3 minutes ago, BarraMarra said:

i just like him trying to appease this idiot to us on here he must feel uncomfortable now his leader has steeped so low to post pics of him as the Messiah and dissing the Pope.

I don't think it is capable of feelings where it's MAGA boss/messiah is concerned!

3 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

I don't think it is capable of feelings where it's MAGA boss/messiah is concerned!

Even the Yanks are starting to turn against Trump.

42 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

not one but from BBC Verify 4 of them... such a blockade from the master of the flip flops

Four?

That is more than before the blockade 🤣😂

https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/energy/articles/us-sanctioned-tanker-tests-trump-024445421.html

(Bloomberg) -- A US-sanctioned tanker linked to China is sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz and into the Gulf of Oman, testing President Donald Trump’s naval blockade.

Rich Starry, a medium-range tanker earlier known as Full Star, was blacklisted by Washington in 2023 for helping Tehran evade energy sanctions. It is not clear on this occasion whether it visited Iranian ports before its transit, or is carrying cargo.

“At best, Trump’s announcement is a paper tiger. At worst, it marks an escalation,” said Carlos Casanova, senior Asia economist at Union Bancaire Privee in Hong Kong.

40 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

I am just waiting for the first foreign naval ship to arrive intending to escort one of their ships, especially a Chinese one!

I read Iran supplies 80% of Chinese oil. Things could get messy very quickly.

Forget the renewable bs regarding China, they need oil.

Remember WW2 and the attack on Pearl Harbor was primarily caused by sanctions starving Japan of resources.

Nukes before Christmas anyone?

4 hours ago, Roadsternut said:

From elsewhere:

I think that's relevant, in that the blockade is likely less to do with oil shipments and more to do with the delivery of weapons. If Iran takes delivery and is able to take down more 'planes, the American public won't stand for it. The corrupt politicians need their votes.

On 4/12/2026 at 7:39 PM, jts-khorat said:

When will the world wake up and recognize that it is the Americans that are the cancer in this world and need to be excised?

Steady on there. They only need to excise one specific cancerous nodule. After that, with a bit of chemo, the natural healing process will prevail.

Yep the Bottler bottled it again. Four ships have passed through the straits since Trump's blockade two had links to China. Losing again.

Trump and his few remaining MAGA idiots haven't the slightest clue as to what cluster<deleted> they have unleashed upon themselves. Dancing on their graves has never felt sweeter - thanks Bibi in accelerating the velocity of US decline you are signing Israel's own eventual death warrant. Keep up the good work.

https://archive.ph/KTg2i

Starmer was right to refuse British participation in the blockade, but the European angle is secondary. The primary contest is between Washington and Beijing, and the real lesson is that China’s energy planners have been vindicated. The EV programme, the strategic reserves, the pipeline diversification, the coal-and-renewables grid: all were designed for precisely this contingency. The 15th Five-Year Plan doubles down on every one of those priorities. Whatever happens next, Beijing’s capacity to absorb the shock will only grow. The same cannot be said for Tokyo, Seoul or the capitals of Southeast Asia, still dependent on a sea lane that the United States can no longer reliably guarantee. That asymmetry is the story of this war.

1 hour ago, emptypockets said:

I read Iran supplies 80% of Chinese oil. Things could get messy very quickly.

Forget the renewable bs regarding China, they need oil.

Fact check - false

I have it on good authority China, which is actually heaven on earth according to the prominent China based forumer(and renowned sufferer) relies almost exclusively on windmills, solar farms and unicorn farts for their energy. They love the earth and would never pollute at all.

Now back to concocting another 20 threads accusing Trump of bizarre nonsenical things🤣

59 minutes ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Fact check - false

I have it on good authority China, which is actually heaven on earth according to the prominent China based forumer(and renowned sufferer) relies almost exclusively on windmills, solar farms and unicorn farts for their energy. They love the earth and would never pollute at all.

