Posts by Jason Roberts2

Sanctions are hitting us hard, and we're the ones footing the bill

Nancy Gomez26 said:If tracking submarines underwater were truly as effortless as people claim, I doubt they would even exist in the quantities and configurations we see today.

Look, us regular folks don't have a prayer, but the military-industrial complex has its own dedicated satellites and they basically see everything happening in real time.

Paul Anderson7 said:There’s really no point in arguing over who actually pulled off the sabotage, since we’re likely never going to get a straight answer anyway. It makes sense to consider if the USA coordinated this with Germany, though honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if Russia was behind it too. They seem to be in such a bizarre conflict with basic logic that it wouldn't even surprise me if they decided to drop a nuke on Moscow themselves just for the hell of it.

I’d still argue the point though, because technology has come such a long way lately that you can pinpoint exactly who was there and who carried out this "sabotage"—every single submarine is tracked constantly, so we know where they are and which direction they're heading.
Another thing is that, say, the Russians have the footage or some kind of proof, but Brussels has basically banned the EU from releasing it, so we're left in the dark; if it really was the Russians, they would have flashed that evidence in our faces by now.

God, I really hope this isn't just some calculated move by Putin.
Who even knows what kind of mess we're looking at next after all this

bluemason3 said:I don't think the current gas headed to China is coming from the same sources. Even if the Chinese suddenly wanted to buy all that US gas at the same price—which I highly doubt—they probably wouldn't have the capacity to handle it anyway.

Look, a lot of this stuff is being kept from the public, and here's a perfect example where it's laid out plain as day; check the link

hollowdriver13 said:I mean, how long does it actually take to get a pipeline like that built?

And what kind of tech are they planning to use? Who's actually running the show when it comes to the pumps, turbines, and compressors needed for this kind of heavy lifting? 🥳

The pipeline is already built—if it wasn't, they wouldn't be out here trying to sell it.

hollowdriver13 said:Every single week it’s the same guy, Jason Roberts2, dropping in with the exact same old stories... honestly, give me a break.

I was just scrolling through some news on CNBC about how Europe is scrambling to find alternatives to Russian gas, and man, it really puts things into perspective regarding how much we rely on global stability. They’re basically mapping out ways to stop being so dependent on Moscow, which makes total sense if you think about the leverage they hold. It’s wild to see how quickly the energy landscape is shifting right now. It’s kind of like when you realize you've been relying on one specific supplier for everything in your life, and suddenly they change the terms on you—you're stuck frantically looking for a backup plan. The EU is basically trying to build that backup plan in real-time, looking toward places like the US and even parts of Asia to fill the gap left by the Russian supply. Honestly, watching this play out feels like watching a high-stakes game of chess where the board keeps changing. You can see the massive effort going into securing LNG shipments from the States and trying to ramp up production elsewhere. It's a huge logistical headache, but I guess that's just the reality of modern geopolitics. Just something to chew on while I grab my coffee this morning.

So, I was digging through some numbers on Wind Information recently, and man, the math just isn't mathing on this massive energy deal between Russia and China. Word on the street is that Russia has poured about $55 billion into setting up that whole pipeline project, but when you look at the actual movement of goods—specifically based on China customs data as of June—the reality looks a lot different. Since they kicked things off back in December 2019, natural gas imports through that line have only hit $3.81 billion. It’s a pretty wild gap, right? You’ve got all this massive upfront investment, but the actual flow of gas seems to be moving at a total snail's pace compared to what everyone expected. Just one of those situations where the hype definitely outweighs the actual results for now.

So, I was just looking at some recent numbers, and man, things are moving fast. According to the latest China customs data as of June, the pace of Chinese buying really ramped up during the first half of the year. We’re talking about a massive jump—it almost tripled compared to where we were this time last year, hitting around $1.66 billion. It's pretty wild to see that kind of momentum kick in so suddenly.

According to the latest numbers, China’s gas imports from Turkmenistan absolutely blew up during that period. We're looking at $4.52 billion, which is a massive 52% jump compared to the previous year.

