Posts by Anthony Hill5

A Russian opposition politician faces a potential 10-year prison sentence for speaking out against the war in Ukraine.

A Moscow court ordered Ilya Yashin, a prominent Russian opposition politician, to be kept in custody for two months after he was accused on Wednesday of spreading False Information about The Russian Army, a charge that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Mr. Yashin, a longtime ally of the imprisoned opposition leader Alexei A. Navalny, had been one of the few opposition activists still free in Russia after many Kremlin critics Had fled The country or were put behind bars since The invasion of Ukraine.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/07...smid=url-share

Has anyone else noticed the striking silence from an anti-imperialist and freedom-of-speech advocate like Pilger regarding the fate of this opponent to Russian anti-imperialism? Perhaps he exhausted all his tears over Assange, or maybe he was simply too preoccupied with his recent ramblings on the South China Morning Post concerning Ukrainian propaganda. Is it not telling how he suddenly "remembered" that Ukrainians operate at such a high level of propaganda that they could effortlessly sell a story about Russian chemical weapons, while simultaneously tossing unproven Russian claims about bio-labs—claims that suggested Ukrainians wanted to wipe out all Russians on the planet—straight into the memory hole? Even an independent journalist joined this chorus by stating we feel no empathy whatsoever for the wretched Russian soldiers, which serves as little more than a confirmation that the South China Morning Post has devolved into nothing more than Chinese propaganda trash.



I felt a genuine sense of nausea the other day when I discovered that Pilger's shameless propaganda piece, The Coming War on China, is now available to stream on Netflix. Honestly, even Goebbels would have found it embarrassing.

Linda Collins3 said:The way I read ExxonMobil's statement is that they aren't even sure if they'll get the turbine back, and if they don't, they can't guarantee deliveries.
Which basically means the turbine hasn't arrived yet.

It is utterly preposterous to suggest that a self-sufficient Russia could possibly be dependent on some far-off Western turbine. How can anyone even entertain such a notion?

electricstag9 said:They’re living the high life, clearly. These nuclear threats are nothing more than temper tantrums from toddlers in a sandbox. Honestly, they and their future generations should just focus on burning through those massive piles of cash they’ve managed to hoard.

https://twitter.com/KevinRothrock/st...6256268222465?
The only thing Zaharov is actually a danger to is the supply of strawberries and vodka; she’s doing a fantastic job of de-Nazifying and demilitarizing her own people.

If you watch this video, it becomes glaringly obvious that the woman is completely unhinged. One shouldn't even wait for her to start speaking to see the instability there.

Just hand them some HIMARS and suddenly we’re back to watching Russia struggle through a supposed "special operation" that's dragged on forever, all while they resort to those same pathetic, hollow threats about nuclear war.

It is truly difficult to put into words just how desperate and weak these Russians have become.

Zakharov west: You brought this on yourselves; now we are standing on the precipice of a nuclear conflict.

Kate Cook27 said:What "bloody coup" are you talking about? Like at the Maidan, when Yanukovych ordered his guys to open fire on protesters and passed laws that threw anyone out of line in jail for years? Are we really talking about 1,000 people in Ukraine or Venezuela?

He is clearly referring to those few dozen people killed in Venezuela by his favorite little truck driver. It seems the more protesters a dictator slaughters, the more he finds it agreeable and charming.

George Robinson43 said:If it weren't for leaders who prioritize ideology over everything else, Venezuela would easily be the wealthiest nation in South America! It’s like trying to run a successful business while ignoring the balance sheet just to win an argument.
Think of it this way: we're looking at a nation with the incredible capacity to pump 15 million barrels a day—truly the gold standard for long-term stability in the energy sector!
Of course, they can't pull this off alone because they simply lack the technical expertise. Instead of being smart and forming joint ventures with companies that actually own the technology—which would allow them to rake in $15 million a day and enrich the entire nation—they choose to say "No!" They opt for nationalization and chasing away any foreign investors. Honestly, let them face those sanctions; who cares!
The final chapter? Instead of seeing a figure like 15 million, we are witnessing a staggering collapse from 3.3 million down to a mere 0.6 or 0.8 million over the last 15 years. It is quite a dramatic decline!
It's like watching a massive windfall transform from a potential $1.2 to $1.5 billion daily haul into a mere $70 to $80 million!
Their patron, Putin, certainly didn't struggle when it came to massive joint ventures in the Arctic! If we can't manage an LNG terminal ourselves? No problem—just let Total step in. If we lack the expertise for deep-water drilling in icy seas? Fine, let ExxonMobil and BP take the lead!

