World Politics

[blue_gold_84]

https://www.reuters.com/world/kremlin-says-russian-military-action-will-stop-moment-if-ukraine-meets-2022-03-07/

Quote

Russia has told Ukraine it is ready to halt military operations "in a moment" if Kyiv meets a list of conditions, the Kremlin spokesman said on Monday.

Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was demanding that Ukraine cease military action, change its constitution to enshrine neutrality, acknowledge Crimea as Russian territory, and recognize the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent states.

It was the most explicit Russian statement so far of the terms it wants to impose on Ukraine to halt what it calls its "special military operation", now in its 12th day.

Abuser tactics on full display.

[Tracker]

[17to85]

7 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Hmm that might make China irate.

[WildPath]

2 hours ago, 17to85 said:

Rule of acquisition  #34, war is good for business.

You gotta feel sorry for the Shell bigwigs at a time like this. They are kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. One the one hand, if they buy Russian oil they are supporting the Russian regimes and the war crimes that are happening right now. But on the other hand, I'm sure the energy crunch is affecting the price they pay on fuel for their private jets. Tough situation for the decision makers in the organization...

[bigg jay]

43 minutes ago, WildPath said:

You gotta feel sorry for the Shell bigwigs at a time like this. They are kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. One the one hand, if they buy Russian oil they are supporting the Russian regimes and the war crimes that are happening right now. But on the other hand, I'm sure the energy crunch is affecting the price they pay on fuel for their private jets. Tough situation for the decision makers in the organization...

Live look at the Shell execs as they agonize over this decision:

[Jpan85]

2 hours ago, 17to85 said:

Hmm that might make China irate.

List I can be proud to be on.

[do or die]

Looked at a lot of video, on the weekend.  At this point, the Russians seem to be just blasting away at random, with missiles and artillery (as I predicted) at civilians.    Their infantry is seemingly accomplishing nothing - not advancing, or at least clearing a path for their mechanized vehicle convoys.   Shortages of supplies and morale?  Also, the many images of destroyed Russian armour is one thing, but the number of vehicles, that have been simply abandoned is entirely another......either running out of fuel, or the occupants made a business decision to just bail...

 

 

[Jpan85]

3 minutes ago, do or die said:

Looked at a lot of video, on the weekend.  At this point, the Russians seem to be just blasting away at random, with missiles and artillery (as I predicted) at civilians.    Their infantry is seemingly accomplishing nothing - not advancing, or at least clearing a path for their mechanized vehicle convoys.   Shortages of supplies and morale?  Also, the many images of destroyed Russian armour is one thing, but the number of vehicles, that have been simply abandoned is entirely another......either running out of fuel, or the occupants made a business decision to just bail...

 

 

A lot of there machinery/vechicles has simply broken down due to them not doing routine maintenance before they were put into action.

[do or die]

1 minute ago, Jpan85 said:

A lot of there machinery/vechicles has simply broken down due to them not doing routine maintenance before they were put into action.

Too much of the funds stolen by Putin and the various layers of mobsters, perhaps....  

The fact that Russians still don't have control of the airspace, with their huge numerical advantage in aircraft - may tie in with what you are saying.....

[bustamente]

 

[bustamente]

1.5 million that have fled aren't going to find much if they come back, looks like the Russian default right now is destroy everything

[Tracker]

34 minutes ago, do or die said:

Looked at a lot of video, on the weekend.  At this point, the Russians seem to be just blasting away at random, with missiles and artillery (as I predicted) at civilians.    Their infantry is seemingly accomplishing nothing - not advancing, or at least clearing a path for their mechanized vehicle convoys.   Shortages of supplies and morale?  Also, the many images of destroyed Russian armour is one thing, but the number of vehicles, that have been simply abandoned is entirely another......either running out of fuel, or the occupants made a business decision to just bail...

 

 

One of the tactics of medieval sieges was to inflict as much damage on those inside the besieged areas so that they would surrender to avoid further carnage. It was crude but often effective. However, with the growing overt dissent with both the Russian armed forces and population, time is not on Putin's side.

[do or die]

9 minutes ago, Tracker said:

One of the tactics of medieval sieges was to inflict as much damage on those inside the besieged areas so that they would surrender to avoid further carnage. It was crude but often effective. However, with the growing overt dissent with both the Russian armed forces and population, time is not on Putin's side.

...also their economy imploding....

[blue_gold_84]

2 minutes ago, do or die said:

...also their economy imploding....

A nosedive into an inevitable and total collapse.

[Mark F]

3 hours ago, blue_gold_84 said:

A nosedive into an inevitable and total collapse.

 

but Putin  has Chinese dictatorship to rely on.  😂

The Chinese wouldnt take advantage of being the only customer for Russian oil would they?

