Suez Watch

[johnny]

A crisis of credibility for the US Navy in general and Operation Prosperity Guardian in particular?

Commercial shipping seems to be ‘voting with its feet (maybe it’s rudders?)’ and under no illusion about the US Navy’s ability to ensure freedom of navigation.

Insurance requirements of the shippers and ship owners demand safety over expediency. It has not much of anything to do with the US and its ability to defend navigation, compared to the weak ones that can't defend...well...much of anything. War zones are still war zones, regardless of whether or not the unprepared or prepared nations decide to defend shipping or not.

[Default0ptions]

“US Warship Directly Targeted In 'Largest Ever' Houthi Red Sea Missile Attack”

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ ... one-attack

All were shot down, though at enormous asymmetrical expense.

It’s worth remembering that not all these missiles used in the shoot downs can be reloaded at sea - and thus how long the navy can ride it out before having to run to a port.

[BritDownUnder]

Yes, quite why the UK should be shooting down drones with 1 million pound French/Italian made Sea Viper? missiles to protect a Danish or Chinese owned ship carrying Chinese made goods for the EU seems quite odd.
The UK taxpayers might be asking why at this point. Now I see why Australia declined to join this futile fly swatting exercise.

Actually I believe that the drones were headed to the warships but probably because they were where they were.

Once again more reason why the UK needs to get its lazy welfare scroungers making manufactured products again after years of offshoring.

[Default0ptions]

Once again more reason why the UK needs to get its lazy welfare scroungers making manufactured products again after years of offshoring.

That’s another astonishingly stupid remark - reminding us yet again of the informed and intelligent debate you manage to bring to the table.

<coughs>

“The UK is the third-largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Australia, worth $128 billion in 2021, and the second-largest source of foreign investment in terms of total stock, worth $719 billion in 2021.”

https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/united-king ... ntry-brief

If you really don’t like that $719 billion - you don’t have to take it . . .

[BritDownUnder]

Once again more reason why the UK needs to get its lazy welfare scroungers making manufactured products again after years of offshoring.

That’s another astonishingly stupid remark - reminding us yet again of the informed and intelligent debate you manage to bring to the table.

<coughs>

“The UK is the third-largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Australia, worth $128 billion in 2021, and the second-largest source of foreign investment in terms of total stock, worth $719 billion in 2021.”

https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/united-king ... ntry-brief

If you really don’t like that $719 billion - you don’t have to take it . . .

I like to give an expats angle on things and often when the rose tinted glasses are off the reality is a bit unpalatable to some.

There's a lot worth investing in in Australia. What about the foreign direct investment in the UK?

Compared with a lot of Asian, and indeed European, countries the UK workforce are lazy, unproductive and, yes, welfare scroungers, and the trade balances are there to prove it. The UK relies upon 'invisible' earnings from investments in more productive economies for improving its trade balance. Care to tell me what year the UK last had a trade surplus? Probably about the time I was born I think. And Australia? Try this year.

[adam2]

"Iran seizes oil tanker" latest reports state.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67948119

[Default0ptions]

"Iran seizes oil tanker" latest reports state.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67948119

Turns out that the vessel was originally Iranian and snatched by the US for sanction breaking so Iran probably regards this as taking back something that was unfairly taken from them.

Muddy waters whatever

[Default0ptions]

BDU: “welfare scroungers”

I take it that you’ve never been and have never known anyone cast upon the rocks of personal “welfare”.

Believe me - it’s not the bed of roses that you’re implying.

By far the biggest “welfare scrounging”, though, is the issue of “corporate welfare “ in which the government subsidises large companies by topping up the minimal wages they pay to their employees - thus enabling them to pay too low to live by topping up their workers wages out of the public purse.

You’ll find that this “corporate welfare” costs the country far more than your “welfare scroungers” have to survive on when they have no other choice.

[clv101]

Indeed, the benefits folk receive *whilst in work* are a labour subsidy for corporations. Many folk can/will only work for minimum wage because of the additional benefits they receive. Instead of this 'top up' being paid by general taxation, it should be paid by the employer.

