I agree it is a mess no matter how you look at it.
President-Elect Trump Tears Into Biden For Making World 'Vastly Dangerous'; World War 3 Warning!
by Esoteric 39 Replies latest social current
-
-
Rivergang
“Parroting Russian propaganda”.
Never underestimate Russian propaganda, which they use as if it were another branch of their armed services. The former KGB used to allocate three quarters of its entire budget, not to espionage, but to propaganda. From the former Soviet Union, Russia has inherited a highly effective propaganda machine.
-
Anony Mous
@TonusOH: the Russia-Ukraine conflict is a bit longer than 3 years, about a year before the collapse of the Soviet Union, they already wanted to join NATO/EU.
After the collapse, they became mostly independent and annexed Crimea and the Donbas during the formation of what was going to be a much smaller Russia.
In 1994 the (at that point attempting to be independent) Republic of Crimea chose a pro-Russian president, Ukraine and Russia both pushes for Crimea to not be independent, hoping they will get the (now oil/gas rich) territory. Ukraine wins this three-way tug of war with pressure from the US, in return Clinton convinced them the US was going to guarantee their security if they dismantled their nuclear weapons. But the regions remained effectively independent, having their own military and government.
Things remain rocky but stable between the two during the Bush presidency until 2009, when Obama gives assurances to Medvedev of non-interference in return for cheap Russian oil and subsequently a corrupt pro-Russian president gets elected in Ukraine which many believe through CIA interference, this doesn’t last long as Ukrainians protest, the government collapses and both Donbas and Crimea sees the opportunity for an official referendum for independence, which Ukraine doesn’t like.
Obama refuses to support Crimean/Donbas independence, Ukrainian forces attempt to suppress the ‘rebellion’ and Russia steps in, thousands of Ukrainian forces are sent in and immediately they defect to the local government, most of the political leadership in the regions wants to become a Russian protectorate, they continue fighting for years though which eventually leads to the point that Russia gains enough of a foothold and pushes Ukraine completely out of the Donbas which was 3 years ago when they finally invaded Ukraine proper as they felt there would be no pushback from Biden to take a little more, and got all the way to Kyiv.
The lines of this conflict were drawn a long time ago, the current conflict has been ‘hot’ for a decade now, the only thing that changes is how much the US and Russia wants to push their puppets around. Clinton, Obama and Biden needed oil to fund their environmental policies of no-drilling and Russia is a giant gas station with a country attached to it.
That’s why this whole situation is so schizophrenic, the US and Europe if it doesn’t drill its own oil, needs to fund both sides which in return provides the riches to both sides to be more belligerent towards each other despite during all these conflicts, they have to rely on each other to deliver the product that provides each other’s war funding from the US/Europe.
-
Sea Breeze
Gee, your hair smellls terrific.
-
peacefulpete
Clinton, Obama and Biden needed oil to fund their environmental policies of no-drilling and Russia is a giant gas station with a country attached to it.
The US is the largest producer of oil in the world and has been energy independent for a number of years. The US produces about 50 times the oil the EU does. Oil corporations presently import and export oil as part of a larger matrix of market conditions and international relations, not because of necessity due to demand. Unless the US nationalizes the oil/gas industry that is not going to change. The market price for oil is globally set (with localized variables, shipping costs are a factor as well) and no one country's policy can alter it significantly. If the US decides to somehow coerce domestic oil companies to produce more oil and sell on global market they will need to be subsidized to make up for loss of profits in the short term. I say short term because, any drop in market prices will soon result in foreign oil producers lowering production so as to return the market price to a profitable one. Every market expert has said selling more permits on public land will not significantly or lastingly reduce prices for oil. It is a political catch phrase (drill drill drill) that Republicans have used effectively.
Interestingly, the Biden administration banned these oil brokers and corporations from importing oil and coal from Russia in 2022. Before that, the government did not prevent corporate choice to buy from Russia when it resulted in greater profits while simultaneously exporting domestically produced petroleum.
In short, the EU dependence on Russian gas/oil is a serious concern, hence efforts to efforts to find new suppliers and become energy independent through other technologies is vital to the region. There has been significant progress in that direction, but it takes time to eliminate completely. Presently about 1% of oil and 18% of EU gas demand is supplied by Russia. Presently about 20% of EU petroleum is imported from the US. The US does not need Russian oil or gas. Also interesting is the fact that EU brokers presently still purchase Russian oil for reexport to other global markets. So far, the EU has not followed the US in banning the practice.
-
Corney
This WW3 brainrot is becoming annoying
-
Anony Mous
@peacefulpete: the US WAS (relatively) independent on oil, Biden cancelled or did not renew thousands of permits for drilling, cancelled Keystone XL, cancelled Alaska permits that were already sold. You are right that we have the capacity and reserves for at least an estimated 300-600 years to be fully independent.
Under Obama, the US imported 47% of its needs, under Trump that dropped to 11% while we net exported (there are some oil products we don’t produce in the US anymore, so we do need to trade those) currently we are importing 53% despite depleting the strategic reserves. That is why gas prices more than doubled under Biden. And the oil we need from the Saudis is what Europe could have used to pressure Russia. Instead the Biden crime family is selling US strategic reserve oil through Hunter’s investment company to China.
-
SydBarrett
That is why gas prices more than doubled under Biden.
Double?
U.S. regular retail gasoline prices averaged $2.60 per gallon in 2019.
As of 2024, the average price of gas in the United States was $3.08 per gallon.
-
Anony Mous
@SydBarrett: you are comparing the highest number of Trump (after he lost the election and the market response to that event) with the lowest of Biden (after he lost the election and the market response to that event).
You may not recall that soon after Biden got into office, the average weekly retail gasoline price hit an all-time high of $5.07 per gallon. (Source), at the same time in his term Trump’s was at $2.47 and adjusted for inflation, across their terms averaged, Trump’s gas prices were the lowest in the last 20 years.
-
Rivergang
USD$3.08 per gallon?
If only our fuel prices were that low!
Presently, we are in the low-phase of the price cycle, with regular unleaded (91 octane) selling for AUD$1.75 per litre. At 3.78 litres to the US gallon, and an exchange rate of 1 AUD = 0.65 USD, this translates as USD$4.30 per gallon (and soon set to get much worse - just about as certain as the tide coming back in after it has gone out!).