Phil1111

Bigun is right. Perhaps you forget that Venezuela is home to the descendants of Nationalize it now, screw the Yanqui imperialists, Chavez. In other news is a real Republican. Who is unfortunately being driven from office. "In tweets posted on Friday, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continued, with cities besieged and bombarded, Adam Kinzinger said: “I want to be honest, in Congress I have only a few votes that in hinds[igh]t, I regret. My biggest regret was voting against the first impeachment of Donald Trump. “It’s important for political leaders to be transparent and admit regret when needed. The bottom line, Donald Trump withheld lethal aid to Ukraine so he could use it as leverage for his campaign. This is a shameful and illegal act, directly hurting the Ukraine defense today. “I wish I could go back in time and vote for it, but I cannot. What we can do now is to ensure that this never happens again, and that we all put the interests of our nation above our party. Alexander Vindman [a White House official who was fired for opposing Trump’s Ukraine scheme] and others deserve our appreciation.” Above from The Guardian

Well I understand your general point. I don't disagree that it may be drawn out and painful. But obviously drawing it out should not be an objective or policy. The current sanctions will do that. The policy should be to pour weapons and supplies into Ukraine like a river. Put a MLRS system into the hands of every Ukrainian peasant. To end it ASAP. Such that sunflowers will grow from the grave of every Russian who has mistakenly invaded.

Its mistaken to believe that Venezuela has any short term oil surplus supply. Oil companies from outside would have to pour investments in for a couple years to increase supply. They are in a terrible state with no investment for almost 20 years now.

I agree. This shock to the world's energy supplies is like 1973 all over again. It will do as much to drive EV adoptions and green energy as Elon Musk has done. Germany and Europe will move at maximum speed to wean itself from oil as a result of these prices. Less so America, but it will.

Its a symbol to the US left democrats and right wing republicans. Its also a solution to N. American integrated energy independence.

Well it's not a spigot per say. Just as Canada doesn't have a spigot. But helping Europe and other countries in the world buffer the current shortfalls in oil supply. Through increased free world production IMO is necessary. If punishing Russia and sooner or later by alleviating the shortfalls. We all can teach the Saudi's and the UAE that their loyalties to Putin will have a cost.

The corruption of Soviet communism was different from the dictatorship and kleptocracy of the Putin regime. Otherwise I agree.

I agree and feel your frustration. I agree, Biden should say he made a mistake about the XL pipeline. The US should open the taps on drilling. But at the same time go all out to wean itself and others from the shackles of oil.

Just because Russia starts to lose, is losing, or lost the "special military action". Doesn't mean that it or Putin would resort to nuclear weapons. Think MAD. There is a reason why nuclear weapons have not been used in Syria,Chechnya, Afghanistan or any other country in which Russians have died. Putin's current interest in Ukraine doesn't mean he wants to end all life for all Russians for the next 100 years.Do you honestly think the Russian chain of command would allow Putin to launch a nuclear attack on the west? Given the current world political dynamics. Putin is a history buff himself.

Thanks for that. When i was younger I think i read every pocketbook on every war and every service I especially sought out ones from the Russian, German and Japanese point of view. Even though strategic bombing of cities is a wasteful use of combat power. The bombing of Germany and Japan with four engine bombers. Signaled the beginning of the end of the war. With or without nuclear weapons. By the time the nuclear weapons were employed on Japan. Its navy was finished, its merchant marine done and the country was but a shell. Although submarines and airpower worked to accomplish that for Japan. The Russian forces have wasted the last two weeks shelling Ukrainian cities. I don't know what the Ukrainian forces are up to. But they have had time to regroup, resupply and train new volunteers. Shelling/bombing urban areas to instill "terror" was first employed in modern times by Germany. When they bombed London. It served to unify the English.

That summary is not quite the whole equation. pipelines, oil refinery locations, the age and design of those refineries. Together with seasonal demands all come together to create slight mismatches in demands for crude types. This may explain it further. Exports are more a factor of production-storage capacity, location, pipelines and demand. Its easy to ship Alaskan crude to Japan and import Venezuelan crude to the gulf coast. This most accurately explains Russian imports: "The bulk of this oil is classified by the EIA as unfinished oils. Sources told Platts that these products consist of different types of fuel and their various feedstocks. These include high sulfur fuel oil, high sulfur vacuum gasoil, low sulfur vacuum gasoil, high sulfur straight run fuel oil and low sulfur straight run fuel oil.Russian refineries are major producers and exporters of such fuel oil products. These feedstocks are crucial for processing in the secondary units of complex refineries. US demand for HSFO has also risen sharply as the lack of Venezuelan crude has encouraged some refineries to blend the fuel oil with light sweet crudes as an alternative feedstock. Complex US refiners also use Russian HSFO and HSSR in coking units, trading sources said. Average US vacuum gasoil imports from Russia in 2020 were 125,000 b/d compared with 110,000 b/d in 2019, according to Platts Analytics. "VGO volumes are more significant and potentially more difficult to replace," said Lenny Rodriguez, who covers products arbitrage and Latin America for Platts Analytics. "Average fuel oil imports over the last few years have been around 20,000-35,000 b/d," he said. "If those imports were to stop, other locations such as Latin America, the Middle East. and possibly Northwest Europe would likely be ready to cover the gap." LSVGO is used by a fluid catalytic cracker to make more gasoline while HSVGO is processed in a hydrocracker to make more diesel. US plants are key exporters of diesel to the global markets while the US is a major consumer of gasoline. As US refinery utilization rates have picked up, their demand for such products has also grown, trading sources said."

