It seems like there's barely any place on earth that is escaping the ramifications of Trump's War of choice on Iran. The whole world is paying a price and the less affluent seem to be the most heavily burdened. As if their lives weren't difficult enough already. Do the billionaires like Trump care even one iota for the common man on any level? Was the economic well-being of the planet taken into account for even 5 minutes when they were planning this ridiculous and highly unpredictable war?

Now it looks like we're going to have to contend with significant hikes in the price of gasoline, electricity, natural gas and perhaps even significant gas shortages.

This no doubt will reverberate through countless industries, and effect billions of people. Don the Destroyer continues his rampage of worldwide sabotage.

Like its neighbors, the shrimp boat “Lucky Blessings” has been docked all month at a pier in central Thailand. Wittaya Lekdee, the owner, cannot take it out to sea because he can no longer afford boat fuel, the price of which has spiked 75 percent. “It’s the worst that it has ever been,” he said of his plight.

In the Philippines, 48-year-old Richard Arcana has fished his whole life. But now he is looking for another job.

The oil shock from the war in Iran has rippled through much of Southeast Asia, upending lives, straining local economies and increasing public discontent. While many countries are contending with the fallout, experts say this region of more than 600 million has been one of the hardest hit.

“It’s a crisis abroad,” said Suchart Kendang, the head of the a coastal fishermen group in Samut Sakhon Province in Thailand. “But we are the ones who get screwed.”

In the Philippines, the government is handing out the equivalent of $84 each for tens of thousands of motorized tricycle and jeepney drivers around Manila. In landlocked Laos, which buys fuel from now oil-strapped Thailand, over 40 percent of the gas stations have been forced to close because they ran out fuel. Similarly, in Cambodia, which imports fuel from Thailand and Vietnam, nearly a third of the country’s gas stations have closed.

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Unlike the United States or Europe, Southeast Asia is heavily dependent on oil that sails through the Strait of Hormuz. Nearly 80 percent of the region’s crude oil imports come from the Persian Gulf, and about a fourth of its liquefied natural gas imports have to pass through the now-blocked strait, said Sam Reynolds, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

In Wawa, a fishing community south of Manila, Linita Buenaventura, 52, said her husband had to abandon the family’s boat to find a job in another town because of high gas prices. She temporarily lives with a friend because they can no longer afford to pay rent for their small hut. “We were proud fishermen who owned our own boats. Now we are reduced to begging for jobs,” she said. “It really is a hard life.” The real suffering is for people like us, the lower and middle class,” she said.

Even in the wealthy city-state of Singapore, the government has warned of higher electricity prices. About 47 percent of its L.N.G. last year came from Qatar. On Wednesday, Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said Singaporeans must “brace ourselves for a long storm of global political instability.”

If oil prices continue to rise, Mr. Suchart, the Thai fisherman, said he will have to stop fishing, a job that he’s been doing since he was 13 years old.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/world/asia/iran-war-oil-thailand-vietnam-philippines.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

It's always refreshing when an expert speaks truth to toxic and corrosive power. And it's especially inspiring when that truth is being spoken in the face of countless bald-faced lies about US progress with this very dumb and reckless war.

French General Michel Yakovleff just compared joining Trump's Iran war to "buying cheap tickets for the Titanic" after it already hit the iceberg. And then it got even worse for Trump.

Yakovleff is no random talking head. He's a three-star general, former commander of the legendary French Foreign Legion, and held senior positions within NATO itself. He is one of the most respected military voices in France and regularly weighs in on matters of international security.

So when he was asked about Trump's desperate pleas for Europe to join his Iran catastrophe, his answer carried serious weight.

He didn't mince words. He laid out five distinct reasons why every European nation should flatly refuse. And each one is more damaging than the last.

First, Trump doesn't understand how NATO actually works. You don't get to launch your own unilateral bombing campaign and then invite allies to run a separate operation underneath you. That's not how alliances function.