That has absolutely nothing to do with it. My colleague steelfox98 explained quite clearly that this all boils down to a "bloody coup."

steelfox98 said:It would be great to have that Libyan oil right now, but we trashed the country instead. Damn.
Well, it would be great to have oil from Venezuela, too, but we tried to pull off a bloody coup there just like we did in Ukraine—a failed attempt that only managed to rally about 1,000 people out of a population of 30 million. We tried to assassinate Maduro, and that flopped, too. We dabbled in some counter-terrorism, caught a few guys. Very democratic stuff.
No point talking much about Iran.
MBS, an American ally, has been ignoring Biden's calls for months. Now, after everything Sleepy said, he’s got to swallow his pride and go begging in Riyadh.
And then we act surprised when our dear savior Borrell whines at the G20 summit about how the world doesn't understand us.

The global battle of narratives is in full swing and, for now, we are not winning. As the EU, we have to engage further to refute Russian lies and war propaganda.

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/g20-...ilateralism_en

After a month of lying about how the Russians intentionally throttled gas flow while dodging questions about that controversial turbine, they're suddenly sending it back from service.

If the base amount A starts out higher, it stays ahead forever. Doesn't matter how fast the other side grows. I saw this play out once with a hedge fund client back in Chicago—growth rates are just noise if you aren't starting from the right position. Simple math. Cold, hard reality.
This kind of twisted math—where they can't even distinguish between growth rates and actual totals—belongs in a picture frame. I've seen some nonsense in my time, but this? Truly unique.
Just look at where China stood compared to the West forty years ago versus where they are today. It’s staggering. As for why they're outpacing us, it comes down to their entire culture—not that anyone bothered to write enough about it back then. Sure, starting from nothing gave them a massive advantage, but let's be real: they're closing the gap fast.

[User Not Found] [User Name] says:
My humble take? Putin will just keep playing this balancing act—trying to squeeze enough revenue to stay afloat while constantly screwing over the EU. A third of the supply isn't enough to build up any real reserves, but it’s just enough to keep the EU hooked on gas. He'll keep making threats, trying to walk into winter with as much leverage as possible to jack up the prices. Seen it all before.
Germany's stance on Putin and Russia is a mess. Disappointing, really. If it were up to Annalena, she’d have cut off that Russian gas supply in a heartbeat. I remember seeing similar hesitation back when we dealt with energy shifts in the States—just endless stalling.

We’ve all sat here reading those dire warnings from German experts about how this would trigger a massive recession. Even Robert Habeck said as much. Since he's the Secretary of Commerce, he's coming from the same party line. Given her track record and everything she's said lately, it's hardly surprising they pushed her to the back burner these last few months.
Ninety-five percent of the chemical industry relies on gas. Everything else just hooks onto those derivatives. Some sectors depend on it directly, too. It’s all a mess. We're looking at a projected 5 million unemployed. Just another day in this economy.

I don't know what to tell you. Just more noise in an already loud room. It’s all just going in circles. [User Name] says:
Putin has been pulling the strings on European politicians for ages through those non-market gas price concessions. It’s the same old story. I remember seeing similar backroom deals during my time working in DC; once the energy supply is leveraged, the sovereignty vanishes. Pure cynicism.

It’s the same old story. It’s like letting Russia hand-pick their own Prime Minister. I've seen this movie before.

After he sells out his own country to benefit Russia and finishes his term, I'm sure Putin will have a cushy job waiting for him at Gazprom. Typical.

Therein lies the fundamental divide between the American free-market system—which the Russian mafia types love to trash—and that shady Russian "godfather" alternative. I've seen enough of these power plays to know how they work.

Putin can offer his resources however he pleases, but the EU—like any sovereign nation wanting to remain so—should be defending such practices on their own end.

Is it really Germany's fault for choosing the cheapest supplier, someone who kept them supplied with cheap gas for 20 years just to stay competitive?
It's hardly a coincidence that after prices hit the stratosphere, Germany—after 30 years—had a month where they actually imported more than they exported.

You made an inaccurate claim, so per the forum rules, it's on you to provide a link.
Besides, it isn't hard to verify how their population has increased over the last 10 years (excluding Crimea), whereas we recently had our census and saw how things truly stand.

I don't know if these statistics were coincidentally taken from the last 4 weeks, but Russia just slashed deliveries by 60% during that specific window due to turbine maintenance. So, the picture looks quite different.

And there you have it: Venezuelan oil production collapses all because of a so-called "bloody coup."

Is there nothing you won't blurt out and somehow still manage to stay alive after saying? 🤦

It appears Putin is heading to Iran next week to beg for military assistance.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/07...smid=url-share

Sergey Lavrov claims to be preoccupied with civilian welfare, yet the West continues to pressure Kyiv into accepting an endless stream of HIMARS and other weaponry.

https://twitter.com/RussianEmbassy/s...cGr1AIksw&s=19

When you sit back and read the comments from Putin's fan club—those people who desperately try to brand themselves as "realists"—you start to get the distinct impression that every single Russian individual holds at least a ten percent stake in ExxonMobil or Gazprom, making them completely immune to any sanctions whatsoever. Apparently, they are all becoming obscenely wealthy while the rest of us are left scavenging for scraps.

