It’s $200 billion today, how much tomorrow? 
Not Putting Troops Anywhere
The Wall Street Journal reports ‘We’re Not Putting Troops Anywhere,’ Trump Says
President Trump said “we’re not putting troops anywhere” when asked Thursday about the movement of forces toward Iran.
“If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you, but I’m not putting troops, and we will do whatever is necessary” to keep the price of gas and oil down, he told reporters ahead of an Oval Office meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
The Pentagon has recently deployed the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, a rapid-response force of about 2,200 Marines, to the Middle East.
In other words, Trump may or may not be putting troops in Iran.
Congress Braces for $200B Iran War Request
Politico reports Congress Braces for $200B Iran War Request
The ballooning cost of the war is certain to intensify an already toxic fight on Capitol Hill over the Trump administration’s three-week military campaign in the Middle East.
The Pentagon’s emerging plan to seek $200 billion in additional spending to finance President Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran will intensify an already toxic partisan fight over the war and its cost.
Congressional Democrats labeled the eye-popping figure a nonstarter Thursday. Republicans offered cautious support for a large supplemental, but said they’ll need to review the details before backing such a huge windfall for the military.
“I do think we’ll need a very generous amount,” said Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). “But I have not seen anything specific yet.”
Speaking at a Pentagon press conference Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the administration is considering a $200 billion supplemental request to cover the costs of military action in Iran, but he also noted “that number could move” in coming days.
“It takes money to kill bad guys,” he said. “So we’re going back to Congress and our folks there to ensure we’re properly funded for what’s being done, for what we may have to do in the future.”
“We’re asking for a lot of reasons, beyond even what we’re talking about in Iran. This is a very volatile world, and the military equipment, the power of some of this weaponry is unthinkable,” Trump said. “It’s a small price to pay to make sure we stay tippy top.”
The entire military budget for fiscal 2026 totaled $1 trillion, after including extra funds approved as part of the Republican-led reconciliation package last summer. Adding $200 billion more would represent a major expenditure of federal monies at a time when Democratic lawmakers have been critical of the president’s cuts in non-military programming.
It Takes Money to Kill Bad Guys
Q: How Much?
A: Consider $200 billion is just a down payment. That’s the way it always works.
But that’s OK
Q: Why?
A: “It’s a small price to pay to make sure we stay tippy top.”
Is it just me or are these small prices adding up?
Gasoline, food, fertilizer, aluminum, natural gas, and interest rates have all gone up since Trump started this foolish war.
Q: Who is the beneficiary?
A: Israel and Russia.
Everyone else loses. Here is the latest from X. Except embeds broken again. So I will post images.
Americans Should Be Thanking Trump
Are you thanking Trump for more inflation and bigger deficits?
Jet Fuel Prices Skyrocket
Well, that’s just another one of those small price things.
Irony of the Day
National Debt Soars
Thanks to the war, tariffs, and funding requests Odds of Fed Rate Hikes Now Exceed Cuts Through October
Five Reasons to Blame Trump
- Tariffs.
- Deficit Spending and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
- Iran war pushed up the price of oil. There is no estimate when it will end, or even what the goals are.
- It’s not just oil. Fertilizer, Natural gas, aluminum, and other commodities are impacted. Natural gas and fertilizer will impact agriculture. Knock-on impacts are everywhere.
- Trump now wants another $200 billion or more to fund the war he just started. More deficit spending will pressure rates.
All five points are inflationary. Tariffs are also recessionary.
Thank you for your attention.
Turns out defunding Ukraine was required for the wrong reason.
“Deficit Spending and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
This has been the root cause of all bad decisionmaking.
I expect that this will take at least about 10 democrat votes in the house to pass. Massie and now Boebert are NO votes. A few republicans will be absent. Which AIPAC democrats will be told to take one for the team to pass it? Even if those democrats lose, democrats will pick up more than enough seats to make up the loss. How does democrat Hakeem Jeffries ($5.5 million from AIPAC) thread this needle?
I predict it will pass by at least a narrow margin. The republicans in the senate will likely pass it maybe with Vance casting a tie breaker.
If Democrats can’t unify to oppose funding this war, they do not deserve anyone’s vote in November
Since the smart countries are taking back their gold and dumping dollars, I guess all we have left is seizing the oil.
LMFAO! No surprise as to why this guy bankrupted a casino. He cannot do math. Those tariffs need to be paid back. The same people who have told democrats they cannot increase spending without increasing tax revenues are now trying to convince us that they can increase spending AND decrease revenues. The corruption and death of the republic should be crystal clear to everyone now. The rules based system that American fought and died for in WWII is dead. Hedge accordingly because most Americans have no idea what is coming. The Russians understand because they went through this in the late 80’s and 90’s and I suspect that our oligarchs will behave no differently.
