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Japanese, French and Omani vessels cross Strait of Hormuz

165 points by vrganj 7mo ago

deleted 7mo ago
[deleted]
zzzeek 7mo ago
The US , when finally back in control by reasonable adults, will need to offer great concessions to Iran in order to extricate from the effects of a disastrous, illegal (both from a US as well as an intentional standpoint) and of course, completely, utterly failed war. And it might be just that Iran gets to be a permanent toll collector for the global economy.
- vrganj 7mo ago
  No matter who controls the US in the future, it will never go back to the position it once had globally. It's been actively harming it's allies, threatening them with invasion and conspiring with their enemies. The rest of the world cannot afford to give the American people the benefit of the doubt. After Trump I, there was hope it was just a fluke. Trump II is much worse and cements the unreliability of the American voting public.
  - nozzlegear 7mo ago
    Never is a long time. Look at where Germany was after both WWI and WWII, and where it is now; it's demonstrably possible to cause irreparable damage to everyone around you, and then rise back to the top (multiple times!). The only questions are timeline and scale.
    - vrganj 7mo ago
      Germany wasn't and isn't the world's hegemon. I don't think that position is recoverable the same way.
      - nozzlegear 7mo ago
        It was the hegemon of Europe though, and it is once again – at least economically. I don't know much about European culture to say how popular German pop culture is there though.
        vrganj 7mo ago
        The "hegemon of Europe" was the "Franco-German engine" for the longest time. The engine has stalled though and the center of gravity is shifting East (Poland) and South (Spain, Italy). United in diversity, as is our motto.
    - evilduck 7mo ago
      You also have to consider the outside intervention forcibly imposed upon Germany, after being defeated in war both times, and how the first round of that contributed directly to WWII. It's not exactly a playbook to copy verbatim.
      - nozzlegear 7mo ago
        I'm on the record that America needs a third Reconstruction era.
    - stevenwoo 7mo ago
      Germany got a new type of government. The 2/3 required in USA for significant change will be insurmountable short of a disaster on order of second Great Depression since plurality of American voters can’t see past next paycheck, no Democrat that can win Presidential primary has any kind of revolutionary vision, it’s all muted, even Bernie got squashed by centrist voters eventually and he was not even that far to the left IMHO - he even stayed away from race or gender issues.
      - nozzlegear 7mo ago
        Hillary Clinton was to the left of Bernie Sanders in 2016, because free trade reduces global stratification and being against trade and immigration like Bernie was (and is) to protect American jobs is elitism.
        ratrace 7mo ago
        [dead]
        Our_Benefactors 7mo ago
        > Hillary Clinton was to the left of Bernie Sanders in 2016 No, this is so factually untrue as to be offensive. Hillary is a party stooge through and through, it’s why she was essentially installed as the 2016 dem candidate, in spite of voter preferences. They did Bernie dirty
        nozzlegear 7mo ago
        > Hillary is a party stooge through and through, it’s why she was essentially installed as the 2016 dem candidate, in spite of voter preferences. They did Bernie dirty No, this is so factually untrue as to be offensive. I caucused and volunteered for Bernie in 2016. He lost the primary vote fair and square, but he dragged himself and his supporters to the convention kicking and screaming as if there was some chance he could overcome a mathematical defeat. Superdelegates never even entered the equation. All he did was instill a conspiracy in his diehard supporters.
        7mo ago
    - rchaud 7mo ago
      Germany changed its constitution, banned its former ruling party, and actively explores and teaches their school kids about their crimes. The US on the other hand has a chunk of its electorate flying Confederate flags and voting for politicians who think US history textbooks should be more "pro-American".
      - nozzlegear 7mo ago
        I'm not saying the country is perfect right now. We need a third Reconstruction.
        mrguyorama 7mo ago
        We need a first reconstruction. We voted in Confederate sycophants ASAP to undo the very first, and spent the next 100 years pretending that slavery wasn't still happening. Yet again we have instead voted in people who for some reason think the literal aristocracy system of the antebellum south was anything worth protecting, despite the southern US being so dysfunctional it could barely support a war of it's own making.
    - feb012025 7mo ago
      Look at where Germany is now? They're a total non-player on the world stage. They completely kowtow to the US. Hardly a good example
      - nozzlegear 7mo ago
        > They're a total non-player on the world stage. It's the biggest economy in Europe and the de facto "head country" of the EU.
  - bdbdbdb 7mo ago
