford - was threatening to turn the electricity supply off to Michigan over the Trump tariffs.

    Trump can bluster and threaten all he wants, but countries and politicians have "face". The more you threaten, the less likely they are to acede to your wishes.

    If Trump had wanted Canada onside, he would have been much better off being nice to them. Because right now, there are substantially fewer than zero votes in getting down and sucking Trump's cock.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 62,126
    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    The Canadian government is not going to legislate to nationalise the entire oil and gas industry in Canada to enable Trump to keep petrol prices low.

    Just a few months ago, the Conservative Premier of Ontatio - Doug Ford - was threatening to turn the electricity supply off to Michigan over the Trump tariffs.

    Trump can bluster and threaten all he wants, but countries and politicians have "face". The more you threaten, the less likely they are to acede to your wishes.

    If Trump had wanted Canada onside, he would have been much better off being nice to them. Because right now, there are substantially fewer than zero votes in getting down and sucking Trump's cock.
    Why are you so busily bayoneting a straw man?

    I never said morally Trump *should* do this or that, nor did I dispute that it’s generally better to be nice than nasty. I’m just saying Trump is Sui generis and he’s proven he’s not TACO POTUS after all

    If he wants to force Canada to its knees he can do it. And Canada would surrender
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 5,906
    Turnout is “brisk” at my local petrol station
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 19,419
    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    The Canadian government is not going to legislate to nationalise the entire oil and gas industry in Canada to enable Trump to keep petrol prices low.

    Just a few months ago, the Conservative Premier of Ontatio - Doug Ford - was threatening to turn the electricity supply off to Michigan over the Trump tariffs.

    Trump can bluster and threaten all he wants, but countries and politicians have "face". The more you threaten, the less likely they are to acede to your wishes.

    If Trump had wanted Canada onside, he would have been much better off being nice to them. Because right now, there are substantially fewer than zero votes in getting down and sucking Trump's cock.
    Why are you so busily bayoneting a straw man?

    I never said morally Trump *should* do this or that, nor did I dispute that it’s generally better to be nice than nasty. I’m just saying Trump is Sui generis and he’s proven he’s not TACO POTUS after all

    If he wants to force Canada to its knees he can do it. And Canada would surrender
    One bombing run over Iran does not make Trump the tough guy President you want him to be, or that he believes he is, when set in the balance against the dozens of times that he's folded.

    What happened to your prediction that he'd intimidate Putin into a ceasefire in Ukraine?
  • MattWMattW Posts: 27,905
    edited June 22
    In other news we may not have covered, Ukraine starts serial production of sovereign ballistic missiles.

    Range: 300km. Warhead: 500kg.

    https://kyivindependent.com/ukraines-new-ballistic-missile-goes-into-mass-production-heres-how-it-could-be-used-against-russia/
  • LeonLeon Posts: 62,126
    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    The Canadian government is not going to legislate to nationalise the entire oil and gas industry in Canada to enable Trump to keep petrol prices low.

    Just a few months ago, the Conservative Premier of Ontatio - Doug Ford - was threatening to turn the electricity supply off to Michigan over the Trump tariffs.

    Trump can bluster and threaten all he wants, but countries and politicians have "face". The more you threaten, the less likely they are to acede to your wishes.

    If Trump had wanted Canada onside, he would have been much better off being nice to them. Because right now, there are substantially fewer than zero votes in getting down and sucking Trump's cock.
    Why are you so busily bayoneting a straw man?

    I never said morally Trump *should* do this or that, nor did I dispute that it’s generally better to be nice than nasty. I’m just saying Trump is Sui generis and he’s proven he’s not TACO POTUS after all

    If he wants to force Canada to its knees he can do it. And Canada would surrender
    And that is simply incorrect.

    Because Canada can turn off the pumping stations on Keystone, and can stop sending electricity to the US.

    That would send petrol prices shooting up in the US, and cast much of northern Michigan into darkness.