Balanced federal budgets and term limits died the second the hypocrites became the majority. That’s ok we may see a Democrat congress and presidency for the next forty years.
So, tax breaks; huge increases for Medical insurance; everything but wages are going up.
And an extra B$500 for the War Department, and another B$200 as down payment for “Epic Folly: Shut Down Hormuz” expenses.
Don’t worry. Other nations are paying the tariffs which the IRS has to refund to Americans. business.
This guys has less self-awareness than a toddler struggling to think up a fib.
Good election slogan this:
But, BUt, BUT!
Trumpty Dumpty won the war on the first day, and the second day, and the third day, and the fourth day, and the fifth day, and the sixth day.
And on the seventh day he rested and realized he was an impotent fraud…
And on the seventh day, the bond market woke up. 30 year just shy of 5%, 10 year at 4.3%
https://www.cnbc.com/bonds/
Do worry, Trump will find a way to make things even worse.™
Predictions: Nationwide summer anti-Trump protests incoming. National emergency declared because of ‘insurrection’ by ‘domestic terrorists’. Midterms postponed indefinitely in order to ‘save our democracy’ from the terrorists.
Why do you think they are building all of those massive detainment centers at taxpayers expense?
I assumed for the minorities. Do you think Caucasians will end up there also?
Not sure, but if they plan on using those for mass incarceration of Americans they should also plan on expanding graveyards while they are at it.
Trump talks out both sides of his mouth all the time, depnding on whatever happens to be convenient to him at any given moment.
In this case, he’s simply trying to jawbone equity markets up and oil prices down.
Assuming an Israeli population of 7 million, $200 billion amounts to approximately $28,500 per Israeli. Meanwhile, my daughter struggles to afford health insurance for her family under Obamacare.
You have midterms coming up, choose wisely.
The money’s already burned. The democrats will just get blamed for it, and the republicans will be back in to continue making things worse, on the backs of their millions of angry morons.
The reason for this Israel-first foreign policy is clear: https://davidicke.com/2025/09/20/us-ambassador-to-israel-mike-huckabee-jews-are-gods-chosen-people-and-the-foundation-of-all-morality/
What’s the opposite of antisemitism? Oversemitism? Semiteophelia?
Is there a perfect Japanese word for it, like weaboo?
Pat’s got it.
Jewish Supremacism?!
I really can’t respect the intelligence of anyone that believes in a god. Huckabee least of all.
Yes, it’s hard.
So is what you’re sayin’ is that you’re tired of winning?
WAR ON IRAN – (‘Finishing Off – Iran’) Gen W. Clark (+ Gaza Genocide) – For ‘Greater Israel’.!
Operation ‘Epstein’ Fury For ‘Greater Israel’
Instead Of The ‘Military Boots’ Being Used As ‘Cannon Fodder’ By The ‘Epstein’ PDF Warmonger$$ For ‘Greater Israel’ – Send In ‘Military Boots’ To Collect The ‘Epstein’ PDF Warmonger$$
For New Nuremberg Trials + Executions.!
Twenty Four Years of a War of Aggression (Bush/Cheney
Crime Team’s ‘War of Terror’ 2001 – Ongoing) For ‘Greater Israel’.!
Million’s Dead – Million’s Injured – Million’s Displaced
– Created Worldwide Immigrant Crisis.!
Operation ‘Epstein’ Fury For ‘Greater Israel’
– (‘Finishing Off – Iran’) Gen W. Clark (+ Gaza Genocide)
‘Greater Israel’ Will Control ‘Middle East’ Oil.!
‘Greater Israel’ + Mossad ‘Epstein’ PDF Nazi’s = ‘Plan’
To Rule The World.!
“Connecting The Dots”
If The American Public Does Not Demand ‘Incarceration’ For the “Epstein’ PDF Warmonger$ + Bring Their Warmongering Government Under Control – ‘THEN’ BRICS Will Solve The Problem.!
“That Many Nations Would Disappear From the Face of the Earth – That Russia (BRICS Formed 2009) Would Be the Instrument of Chastisement From Heaven For the Whole World.” Sister Lucia of Fatima 1957
In 1957 ‘Russia’ Was Know As The ‘Soviet Union’ – Not ‘Russia’ As It Is TODAY.!
Iran/Persia Kicking The A$$ Of The ‘Epstein’ PDF Warmonger$$ – The ‘I’ In BRICS.!
Rest Of BRICS Will Soon Join The War.!
NATO (Bankrupt) Vs BRICS (Resource Rich).!
“But Kamala would have been worse….” Lol.
