We're frightened here

[Pototan]

For those who may not know, I'm retired in the Philippines and live here about 10 or 11 months a year. I'm 73 years old and my Filipina wife is 71.

The Philippines gets 98% of its fuel from the Middle East. Already the price of diesel (most passenger vehicles run on diesel) has skyrocketed. The price at the pump today in Iloilo Province was 98 Philippine Pesos (PHP) per liter. That translates to $6.28 a gallon. Before Trump's war, the price was about $3.50 a gallon. Gasoline, which is used mostly for motor bikes and three-wheel vehicles, is about $5.75 a gallon. Before the war, it was about $3.25 a gallon.

That's really not the worst part. This country only has a 50-day supply of reserve. If this war goes on for two more months, we're out of fuel.

This is an agricultural society, especially outside of Manila. Fertilizer will skyrocket. I live on a family farm that produces rice. We need diesel for our machinery during planting and harvesting. I'm not worried about me. I have the means, but these poor people will suffer immensely. And that suffering is through no fault of their own, or even their elected officials.

It's the fault of one man, Donald Trump.

I write this to inform you that as bad as Trump has made it for Americans, the Asian countries, especially the poorer ones, are far worse off.

They didn't choose this asshole, but they have to suffer the consequences none the less. And I know there are parts of the world suffering even more than here. The innocent people who are in harm's way, including the US military and Iranian civilians, as well as other people in the Middle East. None of this was necessary. None of it. There was a diplomatic solution. However, for Trump, that's not as much "fun" (re: Trump said he might bomb parts of Iran 'just for the fun of it')

[Easterncedar]

1. This is important. Thanks.

[duhneece]

2. You are appreciated!

Giving us on the ground news is especially important right now.
Thank you.

[llmart]

24. So true.

We can't believe anything out of this administration.

[democrank]

3. Trump's domino effect in real life

Thank you for this information, Pototan.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

4. He is a menace to the entire world.

He and the evil leader of Israel and the dictator of Russia
are the real axis of evil.

[cachukis]

5. Appreciate the update. Good to know on the ground.

[rubbersole]

6. Putin chose his puppet well.

Americans will be blamed and loathed for generations. And this nightmare isn't over. If the dollar collapses...the billionaires will have taken it all.

[OC375]

7. Hang in there!

I think Asia rejected Trump, and now it’s barely an afterthought in the wake.

[Old Crank]

8. A former AF boss of mine

has retired there also. Not sure exactly where but interior of a larger island.
He and his wife's family are likely to be okay. But the people they lease land for crops to might bet hurt bad.

Best wishes for you.

[Pototan]

9. I'm in the center of Philippines

on the Island of Panay. Iloilo City is the capital. I'm in a rural suburb called Pototan (hence my screen name).

[Old Crank]

10. He is on Luzon

East of DAgupon city.

[Pototan]

15. Ya, that's where Manila is

Luzon is the most populous island, and the most northern.

The three yellow stars on the Philippine flag stand for the Islands of Luzon, Panay and Mindanao.

[calimary]

25. Learn something new every day!

[Blue_Roses]

36. A little off subject here but

I just wanted to say my mother was a Army nurse during WWII and she was stationed in Manilla. She never talked much about it when I was growing up, but as she got older, she opened up more about it. It fascinates me because so much went on there that isn't talked about.

My mother was there for 2 years and I have the letters she wrote to my dad who was in Normandy ( have his letters too) .

I'm so glad my parents lived long enough that I could tell them how proud I am of them and thankful for their service and sacrifices.

They would be so heartbroken and furious at the things that are happening now.

[hay rick]

11. Thanks for sharing your story.

It's difficult for people (most Americans) who take more comfortable circumstances for granted to appreciate the scale and thoughtless cruelty of the collateral damage inflicted on so many others.

[angrychair]

12. We have family

That just came back from Vietnam visiting family and they are rationing out fuel there and the price is significantly higher than it has been.

Most Asian economies are going to be hit hard by this because they important significant resources through the ME, be it fuel or fertilizer or helium and xeon gas. I don't know what the answer is or how the hell we are going to get out of this but this is about as serious a crisis I've ever seen in the world in my lifetime.

[haele]

20. Fuel access is a big issue in Asia, not only the poorer countries

But overall. All of Asia, pretty much.

China has made a lot of progress with effective, cheap heavy battery/solar technology development, overtaking our Tech Bro engineering culture who are still spending most of their time being one dimensionally shallow and getting rich like they're living in an Ayn Rand novel.
But they aren't "there" yet.
Thanks to the 1880's based rich white Mediocre American Men culture that's been struggling to make itself a world-wide Plantation Economy.

