Previously posted on my Facebook Page.
Politico: “Trump keeps escalating his trade threats. This time, Europe isn't biting.” In these Donald Trump years, anything and everything is super-underscored, bloated, exaggerated as darts of insult against him. Anyhow, what is so big a deal with tariffs? Tariffs are as old as organized trade itself, dating back to the Bronze Age in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. Early merchant records from ancient civilizations show that local rulers and city-states imposed levies, taxes, or tolls on traveling caravans and imported goods.
Meanwhile, the destructive tariff wars of the 1930s led to modern cooperative agreements like the World Trade Organization to lower trade barriers globally. But when China joined the WTO in 2001 and the BRICS bloc was born in 2009, as Asia and the Middle East flourished, thereby balancing G7’s global trade dominance, tariff chess moves pumped up the economic joint big time. So what’s the fuss about, eh? 💸🏢💸
USA Today: “Trump says he's 'not happy' that oil giants Exxon and Chevron are reporting massive profits.” Of course, a Trump quote is “exploited” per the demonization/insult grade, although The D’s “not happy” quip conjures multiple meanings. Anyhow, who’s happy with Big Oil’s massive dough, uh huh? This current war in Iran or tempest in the Strait of Hormuz is used to manipulate oil prices and stuff, as we all know it. They know when to start the drama, resume/continue, and when to stop.
This: Top U.S. oil and gas corporations generate hundreds of billions in annual revenue. Leading producers like ExxonMobil report trailing 12-month revenues around $326 billion, while Chevron brings in approximately $185 billion. Other major domestic energy refiners and producers like Phillips 66, Marathon Petroleum, and Valero Energy pull in between $120 billion and $136 billion each year. ⛽️💰⛽️
Reuters: “U.S. has used 'virtually all' of its long-range missiles during the Iran war, sources say.” Do you believe that? LOL! I don’t. You see, the top 3 largest arms manufacturing companies in the world are U.S.-owned: Lockheed Martin, RTX Corporation, and Northrop Grumman. At #5 is General Dynamics. Boeing and L3Harris Technologies are #6 and #10.
Meanwhile, the current (2026) U.S. military budget totals approximately $1 trillion, combining about $838.7 billion in base defense appropriations with an additional $150 billion from reconciliation legislation. America’s military spending has been exponentially increasing since the 1950s. So no more missiles? I don’t think so. ☮️☮️☮️
AFP: “The rush of migrants into Spain's Ceuta enclave is over. The political fallout isn't.” / BBC: “Spain attacks the 'selfish' response of some EU countries to Ceuta migrant crossings.” Politics politics politics! Remember, the EU/Turkey deal to help ease the migrant surge in 2016 was stopped by European politics. Current remedial moves to fix the record number of border crossings in the U.S. from 2021 to 2024 is eerily complicated by politics. Yet if we view the immigration/asylum or refugee issue as more a humanitarian matter and crime imperative (per human trafficking), I am certain governments and NGOs can forward solutions.
Meanwhile, less war means less people fleeing a country. More trade talks on the table means less military alternatives in the field. A nation with a better economic life means less domestic strife. Etc etcetera. Sadly, as I always reiterate, the media’s narratives are a huge contributory factor to the escalation of hostilities rather than as a bridge to more negotiations, compromises and mutual peace. (Photo: Euractiv.) 🏃♀️🏃🏃♀️
CNN: “Russia's new target: Ukrainian civilians filling up at gas stations.” Wild. But I definitely don’t believe it. The sort of news or media rabble-rouse that dubiously, desperately “influences” readership to look this way. Yup, just a few days after Volodymyr Zelensky visited White House albeit with less fanfare this time. Anyhow, figure this one out: Prior to the meeting, the Trump administration planned to stretch the delivery of $400 million in authorized Ukraine security assistance across several years, delaying final spending until fiscal year 2029. This rollout timeline contrasts with congressional authorization and separate legislative efforts by lawmakers attempting to fast-track aid.
I don't know what transpired in last week’s Don/Volo chat, but I guess, Kyiv got a new rationale to get the $400 million, faster. You see, since February 2022, the U.S. Congress has made available roughly $195 billion in total appropriations related to the conflict in Ukraine. The question that hangs in my mind: If Z gets the money, would this mean the end of the war? (Note as well that Ukraine has made it known that it is putting more money into its “drone and robot warfare” business. No war doesn’t mean no arms manufacturing, uh huh?) 🇷🇺☮️🇺🇦
