Sanctions on Russia

urbanotter said:Well, that's just because Germans are proverbially frugal people, so they've just come up with a new way to save money.
But it isn't just about being thrifty; they are a smart and hardworking people.

Everywhere you look, fans are becoming scarce, yet they've gone ahead and invented these roof tiles that generate electricity.

If you ask me, once they finally wrap up this whole "green program," the Germans will probably end up selling electricity back to Russia.
And honestly, those few million lost jobs shouldn't be much of an issue, since everyone will just be busy manufacturing fans and solar tiles.

They'll likely need another few million refugees to help them tackle such a massive workload. You can't just go green overnight, especially when gas causes way more pollution than a bunch of fans and roof tiles ever could.

The Swabian has their power plants all set up.
The Swabian has their nuclear plants ready to go.
The Swabian has several trillion Euro sitting right there in the bank...

steelfox98 said:Eighty percent of the globe hasn't even touched Russia with sanctions. Even close US allies like Mexico—or take Israel, for that matter—haven't moved an inch. In fact, most of them maintain perfectly fine relations with Russia and show zero interest in changing that. Just another day in this messy world.
A few months back, when I dropped this exact figure, a bunch of "experts" popped up just to tell me the rest of the world doesn't matter because the West controls 50% of global GDP. Funny how fast the narrative shifts once reality hits the fan. It doesn't matter what we think on this forum, but that dismissive, West-centric attitude has always been the playbook—and the rest of the world sees right through it. No wonder one of Russia's biggest rivals, MBS, recently suggested he'd rather cut deals with the Russians who actually respect an agreement than deal with us and our habit of breaking them. But sure, let's go back to our old arrogance, pretending the rest of the world is irrelevant and everyone else is too blind to notice.

A couple of months back, this same user was peddling the exact same nonsense. Back then, they went even further, insisting we should just shut down all energy imports immediately because—get this—“we'll just get electricity from the wall outlet.” They never once bothered to explain where that power was actually supposed to come from. Typical. 🤣
Progress is finally visible.

John Deere. Just another cog in the machine. I remember seeing one of those massive tractors idling outside a diner back in Iowa—smelled like diesel and broken promises. Same old story. Terry Hernandez10 says:
Given Putin's age, a regime change is almost inevitable long before any fifty-year milestone. Will the successor follow the exact same playbook? Who knows. But it would be incredibly foolish to just keep doing the same thing without trying to pivot. If you look at the history of the USSR—which the current Russian policy mimics quite closely—every new leader introduced significant shifts, even within such a rigid system. Stalin was different from Lenin; Khrushchev was different from Stalin; Brezhnev from Khrushchev; even Andropov, despite his short stint, was highly critical of those "years of stagnation." Then there was Chernenko, who was perhaps the only outlier because he failed to truly grasp control, much like how Andropov managed to leave his mark. Finally, Gorbachev was the icing on that cake. At the end of the day, both Yeltsin and Putin had distinct styles, so it's likely someone will emerge after Putin with fresh ideas, even if they have to use the old structures to seize power.

Looking at the fallout after Putin, the only person who could step in is someone even more hostile toward the West.
We all know truth is the first casualty in war, but today's news coverage has devolved into a full-blown propaganda binge. Sure, the Russians have messed up plenty—as happens in every war—but there’s zero balance here, no alternative perspective whatsoever. It’s not like some Russians aren't watching how the other side reports this; I highly doubt they enjoy what they see. Are people really going to be foolish enough to vote for some pro-Western politician because of this?
Every action triggers a reaction. In this case, the result is a galvanized Western public opinion, while the Russians—who might have once found the West attractive—have completely shut out.

What triggered the conflict is a massive topic for another thread, but Putin has been warning us since 2007. This tragedy isn't some random outburst; it's a long-planned reaction from Russian leadership who felt backed into a corner.
It brings us back to that old idea of "what's legal for one isn't for the other"—how we spent years trying to stomp on the Russians, and out of pure arrogance, refused any dialogue with them until the bitter end.

EDIT: Does anyone remember the shock when the Russians demanded payment in rubles? People were acting like, "How dare they! That violates our sanctions!" Or look at the recent turbine situation.
That perfectly illustrates the mental capacity of our esteemed leaders. They are completely detached from reality, drafting grandiose plans on paper that could easily push us into a recession, or even a depression.

