Wars Against America 20260903a

The Wars Against America

by with No Comment EconomyExclusive ContentFeatured HighlightsInvestingIra SlomowitzRisk ManagementUncategorizedWorld

Kicking the Can Down the Road is a Public Policy Alternative

Opinion: The following article is commentary and its views are solely those of the author. This article was first published the 2nd of September via The Angry Demagogue.

We recently met a young Russian citizen and when asked when the war with Ukraine will end, the response was “Ukraine is just a place, the war is against America”. This Russian citizen was from a city in Siberia, a “regular” Russian with no official contacts that we know of but who, it seems is a proud Russian who “understands” that her leader, Vladimir Putin, is at war with America, who wants to harm and destroy Russia and Russian religion and culture. This war of the West, now the United States, against Russia goes back centuries in the Russian mind.

Wars Against America 20260903a

The Wars Against America: Kicking the Can Down the Road is a Public Policy Alternative

For nearly five decades the Islamic Republic of Iran has planned and prepared to fight the Great Satan, the United States, with the Little Satan, Israel, just a place, a small one bomb country to destroy en-route to the greater, the greatest enemy. This is not speculation but is written into the DNA of the Islamic Republic of Iran in all their announcements and policies over the last, nearly, 50 years.

Way back in my college years in the late 1970’s in one of my first political science courses we learned of China’s desire for “hegemony” in their neighborhood. It was the first time I heard the word hegemony and have always associated it with the Chinese Communist Party and their desire to control the land masses and sea lanes that are near it – what we now call the Indo-Pacific. China to this day not only claims Taiwan as part of its rightful territory but of course Tibet, border areas with India and the entirety of the South China Sea including major U.S allies like Philippines. The CCP has also never given up its desire for revenge against Japanese atrocities of WWII and control of the Korean peninsula – or eastern Russia, for that matter.

And yet, irrespective of all the evidence gathered over the centuries and especially over the last decades since the cold war ended, there are still those in the American establishment, left and right, who feel that the United States can avoid what are naively called “foreign entanglements”. However, if America does not go “there”, the world will come to its shores. Even the Monroe Doctrine at its height did not keep non-Western hemisphere militaries away from the United States.

With the advent of drone warfare, hypersonic missiles, hacking of infrastructure and the battle over AI, there is no avoiding American involvement in global affairs unless it wants to be a nation subservient to China, Russia and Iran – and even then, subservient states rarely live in peace. Another lesson we learned in Political Science 101 was that “power abhors a vacuum”. An American retrenchment will not mean a world at peace. Much as Israel learned it cannot just “separate” from the Gazans, America will learn it can’t just ignore the world around it.

American governments have decided on a “kick the can down the road” organizing principle for nearly all domestic and foreign policy. There seems to be an assumption amongst American politicians and policy makers that American ingenuity can always solve the problem, no matter how late it gets. Social Security is in trouble, the deficit has reached a point where just the interest is $1 trillion, North Korea has multiple nuclear weapons, Iran is as close as it could get, Russia is waging (indirect) war in western Europe and the United States (see: Russian hacking), China is waging a propaganda campaign against American AI that AI executives seem overeager to support by their sci-fi fear mongering and there is no sense of urgency amongst American politicians.

The Vice President wonders aloud about the “harm” to America that the US Dollar as the reserve currency recieves, not thinking beyond the simplistic price of exports. The lower cost of energy and minerals due to their being priced in Dollars does not seem to be a net gain for the US in his eyes. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) of course wants to bankrupt America and the Democratic party does not have the will to oppose them. The Michigan AG wants Jews to sacrifice themselves because otherwise the planet will be uninhabitable and the State of California can’t seem to build houses anymore.

The Vance-Kushner-Qatar cabal control American policy in the Persian Gulf up to the point where President Trump gets too annoyed at Iranian duplicity and he sicks American airpower on them. Then it returns as the deals that this group want to do with Qatar (and Turkey) are too much for them to resist as they lead American deeper into subservient status. They don’t seem to realize that the Qatari-Turkish attempt to break the American-Israeli relationship is being done to weaken the American presence in the Middle East by making it dependent upon Qatar. 

Syria’s Islamist leader is still building his Islamist army while Turkey presents him to the world as the moderate who just wants to build a nice country. What is happening though, is that Qatar and Turkey are having America sponsor the Moslem Brotherhood. It is not the American war against Iran that has caused strategic overreach but the potential deals that have left the world’s greatest free power at the behest of a dessert kingdom with no people but lots of ready cash. Deals for pipelines and railways through the Middle Eastern desert are apparently more important for American success than the technology coming out of Israel.

America cannot avoid the world since the world will not avoid America. America is the main target of all revisionist States, whether it likes it or not.

Everyone is waiting until after the mid-terms for something to happen, but then the 2028 presidential campaign starts. The waiting needs to stop regarding Iran, Russia, China, defense manufacturing and the fiscal situation. As Yogi Berra brilliantly stated – “it gets late early out there”.

Disclaimer: the views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of the author, and not necessarily the opinions reflected by angrymetatraders.com or its associated parties.

