Category: Uncategorized

Peter Ziehan on Russia’s Oil Dilemma

A must-read/see for anyone interested in petroleum-related energy specifics.

China, Oil and the Ukraine War

This idea that Russia can simply SWITCH GEARS and start sending to China petroleum products originally intended for Europe is EXTREMELY WIDE OF THE MARK.  In fact, as Ziehan points out, SUCH A PIVOT CAN’T HAPPEN.

And with the oil majors — who’ve heretofore assisted with engineering, management and logistics — now having pulled out, Russia could be, WITHOUT PADDLE, UP A CERTAIN NASTY CREEK.  And FOR YEARS.

Be sure to watch the 3 minute or so embedded video.  Or just watch THAT.  Ziehan speaks VOLUMES.

Sir John Sawers Talks Ukraine/Russia

If you’re looking for the Blair/Clinton/Bush/Obama view of UKRAINE/RUSSIA, here it is.  And who better to deliver its particulars than the former head of MI6 who now sits on BP’s board.

On whose behalf does Sir John speak here? 

THE ANGLOSPHERE, of course.  THEY WHO’VE RUN THE WORLD SINCE 1945, like them or not.  But hey, from a CITIZENSHIP AND LIFESTYLE VIEWPOINT, we’re ALL ON THAT TEAM, are we not?  Yes, we say it daily with our OUR ACTIONS.

Here’s the video.  Sawers, you’ll see, is quite clever.

Shellenberger Running for Governor of California

Formerly a Democrat and mainstream climate activist, Shellenberger has become in recent years an independent as well as more PRAGMATIC in his views on climate.   

He sees “compassionate liberalism” as having run amok; the WOKE as disingenuous; and a QUICK AND EASY bridge to some IDEAL GREEN ECONOMY as UTTER NONSENSE.

Plus, he’s had it with both London Breed and Gavin Newsome which the following two tweets make clear:

If I lived in California, I’d vote for Mike Shellenberger.

Food Woes Next

Don’t shoot the messenger, but DO TAKE NOTE.

And this:

And this:

And ALL OF IT — even as Russia’s Agriculture Ministry has drafted a resolution that would ban all wheat, rye, barley and corn exports between March 15th and June 30th.

BTW, do those dates suggest that Russia feels the war will be over by midyear and sanctions dispensed with?

Or would that be just too optimistic?

Doesn’t matter. They can ban whatever they want whenever they want. Assuming they have the STOMACH and don’t need the MONEY. And, yes, those are two massive IF’S.

Regardless . . . THERE ARE FOOD ISSUES LOOMING AHEAD.

NOT GOOD.

China Is Less Than Pleased

War in Ukraine doesn’t advance China’s Eurasian integration strategy.

By EurasiaNet.org via OilPrice.com

  • “China has taken a particularly tepid stance on Russia, with leaders in Beijing looking to hedge their bets.
  • “This war has been very bad for Beijing’s business, tossing a monkey wrench into Xi’s Belt and Road vision.
  • “Moscow’s Ukraine misadventure has forged the very geopolitical environment, namely Western strategic unity, that China desperately wanted to avoid.”

And this:

  • “Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China has said all the right things in support of Russia, its professed strategic partner.”

At the same time:

  • “Since the start of the war in Ukraine, however, China’s behavior toward Russia has been circumspect and restrained, its officials proclaiming solidarity with Russia without following up in substance.”
  • “Xi likely feels embarrassed and used by Putin, and Chinese officials similarly can’t help worrying that, given the West’s restored unity of purpose, China’s global economic interests and geopolitical aspirations stand to suffer.”

SO MUCH FOR VLAD THE UNBEATABLE STRATEGIST.

The piece in full:

Russia’s Ukraine Invasion Is Bad News for China’s Belt and Road Ambitions

Golden Eras, You Say?

From Eric Peters, CIO, One River Asset Management:

“Golden Eras: ‘The coronavirus pandemic will mark the dividing line between the deflationary forces of the last 30-40yrs and the resurgent inflation of the next two decades,’ said economist Charles Goodhart, author of The Great Demographic Reversal. He sees inflation in developed economies settling in at 3-4% by the end of 2022 and remaining elevated for years. The addition of hundreds of millions of inexpensive Chinese and Eastern European workers, together with Western baby boomers and women led to a doubling of the workforce supplying advanced economies from 1991-2018.

“Golden Eras II: The working-age population is shrinking across developed economies (in China by 100mm in the next 15yrs). Businesses will manufacture and invest more locally, re-designing supply chains. Global savings fall as older people consume more than they produce — spending particularly on healthcare. US manufacturing wages are less than 4x those in China (versus 26x when China joined the WTO in 2001). With global debt at record levels and asset prices elevated, Goodhart expects central bankers will struggle to tame inflation without causing a deep recession. ‘A golden era for central banking is ending, life will become a lot harder.’”

OR THERE WILL BE CHANGE NO ONE NOW FORESEES WHICH WILL RESULT IN THINGS BEING BETTER, WORSE OR JUST AS THEY ARE.