Philippines and the ME War

The above is all well and good, but the point I made was that someone with likely knowledge of what Drumpf is going to post.

In other words, someone is being a naughty boy.

By the way, the name isn't a typo - the Drumpf family are immigrants, not just two of the three wives he has cheated on. Where is ICE when you need them?

Think you have missed the point Bob. A rig is one thing but harvesting the ocean floor and potentially killing everything that lives there? Thousands upon thousands of square kilometres? Bit like mowing the lawn or slashing a field,,,,, you don't see what you are destroying/killing. Oil rigs hold a small footprint.

Solar panels on an existing roof? The footprint is already there.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl . . . . no one is selling deep sea minerals yet, as of this date deep sea mining has not yet begun.

Reality Bob? It's already mapped out in quadrants and the returns on each field, The technology is there but is facing huge pushbacks from all directions and rightly so.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl said . . . . Reality Bob? It's already mapped out in quadrants and the returns on each field, The technology is there but is facing huge pushbacks from all directions and rightly so.

***********************************

Yes no mining has been done. Rules and Regulations must first be created and agreed upon and then signed by international community.

Fred said . . . . When Trump was elected I removed all investments in anything American (including money markets) because I foresaw massive stupidity ahead, but I didn't expect it to hit this world altering scale.
I have lost money as the new, safer investments are less profitable, but I'm no longer risking the lot on the whims of a dangerous fool.

I can see the Philippines (and much of the rest of the region) aligning closer to China and away from the US.
*********************************

I said . . . .There are 285 Chinese Companies listed on the New Stock Exchange & Nasdaq with a capitalization of over One Trillion Dollars. That's a lot of Yuans, 7 trillion, (Seventy thousand Billions).

*So Fred, on your big switcheroo, what stocks did you sell and what stocks did you buy?

*************************

Fred I'm still waiting for your response. You are the investment guru we all look up to.

Also how can you lose money you yet to earn?

Test mining has been done but yes the international community is pushing back big time as are the local islanders, As said the sun shines every day and from me there is no argument as we save P 1,000 per day on average having solar and batteries, A fully A/C home, a fully charged car, far less pollution, no frigging blackouts and a true regulated power supply. The house (old school Filipino wiring) is fully grounded via the inverters.

Clear felling, strip mining, mono cropping is old thinking.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Well, regarding the topic Philippines and wars ..

Philippine Ship Makes History in Sydney

By Lieutenant Hinako Shiraishi,  25th March 2026  https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2026-03-25/philippine-ship-makes-history-sydney

[Photo caption: Philippine Navy ship BRP Diego Silang, Royal Malaysian Navy ship KD Lekir and Vietnam People's Navy ship VPN Quang Trung .. alongside Fleet Base East during the Exercise Kakadu Fleet Review.] Photo: Petty Officer, David Cox

For the first time in history, a Philippine Navy ship has sailed into Sydney Harbour.

As part of the multinational, Australian-led Exercise Kakadu, BRP Diego Silang entered Sydney Heads alongside 31 ships from partner nations, marking a significant milestone in Philippine-Australian defence cooperation.

Australia and the Philippines have continued to elevate their cooperation through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, since the announcement in 2023, but this marked the first time their ship sailed further south than Cairns.

On board were two Philippine Navy officers proud to share in the historic moment with their fellow crewmates, and to reflect on a country they have come to know well.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Janrey Artus, the ship’s navigational officer, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Dione Mae Umalla, the anti-surface warfare officer, both have strong personal ties to Australia, having previously visited and trained through navy-to-navy exchanges.

The experience not only deepened their professional expertise but also their connection to Australia and its people.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Artus undertook 18 months of training at HMAS Watson. Standing on the bridge as the ship passed Bradleys Head and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, the moment carried special meaning for him.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Umalla is a trailblazer in her own right. She is one of the few women to graduate from the Philippine Military Academy since it began admitting female cadets in 1995, and did it as valedictorian.

Her time during the New Entry Officer Course (NEOC) at the Royal Australian Naval College left a lasting impression.

“I loved my time in NEOC 67. I was able to relive being a midshipman again; it was refreshing and a wonderful experience,” Lieutenant Junior Grade Umalla said.

“The friendships I built in Australia and the trust between our navies show that this relationship is about people as much as it is about defence.

“When we operate together, it feels seamless because we understand each other, both professionally and culturally.”

