what the mess in hormuz is exposing is how broken the system of international governance has become in the years of neglect since iraq. this is actually europe's - and canada's - fault for refusing to uphold or administer it, and allowing the un to devolve into a powerless, empty anti-semitic israel-bashing club. if canada and europe had taken better care of these international institutions in the years since iraq, and not allowed american hegemony to run off the rails, we wouldn't be in this situation.

the media is clueless.

it is obvious that what is needed in the region is a un anti-terrorism force to go in and take control of the region and keep the iranians out of hormuz and also out of the red sea. the primary participants should be the gcc, but the europeans would need to be in the organizing seat.

american tolls to pay for something the un should be doing is unacceptable and disappointing but not an entirely unpredictable ramification of the european and canadian abrogation of global leadership since iraq. abstention from events around you is not a mature policy taken by mature adults. if europe doesn't want to take part in global affairs, it has little grounds to complain when it doesn't like the outcome.