    This. We all thought Trump was a crazy accident but the fact that he almost beat Biden, and then did beat Harris, means we just can't trust Americans to put sensible people in charge. Assuming a democrat takes the office next, they will inherit an economy in tatters, a failing infrastructure and a broken strategic alliance. They'll have four years to try to fix all of that while the republicans blame them for everything they've inherited, and four years from that the American people will have largely forgotten how Trump and his minions trailed dog shit all through the house and they'll vote for the next right wing dick that's been groomed for the job - probably Pete Hegseth, or Don Jr, or Mark Wayne Mullin
    - deleted 7mo ago
      [deleted]
    - SoftTalker 7mo ago
      Neither Biden nor Harris were sensible candidates. Democrats could have easily beat Trump by running a more appealing/less polarizing candidate. Didn't even have to be both. Obama was polarizing but he was appealing and he won comfortably.
      - adrian_b 7mo ago
        As a non-American I have always wondered about the criteria used by Americans to vote for their presidents. Clinton and Obama had various defects, but at least both of them looked like presidents and talked like presidents. On the other hand, both George Bush Junior and Trump (of course especially the latter), looked like clowns and talked like clowns. I have never understood their appeal to the masses. I understand the discontent of those who have voted against the Democrat "elites", but the fact that anyone could look at Trump and believe that he is the right man for the job seems unbelievable, regardless of how inept were his opponents.
        donkyrf 7mo ago
        It's easier to understand if you live in America. Your reference to Democrat "elites" shows you have a hint of it... in this country that term never applies to a Republican -- even if they were born rich, went to Ivy League schools, and were handed a career and a professional network on a platter. It is almost _exclusively_ used to denigrate women, minorities, or men who support progressive causes.
  - petre 7mo ago
    If Xi put a break on China's growth, Trump surely did throw US influence and soft power straight into the bin. The only winner is China.
- sneak 7mo ago
  > The US , when finally back in control by reasonable adults Everyone reasonable seems to be holding their breath in anticipation of this eventually happening. What if it doesn’t? What if all of this is a symptom of an underlying deterioration that extends deeper and beyond the current administration? It’s not Trump that made Americans A-OK with wars of aggression; Obama blew up as many kids using drones as Trump put into cages. What if the next few are the same, or worse? What do we do if this isn’t a temporary excursion but the new normal for the US and A?
  - thyristan 7mo ago
    > What if it doesn’t? What if all of this is a symptom of an underlying deterioration that extends deeper and beyond the current administration? It’s not Trump that made Americans A-OK with wars of aggression; Obama blew up as many kids using drones as Trump put into cages. What if the next few are the same, or worse? What do we do if this isn’t a temporary excursion but the new normal for the US and A? In the cold war, there was the "Evil East" and the "Good West", and this opposition forced at least some token "goodness" and a certain predictable behavior on both sides. It also forced both sides to have some firm principles they adhere to. Now the cold war is over, and while it did change more in the formerly East, the West, at least in some parts, also learned a few things. Among them that principles are negotiable, especially without a closed opposing bloc with the opposite principles. Doing business with China and Russia not only made people rich, it also moved Western culture more towards the Eastern ones, more than anyone would like to admit. Starting to see things from the Eastern perspective also induced the West to over time to not just understand the former enemy better and learn the "good stuff". We started to find things like strong autocratic leadership, compromises on human rights, ignorance of international laws and treaties, and wars of aggression and conquest more acceptable and even preferable. So I don't think this is just temporary.
    - ted_bunny 7mo ago
      None of that is new or imported from the Asiatic Hordes. It's just more visible now.
- lifestyleguru 7mo ago
  > The US , when finally back in control by reasonable adults There is no way back, as there is no way back to the world before covid or before the 2008 global crisis. They say about Russian history "it was bad and then it got worse". Over and over, for hundreds of years. Vlad and Donnie are friends now.
- Jensson 7mo ago
  > The US , when finally back in control by reasonable adults Betting says next president will be Gavin Newsom or JD Vance or Marco Rubio, so I wouldn't bet on that happening anytime soon. It is weird how so bad people bubble up in american politics.
  - zzzeek 7mo ago
    none of those three people will be president
    - Jensson 7mo ago
      Then you can get rich by betting against it, so most people seem to disagree with you. And in a democracy most people decide who the next leader will be. https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/us-politics https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/us-politics
