Trump Still Trumped
Reality speaks louder than the president who keeps tying his own words in knots.
First, let me apologize for all the typos left in my weekend Deeper Dive. Last week was an especially busy week at work with little time for writing. That forced my Deeper-Dive writing into just the weekend, but two families visiting for the weekend, with one staying with us overnight (which meant six grandkids running the house) also left little time for this one-man operation to write a very large article on how Trump is losing his own war of lies as Iran trumps the president every time he lies about their negotiating.
That was my worst for typos that got left in because even my proofing was just skim reading while adding even more last-minute news. I’ll will try to do better. (Also, if you want the best version of any article, you may want to click on the title in the email you receive and read the article online because additional corrections may have been made after the article was dispatched by email, but whatever works best for you.)
What I want to give in this editorial is just a quick synopsis of the many ways in which today’s news strongly confirmed numerous points I made in that Deeper Dive.
Negotiation lies
First, on the main subject, the president continued today to boast about how well negotiations are going, though he seems not to believe himself much as he said he would like to take all of Iran’s oil while also threatening more refinery strikes at a level of “obliteration.” Iran continues to say everything he says about negotiations is a lie.
As I wrote over the weekend, to reinforce its word that it has no interest in negotiating, Iran said the list of points in Trump’s proposal that some unnamed party forwarded to them is an “irrational” non-starter anyway; so, Iran upped its attacks on other surrounding Arab nations. Contrary to the president’s claim that Iran had promised him a very nice present of loosening restrictions in the gulf, an article came out today that said, as I claimed in my Deeper Dive, gulf restrictions have never been tighter, as Iran only tightened them further.
Houthis enjoin the battle
Another article says that, not only have the Houthis joined the fray, but Iran is pressuring its partners in crime to do their best to close down the Red Sea again by attacking ships in the Red Sea whenever the US or Israel attacks Iran. That will cut off about 40% of global oil shipping between the two sides of the Saudi Arabian peninsula.
The Houthis have said they will do so. As we saw in the Red Sea last year and in the Strait of Hormuz this year, shutting down shipping completely does not require sinking every ship that tries to move through the closed area or setting up navy barricades. It only requires hitting one ship and promising to keep firing at others if they try for passage. Merchant ships are not equipped for war; so, they STOP.
Worst global oil crisis in history!
One especially strong area of confirmation of the points made in my Deeper Dive where I pointed to the near future comes from a few articles that now expose how extreme and lasting the current level of destruction will be to nearly all economies on earth, even if the war stopped today. Russia says this is already going to prove to be the worst oil crisis in world history, surpassing the OPEC oil crisis of the seventies. The EU has told the citizens of its member nations that an all-out energy crisis is now already unstoppable. It’s a fact. Prepare for it. They are doing more than urging citizens to prepare for it by telling them to travel less.
I noted that none of us feel how bad this crisis is because of how much oil was already stockpiled, and JPMorgan put out a report today stating the same thing, while also showing for every country how short-lived those stockpiles will be. Even the US, which is in the best shape of all nations, will start to feel the bind around mid-April as the last of oil shipments that already made it out of the gulf are unloaded in US ports.
Dutch gas storage is already at a historic low of 5.8%, EU fishing fleets are tying up because diesel is too expensive, and critical supply chains (fertilizer, chicken feed, plastics, pharmaceuticals) are breaking. This is no longer a price spike--it’s a tsunami of crises. What we’re seeing now was predictable, and the scripted “solutions” being rolled out were planned long ago by the technocrats. (Seemorerocks)
Aviation fuel in some areas has already doubled in price.
Power plants in Asia are switching from their default fuel (natural gas) to coal. All LNG production growth that was anticipated this year to meet growing populations, has been destroyed for years to come. Many nations are only a few days from the time when their final shipments of NatGas and crude from the gulf will be unloaded in their own ports. Then the real fun begins.
China, Japan, India and South Korea — and emerging markets like Vietnam and Thailand all rely significantly on L.N.G. for power. This unexpected disruption threatens the region’s industrial output.
West Texas Intermediate crude has finally settled above $100/bbl, proving what I said about markets no longer listening to Trump’s jawboning about an imminent deal (as he continued to do today with markets now ignoring him). Oil prices remained higher today, keeping almost all of their huge weekend gains; stocks were generally down, for the most part ignoring the wind-bag president.
Claimed victory
Another publication joined me in mocking Trump by quoting his State of the U. speech about “so much winning,” wherein he claimed, jokingly, people are begging him to stop winning so much. That publication also pointed out that, if winning is like the victory Trump has already claimed in this war, then no wonder everyone is begging him to stop winning!
