The maritime channel I follow on youtube laid out two major Chinese shipping routes through that area. The US East Coast-China route only loses a few days if China diverts shipping around South Africa. However, US ports can’t handle the largest Chinese cargo ships. Their main big ship route is to Europe for which a South Africa diversion is like a two week difference across very dangerous waters.
By the west’s strategic goal I’m referring to the explicit mission of the US Navy and justification for US power projection, protecting maritime shipping routes. But it’s only hurting western consumers and western-flagged shipping lines, making the former hostile to the US presence in the region and the latter more incentivised to register with a BRICS country. The most vulnerable ships to attack are ones shipping the natural gas Europe’s economy needs from the American refineries that have tried to absorb Russia’s supply deficit since that’s the main revenue source for Russia’s war that’s undermining NATO. The naval presence required to protect the more expensive logistics lines risks open regional ground war every time they intercept a missile within machine gun range of a ship, and that’s another war the US will lose while compounding all of the problems the Houthi attacks have highlighted. They have the narrow focus of reclaiming control of the shipping route in the same way that Ukraine had a strategic focus on controlling Avdiivka. The bigger picture makes that look like a psychotic devotion to dying on hamburger hill.
However, US ports can’t handle the largest Chinese cargo ships.
TIL. I would never have suspected.
The most vulnerable ships to attack are ones shipping the natural gas Europe’s economy needs from the American refineries
Okay, but surely they’re not passing through the Suez.
They have the narrow focus of reclaiming control of the shipping route in the same way that Ukraine had a strategic focus on controlling Avdiivka. The bigger picture makes that look like a psychotic devotion to dying on hamburger hill.
The ideology of the American Empire isn’t all that far off from the Israel state. Its the American version of the Dahiya doctrine. We have to crush the Houthis because they dared to strike at us. Just like we had to crush the Taliban and Saddam and Al-Assad and Qaddafi. Presumably, we’re going to try and wreck the shit out of Iran before too long, but only if we can decouple ourselves from all the other wars long enough to get around to it.
From what I’ve seen, like 20%~ of northbound Suez Canal LNG traffic and 50% of southbound is from the US. The US>Asia ones, which can’t use the Panama Canal since it’s running at 30% capacity with huge backups, are operating under carriers that cut all their traffic through the canal regardless of destination. All petroleum and fuel tankers are extra vulnerable so things like diesel and jet fuel are also being impacted.
The maritime channel I follow on youtube laid out two major Chinese shipping routes through that area. The US East Coast-China route only loses a few days if China diverts shipping around South Africa. However, US ports can’t handle the largest Chinese cargo ships. Their main big ship route is to Europe for which a South Africa diversion is like a two week difference across very dangerous waters.
By the west’s strategic goal I’m referring to the explicit mission of the US Navy and justification for US power projection, protecting maritime shipping routes. But it’s only hurting western consumers and western-flagged shipping lines, making the former hostile to the US presence in the region and the latter more incentivised to register with a BRICS country. The most vulnerable ships to attack are ones shipping the natural gas Europe’s economy needs from the American refineries that have tried to absorb Russia’s supply deficit since that’s the main revenue source for Russia’s war that’s undermining NATO. The naval presence required to protect the more expensive logistics lines risks open regional ground war every time they intercept a missile within machine gun range of a ship, and that’s another war the US will lose while compounding all of the problems the Houthi attacks have highlighted. They have the narrow focus of reclaiming control of the shipping route in the same way that Ukraine had a strategic focus on controlling Avdiivka. The bigger picture makes that look like a psychotic devotion to dying on hamburger hill.
TIL. I would never have suspected.
Okay, but surely they’re not passing through the Suez.
The ideology of the American Empire isn’t all that far off from the Israel state. Its the American version of the Dahiya doctrine. We have to crush the Houthis because they dared to strike at us. Just like we had to crush the Taliban and Saddam and Al-Assad and Qaddafi. Presumably, we’re going to try and wreck the shit out of Iran before too long, but only if we can decouple ourselves from all the other wars long enough to get around to it.
From what I’ve seen, like 20%~ of northbound Suez Canal LNG traffic and 50% of southbound is from the US. The US>Asia ones, which can’t use the Panama Canal since it’s running at 30% capacity with huge backups, are operating under carriers that cut all their traffic through the canal regardless of destination. All petroleum and fuel tankers are extra vulnerable so things like diesel and jet fuel are also being impacted.
Jesus fuck. What a cluster.