Energy Protests in Ireland
Posted originally on Apr 10, 2026 by Martin Armstrong |
Ireland is now confronting a full-scale energy protest movement that has gone far beyond symbolic demonstrations. What began as opposition to rising fuel costs has escalated into coordinated nationwide disruption, with farmers, haulers, and transport operators blocking major motorways, fuel depots, and even the country’s only oil refinery. The scale is unprecedented, with convoys and blockades reported in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, and beyond, effectively bringing parts of the country to a standstill.
The immediate driver is energy prices, which have surged sharply due to geopolitical tensions, particularly conflict in the Middle East. Diesel, petrol, and heating fuel costs have risen to levels that many small businesses and agricultural operators say are no longer sustainable. Protesters are demanding direct intervention, including fuel price caps, removal of carbon taxes, and emergency subsidies to offset rising costs.
What makes this situation critical is not just the protest itself, but how it is being carried out. Demonstrators have targeted the arteries of the energy system. Fuel depots in Galway and Limerick have been blocked, while the Whitegate refinery in Cork, which supplies a significant portion of Ireland’s fuel, has been shut down by protesters. As a result, up to half of the country’s fuel supply has been effectively immobilized, not because of global shortages, but because distribution has been cut off internally.
This has triggered immediate consequences. Panic buying has emerged across regions, with long queues forming at petrol stations and some locations running out of fuel entirely. Essential services, including emergency response units, public transportation, and hospital access, have been disrupted. The government has warned that supply chains for food, water, and basic goods are now at risk if the protests continue.
The response from the state has been to move into enforcement. Authorities have warned protesters to remove blockades or face legal consequences, while the Defense Forces have been deployed to help clear heavy vehicles from critical infrastructure. Officials have gone so far as to describe the protests as “national sabotage,” reflecting how seriously the government views the threat to the country’s functioning.
At the same time, the government has refused to negotiate directly with many of the protest groups, insisting it will only engage with officially recognized organizations. This has further inflamed tensions, as protesters argue that existing channels do not represent their interests and have failed to address the crisis.
Ireland’s energy strategy has left it heavily exposed to external shocks, relying on imported fuel while simultaneously pushing domestic climate policies that increase costs through taxation. When global energy prices rise, there is very little buffer. The burden is passed directly onto consumers and businesses, and that is now feeding back into the political system in the form of unrest.
There is also a deeper structural issue emerging. The protests are not confined to one sector. They involve agriculture, transport, and small business, all of which are highly sensitive to fuel costs. Once multiple sectors align in opposition, the movement gains momentum quickly because the economic impact becomes widespread rather than isolated.
When fuel distribution is blocked domestically, and the government is forced to deploy the military to restore order, it signals that the system is under real stress. The issue is no longer just energy prices.
Ireland is now a clear example of what happens when energy policy, geopolitical instability, and economic pressure collide. The protests may subside in the short term, but the underlying problem remains unresolved. As long as energy costs remain elevated and policy continues to rely on external supply without sufficient domestic resilience, the risk of renewed unrest will remain high.
Inflation Was Already Rising Before the War – Now the Real Surge Begins
Posted originally on Apr 10, 2026 by Martin Armstrong |
The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, the Personal Consumption Expenditures index, rose 0.4% in February alone and is now running at 2.8% annually, while core inflation, which strips out food and energy, is still sitting at 3.0%. That is not progress. That is stagnation well above the Fed’s 2% target, and it is taking place before the energy crisis fully feeds through the system.
The key point here is that inflation is no longer being driven by a single factor, it is embedded across multiple categories, and that is what makes it dangerous. When you break down where prices are rising, you begin to see the real story. Housing, which remains the largest component of inflation, is still increasing at roughly 3% annually, showing that rent and ownership costs are not coming down in any meaningful way. Medical care costs are up around 3.4%, indicating that healthcare costs continue to rise regardless of economic conditions. Household furnishings and operations are increasing by nearly 3.9%, reflecting ongoing cost pressures on goods tied to supply chains. Personal care is running even hotter at roughly 4.5%, which shows inflation is filtering into everyday essentials.