Follow Ira Slomowitz via The Angry Demagogue on Substack https://iraslomowitz.substack.com/

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Western Leaders 20260814

Standing on the Precipice: Western Leaders Continue to Fiddle

by with No Comment Behavioral SentimentExclusive ContentFeatured HighlightsIra SlomowitzUncategorizedWorld

Will The West Stay Awake and Become Alert?

Opinion: The following article is commentary and its views are solely those of the author. This article was first published the 14th of August via The Angry Demagogue.

In February 2022 the Russian member of the Axis invaded Ukraine. In October 2023, less than two years later, the Iranian proxy Hamas invaded Israel and their proxy Hezbollah joined the fight the next day. North Korea and China the other members of the axis did not, probably, coordinate either attack, but nor did they discourage it or help to end it. In the period of less than two years, the free countries of the world were given a wake-up call to what historians may end up writing was the start of a new world war.

Sweden and Finland were spooked enough to take a bold move and join NATO and the existing European members of NATO seem to realize that they need to start worrying about their own defense – at least against Russia, if not the rest of the Axis. In Ukraine, they put together a bold defense and created a drone force that is, if not winning, at least is not losing the war of attrition that the conflict has “settled” into. Ukraine may have convinced itself that it can win this war on the battlefield and Russia is counting on its Axis allies to help it overcome their own military incompetence. North Korean troops are dying in Ukraine and there are rumors that 50,000 more North Korean troops are on the way. Iran and China are supplying weapons. The Axis is not only keeping the war going for Russia, it is arguably, along with its nuclear weapons, a path to victory.

Western Leaders 20260814

Standing on the Precipice: Western Leaders Continue to Fiddle

Europe and parts of the United States did not take the hint that in October 2023 that the Putin’s Russia is not the only country threatening their security. The Iranian piece of the Axis also aims to dismantle Western freedoms and religion via direct military threats, terrorism and unchecked immigration.

Has the Middle East changed after the Ukraine invasion and more specifically, October 7? Asking different people will get you different answers. For Israeli PM Netanyahu it has been a strategic victory for Israel as both Hezbollah and Hamas are on their heals and Iran’s nuclear and missile forces have been severely damaged. For Israel’s opposition, the last three years have brought no positive change for Israel in the Middle East since Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic of Iran still exist.

For Iranian Islamists it has changed by showing that they can stand up to their own people and to the United States so that any attempt to topple them will end in failure. For the Islamic Republic, a non-total-defeat shows the world that they can continue their quest for regional and global control despite the hiccups caused by Israel and the United States. The same holds for Hamas and Hezbollah who believe that Israel has been isolated in the world and that the UN, the Hague and the EU – along with America’s DSA – will make being Jewish and Israeli so illegitimate that they will soon be able to chose their apartments in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

According to Erdogan’s Turkey, the Middle East is their playground as they have managed to maintain positive relations with both Hamas and the United States. They have troops in Qatar, a new alignment with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and have so many forces in northern and sub-Saharan Africa that an expanded Ottoman Empire lies in the not too distant future. Greece will be overcome and where Iran failed to destroy Israel, they will succeed.

President Trump believes, or states, that the United States has scored a decisive victory over Iran, is bringing peace to Lebanon and Gaza via Israeli concessions and the disarmament of Hamas and Hezbollah and the future in the middle east goes through Washington. The President also states that the Abraham Accords will be expanded and that Israel, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia are all strong and reliable allies of the United States and that all these countries are moving towards a more peaceful and economically vibrant Middle East.

Back in the 1960’s and 1970’s when there were two regional Moslem states that were friendly to Israel, Turkey and Iran. During that cold war period, the only Gulf state that counted was Saudi Arabia. Syria and Egypt were Israel’s existential enemies and the Hashemites of Jordan were more concerned with survival than fighting (at least after 1967). Lebanon was a non-threat to Israel (as a matter of fact Israel supplied arms to the Shiite villagers in the south during the civil war of the late 1970’s at the request of the Shah of Iran).

Currently Iran is Israel’s main enemy, although Turkey is pushing to move ahead of them as the main existential threat to Israel. Israel faces a “Sunni Vise” that includes Turkey and Syria in the north and Egypt in the South. We can add to that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan although that alliance (which now includes Turkey) seems to be more a showpiece than a defense treaty. Or, in the words of Hussein Aboubakr Mansour, “In the Middle East, the vocabulary of collective defense is often detached from the activity of defending. The announcement is the whole of the content”.

Regarding the United States presence in the Middle East, only the details have changed. The Cold War is over but the U.S still has the challenge of controlling oil flow out of the region as its new main enemy, China, depends on it. As for the United States and Israel, that relationship has moved from dependent to almost partner on defense and technology but Israel is still the same steady, reliable, democratic presence it has been for the past few decades. The U.S is certainly closer to the other Gulf states, notably Qatar, but their money has simply replaced (or actually supplemented) Saudi money, although they are much more cynical and effective with it.

The Arab world has barely changed even though the UAE and others have jointed the Abaraham Accords and have a relatively strong relationship with Israel. However, the real issue in the middle east has never been Israel-Palestine but has been and still is the intra-Arab and intra-Moslem rivalry and mistrust. Even when ostensibly on the same side, like the Saudis and UAE are in Yemen, there are separate armies fighting and last month the Saudis bombed the UAE forces – even though both were fighting the Houthis.

