abe jr

Good advice to stop spread of COVID: 1. Maintain physical distance 2. Wash hands and/or use hand sanitizer 3. Don't touch your face 4. Stick your mask up your ass. It does about as much good there as it does on your face.

@Quadratica87928 @RnaudBertrand Apparently you don't understand the definition of "immigrant".

@CivisDC @RnaudBertrand Says an immigrant !

The war with Iran will doubtlessly be studied for decades but what's already pretty clear at this stage is how much of a strategic defeat it is for the U.S. and Israel, perhaps the worst ever in their history (which is actually what former Israeli PM Yair Lapid already called it: x.com/yairlapid/stat…). I mean, how crazy is this: JP Morgan calculated (jpost.com/middle-east/ir…) that, as per the new Hormuz toll arrangement, Iran may get as much as $70-90 billion in additional annual revenue, representing a stunning 20% of its GDP, in extra revenue. Hilariously, Trump commented on Truth Social that the arrangement means “big money will be made” and “Iran can start the reconstruction process” (@realDonaldTrump/116367088879643074" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTru…). Damn right: they gained the single most valuable geographic rent on earth, by a huge margin. For comparison, the Suez Canal earns Egypt “only” $9-10B/year, and the Panama Canal about $5B. Stunning. Make no mistake, this establishes Iran as the new dominant power in the Middle-East. When you're a country that others need to effectively pay to do business in a region - which is what having a toll booth on Hormuz means in practice - you're no longer shut out of the global economy: you're the one charging admission. It's a phoenix rising from the ashes story if there ever was one (an apt metaphor since it comes from Persian mythology): after 47 years of sanctions, being the target of every trick in the book, and ultimately a war aimed at finishing them off, Iran is coming out the other end stronger than at any point in modern history. Above all, though, the most dramatic consequence of this war is what it means about U.S. power. As I argued in my previous article (open.substack.com/pub/arnaudbert…), this war is qualitatively different from other U.S. wars in the past few decades, such as Vietnam, Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Serbia, etc. (the list is unfortunately very long). In those wars the pattern was roughly always the same, with an immense power differential between aggressor and victim. These were imperial wars, the empire attempting to crush a much weaker people whose only realistic recourse was guerrilla resistance. As I wrote, as spectators of these wars, if you had any moral sense, the dominant emotion was a kind of helpless disgust: you were watching a giant stomp through someone else’s house. This war wasn’t at all like that: stunningly, Iran managed to hold its own symmetrically and tactically against the United States and Israel. This is an absolutely crucial difference because it changes what losing means. When the U.S. lost in Vietnam or Afghanistan, it was embarrassing but ultimately manageable - the giant walked away with a bruised ego, and the world shrugged. Empires lose to guerrillas sometimes, it doesn’t say much about the empire's ability to fight a real war. But losing symmetrically - losing when your most advanced stealth fighters get shot down from the sky, your military bases are neutered across an entire theater (x.com/RnaudBertrand/…), your most advanced missile defense systems get destroyed, your enemy seizes control of the world’s most strategic waterway, your navy can’t reopen it, and your “allies” get bombed unforgivingly despite your “protection” - that's a different kind of losing entirely. That tells the world the giant isn't such a giant anymore. This is the topic of my latest article: what the war revealed, what it destroyed, and what may come next. I titled the article "Don't bluff someone who can't fold." You'll understand why when you read the article here: open.substack.com/pub/arnaudbert…

@Quadratica87928 @RnaudBertrand I don't care whether you agree or not. The US already has done it. Enjoy your petrol and food shortages. Hope you get some of those immigrants to help you guys rebuild your military. You're gonna need it...

@CivisDC @RnaudBertrand I'm afraid I cannot agree with your assessment, it is short on realism and big on wishful thinking and fantasy. Consider the tariffs fiasco last year, Trump imposed 100% tariffs and then 2 weeks later collapsed when China reciprocated. Anyway, let's see what happens next.

@Quadratica87928 @RnaudBertrand You keep thinking that.

@CivisDC @RnaudBertrand Will not work. There will be 10, 000s of Iranian men with MANPADS and drones all aimed at the oil tankers. The insurers will never fall for the US assurances. Accept it, the SoH cannot be kept open by force, else the US would not be negotiating right now.

@ericswalwell You fucking hypocritical, predatory, Fang Fang - Bang Bang rapist mother fucker!

@nickshirleyy @GuntherEagleman Gavin is a cockroach. He'll be back.

@GuntherEagleman Is that what the people want?

Dear @nickshirleyy, Now that you have destroyed the careers of Tim Walz and Gavin Newsom, can you expose JB Pritzker next? Thanks brother! Sincerely, Americans

@Quadratica87928 @RnaudBertrand And Pakistan reached out the ot he US, nitwit. We'll build additional combat power, refine our intel and bomb the hell out of any remaining targets. And we'll sit a carrier battle group to meter traffic out of the SoH. And we'll make you BEG for oil.