Trump inflation – check
Trump wars – check
Trump graft – check
Trump chaos – check
Trump subservience to Israel – check
Trump dementia – check
But hey, confederate statues are back – win! /s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRndMiVIB-w
Do worry, Trump will find a way to make things even worse.™
I’m sorry. I could have handled the pant suits or the kackling separately, but not both. I was forced to sacrifice my country and standard of living for my immediate personal comfort.
And she wasn’t white, I mean come on we already did that once and the guy wore a brown suit! WTF a BROWN suit, coulda destroyed America as we know it. /s
She was kind of off-white… again, I could have DEALT with that, but not with the Kackles and the pant suit!
TBH I don’t think Trump is driving the ship anymore. His (lack of) mental acuity just makes it worse, but then we saw many of the same issues with Biden. You need actual leaders with some backbone, or at least advisers who have integrity and willingness to use the 25th amendment when necessary. Now we are in at least the 2nd term where the most reckless neocons are running the show.
“Operation Epstein Fury – To Keep Us Safe!” – Trump
Us being those with a net wealth of 1 billion or more.
Everybody else needs to understand that we are THEM in this scenario.
So when are 10 million of us going to drive to DC completely clog the streets and show em Jan 6 was for children? Oh, forgot this isn’t Paris or Berlin.
Soon as the food runs short.
People are getting distracted focusing on Trump. The Neocons have controlled American War tactics for over 60 years already. These Neocons come from both Political Parties. Look at the policies pushed by Lindsay Graham for example and then you will know how the Uniparty Neocons direct all Presidents.
https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/lindsey-graham-gop-sc-campaign/article_3c3760ff-7ce6-4aac-aef0-c0308c7774d5.html
Even the neocons were smart enough to avoid Iran.
Smart being the operative word.
Nope, just wan’t time yet…there is a very specific order to this operation of destroying the middle east
Those evil Iranians keep messing it all up.
Not all of them, obviously. Desperation might also be a factor. By now its understood that Ukraine is a lost cause, so they lost one shot at Russia. Now with Iran there’s another shot at BRICs as a whole. Some probably don’t care at all if they take down the world economy as a result, thinking that might collapse China or at least put a real wrench in the works.
will whiskey Pete shoot em out of the water?
U.S. says Cuba is prohibited from taking Russian oil as two tankers head to island
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/20/cuba-crisis-fuel-tankers-russia-oil-gas-energy-us-trump.html
Putin may say Хуй тебе. I’m not Nikita Khrushchev.
Gee, why would Iran invest in weapons? It’s not like anyone was going to attack them….
All this winning if going to destroy the dollar faster than anyone thought!
America is about to learn that its not the indispensable nation it thinks it is, and thats probably a good thing in the longer term if you believe in a peaceful future
It’ll hurt everyone else to cut us loose, but it’s clear they will be better off in the long run for doing it.
Anyone thinking that the slam down of gold and silver is over?
Rolling oil profits back into the mining stonks?
It’s certainly flushing out some momentum players. One way of looking at it is that a few billion people who actually accumulate gold/silver have a real good reason to sell some to try to survive the economic calamity which is hitting them first.
The real fun begins when inflation takes hold, and fiat currencies get trashed as governments try to print their way out of the mess.
Trump Seeks $200 for the War
A hell of a lot more than $200.
Trump is completely out of control. He must be impeached now and removed from office before he destroys the US and world economy. Then he and Bibi must be put on trial for war crimes because thee is no doubt they are war criminals.
Democrats in Congress can’t even agree to vote “no” as a solid block on funding this fiasco.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_politicians_funded_by_AIPAC
This is why.
That chart is a joke, at least half of Congress gets some form of AIPAC funding, probably closer to 3/4. They go to great effort to hide the funding of politicians.
That’s exactly why we need term limits. ONE term and out. Maybe they’d vote for what is right not what will keep them in their seat.
No one of consequence ever does any war criminal time.
Didn’t they get o’l Slobodan Milosovitch? That’s the last one I remember.
30-odd years ago.
We are forgetting the $500 billion increase Trump wants for the annual military budget…
On top of th existing one Trillion
and the ballroom dont forget the ballroom!
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/17/trump-white-house-ballroom-400-million/87808741007/
Wait… I thought Mexico paid for the ballroom?
If Trump were to hire an architect to shape it like a Sombrero, the Mexicans probably would pay for it.
The Trump administration has no clear strategy in its fight with Iran. It’s increasingly clear that this will not end well for them. The only question remaining is how badly it will end for everyone else. Because it seems like it will be real bad.
I agree!
Hey Congress! Just say no to more war funding. I’ve already contacted my congresswomen. Theyll do what hey want, but if their phones lines are burning up, it can matter. Call, don’t email.
Send the bill to Netanyahu.
And the AIPAC donors.
Let them pay for their war.
