Hugo ter Steege

[Mario Nawfal @MarioNawfal]

Why doesn't Trump just walk away and let Iran charge a fee at the Strait of Hormuz?

As Trump himself said, the U.S. barely uses the Straits anyway...

Well... Iran controlling the Straits would actually be CATASTROPHIC for American hegemony and the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency.

After WWII, America's grand bargain with the world was simple: use the dollar, trade globally, and the U.S. guarantees the sea lanes stay open.

If Iran can slap a toll on one of the planet's most important shipping chokepoints and Washington can't stop it, the message to every capital on Earth is brutal: the American guarantee isn't worth what it used to be.

Because America can't call itself the guardian of Hormuz while Iran sits at the gate deciding who passes, where they sail, and what they pay.

This is no longer just a battle over Hormuz. It's a direct challenge to America's position as the dominant superpower and leader of the world order it built.

Failing at Hormuz doesn't just hand Tehran a historic victory.

It could be the pivotal moment China and Russia have spent decades waiting for: the moment the American-led order cracks and a multipolar world begins replacing it.

[Hugo ter Steege @HugoterSteege]

@flyme2themoon8 @ChrisHilversum Respect dat je dit deelt. Herkenbaar. Sterkte jullie.

[Peter ter Horst @PeterterHorst]

Vandaag overheerst in het nieuws de dreiging van te lage gasvoorraden, TenneT die waarschuwt voor elektriciteitstekorten en een overvol stroomnet, en Rijkswaterstaat dat onvoldoende geld heeft voor onderhoud aan wegen en bruggen.
We leven in een land met een van de hoogste belastingdrukken ter wereld. Een land waar de restaurants vol zitten, winkelstraten druk zijn, koeriers dagelijks miljoenen pakketjes bezorgen en waar zelfs een tekort is aan bedrijventerreinen door alle economische activiteit.
Op papier oogt Nederland nog altijd als een rijk, draaiend en succesvol land. En dat zijn we ook. Maar onder de motorkap zit er systeemstress.

Alles wordt maximaal belast. Stroomnet, infrastructuur, woningmarkt, zorg, uitvoering, personeel, ruimte. Maar ook de overheid zelf.
Ondertussen vergaten we dat een systeem ook onderhoud, reserves, eenvoud en uitvoeringskracht nodig heeft. Die keuzes zijn niet gemaakt.
Ik wens ons sterkte de komende decennia.

[The Iceman @the_iceman64]

90% of the soldiers on the first boats to hit the beach didn't live to see the end of the day. Look at those faces. Some of them never made it to 18.

Never forget that they paid the ultimate price for our freedom. We live our lives the way we do because of them.

[medoyid_ua @LetsArmUKR]

We have witnessed the fall of the United States as a global hegemon — a former hegemon. This is not a temporary weakening, but a systemic and possibly irreversible decline. The main reason for this process is Donald Trump, the weakest president in American history.

Trump is not merely a bad president. He is a president who is consciously and consistently dismantling everything that made America a hegemon for eight decades. Instead of strategic vision and cold calculation, we see chaotic emotional decisions, the trading of national interests like at a bazaar, and a constant readiness to betray allies for short-term political gain or personal ego.

Under his leadership, the United States has ceased to be a reliable guarantor of the world order. Former allies no longer trust American commitments. NATO is on the brink of collapse because its leading country openly disregards its obligations. Ukraine, which is fighting the largest war in Europe since World War II, has effectively been betrayed. Taiwan understands that in the event of Chinese aggression, it may simply be abandoned. Europe no longer sees Washington as a leader, but as an unpredictable partner best kept at a distance.

Trump is not building a new, stronger America. He is destroying the old one — the one built on military superiority, the financial dominance of the dollar, technological advantage, and a system of alliances. He is weakening all of these simultaneously. Military aid to Ukraine has been slashed, pressure on Europe regarding defense spending has turned into outright blackmail, and relations with China are not strategic containment but chaotic bargaining. Even traditional Republican elites, who once considered a strong America their core ideology, are now forced to adapt to a cult of personality and isolationist sentiments.

Trump’s weakness is not just a lack of character. It is profound strategic blindness. He fails to understand that hegemony is not only power, but also responsibility and reputation — a reputation he has destroyed in record time. The world has seen that American commitments can be canceled with a single tweet or phone call. This lesson has already been learned in Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang.