@CivisDC @RnaudBertrand I beg to differ. Trump wanted to bomb bridges, energy, schools, hospitals. The chaplain wouldn't give his blessing and the generals refused because they are bound by intl law. Hegseth then sacked them. But their replacements also refused to obey...hence begs for negs in Pak

@Quadratica87928 @RnaudBertrand Hey nitwit, US dominance has just begun. Don't believe me? Listen to one of your own... WE DON'T NEED YOU. BUT YOU NEED US. x.com/MichaelARothma…

@CivisDC @RnaudBertrand It would be easier if you accepted that the post WW2 US hegemony began a sharp decline post 9/11 and cannot defeat Iran. US aircraft carriers negated and 'planes get hit often. They dare not put boots on the ground and allow Israel to dictate their policy. Sad decline.

@Quadratica87928 @RnaudBertrand That's the dumbest thing I've heard. And air bombing it isn't under the purview of the Army, you nitwit. Jeez man, get a clue. Did you work all day on that reply? LOL!

BTW, Davey... Were you ever in the Navy? LOLZ! $MPT

@Yentovon @AmaralPartners You mean Rob? Because he took Shamner's word - the CFO - who DECLARED on a earnings call that secured "wasn't even a third option"? And you want others to guess on FFO, based on $MPT's numbers? OK, dipshit. We all see how that guessing game worked out for you! LOLZ!

By @AmaralPartners logic... he was off on $MPT debt rate by about 100%... So HSA got 10% loan?

@Quadratica87928 @RnaudBertrand This comment shows a complete lack of understanding of the US military.

@CivisDC @RnaudBertrand I guess Green refused to bless the US feint of threatening to blow Iran back to the Stone Age.

@Quadratica87928 @RnaudBertrand It's well publicized. And no, your "deduction" isn't logical or consistent with either the facts or their position. Cry more.

@CivisDC @RnaudBertrand Of course neither you nor I have inside info'. However, the only logical deduction is that these generals refused to carry out illegal orders and were asked to step aside. The US is having a tough time in Iran and had to run to Pakistan to beg them to persuade Iran to talks.

This Liberal man says “Trump has cut my food stamps from $2,800 down to $350 a month” What’s your advice to him ??

@SpeakerPelosi Where were you on this issue during Biden? You piece of shit...

Gas prices are rising faster than ever, inflation is surging and America’s working families are bearing the cost of this President’s reckless war. But Donald Trump and Republicans just don’t care.

@DonDurrett Jesus Christ, Don... You're out of your element. You have zero clue of what you are talking about.

This chart is why healthcare costs have increased by around 8% in the past year. If we remove insurance, we remove all of the administrators. 🧐

The growing list of people associated with $MPT's tenants reads like a who's who of "failed or jailed" executives. IYKYK.

@Quadratica87928 @RnaudBertrand And Randy George "retired" because he refused to make requested personnel changes. Any more whimsical thoughts?

@Quadratica87928 @RnaudBertrand This shows you understand nothing about the US military, nor are you educated of the changes Hegseth is trying to institute in the US military. Green was a chaplain. And Horne was in charge of a training command. Please, stop embarrassing yourself.

@Quadratica87928 @RnaudBertrand I'm so glad you provided concrete proof of your assertions. I'm sure that the CJCS and the Sec of State will be reaching out to you for your on-point assessments of the current situation of the conflict. Cry a little more... And hope you're enjoying Starmer.

@CivisDC @RnaudBertrand The balance has shifted a little away from the US and towards its peers, Russia, China, Iran (Maybe India too). Iran has shown that when challenged the US blinks and begs for negotiations. Your MidEast bases are ashes POTUS lost his temper.

@SantiagoAuFund @gertbollen Brent - when and how do you expect US demoninated stablecoins to take hold in Europe?

@gertbollen They are terrified...and for good reason

Prof. Dr. Fritzi Köhler-Geib Vorständin der Deutschen Bundesbank Für Europa ist die Lage noch einmal besonders: Rund 99 Prozent der Stablecoins sind aktuell auf den US-Dollar denominiert. Das heißt, das private digitale Geld, das weltweit an Bedeutung gewinnt, ist für den Euroraum zum aktuellen Zeitpunkt ein Fremdwährungsinstrument. Wenn Dollar-Stablecoins tatsächlich zunehmend in den europäischen Zahlungsverkehr und digitalen Handel eingebettet werden sollten, hätte dies weitreichende Folgen: Die geldpolitische Steuerung der EZB könnte geschwächt werden, die Abhängigkeit von außereuropäischen Plattformen nähme zu, und Europas Einfluss auf das eigene Zahlungssystem würde sinken.  #tar-5" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">bundesbank.de/de/presse/rede…