Milei in Argentina, a big Israel/Trump fan, is making noises like he wants to commit the Argentinian navy “near” the gulf
Maybe get the Falklands back for his service
Yeah, his performance crying at the Western Wall was one for the ages
Near? Is mere placation.
Put them in harms way and it is another story.
As an investor in YPF I think it is good politics but bad policy.
Argentina is now a major oil, gas, lithium, gold, silver, copper, beef, wheat, corn and many other natural and not so natural resource producer. Argentina is a country on the rise. China has also made many investments in Argentina so Milei is playing monkey in the middle.
It is also stunningly beautiful and has been a hide out for the worlds wealthy and politically dispossessed for centuries.
The Argentinian Bathtub Fleet stands ready!
Trump softened Iran up enough to get Congress to approve more spending; else an incomplete mission would be completely destabilizing to the middle east. Trump then needs to soften Iran up even more so its neighbors feel confident initiating a ground attack.
Or to quote Rahm Emanuel, “Never let a crisis go to waste.” This implies one should create a crisis. The strategy is similar to Trump’s approach of saying outrageous things to get a response that reveals what the opposition might be willing to negotiate.
are we talking the reprise of Vietnam dominoes?
While Trump may have softened Iran up enough to get more spending; I agree he needs to soften Iran up a lot more for its neighbors to put there feet on the ground. They get churned up quickly from past experience, so it needs to be done quick, but right, to allow them to trust the move is not a slaughter field for them once again. Once they see that, and see positive movement forward, I think they will be totally, and in big numbers, onboard for future Peace and Prosperity!!
Also known as genocide by the victims…
It’s all amateur of perspective, objective observers see this war for what it is. One theocracy against another.
The market for the Middle Eastern oil (OPEC) is China and Asia.
If they simply sit back let the US waste its resources and accumulate even more debt?
We will be easy pickings. This war is bad for America!
Lots of wars have been fought to prove my god is better than your god
I get the genocide take, and that is definitely a factor coming into play by Iranians. I do think, because they have been oppressed for so long, that they are simply begging for Peace, and at all cost, as up until now, life has been the penalty with no resistance, but now that’s changed.
They may perhaps look at this as a golden opportunity for Peace, or way closer than ever to it, which would still be huge imo.
This war could be bad for America, but if it all works out as planned, it could be good for America and a lot of others Countries. No more Nuclear worries, no more being lorded over and abused by the leaders of the Country worries, in fact it could represent nirvana for many. Woman and Children especially! Nobody truly knows for sure, but one would be hard pressed to say it will be worse for the people… I suppose we shall see. Unfortunately we won’t know until after the fact.
There never was a nuclear threat you imbecile!
Can’t wait for the Chinese cars to get here.
Most excellent trolling, sir!
Signs of US Plans to Take Kharg Island
But the real escalation risk surrounds what Washington’s next move may be, as the Trump administration is actively weighing seizing Kharg Island, Iran’s key export hub, in a desperate effort to force Hormuz back open. One source put it bluntly
to Axios: “We need about a month to weaken the Iranians more with strikes, take the island, and then get them by the balls and use it for negotiations.
====== from ZH
AGAIN american military idiocy is on display.
why seizing Kharg Island would affect Iran? Kharg Island is just export choke point!
USA army can blow off any Iranian ship w/ oil/gas in any point of Hormus or around!
Israel airplanes hit ships in Caspian sea! what balls?
what is point of seizing?
======
and THAT IS WHY YOU understand they are just bunch of plain mo11rons w/ out any strategy!!!!!
alx
Yes. What’s the point of holding Iran’s oil terminal when Trump wants Iranian oil to flow freely to keep oil prices down?
The point of seizing should be obvious.
1) You prevent Iran from loading oil onto ships for China/India which stops their revenue stream
2) You avoid destroying the infrastructure there you need after the war ends as you want oil flowing the minute the war ends, not years later after its rebuilt.
The simplest way is to land Marines and set booby trap bombs on everything and then leave (1-2 days max). Let Iran know what you did. They can’t use the facility without blowing it up (and killing their own people who attempt to use it) but they also know it’s intact and ready to use the minute the war ends.
the simplest way is to seize the Iranian tankers at sea and not try an island assault.
The exact same outcome without a lot of dead Marines.
I would assume that Iran has a response for this and any other action we take.
the simplest thing for Iran to do is attack the oil infrastructure of one of our allies in tje region.
if we play all or nothing everyone just may end up with nothing
Exactly. Iran doesn’t seem to f**k around with strategic ambiguity. They tell you the FO that will happen when you FA. It’s pathetic when Arabs and U.S. officials grouse that Iran is being bad by doing the very thing they promised to do in retaliation.
