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Keep Telling Yourselves He Never Said "Drink Bleach."
13 Mar 2026 8:29 am
Top Trump administration officials admitted to lawmakers during classified briefings that they had not planned for the possibility of Iran closing the passage. Multiple Democrats emerged from those meetings expressing shock and outrage at the lack of planning and justification for launching the war.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/leak-expo ... -scenario/
The Sound Dues (Øresundstolden) were a strategic toll levied by the Danish Crown on all foreign ships passing through the Øresund strait. Established in 1429 by King Eric of Pomerania to replace declining revenues from herring fisheries, they remained a cornerstone of Denmark's economy for over 400 years. [1, 2, 3]
How the System Worked
* Enforcement: Ships were required to anchor at Helsingør (Elsinore) to pay the toll. Refusal to stop was met with cannon fire from [Kronborg Castle](https://www.havneguide.dk/en/nordsjaell ... ound-tolls) on the Danish side and the Kärnan fortress in Helsingborg (then also part of Denmark).
* Tax Structure: Initially a flat fee per ship, the toll evolved into an ad valorem tax in 1567, charged as a percentage (typically 1–2%) of the cargo's value.
* The "Buying Rule": To prevent skippers from understating their cargo's value, the Danish Crown reserved the right to purchase the entire cargo at the price the captain declared. [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Economic and Political Impact
* Revenue: At their peak in the 16th and 17th centuries, the dues provided up to two-thirds of Denmark's total state income. This wealth allowed Danish kings to remain largely independent of the local aristocracy and fund a powerful navy.
* Conflict: The tolls were a major source of international friction and a primary cause of several wars, particularly with Sweden and the Netherlands. [1, 9, 10, 11]
Abolition
The dues were abolished on April 1, 1857, following the [Copenhagen Convention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Dues). Facing intense international pressure—notably from the United States and Great Britain—Denmark agreed to end the tolls in exchange for a one-time compensation of approximately 33.5 million rigsdaler paid by the world's major trading nations. [1, 12, 13, 14]
https://www.thedailybeast.com/leak-expo ... -scenario/
The Sound Dues (Øresundstolden) were a strategic toll levied by the Danish Crown on all foreign ships passing through the Øresund strait. Established in 1429 by King Eric of Pomerania to replace declining revenues from herring fisheries, they remained a cornerstone of Denmark's economy for over 400 years. [1, 2, 3]
How the System Worked
* Enforcement: Ships were required to anchor at Helsingør (Elsinore) to pay the toll. Refusal to stop was met with cannon fire from [Kronborg Castle](https://www.havneguide.dk/en/nordsjaell ... ound-tolls) on the Danish side and the Kärnan fortress in Helsingborg (then also part of Denmark).
* Tax Structure: Initially a flat fee per ship, the toll evolved into an ad valorem tax in 1567, charged as a percentage (typically 1–2%) of the cargo's value.
* The "Buying Rule": To prevent skippers from understating their cargo's value, the Danish Crown reserved the right to purchase the entire cargo at the price the captain declared. [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Economic and Political Impact
* Revenue: At their peak in the 16th and 17th centuries, the dues provided up to two-thirds of Denmark's total state income. This wealth allowed Danish kings to remain largely independent of the local aristocracy and fund a powerful navy.
* Conflict: The tolls were a major source of international friction and a primary cause of several wars, particularly with Sweden and the Netherlands. [1, 9, 10, 11]
Abolition
The dues were abolished on April 1, 1857, following the [Copenhagen Convention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_Dues). Facing intense international pressure—notably from the United States and Great Britain—Denmark agreed to end the tolls in exchange for a one-time compensation of approximately 33.5 million rigsdaler paid by the world's major trading nations. [1, 12, 13, 14]