Even the so-called “cooling” areas are misleading. Recreation is still rising above 2%, and services inflation remains persistent because wages and labor costs have not declined. When you look at transportation, airline fares rose 1.4% in February alone, and that is before jet fuel prices fully reflect the disruption in the Middle East. Healthcare services increased 0.5% in a single month, and hotel prices jumped 1.1%, showing that service inflation is not easing in any meaningful way.
Food is another category where the public is feeling the pressure directly. Meat prices are up significantly, with beef and veal rising over 14% year-over-year, while fruits and vegetables are also climbing. Gasoline already rose 0.8% in February and has surged sharply since the war began, which means the next inflation print will look dramatically different. This is the key point that the mainstream refuses to address: the February data does not yet reflect the energy shock that is now unfolding.
Personal income actually declined by 0.1% in February, while spending increased by 0.5%, which means consumers are now relying on savings or debt to maintain their lifestyle. That is not sustainable. It is the classic late-stage cycle behavior where inflation erodes purchasing power while consumption is artificially maintained.
Energy sits at the base of the entire economy, and with the disruption in global oil flows, every category you are already seeing rise will be pushed higher. Transportation costs feed into food. Energy feeds into manufacturing. Shipping feeds into goods. Once energy rises, everything rises.
The Federal Reserve is trapped in this environment because inflation is not collapsing fast enough to justify rate cuts, yet the economy is showing signs of weakness. Growth has already been revised lower, and the economy is running on an increasingly fragile footing. This is the classic setup for stagflation, where inflation remains elevated while economic growth slows.
The real issue is that people are looking at the 3.0% core inflation number and assuming the situation is stabilizing, when in reality, that number is backward-looking. It reflects conditions before the geopolitical shock, before energy prices surged, and before supply chains were disrupted again. The next phase of inflation has already been set in motion, it just has not fully arrived in the data yet.
This is exactly how these cycles unfold. First, inflation appears to stabilize. Then a new external shock emerges, in this case energy. That shock feeds into the system with a lag. By the time it becomes visible in the data, it is already too late to respond effectively.
The bottom line is that inflation is not going away. It is shifting, spreading across categories, and preparing to accelerate again as energy flows through the system. The February report was not a sign of relief. It was the calm before the next wave.
Beware of Netanyahu
Posted originally on Apr 9, 2026 by Martin Armstrong |
COMMENT: Mr. Armstrong, when you were on Commodity Culture at the end of last year, you said you had a panic cycle in 2026 and that war was going to unfold. Then you said Netanyahu orchestrated this war long before anyone else. It has now come out that he gave a presentation on war, and Trump said, “Sounds good to me.” I don’t know how you do it, but you are the real deal.
Josh
REPLY: The computer has been amazing. It has taught me a lot. It also warns this is by no means over. Trump did not include Netanyahu in the negotiation. But with Netanyahu up for election again, this means if he loses, his life’s dream of destroying Iran is finished. He will do whatever he can to try to drag Trump into his war.
Susan Kokinda on Trump’s Gambit: Civilizational Expansion or Nihilistic Western Decline
Posted originally on CTH on April 9, 2026 | Sundance |
Susan Kokinda from Promethean Action gives her perspective on the negotiated ceasefire with Iran. Kokinda notes the key players were Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey (she missed China).
In a lesser reported part of the background, Chairman Xi Jinping summoned the Pakistani negotiators to Beijing prior to the terms of agreement with Trump. The summoning happened right after Trump said he was going to target the full force of the U.S. military against Iranian infrastructure.
Why does that matter to China? Belt and Road. Beijing has built a railway from China into Iran for the transport of goods and raw materials (including energy products) out of Iran (sanctions avoidance) in exchange for shipments of weapons. If President Trump targeted the railway infrastructure, in combination with the oil shipments being hampered, ¹China would be in a very bad place. Hence the summoning to get a ceasefire.
