My first impression was that the USS Harry S. Truman’s recent adventure with the Houthi missiles forced somebody to make some fast mental calculations. After already losing three fighter jets the numbers are adding up at $60 million each but the real problem must be the close call the carrier had with those missiles. For the US to lose a carrier against the Houthi is like for a gym instructor being knocked out by a third grader. Just looks very-very bad. If the USS Truman goes down with gears and planes, etc. that is a minor $6 Billon+ loss. At the same time the loss of prestige for America is enormous, actually hard to estimate. Just visualize every Muslim boy playing with toy missiles hitting toy carriers from Bombay to Cairo.
Those fighters slid off the carrier's deck because of near-misses. For the first time, a carrier had to use its last-ditch Phalanx anti-missile system(they're called R2D2's because of their shape when inactive), and it apparently worked, barely.
Otherwise there would have been a headline which screamed AIRCRAFT CARRIER SUNK. That is what the Pentagon was determined to avoid, and they succeeded. Again, just barely. The lesson is clear--if the US military cannot even defeat the Houthis, any attack on Iran would be disastrous.
Throw in Big Oil's interests in keeping the Persian Gulf oilfields in operation, and all of the Zionist interests are outweighed by the real powers behind the US Empire. Israel's in trouble. If Trump recognizes a Palestinian state in exchange for some trade goodies with the Gulf States, as Arab sources are rumoring, that means that Israel has become expendable as far as the Empire is concerned.
I smell a different rat here, a lull before the storm. To me it appears that the US and/or Israel have already decided to decimate Houthi North Yemen, using Iraq style shock and awe bombing if needed, the most intense since WW 2. Mr. DJ Trump seems to have dropped word of his plans into ears of his Saudi and Qatari hosts who in turn have acquiesced to the impending operation by showering lavish guests on him. In all probability, Yemen will be pounded relentlessly to surrender from three sides. Gaza settlement and Eretz Israel are also foregone conclusions.
Trump has a number of mutually consequential moves to make if he is to achieve his "never again war" status. First : decouple from Israel by ceasing all military and intelligence supplies whilst providing humanitarian aid in proportional amounts to both Israeli and Palestinian citizens to help resolve their societal issues. Second : pursue diplomatic channels via the Gulf States with Iran, (without reference to Israel), to establish detente with the objective of re-establishing the JCPOA mechanisms but with the proviso that nuclear development in Iran is for domestic energy production only. Third : Engage with Turkiye, (without reference to NATO), to bring about detente between Ukraine and Russia. This will involve swapping military assistance for humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian citizens whilst providing an off-ramp for Zelensky to parly with Putin such that Ukraines' post war territory loss will only be the 4 Oblasts that democratically elected to return to Russian sovereignty post 2014. 5 : China - Taiwan will be different because China resolutely plays the long game for the "return" of Taiwan into the fold. All these geopolitical issues can be solved by diplomatic mechanisms if Trump can overcome resistance from the pro-Israel influence that distorts the purpose of the US Congress. These are all issues that reflect on Americas' ability to independently solve it's own problems.
Excellent analysis of what is going on, Andrew - I have done hours of podcast interviews, and President Trump's team does not have the correct information to end the war in Ukraine. An Energy News Beat Contributor, George McMillan, has posted an entire series about this lack of knowledge and information base in the Trump foreign policy administration. I will post this out on Energynewsbeat.co and put a few comments on it - Great analysis.
George McMillan has said, "All Putin has to do is Nothing," and he has won the war, the war is with the Bank of London, and the Bank of Paris. The same people who tried to bankrupt Putin. Putin's move to the Asia trading bloc is critical, and Russia has grown its GDP while the EU and the UK are in a financial collapse.
Trump has been showing repeatedly that he is throwing Israel under the bus, something I admit I have not wanted to consider for a while. However, making an agreement with the Houthis that they would stop firing at American assets, but not stop firing at Israeli assets, certainly qualifies Trump as being pro-jihadi. Oh and the Houthis reneged on their agreement with Trump within a few days. This is one of hundreds of examples proving you cannot negotiate with terrorists.
