Could Iran hit US Air and Naval forces?
Could Iran hit US Air and Naval forces?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yiv3QkQIYZs
Tag: international relations
Trump’s New Tariffs Are Probably Illegal Too
“These new tariffs are likely unlawful too.
Indeed, Trump’s own attorneys even admitted as much during the legal battle over the original tariffs.
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Trump is leaning on Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974
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Section 122 allows presidents to impose tariffs of up to 15 percent for up to 150 days to “deal with large and serious United States balance-of-payments deficits.”
What’s that? The Trump administration wants to pretend—or perhaps wrongly believes—that it’s the same thing as a trade deficit. It’s not.
A balance-of-payments deficit is an archaic problem that existed before the introduction of floating exchange rates for foreign currencies. Changes made to the international monetary system in the 1970s—changes that Milton Friedman advocated, it’s worth noting—eliminated the circumstances that could lead to a balance-of-payments deficit.
“The United States does not have an international payments problem, fundamental or otherwise, and has not had one since we adopted a floating exchange rate more than five decades ago,” explains Bryan Riley, director of the Free Trade Initiative at the National Taxpayers Union. “Therefore, Section 122 does not give President Trump the legal authority to impose tariffs.”
Just like with the IEEPA tariffs, Trump’s use of Section 122 ignores the plain language of the law and invokes a broad executive power where Congress clearly provided a narrow one.”
https://reason.com/2026/02/23/trumps-new-tariffs-are-probably-illegal-too/
China is quickly catching up to the US in submarine power.
China is quickly catching up to the US in submarine power.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqUobxwLvgM
The EU is going to Ukraine empty-handed ― thanks to Hungary
“After a brutally cold winter in Ukraine, months of supposed peace talks that have produced little more than political theater, and with Russia showing no sign of stopping its barrage of attacks, the EU had been confident it could finally bring Kyiv some concrete help.
But the carefully choreographed support was spoiled when Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced his country would block Europe’s 20th round of Russian sanctions because of an oil dispute Budapest has with Ukraine, ratcheting up the two countries’ long-simmering feud.
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Hungary’s move marked a “new low” for Orbán, Sweden’s Europe Minister Jessica Rosencrantz told POLITICO. “We’ve seen in previous decisions that Hungary is not acting in a way of sincere cooperation” with other EU states. “That should send an alarm to many of us. We’re seeing what Orbán is doing: he’s using Ukraine as a punching bag.”
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The crux of Hungary’s row is the Druzhba pipeline, which stretches 4,000 kilometers from eastern Russia to Central Europe, providing vast quantities of oil for Hungary and Slovakia. Both have exemptions from EU sanctions on imports of Russian refined oil.
The pipeline has been offline since Jan. 27, when Ukrainian authorities said a Russian strike damaged it. But Budapest and Bratislava aren’t buying that, accusing Ukraine of intentionally keeping the pipeline inoperative.
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Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said he was “really upset and frustrated,” adding Hungary’s move not only calls the EU’s support for Ukraine into question but its unity and ability to act decisively when major decisions are constrained by unanimity.
“I hope that Europe can deliver,” he said. And “that tomorrow it won’t be the situation when we will be saying, ‘We are sorry, 20th package is not there. We are sorry, €90 billion maybe next month, maybe somewhere in the future.’””
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-ukraine-visit-hungary-blocks-russia-sanctions-funding-feud-viktor-orban/
Is the U.S. Dollar’s Global Dominance Coming to an End?
Due to Trump administration actions, people are hating Americans, and it is more difficult to have professional relationships due to this.
Having dollar dominance globally lowers US interest rates because other countries borrow in dollars.
The global power of the US military allows the US to control all sorts of negotiations that on the surface have nothing to do with military force.
The US university system is one of its secret sauces to its success and power, and Trump’s attack on it is throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
Carelessly deregulating will boost the economy in the short run, but in the long run will be bad for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yyJiXL-Fwg
China’s Military Countdown to Taiwan War Capability
China is planning to be prepared to militarily take Taiwan, by blockade or invasion, by 2027. This plan includes the ability to hit American bases in the region, knockout American infrastructure with cyber, and to quickly invade Taiwan if invasion is the choice. China regularly operates in Taiwanese waters to lull Taiwan and others into not suspecting the real attack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqVmmB1DmRY
Canada’s Role in a Shifting Global Order — with Mark Carney | Prof G Conversations
Canadian prime minister says the US is pushing out intellectual capital by its hostility toward immigrants and against diversity, and Canada can take those brains instead to make Canada stronger rather than the US.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V11qNDDElZw
Should We Bomb Iran?
Iran is an evil regime and has been evil and aggressive toward the US and its friends for a long time. But, regime change without a land invasion will require a sustained effort that includes cooperating with groups on the ground, and it’s not clear the Trump administration has the strategy to succeed in such an effort.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee4q0GpdBNg
The US is seriously preparing to attack Iran, with important assets in the region.
The US is seriously preparing to attack Iran, with important assets in the region.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yc3dL3_ihg
Japan is Preparing for War.
Japan is preparing for war by rearming, developing technology, and unofficially allying with countries like Taiwan, the Philippines, and India.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IXkma-zgKk