Egypt and Turkey, the two largest Sunni states in the region by population and military force are at opposite ends of the Moslem Brotherhood fight. Egypt is more suspicious of Turkey’s support for the Brotherhood, arch enemies of the Al-Sisi government, than they are of Israel’s moves in Gaza. Syria too, while pretending to act as a unified country is at war with the Kurd citizens in the north, Druze in the south and Alawites in the northwest. Their inclusion of ISIS and al-Qaeda fighters in their army – even foreign fighters – means that even within the Sunni majority, there is distrust and fighting.

And Libya is a proxy war if there ever was one with Turkey, Egypt, Iran and Russia involved.

So where do we stand in Europe and the Middle East today?

On the one hand, everyone is correct – Israel is in a better spot strategically, yet has not finished the job. The United States has, with Israel, set back Iran’s plans for regional domination but that gain is one “agreement” away from being overturned. Turkey is extending its influence but does not have the wherewithal to create a new Ottoman Empire as not only Israel stands in the way but so too does Egypt and the rest of the Sunni-Arab world as they do not have fond memories of Ottoman control of Arab lands. The Arab countries, large and small, are fighting the same tribal wars they have fought for the past decades and even centuries. Israel has strong internal unity and morale while its leaders re-arrange their parliamentary chairs.

In Europe, Ukraine has stopped an army three times its size while Russia, against most predictions is able to absorb massive casualties and economic sanctions due to the help of its allies .

Before the invasions of Ukraine and Israel by members of the Axis in 2022 and 2023 the geopolitical situation consisted of four revisionist powers united only in their opposition to the international status quo and the free countries united in their wish to maintain the status quo and to concentrate on comfort to the neglect of all else -including freedom. The Western European powers had no real military power to speak of (with the possible exception of France) as even the UK’s glorious navy was reduced to the minimum number of ships necessary to still call it an ocean going Navy. Ukraine ignored Russian threats and Israel was convinced it could outsmart, deter and bribe its sworn enemies to give up all for a life of comfort.

In the United States, the military was organized as a Walmart or Target warehouse with “just in time inventory”, no long term armaments contracts and with nothing much done to create what won WWII and the Cold War – a strong economic and industrial base. Looking for cheap labor and products and piling debt upon debt, the America;s industrial and fiscal situations mirrored its military un-readiness into a game of catch up – which it is doing neither fiscally nor militarily. Although the current administration is pushing to increase its manufacturing might, the fact that the American shipbuilding industry is able to produce only 3 military ships a year means, one, two or three administrations won’t be enough to complete the task. It requires a seriousness of purpose lacking in a Democratic party fearful of the DSA and a Republican party not serious enough to create a national consensus that will require some sacrifice from citizens.

Although there is a lot of talk, the current leadership in all free countries are the same leaders that led us down this path where they are not ready to meet and defeat middling powers let alone powerful ones.

Just four years ago the late Henry Kissinger published a book called “Leadership” which focused on six leaders he thought were consequential to their countries and the world. You might disagree with his choice but one thing running through each of these leaders (Germany’s Adenauer, France’s de Gaulle, Sadat of Egypt, UK’s Thatcher, Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew and Richard Nixon) is that they were patriots and they were willing to take risks to push their countries forward. We don’t seem to see Western leaders who are dedicated first and foremost to their country and its citizens and who recognize the ongoing (the never ending!) threat from tyrants.

Putin, Xi, Khamenei (or whomever is in charge) and Kim are tyrants who don’t need to concern themselves with their citizens and that is the one thing our uncreative and cowardly leaders do not seem to understand. The obsession of today’s western leaders with negotiations and deals and false human rights claims just feeds the tyrannical rule of its enemies and pushes their defeat further and further away. Eisenhauer famously refused to shake hands with the Nazi general who surrendered to him in spite of military custom because he realized that this was not a war of one country against another but a war by his country and their allies against evil.

This is not a call for war against all evil or perpetual conflict of power against power but rather a recognition that if one is not ready to face what tyrants want – your destruction – eventually they will defeat you. America was not prepared to fight WWII but it had an industrial and managerial base that could be transformed into a wartime asset no one has ever had. It also had the luxury of two oceans protecting their manufacturing plants from enemy attack. Finally, it had, admittedly only after Pearl Harbor, the understanding that the moral imperative was defeating the evil that was Nazism as well as Japanese militaristic barbarism and not in coming to some rapprochement with it.

The geopolitical situation has not changed even if there are small tactical advantages that one side has over the other in localized theatres. We are still in the same position where the Axis of revisionist states is using all its force and all the weaknesses of the western world to its advantage and a western world that is continuing to ignore that reality. The internal and external threats in free countries are now at crisis levels.

When it comes down to it, as much as we like to blame our leaders (and we certainly do), it is up to the citizens to demand and to choose brave, creative leaders who are not locked into what has brought us to the precipice of defeat. The leadership since the end of the Cold War has been lacking any sense of urgency no matter what happens. The disaster that was Afghanistan should have been a wake up call – instead it was ignored. The invasion of Ukraine should have put free countries on a war footing for the manufacture and supply of military hardware but instead of was treated as if no other wars would be fought until this one was over. October 7 and the subsequent fighting in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Syria, the entire Persian Gulf should have told the west that terrorism and the immigration of real and potential terrorists into its borders will destroy what it loves best.