Yeah, it’s simple, until countermeasures are taken against U.S. naval vessels. Then you could have Chinese/North Korean/Russian submarines start taking measures with plausible deniability who did it. Iran also claims they have underwater drones capable of taking out nearby ships and I believe it. If they have the capability, others do as well. This war has the potential to expand in a hurry and most seem oblivious to the danger.
Unless Iran has already wired Kharg with explosives
And you think Iran won’t just dust the whole site in retaliation? Assuming this tricky business of selective booby traps is pulled off.
.7 probability that island goes up in flames before summer.
Iran will blow it up, they have most likely already mined the crap out of it and have drones, missiles and artillery sighted in and waiting. You don’t understand who we are fighting. Iran fought Iraq (America at the time) for eight years. They even held out against the poison gas we gave Iraq. This tiny island doesn’t mean shit.
Do that, and Iran will destroy every remaining oil/gas facility in the ME, as they have promised if we do anything else targeted at Iranian energy infrastructure..
Trumpstien is going to either blow up that infrastructure himself, or provoke the Iranians into doing it.
It never gets better with this guy. Never.
Kharg Island is a killbox less than seven miles long. Iran will not hesitate to blow it up and 2500 marines at the same time. If the military leaders are actually involved with the decision making, the posts about it are just a distraction.
This is shaping up for Americans as the most expensive war since WW2. There are the direct military costs ($200 billion will just be the appetizer), there are the direct costs to consumers (anybody been to a gas station recently?), there is the inflation tax triggered by this war (on your fixed income assets), and there is the massive destruction of retirement savings (anybody checked their 401Ks since 2/28?). And above all there is a complete loss of faith in the rest of the world that the US as a country is able to behave rationally.
usa deficit $ 2.8 trln w/out war in 2026
it is peanuts
Since WW2: The average hourly wage in 1939 was $.30 and the average income for a household in 1939 was $1,368. A car cost around $750 and a house about $4,000. You could drive to the store for $.10 a gallon, purchase bread for $.09 a loaf, and buy milk for $.23 per gallon. Oh, and Renting a house cost approximately $28 per month.
I guess prices would be much higher now days…
Interesting if you multiply all these numbers by 10, some of these would be cheap and some expensive – milk at 23$/gal may be the most expensive and gas at $10/gal may be the cheapest.
I think you mean multiply by 100. At a factor of 10 milk would be just $2.30 and gas $1.00 a gallon.
That is interesting, I had not done those calculations. Gas I assumed until the 70’s of course, but milk was surprising. I guess we didn’t have the storage abilities in the farms perhaps, or a shortage of milk producers? It certainly point out how fast things can change, and then change again…
Refrigeration changed a lot of transportation and storage issues. Florida fish and seafood took off after refrigerated transport became possible. Using ice from the great lakes packed in saw dust wasn’t a great way to ship seafood.
And Republicans wanted us to believe they were pro-life!
They want another $200 billion for death and destruction of their religious enemies in the Middle East after slashing the global foreign aid of $62 billion.
Pro life my ass!
We can’t afford healthcare or higher education for Americans, but we can spend $1.2 Trillion on the Department of WAR!
$1 trillion base line + $500 billion Chump ™ increase + $200B Iran supplemental for Iran 4 day-war + $27B for Israel thus far to “fight the bad guys” +++
Thats a lot of Pennies Joe ~ for supporting one theocracy over another.
The First Amendments to our Constitution’s prohibition of the establishment of one religion at the expense of another.
Every Penny spent in support of Israel is in direct violation of the separation of church and state.
We can’t afford healthcare or higher education for Americans, but we could Afford healthcare and Education for Illegal Aliens until just recently, thanks to the closing of our Border. It’s all relative…
Bullshit. You are a brainwashed member of a cult.
Israel does have universal healthcare and free education.
Apparently socialized medicine is bad, very bad. But only sometimes.
It’s only bad if you don’t have someone else paying for it. In this case, the US taxpayer pays for free healthcare for Israel. Now get back to work slave!
They need to keep their child trafficking president stocked up.
Yes. The Epstein cult’s first act of the war was the burnt offer sacrifice of 165 virgins.
Maybe Trump did not provide troops and more equipment to Ukraine so that they would be available to use against Iran.
That black box Trump statement at the top of the post was a lie 4 months ago when stated and is an obvious lie now. The debt cannot be paid down without first eliminating the annual deficit. It is simple math, if there is a deficit, the debt must be rising. In other words, until the congress balances the budget without accounting gimmicks, the debt rises and our fiscal situation gets worse.
Q: Who is the beneficiary?
A: Israel and Russia.
====
Russia?, might be !
why Israel? it is not fun when rockets fall down from skies!
lots of people in Israel died already..
What if Dimona gets hits. Israel just hit Bushehr. Iran has to be more humane than Israel, since half of the population in Israel is Arab. They’re essentially Israelis’ human shields.