Now back to concocting another 20 threads accusing Trump of bizarre nonsenical things🤣

What authority would that be?

Well that blockade lasted a long time. Chinese owned tanker Rich Starry just passed through the strait without hindrance.

4 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

Still waiting for Yagoda to answer my question of how will America defend the straits.

Neither IT or Trump can!

It's a beautiful blockade, bigly, biggest in fact that the world has ever seen.

And set up by the greatest president the world or God has ever seen.

Some will say God sent me to build this blockade, I expect it's somewhere in the Bible, probably near the part where Moses divided the Red Sea.

2 minutes ago, bannork said:

It's a beautiful blockade, bigly, biggest in fact that the world has ever seen.

And set up by the greatest president the world or God has ever seen.

Some will say God sent me to build this blockade, I expect it's somewhere in the Bible, probably near the part where Moses divided the Red Sea.

And the tidal wave of attacks sank all my big beautiful ships and killed all my great sailors because of my brilliant VANITY!

8 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

And the tidal wave of attacks sank all my big beautiful ships and killed all my great sailors because of my brilliant VANITY!

lol they were all losers.

3 hours ago, emptypockets said:

urces.

Nukes before Christmas anyone?

Aren't you a little ray of sunshine.

2 hours ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Fact check - false

I have it on good authority China, which is actually heaven on earth according to the prominent China based forumer(and renowned sufferer) relies almost exclusively on windmills, solar farms and unicorn farts for their energy. They love the earth and would never pollute at all.

Now back to concocting another 20 threads accusing Trump of bizarre nonsenical things🤣

I have it on good authority one can't make plastics, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, lubricants, and fertilizers from wind farms, solar panels and unicorn farts.

Your entry for the most moronic post on this thread is accepted.

6 hours ago, blaze master said:

The quartz im talking about is vital for many military and technological products. The low grade quartz you are talking about isn't. Do some reading first.

Australia has multiple sources of HPQ quartz. Do some reading yourself.

25 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Australia has multiple sources of HPQ quartz. Do some reading yourself.

I did and the USA supplies 70 to 90 percent of the worlds supply. So there's that.

6 hours ago, Yagoda said:

You dont think the Chinese are engaged in intellectual piracy, substandard contract performance, unfair lease terms, bribery of 3rd world governments, internal repression?

If you dont think the Chinese do any of that, I guess I can do your reading for you but to most of humanity, its an established fact.

6 hours ago, Yagoda said:

You dont think the Chinese are engaged in intellectual piracy, substandard contract performance, unfair lease terms, bribery of 3rd world governments, internal repression?

If you dont think the Chinese do any of that, I guess I can do your reading for you but to most of humanity, its an established fact.

6 hours ago, Yagoda said:

You dont think the Chinese are engaged in intellectual piracy, substandard contract performance, unfair lease terms, bribery of 3rd world governments, internal repression?

If you dont think the Chinese do any of that, I guess I can do your reading for you but to most of humanity, its an established fact.

Or just your assumption.

In reality the USA and russia are very likely up to the same activitities with the same purpose.

No chance of success in bringing in Pakistan in the talks. Trump needs to smarten up and consider a place like Geneva, Switzerland for all the forthcomming peace talks. Switzerland has a far better reputation in the international image for such top level peace talks in history, on which Trump could relate. Switzerland and Geneva host also the UN and not to forget that Switzerland was representing the USA in Iran for the last 40 years. Trump needs to wake up if he wants somewhat of international prestige. Far more prestige in talking peace in Geneva Switzerland, rather then in Pakistan IMHO.

11 minutes ago, SingAPorn said:

No chance of success in bringing in Pakistan in the talks. Trump needs to smarten up and consider a place like Geneva, Switzerland for all the forthcomming peace talks. Switzerland has a far better reputation in the international image for such top level peace talks in history, on which Trump could relate. Switzerland and Geneva host also the UN and not to forget that Switzerland was representing the USA in Iran for the last 40 years. Trump needs to wake up if he wants somewhat of international prestige. Far more prestige in talking peace in Geneva Switzerland, rather then in Pakistan IMHO.