Focusing too narrowly on the British Empire as the source of all problems and you miss things. Mrs Kokinda missed this:
[SOURCE]
¹China in a bad place due to the middle east in crisis, means China becomes more dependent on Russia for oil, gas and ultimately fuel. Internally, Russia isn’t a big fan of their Chinese dependencies.
If FUBAR in Iran remained the statis, the two countries not in any crisis would be the USA and Russia, both with oil/gas and extra refining capacity. The countries/regions in biggest crisis would be China, Europe and Southeast Asia.
The U.S. and Russia less affected. China and the EU more affected. A significant geopolitical paradigm shift, all things considered…. and it appears that Beijing saw it coming.
President Trump Blasts the Grifters, Blackpillers and Anti-MAGA Podcasters
Posted originally on CTH on April 9, 2026 | Sundance |
I’m really glad to see this from President Trump, because it clears up the big question of whether he recognized what the blackpill/grifter crowd was doing to split the larger MAGA coalition. Turns out, yes—he definitely sees it.
Not only does he see it, but he takes the issue head-on. Very nice to see.
[Via Truth Social] – “I know why Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones have all been fighting me for years, especially by the fact that they think it is wonderful for Iran, the Number One State Sponsor of Terror, to have a Nuclear Weapon — Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs.
They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too! Look at their past, look at their record. They don’t have what it takes, and they never did! They’ve all been thrown off Television, lost their Shows, and aren’t even invited on TV because nobody cares about them, they’re NUT JOBS, TROUBLEMAKERS, and will say anything necessary for some “free” and cheap publicity.
Now they think they get some “clicks” because they have Third Rate Podcasts, but nobody’s talking about them, and their views are the opposite of MAGA — Or I wouldn’t have won the Presidential Election in a LANDSLIDE.
MAGA agrees with me, and just gave CNN a 100% Approval Rating of “TRUMP,” not Hand Flailing Fools like Tucker Carlson, who couldn’t even finish College, he was a broken man when he got fired from Fox, and he’s never been the same — Perhaps he should see a good psychiatrist! Or Megyn Kelly, who nastily asked me the now famous, “Only Rosie O’Donnell,” question, or “Crazy” Candace Owens, who accuses the Highly Respected First Lady of France of being a man, when she is not, and will hopefully win lots of money in the ongoing lawsuit.
Actually, to me, the First Lady of France is a far more beautiful woman than Candace, in fact, it’s not even close! Or Bankrupt Alex Jones, who says some of the dumbest things, and lost his entire fortune, as he should have, for his horrendous attack on the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, ridiculously claiming it was a hoax.
These so-called “pundits” are LOSERS, and they always will be! Now Fake News CNN, The Failing New York Times, and all of the other Radical Left “News” Organizations, are “hailing” them, and giving them “positive” press for the first time in their lives. They’re not “MAGA,” they’re losers, just trying to latch on to MAGA.
As President, I could get them on my side anytime I want to, but when they call, I don’t return their calls because I’m too busy on World and Country Affairs and, after a few times, they go “nasty,” just like Marjorie “Traitor” Brown, but I no longer care about that stuff, I only care about doing right for our Country.
MAGA is about WINNING and STRENGTH in not allowing Iran to have Nuclear Weapons. MAGA is about MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and these people have no idea how to do that, BUT I DO, because THE UNITED STATES IS NOW THE “HOTTEST” COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!”
First Lady Melania Trump Calls for Public Congressional Testimony from Epstein Victims
Posted originally on CTH on April 9, 2026 | Sundance
First Lady Melania Trump sets the record straight on false claims about her and her husband’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. WATCH:
[Transcript Statement] – “Good afternoon.
The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.
The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather, I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.
I have never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach.
To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, Maxwell. My email reply to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence. My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note.
I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband, by chance, at a New York City party in 1998. This initial encounter with my husband is documented in detail in my book, MELANIA.
The first time I crossed paths with Epstein was in the year 2000, at an event Donald and I attended together. At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings.
Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been circulating on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false.