So far, the Axis leaders have not waited for the west to wake up, re-arm, control its borders and stop shooting itself in the foot and there is no reason to think it will wait before its next adventure.

Disclaimer: the views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of the author, and not necessarily the opinions reflected by angrymetatraders.com or its associated parties.

Follow Ira Slomowitz via The Angry Demagogue on Substack https://iraslomowitz.substack.com/

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AMT Top 10

AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Insights on the 18th of May, 2026

by with No Comment AMT Top TenAssetsBehavioral SentimentBusinessCommoditiesEquitiesFeatured HighlightsForexInvestingRisk ManagementUncategorizedWorld

Valuations and Drinking, Bad Storms and Politics Amidst the Resilient Nature of People

10. Resilience: The Western Cape of South Africa endured strong storm conditions last week. One of the hardest hit areas was the Cape Winelands District, but electricity and water have been widely restored. And a collective of people have proven working together can produce solid results when needed. 

9. Spencer Who: The Los Angeles mayor race is growing intriguing. A reality star turned social influencer threatens to become an influenza for his opponents. This as Spencer Pratt’s campaign gets noticed for its entertaining social media videos. This has caused many folks to ask what has happened to the state of politics and meaningful policy. But if NYC can elect a socialist, why can’t L.A elect an influencer and make some people feel sick?

AMT Top 10

AMT Top 10 Miscellaneous Insights for the 18th of May, 2026

8. Two Trillion: SpaceX early investors have agreed to allow a five for one stock split, meaning the company (and Elon Musk) are now aiming for a potential doubling of its worth when its IPO is initiated – on Nasdaq – in the second week of June. Some very serious accountants will be kept busy trying to show how SpaceX will produce enough revenue over the next twenty years in order to make a 2 trillion USD valuation palpable to future investors.

7. Drunk: Brown-Forman Corporation will begin its trading near $26.28 on the NYSE today. The company is the majority owner of Jack Daniels and other alcohol related enterprises. The value of Brown-Forman Inc. in June of 2021 was around 80.00 per share. The sobering phase of the public – particularly among young drinkers – to avoid bars and clubs, and instead stay on their mobile phones has hurt share values in many alcohol related companies. There are also concerns that too many drink companies now exists. Before Brown-Forman becomes the life of the party again, it appears some competition will have to go dry.

6. Deals: Prime Minister Modi visited Abu Dhabi a few days ago, and one of the results was an agreement to purchase and store energy reserves on a large scale in the United Arab Emirates. Modi also confirmed India’s strong connection to the UAE politically. While always trying to maintain a non-aligned stature, India appears to be moving closer to an increasingly important alliance with the UAE – which has also aligned with Israel strategically. The potential of these three nations acting together will ruffle feathers in a few noteworthy Middle Eastern and Asian countries.

5. Populists: President Trump’s tendency to say outlandish things and then suddenly turn around and show a willingness to negotiate terms has always been part of his art of the deal composite. However, saying what people want to hear and then turning on a dime and not delivering is also a symptom of populism. Trump isn’t the only politician suffering from this flaw. What do politicians really think, and how differently would they act if a they didn’t need votes for themselves or backers to remain in power?

4. Wall Street: After attaining apex highs early last week, the three major indices have taken a step backwards. Near-term concerns are effecting outlook as financial institutions balance risk averse tactics to long-term belief that sunnier days will prevail. While the Dow 30 didn’t set a record last week, the ability of the index to climb above 50,000 was noticeable. Equity markets appear tentative as this week begins and folks seemingly wait for more thunder and its potential effects.

3. Emirates: The UAE was attacked by drones yet again yesterday, this time at the Barakah nuclear facility. The hit has been downplayed, but highlights that military conflict with Iran remains very possible across the region. It is doubtful conversations are being conducted with polite undertones behind closed doors. The U.S, Israel and other nations are watching Iran – and Iran is watching them. The price of WTI Crude Oil remains a key barometer regarding the markets and concerns about the war igniting in full once more. Prices of oil remain sustained above $101.00 per barrel in the futures markets. The UAE might not want to be a focal point, but it isn’t backing down either.

2. Hawkish: The U.S Federal Reserve may have to actually consider raising interest rates before they can realistically discuss the notion of cutting borrowing costs, particularly if energy prices remain elevated and spark a sustained inflation threat over the mid-term. The USD started to show renewed strength the past few trading sessions in Forex, this as financial institutions compare their near-term anxiousness to growing concerns about mid-term ramifications regarding higher fuel costs.

1. Ego vs. Hubris: The U.S and China summit held largely in Beijing this past Thursday and Friday matched competing politicians and ideologies. In one corner U.S President Trump spoke with a rather inflated sense of himself while he detailed policy objectives and his perspectives. In the other corner Xi Jinping, the President of China, might have displayed some hubris as he warned the U.S about the Thucydides Trap. Xi expressed his belief that China is the emerging super power and that the U.S is a declining nation. However, China’s economy is known to be suffering because of a myriad of complex reasons, and could face more headwinds if energy prices and supplies remain hard-pressed.