Is your Sth Asia and you anti muslim bias showing?

On 4/13/2026 at 1:39 AM, jts-khorat said:

What the most amazing thing is: the ships currently passing through unhindered are mainly from Pakistan.

Pakistan, the same country, which made the peace talks possible and without whom the US has no channel for a diplomatic off-ramp at all.

There is a clear pattern, that countries that ally themselves with the USA are treated worse or the same then enemies, as soon as their immediate usefulness seems diminished in the slightest.

When will the world wake up and recognize that it is the Americans that are the cancer in this world and need to be excised?

As an American and I think very patriotic, I am totally ashamed of this administration and what they are doing to harm our harm our nation. Even if through the process of impeachment soon they are ousted, it will be decades before we will ever be trusted again if ever. I think that the younger folks that cast their votes for his previous and also the current term should really be ashamed at what they have allowed to come into power for this total idiot. Now, after slamming the Iranians for closing the strait of Hormuz, he is illegally closing it! What a total idiot. And, what a bunch of totally worthless advisors that continue to support him and allow him to blatantly violate the laws of the US Constitution! A very sad day for the US IMHO!

15 hours ago, CallumWK said:

Jeez you're really going the extra mile to show what a clown you are.

You think those miners are all on standby for the sign to start mining, then go through several complicated processes, and it will be ready for consumption in a fortnight?

I did not write that the mines are on standby. What I did write is that the USA has "rare" earth. I also wrote that the USA was not willing to accept the environmental damage or able to refine at the low labour cost of China. This is factually correct.

What part of the statement, If a true shortage arises, the USA can go back to producing do you not understand? I did not say that production could occur overnight. However, the history of the USA is that when there is an urgent need,the resources can be brought to bear. We saw it during Covid. We see it after natural catastrophes when towns are rebuilt. Yes, it will take time to recommission a mine, and yes it can take time to refine the minerals. However, the effort started months ago. The US government has been investing in domestic production and in foreign mines, particularly in Canada. The G7 countries have been investing heavily in the supply chain and there is a G7 strategy in place.

If a national emergency arose in the USA, domestic use would be curtailed in favour of national designated industries. Recycling would be more thorough. This would give fill some of the shortfall.

15 hours ago, Roadsternut said:

How do EPA Superfund sites protect American people? They tend to be incredibly contaminated industrial sites, locked up, and left to leach away. I used to drive past every day such a site, an old Napalm plant in Alabama. The local authorities could do nothing, as the EPA had taken it over. The EPA's plan for remediation was to close up the doors, and forget about it. It was still leaching into the surrounding wetlands, carcinogens then entering the Gulf of Mexico/America, and thus the commercial fisheries. The major source of rare earths in the US is mine tailings. The reason they are not mined is purely economic, not because of environmental concerns (the US has a poor track record in protecting the environment and the civil population; their are dozens of towns across America abandoned due to pollutants entering the water supply). The major source of PCBs in the Gulf are paper mills in Florida. The paper mills continue to blame sports fisherman outboard motors as being the main source. The US is fairly content about producing generations of genetically damaged people who's only recourse is through ruinously expensive litigation.

You could also add that the US currently is quite content doing business with child rapists and war criminals, given they want to buy rare earths from the Russians. Imagine that attitude in 1942. No wonder that was called the Greatest Generation. What epitaph will the Baby Boomers be renamed with after they are all dead and buried. Likely nothing good. All that hope; they were called baby boomers as the first post WW2 generation, because they were going to be the generation who made sure fascism never rose again. Now they, in your words, are happy for cancer to happen if it means a fast buck or material advantage. Its baby boomers making all the decisions right now. You write that as if it was a good thing to brag about, rather than what it is, a shameful set of affairs.