I am not a witness or a named witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes. My name has never appeared in court documents, depositions, victim statements, or FBI interviews surrounding the Epstein matter.
I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity—I was not a participant, was never on Epstein’s plane, and never visited his private island.
I have never been legally accused or convicted of a crime in connection with Epstein’s sex trafficking, abuse of minors, and other repulsive behavior.
The false smears about me from mean-spirited and politically motivated individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name to gain financially and climb politically must stop.
My attorneys and I have fought these unfounded and baseless lies with success and will continue to maintain my sound reputation without hesitation. To date, several individuals and companies have been legally obligated to publicly apologize and retract their lies about me, such as The Daily Beast, James Carville, and Harper Collins UK.
Now is the time for Congress to act. Epstein was not alone. Several prominent male executives resigned from their powerful positions after this matter became widely politicized. Of course, this doesn’t amount to guilt, but we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth.
I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors. Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress, with the power of sworn testimony. Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public, if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into the Congressional Record.
Then, and only then, will we have the truth.”
Tucker Carlson Jumps the Shark – Attacks Rev. Franklin Graham and Samaritan’s Purse with Ridiculous Smears and Lies
Posted originally on CTH on April 9, 2026 | Sundance
Apparently, Tucker Carlson thought it would be a good idea to use his platform to attack Franklin Graham, Samaritan’s Purse and the faith-based community. Tucker Carlson made a big mistake.
There are situations that we sometimes have a great deal of familiarity with. The work of Samaritan’s Purse and Franklin Graham is one of those situations for me. Readers here will know of my time spent as a CERT volunteer during national disasters, most of which involve hurricane relief.
I have worked closely with Samaritan’s purse, spent time inside that organization and know the scale of assistance they provide. They are, quite simply, the single most effective emergency response mission in our nation.
On his podcast, Tucker Carlson and guest “Bro” Nathan Apffel spin a conspiracy tale that’s wildly out of touch with reality.
At the same time, they mock Christianity and Christian beliefs while taking aim at Franklin Graham, accusing him, among other things, of profiting from the Samaritan’s Purse mission.
You can watch Carlson and Apffel HERE. I’m not going to promote it, because it is sick, twisted, very dark and full of flat out lies.
Carlson even goes as far as to claim: Franklin Graham has a billionaire doomsday bunker in Alaska which he created from the donations to the organization, Samaritan’s purse has a $2.5 billion war chest and ownership of private airplanes worth $15o million which Graham and his leadership use for personal travel and self-enrichment.
Let me be very specific and very clear, every single thing they claim is false; demonstrably false and easily disproven for anyone who spent even five-minutes looking at the IRS filings of the organization [SEE HERE].
Why Tucker Carlson would choose to attack Franklin Graham and Samaritan’s Purse is a bewildering question. President Trump’s decision to ostracize Carlson from any contact with the White House completely makes sense now.
Listening to the dark voices and whispers on your shoulder, is dangerous. That internal gnawing inside the spirit of Carlson is NOT the voice of God.
♦ Starting with the conspiracy theory first, Carlson claims Franklin Graham holds a doomsday bunker in Alaska. This is False.
Franklin Graham hosts “Marriage Encounter” events in Alaska, near his own small property (less than a quarter acre). The events are for military husbands and wives who are in desperate need of marital support, before the marriage collapses.
Usually this is a husband and wife in crisis, often driven by the stress of military service, extended absences, financial pressures, pornography and/or serious disturbing events that have fractured the marriage.
Franklin Graham and his entire ministry believe that marriage is a sacrament, and every effort must be made between spouses to hold on to their relationship with God. The Marriage Encounter events are designed specifically to renew Christianity in the relationship and save the marriage.
The area in Alaska is not an “end times” bunker complex. It is a few buildings, cabins on a lake, in a very remote area where the military family marriage encounter workshops take place. There are no distractions, and the remote area is next to a small quarter acre plot where Franklin Graham has a home.
