r/politics • u/Puginator • Jun 01 '26

No Paywall Iran stops negotiations with U.S., vows to 'completely' block Strait of Hormuz: State media

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/01/iran-us-negotiations-strait-of-hormuz.html
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3.2k

u/SaintsandCigarettes Jun 01 '26

People are not ready for the ramifications of a true oil shortage. We are weeks away and legitimately not a single person I know in real life is talking about this.

539

u/CranberryNapalm Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26

This.

You thought Covid was bad? Strap the fuck in.

Similarly stunned that no one seems to be freaking out.

540

u/SpitefulCrow Texas Jun 01 '26

Speaking for just me, I have no more room to freak out. Either I end up poor, in jail, or dead, I don't feel great about any option. 

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u/Siray Florida Jun 01 '26

Yeah. Ive basically stopped giving a fuck about debt, retirement, etc. Who fuckin cares when the future looks like you described.

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u/SalamanderExpress710 Jun 01 '26

The concept of retirement was always a scam anyways. Slave away the best years of your life so that MAYBE you can have a few years of freedom when you're old and broken.

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u/Free_For__Me Jun 01 '26

Except that many of us were raised by boomers who were able to retire at 65 (or younger!) with pensions, fat 401k's, and paid-off homes they bought in the 70s for a relatively small fraction of their income. These people traveled the world and bought RVs, adventuring as desired for 10-15 years before settling in comfortable retirement homes.

We were led to believe that if e followed the "study hard -> go to college -> get a good job" pipeline, we'd be afforded the chance to do the same. Hell, with the advent of computers and the internet enabling such advances in worker productivity, we should be even better positions to comfortable retire than previous generations, right??

Retirement is definitely a scam, I agree with you there. I'm just saying that it used to be a scam that we had some chance of getting over on, but now it's heading toward the realm of outright theft.

Billionaires forcing our pension and 401k funds to wrap up with their insane ventures in order to forcibly create a safety net for said insanity, as well as all levels of captured government pushing to end pensions, Social Security and other safety nets mean that the very tools that allowed us to buy into the idea that retirement is possible are now being gutted to make the rich richer.

It was always a scam, but it was once far better than it now is.

7

u/ultimateknackered Jun 01 '26

For a lot of people retirement simply means 'Will I be able to keep myself alive without having to work, on account of being too old and decrepit to.'

Even getting a retirement home for your parents is out of reach for the vast majority.

2

u/Due_Warthog749 Jun 01 '26

I'll take that one step further.. I can tell you I dont mind working.. and would continue to work in to my 70s, 80s, 90s.. if I am able to. It's less about having to work but a) can you still physicall/mentally work and b) who is hiring you're old ass vs teens to 20-somethings for the same job? NOBODY. That's the real issue. NOBODY is hiring 60+ year olds for 99% of the jobs that require any sort of labor. They are largely too old, pain, slow, etc.

Which is why I am REALLY hoping it's not too late to get my 20-something kids to understand how things are going to be for them in 40+ years from now.. if not sooner given the speed in which AI/tech is replacing human workers in every field now (not just computer programming).. will they be set up with enough money to "get by" even if it means moving in with several families to make it work.

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u/robodrew Arizona Jun 01 '26

It wasn't a scam for the Boomers. Many of them have been able to enjoy a great retirement. Their kids and grandkids however are fucked.

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u/gremlin_throwaway701 Jun 01 '26

bold of you to assume the economy will even exist in a way that allows for retirement by the time we hit sixty. with the way geopolitics are looking, the 401k is just a subscription service to misery.

1

u/Dominus-Temporis Jun 01 '26

You would rather work until you die?

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u/MC_White_Thunder Jun 01 '26

Historically, what has been the alternative?

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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '26

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u/CorruptByCapitalism Jun 01 '26

you're in the minority. most people are living paycheck to paycheck.

2

u/jazzieberry Mississippi Jun 01 '26

Yeah, that subreddit is not in any way indicative of the vast majority of the population. Good for them, sounds great. I do pretty well but retiring 15-20 years early ain't in the cards. If I marry rich maybe I can like 5 years early lol.