Are Bibi and Trump Looking for an Exit Ramp From the War in Iran?
https://sonar21.com/are-bibi-and-trump-looking-for-an-exit-ramp-from-the-war-in-iran/
more important: IS Bibi EVEN ALIVE?
Yes, he’s alive. He was just slightly injured in the arm. He immediately gave an interview, which I watched, where it turned out that the surgeons who treated him had made a small mistake: one of his hands had six fingers.
Ha! love The Princess Bride reference!
A classic movie of our parents or grandparents generation!
Did you know?
In that movie Vinnizi and Fezzik are representative of Israel and it’s “stupid golem” America, respectively. Fun fact.
I did not! But it makes sense as the author was William Goldman, who also penned the classic Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid. Another book that became an iconic movie. So much so that it spawned the Sundance Ski Resort and the Sundance Film Festival.
I’ve been binge reading 60’s and 70’s authors recently. Some really fun stuff!
If you like westerns and have not had the pleasure, try some of Louis L’Amour and you will enjoy his material I think. One of my favorites during that time period and slightly before.
Nope, all spaghetti and no meat…
How young are you?
Princess Bride came out when I was in college. It’s my generations movie, not my parents.
thanks god.
imagine if doctor attached his penis skin back..
who knows. he might get striped of Israel citizenship
dont forget. he is actually from Poland (=melikovsky),
and lived in USA a lot !
he is not real j11ew.
/s
Where are all our partners?
Our partners? Our allies? Our friends?
We don’t have any left after Trump’s insults, tariffs, threats, and bullying.
It took decades to forge our relationships with other countries and just one year of Trump to f*ck them up.
The Gulf states, good friends of the USA, are there. They were able to verify Kissinger’s quote:
“It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.”
Yes. The Gulf states are learning that lesson. Being America’s friend is fatal.
They are already re-thinking their relationship with the US after Trump started this war.
You mean our FORMER partners? I think that Trump spitting in their faces constantly must have been part of his plan to abandon our allies in the hopes they would go away and leave us alone. Be careful what you wish for, Ding Dong Donny.
Seems pretty easy to see the cause and effect here, if one has their eyes open.
Japan may be our enemy again after Trump insulted them yesterday by bringing up Pearl Harbor and how they’re better at surprises than we are. What a dumb ass thing to say.
Trump is simply reminding the japanese that they are the little bitch in this relationship.
Israel is not a beneficiary of the war. Their infrastructure is being wrecked and the state is becoming a pariah. I’ve heard there have been long lines at Ben Gurion waiting for departure. It may not survive this.
It is if you realize they want to ME cleared out.
Bibi tipped his hand yesterday along the lines of “we can work around the choke points like the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, we just need pipelines built from the oil producing countries to the Mediterranean, through Israel, to our ports…”
And that’s how you become the most well compensated toll collector on the globe
=It is if you realize they want to ME cleared out.
STUPID moronic conspiracy theory!
there are about 500 mil Muslims live w/in 2 hours radius around Israel
mainly :
Turks 80 mil
Egypt 110
Iran 90
get better theory!
The politics sure killed millions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and now with no repercussions for those war crimes they systematically have started with girls schools in Iran.
Any questions as to the Israeli genocidal tendencies?
If America were honest about this and simply stated “we want their resources and are willing to kill them to take them” this genocide would at least have a shred of honesty to it. The notion that a people defending their homeland are “Terrorists” in nonsense.
I would defend America from a foreign invader, does that make me a terrorist?
Israel was created by the Balfour Declaration by the British in 1914.
Ever since that time, Israel has been warring with its neighbors and systematically taking their land. They have labeled this constant war The Peace Process. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Supporting Israels aggression has cost the US Trillions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives.
Sad for humanity, but true if we are being honest with ourselves as to how we acquired a majority of this debt. Israel could care less if the US financially fails by fighting their wars.
And the reason it was created was the deal between NYC Zionists and the British. It was a trade, Zionists said you give up “British Palestine” and we will get the Americans to enter WWII (right after FDR specifically promised not to enter WWII). Shook hands, and done and done.
You might want to do a bit of fact checking on that one.
Balfour was 1914
WWII 1940
What you said is partially correct, but the players from the US is incorrect in my chronological understanding.
Israel is only a beneficiary if their goal is achievable, with acceptable losses. I know they want the ME cleared out, but IMO the Greater Israel project is destined to fail, and there’s a high probability that Israel as we know it ceases to exist. If they are lucky, it will survive with major reforms and guardrails (no nuclear arsenal, laws against zionism just as there was against Nazism in Germany post-WW2, and Palestinian independence).
I wish Israel were a pariah.
They are. It’s just tough to see from the US, because we are a pariah too.