Diego Silang joined vessels from 18 other nations for the Kakadu Fleet Review in Sydney Harbour, highlighting strong regional maritime cooperation and the deep partnerships fostered through Kakadu.

--

The news is showing chaotic scenes of long queues at petrol stations and there are reports of very big price hikes.

Is that depiction accurate,  or are news channels enhancing the story?

@PalawOne

PESO at 61?

should be good for all!

https://news.sky.com/video/how-war-in-t … s-13525222

The Philippines government says it is looking for alternative supplies. Russia, Iran, and Venezuela might well be able to help.

This is down to a decision- Support/cower to the US, or look after their own country's needs.

I saw this morning on the news, Richard Quest interviewing an EU member, can't remember his position but he was adamant that the EU is going full steam on electrifying, he said they will never buy oil or gas from Russia even if the Ukraine war ends, whittling themselves off reliance on hydrocarbons and over being held at ransom with price hikes generally created by the stupidity of others.

Maybe your right Fred that countries like the Philippines should be doing more to electrify even if it means approaching China,,,,,, LOL I'm sure that will get up the nose of certain people.

Also perhaps governments should offer incentives to the populace to go electric, sometimes that's all it takes to get people on board. Australia has been doing it for 20 years that I know of.

A little laugh. We are off grid but can flick a few breakers and isolate our supply and reconnect to the grid, the flexibility and joy of that costs us less than 6 pesos a month for the meter charge, every month we get a bill and pay it with gCash on the phone. I mentioned to the better half that I/we haven't seen a bill for months, what's going on? Told me he will drop into Luelco and ask.

Turns out one of the 6 peso payments never went through and unbeknowns to us they disconnected the meter and we never noticed 5 months ago. 224 pesos to reconnect and 6 pesos owing. They don't have an auto debit system like most countries so it's a pay the bill when the meter reader leaves one. Modern tech at its best.

Cheers, Steve.

Political considerations have to come second to saving your country.

You do business with the best - Simple.

If that means working with China, that's what should happen.

For the European Union that might be difficult given Germany is a large alternatives manufacturer and would need to ramp up production, not sure how well it would be received going to China but certainly so many S/E Asian countries it's easy. Many simply need to open their eyes and take the plunge.

Worked for us simply being grid tied in Australia and here it's a no brainer to go off grid in PH.

Trouble is Fred electrifying is not going to help those that rely on fossil fuels to run their businesses that simply put food on the table for their family. As said earlier that sometimes the government needs to step in and help but that becomes a double edge sword for them with less revenue on fuel usage.

Here the only incentives to buy an EV is a little lower rego, no numberplate restrictions offered by the government and they are now coming to realise their coffers are dwindling with less taxes on fuel. Australia is the same and now with the take up of so many EV's they are losing billions in revenue and have been looking at a road user tax for going electric even though they promote it, go figure.

I'm happy.

Cheers, Steve

Trouble is Fred electrifying is not going to help those that rely on fossil fuels to run their businesses that simply put food on the table for their family.

Cheers, Steve - @bigpearl

Large scale local solar can drastically reduce dependency on fossil fuels,  including for factories and schools.

Home systems, especially when used to charge EVs, also takes strain from the grid.

Renewable energy isn't a cure-all at this point, but it reduces the need to import, and mitigates the mess oil wars cause.

Steve,

I'm not against solar or electric vehicles but is not the right fit for me. I will be long dead before any R.O.I. is returned. Same with an EV, for my limited use of a car, it's not practical for me either electric or carbon fuel. Grab is my best bet.

I can't imagine the cost of Jeepneys being replaced by EV's.

Maybe many carbon fueled vehicles will be replaced when their useful life is over. People in third world countries the cost of an EV is beyond their reach, especially in third world countries.

Most home owners cannot afford the system you have and will have to rely on commercial electric suppliers.

Try and teach the nonbelievers that Fred. As sad as it is the ones that can least afford modern tech end up paying, I saw this 30 years or more ago when I first went solar, never looked back. Same with plastics and while many try with innovative ideas and solutions they usually cost more and rejected.

Plastic bags have been frowned upon in Oz for 20/30 years and reusable bags are the norm there but unfortunately a lot of the produce you buy especially from big chain supermarkets is all wrapped in plastic.

Here we buy a lot from smaller operators and simply take our reusable bags, Eggs the same, 30 eggs go into a small cardboard box that sits nicely in a reusable bag, that box lasts years and no plastics/waste.