Total misunderstanding and ignoring the opposing side hasn't made anyone happy.

God help me with these people repeating that we should have shown some understanding for Putin's plan for a new Russian empire.

Oh, I see, so now it's our fault because we didn't just hand Ukraine over to Putin on a silver platter? We're all pretending to care now, but suddenly it's "oh, why didn't we do this?" We should have just abandoned our moral values immediately and shown Putin how terrified we are so we could just give him whatever he wants. I'm sure we'd all be much better off then.

Back in 2011, when they still had 17 nuclear plants running, Germany was getting less than 25% of its power from them—but by 2021, with only 6 left standing, that number dropped down to just 13.3%.
Right now, they’ve only got three active plants. Three others were shut down last year, eight have been permanently decommissioned, and the rest are stuck in various stages of being torn down—meaning the fuel is gone, the reactor parts are out, and all that gear is basically being dismantled.
I mean, I honestly don't get how you're supposed to just flip the switch on nuclear plants in a matter of months—which, let's be real, would actually take years and billions upon billions of Euros—especially when some are already fully decommissioned and others are halfway through being scrapped. And where are they even going to find the time to buy hundreds of tons of fuel when they used to need thousands? It just doesn't add up.

brightheron64 said:Watching this whole oil circus unfold is going to be quite the spectacle to follow...

Looking at the projections for 2022, we're seeing Chinese daily imports hitting around 7.5 million barrels, while India is pulling in about 5 million... It’s expected that India will save billions of dollars every single year because Putin has already offered them such an irresistible price, even if it means the Russians continue to rake in massive amounts of cash...

SINGAPORE, June 20 (Reuters) — It looks like the landscape of global energy is shifting quite dramatically, as Chinese imports of crude oil from Russia surged by a staggering 55% compared to this time last year, hitting record highs this past May... This massive spike has actually pushed Saudi Arabia out of its top spot as the leading supplier, leaving domestic refineries in a position to reap significant profits from these redirected flows, all while navigating the complex fallout of sanctions imposed on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine...
According to recent data released by the Chinese Customs Service, imports of Russian oil have hit nearly 8.42 million tons, factoring in everything from the steady flow through the East Siberia Pacific Ocean pipeline to various maritime shipments arriving from Russian ports across Europe and the Far East...
That brings us to roughly 1.98 million barrels per day, which is actually quite a significant jump when you consider we were sitting at just over 1.59 million barrels per day back in April...

NEW DELHI, July 8 (Reuters) — Ever since the conflict in Ukraine kicked off, the United States and its allies have been leaning heavily on other nations to scale back their purchases of Russian oil, all in an effort to hit Moscow where it hurts most for its aggression. However, Indian refineries have taken a completely different path, actually ramping up their intake of Russian crude oil instead... meanwhile, the government is now looking into various ways to shield its domestic oil companies from potential fallout if they ever find themselves caught in the crosshairs of international sanctions...
We're seeing a massive surge in supply coming straight out of Russia. Looking at the numbers, India was importing a staggering 819,000 barrels per day back in May, which is quite a leap from the 277,000 barrels per day they saw in April, and an even more dramatic jump from just 33,000 barrels per day a year ago... It turns out Russia has officially stepped up to become India's second-largest supplier, actually overtaking Saudi Arabia in the process, though Iraq still holds onto that top spot...

Where are all the other heavy hitters, though? I’m thinking about those smaller players who are basically teetering on the edge of total bankruptcy... take Pakistan, for example, which is practically broke right now... especially since the Chinese have just gone ahead and restructured $4 billion of their maturing debt...

The government over in Pakistan has officially reached out to its domestic refineries, asking for their input on whether importing Russian crude at those incredibly attractive price points might be a smart move to offset the rising costs of imports... It looks like they’re following suit with a growing list of Asian nations that are keeping their options wide open by looking toward suppliers outside of OPEC...
According to industry insiders and market analysts, if you look at the numbers on paper, sourcing oil from the Urals could potentially save Pakistani refineries at least $30 per barrel compared to what they’re paying for Middle Eastern crude...

"At the very best, if we were to shift 100% of our energy needs over to Russia and managed to snag a 30% discount on our total oil import bill, we'd be looking at annual savings of about $6 billion," noted unnamed from Pearl Securities.