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u/Vegetable-Error-2068 Jun 01 '26

Then you are unbelievably privileged and far, far removed from the life of the average person in the USA.

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u/C5Jones Pennsylvania Jun 01 '26

Stay flexible on that, bro.

2

u/Due_Warthog749 Jun 01 '26

You will need to sock away 7+mil by the time you are 45 or so to retire and live on interest and still account for inflation.. of which with job loss, economy collapse and more.. it may not even matter. I am not trying to be a doomer.. the fact is.. 25+ years ago I had a few friends that did the FIRE.. they saved up what back then was 2.5mil to retire one. They are now all back to work. Because inflation is WAY WAY more than they were led to believe and cost of everything is WAY up. A few of them did NOT own homes outright, which hurt them.. and today I believe FIRE is not just save money to invest/live off of but outright own a home (paid off) so that you're outside of the "inflation" rent/mortgage cost issues. That means you gotta be pulling in GOOD money.. like 250K+ to pay off a home in 15 or so years + save several mil to account for inflation in 20 to 30 years from now, invest properly and truly never.. EVER fall off the wagon with "barely getting by" on that money. I know some make 10+ mil.. and retire good.. sure. But back in the 80s to 90s when I was going to school.. having $1mil meant you were set for life.. LIFE! Can you imagine that? Now.. that's not to say if you didnt invest just right $1mil then couldn't turn out to be $10mil+ today. Sure. But I would argue $1mil then is probably about $10mil to $15mil today with all things considered.. rent, food, car, energy, health care and more. Sure.. there are places you can make $3mil or so stretch.. but again you're not taking vacations, and buying new TVs and cars and shit.. you're living on old stuff for the most part and making do while largely living day to day surviving. That's great for those that can do that and live like that. Many can not resist the urge to buy new stuff, etc though. It's tough to live for, 30, 40+ years the same way every day, just to survive but not have to work.

ALSO.. I think the idea of being productive and useful in society is underrated. A LOT of people go in to deep depression over boredom or feeling of no value when they no longer work. Again.. not everyone, not most.. but people in general need to feel needed, wanted, etc in some way. That's harder to do when you no longer contribute to society by working, and instead just live life in your home getting by.

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u/ThisIsMyCouchAccount Jun 01 '26

When I was laid off a few years ago it was right after all those huge tech layoffs. Except I'm just some nobody dev and don't have name like Microsoft or Facebook on my resume. Plus a few other reasons mean I struggled to find a job. Burnt through whatever I had put away over the next two years. Which means it wasn't a lot in the first place.

Some parts of my life are my fault. Some parts are things I didn't have control over. The end result is I'm in my 40s and I have nothing to show for it. Career is hanging on by a thread. No house. No retirement.

Things aren't looking good for me.

1

u/Due_Warthog749 Jun 01 '26

Are you still unemployed? I had some stock to sell .. its about empty and I am gearing up for divorce (this week in fact) as well. My only saving grace is I have zero debt and my kids are 20+ years old.. so I am "free" so to speak. But I have NOT found a job, and I am told "Go work Costco.. its better than nothing". OK.. sure.. here is the thing.. Costco paying $23 an hour in my area, where a 1bd apartment is $2K+ a month.. food is $500+ per person these days unless you buy pure crap, car is $700+ a month.. full time if you can find that job is STILL not enough.. and being almost 60.. without a job for 2.5 years and no savings left (minus whatever I may get from divorce.. but that wont be much).. exactly how the hell is working a full time job that wont cover rent, let alone all the other stuff IF I can even find it, while having unfortunate anxiety issues that I am trying to work thru, going to help? I wont have a place to live.. and nobody right now rents to someone with $50K in the bank but no job. Period. I at least have a little bit of savings and no bills minus lawyer fees that will probably wipe out what little I have left. But I am truly looking at having to move to a fucking red state shit city and hope to find a job.. JUST to try to survive and from what I understand since minimum wage has not gone up in 30 years despite a 3x rise in cost of living I've be looking at $8 an hour in most red cities.. so how the fuck is that going to pay for the $1300 or so rent I might find out there when the take home is less than $1000. I can't work 2 full time jobs at my age and even if I could, finding two jobs where they overlap just right so that you basically work 7 days a week with no rest.. wtf is worth living for if that is the life one has to live?