Going to visit 3 countries in the middle east but NOT Israel is another example of his pro-Jihadi sympathies.
Ending the sanctions against the HTS (ISIS and al Qaeda) government in Syria, which massacres its own population is again an example of Trump's pro-Jihadi sympathies.
I think what Trump learned from this is that he can be blatantly pro-Jihadi and very few people in his base will notice or care. Israelis are starting to notice, but not many Americans.
I hope you fact checked The NY Times. Can’t just trust everything they report. Although this article appears to be closer to the truth than what they usually write regarding Trump. If the US military was really worried about cost then this off ramp was perfect. I don’t recall them ever concerned about before in my life on earth though. If the US wanted to destroy the Houthi’s it would’ve been done you can trust on that. Trump does not wish to get into any forever conflicts. He wants precision and if this skirmish shows the Navy isn’t lethal enough then we will be going back to the drawing board. I’d hardly call this some sort of retreat.
The US, EU, Saudis and the UAE have long wanted to solve the Houthi problem.
The US Chief's-of-Staff are fully aware that the US lacks an industrial base to sustain a long campaign and we depend on China to supply a large part of what is necessary for our advanced weapons and other systems.
Our munitions factories are more congressionally funded jobs programs than vital national security industries. I don't think we even make TNT anymore.
Yes, a national security issue for sure which I’m sure is quietly being rectified. This whole agenda is getting things back home and reducing the value of a dollar. If that can be somewhat successful we will be ahead of the game for sure.
The reason it won't work is simple. Just compare Finland with some state on the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean and take out the GDP contribution due to oil and trade with country X (Iran, Russia). In case of Finland, 95% of the GDP will still be there - it has good manufacturing, lots of IT and one of the best prepared standing armies in the West. What does Oman have?
Anyway, Russia was lucky that Finland took a defensive position in December 1941. Finns didn't accede to the US request in August 1941, but they did sometime later inofficially.
Finland really made the right decision there. Regardless the major damage they delivered to the Soviet military, the conflict was unsustainable for them on the long run.
Agree completely there. On the other hand, Soviet union had also better things to do in 1944 than occupy Finland and having to deal with "neutral" Sweden. Racing through Poland, Romania and Bulgaria was much more important in terms of bringing the war in Europe to an end.
Stalin is known to have asked FDR to ask Finland for a ceasefire in August 1941. I would guess at that point in time Finns feared Germans would eat them up (as they did with the Norwegians in 1940, and Hungarians in 1944). However, in December 1941, Finns decided to press no longer. They reasoned there was probably enough wiggle room at that point in time, now that it was certain that Japanese will not attack Soviet Union from the East.
IIRC Curzio Malaparte writes in his book Kaputt on the friendly relations between Finnish President and the US legation chief during WW2. Like Finland was a peaceful island in the eye of a hurricane.
Finland tossed an eighty year old treaty into the fire when it joined NATO. I am certain that Finland will be reconsidering it's WEF inspired silliness in the next couple of years.
Or, it won't, and watch it's high standard of living drop.
At the moment they are not yet reconsidering, as Russia is still too busy in Novorossiya. But once that account is settled, Finland will be in quite a dreary state. Unless they re-exit NATO.
Finland has an active duty force of 24,000. Considering it is next door to Russia, with total air superiority, a large part of the reserve force will never make it to assembly.
I have no idea what Oman has to do with your...uhh ...opinions.
Finns have large reserves in addition to the active duty force. But that's not the point. The point is, Finnish economy is not so totally intertwined with that of Russia.
The job of a US president: escaping from one war to start a "better" one elsewhere.