So, when all is said and done, who is actually going to end up being the "matchstick" in this oil war? Good old Europe, most likely...
I’m sitting here impatiently waiting for the announcements from the administration and the new Secretary of the Treasury in ten days. Is Eurosuper still going to be $4.50?

Our only real glimmer of hope is that sanctions on Iran and Venezuela might finally be lifted, though it will certainly take some time before Venezuela can really get back up to full speed...

From where I'm sitting, it looks like Saudi Arabia currently has exactly the kind of surplus we need, so the entire oil landscape is just shifting around. Other players are picking up Russian oil at a discount, which frees us up to buy what they used to buy, albeit at a much higher price. Yay. In the end, though, things should eventually level out... or at least get pretty close to it.

darkdriver said:I mean, I honestly have no clue where you're getting the idea that this whole thing—the stuff coming out of Bloomberg LP and all those other outlets—is actually based on the assumptions of the people currently running the show??? I guess it just seems a bit off to me, maybe?
Did you even actually read the article?
If you really think that—where on earth did you get such a totally wild idea from? I mean, seriously...
The article pretty much spells it out—this whole prediction came straight from the National Association of Manufacturers. And I mean, their big hitters like General Motors and AT&T are right there in the mix, among others.
Both of them—just like everyone else in that whole association—are obviously just fronting for Russian firms. 🤣

Oh, I read the article. But since I follow German politics closely, I know exactly how this works—it's just parrots repeating the same narrative for months on end. And since I live in Germany, I also know firsthand that these kinds of debates always surface whenever there's a hint of an impending crisis.
Then, months later, they drop an article that conveniently leaves out the beginning, the progression, and any potential solutions to the problem.

Best regards,

darkdriver said:Back in 2011, when they still had 17 nuclear plants running, Germany was getting less than 25% of its power from them—but by 2021, with only 6 left standing, that number dropped down to just 13.3%.
Right now, they’ve only got three active plants. Three others were shut down last year, eight have been permanently decommissioned, and the rest are stuck in various stages of being torn down—meaning the fuel is gone, the reactor parts are out, and all that gear is basically being dismantled.
I mean, I honestly don't get how you're supposed to just flip the switch on nuclear plants in a matter of months—which, let's be real, would actually take years and billions upon billions of Euros—especially when some are already fully decommissioned and others are halfway through being scrapped. And where are they even going to find the time to buy hundreds of tons of fuel when they used to need thousands? It just doesn't add up.

Basically, they tripped and then decided to kill themselves.

That’s what you get with the Green party; they really screwed themselves over.

Melissa Rivera5 said:So, basically, Putin is the ultimate American player? Not only did he boost their economy while tanking his own—I mean, losing an initial $300 billion instantly has to sting for anyone—but he also pulled off something unthinkable until recently: expanding NATO into Scandinavia. It's like Congress's wildest dreams coming true.🙂

Putin is nothing more than a fool who got lured in by the Americans like a fly to flypaper. The Ukrainians were no different. But how they managed to talk these European idiots into collective suicide is the real mystery to me. Now is the perfect time for the Green parties in Europe to take over. Since fossil fuels are officially off the table, I can't wait to see those brilliant little schemes put to the test. Let's see them try to maintain industry, heating, and the power grid with nothing but good intentions...

Topic is "sanctions on Russia" ☕

hiddeneagle98 said:From where I'm sitting, it looks like Saudi Arabia currently has exactly the kind of surplus we need, so the entire oil landscape is just shifting around. Other players are picking up Russian oil at a discount, which frees us up to buy what they used to buy, albeit at a much higher price. Yay. In the end, though, things should eventually level out... or at least get pretty close to it.

Yeah, that’s essentially the gist of it. Oil didn't just vanish into thin air; the delivery routes simply shifted. And let's be honest—the Chinese and Indians aren't exactly being viewed as reliable partners by the Arabs anymore, given their tendency toward market manipulation.
So, the Saudis will start offloading that "surplus" to Europe, the US, or whoever else is willing, instead of catering to China and India. Either way, the Saudis are going to stay prosperous.

Natural gas, however, is a much more complicated beast.