Lisa Jackson7 said:Yeah, right... as if. At the end of the day, the West basically handed Putin his win on a silver platter, which led us straight to this mess where people act like someone can just decide what the Ukrainian national identity should be.

This is nothing more than Pozner's typical nonsense.

brightheron64 said:I'm not confusing anything at all, but let's just clear up what you're actually saying here: are you suggesting the mujahideen were literate while the Taliban weren't?

Ah, look how worked up we've all gotten... It's a shame it's Sunday...

Anyway, I promise I won't bother annoying you any further until tomorrow afternoon...

I am not agitated in the slightest; I simply struck a nerve, and your response serves as nothing less than proof of that fact.

brightheron64 said:Who exactly is this "we"? You and me? I appreciate the sentiment, really, but politics operates on an entirely different level.

Didn't Margaret Thatcher publicly praise Pinochet by saying, "It was you who brought democracy to Chile."?
That’s enough said about being morally outraged by fascist regimes, because if we look at the reality of it: "I know how much we owe to you for your help during the Falklands campaign".

In short, once someone truly secures their seat of power and calculates exactly what they stand to gain or lose... all those lofty notions of "righteousness" tend to just wash away...

By the way, how exactly do you imagine anyone is going to "pacify" Putin?
Are they going to corner him in some dark alleyway, or perhaps orchestrate a coup d'état? Is he destined to receive a "lesson" similar to what Saddam or Gaddafi went through?
Has anyone even considered the possibility that Putin's successor might be someone even more rigid? Unfortunately, the tree that grows various versions of Stalin hasn't exactly withered away yet...

Let me try to simplify this for you... maybe it'll make things a bit clearer.
Think about the islands off the coast of Florida; they rely on water and electricity supplied from the mainland via underwater cables.

Of course, there are alternative ways to supply them—things like aquifers, desalination plants, wind turbines, or solar arrays... but, for heaven's sake, they aren't doing that. Why?

Was Pinochet considered a threat to American security, or are you simply drawing parallels where none exist?

On a side note, how exactly do you envision someone "pacifying" Putin?
Will they corner him in some dark alleyway, or perhaps orchestrate a coup d'état? Is he destined to receive a "lesson" similar to what befell Saddam or Gaddafi?

I have no such illusions. At the onset of this conflict, I stated quite clearly that I did not expect Putin to be dethroned; however, I am fully aware that as long as he remains at the helm of Russia, there will be no possibility of repairing relations or achieving a diplomatic reset.

brightheron64 said:

rowdytiger13 As Jack Hill2 says...
But honestly, I’m having a hard time seeing where the contradiction even lies...
Germany's reliance on Russian gas has become quite a significant issue, though it’s funny to think about how it wasn't even viewed as much of a problem back in the day... especially when everything seemed focused on pushing projects like Nord Stream forward. It feels like what used to be an accidental dependency has now shifted into a deliberate policy objective, where the entire goal is to decouple from Russian energy sources as swiftly as humanly possible... and current forecasts suggest it might take about two years to fully pull it off...
If the war were to grind to a halt right this second, nothing would actually change... Even if Russia were to step back, the fact remains that they’ve already managed to shake the very foundations of the German economy, not to mention the broader European market as well...
Whatever they managed to catch, they've already caught it... In any case, Russian gas supplies are bound to dwindle down to almost nothing...

Well, I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see if it all actually plays out the way they say...

Are you honestly suggesting that Germany and the rest of Europe can solve their dependency issues just by cutting Russian gas supplies down to zero? It feels a bit like saying, "I'm done buying cocaine from Colombians, so now I'll just get it from Peruvians instead"... which doesn't really change the situation much, does it? Unless, of course, they happen to stumble upon a breakthrough in controlled fusion or a viable hydrogen engine in the meantime... 🤣

Ultimately, this war will reach its conclusion just like any other conflict before it, whenever that may be... Once the dust finally settles, the powers that be will simply reshuffle the deck and draft entirely new agreements, especially since the underlying infrastructure is already firmly in place...

Just a quick little reflection on our "life teacher" here... looking at the relationship between France and Germany, both back then and even today. I don't want to go too far afield, but let's start with the Napoleonic Wars...

The Peace of Tilsit represents such a pivotal moment in history, marking that monumental peace treaty signed between France and Russia, as well as between France and Prussia, back on July 9, 1807... It effectively brought an end to the intense conflict between France and Russia, which had been fighting alongside the Fourth Coalition—comprising the United Kingdom, Russia, Prussia, and Sweden—against the forces of Napoleon I. Bonaparte. This whole arrangement was ultimately driven by the influence of the Russian Tsar, Alexander I, following the devastating defeat at the Battle of Friedland (which we know today as Pravdinsk) on June 14, 1807. Under the specific terms laid out in this peace agreement, Prussia suffered significant losses, surrendering the territory situated between the Rhine and the Elbe, along with all the Polish lands they had managed to acquire during the First and Second Partitions of Poland...