Dollar demise
We also have an article about the Treasury promising Trump’s signature will now adorn the dollar bill that he has been single-handedly destroying with his tariffs. Another article joins me in pointing out that the overarching force here is that the dollar is still collapsing, even though it has seen a burst in value on foreign exchanges due to petro trade. That is a temporary reprieve, as I indicated.
The article points out that, at the international central bank level, the dollar is being shunned more than ever. So, it’s getting a temporary rise from its death spiral due to companies needing dollars to buy US oil, now that Middle East oil is cut off and Russia has curbed its own oil by 40%, isolating its sales under new restrictions to its allies; but the dollar continues to lose status as a reserve currency among central banks.
From Aruba to Cuba
Trump’s attempts at conquests in the Caribbean continue.
In fact, Trump just upped his military attack threat against Cuba where he sees prime resort development potential, even as he acquiesced to Russia’s penetration of his military oil blockade today. Rather than fighting Russia to enforce his naval blockade, TACO Trump deferred from threatening Russia to threatening to start his military conquest of Cuba. Always safer to pick on the little guy. Russia can now do whatever it wants with its oil. We cannot have too many wars when there is so much land potentially up for grabs just because you want it … so long as you have the might to get it.
Economania (national & global economic collapse plus market news)
EU Tells Citizens: Travel Less - Energy Crisis Now Unstoppable
What Happens When the Gas Runs Out?
UBS “Locks” Real Estate Investment Funds - No Withdrawals Up To 3 Years
More than 7 million student loan borrowers face deadline to leave Biden-era repayment plan
SpaceX’s monster IPO is unlike anything we’ve seen
Money Matters (monetary policy, metals, cryptos, currency wars & going cashless)
The Hard Asset Revolution Has Begun — And Most Investors Are Going to Miss It
Inflation Factors (too much money chasing too few goods due to weather, sanctions, tariffs, quarantines, etc.)
Brent oil heads for record monthly surge, WTI settles above $100 for first time since 2022
Brent Hits $115 as Trump Threatens Iran’s Oil Wells and Power Plants
Iran’s attacks on aluminum producers are sending ‘shockwaves’ through the metals market
Powell sees inflation outlook in check, no need to hike rates because of oil shock (Reporting this so we can mock his ignorance later.)
Wars & Rumors of War (including cyberwar, civil unrest and revolts)
Houthis Enter War Attacking Israel as Iran ‘Hits US Ship’; Americans Wounded
Iran Presses Houthis on Red Sea Shipping, European Officials Say
Iran’s grip on Hormuz tighter than ever after month of war
Iran approves plan to impose tolls on Strait of Hormuz in major blow for Trump
Huge explosions return to Dubai as Tehran targets UAE, Kuwait, Saudi
Trump threatens obliteration of Iran’s energy sites if new deal isn’t reached with ‘new regime’
Trump Floats Seizing Iran’s Oil While Predicting Imminent Deal
Trump wants to “take the oil in Iran”
Iran promises to set US troops on fire
UAE Will Be Pounded If US Invades, Iranian Officials Warn
Off-Ramp In Progress? Israeli Media Signals ‘Completion Phase’ Of Iran War
There Are Now Over 50,000 American Troops in the Mideast
Is Trump About To Fall Into Iran’s Trap?
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Russia welcomes arrival of oil tanker in Cuba after Trump softens approach to U.S. blockade
Trump Signals Potential Military Action Coming Against Cuba
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Zelensky proposes energy ceasefire with Moscow or Even Everything Ceasefire
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Hegseth injects combative Christianity into America’s military
After Pope’s Remark, White House Defends Praying For US Troops
Digital Dominance (AI threats, transhumanism, hacks & cyberattacks, etc.)
AI Bot Has Three Titles Already in the iTunes Top Five
Dead Internet: New Report Reveals AI Bots Have Taken Over The Internet And Surpassed Human Traffic
Political Pandemonium & Social Senescence (socio-political issues & events)
Evidence Corroborates Claims of Trump Sex Accuser who Bit him When she Was 13
‘No Kings’ Protests Fueled by Socialist, Communist-Linked Networks, Investigation Finds
Grifters of War: Eric Trump invested in drone maker shortly before Iran war
Calamity, Catastrophe & Climate Craziness
Global Food Supply at Risk: The Silent Collapse Triggered by Fertilizer Shortages
Off-the-Beat News & Just Plain Offbeat News
American Meteor Society Says Surge in Large Fireballs Warrants Serious Investigation
New Bible analysis uncovers thousands of clues suggesting scripture written by God
Doomer Humor
Or bore yourself to death by listening to old Uncle Trump rant for five minutes about a pen while his captive, sycophant audience laughs at every barely funny word until they leave and say to each other, “What the heck was that all about?” Trump must be competing for the Biden Award for Dementia (BAD):