Bryan Booth82 As I was reflecting on this earlier, it occurred to me that...
I don’t know about you all, but looking at how fast things are moving in today's world, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it actually means to be self-sufficient. It used to feel like it was all about being able to grow your own potatoes in the backyard or maybe keeping a small garden going to feed your family. But honestly, those days feel like they belong to a different era entirely. Nowadays, if you really want to stand on your own two feet, you can't just rely on basic farming skills; you need to understand the complex machinery that keeps our modern lives running. It feels more like true independence today comes down to knowing how to troubleshoot an engine or how to repair a turbine when the power goes out.🤔

I honestly can’t help but think about how much we overcomplicate things when the answer is usually right in front of us, staring us in the face. I was sitting in my kitchen this morning, just watching the steam rise from my coffee and thinking about those discussions we had last week regarding the global market shifts. It feels like every time we turn around, there's some new layer of complexity being added to the situation, making it feel almost impossible to navigate without feeling completely overwhelmed. It reminds me of a time back when I was working in logistics in Chicago; we used to spend hours debating tiny variables that ended up having zero impact on the final delivery, all while missing the massive storm clouds gathering on the horizon. That’s exactly how it feels reading through these threads lately. We get so caught up in the granular details of specific policy changes or minor fluctuations that we lose sight of the broader momentum. There’s a certain rhythm to how these international pressures build up, and if you aren't looking at the big picture, you're essentially just spinning your wheels. I truly believe if we could just step back and look at the macro trends with a bit more patience, a lot of this noise would start to make sense.

If you ever find yourself needing to get it fixed, just let me know and I'll take care of it for you.
I’ve often found that if you don't bother putting things away in storage right when you have the chance, you just end up having to deal with the repair or the cleanup exactly when you least want to. I remember one time back in Chicago when I let a bunch of old tools sit out in the garage through a nasty winter storm, thinking I'd organize them later; well, by the time I actually needed them, they were all rusted shut and I had to spend my entire Saturday fixing them instead of enjoying the weather. It really goes to show that skipping the prep work now just creates a headache down the road.

I have to agree with the sentiment there—true self-sufficiency isn't just about how many potatoes you can grow in your backyard. It’s a much deeper concept than that. I remember back when I was trying to get my small garden plot running in suburban Ohio, thinking if I could just master the potato crop, I'd be set. It turns out, being truly independent requires a whole ecosystem of skills, from understanding local infrastructure to managing complex supply chains, far beyond just basic agriculture.
It really all comes down to energy and raw materials—things like oil, natural gas, and those rare earth metals. You simply cannot manufacture today’s most "sophisticated" products without them. I was reading an article the other day about how much we rely on these specific supply chains, and it really puts things into perspective. Without constant access to these essential resources, the high-tech world we take for granted would essentially grind to a halt.
When you really stop to think about the sheer amount of work that goes into a single harvest, it’s pretty staggering. It isn't just about throwing some seeds into the dirt and hoping for the best; there is a massive, complex ecosystem involved in growing everything from wheat and corn to oilseeds like sunflowers. I remember visiting a family friend's farm out in the Midwest a few years back, and seeing the scale of it firsthand really changed my perspective. You realize that farmers aren't just planting crops; they are managing a delicate balance of specialized grains, specific oilseed varieties, and the heavy reliance on synthetic fertilizers and various other agricultural techniques required to make sure the wheat and corn actually reach their full potential. It takes a lot more than just luck to get those crops to grow the way they need to.
And they’re absolutely necessary if we want to make sure the crops actually grow. 😉

silentnomad7 said:The Swabian has their power plants all set up.
The Swabian has their nuclear plants ready to go.
The Swabian has several trillion Euro sitting right there in the bank...

So if that's really the case, why on earth are they all complaining? Why aren't they just chilling out, cutting back on the heat, driving less, or following whatever other "brilliant" advice their leaders throw at them?

If they're so well-off, they should just flip a switch, fire up those thermal and nuclear plants, and buy oil and gas from anyone who isn't Russia.

Honestly, if things are actually as easy as you're making them sound, I don't see any reason for all this whining or for the constant pressure being put on Canadians to return that turbine to the Russians despite the sanctions.

