Dear Mark & Paige,
Well….where to start! I’ve been one of your early followers. In fairness while I may not always agree with what you say, I do respect the options you share. That said show #399 saw you stepping far outside what would be considered credible. It’s time that this behaviour was called out.
If you want true credibility & respect in countries where oil & gas is important (no somewhere like Hong Kong, really doesn’t count) then you need to be less of a fan boy for the current US administration. Please focus upon the oil & gas industry & take a balanced approach since some of the impressionable minds who listen to you may take away a flawed understanding.
I recognise your service (thank you for your service) but to go so far as to present the Trump administration as the following is misguided:-
Strategic - this is not a war since Congress has not approved of this military activity. What was stopping the President from seeking Congress approval - perhaps there are events domestically that he needs attention shifting from? This is nog strategic thinking.
Forward planning- Blind Freddie could have told you Iran would close the Straits of Hormuz. They have been preparing for this since 1979 & learned many lessons during the Iran-Iraq war. Where was the US strategic thinking here - did this leave the Pentagon with the experienced & knowledgeable senior staff that have been dismissed by this Administration? Where are the voices guiding the President or is it a case of too many “yes men” unable / unwilling to present counter perspectives?
Geniuses - to describe lifting sanctions on Iranian oil “just to help the world” in this manner is surely an over reach. This act is a reaction by a President that is remarkably bullish and yet still thin skinned when prices that his actions caused to rise unnecessarily begin to affect his popularity.
Militarily astute - frankly a frat boy approach from the Secretary of the ridiculously titled Department of War. “Negotiating with bombs” is juvenile at best and homicidal at worst. Is a former Fox presenter really qualified to lead this department even allowing for his previous limited military experience.
Acting in a measured & considered manner- to act unilaterally then to complain about lack of support while being unable to send his own navy into the Straits of Hormuz. To threaten to invade Greenland - part of a NATO nation & an ally that bled in the Middle East for US purposes. To plan to annex Canada which by the way is a sovereign nation, where King Charles III is STILL the head of state while still stating he considers His Highness a friend.
Disrespectful - US allies answered the call on Article 5 after 9/11 losing per capita more lives than even the US. These Allies were not consulted or advised on a conflict that is not even ratified by your own Congress.
To ridicule the support of US Allies in previous conflicts disrespects their lost warriors especially from a multiple draft dodger.
A President that spouts a profanity laden “Truth” (was this platform ever imaginatively titled!) threatening death & destruction, while professing to be Christian on the weekend when Jesus was to have risen is remarkable.
Your comment about allies speaking German is not only wrong but is disrespectful to the thousands of Allied AND US service personnel that laid down their lives for a better world. As a former Marine, come on Mark, you’re better than that.
Frankly all of the above embarrasses you - or should.
Military professionals whom I have spoken with from not only European nations but also the US have stated that not advising to NATO countries before taking military action is simply wrong and then being unwilling to police that same waterway with US resources is a novel approach. These former US & NATO military personnel confirm that NATO troops were far what Trump stated In Afghanistan … “They stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.” They consider this the ultimate insult.
So as a veteran of the oil & gas industry, I respectfully suggest you stay in your lane and comment on material relevant to the oil & gas industry and not on politics since you’re clearly misguided. Oil & gas will allow you to further your bromance with ExxonMobil which continues to amuse those of us that have worked internationally with both EM and other operators.
If you wish to discuss this further, I welcome a fact-based conversation rather than the opinion based & unsupported sound bites that you threw out on your podcast.
I look forward to you flaming me but as I said I enjoy your commentary but there is a line which you have crossed. To not speak up to correct this is morally wrong.