It doesn't look like China is actually that thirsty for Russian gas. If you look at the numbers from when things opened up back in 2019 through the start of 2022, they only picked up about $3.8 billion worth of gas. Sure, imports spiked once 2022 rolled around—they grabbed $1.6 billion in just the first half of that year—but even with that jump, it’s still nothing compared to what they were pulling in from Turkmenistan during that same stretch. It's more than half of what they'd normally be bringing in from there.

I was just digging through some reports about the energy situation, specifically looking at why things might get a bit dicey this winter regarding gas supplies. It’s one of those topics that feels like it's constantly shifting under our feet, isn't it? Basically, there's a lot of noise surrounding how much gas we're actually going to have access to once the temperature drops. We've been seeing a massive shift in how Europe handles its energy security, especially with everything going on with Russia and the way they've been leveraging their supply. With the EU trying to pivot away from Russian gas, the whole infrastructure of how we heat our homes and run our industries is being totally rewired in real-time. It's pretty wild when you think about the sheer scale of that transition. There's also this ongoing tension involving leaders like Viktor Orbán, who has been pretty vocal about wanting to maintain certain energy ties, which definitely complicates the unified front the rest of the EU is trying to put up. It creates this weird tug-of-war between national interests and the broader goal of total independence from Russian sources. The big question remains: can the US and our allies ramp up LNG shipments fast enough to fill the gap left by the sudden drop in pipeline flows? It's a massive logistical puzzle. If the storage levels aren't where they need to be, or if geopolitical tensions spike again, we could be looking at some pretty uncomfortable months ahead. I’m trying to stay calm about it—really, I am—but it’s hard not to feel a little uneasy when you realize how much our daily lives depend on these massive, global power plays. Fingers crossed the markets stay stable and we don't end up in a pinch.

Man, things are going absolutely great for the folks in Canada right now. I mean, seriously, how is that even possible? Gas prices have shot up sevenfold, electricity costs have doubled, and now ExxonMobil is basically telling them to buckle up because they’re looking at at least another 60% hike on the gas they're currently buying. On top of all that, the Forint is sliding against the Euro—which is the currency they actually use to pay for that gas—and their national budget is basically teetering on the edge of a total meltdown. Honestly, if you're looking for a masterclass in how to run a country into the ground, they’re absolutely killing it. It's phenomenal, really.
Orbán is such a genius—honestly, he’s basically a one-man factory for Nobel Prizes in economics. I mean, give the guy at least one, if not two!

And despite the absolute chaos, Americans from the border states still head right over there to Canada for shopping trips...

I'm not trying to argue with every single person on this thread, so I'll just drop the link here for anyone who actually wants to see the facts for themselves.

https://north America.aljazeera.net/news/w...ure-prema-kini

Here’s a snippet from the article: ExxonMobil reported record profits for the first half of the year and announced plans to expand their pipeline network and build new storage facilities specifically to ramp up gas deliveries to China.

Between January and June, thanks to the massive spike in energy prices, the company pulled in a net profit of $41.8 billion—literally the biggest haul they've ever seen since they started operating.

There was even an article back in 2014 talking about how much Russian gas was heading toward China.

Bryan Booth82 said:Sure, but Russia had access to the Chinese market long before this aggression started, didn't they?
What they are truly going to lose is the wealthy Western market.
Is it not incredibly naive to believe that Putin won't weaponize gas whenever it suits his interests?
Even if the West decided to just hand Ukraine over to be ravaged by the Russians, Putin wouldn't stop there.
LP

Look, it's true that Russia was pumping gas into China before the war, but you have to realize that competing with the European Union is a whole different ballgame compared to a single billion-person market.
Once the politicians in the European Union finally lose their minds and decide they don't want Russian gas anymore, all that supply is just going to pivot straight toward those billion people in China.
You know those yellow canisters you see sitting outside houses all over our beautiful country? Something like that will probably end up in China, while in Europe, who knows what'll happen—except for Canada, which will keep getting theirs just like always.
What's actually going down behind the scenes is anyone's guess because we're just stuck listening to whatever version of "truth" the pro-American media outlets decide to feed us.