You're going to have to walk me through that logic a bit more clearly, because right now, it just doesn't make much sense to me.☕

hiddeneagle98 said:From where I'm sitting, it looks like Saudi Arabia currently has exactly the kind of surplus we need, so the entire oil landscape is just shifting around. Other players are picking up Russian oil at a discount, which frees us up to buy what they used to buy, albeit at a much higher price. Yay. In the end, though, things should eventually level out... or at least get pretty close to it.

So, I can't help but wonder why on earth they’re claiming they won't be ramping up production. It feels like such a contradiction, doesn't it? If there's already enough oil to go around—and if we actually have a surplus sitting there, just like you pointed out—then what exactly is the logic behind holding back? It seems like they're talking in circles.
I’ve been spending quite a bit of time lately looking at the global energy markets, and I can't help but wonder what it would actually take to see crude prices drop from this plateau around $110 a barrel. It feels like we're stuck in this high-price cycle, almost like we're waiting for a massive shift in the gears of the global economy. Personally, I think for those numbers to really slide, we would need to see a much more significant cooling in demand from major industrial hubs like China, or perhaps a sudden, decisive surge in supply from the oil exporting countries organization that catches everyone off guard. I remember back when I was working in logistics a few years ago, we used to watch these fluctuations constantly, praying for a dip just so our shipping overhead wouldn't eat us alive. Right now, it feels like the market is holding its breath, waiting for either a major recessionary signal or a strategic move by OPEC to break this current trend.

Haekim Khalil, the head of OPEC, has turned down the idea of calling an emergency meeting for the cartel, making it clear that he believes the global oil markets are currently seeing enough supply to get by. He went as far as to emphasize that the group isn't planning to hike up production levels during their next scheduled gathering this September, either. It reminds me of how my old boss used to handle things at our firm in Chicago; whenever there was a bit of turbulence in the market, he’d stay incredibly calm and insist that everything was already under control, refusing to change course unless absolutely necessary. For now, it seems the strategy remains steady and unchanged.

The global energy landscape is shifting beneath our feet right now, and it feels like we’re watching a slow-motion collision between old-world supply chains and a very unpredictable new reality. I was reading about the recent discussions involving the oil exporting countries organization, and it really strikes me how much the tension between major powers like Russia and the West is dictating the price at the pump for everyday Americans. When you look at how Haekim Khalil and the leadership within OPEC are navigating these waters, there's this sense of calculated hesitation. It isn't just about simple supply and demand anymore; it’s about geopolitical leverage. With the ongoing sanctions on Russia, the entire flow of energy through Europe and into the Atlantic has been rerouted in ways that were unthinkable even a few years ago. It reminds me of a time back when I worked in logistics in Chicago—we used to think we had everything mapped out, but one single hiccup in a shipping lane could throw the whole Midwest into a frenzy. Now, we're seeing that same kind of fragility on a massive, global scale. There is also this growing influence coming out of China and India, which adds another layer of complexity to the equation. As these massive economies continue to expand their hunger for fuel, the traditional power structures are being challenged. You can see the friction points forming between the US and these emerging giants, especially as we try to balance domestic production with international stability. It’s a delicate dance, and honestly, it feels like we're all just waiting to see who takes the next step. It’s easy to get lost in the numbers, but at the end of the day, these high-level negotiations eventually trickle down to every household in America, affecting everything from the cost of groceries to the stability of our local economies. It’s a lot to process, and I find myself wondering if we'll ever truly return to the predictable markets we once took for granted.

I haven’t heard anyone around here even mention anything about fuel prices dropping; honestly, all I ever hear about is how much they’re going up.
You might have heard a different take on this, but I’ve been sitting here thinking about it, and I honestly feel like all these little games people play with oil prices don't actually have much to do with the sanctions on Russia at all.

Look, it all boils down to the fact that the West is trying to break its addiction to fossil fuels—which means demand is eventually going to tank. Plus, the Chinese have mountains of EVs hitting the streets, and that number is only going up. Unless we stumble into World War III in the next decade or so, half the population in developed nations—our biggest customers, mind you—will be driving electric.

So, yeah—Middle Eastern producers and other oil giants want to squeeze out every cent while they still have something to sell.

On the flip side, natural gas is being rebranded as this "eco-friendly" fuel, so it’s not going anywhere anytime soon—not from our homes, and certainly not from heavy industry.