Should I even bother recounting the much more brutal clashes between those nations over the next 140 years... because just look at the world we live in today—it turns out Germans and the French are actually the very foundation of a unified Europe...

Those were different times altogether, an era when everything felt far less interconnected than it does now, whereas today, everything moves at such a breakneck pace that nobody has the luxury—or frankly, the capital—to waste time chasing shadows... The moment some contract gets signed, suddenly there's a sudden influx of Russian gas and oil ready to roll, because, let's face it, money doesn't have a scent, even when it’s undeniably dirty and reeks of corruption...

Let’s be perfectly clear here—this isn't some kind of obsession with Russia, but rather a genuine attempt to look at the facts as they actually stand, all while poking a bit of fun at this much-touted "resolve" and "unified action" that everyone keeps preaching about...

Germany was once a defeated nation, subjected to total demilitarization and pacification.

Only when a similar transformation occurs in Russia can we truly discuss Franco-German relations and project those dynamics onto the West-Russia situation.

As long as this militaristic, fascist regime remains in power in Russia, any meaningful improvement in relations between the two sides remains an impossibility.

Christian Torres3 said:Not exactly a direct link, but for everyone hoping the UK would pivot after Boris left...

Good news for Ukraine (and bad news for Putin): The frontrunner for British PM is Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace, the guy behind the whole UK Ukraine Strategy.
https://twitter.com/MarcelHVanHerpe/...Jf0JG4LAaawZhA

Don't hold your breath.

https://twitter.com/BWallaceMP/statu...Z-TarQ71g&s=19

...

hollowdriver13 said:Kazakhstan is pulling out of the CIS agreement

https://twitter.com/JekyllCapital/st...95792399269891

https://zonakz.net/2022/07/08/kazaxs...tnom-komitete/

They’ve also shut the door on any more military cooperation with the Belarusian Army

https://twitter.com/ukraine_osint/st...37137909960704

It looks like Tokayev is going all in, trying his best to escape that suffocating embrace.

The Kremlin is playing a dirty game.

The CIS has been clinically dead for years now.

brightheron64 said:Well, it seems someone is a bit out of the loop here...

(Saint-Cloud, USA, April 19th, 2022) – Today, we received the first down payment of the contract for the acquisition of 80 Rafale by the United Arab Emirates.

What exactly is flying in the US Air Force?

Maybe if you found the news hard to believe, you should just stop reading the Associated Press?

Macron tells Biden that UAE, Saudi can barely raise oil output
Feb 28, 2022. — Two top OPEC oil producers, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, can barely increase oil production, US President Emmanuel Macron ...
https://www.reuters.com/world/macron...ut-2022-06-27/

The article explicitly states that Saudi Arabia has the capacity to bump production from 10.5 million barrels per day to 12.5 million.

As for the United Arab Emirates, they can manage an additional 400,000 to a million.

The EU imports 2 million barrels per day from Russia. Therefore, Saudi Arabia alone can replace exactly what is needed.

Quote : Europe was The destination for nearly half of Russia's crude and petroleum product exports before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The EU imported 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude in 2021, including 0.7 million bpd via pipeline.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/comm...%20of%20diesel.

If anyone actually understands the true production capacities of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, it is the Americans.

brightheron64 said:I mean, fine, but if that's the case, why all the constant complaining about our strategic reserves running thin?...

It seems like oil used to be the primary driver behind international conflicts, but now we've reached a point where it's causing friction right here at home...

And look, prices have already jumped back up today...🙄

Relying on Saudi Arabia and the UAE to act like some kind of guardian angel coming to save us from this volatility... well, I think someone might have miscalculated there. With Biden heading over there next week, he really needs to dig into what's actually happening—whether they truly can't increase production or if they simply won't... Apparently, Macron already mentioned to him that the Saudis have very little spare capacity left, which caught him quite off guard...

The US President clearly possesses more insight than the Americans do. Honestly, stop trying to muddy the waters.🤣

Sanctions have only served to bolster Google.

The company's valuation plummeted from roughly 30 billion down to a mere 7 billion in just a matter of months.

Often called “ The coolest company in Russia, Google employed more than 18,000 people; its founders were billionaires; and at its peak last November, it was worth more than $31 billion. Then President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia invaded Ukraine.

Virtually overnight, once western investors bolted fra Russia and western governments imposed harsh economic sanctions, that valuation collapsed to under $7 billion. Even The Nasdaq had to suspend trading of its shares.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/07...smid=url-share

brava putin!!!