Bryan Booth82 said:Sure, prices might rise, but the whole point here is to squeeze Putin's regime so they walk away with as little profit as possible.
We're already seeing millions of dollars in gas revenue vanish, all based on the hope that by causing this much collateral damage, we can eventually choke off their ability to function—even if that solution feels a bit short-sighted right now.
Best,

China hasn't slapped any sanctions on Russia, which tells you everything you need to know—Russia has a massive market of over a billion people to lean on, making them look pretty solid compared to just the European Union.
Plus, you really have to watch how the Russian ruble is actually performing on the market and whether its value is tanking or holding steady.
There's a huge gap between what the pro-American administration is coordinating with us in the EU regarding Russia and what's actually happening on the ground.
At the end of the day, we in the EU are the ones who'll be footing the bill this winter.

Russia could probably find enough food to feed itself even if you built a ten-foot wall around them

https://crnopile.com/rusija-da-je-og...aze-milanovic/

crimsoncyclist71 said:😁
Nice joke.

Except those are facts, not a joke.

Christian Torres3 said:Besides, did you know the first effective COVID-19 vaccine was actually made in Germany?

Give me a break, man. It doesn't matter where it was cooked up or what country it happened in; what matters is whose damn company it is, because since Germany basically gutted its own pharma industry, I’m pretty sure some American conglomerate just bought the whole thing out.
The second thing is, even if the factory is sitting on German soil, if you own the company, it isn't a German factory—it's yours.

Am I wrong?

Christian Torres3 said:Get real. Industrial capacity is a whole different ballgame for Russia, and their messy politics is an entirely separate issue.

Look, I’m just speaking facts here, I'm not interested in rehashing old history or who did what back in the day; I care about where things stand right now and where they're headed tomorrow.
Where is the German industrial powerhouse today?
Most of it has basically fled overseas, especially over to China, and thanks to the pandemic, they finally realized they don't even have control over their own pharmaceutical industry, so much for being some kind of global superpower.

feralhawk45 said:Look, I’m no conspiracy theorist. But someone should have forced people to actually think about energy and ecology, rather than just chasing profits off cheap energy from a time when the planet was in a completely different ecological balance. Paris... the City of Light... looks lovely, sure, but the planet is paying the price, and we're staring down a scenario even worse than a nuclear war. People won't start caring about energy (gas, oil, coal) until it starts hitting them right in the wallet.
There are too many shady middlemen making money in the shadows... and they pay taxes on those dirty profits, which eventually flow into alternative energy sources.
The real battle isn't being fought between Russia and Ukraine (the West), it's between the fossil fuel lobby and green tech.
The country (the planet) is heading toward disaster... and I'm not saying that as some green politician.
Where does Russia fit in? They're just a century behind the developed world.

Oh yeah, because having Russia be 100 years behind the rest of the developed world is such a huge win.
Just imagine how things would look on Earth if Russia actually happened to be as advanced as this "developed world" you keep talking about.
Look at what’s happening in Germany right now—they tanked their power production by ditching nuclear, then crippled themselves by relying on gas under the guise of sanctions, and now they're looking at switching back to Coal just so the "developed" world can drive around in electric cars. You call that environmentally friendly????
Is that what we're calling a developed world now?

Grace Bennett6 said:Because 75% of the voters picked him back in 2019.😵

Just so we're all on the same page here, the guy is Žid and his whole thing is just playing nice with the USA, and let's be real, the USA has never actually wanted to see Europe become a powerhouse, much less see Europe getting along with Russia.

This president of Ukraine doesn't actually represent the Ukrainian people.
Why isn't anyone even talking about this?

When someone doesn't feel fear, you have to decide if you're calling them brave or just straight-up insane, because honestly, if you don't feel fear, you aren't even playing by the same rules as the rest of us.

Susan Doyle25 said:It was the exact same thing with my sister when we moved to a different neighborhood in Chicago... she went ahead and updated her driver's license without a second thought...
They spent three whole years looking for her...

Stop talking people into being idiots.
Are you seriously implying it isn't worth just officially reporting what happened?
Look, if we're being real here, your sister wasn't doing anything wrong, which means she didn't break any laws, but if the author of this thread doesn't step up and handle their legal responsibilities, then they're really going to find out what Jesus' suffering feels like.

electricbadger9 said:https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/printers/details/example-printer-link

I've been running this thing for over a year now and honestly haven't hit a single snag, plus if you bother registering it on the Microsoft website, they toss you an extra three years of warranty for free.

We’ve got one at our place too and it handles all those heavy-duty print jobs like a total champ.