Maybe I'm too green but we do our bit where possible.

Cheers, Steve.

Appreciate your honesty Bob, Life is about choices. I also have no idea what is left of my life here being a heavy smoker and drinker,,,,,, two less drinks for my reply Bob. LOL.

For me no idea 1 year or 20 but at 66 hope there's a few left, thing is for me/us is wise investments and if I move on my heirs will get the benefits and I will care little while pushing up the daisies.

In the interim I'm about appreciateing no power bills, no fuel bills but the winner is no frigging blackouts and waking up at 2 in the morning sweating my guts out as the A/C dropped out and would happen once or twice a week, occasionally 3 times. A B/S power company.

As said choices Bob and we all do what we think is right for our situations, ours suits us but not for some.

Cheers, Steve.

By Sokrates Phoenix Ignitus

Bejing, China

IRAN'S ADVANTAGE ..

"While everyone watched the airstrikes, 20+ Iranian mini-submarines silently slipped into the Persian Gulf."

They are submarines. Submarine that can sink a Ford-class carrier and vanish without a trace.

1. Cost to build a Ghadir mini-sub: $20,000,000 -

1. Cost of a US Ford-class carrier: $13,000,000,000

→ It's 29 meters long and 120 tons — small enough to hide in 50-meter-deep water where sonar is useless

→ It runs diesel-electric on battery — near-silent, no acoustic signature to track

→ The Persian Gulf averages 50m deep — sound bounces off the floor and surface, making detection nearly impossible

→ It fires the Hoot torpedo at 220 mph using supercavitating technology — no defense system can intercept it

→ Pete Hegseth said "their submarines — all 11 — are gone." He wasn't counting the 20+ Ghadir subs already deployed

→ USS Churchill picked up a probable Ghadir contact on March 9th. They still haven't found it.

The Ghadir subs made it a kill zone.

A P-8 Poseidon costs $200 million to operate. A sonobuoy field costs millions more: spending $500 million+ to hunt a $20 million submarine.

But a Ghadir? $20 million. Near-silent. Undetectable in shallow water. Armed with an unstoppable torpedo.

The US Navy spent decades building carrier strike groups designed to project overwhelming force through sheer firepower. Park a $13 billion carrier, hope nothing gets through.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFO:

Ghadir-class mini-submarine provides Iran with specific, asymmetric advantages over US submarines within the confined, shallow environment of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

While significantly smaller and less technologically advanced than US nuclear-powered submarines, the Ghadir's strengths lie in its ability to operate in coastal environments where large, deep-diving U.S. submarines cannot.

Key advantages of the Ghadir mini-sub over US submarines include:

Shallow Water Operations and "Bottom-Resting": The Ghadir is optimized for the shallow Persian Gulf (average depth of ~50 meters), allowing it to navigate shallow, crowded areas. They can operate in shallow water where larger submarines face a risk of grounding.

Near-Undetectability in Coastal Environments: Ghadir submarines are known to be quiet and can "rest" on the seabed, allowing them to hide amidst the high-noise, complex seafloor terrain. In such environments, they can be difficult to separate from surrounding terrain on sonar.

Asymmetric "Ambush" Capability: Ghadir subs are designed for surprise attacks rather than open-ocean combat, making them ideal for executing a first strike in a regional conflict. They can potentially ambush large US warships, including aircraft carriers, in crowded shipping lanes.

Effective Coastal Defense through Numbers and Cost-Efficiency: Iran has deployed over 20+ Ghadir submarines, allowing them to create a "swarm" or "denial" effect, forcing the US into complex anti-submarine warfare (ASW) scenarios. These subs are inexpensive to produce compared to US platforms, making a high volume of units feasible.

Versatile Weaponry and Special Operations: Despite their size, they carry two 533mm torpedo tubes, which can fire conventional torpedoes, "Hoot" supercavitating torpedoes (which reach speeds of over 200 knots), or be used to launch anti-ship cruise missiles like the Jask-2. They are also capable of laying naval mines to disrupt maritime traffic in chokepoints.

Special Forces Deployment: The Ghadir-class is capable of delivering underwater special forces and combat divers for reconnaissance or sabotage against offshore infrastructure and ports.

