Uh, uh, what would, um, undo your thesis of the Western hegemon breaking down? What, what, what would you have to see for you to rethink that?

[laughs] This is, this is nothing new under the sun, as Solomon said.

I mean, look at history.

You're living history.

Theater continues throughout human history because the same thing happened to all empires.

They basically go into decline because of military overreach and because of they spend too much money and go into debt.

I mean, there's secondary things involved, um, which we don't have time to get into, but that's the primary, uh, thing.

Do you see the US scaling down or just keeping at it and let whatever happens happen?"

So basically countries have been drawing down on their piggy banks of oil and that's what has allowed to make up for that, that loss.

Well, yeah, that's, you know, you've had coordinated withdrawals.

You had it's come out now.

I mean, this is pretty standard, acknowledgement that the Chinese restricted their imports significantly and were drawing down their stocks.

But again, this is all finite.

It cannot just go on forever.

This is why the Trump administration is desperate for a deal, obviously, three months out from a congressional election.

What would undo your thesis of the Western hegemon breaking down? What would you have to see for you to rethink that?

So what do you think, John?

I mean, I agree with what you're saying.

I think another thing to think about is, look at the Iranian leadership that's there now I mean this is the biggest own goal you know foreign policy probably since you know Vietnam debacle and things like that I think the country will survive it the Trump administration won't survive it but you know you have how historians will have to write you know how this happened we heard different things but You know, you had the right guy at the right time.

You had the perfect foil in Donald Trump with his ego and the donors and, you know, Big Dick Johnson swinging his big dick all the time.

I've seen this.

I was in the military.

I know how these generals and admirals do it.

So, um, yeah i don't know what do you think uh about fixing the system through the system john you think it's something that can be done or you think it's uh this is kind of the last shot at it otherwise we uh get something that's uh more historical as a potential solution