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Indian Diaspora 20260325

India Insider: Why the Gulf Remains a Vital Economic Lifeboat

by with One Comment AssetsBen EzraExclusive ContentFeatured HighlightsIndiaInvestingUncategorizedWorld

Indian Expat Labour and Recalibration Realities

The skyline of Dubai, once a symbol of untouchable prosperity, now sits under a shadow of regional recalibration. As Reuters recently noted, Dubai has successfully transitioned to a non-oil economy, with oil accounting for less than 2% of its GDP. It is now a powerhouse of trade, high-end real estate, and financial services. 

However, its “backyard” – the Strait of Hormuz – remains a strategic bottleneck. With 20% of global seaborne crude passing through this narrow vein, the recent tensions in March 2026 have forced a shift in perception: the Gulf is no longer an insulated sanctuary, including Dubai where millions of Indians work and earn for their families in India.

Indian Diaspora 20260325

Indian Diaspora Gulf Representation

The scale of this “labour export” is enormous. As of early 2026, approximately 9.5 to 10 million Indians live and work across the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. To put that in perspective, that is nearly the entire population of a country like the UAE, made up solely of Indian expats.

A Remittance Driven Economy

As per Government data sources, India remains the world’s top remittance recipient, with total inflows hitting a record $135.4 billion in the last fiscal year. And despite a rise in high-skilled migration to the US and UK, the GCC remains a juggernaut, contributing roughly 38% of India’s total remittances.

For states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra, which receive nearly 50% of these total inflows, it is a macroeconomic stabilizer that funds the current account deficit and keeps the Rupee from a freefall.

India’s Labour Market Paradox

But here is the real question, if people return to India due to the crisis in the Middle East, are there any “good quality” jobs waiting for them in India? The honest answer is no.

Youth unemployment remains elevated, particularly among graduates. Engineers in mechanical and construction fields face limited opportunities. Outside IT, and to some extent automobiles, there are not enough stable, high-paying jobs.

So people adjust. You will find postgraduates working in delivery jobs and informal sectors. I have personally spoken to Amazon delivery workers who told me they hold M.A degrees, or that they had worked in Dubai or Singapore before Covid and are now trying to leave again. This is becoming norm nowadays.

Indian Labour 20260325

Indian National Wages and Savings Compared to Expat GCC Averages

In many towns in India, migration itself has become an economic model. People move to Singapore, Malaysia, or the Gulf, and the money they send back drives real estate, consumption, and local business activity. In many such regions, the labour market feels tight, not because jobs are available, but because the workforce has already left.

The wage gap explains everything. A nurse or lab technician in India may earn ₹15,000–₹20,000 per month. The same person can earn close to ₹80,000 in the Gulf. A private school teacher in Villupuram city in Tamil Nadu state earns around ₹8,000.

While nominal wages are  2–2.5x higher in GCC, the true driver of migration is savings arbitrage , which can be 5–6x higher.

This reflects structural differences in labour productivity and capital intensity.

India has a large pool of educated labour. But instead of becoming an advantage, it has turned into a wage suppressing force. There is always someone willing to work for less. As a result, wages remain low and bargaining power stays weak.

Indian GCC 20260325

Percent of India’s Remittances From The GCC

At the same time, we are told growth is strong. Yes, the labour force participation is rising, but inequality is also increasing. A large share of employment remains informal and unstable. Inflation continues to erode purchasing power, and disposable incomes remain under pressure.

Right now, for many Indians, prosperous conditions are easier to find outside the country. Yes, the Gulf has risks. However, geopolitical tensions will come and go, and these are short-term disruptions.

Structurally, GCC economies will stabilize and grow again, and when they do, the flow of Indian labour will continue to pursue these opportunities. Because until India creates enough high-quality jobs at scale, migration will not slow down.

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Iran What Losing Looks Like 20260323

Iran: What Losing Looks Like

by with No Comment AssetsExclusive ContentFeatured HighlightsIra SlomowitzRisk ManagementWorld

Who is Losing Militarily, Technologically, Economically and Diplomatically?

Opinion: The following article is commentary and its views are solely those of the author. This article was first published the 20th of March via The Angry Demagogue.

It is difficult for many to admit that the US and Israel are winning the war and that conquering a country the size of France, Germany, UK, Netherlands and Spain together with only air power does not take a day or two. However, by any objective (meaning without thinking that all Trump/Bibi/Hegseth, etc. bad) standard, the allied coalition is systematically destroying the military industrial complex that is the Islamic Republic of Iran (what it is not is a State dedicated to the good of its citizens). People forget that the American air campaign in Gulf War 1 was 38 days. It started on January 17, 1991 and only by February 24 did the generals feel that they could invade and take Kuwait.

Iran What Losing Looks Like 20260323

The air campaign then poured over 88,000 tons of bombs in approximately 100,000 sorties. And this to capture a country a bit smaller than New Jersey.