In contrast, US submarines are large, nuclear-powered, and designed for long-range, deep-sea, and blue-water superiority, making them less suitable for operating in the confined, cluttered, and acoustically difficult conditions of the Persian Gulf, compared to a dedicated littoral, diesel-electric midget submarine.

Compared to U.S. vessels, the Ghadir has very limited endurance and firepower. A Ghadir can only carry two torpedoes, whereas a U.S. submarine has a massive payload.

Submarine Warfare Strategy: While U.S. submarines are designed to dominate the battlespace, the Ghadir-class is designed to disrupt and act as an "economic weapon" by threatening shipping routes.

In short, the Ghadir is not intended to compete in a head-to-head battle with a U.S. submarine, but rather to harass or surprise larger surface combatants in shallow waters where U.S. technology is less effective."

Ref:

- National Security Journal dot org

- United 24 media dot com

- Wikipedia

- The Telegraph

- National interest dot org

--

@PalawOne

WOW!

Have they sunk anything yet?

LOL!

@PalawOne
WOW!
Have they sunk anything yet?
LOL! - @NY_Mike

Iran would make a big noise if they did, and the US would deny it.

The US has had damage to 2 carriers, but they say Iran was nothing to do with either of them. The badly damaged F35 was also not hit by Iran.

Fred said . . . . The US has had damage to 2 carriers, but they say Iran was nothing to do with either of them. The badly damaged F35 was also not hit by Iran.

********************************

Iran claimed the USS Abraham  was hit with four ballistic missiles.

The USS Gerald R Ford had an accidental fire in the laundry when Fred's Big Beautiful Undies spontaneous combusted under the fear of being washed.

By Sokrates Phoenix Ignitus
Bejing, China
*********************************

Byline: Bejing China, no such place, and no author as Sokrates Phoenix Ignites.

Byline: Bejing China, no such place, and no author as Sokrates Phoenix Ignites. - @Enzyte Bob

That doesn't mean it isn't true ... or it is true.

This is being reported by several outlets including the UK's Telegraph. However, none of them offer any evidence of any sort.

All that crap aside Fred, it's not only the Philippines suffering stupidity but would seem billions of people world wide are living with petulant choices by a leader that only thinks about himself. A very dangerous deranged individual.

Giving grief to NATO for 10 years with insults and innuendos, now it seems non NATO countries are copping his tantrums, (Australia) none knew what the fool was up to as there was never any consultation just a fool steering an out of control ship,,,,,,, All these countries have been asked to help his stupidity and are saying no. You started this war fool and now want to drag innocent men and women into your deranged state of mind? To Die?

The laughs are that he claims he will remember, Vindictive plus. Stating the US is always there to help others but none it seems want to come to my aide,,,,,,, Fool forgets about all the other wars started by the US and the support from so many other countries losing their countrymen lives for what? The list is too long to name but most already know.

Alienating the US from the rest of the world is a huge mistake, simply opens the door for China,,,,,,, oops too late. The horse has bolted.

So many countries are scratching their heads with the stupidity of one man, scrabbling with their own domestic policies and now added fuel shortages, huge price hikes, an unstable world market.

Australia adheres to the net zero by 2050 set up with the Paris accord so many years ago and has been striving to meet that goal but crap foisted upon them? There is now talk at a political level to reopen closed down oil fields and drilling for more gas to supply the country and sell the excess overseas,,,,,, To pay for this? The right wing government wants to remove carbon credits and kill alternatives Ring any bells?

Sorry for the bleat but as I see it the world is in a sad situation that the poor pay for for one mans stupidity,,,, Netanyahu deserves a mention also.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Alienating the US from the rest of the world is a huge mistake,
Cheers, Steve. - @bigpearl

For Americans,  yes, but not for the rest of the world.

I have to be honest, the US is responsible for most of the world's wars since 1947, and has caused more issues, been directly responsible for thousands of terrorist attacks, and removed several democracies in favour of pet dictatorships.

I'm happy with Biden starting the decline of the Dollar, and even happier at Trump's fumbling around.

It's a pity he's causing so much misery whilst destroying the US, but that's my only moan.

We are witnessing the end of an era, and a nasty one at that.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Empires rise and fall, most times caused by fools.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

These submarines are useless and can detected by air by these methods:

*Magnetic anomaly detection (MAD)

*Synthetic aperture radar (SAR)

*Light detection & ranging (Lidar)

*Thermal imaging

All that is great Bob and Australia has a high observation plane giving intel and positions to the Dump and Hegseth war and not recognised, Australia is simply it seems is a disappointment. That aircraft has been flying around for weeks for a war we never started but apparently we are the villains? The truth is revealing itself.