    The US is not the only country with agency.
    76% of Canada’s exports go to the USA

    17% of the USA’s exports go to Canada

    A vast disparity. As we in Britain know, painfully, the larger entity in trade negotiations, let alone trade wars, has the upper hand and the weaker party usually has to yield

    America is also much richer and militarily waaaay more powerful than Canada. A Canadian PM can act all plucky and wave the maple leaf but in the end if it’s a choice between total economic meltdown or agreeing to help America through a modest Hormuzian oil crisis - I’m pretty sure the Canadian premier would choose the latter

    Trump could even frame it as a moral choice. Which side are you on? The west or the Islamists?
  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 6,369


    A cricket picture, just for you lot. I can't say I'm paying much attention, but the pub across the road does a decent pint.
  • vikvik Posts: 531
    LOL.


  • carnforthcarnforth Posts: 6,369
    Also, first pub garden wasp of the year.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 60,318
    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    The Canadian government is not going to legislate to nationalise the entire oil and gas industry in Canada to enable Trump to keep petrol prices low.

    Just a few months ago, the Conservative Premier of Ontatio - Doug Ford - was threatening to turn the electricity supply off to Michigan over the Trump tariffs.

    Trump can bluster and threaten all he wants, but countries and politicians have "face". The more you threaten, the less likely they are to acede to your wishes.

    If Trump had wanted Canada onside, he would have been much better off being nice to them. Because right now, there are substantially fewer than zero votes in getting down and sucking Trump's cock.
    Why are you so busily bayoneting a straw man?

    I never said morally Trump *should* do this or that, nor did I dispute that it’s generally better to be nice than nasty. I’m just saying Trump is Sui generis and he’s proven he’s not TACO POTUS after all

    If he wants to force Canada to its knees he can do it. And Canada would surrender
    And that is simply incorrect.

    Because Canada can turn off the pumping stations on Keystone, and can stop sending electricity to the US.

    That would send petrol prices shooting up in the US, and cast much of northern Michigan into darkness.

    The US is not the only country with agency.
    76% of Canada’s exports go to the USA

    17% of the USA’s exports go to Canada

    A vast disparity. As we in Britain know, painfully, the larger entity in trade negotiations, let alone trade wars, has the upper hand and the weaker party usually has to yield

    America is also much richer and militarily waaaay more powerful than Canada. A Canadian PM can act all plucky and wave the maple leaf but in the end if it’s a choice between total economic meltdown or agreeing to help America through a modest Hormuzian oil crisis - I’m pretty sure the Canadian premier would choose the latter

    Trump could even frame it as a moral choice. Which side are you on? The west or the Islamists?
    And what proportion of Canada's exports are completely fungile crude oil that could be loaded onto a tanker?
  • LeonLeon Posts: 62,126

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    The Canadian government is not going to legislate to nationalise the entire oil and gas industry in Canada to enable Trump to keep petrol prices low.

    Just a few months ago, the Conservative Premier of Ontatio - Doug Ford - was threatening to turn the electricity supply off to Michigan over the Trump tariffs.

    Trump can bluster and threaten all he wants, but countries and politicians have "face". The more you threaten, the less likely they are to acede to your wishes.

    If Trump had wanted Canada onside, he would have been much better off being nice to them. Because right now, there are substantially fewer than zero votes in getting down and sucking Trump's cock.
    Why are you so busily bayoneting a straw man?

    I never said morally Trump *should* do this or that, nor did I dispute that it’s generally better to be nice than nasty. I’m just saying Trump is Sui generis and he’s proven he’s not TACO POTUS after all

    If he wants to force Canada to its knees he can do it. And Canada would surrender
    One bombing run over Iran does not make Trump the tough guy President you want him to be, or that he believes he is, when set in the balance against the dozens of times that he's folded.

    What happened to your prediction that he'd intimidate Putin into a ceasefire in Ukraine?
    But it does make all the TACO accusations look slightly ridiculous

    In the end he went further than any POTUS before. Directly bombing Iran. He also did it with significant reservations from his own MAGA people

    Interesting
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 84,803
    edited June 22

    I have barely been watching the cricket since England were bowled out, but notice India are 45 - 1 already !!!

    Baz Bollywood Ball....
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 55,812
    Taz said:

    https://x.com/keir_starmer/status/1936793042414977131

    This government will never forget the legacy of the Windrush generation, who laid the foundations for modern Britain.