Russia isn't self-sufficient, neither is America, and neither is Europe.
It really just comes down to how much "self-sufficiency" you can actually stomach.

Someone in the West who’s used to high-tech gadgets and a massive paycheck is going to have a hard time accepting a lifestyle where they're eating bread and potatoes and keeping the thermostat at a breezy 68 degrees instead of 73...

Then you've got other countries with much poorer populations—including Russia—where people are already used to making do with nothing. If there's a burger on the table, they'll take it over whatever else Russia might be exporting.

The wealthy will just get wealthier, while the poor get even poorer.
In that sense, a struggling society adapts to scarcity way easier than some spoiled person who had everything handed to them.
Even now, the local bakery near my place has cut down from 17 different types of bread to just seven.

Who’s actually going to come out on top in this global market race? The green energy crowd or the fossil fuel heavyweights?

If only things were as simple as the activists make them sound.
Just grab hands and dance to the tune of ">."

Meanwhile, just around the corner, you’ve got China, India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. That’s two-thirds of the world right there.

urbanotter said:

Bryan Booth82 As I was reflecting on this earlier, it occurred to me that...
I don’t know about you all, but looking at how fast things are moving in today's world, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it actually means to be self-sufficient. It used to feel like it was all about being able to grow your own potatoes in the backyard or maybe keeping a small garden going to feed your family. But honestly, those days feel like they belong to a different era entirely. Nowadays, if you really want to stand on your own two feet, you can't just rely on basic farming skills; you need to understand the complex machinery that keeps our modern lives running. It feels more like true independence today comes down to knowing how to troubleshoot an engine or how to repair a turbine when the power goes out.🤔

I honestly can’t help but think about how much we overcomplicate things when the answer is usually right in front of us, staring us in the face. I was sitting in my kitchen this morning, just watching the steam rise from my coffee and thinking about those discussions we had last week regarding the global market shifts. It feels like every time we turn around, there's some new layer of complexity being added to the situation, making it feel almost impossible to navigate without feeling completely overwhelmed. It reminds me of a time back when I was working in logistics in Chicago; we used to spend hours debating tiny variables that ended up having zero impact on the final delivery, all while missing the massive storm clouds gathering on the horizon. That’s exactly how it feels reading through these threads lately. We get so caught up in the granular details of specific policy changes or minor fluctuations that we lose sight of the broader momentum. There’s a certain rhythm to how these international pressures build up, and if you aren't looking at the big picture, you're essentially just spinning your wheels. I truly believe if we could just step back and look at the macro trends with a bit more patience, a lot of this noise would start to make sense.

If you ever find yourself needing to get it fixed, just let me know and I'll take care of it for you.
I’ve often found that if you don't bother putting things away in storage right when you have the chance, you just end up having to deal with the repair or the cleanup exactly when you least want to. I remember one time back in Chicago when I let a bunch of old tools sit out in the garage through a nasty winter storm, thinking I'd organize them later; well, by the time I actually needed them, they were all rusted shut and I had to spend my entire Saturday fixing them instead of enjoying the weather. It really goes to show that skipping the prep work now just creates a headache down the road.

I have to agree with the sentiment there—true self-sufficiency isn't just about how many potatoes you can grow in your backyard. It’s a much deeper concept than that. I remember back when I was trying to get my small garden plot running in suburban Ohio, thinking if I could just master the potato crop, I'd be set. It turns out, being truly independent requires a whole ecosystem of skills, from understanding local infrastructure to managing complex supply chains, far beyond just basic agriculture.
It really all comes down to energy and raw materials—things like oil, natural gas, and those rare earth metals. You simply cannot manufacture today’s most "sophisticated" products without them. I was reading an article the other day about how much we rely on these specific supply chains, and it really puts things into perspective. Without constant access to these essential resources, the high-tech world we take for granted would essentially grind to a halt.
When you really stop to think about the sheer amount of work that goes into a single harvest, it’s pretty staggering. It isn't just about throwing some seeds into the dirt and hoping for the best; there is a massive, complex ecosystem involved in growing everything from wheat and corn to oilseeds like sunflowers. I remember visiting a family friend's farm out in the Midwest a few years back, and seeing the scale of it firsthand really changed my perspective. You realize that farmers aren't just planting crops; they are managing a delicate balance of specialized grains, specific oilseed varieties, and the heavy reliance on synthetic fertilizers and various other agricultural techniques required to make sure the wheat and corn actually reach their full potential. It takes a lot more than just luck to get those crops to grow the way they need to.
And they’re absolutely necessary if we want to make sure the crops actually grow. 😉