Cheers, Steve.

Empires rise and fall, most times caused by fools.
OMO.

Cheers, Steve. - @bigpearl

Today on this thread, between Fred and Steve and TDS, it is truly "Hate America Day", as evil Trump attempts to relieve the planet of the spectre of a thermonuclear holocaust brought on by the rest of the world standing by, as a lunatic apocalyptic dictatorship gains control of weapons  of mass destruction.

Definitely not American souls Dan, most yanks are good people but yes the TDS or the dump syndrome may well take some time for some to see. In the mean time? Billions of innocent people are paying the price for a dicks decision and I'm well sure he is profiting, all those around him at who's expense.

Dan you have an eggotistical megalomaniac running the country and now has a very unfavourable situation with your compatriots. Near 70% disagree with how he is running your country and Im sure that figure is far higher with the rest of the world.

Let's see what the midterms offer and will be a reflection on the next Presidential election in 2 and a half years if he lasts that long. Certainly seems he opened a can of worms and has no idea how to deal with his own incompetence and now blaming other countries as useless for not helping his foolish choices to get him out of the sh1t. Get real.

Defend him all you like as most care little for a king in a democracy. He is there for bucks Dan, not the people.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Today on this thread, between Fred and Steve and TDS, it is truly "Hate America Day", as evil Trump attempts to relieve the planet of the spectre of a thermonuclear holocaust brought on by the rest of the world standing by, as a lunatic apocalyptic dictatorship gains control of weapons of mass destruction.
- @danfinn

I have American friends 😎

the rest of the world standing by, as a lunatic apocalyptic dictatorship gains control of weapons of mass destruction.
- @danfinn

Given Trump has them, perhaps the rest of the world should attack America.

After all they have a lunatic apocalyptic wannabe dictatorship

They will sort themselves out Fred, probably more blood spilled while us simple plebeians sit back and smile at the stupidity, fine for us with a few bucks but so many can't afford this stupidity.

Why not simply wipe them out and resume some sense of normality instead of playing frigging games, The almighty US has the power but procrastinates and tries to dodge the bullets. This is going to get a lot nastier with little regard to who is paying the price.

I see it here in the Philippines and I'm sure plenty of other countries looking for loans or hand outs to feed their families. Stupidity for what? Making others suffer idiotic choices to line pockets.

Cheers, Steve.

danfinn said . . . Today on this thread, between Fred and Steve and TDS, it is truly "Hate America Day", as evil Trump attempts to relieve the planet of the spectre of a thermonuclear holocaust brought on by the rest of the world standing by, as a lunatic apocalyptic dictatorship gains control of weapons of mass destruction.

**************************

It's true they do have TDS.

Bill Clinton balanced the budget, in retrospect he was a decent leader despite his flaws. Now instead of Trump being President and it were Bill Clinton none of this belly aching would be going on.

To the TDS boys for all practical sense the war is over. Trump is only asking other nations to help patrol the Strait of Hormuz to bring shipping back to normal which is a benefit to them.

Oil, Diesel, Gasoline, Kerosene, bottled Gas and LPG price will remain high until the strait is opened. If it is not opened the US will have plenty of supply, but many countries who are importers will certainly feel it when their current supplies run out.

the rest of the world standing by, as a lunatic apocalyptic dictatorship gains control of weapons of mass destruction.
- @danfinn
Given Trump has them, perhaps the rest of the world should attack America.
After all they have a lunatic apocalyptic wannabe dictatorship - @Fred

You don't get it Fred. The leaders in Iran will definitely start a nuclear war if they get the capability, your nonsense trump and usa comments notwithstanding. Basically, you and Steve, 2 peas in a pod, cannot stop Trump from taking residence in your brains. Nothing else matters; strait of hormuz shut down, GCC arbitrarily attacked by the lunatic regime, nuclear war...none of that is important. Orange man bad is all we can think or talk about.

And Nixon blowing the sh1t out of Cambodia? Ah America.

I care little and do have a laugh at the stupidity.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl said . . . . And Nixon blowing the sh1t out of Cambodia? Ah America.
I care little and do have a laugh at the stupidity.

***************************

You were three years old when that happened . . . . you don't have TDS . . . . . you have DS.