      - deleted 7mo ago
        [deleted]
      - vntok 7mo ago
        Why would you assume that the parent (1) has a gambling addiction, (2) has enough side money they can lock into a far-away bet and (3) wants to place a bet that will more than probably never pay anyway because it won't be insured nor escrowed by a trusted third party? Buying or selling stocks of companies owned by MAGA henchmen is probably much safer.
        Jensson 7mo ago
        > Buying or selling stocks of companies owned by MAGA henchmen is probably much safer. Not if you are 100% sure, which the poster seemed to be. Its not gambling if its a sure case. So you saying this is a risky bet means you disagree with the person. > wants to place a bet that will more than probably never pay anyway because it won't be insured nor escrowed by a trusted third party? Betting sites are trusted third parties. Anyway, I wasn't telling him to bet on it. My point is that it is weird to say those for sure wont be the next president when most bettors are betting on those being the next president. You saying this is a risky bet means you disagree with him as well.
- jMyles 7mo ago
  > The US , when finally back in control by reasonable adults This rings as "make America great again", just with a different mythology standing-in for "again". The US (or at least the US _state_) hasn't been in control by reasonable adults in over a century, or arguably ever. What is finally becoming obvious is that this particular landmass is much too large to be under the control of a single state, and now that we have instant communications and ubiquitous cameras, even the arguments (laid out eg in the federalist papers) are no longer dispositive. Calm and careful deprecation of the US as a state needs to top the new agenda.
- b0rtb0rt 7mo ago
  > when finally back in control by reasonable adults no one even knows who was really in control during the previous administration. quite a few idiotic and destructive policy changes were made during that administration too
ogogmad 7mo ago
Just about a week ago, Trump was joking about Pearl Harbor on TV while the Japanese PM was sitting right next to him. What's more, she's a nationalist.
- throw949449 7mo ago
  Remember that video about ethnical clensing gaza, beach resort casinos and golden Trump statues? Real estste crypto bro version of hitler!
  - andy_ppp 7mo ago
    If only Hollywood had have let Trump be in more films than Home Alone 2, none of this would have happened!
    - lifestyleguru 7mo ago
      That's a revenge for not letting him to play his character in Back to the Future.
      - fhdkweig 7mo ago
        Or in Super Mario Bros 1993
- skeletoncrew2 7mo ago
  I only give Trump about 25% credit for that joke, the reporter tee’d it up too much. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fFmA0xlINGg&ra=m https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fFmA0xlINGg&ra=m
jghn 7mo ago
Last week the US stated they didn't need any of the oil, and that if other countries wanted it they could go figure it out themselves. Looks like they have. And yet the US is now back to threatening Iran if they don't open up the oil.
- hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 7mo ago
  It is the weekend, of course there is a threat. Tomorrow there will be a deal.
- throw949449 7mo ago
  New deal: There is a toll 5 million usd per tanker, and oil must be paid in RNB not USD. Basically Iran put sanction on US. I guess Trump expected fight or something.
- Spooky23 7mo ago
  It’s the same grift all over again. The market will drop 2-3% Monday. Jared and Jr will load up on options, WTI puts, and whatever other BS they do. Then Tuesday we’ll announce that “good talks have happened” and bridge day is delayed. Maybe they’ll roll out the Shah’s nephew or whatever and pave the way for an announcement of a transitional government. They’ll push the strikes until late in the week or early next week to maximize volatility - next Friday is the April options expiry. It likely the Treasury is intervening in the oil markets, so there’s likely a counter-trade there as well. I’ve 3x’d my salary on this trade as an observer, the insiders are printing cash. Eventually the credibility of the office of the POTUS will erode to a point where it is going to blow up, we probably have another 3-5 rounds of this.
- e2le 7mo ago
  We are 1 Year and 3 months into this current administration, 2 years and 9 months remain. Despite the short period in office, so much damage and chaos has being caused by one individual and the sycophants who surround him. It is a fact that the reputation of the USA has being damaged, perhaps not repairable for decades or more. This will have consequences. Perhaps, I hope, Americans will take action to save the democratic norms and institutions that so many of them have claimed to cherish. Before he has dismantled and replaced too many to salvage. Or perhaps they have work tomorrow.
cybermango 7mo ago
[dead]
soared 7mo ago
This seems like one of the first very clear indications that separating your country from the US can be beneficial. The first stone unturned - will we see more countries aligning with other powers?
