With news of the Yemeni Houthis successfully wreaking havoc on the Saudis’ East-West pipeline, oil prices are bound to shoot through the roof again, which means less cars and less people driving.
All hail our humble kings, the train and the bicycle.
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In many parts of the US, it means neckbeards even angrier at Obama as they fill up their dodge rams and drive every bit as much as ever, unfortunately.
If the Houthis can shut down or severely curtail the traffic through bab al whatchacallit straits there and block the persian gulf, it could wreck havoc. All the suez traffic would be basically shut off.
The US navy would go in there and help try to open it up, spreading themselves thinner, (although we have what, 11 aircraft carrier groups and we are using what, 2 of them on Iran already? Seems there are plenty ships just not enough ordnance.
But just the threat, and regular hits on passing traffic would really fuck the system they have going. Ships would be going around Africa instead which adds time and money.
The northern passage over siberia is starting to open now in summers and with russian icebreakers a few cargo ships braved it this year I believe. That is like 30% cheaper than the Suez for Asian traffic if I recall.
we have what, 11 aircraft carrier groups and we are using what, 2 of them on Iran
That’s the problem with
- excessively complex vehicles
- keeping our fingers in every pie
We start with 11 ships
- but at least a third are undergoing maintenance at any given time, so only 7 active
- we’ve committed to having one near every possible trouble spot
- leaving at most 2 per ocean
Yeah they do like to keep them stationed around the world. I mean, it’s not like south america is going to invade if we pulled one from there.
The ones near the phillipines and thereabouts they would want to keep there for sure though. I hardly see the need for any around sub saharan africa either for that matter. Probably want at least two near the US itself.
And they have bases they could hop around from and refuel in air and all that if they were needed for a mission, which they won’t be (not for a legitimate mission,)
Not that I want them to just trying to quantify it here.