We are now observing a chain reaction. Authoritarian regimes sense weakness and are acting more aggressively. China is accelerating preparations for Taiwan. Russia is not stopping in Ukraine. Iran continues to destabilize the Middle East. And Europe, instead of rapidly rearming, is still hiding behind the backs of Ukrainian soldiers, hoping that “somehow it will pass.”

The fall of American hegemony under Trump is not the triumph of a multipolar world, as some like to claim. It is the triumph of weakness, selfishness, and shortsightedness. A world in which the most powerful country refuses to lead becomes far more dangerous for everyone. Because a vacuum of power is always filled by chaos and aggression.

The worst part is that this process may become irreversible. Even if Trump eventually leaves, America’s reputation has already been severely damaged. The trust lost in these years will be extremely difficult to restore. Global elites have already begun searching for alternative centers of power — and these will not always be democratic and predictable players.

Trump will go down in history not as a strong leader who “made America great again.” He will be remembered as the president under whom America voluntarily renounced its global role. As the man who accelerated the end of the American century. As the weakest president of all time, who managed to undermine the most powerful state in the world from within.

History will render its verdict. But it is already clear: we are living in the era of the fall of a former hegemon. And his name is Donald Trump.

[Gandalv @Microinteracti1]

Let me be precise about what is happening here.

Trump keeps saying “NATO wasn’t there when we needed them.” He says it like a grievance. He will keep saying it. Expect it at every rally between now and 2028.

Understand what he is actually doing. He is not venting. He is building a case.

Because he knows what Russia is planning for the Baltic states, and he is pre-loading the public argument for why Article 5 does not apply when that moment arrives.

“We asked, they refused.” That is the exit ramp. Simple. Memorable. Wrong, but effective.

Article 5 covers armed attacks against members in Europe or North America. It was never designed to cover offensive wars the United States chooses to launch in the Middle East.

Article 6 makes this explicit. The Americans insisted on that language in 1949 precisely so they could not be dragged into Europe’s colonial wars.

Trump is now furious at a clause his predecessors wrote. 

He called allies cowards. He told the United Kingdom to “build up some delayed courage.” He threatened France after Paris refused airspace for weapons bound for Israel.  None of this is anger. It is choreography.

NATO allies had no legal or treaty obligation to join this war. The United States was not the victim of an attack. It was the instigator.  What Trump is calling betrayal is allies reading the actual document.

Now to the harder question: can NATO hold without Washington?

Yes.

European members have every incentive to maintain the alliance, even in radically different form. Germany’s chief of defence has already ordered the military to be fully equipped by 2029, when Russian forces may have reconstituted sufficiently to test the eastern flank. That clock is running regardless of what happens in Washington.

European leaders have been forced to confront the need for a security architecture that can stand without the American pillar. That conversation was theoretical eighteen months ago. Iran made it operational.

The alliance survived the Suez crisis, when the United States humiliated Britain and France. It will survive this.

Gandalv / @Microinteracti1

[Gabrielius Landsbergis🇱🇹 @GLandsbergis]

If Zelenskyy is warning us that Russia might attack the Baltics, I think he probably has a pretty good reason. As a Balt, I am surprised that many of us are treating Zelenskyy’s warning with contempt, while I myself understand where he is coming from.
Some accuse Zelenskyy of spreading narratives that help Russia. Well, I very much doubt he is trying to help Russia, and I don’t think he would take that risk lightly.
Some say he is pushing a fake scare story to focus the West’s attention on supporting Ukraine. But Ukraine has been deprived of that support for a long time, and has unfortunately learnt to live without it. I don’t think he is playing games. I find it more likely that he is offering his honest analysis to his friends.
Anybody feeling instinctive anger whenever the issue of a possible Russian attack against a Baltic State is raised should have a think about these three questions:
1. Are we sure Putin has no good reasons to attack NATO? He only needs one, and it doesn’t need to be as ambitious as a full invasion and annexation. He might be thinking that a small incursion could fracture our alliance and reboot his popularity at home by providing a win for his war machine. He could use his reserves or divert some troops from Ukraine, which he sees is a much harder nut to crack than the Baltics. Are we certain that he isn’t even tempted to try?
2. If not the Baltics, then where? Even though the Baltic States have raised defence spending as a percentage of GDP to the highest levels in NATO, we remain vulnerable while the effect of that boost comes online. We have no conscription like the Finns, the German brigade won’t be here for at least a year, our militaries are less developed than other potential NATO targets, so why wouldn’t Putin choose us?
3. And are we 100% certain that Article 5 is still deterring Russia as much as it used to? Even if we still believe in the “ironclad commitment” of our allies, any expert would have to admit that some of our main allies are somewhat distracted right now while others have only recently started rebuilding their militaries. Should Putin wait until Europe gets stronger? Or until US attention returns to Europe?
Zelenskyy has good reason to doubt that the West would suddenly experience a surge of bravery if a second country in the East were attacked now, NATO member or not.
So I’m sorry, but this is why I see where Zelenskyy is coming from. The Baltics could be the target, Putin might be tempted, and our allies are currently in a tough spot. The window of opportunity is open.
My suggestion to my fellow Baltic statesmen is this: Instead of getting flustered, get ready.
Prepare contingency plans, learn Ukrainian survival techniques fast, and think about how to quickly extend the Ukrainian defence umbrella over the Baltic Sea — if indeed the merde does hit the ventilator.