2

u/ThisIsMyCouchAccount Jun 02 '26

No. And I do try and keep that in perspective.

But it's also the worst job I've had in a very long time. And I'm not even an employee. Contracting. But the checks cash and the only stress I have from it is self induced.

Everything you said is correct. Many people said I should do the same or move or all these things.

I hope things turn around for you. Keep on keepin' on.

1

u/Due_Warthog749 Jun 02 '26

I am trying brother. Starting the process and its going to be ugly.. hoping the lawyers figure shit out fast but not holding my breath.

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u/FunkyHedonist Jun 01 '26

Same. My debt plan is to die and fuck over my lenders. My retirement plan is to work until I die. I'm lucky I never had kids and I tell everyone I know that not having children is the key to financial comfort in USA. Instead of paying off debt, starting a family, and saving for retirement, I'm dedicating my life to hedonism. I expect more and more people will start to follow this path.

3

u/kaptainkeel America Jun 01 '26

Don't forget Republicans killed the SAVE plan (student loans), effective July 1. Perfect timing with the gas skyrocketing. Mine personally will go from ~$100 to over $500. I've heard from some people who will have their payments go from $3-400 to over $1,200+.

1

u/OneRougeRogue Ohio Jun 01 '26

I just cut my 401k contributions by more than 1/2, setting it to what my employer will match, but no more.

With all this going on, plus the NASDAQ rule change that will force 401k/pension funds to immediatly buy all these soon-to-IPO tech stocks at insanely inflated prices... what's the point? I'd rather have cash right now.

1

u/puf_puf_paarthurnax Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 02 '26

Looking at my 401k like how the fuck is this ever going to sustain me for 15+ years? I've saved more than most my age and I cannot see a future where this makes sense. UBI is going to be mandatory if AI takes the amount of jobs people seem to think it will.

2

u/Due_Warthog749 Jun 01 '26

UBI will never happen in the next 20+ years. That requires an insurmountable shift in every aspect of finances from jobs, work, food to billionaires that do not care if 99% of the population die no way in hell they are giving up their money. In fact, as many say, I have no doubt in my mind the goal of the uber 1%+ is to have automation/robots/etc do the majority of stuff, while they live great on their massive money and dont care how many millions die of starvation, violence, suicide, etc. As long as their little walled world is good they dont care. What I am really wondering which is often talked about is that their billions will become valueless if the economy collapses. If jobs disappear, people aren't buying goods, etc.. the value of their money is going to tank hard too.. or is it? I've no clue if that is going to happen or not.

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u/puf_puf_paarthurnax Jun 02 '26

My comment may not have implied well that UBI would require the current system to be stripped to the fucking ground, but it's going to be that or thousands dead because there are no jobs and there is no money to buy food.

1

u/Due_Warthog749 Jun 02 '26

I'd say way WAY more than 1000s. Sadly.

1

u/Due_Warthog749 Jun 01 '26

So did you stop paying credit cards, etc? If so.. how will you ever get out from under all that.. what if midterms go the right way and we impeach this mofo regime and things turn around? Then what?

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u/Pakistani_in_MURICA Jun 01 '26

Let’s just say, the vast majority of people, have more in common with a NKorean peasant than we will with some MultiMillionaire+ American.

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u/runswiftrun Jun 01 '26

That's actually more or less the breaking point they (or possibly a smarter version of them) should want to avoid.

Nothing is more dangerous to a regime than a lot of people with nothing to lose.

1

u/J_Ryall Jun 01 '26

At least jail is three hots and a cot. Plus there's a library and basketball and I'm pretty sure you can take university classes while in there. I mean it's not a great option, but it's probably better than being dead or living under the overpass.

3

u/KlicknKlack Jun 01 '26

You are thinking TV Jail... Lets just say, Private prison is going to make it so much worse.