- Jensson 7mo ago
  [flagged]
  - watwut 7mo ago
    What are on about now? France explicitely and vocally refused to enter the war. That is why their tanker passed.
    - Jensson 7mo ago
      If that was true many more tankers would have passed from other countries that were more against the war. France is one of few countries with large military presence in the area, that is the only thing they do more than most other countries. Edit: And France even directly threatened to use force here. If you only read American news you wouldn't know since they want it to seem like the world is on Irans side here. What we are seeing is that Iran has started buckling to these threats, not that they are giving passage to those who didn't threaten. > France is advising Bahrain on a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that would authorize the use of force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore global energy flows, according to three diplomats informed of the process. https://www.politico.eu/article/france-advising-bahrain-un-security-council-resolution-strait-of-hormuz-iran-war/ https://www.politico.eu/article/france-advising-bahrain-un-s...
      - watwut 7mo ago
        Spanish tankers are going through. Filipinian and Indian too. Again, what are you on about. France was one of 3 countries that literally blocked UN resolution about opening straight by force. And president repeatedly called it "impossible". You read weird news if you thing "a threat" of anything is making iran to let ships pass. Money and noninvolvement do.
andy_ppp 7mo ago
There’s every chance that the US loses the trust of the GCC countries and they choose to spend their oil money away from the US should all of this madness ever calm down.
- rchaud 7mo ago
  It's extremely unlikely without a common currency and a military alliance with larger, more populous states like Egypt and Iraq. The former would be unacceptable as it would represent a competitor to the Petrodollar, and the latter would be a threat to Israel.
  - andy_ppp 7mo ago
    One of the conditions Iran has placed on ships travelling through the strait of Hormuz is that the oil is traded/purchased in RMB.
tarkin2 7mo ago
Israel recently refused to buy more French military equipment, and France's relations with Israel is at a low; I'm wondering it was the reason the French vessel was allowed through.
- alephnerd 7mo ago
  France hasn't bought Israeli weapons systems and vice versa for years, so it's just a quick populist win with 0 practical implications either way. That said, French and Israeli vendors like Thales, IAI, Dassault, Rafael, Elbit, etc still collaborate closely becuase they are both OEMs, vendors, and JV partners in Indian defense deals that integrate both into Indian weapons systems - especially as both are integrated (along with Russian and indigenous weapons systems) with what is become Indians version of the Iron and Steel dome [0][1]. Vietnam is mandating the same thing as part of their 2045 Drone manufacturing strategy [2]. And both MIC ecosystems still collaborate together on defense deals back in Armenia, Cyprus, and Greece. Most countries that historically had a Soviet/Russian kit are now mandating French+Israeli interoperability becuase of India's success at using it to replace older Soviet or Russian systems where possible. [0] - https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/news-centre/press-releases/thales-and-bharat-dynamics-ltd-agree-initial-supply-man-portable-air https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/news-centre/press-releases/th... [1] - https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/64841 https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/64841 [2] - https://www.intelligenceonline.fr/asie-pacifique/2026/03/02/plan-drones-2045--la-liste-secrete-des-entreprises-mobilisees,110669919-art https://www.intelligenceonline.fr/asie-pacifique/2026/03/02/...
  - YZF 7mo ago
    I think there has been some low volume defense trade in both directions. What some people seem to forget is that France and Israel also compete over some of the same defense deals. There was these incidents where France banned Israeli companies from some defense shows: https://www.politico.eu/article/france-bans-israeli-companies-from-euronaval-arms-show/ https://www.politico.eu/article/france-bans-israeli-companie... https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250616-france-blocks-access-to-israeli-arms-stands-at-paris-air-show https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250616-france-blocks...
zozbot234 7mo ago
[flagged]
- dyauspitr 7mo ago
  > This is a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, Independents, everybody You lost me here. He wouldn’t say this.
deleted 7mo ago
[deleted]
54agfvb 7mo ago
That is a good move from Iran. The EU is tired of US induced wars, tired of Greenland threats and just wants to focus on its economy. In a US war you always have to ask yourself if you do exactly what the US wants in secret. Here it could very well be that the Gulf monarchies are deliberately weakened and the EU/Japan/China are cut off from fossil fuels, so they are even more dependent on the US.