The entire area is very remote and does not have municipal electricity. They use generators for power. The 60,000 gal above ground diesel storage is brought in to power the generators that provide electricity to the venue. The remote area is only habitable for 3 months in the summer. It is part of the Samaritans Purse mission. The small native community around the area also benefits from the provision of electricity.
I am going to be quoting from the IRS 990 forms that are available HERE:
♦ Next, the issue of compensation. Franklin Graham received $466,000 in base compensation and $407,000 in other reportable IRS compensation.
What is “other compensation” as required to be reported by the IRS filing? Food, Lodging, Benefits, Air Travel, charter travel, security, logistics for Franklin Graham’s mission and much more. As outlined in the 990 form.
Read the highlighted passages.
[Expand image and read the details]
♦ Tucker Carlson claims that Samaritan’s Purse has $150 million in private aircraft. That is false!
The $150 million valuation is the total value of all equipment owned and operated by Samaritan’s Purse and includes: Hospital tents, field hospital equipment, semi-trucks, tools, chainsaws, ATVs, small and medium sized trucks, hammers, logistical supplies, food, fuel, front end loaders, backhoes, tractors, pile drivers, portable air conditioners, lumber, MRE’s, all the equipment – the works.
The “equipment” is all the stuff that is dispatched when Samaritans Purse goes on lifesaving emergency disaster operations, in the USA and abroad, with a Christian focus to the mission. They spent $348 million purchasing it, the equipment has depreciated $196 million, it is now worth an estimated $151.8 million. This stuff is not hard to find out.
♦ Tucker claims that Samaritan’s Purse has $2.4 billion in liquid assets. Again, false.
As the 990 shows, the $2.4 billion is the total of all Samaritan’s Purse assets. Land, Buildings, Equipment, accounts, tangible assets, property, leases, everything.
Samaritan’s Purse took in $1.83 billion with the vast majority of it coming from donors ($1.76 billion) all around the world, not just in the USA. They spent $1.1 billion on operational expenses, disaster relief and mission work, leaving them with $746 million residual which is added to the prior year net totaling $2.4 billion in all assets at the end of 2024.
The total assets of the organization including all tangible property, equipment and cash totals $2.4 billion.
Summary: There is no charity more vital, more successful, more faith based and functionally responsible for helping our nation in times of crisis than Samaritans Purse.
Importantly, everything they do is above board, easy to research, easy to inquire about and accessible to anyone who would have questions about any of it.
There is no conspiracy, no hidden agenda and no dark organizational intention other than to help people, spread the word and love of Jesus Christ and show up when people and communities are in crisis. That is what Samaritan’s Purse does, and they are exceptionally efficient doing it.
The organization is a stickler for detail and financial responsibility, and they are light-years more effective than FEMA.
I have no idea what Tucker Carlson hoped to achieve with his attack against Franklin Graham and the people at Samaritan’s Purse; however, one thing is certain – none of it came from a place of light or good. Tucker Carson is on a very dark trajectory, and I have dismissed several issues of his in the past thinking he was just making poor decisions.
This attack on Graham and Samaritan’s Purse, however, is not a poor decision. He is doing this with a willful attempt at deception bearing false witness, and it will not end well.
It is totally understandable why President Trump and the people around him have pushed a great distance from themselves and the dark imaginings of Tucker Carlson.
Without a fully repentant apology from Tucker Carlson toward Franklin Graham and the entire Samaritan’s Purse organization, I will never highlight anything from him again. This time he has just gone too far.
UPDATE: Exciting Release Likely Today
Posted originally on CTH on April 9, 2026 | Sundance
UPDATE: 5:44pm ET – Annoying. I’m annoyed and waiting along with all y’all. The declassification is done, but the “protocols,” (ie. the agreement to get things done – blah, blah, blah) required giving it back to HPSCI so they could have the political value of release – whatever 🙄! So, in essence we are waiting on territoriality and politics.
Be on the lookout for a certain transcript to be released ….
It should show up on the HPSCI WEBSITE HERE
But Also Keep an Eye on HPSCI X ACCOUNT and ODNI X ACCOUNT
Centinel2012 