    You know I have no problem with migration and the windrush generation but this sort,of take really fucks me off. As if my parents and grandparents genration and those before them didn’t.
    And post-war commonwealth migration was numerically on a fairly small scale. Nothing like the mass migration of recent decades.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 84,803
    Stokes coming on to bowl already...I fear for the Ashes the amount of workload he is doing.
  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,553
    vik said:

    LOL.


    I think politicians should generally avoid using twitter. It always, eventually, makes them look foolish.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 84,803
    edited June 22
    Taz said:

    https://x.com/keir_starmer/status/1936793042414977131

    This government will never forget the legacy of the Windrush generation, who laid the foundations for modern Britain.

    You know I have no problem with migration and the windrush generation but this sort,of take really fucks me off. As if my parents and grandparents genration and those before them didn’t.
    I don't understand what is wrong with we value their contribution, rather than this black-washing overstating / lies like the bonkers books that claim black people built Stonehenge etc.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 62,126
    edited June 22
    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    The Canadian government is not going to legislate to nationalise the entire oil and gas industry in Canada to enable Trump to keep petrol prices low.

    Just a few months ago, the Conservative Premier of Ontatio - Doug Ford - was threatening to turn the electricity supply off to Michigan over the Trump tariffs.

    Trump can bluster and threaten all he wants, but countries and politicians have "face". The more you threaten, the less likely they are to acede to your wishes.

    If Trump had wanted Canada onside, he would have been much better off being nice to them. Because right now, there are substantially fewer than zero votes in getting down and sucking Trump's cock.
    Why are you so busily bayoneting a straw man?

    I never said morally Trump *should* do this or that, nor did I dispute that it’s generally better to be nice than nasty. I’m just saying Trump is Sui generis and he’s proven he’s not TACO POTUS after all

    If he wants to force Canada to its knees he can do it. And Canada would surrender
    And that is simply incorrect.

    Because Canada can turn off the pumping stations on Keystone, and can stop sending electricity to the US.

    That would send petrol prices shooting up in the US, and cast much of northern Michigan into darkness.

    The US is not the only country with agency.
    76% of Canada’s exports go to the USA

    17% of the USA’s exports go to Canada

    A vast disparity. As we in Britain know, painfully, the larger entity in trade negotiations, let alone trade wars, has the upper hand and the weaker party usually has to yield

    America is also much richer and militarily waaaay more powerful than Canada. A Canadian PM can act all plucky and wave the maple leaf but in the end if it’s a choice between total economic meltdown or agreeing to help America through a modest Hormuzian oil crisis - I’m pretty sure the Canadian premier would choose the latter

    Trump could even frame it as a moral choice. Which side are you on? The west or the Islamists?
    And what proportion of Canada's exports are completely fungile crude oil that could be loaded onto a tanker?
    About 2-3%?

    Energy exports in toto make up about 20-30% of Canadian exports to the USA, and of that:

    “In 2020, 87.6% of Canada’s crude oil exports were by pipeline, about 7.8% were on marine tanker”
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 31,795
    kjh said:

    Leon said:

    kjh said:

    Leon said:

    kjh said:

    Leon said:

    kjh said:

    Leon said:

    algarkirk said:

    I ddon't know why Tesco's are wasting their money on "security"...they might as well ordered the thieves an Uber while they were there.

    Happened in Kilburn tescos yesterday.
    https://x.com/CrimeLdn/status/1936680557062001151

    Even my local tesco express was apparently doing an all items free offer this week, the cashier serving me was unimpressed (and ill put her down as 'Reform')
    The ne'er-do-wells know that no one will stop them, the police won't show up, there's very little chance they'll get caught and if they're unlucky enough to actually get caught, they'll get told not to be naughty again and be on their merry way.
    Forget Iran getting nukes, if Starmer could stop this sort of thing, I'd vote Labour in the next election.
    I have never experienced or seen this, fortunate to live in a part of the country where at the moment it is not accepted by anyone as a way of acting. But what would be, beyond hand waving and unicorns, Reform's way of tackling it which seriously distinguishes them from the status quo and is affordable?
    TASER THEM
    I bought a rib eye steak last night in the local Sainsbury's and paid at the self checkout. It was security tagged. There was a label saying so, which I missed. I have no idea how they do that. Anyway on leaving I set off the alarm. I returned. Deserving of a taser blast do you think? Admittedly it is not like I was clearing the shelves, but I suspect they would be in big trouble if they inadvertently taser innocent shoppers.