165 points by vrganj 7mo ago

deleted 7mo ago

[deleted]

The US , when finally back in control by reasonable adults, will need to offer great concessions to Iran in order to extricate from the effects of a disastrous, illegal (both from a US as well as an intentional standpoint) and of course, completely, utterly failed war. And it might be just that Iran gets to be a permanent toll collector for the global economy.

vrganj 7mo ago
No matter who controls the US in the future, it will never go back to the position it once had globally. It's been actively harming it's allies, threatening them with invasion and conspiring with their enemies. The rest of the world cannot afford to give the American people the benefit of the doubt. After Trump I, there was hope it was just a fluke. Trump II is much worse and cements the unreliability of the American voting public.
- nozzlegear 7mo ago
  Never is a long time. Look at where Germany was after both WWI and WWII, and where it is now; it's demonstrably possible to cause irreparable damage to everyone around you, and then rise back to the top (multiple times!). The only questions are timeline and scale.
  - vrganj 7mo ago
    Germany wasn't and isn't the world's hegemon. I don't think that position is recoverable the same way.
    - nozzlegear 7mo ago
      It was the hegemon of Europe though, and it is once again – at least economically. I don't know much about European culture to say how popular German pop culture is there though.
      - vrganj 7mo ago
        The "hegemon of Europe" was the "Franco-German engine" for the longest time. The engine has stalled though and the center of gravity is shifting East (Poland) and South (Spain, Italy). United in diversity, as is our motto.
  - evilduck 7mo ago
    You also have to consider the outside intervention forcibly imposed upon Germany, after being defeated in war both times, and how the first round of that contributed directly to WWII. It's not exactly a playbook to copy verbatim.
    - nozzlegear 7mo ago
      I'm on the record that America needs a third Reconstruction era.
  - stevenwoo 7mo ago
    Germany got a new type of government. The 2/3 required in USA for significant change will be insurmountable short of a disaster on order of second Great Depression since plurality of American voters can’t see past next paycheck, no Democrat that can win Presidential primary has any kind of revolutionary vision, it’s all muted, even Bernie got squashed by centrist voters eventually and he was not even that far to the left IMHO - he even stayed away from race or gender issues.
    - nozzlegear 7mo ago
      Hillary Clinton was to the left of Bernie Sanders in 2016, because free trade reduces global stratification and being against trade and immigration like Bernie was (and is) to protect American jobs is elitism.
      - ratrace 7mo ago
        [dead]
      - Our_Benefactors 7mo ago
        > Hillary Clinton was to the left of Bernie Sanders in 2016 No, this is so factually untrue as to be offensive. Hillary is a party stooge through and through, it’s why she was essentially installed as the 2016 dem candidate, in spite of voter preferences. They did Bernie dirty
        nozzlegear 7mo ago
        > Hillary is a party stooge through and through, it’s why she was essentially installed as the 2016 dem candidate, in spite of voter preferences. They did Bernie dirty No, this is so factually untrue as to be offensive. I caucused and volunteered for Bernie in 2016. He lost the primary vote fair and square, but he dragged himself and his supporters to the convention kicking and screaming as if there was some chance he could overcome a mathematical defeat. Superdelegates never even entered the equation. All he did was instill a conspiracy in his diehard supporters.
      - 7mo ago
  - rchaud 7mo ago
    Germany changed its constitution, banned its former ruling party, and actively explores and teaches their school kids about their crimes. The US on the other hand has a chunk of its electorate flying Confederate flags and voting for politicians who think US history textbooks should be more "pro-American".
    - nozzlegear 7mo ago
      I'm not saying the country is perfect right now. We need a third Reconstruction.
      - mrguyorama 7mo ago
        We need a first reconstruction. We voted in Confederate sycophants ASAP to undo the very first, and spent the next 100 years pretending that slavery wasn't still happening. Yet again we have instead voted in people who for some reason think the literal aristocracy system of the antebellum south was anything worth protecting, despite the southern US being so dysfunctional it could barely support a war of it's own making.
  - feb012025 7mo ago
    Look at where Germany is now? They're a total non-player on the world stage. They completely kowtow to the US. Hardly a good example
    - nozzlegear 7mo ago
      > They're a total non-player on the world stage. It's the biggest economy in Europe and the de facto "head country" of the EU.
- bdbdbdb 7mo ago
  This. We all thought Trump was a crazy accident but the fact that he almost beat Biden, and then did beat Harris, means we just can't trust Americans to put sensible people in charge. Assuming a democrat takes the office next, they will inherit an economy in tatters, a failing infrastructure and a broken strategic alliance. They'll have four years to try to fix all of that while the republicans blame them for everything they've inherited, and four years from that the American people will have largely forgotten how Trump and his minions trailed dog shit all through the house and they'll vote for the next right wing dick that's been groomed for the job - probably Pete Hegseth, or Don Jr, or Mark Wayne Mullin
  - deleted 7mo ago
    [deleted]
  - SoftTalker 7mo ago
    Neither Biden nor Harris were sensible candidates. Democrats could have easily beat Trump by running a more appealing/less polarizing candidate. Didn't even have to be both. Obama was polarizing but he was appealing and he won comfortably.
    - adrian_b 7mo ago
