We know what’s coming and we are prepared.
IE: US faith in the stability of the dollar will be tested
Rumours of the death of the dollar are exaggerated, but only for now, writes the author of the article for The New Indian Express. The problems with the American currency are increasing, and the cause of this is Washington itself. Ultimately, the US will overplay their hand and lose their political prestige.
At the moment, there is no doubt in the US about the stability of the dollar as a reserve currency. However, considering the country's economic, political, and social problems, this faith will be put to the test.
To paraphrase Mark Twain's famous joke, rumours of the death of the dollar are exaggerated, although its health problems are increasing.
The problems with the dollar are mainly caused by Americans themselves. The unrestrained fiscal and monetary policies of the US - with a budget deficit and government debt at 7% and over 100% of GDP respectively - have reduced the dollar's long-term purchasing power. Since 1972, it has fallen by 99% against gold and lost 90% of its purchasing power in the market for real goods and services.
American politicians have always sought to use the dollar as a weapon to achieve their own goals, thereby compensating for economic weaknesses, such as lack of competitiveness. The US has sought to exclude foreign entities from international payment systems, such as SWIFT.
Washington imposes secondary sanctions to punish individuals and organisations that are not even under US jurisdiction. If a Russian company is under sanctions, anyone doing business with it may be subject to legal action, even if they comply with their own country's laws. This is done through a questionable system of dollar transactions that only pass through the US banking system. International banks and others have already faced legal action for operations that are legal in their own country. The threats are sufficient to disrupt dealings with organisations under US sanctions.
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🇺🇸🇮🇷 The war explained in 10 seconds
Venezuelan oil is extra-heavy (very low API gravity, around 8-10° or less), thick like tar/resin, with a high percentage of sulfur, metals and asphaltenes.
It does not flow easily, is difficult to transport by pipeline or ship without heating, and requires expensive refineries for processing. Without dilution, production and exports are limited.
Iran produces light oil (Iranian Light ~34-36° API) and gas condensate (very light and volatile).
This acts as a diluent: it reduces viscosity, increases API gravity and makes the mixture easier to transport and refine.
Typical ratio: 3:1 (3 barrels Venezuelan heavy + 1 barrel Iranian light/condensate) → produces Merey 16 or a similar blend (around 16° API), which is popular with Asian refineries (especially China).
This is what China used to do by importing both of them. Mixing.
This is what the US is now trying to do, huge profits.
@Megatron_ron
USDA Destroying 420,000 peach trees after Del Monte closes all California canneries for good
Del Monte (139 years old) filed bankruptcy as rising energy prices and steel tariffs exacerbated an already bad balance sheet. They closed their Modesto and Hughson canning plants and canceled long-term contracts worth hundreds of millions.
Farmers now have no buyer for clingstone peaches meant for canning.
The USDA is "helping" farmers, providing $9m to destroy the orchards, calling it 'support for transitioning.'
This is what systemic failure looks like in a centralized food supply: one big player collapses, and the entire chain breaks.
Grow your own food! De-centralize! #GoGrow
🇺🇸 Americans Are About to Pay Even More at the Grocery Store
As Americans confront a surge in prices at the pump, another inflation wave is headed for the grocery store.
A combination of factors including bad weather, tariffs and a dwindling cattle herd are already pushing up grocery prices at an above-average pace. In April, they rose by the most in nearly four years, and economists say the impact of the Iran war and a potential El Niño weather pattern will only add to pressures into 2027.
The hit to US household finances from higher grocery bills is set to intensify just ahead of the November midterm elections, amplifying affordability as a defining issue. And to a greater extent than the surge in gas prices, the slower-moving food shock will be difficult to reverse quickly because the size of autumn harvests is determined by planting decisions made in the spring.
“It’s going to be a challenging year,” said Ricky Volpe, an agribusiness professor at California Polytechnic State ...
