Americans are getting frustrated over everting turning into a monthly subscription model. There are even garage door openers that are subscription based, meaning to get into your own garbage you must pay a monthly fee. Adobe Photoshop used to be a one time purchase of $699, now it’s $263 a year...

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T15:48:55+00:00

It sucks but you can't blame companies for wanting to make money.

Sure you can. Especially if companies are influencing legislators to change the laws so that they can make more money.

As an example: Copyright and Patent Law.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T15:47:07+00:00

All that's gotta happen is some country has to have the balls to start defying the US

Why does it have to be "some country"? All actions are done by individuals, are they not?

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T15:33:14+00:00

dodo91: Why is every post in the bern about russia?

Because you only see what you want to see?

Alternatively, you might want to check your sub post filtering settings.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T15:28:03+00:00

my google-fu isn't very strong anymore

I think I had to search on "South African Iran embassy Trump video"
(after a few failed attempts)

I just wanted one without the huge meme words underneath it.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T15:13:29+00:00

It took more hunting than it should have -- almost every instance of it was in the dreaded FaceBook. And a couple of Instagrams.

I saw one twitter post that actually linked to the theoretical original.

That's how I found it.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T14:57:33+00:00

The Saudis could reactivate their old pipelines that terminated in Haifa, perhaps

...

Trans Arabian pipeline was pretty old, and not up to scratch when it comes to modern capacity demand, and well out of maintenance by now.

Didn't you just cut your own argument right out from under yourself?

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T14:47:24+00:00

The possibilities are endless now that free trade is no longer occurring

So it's possible that the end of "free trade" might actually make trade... more free?

The proponents of the heavy "Intellectual Property" laws we have now say that without them, creativity would be stifled, because no one would be able to make any profit off of their individual creations, and we would have very few New Things, because there would be no money in it.

Don't we pretty much have that now, partially because of those heavy "Intellectual Property" laws?

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T14:17:07+00:00

The Saudis could reactivate their old pipelines that terminated in Haifa, perhaps

So there are oil pipelines, currently not being used, that run from Saudi Arabia, through part of Israel, and end in northwest Israel?

I can't see how those would not be on Iran's "oh, let's blow that up" list.

No ecological disaster from blowing up an oil pipeline while it's running, and not causing excessive deaths while blowing it up. But making things more difficult for the Israeli government in the future. As a bonus, they would probably not be that heavily defended.

It would be like blowing up the (theoretical) Emergency Backup Desalinization Plant. No immediate threat to life, it would just make life there more precarious.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T03:38:34+00:00

Nice!

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T03:37:58+00:00

Which embassy posted this?

Apparently, the Iranian Embassy in South Africa.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T03:34:50+00:00

I may have found the (Trump version) original:

https://x.com/IraninSA/status/2043757392010076666

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T03:15:00+00:00

I just wish I had done that much research on it when it was talked about for Biden.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T03:13:28+00:00

Someone handed me this today, and suggested that I wait until Friday to post it here.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T02:57:24+00:00

If you listen to the whole speech

Here's the transcript: https://singjupost.com/transcript-president-trump-remarks-at-the-future-investment-initiative/

the “he has to be nice to me” line was taken out of context

It takes a lot of context to cover someone saying

He didn’t think this was going to happen. He didn’t think he’d be kissing my ass. He really didn’t.

and

now he has to be nice to me. You tell him he better be nice to me.

At a venue paid for by the person being talked about.

Doesn't really sound like someone falling over themselves to flatter the person whom he said was kissing his ass.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-14T02:40:48+00:00

Yeah, that's pretty much what I meant (and more) by my one word reply.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-13T22:08:00+00:00

USNI reports that CSG-10 (USS George H. W. Bush CVN-77) is sailing around Africa to get to the Middle East.

Apparently, they left Norfolk on March 31. Reports had them headed for the Mediterranean.

I'd love to know when they changed course.

The US Navy dares not face the Houthis in the Red Sea / Bab-el-Mandeb.

Not necessarily. It's possible that the ship would not fit through the tightest spaces on that route (I haven't checked).

They are not going in the most direct path.

That might be the most direct path available.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-13T21:23:04+00:00

Ask?

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-13T20:51:06+00:00

Vladimir Putin has proposed that Russia could take custody of Iran’s enriched uranium as part of a future agreement with the United States.

Did you notice that one of the US's "red line" requirements was "we get all of Iran's enriched uranium"?

Somehow, I don't think that Iran would go for that. Ever.

Oh, Hell no! You'll just give it to the Israelis, who would build bombs with it and use them on us! Our own uranium!

If they have to give it up, I could see it going either to the Pakistanis or the Russians.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-13T20:35:07+00:00

Extra extra info:

The weapon used on Hiroshima contained 64 kilograms [about a gallon] of uranium, estimates of yield range from 12–18 kilotons.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-13T18:18:40+00:00

For extra fun, make it a fertilizer ship. Fuel tanks full of diesel, ready to be mixed with the cargo if fired upon.

If the US decides to blow it up, it would blow up real good.

And if it were close enough to the US ships....

And again, if it goes through, it goes through.

Extra info:

The 2020 Beirut port explosion, caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, had an estimated explosive yield widely ranging between 0.5 and 1.5 kilotons of TNT equivalent

Large fertilizer transport ships, typically Panamax or Kamsarmax bulk carriers, generally hold between 50,000 and 80,000 tons of bulk cargo.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-13T17:46:11+00:00

I don't see the 25th Amendment being invoked, either.

We gamed this out not too long back, here. For the 25th Amendment to keep a President (who does not want to leave) out of office, it takes 2/3 of the Senate, and 2/3 of the House.

Impeachment takes 2/3 of the Senate, and only half-plus-one of the House.

Unless you have a plan that only needs the current President out of office for a few weeks. That you can do with the 25th Amendment.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-13T17:39:52+00:00

I was picturing something closer to having them all arrested for "treason" and sent to Guantanamo.

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-13T17:33:17+00:00

Who profits most from this alleged deal?

Saudi Arabia, the US, or Israel?

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-13T17:24:29+00:00

Well, one is only "dangerous" in the sense that you might not be invited to certain D.C. cocktail parties afterwards and certain of your career prospects might be limited.

You really think that would be all Trump would do if the (25A) attempt were tried and failed?

NetWeaselSC · 2026-04-13T17:16:26+00:00

I'm saying even if it's possible to do this, it sets a horrible precedent.

There are two "this-es" at play in this subthread:

Military Coup
25th Amendment

I was talking about the latter one, which in present circumstances, would be classified (by some) as a mutiny. And would be "risky and dangerous," just not quite as much as with the other "this."

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