Sure, but there is a massive, fundamental difference between an economy built solely on selling raw materials and fuel, and one built on processing those materials using energy.
I shouldn't even have to point out that the latter always walks away with the lion's share of the profit, while the former remains perpetually dependent.
Ebiga, it comes down to simple math: higher margins and much greater value creation.
Russian gas or oil will never be worth nearly as much as a precision machine built in Germany.
Best regards.

Terry Green3 said:Who’s actually going to come out on top in this global market race? The green energy crowd or the fossil fuel heavyweights?

If only things were as simple as the activists make them sound.
Just grab hands and dance to the tune of ">."

Meanwhile, just around the corner, you’ve got China, India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. That’s two-thirds of the world right there.

Right now, the winner is whoever has the fossil fuels. Someone, or something, has to break that stranglehold. Scientists know the damage fossil fuels do; politicians sort of get it; but economists? They’re blissfully, dangerously ignorant.
China... "Every Chinese person wants to live like an American, but if every Chinese person lived like an American, life on this planet wouldn't last long."

dustyowl29 said:Look, it all boils down to the fact that the West is trying to break its addiction to fossil fuels—which means demand is eventually going to tank. Plus, the Chinese have mountains of EVs hitting the streets, and that number is only going up. Unless we stumble into World War III in the next decade or so, half the population in developed nations—our biggest customers, mind you—will be driving electric.

So, yeah—Middle Eastern producers and other oil giants want to squeeze out every cent while they still have something to sell.

On the flip side, natural gas is being rebranded as this "eco-friendly" fuel, so it’s not going anywhere anytime soon—not from our homes, and certainly not from heavy industry.

Russia isn't self-sufficient, neither is America, and neither is Europe.
It really just comes down to how much "self-sufficiency" you can actually stomach.

Someone in the West who’s used to high-tech gadgets and a massive paycheck is going to have a hard time accepting a lifestyle where they're eating bread and potatoes and keeping the thermostat at a breezy 68 degrees instead of 73...

Then you've got other countries with much poorer populations—including Russia—where people are already used to making do with nothing. If there's a burger on the table, they'll take it over whatever else Russia might be exporting.

The wealthy will just get wealthier, while the poor get even poorer.
In that sense, a struggling society adapts to scarcity way easier than some spoiled person who had everything handed to them.
Even now, the local bakery near my place has cut down from 17 different types of bread to just seven.

So, the "poor" Russians and their potato obsession are gone, leaving them hungry for bread, or this, or that, and so on.

Just look at how self-sufficient they actually are when it comes to food.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/...e-by-category/

feralhawk45 said:Right now, the winner is whoever has the fossil fuels. Someone, or something, has to break that stranglehold. Scientists know the damage fossil fuels do; politicians sort of get it; but economists? They’re blissfully, dangerously ignorant.
China... "Every Chinese person wants to live like an American, but if every Chinese person lived like an American, life on this planet wouldn't last long."

And there lies the catch. Why should an Indian live like an Indian, a Chinese person live like a Chinese person, or an African live like an African just so an American can live like an American and a European can live like a European?
In the end, everyone will just dance to whatever tune the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, and the EU decide to play.

Terry Green3 said:And there lies the catch. Why should an Indian live like an Indian, a Chinese person live like a Chinese person, or an African live like an African just so an American can live like an American and a European can live like a European?
In the end, everyone will just dance to whatever tune the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, and the EU decide to play.

You've got a point, partially. But the other half of this mess is the population explosion in India, China, various African nations, and large parts of Asia.
I can't actually say what I really think about that without getting banned.

Terry Green3 said:And there lies the catch. Why should an Indian live like an Indian, a Chinese person live like a Chinese person, or an African live like an African just so an American can live like an American and a European can live like a European?
In the end, everyone will just dance to whatever tune the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, and the EU decide to play.

You completely misread my quote. That's the Chinese perspective. They're pivoting their entire energy infrastructure to prepare for future tech—maybe even more aggressively than most of the developed West.