Thank you for supporting my initial statement that the US was content to let others take over the refining and processing because of the high economic and human costs that were associated with the activity. China doesn't care about the environmental damage and western consumers are content to allow the Chinese to poison themselves for their benefit

The EPA supersites show that the US can intervene when pollution is a critical issue. The fact is that additional pollution was stopped and that there have been efforts made to clean up messes. It is very easy to criticize now, but 50 years ago, there was lead in petrol and when efforts were made to remove it, people complained. Some countries waited decades to follow suit. Lead was removed from paint in most western countries, but is still in paint used in Asia including India and China. The delays in US cleanups is related to the public not wishing to pay. Easy to blame the "government", but really it is the local counties and states who don't want to contribute their fair share, despite gaining from the presence of the polluter. And as bad as it may be in the USA, it is still much better compared to other countries where toxic waste still gets dumped wherever someone wants to.

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3 hours ago, SingAPorn said:

No chance of success in bringing in Pakistan in the talks. Trump needs to smarten up and consider a place like Geneva, Switzerland for all the forthcomming peace talks. Switzerland has a far better reputation in the international image for such top level peace talks in history, on which Trump could relate. Switzerland and Geneva host also the UN and not to forget that Switzerland was representing the USA in Iran for the last 40 years. Trump needs to wake up if he wants somewhat of international prestige. Far more prestige in talking peace in Geneva Switzerland, rather then in Pakistan IMHO.

After the attacks which killed the Ayatollah while talks were still going to, and subsequent assassinations by the Israelis during the war, I doubt the they would trust anywhere in Europe.

Trump posted just after the last talks in Islamabad, " We could have taken them all out there if we wanted."

That doesn't exactly inspire trust towards the US.

It’s true that China is the biggest buyer of oil from Iran through the strait of Hormuz.

Both China and Russia vetoed the resolution to allow force to open the strait.

Have you thought to consider why they would apparently cut off their nose to spite their face?

It’s fairly obvious.

29 minutes ago, phetphet said:

Trump posted just after the last talks in Islamabad, " We could have taken them all out there if we wanted."

That doesn't exactly inspire trust towards the US.

Maybe he learned something from his friend Mohammed Bone Saw.

But back to the topic of this thread. I posted this in another thread, and what is true of it?

Hmm, according to Bloomberg 6 ships sailed through the strait, then made a U-turn back to Iran.

Let's see how China responds to this.

https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/energy/articles/ship-testing-hormuz-blockade-appears-133314014.html

(Bloomberg) -- The US said six merchant vessels complied with instructions from its forces to turn around and re-enter an Iranian port during the first day of its blockade, as traders watched for signs of ships testing the restrictions.

No vessels made it through the blockade, which is made up of more than a dozen warships and 10,000 service personnel, Central Command said in a post on X. The US is enforcing the measures in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, lying in wait for Iranian vessels that try to sail out of the Persian Gulf. That means some ships can cross the Strait of Hormuz but still not break the blockade.

1 hour ago, CallumWK said:

But back to the topic of this thread. I posted this in another thread, and what is true of it?

Hmm, according to Bloomberg 6 ships sailed through the strait, then made a U-turn back to Iran.

Let's see how China responds to this.

https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/energy/articles/ship-testing-hormuz-blockade-appears-133314014.html

(Bloomberg) -- The US said six merchant vessels complied with instructions from its forces to turn around and re-enter an Iranian port during the first day of its blockade, as traders watched for signs of ships testing the restrictions.

No vessels made it through the blockade, which is made up of more than a dozen warships and 10,000 service personnel, Central Command said in a post on X. The US is enforcing the measures in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, lying in wait for Iranian vessels that try to sail out of the Persian Gulf. That means some ships can cross the Strait of Hormuz but still not break the blockade.

I just read some have turned back, but 20 went through.