As we finish the third week of this war we can assess who is winning and who is not. We have spent this past week discussing what it means to be victorious in this war (The Economy and The Military) and to state unequivocally that victory is the moral choice no matter the price of oil. That being said, the price of oil is rising and hit $120 a barrel before dropping. Economists see $138 barrel as the price that could send the US into a recession. So far, the US economy is holding firm. The S&P 500 closed on the Friday before the war at 6740 and yesterday’s close was 6624 – a drop of about 1.7% – not the panic that the front pages would have us think. The Eurostoxx 50 is actually up slightly from 5719 to 5736.

The Federal Reserve did not cut rates, signifying that they don’t need to prop up the economy and risk inflation as they do when they fear a collapse.

The economies of the West seem strong in spite of (or because of?) the war which should end with the cessation of the 47 year of Islamic Republic price premium. The Russian and Chinese economies meanwhile will be under stress for quite some time. While China will have to wonder about its oil supply, Russia understands that $100 a barrel oil will encourage increased US production (and now Russian and Chinese free Venezuelan?) that will hurt them when oil prices go back to normal levels. As we will now discuss, Chinese and Russian arms deals might start to go south, too.

Technologically, this war is a further test of American and Israeli technology and abilities, and they have passed with flying colors. The American and Israeli missile and drone defense systems are outperforming what they did less than a year ago in the “12 Day War” and the U.S Navy is untouchable. The Gulf States are also fairing better than expected although due to the short distance and the lack of experience, they are getting hit more than Israel is. To top it off, the Russians have forced Ukraine to become global leaders in the defense against drones and there are now 2,000 Ukrainian anti-drone personnel in the Gulf States.

But is the air-forces that are performing so well, that one would think that the Iranians did not invest in the most advanced Russian and Chinese air-defense systems over the past few years. The S-300 or S-400 advanced Russian systems or the Chinese HQ-9B long range surface to air missile and the JY-26 (alleged) anti-stealth radar, are performing so poorly, the Chinese themselves must be hoping it is a personnel issue and not a technological one.

Speaking of personnel, this war has shown that pilot skill still matters. It is the bravery, daring and success of American and Israeli aviators that matters as much as the technology. Just look at the Gulf countries who fear sending their combined force of around 400 F-15’s and French Rafale fighters into the air.

The Russian air force (and army) has already shown it is lacking the skill to compete with even poorly trained Ukrainian pilots, let alone with American or Israeli aviators. The Chinese too, must be wondering if their air force, made up of untested, pilots from one-child families will brave the fire coming from Taiwan as well as the American and Japanese navies in order to complete their missions.

Technology is great – especially if it works as advertised, but if the “operators” are inferior, even great technology will not be up to par. No one yet has been able to match American and Israeli personnel, in the air or on the ground.

Which brings us to that annoying wild-card, the Straits of Hormuz. While the Iranians have not succeeded in closing the straits they are scaring off shipping to an extent that it is a concern not only for the present but for the future. By using this tool, by playing this card, if you will, Iran has forced the United States to make the security of the Straits a war aim. The success of the U.S operation in the Straits will turn it from an international waterway under the veto power of Iran to a U.S controlled and protected gateway from the Persian Gulf. In times of war with China the U.S Navy will be able to turn it into a Chinese energy chokepoint. If the U.S was not there prior to the Iranian gamble, they will be there now.

As for pure military, Iran is losing as no one has lost before. The combined forces have destroyed nearly all their production capabilities for military hardware, have destroyed air defenses, command and control centers, leadership on multiple levels and most of their navy. We don’t need much more to declare Iran the military loser.

Diplomatically, things are not as they appear. While no western European countries support the fighting or even the aims of the war, the Gulf States, India and others are quietly forming an unofficial coalition against regional terror. As Europe tries to figure out how to pacify its growing radical Moslem population, other counties, including Moslem ones, are finally realizing that terror against Israel and Jews slowly but surely works its way back to them. For fanatics, no one is religiously or ideologically pure enough, even if you are descended from Mohammed.

Western Europe is a clear diplomatic loser in this war as President Trump is the last person who will forgive their teachery and allow them to share in the spoils of this war. Their role in the Middle East and in global politics generally is done. Their ability to use their victory in WWI to determine and influence events around the world is finished even though they have now backtracked and agreed to help on the Straits of Hormuz issue.

Regarding China, they have now abandoned one of their main allies and the country they have depended on to provide them not only oil but a strong military presence in the Middle East. The war was clearly coming and just as the United States sent carrier groups to protect its and its allies’ interests, so too, could have China. They could have sent naval vessels to help defend Iran – or at least deter the United States but did not, either because they don’t have the ability to do it or they don’t have the will. In either case, China is a diplomatic loser in this war.

Russia is also losing the diplomatic game as Ukraine becomes closer to the Gulf states and Israel and America are neutering their best technology. Regarding Israel’s recent sinking of Iranian naval ships in the Caspian Sea, reports are coming out that they were laden with Russian military aid. Russia, like China, has not raised a finger to help their main Mideast ally, making it hard for them to claim the loyalty of other purported allies.

And Israel? Israel seems always to be a diplomatic loser, war or peace. However, this war has strengthened the bonds between the American and Israeli military in ways that no one could have foreseen just months ago. The cooperation and trust between the two militaries is beyond anything America has had since its partnership with the UK in WWII. Western Europe’s continued irrelevance on the global scene has lightened the pain the Israeli public feels for western Europe’s betrayal.

