Trump's war in Iran is going to sweep us all into the gutter.

Oil prices have started to come down for a worrisome reason. It's like the tide going out along the seashore, an ominous phenomenon heralding the approach of a tsunami that wipes out everything. The aftermath will be a global economic wasteland.

The largest oil shock in history caused prices to surge. Now they're so high that they have inducing "demand destruction." As a result of the acute energy commodity shortages stemming from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, oil appears to have reached a point where it is now so expensive that overseas businesses and households have begun curbing investment and consumption. That means slower economic growth that is expected to bring about a depression far worse than the last one: The Great Depression in 1929.

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whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M

On the other hand, in countries that are forward looking this will spur the expansion of electric vehicles and the supporting infrastructure and allow a faster market penetration of the next generation of Chinese EVs, further eroding the US competition (such as it was) and leaving those late comers to the market to fall behind. I am looking at you America..😷

swirlie · 31-35, F

@whowasthatmaskedman
American-made cars and trucks are not selling in Canada AT ALL. The Dealerships are practically giving them away at 'cost'. The 2027s are about to start coming off the assembly line in about 5 months from now, yet the car lots are still full of new 2025s that never got sold, in addition to new 2026s that are stacked up like cord wood beside the `25s.

Brand new Dodge Ram trucks for example, are being offered at $10,000 discounts plus zero percent financing for 84 months, despite being considered by Car & Driver Magazine to be the most high-maintenance, most expensive vehicle to maintain on the road today. Yet Canadians are not buying them, despite being 'assembled' in Canada with all the money going back across the border to Head Office in yankee-doodle-dandy Land.

sree251 · 41-45, M

@swirlie

American-made cars and trucks are not selling in Canada AT ALL. The Dealerships are practically giving them away at 'cost'. The 2027s are about to start coming off the assembly line in about 5 months from now, yet the car lots are still full of new 2025s that never got sold, in addition to new 2026s that are stacked up like cord wood beside the `25s.

Cord wood. How come you know there is such a thing? Do you have a wood burning fireplace?

whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M

@swirlie Why would you buy an American designed car, when the Koreans and the Japananese can do it better, cheaper, the Germans can do it way better for the same price and the Chinese can do it as well for half the price. And all of them use less fuel...😷

swirlie · 31-35, F

@whowasthatmaskedman
Very good point. I shall contact my local Dodge Dealer and promptly cancel my order for the 2026 Ram pickup truck with 30 inch wheels, twin-turbocharged 5.2 liter engine I ordered, including 4 wheel drive (which I ordered just in case I get stuck in a sink-hole in downtown Toronto in a rainstorm), which includes the chrome-plated ladder which conveniently extends from the rocker panels to ease in the boarding process whilst wearing my ankle-length, very sparkly, Diana Ross evening dress which of course is worn with high heels, right?

...and which of course includes as part of the order, the standard American gun rack that fits into the back window but will ultimately remain empty in my case since less fearful heads prevail in Canada and open-carry of rifles and machine guns are therefore strictly forbidden here.

But the gun rack would make a good drying rack for swimsuits after a day spent down at the swimming hole with the girls I suppose, so maybe that wasn't such a bad idea to order the gun rack with the Hemi engine as an inclusive package which of course is marketed as "The American Identity Package" straight from the manufacturer.

From here on in, my money is on Korea and Japan. Thanks for the tip! 🛻