mastodon - Link to source

Do you understand why Trump has lifted the oil sanctions that were punishing Iran, the country he’s bombing, and Russia, the country that’s helping it?

Do you understand why Trump is sending 5,000 Marines to sail through the Strait of Hormuz while complaining that none of our friends and allies will help him reopen it?

Here's the whole explanation.

no01.substack.com/p/march-19-2…

March, 19-21: God is a comedian

A stiff drink is recommended
No1 (Gold and Geopolitics)
in reply to James Gleick

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

Plan-A

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@James Gleick I didn't knew 2 F-35's were shot down, here's the source of 1 of them
airandspaceforces.com/f-35a-la…

First F-35: A U.S. Air Force F-35A was hit during a combat mission over central Iran on March 19, 2026, forcing an emergency landing at a U.S. air base in the Middle East.

Second F-35: A second F-35 was reportedly struck over Bandar Abbas Province in southern Iran on March 20, 2026, according to sources including Türkiye Today. The aircraft diverted and landed safely at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. Details on the pilot’s condition and the nature of the damage remain unconfirmed.

USAF F-35 Lands After Taking Fire Over Iran; Pilot Stable

A U.S. Air Force F-35 conducted an emergency landing after being struck by ground fire during a combat mission over Iran.
Steve Losey (Air & Space Forces Magazine)
@James Gleick
in reply to James Gleick

mastodon - Link to source

Scott D. Strader 😐

Anytime he causes chaos I immediately know that it's simply a way for him to make money and not solely a child's base, reactive impulses. I'm not always sure how he's making money or the breadth of those he's gifted his national security insider trading, but the impetus is money. Thank you for suffering through the details of this latest, and maybe the bleakest, grift.
in reply to James Gleick

mastodon - Link to source

spdrnl

Unimaginable, unbelievable, yet true.

"The entire post-1973 petrodollar deal was simple: Gulf sells oil in dollars, America provides the security umbrella. The umbrella is on fire. The refineries are on fire. ... The petrodollar was already the payment..."

And yet, according to this blog, the US is now paying for oil in Yuan to quiet the situation down.

If that is true, the humiliation is complete.

in reply to James Gleick

mastodon - Link to source

Tim Finnerty

"Friday’s press gaggle. Barely exaggerated: at 12:03 PM, President Trump told reporters he wanted a ceasefire with Iran. At 12:05 he declared victory. At 12:07 he announced he was sending Marines. At 12:08 he said no boots on the ground. At 12:11 he said he did not want a ceasefire. At 12:16 he declared victory again. At 12:17 he asked for a ceasefire. At 12:23 he told NATO they were cowards. At 12:29 he said Iran was begging for a ceasefire. At 12:31 he said everything was perfect. At 12:36 he said $500 oil was a good thing. At 12:37 he demanded Iran open Hormuz. At 12:39 he said Hormuz was never closed. At 12:41 he said the US was not at war with Iran. At 12:42 he declared victory in Iran."
in reply to Wouter De Borger

mastodon - Link to source

GhostOnTheHalfShell

@wdeborger
When you get an understanding of just how consolidated ownership of stocks are starts with the top 10% income brackets owning 94% of all stocks I think I hope I haven’t gone senile in a week.

But the top .1% has something like 23% ownership. Whales of that size can tip prices easily by buying or selling a tiny fraction of their total holdings between each other.

It’s hard not to see this is a game between peers to manipulate their net worth

@Wouter De Borger
in reply to Rich Stein (he/him)

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Rich Stein (he/him)

The media in this post is not displayed to visitors. To view it, please go to the original post.
Unrelated — I was doing some housecleaning recently, and this note from Ralph Leighton fell out of a book. I lived in Glendale in the late 80s and early 90s — attended a memorial service for Feynman at Caltech at which I recall Murray Gell-Mann speaking. I can't recall, but perhaps Ralph Leighton spoke then as well. I must have dropped him a note for some reason. Small world.
in reply to James Gleick

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wsm

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No01: “To reach Kharg Island, the Marines aboard the USS Tripoli and USS Boxer must first sail through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has mined.[…]”

It’s entirely possible for such an operation to be conducted from the Gulf of Oman. No Strait passage needed.

If only there were Rs to vote down DoD’s $200B supplemental, or a cabinet willing to invoke the 25th.

📷 Saul Loeb/Getty Images

in reply to James Gleick

sharkey - Link to source

syn

The pilot had shrapnel wounds. The aircraft, they said, “will not return to service”, which is the sort of thing you say about a car that hit a bridge abutment at speed, not about a plane that landed.


