Financial Times (April 9)
“Among the many consequences of the stand-off in the Strait of Hormuz, it seems that we may look back on this as the week in which one of America’s most powerful geopolitical tools was shown to be a weakened stick. Threatening to limit access to the global dollar system now seems less fearsome.” US Treasury sanctions cover the entire country of Iran. “But not only does this not appear to have prevented it from selling oil while at war with the US, it has not seemed to stop it from charging ransom fees to international shipping seeking to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Tags: Consequences, Fearsome, Geopolitical tools, Global dollar system, Iran, Oil, Ransom fees, Sanctions, Stand-off, Strait of Hormuz, Threatening, Treasury, U.S., Weakened
The Guardian (March 19)
“The US president wanted an easy win, but the conflict is spiralling following Israel’s attack on a gas field and Iranian retaliation across the region.” It is self evident “that the president was not paying heed when people described the likely consequences.” As “Trump breaks things,” the unknown is “who will pick up the pieces?”
Tags: Attack, Breaks, Conflict, Consequences, Easy win, Gas field, Iran, Israel, Pieces, President, Region, Retaliation, Spiralling, U.S.
Wall Street Journal (January 14)
“Trump wants to run the economy hot. There’s a good chance he’ll succeed,” but most presidents and Congresses avoid “juicing the economy” for good reason. The short-term results might be appealing, but “the long-term consequences” are real. “Ever-rising debt leaves future generations poorer and risks a debt crisis. Loosening credit and dialing back regulations, when valuations are already stretched, could end in market bust.”
Tags: Congresses, Consequences, Credit, Debt, Debt crisis, Economy, Future generations, Juicing, Presidents, Regulations, Risks, Trump, Valuations
The Guardian (November 19)
“The Home Office has announced another set of measures designed to signal ever more ferocious intent to control the nation’s borders.” This is a mistake, apparently to appease “the irate chorus that fulminates against perceived inundation by foreigners.” It overlooks the reality of declining migration and logical outcomes. “With migration patterns simply following the current [downward] trajectory,” undesirable consequences need to be addressed. Who will provide social care when the already “struggling sector” is facing “a mounting recruitment crisis”? Without students from overseas, “many universities… will be pushed over the brink.” On top of it all, the contracting ratio of working-age adults will make growth ”harder to achieve” and decrease “Treasury revenues… with painful fiscal consequences.”
Tags: Borders, Consequences, Control, Ferocious, Foreigners, Home Office, Migration, Overseas, Recruitment crisis, Revenues, Social care, Students, Treasury, Universities, Working-age
Washington Post (September 13)
The White House may not immediately “move to block Nippon Steel’s bid to acquire U.S. Steel amid mounting concerns over the political and economic consequences of nixing the deal.” In recent weeks, “investors, Pennsylvania Democrats and some members of the steelworkers’ union warned that the deal’s collapse could spark an economic calamity for Pennsylvania’s beleaguered steel belt.” Optimism again appears to be growing that the deal might go through with shares of U.S. Steel rising “by more than 12 percent over the past two days of trading.”
Tags: Block, Calamity, Concerns, Consequences, Economic, Investors, Nippon Steel, Nixing, Optimism, Pennsylvania, Political, Shares, Steelworkers’ union, U.S. Steel, White House
Washington Post (August 21)
“A looming rail work stoppage in Canada is worrying U.S. businesses and threatening deliveries of cars, timber, petroleum products, grains and other crucial supplies.” A strike would likely prevent “more than 2,500 railcars from crossing the border each day.” Estimates suggest one day of stoppage will “require three to five days for the railroads to recover” so the “consequences of a Canadian rail strike could be far-reaching.”
Tags: Businesses, Canada, Cars, Consequences, Deliveries, Grains, Looming, Petroleum, Railcars, Railroads, Recover, Strike, Timber, U.S., Work stoppage
The Guardian (August 13)
Ukraine’s attack on Russia has boosted momentum and may undercut “Putin’s strongman image,” possibly “prompting doubts among the elite” or “encouraging squabbling over who is to blame for this embarrassment.” Ultimately, however, “the final judgment on Kyiv’s bet” remains to be seen. “Taking the enemy by surprise is a short-term win. But the consequences of this bold gamble are still playing out.”
Tags: Attack, Blame, Consequences, Doubts, Embarrassment, Momentum, Putin, Russia, Short-term win, Strongman, Surprise, Ukraine, Undercut
Hartford Courant (August 12)
“Why aren’t we taking climate change more seriously” even though the consequences are all around. “The good folks living in the small town of Fairbourne, Wales have a problem. Those who want to sell their homes to buyers looking for 30-year mortgages can’t” because local banks “have determined that the town of Fairbourne will not exist in 30 years. It will be underwater.” Before it is too late, “we need to take climate change more seriously.”
Tags: 30-year mortgages, Banks, Buyers, Climate change, Consequences, Fairbourne, Homes, Sell, Underwater, Wales
CNN (August 3)
“A record-breaking heat wave unfolding at what should be the coldest time in Earth’s coldest place has scientists concerned about what it could mean for the future health of the Antarctic continent, and the consequences it could inflict for millions of people across the globe.” Since mid-July temperatures have been up to 50°Fahrenheit hotter than usual “over parts of Antarctica and unseasonable warmth could continue through the first half of August.”
Tags: Antarctica, Coldest, Consequences, Earth, Future, Heat wave, Inflict, July, Record breaking, Scientists, Temperatures, Unfolding, Unseasonable
The Guardian (June 24)
Emmanuel Macron “opted to call the French electorate’s bluff, calculating that the prospect of a radical-right prime minister in the Élysée would ‘clarify’ its thinking. A week away from the first round of a poll whose consequences will reverberate around Europe, this reckless gamble shows no sign at all of paying off.”
Tags: Consequences, Élysée, Europe, French electorate, Gamble, Macron, Poll, Prime minister, Radical right, Reckless, Reverberate