Ah, the peace we've had since the end of the second world war... *coughs*
My first impression was that the USS Harry S. Truman’s recent adventure with the Houthi missiles forced somebody to make some fast mental calculations. After already losing three fighter jets the numbers are adding up at $60 million each but the real problem must be the close call the carrier had with those missiles. For the US to lose a carrier against the Houthi is like for a gym instructor being knocked out by a third grader. Just looks very-very bad. If the USS Truman goes down with gears and planes, etc. that is a minor $6 Billon+ loss. At the same time the loss of prestige for America is enormous, actually hard to estimate. Just visualize every Muslim boy playing with toy missiles hitting toy carriers from Bombay to Cairo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg2ANbiw4xQ
Are USN carrier crew screened to weed out non-swimmers?
Nope. Floating is taught.
Not under Obama or Biden. But now getting there again.
Those fighters slid off the carrier's deck because of near-misses. For the first time, a carrier had to use its last-ditch Phalanx anti-missile system(they're called R2D2's because of their shape when inactive), and it apparently worked, barely.
Otherwise there would have been a headline which screamed AIRCRAFT CARRIER SUNK. That is what the Pentagon was determined to avoid, and they succeeded. Again, just barely. The lesson is clear--if the US military cannot even defeat the Houthis, any attack on Iran would be disastrous.
Throw in Big Oil's interests in keeping the Persian Gulf oilfields in operation, and all of the Zionist interests are outweighed by the real powers behind the US Empire. Israel's in trouble. If Trump recognizes a Palestinian state in exchange for some trade goodies with the Gulf States, as Arab sources are rumoring, that means that Israel has become expendable as far as the Empire is concerned.
Israel is more likely to collapse from within than from exterior motivations.
Should Trump recognize Palestine there will be some humor in watching the treacherous Rubio and Waltz giving speeches supporting Trump's decision.
I smell a different rat here, a lull before the storm. To me it appears that the US and/or Israel have already decided to decimate Houthi North Yemen, using Iraq style shock and awe bombing if needed, the most intense since WW 2. Mr. DJ Trump seems to have dropped word of his plans into ears of his Saudi and Qatari hosts who in turn have acquiesced to the impending operation by showering lavish guests on him. In all probability, Yemen will be pounded relentlessly to surrender from three sides. Gaza settlement and Eretz Israel are also foregone conclusions.
This episode cannot be hidden from China. If you have problems in Yemen, imagine what sort of problems you will encounter with China.
Trump has a number of mutually consequential moves to make if he is to achieve his "never again war" status. First : decouple from Israel by ceasing all military and intelligence supplies whilst providing humanitarian aid in proportional amounts to both Israeli and Palestinian citizens to help resolve their societal issues. Second : pursue diplomatic channels via the Gulf States with Iran, (without reference to Israel), to establish detente with the objective of re-establishing the JCPOA mechanisms but with the proviso that nuclear development in Iran is for domestic energy production only. Third : Engage with Turkiye, (without reference to NATO), to bring about detente between Ukraine and Russia. This will involve swapping military assistance for humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian citizens whilst providing an off-ramp for Zelensky to parly with Putin such that Ukraines' post war territory loss will only be the 4 Oblasts that democratically elected to return to Russian sovereignty post 2014. 5 : China - Taiwan will be different because China resolutely plays the long game for the "return" of Taiwan into the fold. All these geopolitical issues can be solved by diplomatic mechanisms if Trump can overcome resistance from the pro-Israel influence that distorts the purpose of the US Congress. These are all issues that reflect on Americas' ability to independently solve it's own problems.
Trump has learned nothing.
Excellent analysis of what is going on, Andrew - I have done hours of podcast interviews, and President Trump's team does not have the correct information to end the war in Ukraine. An Energy News Beat Contributor, George McMillan, has posted an entire series about this lack of knowledge and information base in the Trump foreign policy administration. I will post this out on Energynewsbeat.co and put a few comments on it - Great analysis.
George McMillan has said, "All Putin has to do is Nothing," and he has won the war, the war is with the Bank of London, and the Bank of Paris. The same people who tried to bankrupt Putin. Putin's move to the Asia trading bloc is critical, and Russia has grown its GDP while the EU and the UK are in a financial collapse.