If Trump wants NATO involved, NATO takes command. One operation, one flag, one chain of command. "I don't think he understood that," Yakovleff said. That alone is a devastating indictment of a man who claims to be the greatest dealmaker on earth

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Second, nobody knows what the actual strategic goals are. Beyond forcing open the Strait of Hormuz, what is the endgame? Regime change? Containment? A negotiated settlement? Trump hasn't said. He apparently can't say, because he doesn't know himself.

Third, and this one is particularly brutal, you can't coordinate a multinational military campaign through tweets that change every two minutes. If allied nations are going to put their soldiers in harm's way, they need explicit, written objectives from the United States. As Yakovleff put it, "It's going to be necessary for Trump himself to know what he wants." The quiet contempt in that sentence could strip paint off a wall.

Fourth, there is the fundamental issue of trust. Trump has abandoned allies before and everyone knows he would do it again without hesitation the moment it became politically useful. The Kurds know it. The Afghans know it. Europe knows it. "He would let us down whenever it suited him," the general said. Why would any nation put troops on the line for a leader with that track record?

And fifth, the knockout punch. Yakovleff cited a principle he said he learned at the U.S. Army War College: "You don't reinforce failure. You move on. You find something else." A decorated French general is using American military doctrine, taught in American war colleges, to explain to the world why following this American president into battle would be strategic malpractice.

The global response has been just as damning. Japan said no. Australia said no. The United Kingdom said no. The European Union said no. Meanwhile, Iranian missiles and drones have made the Strait of Hormuz so dangerous that insurance companies won't cover oil tankers passing through it.

Twenty percent of the world's petroleum normally flows through that strait. Oil prices are skyrocketing and consumers everywhere are feeling it.

Trump started this. He escalated it. He isolated America from its allies in the process.

https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/topstories/we-re-not-going-to-go-into-something-where-french-general-slams-trump-s-pitch-for-naval-alliance-to-police-hormuz/ar-AA1YOt5m?apiversion=v2&domshim=1&noservercache=1&noservertelemetry=1&batchservertelemetry=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1

These blowhards parroting Israeli talking point or backing Trump are beyond contemptible - this is affecting real people now all over the world on this uneccesary illegal war. After the Philliphines Thailand is the second most affected in the world. Let that sink in.

Drivers are increasingly reluctant to accept long-distance fares, fearing they may run out of fuel en route with no guarantee of being able to refuel, he said. The situation has already reduced the number of taxis available at the airport.

Of the 5,000 to 6,000 taxis registered with the association, only about 2,500 are currently operating, he said. Some drivers have halted services altogether, while others have adjusted their schedules, opting to work only in the morning when fuel is easier to obtain, or limiting trips to short distances.

Just now, beautifulthailand99 said:

These blowhards parroting Israeli talking point or backing Trump are beyond contemptible - this is affecting real people now all over the world on this uneccesary illegal war. After the Philliphines Thailand is the second most affected in the world. Let that sink in.

I am not in Thailand, or the Phils try Australia, how we are suffering

8 minutes ago, still kicking said:

I am not in Thailand, or the Phils try Australia, how we are suffering

Just topped up ahlf tank at the pretrol station - all ok atm - but saw my first filling up jerry cans customer since the last panic.

There are a few things that Donald fears more than the devil fears holy water.

- Expensive prices at the pump. Happening.

- US stock markets going down. Happening.

- Mid-term elections.

He is slowly starting to realise, that he opened a can of worms. Remedy: Declare victory and pull out.

Finally, it will be TACO once more.

The hysterical screeches of those whose side is losing

3 hours ago, swissie said:

There are a few things that Donald fears more than the devil fears holy water.

- Expensive prices at the pump. Happening.

- US stock markets going down. Happening.

- Mid-term elections.

He is slowly starting to realise, that he opened a can of worms. Remedy: Declare victory and pull out.

Finally, it will be TACO once more.

I’m not convinced Trump is aware of anything that happens.

2 hours ago, Yagoda said:

The hysterical screeches of those whose side is losing

Side?

Loosing?

Do you think Trump care about the world's population?

Maybe once his billionaire cronies start loosing wealth, things may change.

Don't know if there's a direct correlation but the baht weakened noticeably against the dollar within hours of this war starting.