    How do you think you should have been treated for all your illegal activities over the years? It is doubtful you would have ever been out of prison if you were treated like you want to treat others.

    Having said all of that I do have sympathy for your reaction. I feel the same sometimes, then sense prevails.
    No, you catch them, prosecute them, convict them - THEN taser them. Every day for a week. Don’t bother with prisons - they’re horribly expensive, cruel, and actively harmful

    New methods of brisk painful corporal punishment
    You call people Centrist Dad often, but really you are a Centrist Grandad. You want to go back to the 1950s all the time. Latest being corporal punishment? Really? What with your other views you really are like the 90+ year old one meets who talk about the good old days.
    The thing about my suggestion is: it will work. It’s cheap, powerful, effective. And anyway, why is inflicting mental and social pain - prison - deemed acceptable, but inflicting physical pain is not?

    It’s ludicrous. Prison is also expensive and breeds even harder criminals. So taser them. We’d sort this out in a weak

    While bleating midwits like you just sigh and wring your hands about this, offer no solution, and nothing happens
    It will work? Ever heard of the birch? Did that work?
    Probably
    Then I suggest you read the research.
    Then I suggest you link the research.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 84,803
    edited June 22
    RobD said:

    vik said:

    LOL.


    I think politicians should generally avoid using twitter. It always, eventually, makes them look foolish.
    I don't know why they don't all use auto-delete services, in fact why most people don't. Sure if you are one of a small number of very famous people all your tweets get stored, but most they disappear into the ether, rather than waiting for somebody to find something you said 10 years ago that was dodgy.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 19,419
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    The Canadian government is not going to legislate to nationalise the entire oil and gas industry in Canada to enable Trump to keep petrol prices low.

    Just a few months ago, the Conservative Premier of Ontatio - Doug Ford - was threatening to turn the electricity supply off to Michigan over the Trump tariffs.

    Trump can bluster and threaten all he wants, but countries and politicians have "face". The more you threaten, the less likely they are to acede to your wishes.

    If Trump had wanted Canada onside, he would have been much better off being nice to them. Because right now, there are substantially fewer than zero votes in getting down and sucking Trump's cock.
    Why are you so busily bayoneting a straw man?

    I never said morally Trump *should* do this or that, nor did I dispute that it’s generally better to be nice than nasty. I’m just saying Trump is Sui generis and he’s proven he’s not TACO POTUS after all

    If he wants to force Canada to its knees he can do it. And Canada would surrender
    One bombing run over Iran does not make Trump the tough guy President you want him to be, or that he believes he is, when set in the balance against the dozens of times that he's folded.

    What happened to your prediction that he'd intimidate Putin into a ceasefire in Ukraine?
    But it does make all the TACO accusations look slightly ridiculous

    In the end he went further than any POTUS before. Directly bombing Iran. He also did it with significant reservations from his own MAGA people

    Interesting
    I don't see a single bombing raid against Iran as going "further than any POTUS before." It's on a par with bombing raids that have occurred under every US President for decades, and significantly less risky than more substantial interventions.

    It's the first time bombing Iran, but that isn't significant compared to occupying Iraq and Afghanistan. It simply isn't significant in the way you're pretending it is.

    Your pretence on that point is really lame. You really want him to be a tough guy and he really isn't. Sorry.
  • rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 60,318
    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    The Canadian government is not going to legislate to nationalise the entire oil and gas industry in Canada to enable Trump to keep petrol prices low.

    Just a few months ago, the Conservative Premier of Ontatio - Doug Ford - was threatening to turn the electricity supply off to Michigan over the Trump tariffs.

    Trump can bluster and threaten all he wants, but countries and politicians have "face". The more you threaten, the less likely they are to acede to your wishes.

    If Trump had wanted Canada onside, he would have been much better off being nice to them. Because right now, there are substantially fewer than zero votes in getting down and sucking Trump's cock.
    Why are you so busily bayoneting a straw man?

    I never said morally Trump *should* do this or that, nor did I dispute that it’s generally better to be nice than nasty. I’m just saying Trump is Sui generis and he’s proven he’s not TACO POTUS after all

    If he wants to force Canada to its knees he can do it. And Canada would surrender
    And that is simply incorrect.