      As a non-American I have always wondered about the criteria used by Americans to vote for their presidents. Clinton and Obama had various defects, but at least both of them looked like presidents and talked like presidents. On the other hand, both George Bush Junior and Trump (of course especially the latter), looked like clowns and talked like clowns. I have never understood their appeal to the masses. I understand the discontent of those who have voted against the Democrat "elites", but the fact that anyone could look at Trump and believe that he is the right man for the job seems unbelievable, regardless of how inept were his opponents.
      - donkyrf 7mo ago
        It's easier to understand if you live in America. Your reference to Democrat "elites" shows you have a hint of it... in this country that term never applies to a Republican -- even if they were born rich, went to Ivy League schools, and were handed a career and a professional network on a platter. It is almost _exclusively_ used to denigrate women, minorities, or men who support progressive causes.
- petre 7mo ago
  If Xi put a break on China's growth, Trump surely did throw US influence and soft power straight into the bin. The only winner is China.
sneak 7mo ago
> The US , when finally back in control by reasonable adults Everyone reasonable seems to be holding their breath in anticipation of this eventually happening. What if it doesn’t? What if all of this is a symptom of an underlying deterioration that extends deeper and beyond the current administration? It’s not Trump that made Americans A-OK with wars of aggression; Obama blew up as many kids using drones as Trump put into cages. What if the next few are the same, or worse? What do we do if this isn’t a temporary excursion but the new normal for the US and A?
- thyristan 7mo ago
  > What if it doesn’t? What if all of this is a symptom of an underlying deterioration that extends deeper and beyond the current administration? It’s not Trump that made Americans A-OK with wars of aggression; Obama blew up as many kids using drones as Trump put into cages. What if the next few are the same, or worse? What do we do if this isn’t a temporary excursion but the new normal for the US and A? In the cold war, there was the "Evil East" and the "Good West", and this opposition forced at least some token "goodness" and a certain predictable behavior on both sides. It also forced both sides to have some firm principles they adhere to. Now the cold war is over, and while it did change more in the formerly East, the West, at least in some parts, also learned a few things. Among them that principles are negotiable, especially without a closed opposing bloc with the opposite principles. Doing business with China and Russia not only made people rich, it also moved Western culture more towards the Eastern ones, more than anyone would like to admit. Starting to see things from the Eastern perspective also induced the West to over time to not just understand the former enemy better and learn the "good stuff". We started to find things like strong autocratic leadership, compromises on human rights, ignorance of international laws and treaties, and wars of aggression and conquest more acceptable and even preferable. So I don't think this is just temporary.
  - ted_bunny 7mo ago
    None of that is new or imported from the Asiatic Hordes. It's just more visible now.
lifestyleguru 7mo ago
> The US , when finally back in control by reasonable adults There is no way back, as there is no way back to the world before covid or before the 2008 global crisis. They say about Russian history "it was bad and then it got worse". Over and over, for hundreds of years. Vlad and Donnie are friends now.
Jensson 7mo ago
> The US , when finally back in control by reasonable adults Betting says next president will be Gavin Newsom or JD Vance or Marco Rubio, so I wouldn't bet on that happening anytime soon. It is weird how so bad people bubble up in american politics.
- zzzeek 7mo ago
  none of those three people will be president
  - Jensson 7mo ago
    Then you can get rich by betting against it, so most people seem to disagree with you. And in a democracy most people decide who the next leader will be. https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/us-politics https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/us-politics
    - deleted 7mo ago
      [deleted]
    - vntok 7mo ago
      Why would you assume that the parent (1) has a gambling addiction, (2) has enough side money they can lock into a far-away bet and (3) wants to place a bet that will more than probably never pay anyway because it won't be insured nor escrowed by a trusted third party? Buying or selling stocks of companies owned by MAGA henchmen is probably much safer.
      - Jensson 7mo ago
        > Buying or selling stocks of companies owned by MAGA henchmen is probably much safer. Not if you are 100% sure, which the poster seemed to be. Its not gambling if its a sure case. So you saying this is a risky bet means you disagree with the person. > wants to place a bet that will more than probably never pay anyway because it won't be insured nor escrowed by a trusted third party? Betting sites are trusted third parties. Anyway, I wasn't telling him to bet on it. My point is that it is weird to say those for sure wont be the next president when most bettors are betting on those being the next president. You saying this is a risky bet means you disagree with him as well.
jMyles 7mo ago
> The US , when finally back in control by reasonable adults This rings as "make America great again", just with a different mythology standing-in for "again". The US (or at least the US _state_) hasn't been in control by reasonable adults in over a century, or arguably ever. What is finally becoming obvious is that this particular landmass is much too large to be under the control of a single state, and now that we have instant communications and ubiquitous cameras, even the arguments (laid out eg in the federalist papers) are no longer dispositive. Calm and careful deprecation of the US as a state needs to top the new agenda.
b0rtb0rt 7mo ago
> when finally back in control by reasonable adults no one even knows who was really in control during the previous administration. quite a few idiotic and destructive policy changes were made during that administration too