You know what they say, a good landing is one you walk away from, a great landing is one you can use the plane again... Sounds like this was somewhere between a bad and a good landing

in reply to James Gleick

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HTPC NZ

that's art of the deal - everyone keeps going what's the end goal of the Epstein war, it is in the name, this war was just a distraction for pedo in chief to move the collective conscience from his pedo crimes to war crimes... if the cost of that is sanction relief to regimes on the same wavelength, so be it. Even he is smart enough to know no one from US ever get punished for war crimes, specially if giving the orders.
in reply to James Gleick

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Andi H

..."A White House source told Axios they need “about a month to weaken the Iranians more” before attempting this. One month. Of a war Trump described as ‘winding down’ on Friday - three weeks in, which by his count is basically four days… Both statements were made, as far as anyone can tell, by people who occupy the same government and occasionally share a building.

A former Navy SEAL called the plan “insane”. A retired Vice Admiral called it “a massacre-in-making scenario”. A retired Rear Admiral pointed out that even if they seize the island, Iran simply turns off the pipeline at the other end. Frankly, I think they're being extremely polite. This is a clusterfuck of historic proportions and everyone who's ever held a rank knows it."...

in reply to James Gleick

mastodon - Link to source

GhostOnTheHalfShell

“ This week, the US Treasury lifted all oil sanctions on Iran. … Including to the United States itself.
In yuan.
The United States is purchasing, with Chinese currency, oil from the country it is currently bombing?! The same oil that funds the missiles that just shot down an F-35 for the first time. The same missiles that are redecorating allied oil infrastructure.”

Bye bye dollar reserve currency status

in reply to GhostOnTheHalfShell

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

Plan-A

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@GhostOnTheHalfShell @James Gleick just one word or adjective: BRICKS petrodollar was stopped years ago when the Saudi's allied with Iran trough the Chinese and are on the list of waiting to join this new monetary system meant to destroy the dollar as for G7 they have a counterpart of it as well the Shanghai can't remember what SCO. Iran is in it as Russia and China off course Brazil etc > this gets geo
The Chinese knew that it is the Achilles Heel of USA and it's hegemony, the $
And they more advanced than USA atm Military as well.
The pivot to Asia and the decline of USA as global player is real as I knew 3 years ago
@GhostOnTheHalfShell @James Gleick
in reply to GhostOnTheHalfShell

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

Plan-A

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@GhostOnTheHalfShell @James Gleick What do you mean? This not our War but Trump and Bibi's War all consequences are on them as culprit.
How do you think it is possible to even open up that straight??? And same time getting in a war of some 2 most hate-able persons in the world?

This is a crime in International law, period. And not from Iran but you USA and fucking Israel

@GhostOnTheHalfShell @James Gleick
in reply to Plan-A

mastodon - Link to source

GhostOnTheHalfShell

@zer0unplanned
Absolutely. The US is radioactive right now. The situation is not going to be improved with a show of force and I think most rational people realize the way out of it is not more military equipment.

Europe, anyway, has other concerns they have to remain focused on. I would think Russia would just love Europe to divert its military resources into the Middle East.

And I don’t think Europe is that stupid

@Plan-A
in reply to GhostOnTheHalfShell

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

Plan-A

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@GhostOnTheHalfShell @James Gleick mass media news this morning as I scroll trough the national TV news's site is all or 8 Nations in EU have said that they don't want to be there at all under no circumstances.
They open again trade with Russia for LNG mostly as the last shipment arrived, there are measures taken to lighten the burden on the citizens of EU from each Nation, do not forget Iceland which is still fresh in memory although Trump changes mind every 2 minutes like some social media troll. They condemn Iran publicly but know very well this is all Trumps fault along with his failing Administration.
Some even wonder if NATO should still stand as it is or exist even.
@GhostOnTheHalfShell @James Gleick
in reply to GhostOnTheHalfShell

mastodon - Link to source

hindsight

@GhostOnTheHalfShell "It still kills me too that Europe has much more skin in the game "
A very casual glance might lead to that conclusion..
However, it's the Gulf States themselves along with USA..
Why, well for the gulf States that's easy, it's their oil/gas etc..

For USA, .. petrodollar comes to mind, maybe the Saudis will sell in any courrency ..
the investments into USA from these States.. well no income, no $$s investment out.. Its complicated and interwined. 😉))

@GhostOnTheHalfShell
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