    Because Canada can turn off the pumping stations on Keystone, and can stop sending electricity to the US.

    That would send petrol prices shooting up in the US, and cast much of northern Michigan into darkness.

    The US is not the only country with agency.
    76% of Canada’s exports go to the USA

    17% of the USA’s exports go to Canada

    A vast disparity. As we in Britain know, painfully, the larger entity in trade negotiations, let alone trade wars, has the upper hand and the weaker party usually has to yield

    America is also much richer and militarily waaaay more powerful than Canada. A Canadian PM can act all plucky and wave the maple leaf but in the end if it’s a choice between total economic meltdown or agreeing to help America through a modest Hormuzian oil crisis - I’m pretty sure the Canadian premier would choose the latter

    Trump could even frame it as a moral choice. Which side are you on? The west or the Islamists?
    And what proportion of Canada's exports are completely fungile crude oil that could be loaded onto a tanker?
    About 5%?

    “In 2020, 87.6% of Canada’s crude oil exports were by pipeline to the USA, about 7.8% were on marine tanker”
    That's right.

    And if the US didn't pay the market rate for oil, it would 88% on marine tankers instead.

    There's plenty of train and pipeline capacity from Albera's oilfields to the Pacific coast. Don't forget that the Keystone pipeline to the US is pretty new (2010 and 2014), and Canada didn't dismantle other ways of getting oil from the fields just because a new pipeline had been switched on.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 44,065
    Cookie said:

    Leon said:

    I’ve just worked out how Prof David Betz’s infamous prediction of UK civil strife, even civil war, would come about

    Until now this has always been the bit I don’t follow. The Brits are stoical and phlegmatic - to a fault. Also remarkably tolerant

    How do you get a people like that into a civil insurrection?

    I’ve just worked out how

    Are you sure you’re British?
    Have you met the rest of the world?
    Not all of them, no.
    My point was that the PB Chicken Enoch Licken seems signally lacking in those British qualities.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 19,419
    Plus we all know that it was Starmer trying to convince Trump not to bomb Iran that made it inevitable.
  • kjhkjh Posts: 12,765
    edited June 22
    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Leon said:

    dixiedean said:

    Leon said:

    Taz said:

    nico67 said:

    After Covid , and Ukraine the world was hoping for less drama . Instead we got Trump again , Netenyahus genocide and now a possibility that things unravel further after the US got involved with Iran.

    If the Straits of Hormuz are shut then oil prices will spike causing a further hit to growth and spiking inflation .

    Trump seems to be actively working against the UK and yet the country is expected to roll out the red carpet for another state visit !

    Iranian Parliament has voted to close it.

    Final decision with Khamenei

    The economic havoc it will wreak will be worth it to keep Bibi out of jail 👍

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/1936787351620985340?s=61
    It’s not obvious why or even how they shut it

    1. It’s the main route for Iranian oil exports - so it is economically self-harming even as the regime totters. Dangerous

    2. It will antagonise every other country in the area. esp Gulf States, plus Saudi, etc

    3. It won’t hurt America much. America doesn’t need gulf oil

    Iran is impotent and defenceless right now
    Because the price of gas is literally the only weapon anyone has which works on the USA.
    But it’s much less of a weapon now America is energy self-sufficient. It will hurt other oil importing countries - Europe, China - a lot more
    I'm afraid this is not correct.

    America is self sufficient in theory, but in reality they import a massive amount of Canadian oil. Effectively, Canadian heavy oil comes into the US, while US light oil is exported to Europe.

    So, why would the Canadians export their oil at less than market rates to the US? If oil prices spike, then America can either pay market rates, or they'll export it to China, Korea and Japan by tanker instead.
    Because America will tell Canada what to do
    It's not in the hands of the Canadian government. Energy companies are private companies beholden to their shareholders.

    And one of Canada's largest - Husky Energy - is ultimately Chinese owned.
    In normal times you might have a point. These are not normal times and Trump is not a normal president. He would bully Canada into submission
    How did the US bullying Canada over tariffs work?

    Do you think there are many votes in Canada for taking the knee to Trump?

