Hmmm. I knew it was going to get to this.
When this conflict started, I was explaining the strategic weight of the Strait of Hormuz to a man who insisted Iran was ABSOLUTELY powerless. He didn't understand that you don't need a massive Navy to win a modern war, you just need to turn off the world's oxygen supply.
The Strait of Hormuz is the most important 21 miles of water on the planet. About 20% of the world's total oil passes through that tiny gap. Iran is not just laying mines in the water, it is putting a noose around the neck of the global economy.
The intelligence of this move is terrifying. You don't have to sink a thousand ships. You just have to make the risk assessment for a single oil tanker so high that insurance companies refuse to cover the voyage. The moment the ships stop moving, the global supply chain collapses.
Westerners often look at these conflicts as distant wars, but the Strait of Hormuz is the umbilical cord of the global energy market. If that cord is cut, you will feel it at a gas station in Texas or a supermarket in Toronto within 48 hours.
Iran knows it can't win a direct conventional war against the West, so they are playing asymmetric chess. They are using cheap, 19th-century technology sea mines to checkmate 21st-century superpowers. This isn't just a military move. It is a calculated economic heart attack.
We can only hope this comes to an end as soon as possible.
INALEGWU.
Some key facts left out:
- Jemimah Rodriques is one of the most talented, exciting young talents India has produced in years.
- Jemimah anchored a world record-breaking chase against Australia in the World Cup semi final against all odds. Wouldnโt have won the trophy if not for her knock. The entire nation, irrespective of ideology, applauded her feat.
- Jemimah is extremely charming, funny, and a natural before the camera. Sheโs excellent with creating engaging video content on her social media - without any of that taking away from her commitment to the sport and the country she represents.
- The very premise that Smriti Mandhana has a โpleasantโ face and Jemimahโs isnโt (in your myopic opinion) shows that you arenโt just a casual bigot - but also a raging sexist - not shy of objectifying women, irrespective of caste, creed and religion.
Finallyโฆ Jemimah is an Indian sportsperson, and every Indian sportsperson - man or woman, irrespective of their chosen sport - dons a jersey that makes them a representative of the nation and eliminates any cultural, religious, or class-based identity. Each such individual demands nothing but respect - and your singling out one of them for their religious background is an affront to all sportspersons across the country.
Wish people on Twitter/X flagged such hate content instantly.
Only an absolute moron thinks the country is not polarized. Literally everything has been done TO polarize. Food, areas, language, festivals, law, culture, clothes, every thing. Itโs a concerted, systemic effort. Vidya is no moron, and says it like it is.