I hate being in the position that I am so f'ing disgusted at the idiotic childish reactionary "diplomacy through swagger" short bus administration.

I don't want live in a zeitgeist where the World to be kicked around like a bouncing ball by a bunch privileged "adults" acting out like hyper, screen-addicted 5 year olds running around from one shiny to another shiny demanding that they be the leader and everything has to go their own way - oh, and they're pushing smaller kids around for ice cream truck money...

I don't want to feel shame for both my awful, childishly authoritarian leadership in thoughtlessly attacking other awful, childishly authoritarian administrations for no reason other than to kill them all and take their stuff, and their inability to recognize there's a very important greater world outside their desires that they, and us, rely on for all the "stuff" our civilization depends on that this threatens.
It's like trusting a psychotic 5 year old who's mad at Mommy and Daddy with a couple gallons of gasoline and lighters in the house.

[AllaN01Bear]

13. ding. this .

[Norbert]

14. Thanks for sharing.

Been hearing reports where the Pacific Rim is being hit by this.

[Ford_Prefect]

16. It was said elsewhere that the real intention behind the regime's excesses

Was to inflict as much pain as possible on the middle class, the working class, and the poor, while diverting attention from DJT and the rest of the Epstein class.
I'm not at all certain that they are as clever at this as they imagine they are. IMO we are seeing the outcomes of stupid powerful people making decisions in great ignorance because they have no clue how things work and the many operational side effects of such decisions.
I do believe they intend to damage our culture and our world. They are clearly succeeding at this.
I submit they are far too ignorant to grasp the degree of damage they actually do, however much they enjoy doing harm to people.

May they all hang from the tree of justice....and soon.

[Prairie_Seagull]

17. Observations of this nature from ex-pats, even those on vacation in a foreign

country is another mode of pressure on this administration.

IMO.

Well done Pototan.

[dalton99a]

18. Kick

[Mr.Bee]

19. Hmmm, Now Those Stupid People

That bought ELECTRIC CARS last year
don't look so stupid!

[MustLoveBeagles]

21. Thank you for letting us know

[BComplex]

22. I'm so sorry, Pototan. That's frightening! If only electric vehicles were everywhere

already, we could tell the oil companies to go pleasure themselves another way.

[OMGWTF]

27. If everyone would install solar panels to power their house and charge their electric car, problem solved.

I realize that won't work everywhere, but my friend who lives in Indian Wells, California does that. IIRC, all new homes in CA must have solar panels.

[wolfie001]

23. These white christo-fascist republiCON pigs get pleasure out of hurting people of color

It's been America's albatross for 250 years.

[OMGWTF]

26. Cuba has no power because of T💩p.

[LymphocyteLover]

28. Between cuts to USAID, the war and people not having fuel -- how many people will the orange demon kill?

[Ilikepurple]

29. Thank you for posting this.

Those of us that are relatively insulated from the policies of our government profit greatly from first-hand reports of their effects. Relying on the MSM to give us a full picture of policy decisions will leave most of us blind to its humanitarian impacts on the areas of the world that aren’t deemed newsworthy. It’s easier to direct our attention to the latest war machines, players, and tactics than to the suffering of the effected cultures of the world. Your post came as I was pondering the outsized coverage of TSA and air travel during not only the current DHS funding impasse, but federal government shutdowns in general. Of course right now it has the added benefit of displacing considerations about ICE reform in the news cycle.

[BigmanPigman]

30. Wow, I'm actually surprised to hear such a low price since

gas in Europe is always very high compared to the US. They are paying $10.00 a gallon in US dollars. In CA we are paying $6 a gallon. No one ever mentions these facts.

[Pototan]

31. That's because of high gas taxes

That's different than "supply and demand".

The Philippines has a very low gas tax, as do many states in the USA. In addition, the minimum wage here in the Philippines is equal to $1.20 an hour. Talk about affordability.

More than the price is the fear we may not have fuel at any price if the Strait remains closed. That would put us in the same place as Cuba is in right now.

[BigmanPigman]

33. Thanks for taking the time to explain it to me.

I appreciate it when people do that. A few minutes ago I saw a weather forecaster in San Francisco explain why the horrible heat wave is taking place and how 4' of rain in Hawaii has led to this for the whole west coast.

[Figarosmom]

32. This whole thing is so sad.

The whole administration is so incompetent and flippant. They just don't care. He even said high gas prices were a good thing ( for him and his buds).

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

34. thank you for the "outside" perspective

[thought crime]

35. Your post was very informative. Thank you!

I hope you give us updates as this continues.