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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> John Clark <johnkclark@gmail.com> <br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=gmaildefault><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>></span></i></span><span class=m2003958263465195862gmaildefault><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif'>So why did we allow the danger to continue? </span></i></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>>…Because although it was obvious to anybody who looked at a map,<span class=gmaildefault> to get rid of that choke point we'd have to alter the physical geography of the entire Middle East…<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>Nonsense. Read on please.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=gmaildefault><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>> </span></i></span><span class=m2003958263465195862gmaildefault><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>Ja, it only sunk their navy. </span></i></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>>…A navy that was useless and</span></b><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span></b></span><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>ridiculous and never could've played a part in a modern war….<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>It was valuable to world peace, in that it demonstrated that a surface navy is vulnerable to modern weapons. This demonstration may have been what convinced Xi to avoid invasion of Taiwan.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'> </span></b><span class=gmaildefault><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif'>> </span></i></span><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif'>It isn’t that hard to create tunnels in which oil pipes can be placed safely out of reach of air attack.</span></i><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>>…It isn't hard to build a 750 mile long pipeline<span class=gmaildefault> that is 100 feet underground?!<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>It wouldn’t need to be that long. John use some imagination. Oil field, multiple rigs, multiple pipes, going various directions to some (possibly short) distance away to multiple sites. A few miles of pipe would suffice, where the oil can be pumped into trucks and carried over land, across Saudi Arabi to the Med. This would offer redundancy in case of attack. I do not think Iran wants to start trouble with powerful neighbor by blasting oil trucks on Saudi Arabian roads. </span></b></span><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>>…</span></b><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>Who is going to pay for that?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>Those countries which are selling oil. While they are doing that, Venezuela, the USA and Canada build out oil infrastructure. Shorter supply lines means lower cost. Everybody wins, almost. The countries on the west side of the Persian Gulf lose, but they have the option of bombing Tehran into the seventh century. Iran can’t take them all on simultaneously. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>Having theocratic Iran as a neighbor is part of the cost of doing business in the Middle East.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>Notice that with the strait mostly closed, the price of crude oil<span class=gmaildefault> is lower than it was in May 2022, when the strait was open. The Middle East has a lot of oil, but it doesn’t have all the oil in the world. We can leave that closed while we work with Venezuela.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=gmaildefault><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>></span></i></span><span class=m2003958263465195862gmaildefault><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif'>I do invite you to look thru my comments in the ExI archives, and note that <u>I do not comment on government policy</u>. </span></i></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>>…When a Democrat is president, government policy over immigration needs to change…<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>Policy on illegal immigration doesn’t need to change. It only needs to be enforced. This is always true, regardless of what party controls what seat of power.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>>…<span class=gmaildefault> </span> When a Democrat is president, government policy over<span class=gmaildefault> vaccination needs to change…<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>Why does the government have a policy on vaccination? There’s nothing in the constitution which allows that.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>>… </span></b></span><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>When a Democrat is president, government policy over<span class=gmaildefault> deficit spending needs to change…<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>Regardless of who is president, government policy on deficit spending has been appalling. The US government has no intention of stopping deficit spending until there is a general recognition that it cannot repay its debt. I realized it some time ago, but people are still loaning money to the US government. I cannot imagine why.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=gmaildefault><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>> </span></i></span><span class=m2003958263465195862gmaildefault><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>I do however comment early and often on government corruption,</span></i></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>>….Only w<span class=gmaildefault>hen</span> a <span class=gmaildefault>D</span>emocrat is president.<span class=gmaildefault> I remember the huge fuss you raised when Hunter Biden got a job at a hedge fund….<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>No John, it wasn’t Hunter Biden. He wasn’t in government. I (and plenty of others) raised a huge fuss over a government official’s comment “…if the prosecutor’s not fired, you’re not getting the money…” You do remember that, ja? If one searches carefully, one might find a quid pro quo hiding in that comment somewhere. This is corruption.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>>… compared with the gargantuan <u>ASTRONOMICAL</u> amount of corruption of the Trump administration….<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>By all means, any corruption should be prosecuted. No disagreement there.</span></b></span><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>>…#1) </span></b></span><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>King Donald<span class=gmaildefault> controls USA's </span>cryptocurrency policy<span class=gmaildefault>… John K Clark<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>Indeed? A president makes law now? When was the constitution overthrown please? <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>Congress make law. Here’s the policy regarding cryptocurrency regulation: <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48963/R48963.2.pdf">https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48963/R48963.2.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>Presidents don’t make law. They can refuse to sign a law congress made, but that didn’t happen as far as I know. Do you know otherwise John? Do tell please.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmaildefault><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>spike<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></body></html>