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Why take any action at all? What business is it of ours?
We are acting like it is an affront to our country. Well, it's not. It's between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Wahhabist Muslim Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Why isn't France saying it's "going to demand some sort of response"?
Why isn't Thailand saying it's "going to demand some sort of response"?
Why isn't Brazil saying it's "going to demand some sort of response"?
Why isn't Lithuania saying it's "going to demand some sort of response"?
Why us?!? What the hell has this to do with us? Why do we in the USA have to take umbrage at what Shiites are doing to Sunnis half way around the world or vice versa?
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Originally Posted by Spartacus713
What makes you think that they are not saying that? Each and every one.
I’m not sure how effective these new sanctions will be. The EU set up a new trade payment mechanism for Iran in June which is deliberately outside of U.S. knowledge and control:
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The new EU mechanism will coordinate import and export payments so that cash between partners need not be handled by banks, thus avoiding the risk of drawing Washington's ire.
INSTEX will create a virtual ledger to offset balances. Thus payments will be exchanged between EU companies importing and exporting to Iran, and the same will happen on the Iranian side. Thus, all sides will be able to complete transactions without euros going to Iran, or rials to Europe.
I’m also not sure how China is handling payment for its oil purchases from Iran.
Trump has wrecked the prestige and glory once (and not so long ago) associated with the land and people of the United States.
The USA in the future will not be able to leverage as much of it's former influence since Trump has made the world realize that when the USA elects nutcases it is not trustworthy and should not be routinely entrusted with that kind of power.
They will shun our leadership, they will avoid sharing intel with the USA, and they will build mechanisms to bypass our influence over the flow of money (critical in our combat with terrorism and rogue regimes). They will clip the eagle's wings, because they don't trust us.
When the US insults their allies, refuses to abide by international norms, and abandons multi-lateral agreements, the US cannot then be surprised that other countries no longer look to the US as a global leader and move on without us while we stand around sabre rattling. MAGA indeed.
The new payment mechanism is just one example of this. The rest of the world really has no other choice than to move on. Article from July:
Canada and the European Union announced a deal on Thursday to stop their trade disputes falling into limbo at the World Trade Organization, where a U.S. block on appointments of judges will paralyse the world’s top trade court from December.
Quote:
The EU and Canada are expected to try to agree similar workaround arrangements with other WTO members such as China, India and Brazil, to ensure they can continue to rely on binding dispute settlement in future.
Oil prices spike that Monday, I own some USO(united states oil fund) and at its height went up over 12% that Monday. That stock is often pretty volatile and usually drops the next day when it does spikes like that. And that's exactly what it did going down a bit each day over the last few days. So nothing more then a quick scare and people hoping to make a quick buck over oil fears. I think anybody of a certain age has difficulty emotionally when Middle East oil is threatened. We after all grew up being highly dependent on it.
My emotion is: Pissed off.
I'm pissed off that after 46 years after the OPEC embargo, the US is still being led by the nose by OPEC and their American oil industry cronies.
Yet unless other countries are on board, this will not have the devastating effect the White House is pretending it will.
Its a shame we can't come up with some type of consensus with other countries to reign in Iran's behavior. Like some type of joint compromise plan of action.
What's the problem with Iran's behavior.
Specifically.
They bombed Saudi Arabia?
I've been to Saudi Arabia. I don't give a damn that they bombed Saudi Arabia.
I don't think any American should give a damn that they bombed Saudi Arabia.
The Saudis are not friends of the US.
The Saudis export Wahhabi Islamic extremism that is the cause of all the Islamic terrorism in the West.
Not Iran...Saudi Arabia. The United States should not take any side in this Sunni-Shiite war, but if there is a side to be taken, it is not with Saudi Arabia.
I have my doubts. There's just no way we could arrange a coalition of China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, and Germany and have them agree to a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran to control certain behavior in exchange for sanctions relief. Just no way.
But, if by some crazy miracle it actually happened, at least I know for sure that this White House is not foolish enough to abandon such an agreement when Iran is in compliance with its requirements.
If only a president could put together a coalition of 5 countries including allies and adversaries, I guess I'm just being optimistic.'
The sanctions are beginning to sound like the movie Spinal Tap, are these now set at 11?
Yet unless other countries are on board, this will not have the devastating effect the White House is pretending it will.
Its a shame we can't come up with some type of consensus with other countries to reign in Iran's behavior. Like some type of joint compromise plan of action.
Alliances and coalitions have always been pretty toothless, except among countries that are bound together by common language and/or culture. The Anglosphere is the best example. Other than that, they are good mostly at "coordinated cries of anguish and nicely orchestrated hand-wringing" (original phrase by William Safire, a New York Times columnist (link to Safire article).
Trump has wrecked the prestige and glory once (and not so long ago) associated with the land and people of the United States.
The USA in the future will not be able to leverage as much of it's former influence since Trump has made the world realize that when the USA elects nutcases it is not trustworthy and should not be routinely entrusted with that kind of power.
They will shun our leadership, they will avoid sharing intel with the USA, and they will build mechanisms to bypass our influence over the flow of money (critical in our combat with terrorism and rogue regimes). They will clip the eagle's wings, because they don't trust us.
Obamabutt did that,
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What the hell has this to do with us? Why do we in the USA have to take umbrage at what Shiites are doing to Sunnis half way around the world or vice versa?
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