[Visegrád 24 @visegrad24]

🇩🇪 Germany’s economic motor shifts from Global Car Giant to Europe’s Military Industrial Hub

Germany is experiencing its longest period of stagnation since World War II. The manufacturing sector is reportedly losing around 15,000 jobs per month, while major carmakers such as Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz have seen profit declines of over 40%.

In response, Berlin has committed more than $500 billion (€460 billion) in defense spending over the next decade, with annual military expenditure projected to reach around $190 billion by 2029.

Several industrial conversions are already underway:

- Rheinmetall is repurposing former auto-parts facilities in Berlin and Neuss for military production.

- Volkswagen is reportedly discussing converting its Osnabrück plant to produce defense-related components, including transport vehicles and missile systems.

- KNDS has acquired a former Alstom rail factory in Görlitz to produce components for Leopard 2 tanks and Puma infantry fighting vehicles.

Defense companies such as Hensoldt are also recruiting engineers and technicians from automotive suppliers like Continental and Bosch.

The German defense industry association has nearly doubled its membership in a year, as civilian suppliers shift toward military contracts. Some firms, such as Schaeffler, are also expanding production into drones.

Analysts estimate that raising defense spending to 3% of GDP could generate tens of billions in annual output and create up to 245,000 jobs.

📰: WSJ

[Gianl1974 @Gianl1974]

SHOCKING CLASH: Donald Trump CALLS POPE LEO XIV “AN INSULT TO JESUS” — THE POPE’S RESPONSE STUNS THE WORLD

Donald Trump believed he could score easy political points by calling Pope Leo XIV “an insult to Jesus,” after the spiritual leader once again spoke out in defense of peace, compassion, and human dignity. However, he was challenging a voice rooted not in politics, but in moral authority.

Standing before a solemn gathering at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV did not respond with anger. Instead, he delivered a powerful and deeply moving message grounded in faith, responsibility, and truth.

“The President of the United States has said that I insult Jesus,” Pope Leo XIV began, his voice calm yet firm. “But let us reflect honestly — what truly insults the teachings of Christ?”

Then, with quiet intensity, he answered:

“You want to know what truly insults Jesus? It is when we turn away from those who suffer, when we close our hearts to the poor, and when we choose power over compassion while others cry out for mercy.”

He continued:

“You know what insults Jesus? It is forgetting the dignity of every human being, ignoring the pain of families in crisis, and refusing to hear the voices of the most vulnerable among us.”

His message then deepened, becoming not just a response, but a moral call that reached far beyond the moment:

“You know what insults Jesus? It is creating division where there should be unity, spreading fear where there should be hope, and turning away from justice when we have the responsibility to uphold it.”

This was not merely a political rebuttal — it was something far more profound. Pope Leo XIV, known for his humility and steadfast commitment to peace, transformed the confrontation into a reflection on conscience rather than conflict. Instead of escalating tensions, he elevated the conversation to a universal moral level.

“I do not claim to be perfect,” he admitted. “But I strive each day to walk the path of compassion — to serve, to listen, and to love as we are all called to do.”

Then came the line that resonated far beyond the walls of the Vatican:

“If we truly believe in a world shaped by peace and mercy… then why do we not work harder to bring that reality into our lives — here and now, for one another?”