ogogmad 7mo ago

Just about a week ago, Trump was joking about Pearl Harbor on TV while the Japanese PM was sitting right next to him. What's more, she's a nationalist.

throw949449 7mo ago
Remember that video about ethnical clensing gaza, beach resort casinos and golden Trump statues? Real estste crypto bro version of hitler!
- andy_ppp 7mo ago
  If only Hollywood had have let Trump be in more films than Home Alone 2, none of this would have happened!
  - lifestyleguru 7mo ago
    That's a revenge for not letting him to play his character in Back to the Future.
    - fhdkweig 7mo ago
      Or in Super Mario Bros 1993
skeletoncrew2 7mo ago
I only give Trump about 25% credit for that joke, the reporter tee’d it up too much. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fFmA0xlINGg&ra=m https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fFmA0xlINGg&ra=m

jghn 7mo ago

Last week the US stated they didn't need any of the oil, and that if other countries wanted it they could go figure it out themselves. Looks like they have. And yet the US is now back to threatening Iran if they don't open up the oil.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 7mo ago
It is the weekend, of course there is a threat. Tomorrow there will be a deal.
throw949449 7mo ago
New deal: There is a toll 5 million usd per tanker, and oil must be paid in RNB not USD. Basically Iran put sanction on US. I guess Trump expected fight or something.
Spooky23 7mo ago
It’s the same grift all over again. The market will drop 2-3% Monday. Jared and Jr will load up on options, WTI puts, and whatever other BS they do. Then Tuesday we’ll announce that “good talks have happened” and bridge day is delayed. Maybe they’ll roll out the Shah’s nephew or whatever and pave the way for an announcement of a transitional government. They’ll push the strikes until late in the week or early next week to maximize volatility - next Friday is the April options expiry. It likely the Treasury is intervening in the oil markets, so there’s likely a counter-trade there as well. I’ve 3x’d my salary on this trade as an observer, the insiders are printing cash. Eventually the credibility of the office of the POTUS will erode to a point where it is going to blow up, we probably have another 3-5 rounds of this.
e2le 7mo ago
We are 1 Year and 3 months into this current administration, 2 years and 9 months remain. Despite the short period in office, so much damage and chaos has being caused by one individual and the sycophants who surround him. It is a fact that the reputation of the USA has being damaged, perhaps not repairable for decades or more. This will have consequences. Perhaps, I hope, Americans will take action to save the democratic norms and institutions that so many of them have claimed to cherish. Before he has dismantled and replaced too many to salvage. Or perhaps they have work tomorrow.

cybermango 7mo ago

[dead]

soared 7mo ago

This seems like one of the first very clear indications that separating your country from the US can be beneficial. The first stone unturned - will we see more countries aligning with other powers?