We should be a pariah. However, the world continues to crave American carrot and fear American stick.
Ain’t so much of that carrot left, and the stick isn’t as big as it looked.
A smart bluffer could have kept it going, as they have been for decades. We didn’t elect one this time.
Our collective stupidity and childishness has doomed the standard of living that made us this way. Weak men are in the process of making hard times.
I don’t see nearly as much revulsion as I should.
Hell, promises to make war on Russia and the european catamites would be back on board, all is forgotten, all is forgiven!
I’m having a really hard time accepting that our culture is that sick. I’ll keep trying to figure out alternative explanations to keep me distracted.
It is that sick.
LALALALALALA I CANT HEAR YOU!
I don’t think Americans on the whole are that sick-minded. Aside from cultists who would follow DJT (or Biden/Kamala or whatever wacko comes next) to the end of the earth, there are good people overall. But the ruling class are certainly infected with evil ideas.
Exactly! If not a pariah already, we are on our way. This is a digital age, and word gets around. People who will go hungry half-way around the world due to economic depression and lack of fertilizer will know exactly who is at fault, and won’t forget.
For those who downvoted, understand that in the end Americans will turn on Israel and it will be thrown under the bus. Tel Aviv is going to be a perpetual warzone, gradually rubblized, all financial and industrial centers targeted and destroyed, prosperity gone. Millions will flee, and the country will not be able to continue in its current form. Remember how people were convinced that we have to “save” Ukraine, and wore blue and yellow in solidarity? It’s now all wrecked, and nothing will save them.
I think a lot of this “Israel made me doitism” is intentional, to distract from the fact that Israel is a longstanding conduit for U.S. ME policy, not just a driver. Oh, AIPAC is very real, and influence in U.S. government is real because money is influential along with fear of consequences (monetary and potential for physical harm) being seen going against what Netanyahu wants. But why is Israel a focal point? Why is/was Ukraine a focal point? There are broader MIC/neocon objectives that go beyond the daily cover story. So this is not over when we find out Netanyahu is dead or imprisoned. We have to root out the problems at home, and the corruptive Israeli influence is a big part of it, but I think it goes much deeper.
“Hegseth tells his son, 13, that Americans killed in Iran war ‘died for you’”
Hegseth has an Israeli son? who knew? ha
Ironically, $200 is also going to be the price for a barrel of oil at MAX PAIN
At which point, Chump ™ would normally TACO, but not this time, with Bibi at the reins
Exactly. The Epstein Files will still be there, regardless of the oil price.
The first sign of recent dollar decay as a global reserve currency came with Trumps withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership. At that time we were importing disinflation through cheaper goods and services in exchange for our dollar. Those excess dollars were then invested in our debt which contained interest rates further.
Then came Trumps extortive and illegal tariffs coupled with intense protectionism along with unheard of aggression of the US toward the theft of global resources.
Since Trumps first day in office use of the dollar in global transactions has fallen from 65.75% down to 57.13%. This trend is accelerating. Now, with Trumps war use of the dollar will spike lower as US credibility vanishes into Trumps clouds of dark chaos,
The inflation that is coming from Trumps war is impossible to quantify, but we could easily see 10% annualized in the US and far higher spikes in other nations that do not have access to oil and gas.
Some segments of the economy will see spikes in profits ~ like the big oil companies that Trump is working to enrich.
The oil exports however reverse the flow dollars to purchase disinflation and instead, accelerate dollar repatriation and the reduction of dollar liquidity outside the US. This is the force that will drive the dollar higher, which reduces our global competitiveness in trade even further.
That’s what I love about folks yucking it up about STONKS reaching NEW HIGHS…without any clue to the fact that what they are watching is an analog for their purchasing power being destroyed and their cash retirement $$$ being set on fire….same goes for catastrophic rises in home prices — the house ain’t going up in value, your dollar is becoming worth less, on the way to worthless. See: Weimar
The real problem with the Trump reversal to protectionism is that the proclaimed and imaginary “Victim” status of Trump, turned our nation from a co-operative trading partner to an aggressive trading partner.
In his second term turning the US into a nation that flagrantly denies other nations their sovereignty and the self management of their resources.
Trade wars beget hot wars.
And hot wars are very expensive!
Trans Pacific Partnership was not going to be a good deal for the US.
All those Asian nations would have had a vote on other trade deals making things a mess like the Euro Union is for European countries. They could also sue US companies and people from their foreign countries over things they felt strongly about and enforced those things in the US.
NO THANKS.