That was his response. Not with anger. Not with division. But with conviction — and grace.

Trump sought to challenge him. Instead, Pope Leo XIV delivered a message now echoing across millions, reminding the world that true strength is found not in power alone, but in conscience, humility, and love.

[Occupy Democrats @OccupyDemocrats]

BREAKING: "FULLY UNHINGED!" — Hillary Clinton SLAMS Trump’s social media meltdowns, warns allies think America has "lost its mind."

Hillary Clinton has finally had enough. The woman whom Donald Trump somehow defeated in his first presidential run can no longer hold her tongue when faced with his devastatingly bizarre and institutionally destructive behavior that harms both our system of government and our nation as a whole.

"Trump has become fully unhinged, and we should talk about it," Clinton posted on X — after which she made a beeline to an appearance on MS Now’s Morning Joe and explained exactly what she meant, with the calm fury of someone who has spent decades watching American institutions be tested and knows what it looks like when they're breaking.

Clinton said reading Trump's social media posts left her "shaking my head and feeling sick at heart." And the receipts are not hard to find. In the past week alone, Trump threatened to destroy "a whole civilization" over a shipping deadline he set himself on Truth Social, attacked Pope Leo — the first American pope in history — and compared himself to Jesus Christ on social media. "When you look at the last week of unhinged rants coming from Trump's social media account, it's just disgraceful," Clinton said.

Hillary reserved particular contempt for Trump and Vance's constant invocations of "Western Civilization" — a phrase they deploy like a weapon while apparently having no idea what it actually means. "I don't think they've ever taken a course in Western Civilization," Clinton said flatly. "Western civilization has a real meaning. It is a meaning about our values, our institutions — how we hold leaders accountable so they don't become autocrats and dictators, and how they don't lead us into reckless wars."

On the Iran negotiations — the talks that just collapsed in Pakistan after 21 hours with no deal — Clinton, who helped lay the groundwork for the original Iran nuclear agreement under Obama, was surgical: "You know, two of them, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, they're supposed to solve Ukraine, Iran, Gaza. It's a joke." She noted that real diplomacy requires "hours of sitting in a chair" doing hard, disciplined work — something she knows that Trump and his minions are "unable to do."

And then came the warning that should be on the front page of every newspaper in the world: America's closest allies, Clinton said, "believe we've lost our minds." They wake up every morning, like the rest of us, and see the president of the United States ranting on social media, threatening civilizations, attacking the Pope, and comparing himself to Jesus. "A figure of such authority," she said, "making no sense half the time."

Those allies are now strengthening their own defenses and building up the European Union — because they have concluded they can no longer rely on the United States as long as this man is in charge.

The former Secretary of State who negotiated with world leaders, who sat in those chairs for hours, who helped build the diplomatic architecture that Trump is now burning to the ground — she is watching all of it, reading the posts, and feeling sick.

It’s a feeling that’s quite familiar to anyone except Trump’s most hardcore MAGA followers — and the only remedy is Trump’s impeachment and removal from office, unless, of course, a higher power intervenes to stop the blasphemy by natural causes.

Please like and share this story if you think "fully unhinged" is a fairly generous description of a president who threatened to destroy a civilization and then compared himself to Jesus in the same week.

[Dr Nafeez Ahmed @NafeezAhmed]

NEW: The Fall of the American Empire

We are about to enter a period of unprecedented turbulence as the system enters catastrophic decline.

This is a deep dive systems analysis connecting the war on Iran, the seizure of Venezuela, the peaking of US shale oil, record global debt, the Israeli blueprint to redraw the Middle East map, and the Hegseth doctrine of "Greater North America" into a single framework.

This piece traces the pattern from Rome's collapse through the 'adaptive cycle' to show that America is doing exactly what dying empires always do: expanding outward at maximum aggression as their material foundations give way.

It then lays out the seven strategic shifts that Europe, the UK, and the Global South must make - now - to survive what's coming and build the next system.

You won't find this analysis anywhere else. Please read it and share. https://t.co/hV5aUezKIv

[Dave Keating @DaveKeating]

November is going to be a nightmare.

Anyone in Europe thinking the midterms are going to save them needs to wake up. America's broken democracy isn't going to save us. We in Europe need to save ourselves.