    Trump has just shown he is willing to go further than any president before. Directly bombing Iran

    I can see him being fairly brutal with Canada and in the end Canada, being a tenth the size of the USA, would yield
    The Canadian government is not going to legislate to nationalise the entire oil and gas industry in Canada to enable Trump to keep petrol prices low.

    Just a few months ago, the Conservative Premier of Ontatio - Doug Ford - was threatening to turn the electricity supply off to Michigan over the Trump tariffs.

    Trump can bluster and threaten all he wants, but countries and politicians have "face". The more you threaten, the less likely they are to acede to your wishes.

    If Trump had wanted Canada onside, he would have been much better off being nice to them. Because right now, there are substantially fewer than zero votes in getting down and sucking Trump's cock.
    Why are you so busily bayoneting a straw man?

    I never said morally Trump *should* do this or that, nor did I dispute that it’s generally better to be nice than nasty. I’m just saying Trump is Sui generis and he’s proven he’s not TACO POTUS after all

    If he wants to force Canada to its knees he can do it. And Canada would surrender
    And that is simply incorrect.

    Because Canada can turn off the pumping stations on Keystone, and can stop sending electricity to the US.

    That would send petrol prices shooting up in the US, and cast much of northern Michigan into darkness.

    The US is not the only country with agency.
    76% of Canada’s exports go to the USA

    17% of the USA’s exports go to Canada

    A vast disparity. As we in Britain know, painfully, the larger entity in trade negotiations, let alone trade wars, has the upper hand and the weaker party usually has to yield

    America is also much richer and militarily waaaay more powerful than Canada. A Canadian PM can act all plucky and wave the maple leaf but in the end if it’s a choice between total economic meltdown or agreeing to help America through a modest Hormuzian oil crisis - I’m pretty sure the Canadian premier would choose the latter

    Trump could even frame it as a moral choice. Which side are you on? The west or the Islamists?
    PBs idiot pontificates again. If America isn't invading Canada (I'm surprised you have accepted that in your madness. I thought you might want to nuke them) what is America going to do? If it is down to trade then yes America has the whip hand in buying Canadian goods, but if it forces Canada to then cut off the oil, gas and electricity, what then? That is pretty much an instant effect. Then there is the Aluminium. That will bring American industry to s standstill pretty quickly.

    You really are on a roll today Granddad.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 62,126
    UGH

    I have got on a looooooong train to Cornwall with a nice bottle of Cune Rioja, my trusty metal cup, and I’ve forgotten my bloody corkscrew

    HELP
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 31,795
    rcs1000 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Oh dear, if this is correct.

    Medvedev : "There are a number of countries ready to supply nuclear warheads to Tehran."

    I know we have collectively on PB the greatest concentration of GeoPolitical analysts in history, so tell me why, PB Brain trust, is he wrong...

    Why wouldn't North Korea sell them a nuke?
    Firstly, North Korea's nuclear program has not been an unallayed success. They didn't need the US or Israel to bomb their facilities, because they managed to blow them up themselves. If North Korea has a deployable nuclear weapon, I would be extremely careful of it.

    Secondly, North Korea is very dependent on the kindness of Beijing for its survival. Proliferating nuclear weapons to Iran would probably result in proliferation first through the Middle East, and ultimately in the Far East. Beijing does not want that.

    Now, if Iran offered enough money... then *maybe* they could buy some suitably enriched uranium. But it would seem to be a risky play.
    Unalloyed.

    But I agree with your post.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 84,803
    edited June 22
    Leon said:

    UGH

    I have got on a looooooong train to Cornwall with a nice bottle of Cune Rioja, my trusty metal cup, and I’ve forgotten my bloody corkscrew

    HELP

    You can open a wine bottle with a shoe, place the bottle inside the shoe (heel against the bottle's base) and hit the shoe against a wall. The force of the impact against the wall, transferred through the shoe, helps push the cork out. Its can get quite messy though...

    The other trick is you heat the air between the wine and the cork with a lighter.
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 51,753
    Leon said:

    UGH

    I have got on a looooooong train to Cornwall with a nice bottle of Cune Rioja, my trusty metal cup, and I’ve forgotten my bloody corkscrew

    HELP

    You’ve drunk enough already. Even idiocy has its plateau.
  • MattWMattW Posts: 27,905
    vik said:

    LOL.


    The rest of the world does - in Washington DC.
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