India on the other hand has tightened its ties with Israel as Prime Minister Modi’s pre-war trip to the country showed. As for the Gulf Countries, the UAE seems to be interested in strengthening its Israeli ties while Qatar does not. While Qatar is angry at Iran for their attacks it is not clear that this will lead them to abandon their goals of Islamicizing the West and ridding the world of Israel. Saudi Arabia is hard to call. We don’t expect any diplomatic breakthroughs especially if the Islamic Republic actually falls.

Israel we can say is neither a winner nor a loser, yet, in the diplomatic arena – which, considering the beating Israel gets on the world stage, might be called a win but most certainly is not a loss.

The United States can hardly be considered a diplomatic loser in this war as they are the only major power to be able to come to the aid of allies when U.S interests are also involved. The tough talk out of western Europe is a very small thorn in the side of the United States.

To summarize, Iran is the big loser of course as their support comes from a neutered Russia, an apathetic China and a global progressive left that has no power to influence, let alone determine events. Iran’s main allies have been proven ineffectual at best, uninterested at worst and their “brand” has been diminished no matter what else happens in the war.

The only part of the war that the United States and Israel can be said to be losing is the news and propaganda (but I repeat myself) war.

For the things that count though, one thing is certain – the United States and Israel are not the losers.

Disclaimer: the views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of the author, and not necessarily the opinions reflected by angrymetatraders.com or its associated parties.

You can follow Ira Slomowitz via The Angry Demagogue on Substack https://iraslomowitz.substack.com/

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Middle East is Proving to be a New Playground for the Axis

by with No Comment Behavioral SentimentFeatured HighlightsInvesting

Middle East is Proving to be a New Playground for the Axis

Opinion: The following article is commentary and its views are solely those of the author. This article was first published the 4th of July with an addendum on the 5th via The Angry Demagogue.

Blinken Gets Pushed to the Back of the Line

While the Biden-Blinken Administration is obsessing on “non-escalation” and telling allies they are on their own if they attack an Axis member that attacks the ally,  or that they will help the ally “defend itself” but not take the offensive (how you do that is a mystery) the Axis itself is establishing itself all over the Middle East.

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Let’s start with a statement, quoted in Israel, by Alexander Dugin who is Putin’s ideological advisor advising the Russian leadership to arm Hezbollah and the Houthis in their fight against Israel. Earlier this week, Newsweek reported that Russia is considering arming the Houthis with cruise missiles. These could be used against Israel and against Saudi Arabia – or maybe U.S bases in the area. As Russia seeks to cement its ties with anti-Western countries and forces around the world, it seems to be partnering with Iran so as to increase the potency of Iran’s proxies and press their goal to rid the region of U.S forces. Toward this goal Iran and even Russia are manufacturing tanks together in Iran.

The Houthis themselves, under with the guidance of Iran, are attempting to expand their sea blockade from Bab al Mandab straits connecting the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea, to the east African coast by cooperating with the Sunni and al-Qaeda based Somali terrorist group al-Shabaab al-Mujahadin. Reports in Israel quoting U.S intelligence sources claim that the two groups are cooperating and that the Houthis will supply weapons to al-Shabaab in order to interdict global shipping off the Somali coast and in order to harass U.S forces stationed in the area.

The anti-U.S alliance seem to be able to cross religious and ideological boundaries in ways that western intelligence thought impossible. That is because western (and Israeli) intelligence mis-categorize all of these groups and countries. The issue is not who is Sunni and who is Shiite, who is Russian Orthodox and who is Communist, but rather, who is for keeping the international status-quo and who’s for, to use a phrase meant for different times – a “new global order”.  

The Houthis, feeling confident in having defeated the U.S Navy in the Red Sea are now threatening Saudi Arabia for saying no to a Russian negotiated deal (under the auspices of the U.N and opposed by the U.S) which would bring an end to the embargo against the Houthis including their export of oil as well as Saudi financing of the Houthi civil government in the part of Yemen they occupy (they learned from Hamas and Qatar/PA/Israel that you really can have your enemies pay your salaries) amongst other goodies. They blame Saudi Arabia for allowing U.S jets to bomb Houthi sites from airbases inside Saudi Arabia – with no U.S carriers in the Red Sea that certainly could be true. In their threat they included videos of their bombing of Saudi oil fields in 2019 just in case the Saudis forgot. 

The Houthis, with their experience stopping shipping, have, according to a JCPA report been the point men for Iran’s plan to extend the sea embargo against Israel to the Mediterranean. This would not only hurt Israeli shipping but also the ability of its Air Force to operate properly. We wrote recently about Iran’s possible plans for Cyprus, including Hezbollah’s open threat to them, and this fits nicely with their plan to ring Israel with fire on all sides. We already know that Russian intelligence vessels are in the Mediterranean tracking Israeli submarines and that the Russian naval base in Syria is a safe haven for Iranian shipping. 

Just this week an Iranian vessel filled with arms for Hezbollah anchored in the Syrian port of Latakia (why did Israel not sink this??!!) which is 100kms (60 miles) north of the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria – was it escorted in by the Russian Navy? Is that why?  