RN would be Royal Navy. Keep in mind that Germany had several years to plan and prepare. They had updated all of their major weapons systems to the most modern in the world. Even though the US entered the European theater years later.Their failures were well documented. Showing that US forces had much to learn. Operation Torch November 1942 "However, the Allied drive east to Tunisia ground to a halt because of inadequate transportation, logistics snarls, and the winter rains in northwest Africa, which turned roads and airfields into quagmires. Meanwhile, Germany frantically reinforced its ground and air strength in Tunisia. Physical conditions aside, US air and ground forces did not perform well as a team during the early months of Torch. On that score, there was enough blame to go around. Both sides lacked combat experience. This was the first large-scale ground-air operation of the war for US forces. There was another principal reason for the poor US showing: the lack of understanding or agreement between ground and air commanders about how to run the war. The ground commanders operated under a liberal interpretation of “Aviation in Support of Ground Forces,” I'll stop now because Wendy will likely come calling.

Sounds like a good plan. After he withdraws he can claim that the agreement got lost in Hillary's e-mails.

Every country has their Benedict Arnold. After everything the US did for the Saudis, MbS refused to increase oil output.

Understanding the enemy and yourself are the most important concepts in war according to Sun Tsu. Here is an excellent article in the NYT about Putin's current psychology and his current advisors. It dispels the ideas that oligarchs will influence him and that he either answers to them, the military, the KGB, or the population.

In the absence of US boots right up to the Chinese border. There were many reasons. In other news, those Canadians are sticking their noses in Ukraine: So many Canadian fighters in Ukraine, they have their own battalion, with another battalion on the way. That is currently 50 more combatants than Canada currently has deployed in Latvia. According to the story Canadian church groups are fundraising to send combatants to Ukraine.

A cascading effect of western sanctions is the withdrawal of business and services by many Chinese countries. Its not been widely reported. Probably because of all the other news. Chinese companies are closing operations in Russia as well. Mostly because of sanctions and banking controls. Have precluded money transfers and the total disruption of supply chains. Putin has retaliated by introducing discussions in the Duma to "nationalize" the assets of companies that abandon Russia. But this could all be bluster. Cutting off the hand that feeds you is a bit counter-intuitive. Which reminds me of "Three men who died recently are brought before the throne of God and told that they may each have one wish. The Briton asks for an end to war. The American asks for an end to hunger. The Russian smiles slyly and says, “In my village, I have a neighbor who has a cow. I do not have a cow. I wish that my neighbor’s cow shall sicken and die.” and finally You have two cows. You drink some vodka and count them again. You have five cows. The Russian mafia shows up and takes however many cows you have.

Mostly right. The Wagner group will go and do what the Russian state will not. Or wants to hide, conceal its endorsement of. Mercenaries in the true sense of the word. Mercenaries without qualms, or morals. "The group is believed to be funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman with close links to Vladimir Putin who is also alleged to run Russia's "troll farm", the Internet Research Agency. Mr Prigozhin is one of the many oligarchs recently sanctioned by the West in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The European Union said Wagner was founded by Dmitry Utkin - a former Russian soldier reportedly adorned with Nazi tattoos. It is said to have been named after Richard Wagner, Hitler's favourite composer" Dogtags and patches belonging to the group have been recovered by Ukrainian forces in the last week. Putin and Russia have denied any relationship with the Wagner group. "Because mercenaries are illegal in Russia" And as everyone knows Russia is a law abiding country.

You're both right. Everyone, with a conscious is disgusted by whats happening and mad as hell. It gets worse and worse. This is a forum for politics and most people don't like the dirty corners of what politics does. Now Putin's politics has morphed into naked aggression. The outright murder of babies, old men, pregnant women and young men. Its right to think that sending your young citizens is a last resort. Even the fresh memories of Afghanistan need not enter the equation. But bullies like Putin only respect a bigger dog. He is afraid of the dog called NATO and the EU. Thats why he played the nuclear bluff. BIGUN is right that bullies need to see the rifling of a .45 1911 before they really open their eyes.

Its been published that there are just under 20,000 non citizen volunteers already. The UK government is already concerned that current serving members of UK forces. Are in Ukraine fighting now. The concern being that if they are captured, Russia could argue that NATO is already in Ukraine fighting. Obviously there are untrained non-Ukrainians that are way out of their league. News reporters interviewed a 60 Y/O UK baker with no military training at the Ukrainian border. But they are prepared to fight Russian aggression. Fight to protect a weaker population bullied by Russia. They are the opposite of many today. Who put self interest and let the other guy do it mentality. As the staple of at least a generation since those who served in WW2. Veterans who go, knowing full well what war is. The danger of capture and battle. Are not mercenaries, closer to heroes.

Not quite the whole story "There is one reported ace pilot from the USSR, Col. Vadim Shcherbakov who is credited with 6 air-to-air kills.[16]" The other Russian and Chinese combat pilots during the Vietnam war were more modest.

The Russian people haven't been taught that yet. Any victory in Ukraine may result in a new definition of Pyrrhic. Putin needs distraction, satisfaction of his grievances. Try to get with the program jakee.

I suppose.

Lots of cheap shots lately.

Its getting worse. One dead, one critical, one serious, 11 shots fired by six teen-aged shooters, all with guns at a high school: "Six teenagers from Des Moines between the ages of 14 and 17 were each charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, the police said. There were multiple shooters who fired from multiple vehicles, Sgt. Paul Parizek, a spokesman for the Des Moines Police Department, said in a news release on Tuesday. Multiple search warrants were executed and six firearms were recovered. “While this incident occurred outside of a school, it could have occurred in any one of our neighborhoods,” the police said on Facebook. “The school is where the suspects found their target.”