Putin been on a major roll, getting Trump elected, owns the republican party, Almost got himself a dictator installed in the united states, brexit, took over syria,  best buddies  with saudi, no action on his corruption, 

should have got up from the table after those huge wins,

Sure looks like he blew it all.

Edited March 8, 2022 by Mark F

[GCn20]

On 2022-03-04 at 4:33 PM, Tracker said:

Why? So we can subsidize and ship a valuable non-renewable resource to the US

Yes, lets wait 15 years for electric vehicles and 60 dollar barrels of oil. smh

[bustamente]

Ukraine coverage has been kicked to the curb in favour of bitching about gas prices

[GCn20]

9 minutes ago, bustamente said:

Ukraine coverage has been kicked to the curb in favour of bitching about gas prices

If there ever was a time to ***** about gas prices and our national energy policy in general, it's now.

[blue_gold_84]

15 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

If there ever was a time to ***** about gas prices and our national energy policy in general, it's now.

A policy that's been neglected for decades by governments at multiple levels, exacerbated by climate changed and then in the last two years by a pandemic and now a needless conflict by a warmongering egomaniac that's shaken the world...? What will be accomplished by complaining?

This is the bed we've collectively made. The damage is done and now we're all being forced to sleep in it. Greed Avarice runs this clown world.

[blue_gold_84]

https://ua.interfax.com.ua/news/general/809287.html

Quote

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has again called on Russian President Vladimir Putin for a dialogue, stressing that Ukraine is ready to talk and seek compromises, but is not ready to capitulate.

"First of all, I'm ready for a dialogue, but we're not ready for surrender," Zelensky said in an interview with the American television channel ABC News, asked whether Ukraine is ready to comply with the demands of the Russian Federation for a ceasefire: to change the Constitution and refuse to join NATO, recognize Crimea as Russian, recognize the independence of the so-called LPR/DPR.

"Because it's not about me, it's about the people who elected me. Regarding NATO, I lost interest in this issue after we realized that NATO is not ready to accept Ukraine. The alliance is afraid of contradictory things and confrontation with the Russian Federation," he added.

He also noted that Ukraine does not want to be a country that "begs for something on its knees, and we are not going to be such a country, I do not want to be such a president."

"I'm talking about security guarantees. I think that we can discuss and find a compromise on the points about the temporarily occupied territories and unrecognized republics, which are not recognized by anyone except the Russian Federation," Zelensky said.

At the same time, he stressed that the key issue is how people in these territories will live, who want to be part of Ukraine.

 

[Mark F]

17 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

A policy that's been neglected for decades by governments at multiple levels, exacerbated by climate changed and then in the last two years by a pandemic and now a needless conflict by a warmongering egomaniac that's shaken the world...? What will be accomplished by complaining?

This is the bed we've collectively made. The damage is done and now we're all being forced to sleep in it. Greed Avarice runs this clown world.

A policy for the most part dictated by foreigners like the Koch brothers, who were huge investors in the tar sands.

If that's who you want setting policy.... cause they do..... dont know what to say, that's  polite.

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Mark F

[GCn20]

10 minutes ago, Mark F said:

A policy for the most dictated by foreigners like the Koch brothers, who were huge investors in the tar sands.

they have been and continue to be completely opposed to any public regulation of industry; good example of the result of this..... uncapped oil wells, that the public now must pay for the capping of.

Harper, Kenney..... both follow that line of "policy"

Idiotic.

 

Last time I checked neither Harper or Kenney were part of the federal government so save your red herring. The time is now for the Liberal party to take a reality check on our national energy policy, quit blaming the past, and doing something now and for the future. Failure to act now is a failure of government. They are the government, if their are areas of concern address them. 

25 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

A policy that's been neglected for decades by governments at multiple levels, exacerbated by climate changed and then in the last two years by a pandemic and now a needless conflict by a warmongering egomaniac that's shaken the world...? What will be accomplished by complaining?

This is the bed we've collectively made. The damage is done and now we're all being forced to sleep in it. Greed Avarice runs this clown world.

What will be accomplished by complaining? Maybe change. Last time I checked when enough of the voters complain loudly, the government usually moves these items up on their agenda. Or we can just sit back and take it in the ass like good obedient Canadians. The Liberals could start by giving some relief by delaying the implementation of the carbon tax scheduled for April...but it doesn't appear as though they care about the lower or middle class who quite frankly can't afford this tax right now.

Edited March 8, 2022 by GCn20

[Tracker]

US/NATO sanctions against Russia are succeeding beyond their ‘wildest hopes’: journalist
   
Some of the far-right pundits at Fox News and Fox Business have been claiming that the Biden Administration/NATO sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine aren’t working. But journalist Eric Levitz, in an article published by New York Magazine on March 7, lays out some of the ways in which the sanctions are working well — so well, according to Levitz, that they may also inflict some economic pain on Russia’s adversaries.

