Protection Racket

In what could have doubled as a line from Goodfellas, President Trump announced that the United States would be running the Strait of Hormuz and charging a 20% fee on all passing ships, a payment plan which Trump described as America being “reimbursed for protection.” The idea didn’t go over too well. Anywhere. Thus, a day or so later, Trump “announced a reversal of plans to charge a 20% toll on cargo going through the Strait of Hormuz, saying that Middle Eastern countries will instead make investment and trade deals with the U.S.” When it comes to the war and peace negotiations, Trump has been doing more strike that, reverse it than Willie Wonka. We have to hope that blurting out and then taking back statements, plans, strategies, and ceasefires will somehow lead to a desired outcome.

+ “Those Investments will be MASSIVE but, at the same time, extraordinarily good for them, and their future. As everyone is aware, we have the largest Dollar Investment into the United States, of any Country in History, but these new Investments will make that Number even larger, and we will see Factories, Plants, and Equipment pour into the United States at Historic levels, which will create additional millions of High Paying AMERICAN Jobs! America is WINNING again, winning like never before. The days of Iran killing hundreds of thousands of people, including 52,000 protestors, are OVER and, most importantly, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!” (Wow, that sounds good. Let’s lock that in before he changes his mind…) Here’s the latest from The Guardian and BBC.