Trump has been showing repeatedly that he is throwing Israel under the bus, something I admit I have not wanted to consider for a while. However, making an agreement with the Houthis that they would stop firing at American assets, but not stop firing at Israeli assets, certainly qualifies Trump as being pro-jihadi. Oh and the Houthis reneged on their agreement with Trump within a few days. This is one of hundreds of examples proving you cannot negotiate with terrorists.
Going to visit 3 countries in the middle east but NOT Israel is another example of his pro-Jihadi sympathies.
Ending the sanctions against the HTS (ISIS and al Qaeda) government in Syria, which massacres its own population is again an example of Trump's pro-Jihadi sympathies.
I think what Trump learned from this is that he can be blatantly pro-Jihadi and very few people in his base will notice or care. Israelis are starting to notice, but not many Americans.
I hope you fact checked The NY Times. Can’t just trust everything they report. Although this article appears to be closer to the truth than what they usually write regarding Trump. If the US military was really worried about cost then this off ramp was perfect. I don’t recall them ever concerned about before in my life on earth though. If the US wanted to destroy the Houthi’s it would’ve been done you can trust on that. Trump does not wish to get into any forever conflicts. He wants precision and if this skirmish shows the Navy isn’t lethal enough then we will be going back to the drawing board. I’d hardly call this some sort of retreat.
The US, EU, Saudis and the UAE have long wanted to solve the Houthi problem.
The US Chief's-of-Staff are fully aware that the US lacks an industrial base to sustain a long campaign and we depend on China to supply a large part of what is necessary for our advanced weapons and other systems.
Our munitions factories are more congressionally funded jobs programs than vital national security industries. I don't think we even make TNT anymore.
Yes, a national security issue for sure which I’m sure is quietly being rectified. This whole agenda is getting things back home and reducing the value of a dollar. If that can be somewhat successful we will be ahead of the game for sure.
The reason it won't work is simple. Just compare Finland with some state on the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean and take out the GDP contribution due to oil and trade with country X (Iran, Russia). In case of Finland, 95% of the GDP will still be there - it has good manufacturing, lots of IT and one of the best prepared standing armies in the West. What does Oman have?
Anyway, Russia was lucky that Finland took a defensive position in December 1941. Finns didn't accede to the US request in August 1941, but they did sometime later inofficially.
Or you could say, Finland was lucky they only lost 10% of its territory in WW2.
Finland really made the right decision there. Regardless the major damage they delivered to the Soviet military, the conflict was unsustainable for them on the long run.
Agree completely there. On the other hand, Soviet union had also better things to do in 1944 than occupy Finland and having to deal with "neutral" Sweden. Racing through Poland, Romania and Bulgaria was much more important in terms of bringing the war in Europe to an end.
Stalin is known to have asked FDR to ask Finland for a ceasefire in August 1941. I would guess at that point in time Finns feared Germans would eat them up (as they did with the Norwegians in 1940, and Hungarians in 1944). However, in December 1941, Finns decided to press no longer. They reasoned there was probably enough wiggle room at that point in time, now that it was certain that Japanese will not attack Soviet Union from the East.
IIRC Curzio Malaparte writes in his book Kaputt on the friendly relations between Finnish President and the US legation chief during WW2. Like Finland was a peaceful island in the eye of a hurricane.
Finland tossed an eighty year old treaty into the fire when it joined NATO. I am certain that Finland will be reconsidering it's WEF inspired silliness in the next couple of years.
Or, it won't, and watch it's high standard of living drop.
At the moment they are not yet reconsidering, as Russia is still too busy in Novorossiya. But once that account is settled, Finland will be in quite a dreary state. Unless they re-exit NATO.
Finland has an active duty force of 24,000. Considering it is next door to Russia, with total air superiority, a large part of the reserve force will never make it to assembly.
I have no idea what Oman has to do with your...uhh ...opinions.
Finns have large reserves in addition to the active duty force. But that's not the point. The point is, Finnish economy is not so totally intertwined with that of Russia.