[Gandalv @Microinteracti1]

🚨🇩🇪 Germany’s Friedrich Merz urges Europe to drop “nostalgia” for the US

Speaking in Frankfurt at an event hosted by Deutsche Börse, Merz argued that Europe can no longer afford sentimentality about the transatlantic relationship. He said the old assumptions about the United States as Europe’s reliable backstop no longer hold, and that “nostalgia and memories of better times” will not help Europe navigate what comes next.

Merz’s message was practical: Europe should become more sovereign and less dependent, especially in technology. In parallel remarks in late January, he also pushed for strengthening Europe’s role inside NATO and framed a more self confident Europe as essential to defending a rules based order.

[Latest in Cosmos @latestincosmos]

🚨 Astronaut’s Wake-Up Call from Space

After spending 178 days aboard the International Space Station, astronaut Ron Garan returned to Earth with a realization that shook him — we’re living a lie.

From orbit, he saw our planet as one glowing blue sphere — no borders, no nations, no divisions — just a single, fragile home floating in the vast darkness. Yet down here, we live as if we’re separate, fighting over lines that don’t even exist from space.

He watched lightning storms flicker like heartbeat pulses, auroras dance across the poles, and a thin blue atmosphere shielding all life — a reminder of how delicate our world truly is.

Garan says humanity’s priorities are upside down: we’ve put the economy first, when it should be Planet → Society → Economy. Because without a thriving planet, nothing else survives.

His message is clear and urgent — 🌎 Earth is our shared spaceship. We are not passengers… we are crew.
And it’s time we start acting like it.

[Reza Pahlavi @PahlaviReza]

پیام به جامعه پزشکان و پرستاران و کادر درمان

تعداد زیادی از هم‌میهنان ما در راه آزادی میهن به دست رژیم اسلامی زخمی شده‌اند. گزارش‌های متعدد نشان می‌دهد که ماموران و مزدوران حکومتی مستقر در بیمارستان‌ها و درمانگاه‌ها، مجروحان را شناسایی می‌کنند و به دستگاه سرکوب تحویل می‌دهند.

کادر درمان، و مراکز درمانی و بیمارستانی، با وجود خطرها، تهدیدها و فشارهای بی‌سابقه، در این روزها نقشی مهم در مداوای مجروحان انقلاب شیروخورشید، دور از چشم و دست ناپاک مزدوران رژیم ایفا کرده‌اند. از همه شما بابت پایبندی به سوگند حرفه‌ای، وجدان انسانی و انجام وظیفه‌ی ملی‌تان صمیمانه سپاسگزارم و از شما می‌خواهم این تلاش ارزشمند را با اراده‌ای دوچندان ادامه دهید.

نام کسانی را که در مسیر درمان مجروحان انقلاب ملی مانع ایجاد می‌کنند و با دستگاه سرکوب همکاری دارند، گردآوری کنید تا در زمان مقتضی به جنایت و خیانت‌شان رسیدگی شود.

رژیم اشغالگر ایران، جنگی نابرابر را بر ملت ما تحمیل کرده و با خشونتی عریان و وحشیانه، مرتکب جنایت علیه بشریت شده است. ما با هم و در کنار هم از این فاجعه بزرگ عبور خواهیم کرد و آینده‌ای آزاد، روشن و امن را برای میهن و ملت‌مان رقم خواهیم زد.

پاینده ایران،
رضا پهلوی

[Hidde Bouwmeester @H_Bouwmeester]

Voor elk weldenkend mens zouden alle alarmbellen moeten gaan rinkelen.

In de VS is een maffiabaas aan de macht gekomen die letterlijk het facistische draaiboek hanteert. Wij Europeanen behandelen de VS nog als onze bondgenoot en willen de VS niet voor het hoofd stoten.

Wake up!

[Hugo ter Steege @HugoterSteege]

@Arden_2210 34

[Alexander Stubb @alexstubb]

Uudenvuodenpuheessani asetin tulevalle vuodelle kolme tavoitetta: rauhan, kasvun ja välittämisen.

Olemme pieni, pohjoinen ja sinnikäs kansakunta. Jalat on pidettävä maassa, mutta pää nostettava pystyyn, nähtävä kaunis sininen suomalainen taivas.

Onnellista ja merkityksellistä uutta vuotta 2026.

[Hugo ter Steege @HugoterSteege]

@elonmusknews30 hope

[Hugo ter Steege @HugoterSteege]

@theamelia__ hope