Jensson 7mo ago
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- watwut 7mo ago
  What are on about now? France explicitely and vocally refused to enter the war. That is why their tanker passed.
  - Jensson 7mo ago
    If that was true many more tankers would have passed from other countries that were more against the war. France is one of few countries with large military presence in the area, that is the only thing they do more than most other countries. Edit: And France even directly threatened to use force here. If you only read American news you wouldn't know since they want it to seem like the world is on Irans side here. What we are seeing is that Iran has started buckling to these threats, not that they are giving passage to those who didn't threaten. > France is advising Bahrain on a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that would authorize the use of force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore global energy flows, according to three diplomats informed of the process. https://www.politico.eu/article/france-advising-bahrain-un-security-council-resolution-strait-of-hormuz-iran-war/ https://www.politico.eu/article/france-advising-bahrain-un-s...
    - watwut 7mo ago
      Spanish tankers are going through. Filipinian and Indian too. Again, what are you on about. France was one of 3 countries that literally blocked UN resolution about opening straight by force. And president repeatedly called it "impossible". You read weird news if you thing "a threat" of anything is making iran to let ships pass. Money and noninvolvement do.

andy_ppp 7mo ago

There’s every chance that the US loses the trust of the GCC countries and they choose to spend their oil money away from the US should all of this madness ever calm down.

rchaud 7mo ago
It's extremely unlikely without a common currency and a military alliance with larger, more populous states like Egypt and Iraq. The former would be unacceptable as it would represent a competitor to the Petrodollar, and the latter would be a threat to Israel.
- andy_ppp 7mo ago
  One of the conditions Iran has placed on ships travelling through the strait of Hormuz is that the oil is traded/purchased in RMB.

tarkin2 7mo ago

Israel recently refused to buy more French military equipment, and France's relations with Israel is at a low; I'm wondering it was the reason the French vessel was allowed through.

alephnerd 7mo ago
France hasn't bought Israeli weapons systems and vice versa for years, so it's just a quick populist win with 0 practical implications either way. That said, French and Israeli vendors like Thales, IAI, Dassault, Rafael, Elbit, etc still collaborate closely becuase they are both OEMs, vendors, and JV partners in Indian defense deals that integrate both into Indian weapons systems - especially as both are integrated (along with Russian and indigenous weapons systems) with what is become Indians version of the Iron and Steel dome [0][1]. Vietnam is mandating the same thing as part of their 2045 Drone manufacturing strategy [2]. And both MIC ecosystems still collaborate together on defense deals back in Armenia, Cyprus, and Greece. Most countries that historically had a Soviet/Russian kit are now mandating French+Israeli interoperability becuase of India's success at using it to replace older Soviet or Russian systems where possible. [0] - https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/news-centre/press-releases/thales-and-bharat-dynamics-ltd-agree-initial-supply-man-portable-air https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/news-centre/press-releases/th... [1] - https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/64841 https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/64841 [2] - https://www.intelligenceonline.fr/asie-pacifique/2026/03/02/plan-drones-2045--la-liste-secrete-des-entreprises-mobilisees,110669919-art https://www.intelligenceonline.fr/asie-pacifique/2026/03/02/...
- YZF 7mo ago
  I think there has been some low volume defense trade in both directions. What some people seem to forget is that France and Israel also compete over some of the same defense deals. There was these incidents where France banned Israeli companies from some defense shows: https://www.politico.eu/article/france-bans-israeli-companies-from-euronaval-arms-show/ https://www.politico.eu/article/france-bans-israeli-companie... https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250616-france-blocks-access-to-israeli-arms-stands-at-paris-air-show https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250616-france-blocks...

zozbot234 7mo ago

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dyauspitr 7mo ago
> This is a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, Independents, everybody You lost me here. He wouldn’t say this.

deleted 7mo ago

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54agfvb 7mo ago

That is a good move from Iran. The EU is tired of US induced wars, tired of Greenland threats and just wants to focus on its economy. In a US war you always have to ask yourself if you do exactly what the US wants in secret. Here it could very well be that the Gulf monarchies are deliberately weakened and the EU/Japan/China are cut off from fossil fuels, so they are even more dependent on the US.