[Default0ptions]

Back to the main topic:

“UK, US Preparing To Carry Out Offensive Strikes On Yemen's Houthis”

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ ... ys-barrage

Dunno how well that’s going to work out. The Saudis, with US and UK support, have been ‘Carrying out offensive strikes on Yemen’s Houthi’s’ for years now. Let’s wait and see.

There really does eventually seem to come a point in these asymmetrical face offs when the low tech adversary just laughs at the immensely expensive and largely ineffectual high tech opposition and just thinks ‘Vietnam’, Afghanistan’ etc

‘Bring it on, Sucker, and go back home bankrupt with your tail between your legs - We’ve already forced the majority of shipping to go the long way round the Cape’

This situation, happening right now in the Gulf, Red Sea and Suez really is a scenario that we all thought was pretty terminal for BAU back in 2011, 2012 …

[adam2]

USA/UK launch air strikes on houthi positions in yemen.
AFAIK this is the first attack on houthi land based assets rather than sinking their boats.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-u ... a-67952029

[BritDownUnder]

BDU: “welfare scroungers”

I take it that you’ve never been and have never known anyone cast upon the rocks of personal “welfare”.

Believe me - it’s not the bed of roses that you’re implying.

By far the biggest “welfare scrounging”, though, is the issue of “corporate welfare “ in which the government subsidises large companies by topping up the minimal wages they pay to their employees - thus enabling them to pay too low to live by topping up their workers wages out of the public purse.

You’ll find that this “corporate welfare” costs the country far more than your “welfare scroungers” have to survive on when they have no other choice.

Plenty of my extended family members who have been on the scrounge whilst working. Shared plenty of houses with people who were too lazy to even wash up never mind get a job. It seems like there is a certain social class who the DSS/DHSS/whoever they are called now just pays off to keep happy and keep voting Labour. Now I am sure you always declared your busking income and paid any taxes/NI conts due or when you claimed any benefits, didn't you now. I claimed unemployment benefit for 6 weeks after being fired from a job but got another job and had a student grant or equivalent when studying in the UK and NZ but that's about it.

Working hard and long hours is also not a bed of roses. I guess you didn't try it but the country would have benefited (no pun intended) if you had.

What is this corporate welfare that I hear of the government topping up wages? Can you give some examples in the UK and name some companies as I am keen to know. Zero hour contracts, Uber drivers? I have heard of employees working limited hours so they can claim some benefits but you are telling me that someone on a full time minimum wage job can get a top up from DHSS? I don't think so. Maybe child allowance, council tax rebates etc. So called corporate welfare can come in many forms including subsidies for industries to invest in places that are not otherwise logical to invest in. It happens overseas as well as the Inflation Reduction Act in the US demonstrates. I am sure the success of the Danish wind industry (compared with the failure of the UK wind industry) was due to some Danish corporate welfare too. As far as I know the UK has one of the highest corporation taxes in the world these days and certainly higher than the Republic of Ireland. You might call it corporate welfare but some countries back winners and show a bit of foresight but not the UK it seems.

In my estimation just one person claiming just 500 pounds a month in benefits who could work a low wage job and being economically inactive has basically taken all the taxation paid by a similar low paid worker who is doing the right thing.

And now it seems the wider war has started in the Middle East. Those Boeing shares sure need a boost right now after the door debacle.

[Default0ptions]

USA/UK launch air strikes on houthi positions in yemen.
AFAIK this is the first attack on houthi land based assets rather than sinking their boats.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-u ... a-67952029

Looks like some very serious strikes on land based targets. I’m not sure it’ll put a stop to all Houthi attacks though, and the continuing potential risk of further Houthi attacks is probably enough to keep most commercial traffic going the long way round.

[Ralphw2]

Sorry to drag off message, this is for BDU

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... -austerity

Yes, it is the favourite lefty whipping boy. It also explains how the UK has changed since you left.

[Default0ptions]

“Fresh Attack On US Base At Syrian Oilfield After Coalition Bombs Yemen”

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ ... en-reports

I’m still not sure why the US is helping itself to Syrian oil in the first place - but this attack looks like a bit of a response to the strikes on the Houthis in Yemen.

I suspect we’re going to see a lot more of this; low level asymmetric strikes against the US /UK /NATO assets in the region.

(I’m clumping this into the Suez Watch thread because it seems to me to be a part of the situation there)