The U.S now has three main allies in the Middle East – Israel, Saudi Arabia and UAE, and with the exception that the UAE administration has a habit of criticizing and threatening these allies. 

It boggles the mind that Blinken does not see what the entire world sees – a so far successful effort rid the Middle East of the U.S and its allies. For Israel that means annihilation and for Saudi Arabia it means probably surrender to the Iranians while its royal family is allowed to enjoy their money (best case scenario). For the UAE it means it will be used even more than it currently is as an Axis financial center. For the U.S it means a withdrawal, not to the Western Hemisphere – but to the northern half of it. 

The Middle East is slowly becoming the playground of the Axis and it is just a matter of time before the West won’t be able to get a turn on the swings.

Addendum: A short follow regarding the Houthi ultimatum to Saudi Arabia

The Houthi’s gave the Saudis 72 hours to respond and respond they did. The Saudis have agreed to all the demands of the Houthis as they realized that the United States will not defend them from attack and are unwilling or unable to deter, let alone to destroy the Houthis offensive capabilities.

Amongst the Houthi demands that the Saudis agreed to are:

1. The re-opening of the airport in Sana’a, Yemen.  They will allow direct flights to bring pilgrims to Mecca, flights to Jordan and soon flights to everywhere. This will allow the Houthis to be re-armed by the Iranians via air transport.

2. Payment, by Saudi Arabia of Houthi government employees.

3. Allowing the Houthis to sell oil – ending the embargo.

This is a plan, as stated, sponsored by Russia and not opposed by the United States. It is a further move by the Axis into pushing the U.S out of the region. It is not clear if part of this agreement is for the Saudis to disallow U.S use of the Prince Sultan Ari Base for attacks on the Houthis.  

As an aside, the UAE has suggested that the U.S setup a base in Somaliland – a breakaway country in the horn of Africa on the coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti and Ethiopia (and of course Somalia). This seems to be an attempt to rid the Gulf States of the responsibility to host U.S forces that attack Iranian proxies.  Could Biden’s “you are on your own if you attack Iran” (back in April after the 300 projectile attack on Israel) have influenced their decision?

Russia and Iran are on the rise in the region as the U.S administration preaches de-escalation and appeasement. 

Disclaimer: the views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of the author, and not necessarily the opinions reflected by angrymetatraders.com or its associated parties.

You can follow Ira Slomowitz via The Angry Demagogue on Substack https://iraslomowitz.substack.com/

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AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Missiles for the 19th of April 2024

by with No Comment Behavioral SentimentCentral BanksCommodities

AMT Top Ten Miscellaneous Missiles for the 19th of April 2024

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10. Fusion: The U.S Senate presented legislation yesterday which creates guidelines allowing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to authorize commercial investment and research of fusion energy. Significant strides are being made in the technology and the U.S government is preparing for the newest developments.

9. Cup of Joe: Your cafe is going to get more expensive. Robusta and Arabica coffee both remain at higher values having hit apex prices respectively this Wednesday and Thursday. And Cocoa remains ‘comfortably’ above 11,000.00 USD per metric ton this morning.

8. United Arab Emirates: The UAE has been hit by heavy weather, suffering its biggest rainfall in 75 years. It was reported that over 14 centimeters of rain fell this Tuesday in Dubai, which is the equivalent to one and a half year’s worth of typical accumulation in the city.

7. India Elections: The vote in the world’s biggest democracy has begun as millions decide on the the Lok Sabha. The election process will take place for nearly a month and a half with the results formally being presented on 4th of June. The Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to win a majority in the House of the People, thus likely re-electing Narendra Modi as the country’s Prime Minister.

6. Gold: The precious metal remains within sight of record values with the price around 2,388.00 USD per ounce. Today’s earlier ratios touched the 2,420.00 vicinity.

5. Cone of Silence: Israel and Iran have remained mum on military counterstrike action scuttlebutt, which was heard this morning throughout global media. The silence from the two nations did not stop the Nikkei 225 Index from dropping over 1000 points upon the news.

4. Bitcoin Halving: A coding change is anticipated to occur soon in Bitcoin which will affect ‘mining’ parameters for the digital asset. The code change will double the amount processing needed to create one BTC, making it twice as expensive for Bitcoin operators. Day traders tempted to wager on BTC/USD over the next couple of days need to be careful. BTC/USD is near 64,560.00 at the moment of this report.

3. Fear Factor: Price of WTI Crude Oil is near 82.70 USD per barrel. Large energy traders continue to show they are experienced in geopolitics, remaining relatively calm as Middle East concerns are being brandished.

2. While Flag: U.S Fed Chairman Jerome Powell conceded that inflation remains stubborn earlier this week. Stagflation is not being discussed openly by the Fed, but it is likely raising concerns among global central bankers. The USD has returned to very strong levels as financial institutions brace for the possibility of U.S interest rates remaining high into the late summer.

1. Behavioral Sentiment: Equity indices, Treasury yields and Forex are within the midst of nervous seas as central banks and geopolitical concerns create storms. Speculators should make sure they pay attention to the waters they traverse with their bets, which could prove dangerous to navigate in the near-term.