11 hours ago, still kicking said:

I am not in Thailand, or the Phils try Australia, how we are suffering

Perhaps higher gas prices and longer ques, and perhaps a major gas shortage in the near future? There really are very few aspects of life that Don the Destroyer will not affect eventually, it seems like he's hellbent on lowering the quality of life for everyone on the planet.

3 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Don't know if there's a direct correlation but the baht weakened noticeably against the dollar within hours of this war starting.

It's directly linked to the drop in the price of gold which was something that supported the Thai baht. For some weird reason the dollar has gotten higher and I'm kind of at a losses to figure that one out, as I would think people would have less confidence in the dollar than usual, due to a completely insane and highly unstable dummy.

The amount of chaos Trump has caused for the entire planet with his unnecessary forever war is astounding. It was sich a bad choice and the timing could not have been worse, as the world economy is already challenged enough. This means nothing to him as his wealth continues to grow through massive corruption.

What did they think was going to happen with the strait and why did they think they could handle the consequences of this recklessness.

Trump deserves severe punishment for this act. America will be reaping the blowback for years to come and nobody knows how long the chaos will last.

Dumb and dumber. Pure Don style stupidity and staggering levels of ignorance and hubris.

The only good that can come from this is if MAGA devotees finally realize what a dunce they supported and rise up against this street trash pig president.

12 hours ago, Yagoda said:

The hysterical screeches of those whose side is losing

We are all losing - this isn't a game of football - I would like all those who support Israel to crowdfund their costs from their own dosh and stop keeping picking the pcokets of those who have no interest in this rogue state. The problem is it would be a like a beggar's hat , a few foreign coins, a couple of buttons and some hastily written promissary notes written on post its. So as you queue up for petrol or fail to get a taxi or see farmers impoverished you will go we are all doing our bit for Israel's war on reason. That should butter some parsnips if you can find any.

14 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

The amount of chaos Trump has caused for the entire planet with his unnecessary forever war is astounding. It was sich a bad choice and the timing could not have been worse, as the world economy is already challenged enough. This means nothing to him as his wealth continues to grow through massive corruption.

What did they think was going to happen with the strait and why did they think they could handle the consequences of this recklessness.

Trump deserves severe punishment for this act. America will be reaping the blowback for years to come and nobody knows how long the chaos will last.

Dumb and dumber. Pure Don style stupidity and staggering levels of ignorance and hubris.

The only good that can come from this is if MAGA devotees finally realize what a dunce they supported and rise up against this street trash pig president.

To call it evil is to underestimate how bad this really is. It is profoundly and wilfully evilness of the highest order and then some. x 10 ...squared. Even the Devil himself is appaled and is consdiering becoming a Christian.

7 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Don't know if there's a direct correlation but the baht weakened noticeably against the dollar within hours of this war starting.

Yes, I wonder if they will blame Trump or praise him?😊

10 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I’m not convinced Trump is aware of anything that happens.

He is. I offer that he is overly sensitive which is why he is so quick to change positions. He is remarkably adaptable. It's why his opponents are so confounded. He is able to change on the fly. Entrepreneurs manage to ride negative conditions.

Just now, Patong2021 said:

He is. I offer that he is overly sensitive which is why he is so quick to change positions. He is remarkably adaptable. It's why his opponents are so confounded. He is able to change on the fly. Entrepreneurs manage to ride negative conditions.

I offer that he is overly stupid and changes positions because his demented brain reacts to whatever shiny object is in front of him.

34 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

To call it evil is to underestimate how bad this really is. It is profoundly and wilfully evilness of the highest order and then some. x 10 ...squared. Even the Devil himself is appaled and is consdiering becoming a Christian.