“In addition to sanctioning Russia’s oligarchs and seizing their western assets, the U.S. and EU have effectively evicted Russia’s entire banking system from the global financial order,” Levitz explains. “Russian banks can no longer use the international payments known as SWIFT to complete transactions, forcing the firms to conduct business at a snail’s pace, one telephone call at a time. Not that Russia’s banks have all that much business to conduct, given that engaging in virtually all forms of commerce with Russia will now expose foreign firms to secondary sanctions.”

Levitz continues, “Even more significant than these measures, however, was the freeze that central banks throughout the West put on Russia’s sovereign assets…. One of the worst consequences of sanctions for the penalized nation is that they debase its domestic currency: When most of the world is boycotting Russian exports, demand for rubles dries up. That increases the Kremlin’s borrowing costs and the prices that Russian consumers must pay for imported goods.”

Economically, the worst may be yet to come for Russia if the Biden/NATO sanctions are expanded to include Russian oil. Russia’s energy imports, Levitz notes, have been “exempted from” the sanctions so far.

“Never in modern history has an economy of Russia’s scale been subjected to such extraordinary ostracism,” Levitz stresses. “The ruble’s value swiftly plummeted. According to analysts at JPMorgan Chase, the Russian economy is now poised to shrink by 7% this year. Other forecasters paint an even darker picture, with the Institute of International Finance projecting a 15% contraction in Russia’s GDP.”

The journalist points out that if Russian oil suffers in a big way, other countries — including Russia’s adversaries—will feel the sting as well.

“Russia is struggling to find buyers for its top export, even as it offers the nation’s highest quality oil at a discount of $20 a barrel,” Levitz writes. “Should this de facto embargo continue, the implications will be devastating for Russia’s economy and burdensome for virtually everyone else’s…. In drafting its sanctions, the West set out to wreck the Russian economy. At the moment, it appears to be succeeding beyond its wildest hopes — and/or fears.”

 

[blue_gold_84]

8 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

Last time I checked neither Harper or Kenney were part of the federal government so save your red herring. The time is now for the Liberal party to take a reality check on our national energy policy, quit blaming the past, and doing something now and for the future. Failure to act now is a failure of government. They are the government, if their are areas of concern address them. 

What will be accomplished by complaining? Maybe change. Last time I checked when enough of the voters complain loudly, the government usually moves these items up on their agenda. Or we can just sit back and take it in the ass like good obedient Canadians.

That's not a red herring. And both certainly were part of the federal gov't - not even a decade ago. Kenney's barely relevant at that level in terms of energy policy; his present tenure as premier of Alberta is a different story. 

The decisions of previous governments, regardless of political stripe, have ramifications beyond the lifespan of a ruling party. (https://www.policynote.ca/energy-and-climate-in-the-harper-decade/) (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/16/canada-election-stephen-harper-fossil-fuel-backfires)

It's not "blaming the past" to take an objective look at history, recent or distant, to see how previous actions influence the current state of a nation. That doesn't excuse the current gov't by any means. More has to be done to tackle our nation's energy demands and nonsensical partisanship should have no place in things such as energy policy, IMO. Causality doesn't necessarily mean blaming anyone and ignoring history has a tendency to lead to mistakes of the past being repeated.

For the moment, though, how will complaining about rising fuel prices elicit change? And what agenda items need to be "moved up" in order to address the significant increase in energy prices presently hitting the wallets of consumers across the globe? It's a challenge for the entire world, not just Canada. Trying to frame it as purely a domestic issue makes about as much sense as the Justinflation narrative peddled by ignoramuses like Poilievre.

And making vulgar statements just makes you look irrational and childish. Be better.

[Wideleft]

1 hour ago, GCn20 said:

What will be accomplished by complaining? Maybe change. Last time I checked when enough of the voters complain loudly, the government usually moves these items up on their agenda. Or we can just sit back and take it in the ass like good obedient Canadians. The Liberals could start by giving some relief by delaying the implementation of the carbon tax scheduled for April...but it doesn't appear as though they care about the lower or middle class who quite frankly can't afford this tax right now.

Oil & Gas will use ANY excuse to gouge consumers, so don't fall for this.  You know how every year we pay more for gas because of refinery "turnarounds"?  The turnarounds are entirely predictable and regular and yet the companies don't build these costs into their cost of production and choose to pass it on to you and I.  

Meanwhile BP has reported their highest profits in 8 years.  https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/08/bp-earnings-q4-2021.html

Exxon earns 23 billion and immediately initiates a $10 billion share buyback.  https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exxonmobil-earns-23-billion-2021-123000970.html