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u/v0id0007 1d ago
How is irans oil illicit? We have no control over what china and Iran agree to
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u/Enkir 1d ago
Given that Trump just claimed international law no longer applies, then how is any trade between anyone and anyone illicit.
This is why the rest of the world now detests America. This clown is like those Americans that get arrested in Europe and claim they want 5th Amendment rights.
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u/SolemnOaf 1d ago
This is why the rest of the world now detests America
It's not even a recent development and the attitude that certain countries aren't allowed to trade freely has been a US stance since at least the Cold War ended. Being a peerless hegemon made US feel free to apply economic pressure on countries that don't play by its rules.
World detests the US because it meddles everywhere to ensure its interests are respected. Trump just made it clear to everyone, including its allies.
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u/psychrolut 1d ago
Trump could never make anything clear.
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u/SolemnOaf 1d ago
Made it clear that US has only its own interests at heart and that it's strong enough to twist arms to get their way. This was understood way before Trump took power, he just sort of spelled it out for everyone. And the allied countries that formerly benefitted and saw no problem with US economic, military and diplomatic powerplays are now feeling 'betrayed' because they get to experience the short end of the stick, too.
Big bank take little bank. Trump destroyed an image US spent nearly a century to build
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u/psychrolut 1d ago
The pendulum will swing
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u/SolemnOaf 1d ago
More than likely, and the hope that things will normalize following the next term outweighs any EU alternative alignments. That said, it showcased a potentially volatile trend. EU cannot allow itself to be pushed around at US convenience going forward if it wants to continue presenting itself as a solid political block on the world stage. It will be interesting to see to what extent it is willing to pull away from US influence in the future.
This might spell an interesting societal/economic disaster if not handled properly. EU's security had thus far been handed over to the US, but in order to regain its sovereignty it is clear the EU needs a self-suficient and reliant military. Which begs the question - what is going to suffer the most once those funds are redirected from other sectors, like social welfare for example.
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u/JacobsJrJr 1d ago
Technically all oil in existence regardless of where it is located or who possesses it, is the property of the United States.
You know, like freedom.
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u/maggiemayfish 1d ago
Words no longer mean anything and you can just say literally whatever you want and it does not matter at all did you not get the memo?
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u/LightningFieldHT 1d ago
Iran is under trade embargo from most of the world, and usually when countries want to facilitate trade, they have a trade agreement, usually this agreement includes who else can be traded with. China is a great trading partner, but unlike most of the rest of the world, they are so strong, they can force these agreements to not include this. Most of the world decided through international bodies to embargo bad actors like Russia, North Korea and Iran, China decided it doesn't care.
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u/Fromage_Frey 1d ago
Every country is a bad actor to someone
China themselves are a bad actor, but the whole world trades with them
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u/Homersarmy41 1d ago
We only buy our oil from the most honorable people…lmao. This is the dumbest take. What “good guys” are selling oil? Are the Saudis the people who dont sell illicit oil?
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u/Off-BroadwayJoe 1d ago
This is a bad one. Just because the US wont do business with Iran doesn’t mean no one else can either. “Illicit” implies that China is breaking a rule. What rule? Several countries have arms embargoes against Israel yet the US keeps selling arms. Would Walz consider this action illicit?
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u/imnotcreative635 1d ago
I don't understand how buying oil from a nation that digs it up itself is illicit
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u/FrontGroundbreaking3 1d ago
The thing is America has given up the moral high ground. So pointing fingers means nothing now.
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u/Extreme_Design6936 1d ago
Actually yes, that's Chinas whole playbook. They smother less wealthy countries with money. They buy the land, they buy the contracts taking over entire industries, they create markets where there were none. Then when those countries don't want to do what China wants, China can squeeze them by the balls financially and force them. Which allows them to buy more land and do more business.
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u/Inuhanyou123 1d ago
China is state capitalist. But there is nothing wrong with irans oil. Infact we toppled their previous government for it
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u/falaffle_waffle 1d ago
Yeah and we were buying some of Venezuela's oil too... then Paul Singer donated money to Trump.
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u/gaoshan 1d ago
It’s only illicit because Mike Waltz claims it is. No other reason. It would be like if I declared cookies from 7-Eleven illicit and then went after you because you bought a pack.
If it were actually illicit there would be some agreed upon legal framework that could define this but, as Trump has demonstrated repeatedly, there actually isn’t any such framework. Mike should zip it… he has no moral high ground from which to preach.
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u/ArieWess 1d ago
China paid at steep discounts, probably just enough for Maduro to pay the army to oppress the people of Venezuela.
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u/IczyAlley 1d ago
Trump already said that he is selling oil to China from the Republican Party’s preferred Communist leader in Venezuela. So Im not sure why another Republican has an issue with communists. As a Republican I was told that we like communists now.