Are all the commenters here baby boomers? The only screaming I’m reading in this blog (including from the author) is: instead we need to fix the social security system, we need to fix the health care, we need to keep cheap shit coming from China with no tariffs, we need continue to do this or that and most of the time only the things that benefit only old on fixed income people. It’s becoming really annoying to read all this shit every day. If this is what you want to do whole day every day that’s fine but somehow I thought for a long time that it is (was) a nice blog related to the economy not just to the baby boomers’ final wishes 🙂
Yes, it is almost all boomers here…but don’t worry, you’ll be “that old guy” in due time…it’s inevitable. lolz
Yeah, I know it is inevitable but you can be old, selfish and annoying or old not selfish and not annoying and of course everything in between 🙂
We look forward to you being old and not annoying/selfish. Your views may well change over time. F the man was a mantra in my youth as it is in yours.
Still is for me.
The alternative is to get fucked, and not fuck back.
That’s fine – just don’t present your current mantra as the only one that’s right.
Who really knows when the asteroid will show up?
Way way too late, that’s a fact
So young people don’t need health care or affordable goods?
You should read Reddit if you want to hear what literate young people are saying. It’s a lot of the same things that get said here.
Millions of Americans are hanging on by their nails as prices on everything skyrocket.
For the record I’m 50 with two teenage sons.
Who was the one that said – if you are young and you are not socialist you dont have heart. If you are old and you are not socialist you don’t have brain 🙂
its a big internet if you dont like what you see here.
Gen X here, you know where the exit door is if this place is “beneath you”
If gen X exits trough the door all your social security and healthcare are fucked up 🙂 Pay attention what you are suggesting because it may happen 🙂
Trump will say it’s $200 because Iran is paying for the war. Don’t give him more ideas, please. 🙂
Trump Voice: “…and we’re gonna take that oil….just like they should have done in Iraq and I said at the time, so stupid for not taking the oil…just like we’re going to do in Venezuela…..”
Perversely, those who supported Trump to stop stupid endless wars will get their wish. The US will be financially unable to do stupid war for a long time to come, maybe permanently. And weapons systems? The exposure of obsolescence here will be painful.
Not will be, we are financially unable to do stupid wars now; Trump is too self-centered to recognize we have a very serious debt problem that is unsustainable. The war is exacerbating the debt and unsustainability. What a mess!
The pain from these $200B is about to be dwarfed by the the one from the fast approaching freight train that is about to hit the global economy head on and at very high speed.
Since Trump will not personally pay that price, he does not care.
It’s not about prices.
Price is just the mechanism to assign shortfalls to those who will be forced out of the market and have to starve.
Mish, your headline says “$200” and it is missing the “Billion.” In my email inbox, too/.
And yet the meaning was perfectly understood by 100% of intelligent readers
Can’t help but feel all this folding stuff the US government is spending would be better used to fix US infrastructure, renewables and what appears to be a failing US healthcare system. Isn’t US social security headed towards a cliff.
This funding being sought would be better used elsewhere, except that We The People come last, after the banks, the military-industrial-congressional complex, and other pigs feed at the trough.
And social security will be falling off the cliff in the early 2030s. Which will trigger automatic cuts in benefits. It’s build into the legislation.
And of course the national debt. Which will NEVER be paid back.
And then there is the dollar. Which continues to lose purchasing power due to inflation.
We’re f*cked. That train is barreling down the track and it is too late to avoid it.
Covid killed off 1.6 million mostly boomers. Another Trump “Influenza” should be easy to manage.
I know this is no consolation but we boarded a similar train, fortunately with a still just manageable national debt, everything else fubar.
Sorry to see both our nations reduced to this.
We will waste and destroy 10 trillion so the rich people involved can make 100 billion.
No. It’s the medical programs (and war) that are forcing the US over the fiscal cliff.
Kinda like China?
Did Israel just kill the petrodollar?
Indirectly, yes. But I think this credit should go to Iran. Its Arab neighbors just found out that the U.S. cannot protect them, and the game is up.
Trump seems to be forgetting that Russia is part of OPEC and a partner to the oil producing nations of the Middle East.
Trump has failed to defend their cities, oil production facilities and shipping lanes and in turn their economic stability. This is why they are not stepping up with the US and Israels war against their fellow OPEC member Iran.
The US in no longer their market, it is their competitor and OPEC owes the US no allegiance. Trump failed to take that in as a long term consequence of this war.
It is probable that the energy war will land the US some early windfall profits and temporarily reverse part of the deficit. This is why some of us are making large profits on oil stocks and options.
The consequential debt and loss of creditworthiness for the US is the knock on concern as interest rates will rise quickly on deficits that ~ thanks to this war ~ will be accruing at an accelerating rate of $1 trillion per 120 days.
Trump is extremely shortsighted, childbullylike and gullible…
Or maybe once regime change happens in Iran they’ll realize they don’t need the US bases there anymore since there isn’t anyone left to attack them.
Don’t hold your breath. We’ll be 2 weeks away from regime change for years.