As opposed to your embrace of the Iranian regime that publicly lynches young adults from cranes in public squares, that sodomizes teenage boys and girls and that violently gang rapes women who dare to object to the doctrine of the Revolutionary Guards. You are ok with the widescale corruption that saw a transfer of wealth and assets from the citizens to the family members of the rules of iran and to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

1 minute ago, Patong2021 said:

As opposed to your embrace of the Iranian regime that publicly lynches young adults from cranes in public squares, that sodomizes teenage boys and girls and that violently gang rapes women who dare to object to the doctrine of the Revolutionary Guards. You are ok with the widescale corruption that saw a transfer of wealth and assets from the citizens to the family members of the rules of iran and to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

I don't support the regime in the same way you probably don't support the excesses of the Saudi regime - like dismembering a reporter of the New York Times in their Turkish embassy and beheading a Princess for finding love. What I don't support is isareli agression against it's neighbours with illegal attacks . Under international law nations have the right of self-defence against unprovoked attacks. Iran is certainly no worse than the Saudi regime internally and certainly better to it's Jewish population than Saudi where there are none. Isareli talking points are why do you concentrate on the Gaza 'genocide' and not Yemen, Congo blha blha blha - it's because you are anti-semetic. But crickets about Saudi because they bent the knee decades ago and paid fealty to the US. Their crime is and has always been Yankee go home and Israel is the US base par excellence in the Levant.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

The amount of chaos Trump has caused for the entire planet with his unnecessary forever war is astounding. It was sich a bad choice and the timing could not have been worse, as the world economy is already challenged enough. This means nothing to him as his wealth continues to grow through massive corruption.

What did they think was going to happen with the strait and why did they think they could handle the consequences of this recklessness.

Trump deserves severe punishment for this act. America will be reaping the blowback for years to come and nobody knows how long the chaos will last.

Dumb and dumber. Pure Don style stupidity and staggering levels of ignorance and hubris.

The only good that can come from this is if MAGA devotees finally realize what a dunce they supported and rise up against this street trash pig president.

I see someone on this forum seems to approve of Tiny Pete's $2 million king crab bill. I wonder if there's any limit at all with some of these supporters, would they approve of a $19 million brothel bill? How about $7 million for beer kegs?

38 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

He is. I offer that he is overly sensitive which is why he is so quick to change positions. He is remarkably adaptable. It's why his opponents are so confounded. He is able to change on the fly. Entrepreneurs manage to ride negative conditions.

II completely disagree, I think one of the reasons why the Epstein problem plagued him so much was the fact that he was not able to dance on his feet, and he cannot improvise, he has one schtick and he always sticks with that one schtick, but slit seems to work well with a lot of his devotees and subjects.

3 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

We are all losing - this isn't a game of football - I would like all those who support Israel to crowdfund their costs from their own dosh and stop keeping picking the pcokets of those who have no interest in this rogue state. The problem is it would be a like a beggar's hat , a few foreign coins, a couple of buttons and some hastily written promissary notes written on post its. So as you queue up for petrol or fail to get a taxi or see farmers impoverished you will go we are all doing our bit for Israel's war on reason. That should butter some parsnips if you can find any.

Oooo Israels war. Got it. Its the Jooooooooooss.

47 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Oooo Israels war. Got it. Its the Jooooooooooss.

Kerching anti semitic card played Zionist equivalent of Godwinsteins law. It's what your mate Trump said I suggest you take it up with him.

12 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Kerching anti semitic card played Zionist equivalent of Godwinsteins law. It's what your mate Trump said I suggest you take it up with him.

You mean keep telling the truth about the primitive conspiratorial lunatic anti semitism spouted on this forum.

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

Oooo Israels war. Got it. Its the Jooooooooooss.

Not entirely true.

It’s an illegal Israeli/US illegal war war if aggression.

Rubio has already told us Trump only agreed to joining this illegal war of aggression because Israel were going to attack unilaterally.

No amount of codswallop your behalf will change those facts.

22 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

You mean keep telling the truth about the primitive conspiratorial lunatic anti semitism spouted on this forum.

.

22 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

You mean keep telling the truth about the primitive conspiratorial lunatic anti semitism spouted on this forum.

Victim card declined sir do you have any other means of payment ?

4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s an illegal Israeli/US illegal war war if aggression.

Only when we say it is

8 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Rubio has already told us Trump only agreed to joining this illegal war of aggression because Israel were going to attack unilaterally.

No amount of codswallop your behalf will change those facts.

So what LOL