The Middle East Friendship Chart
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In a bit of news China has negotiated a deal with Iran to stop arming the Houthi rebel in Yemen. This should provide China with Saudi oil for the duration. China and Russia are now meeting presumably to give Russia lethal support in Ukraine. It looks like the vacuum left by US weakness in the ME is being filled by China.
Assad (Syria) is being welcomed back into the Arab world fold to counter increasing influence of Iran.
Iran is still dealing with a strong opposition movement triggered by the woman killed in detention for not wearing a hajib (head scarf). Since then the Iran government has killed 500 and thousands more have been arrested.
JR
Assad (Syria) is being welcomed back into the Arab world fold to counter increasing influence of Iran.
Iran is still dealing with a strong opposition movement triggered by the woman killed in detention for not wearing a hajib (head scarf). Since then the Iran government has killed 500 and thousands more have been arrested.
JR
AnalogPackrat
Well-known member
It's worse than that. China's modern military equipment has never been battle tested. Now they'll learn a lot more and become a more dangerous adversary. Not to fear. I'm sure Blinken & Co are prepared...
What did you expect with US allies like Saudi-Arabia and Israel?
Israel has just discounted democracy. SA still is a medieval monarchy.
I was told the war in Yemen ended. By a usually well-informed journalist. I also don't see why China would need Saudi oil...
AnalogPackrat
Well-known member
Maybe open your mind or do a little research. This is the latest energy flow chart for China. I'm sure transportation demand (petroleum) is higher now as their population adopts automobiles in large numbers.
AnalogPackrat
Well-known member
For reference, this was China in 2011.
AnalogPackrat
Well-known member
The latest detailed LLNL data is from 2017. The delta between the 2011 chart I posted is 6 years. That's the same delta as between 2023 and 2017. Extrapolation is a reasonable way to estimate, or do you think China's demand for energy is lower now than 2017?
I can't think for you. At least I provided something to illustrate my point that China does, in fact, import a lot of gas and petroleum. Why would any country not develop second or third sources for critical materials?
AnalogPackrat
Well-known member
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1310953/oil-imports-by-country-china/
Maybe you can call Emperor Xi and explain to him why he doesn't need Saudi oil.
Oil isn't their main concern. They're taking over Africa. In a seemingly friendly, rather capitalistic manner. By giving poor countries money.
The world markets for raw materials is constantly evolving. Russia's invasion of Ukraine changed that. Every ally is one, even a volatile one.
China's influence in Africa (and Asia) is rising, but the cowboys are still looking at oil prices...
The world markets for raw materials is constantly evolving. Russia's invasion of Ukraine changed that. Every ally is one, even a volatile one.
China's influence in Africa (and Asia) is rising, but the cowboys are still looking at oil prices...
AnalogPackrat
Well-known member
Who said it was? But clearly they are working to maintain or increase supply, unlike myopic western countries.
Yes, they are focused on their goal of being the single dominant world power. Not sure what this deflection has to do with your earlier statements.
Change is constant. What's your point?
Because if you look at how the world currently operates (and will for quite some time), oil is important. You do understand that, don't you?China's influence in Africa (and Asia) is rising, but the cowboys are still looking at oil prices...
Myopic?
EU consumers are still being cautious, which pushed the price for gas and oil down, much to the dismay of the oil companies. As if they didn't already all make monster profits. Never seen before profits.
The EU also isn't a SA or Israeli ally. We've got Turkey.
It wasn't the Russians meddling in US elections. It was an Israeli company, paid by US citizens. Imagine the Chinese, the Russians, or, gasp, the North Koreans doing this...
EU consumers are still being cautious, which pushed the price for gas and oil down, much to the dismay of the oil companies. As if they didn't already all make monster profits. Never seen before profits.
The EU also isn't a SA or Israeli ally. We've got Turkey.
It wasn't the Russians meddling in US elections. It was an Israeli company, paid by US citizens. Imagine the Chinese, the Russians, or, gasp, the North Koreans doing this...
AnalogPackrat
Well-known member
Yes, myopic. Shutting down nuclear plants and becoming more dependent on Russian gas for energy, like Germany. Or pretending that we can replace all fossil fuels with wind, solar, and pixie dust in a decade like the US.
Or did rising prices (and government use mandates) reduce consumption?
Oil companies make less profit than Apple. Are you also angry at Tim Cook?
Erdogan is such a great guy. I'd prefer energy independence like we'd achieved under Trump. The fewer foreign entanglements, the better.
Another wild tangent...I never said Russians meddled in any significant way. I'm for a paper-based in-person distributed (and publicly monitored) counting arrangement which is much harder to hack, stuff, or manipulate. I'm also for sound education including critical thinking (questioning authority) rather than the weak sauce we currently have. We can't compete if we raise a generation of whiny victims who can't think and are too easily manipulated through their feelings because they haven't been taught to think.
A wild tangent, while the CEO of the Israeli boasted about it to Haaretz reporters (on video)?
Yeah, sure, you'll call it a fake video.
Oh, and BTW. Your chart stops in 2019. Again, hardly relevant since the monster profits were made in 2021 and 2022.
Another oh: our govt supported those who were hit the hardest by energy prices financially. They also reduced taxes on energy. Net result: while the media were still reporting about very high prices, the prices were already going down. That produced a media campaign to make people even more afraid. Guess where the money for that campaign came from?
Yeah, sure, you'll call it a fake video.
Oh, and BTW. Your chart stops in 2019. Again, hardly relevant since the monster profits were made in 2021 and 2022.
Another oh: our govt supported those who were hit the hardest by energy prices financially. They also reduced taxes on energy. Net result: while the media were still reporting about very high prices, the prices were already going down. That produced a media campaign to make people even more afraid. Guess where the money for that campaign came from?
AnalogPackrat
Well-known member
Got a link? I'd like to see it.
Look again. For whatever reason that chart has the time axis backwards.
Who is "our govt?" I'm confused by this paragraph (just being honest).
For everybody who blames US hegemony for problems in the ME, well you got your wish.
The current US administration is presenting a softer posture and we are already seeing unintended consequences from that.
Good luck with Russia, China, and Iran in charge.
JR
PS; The only hint of good news is reports that there are factions within the Taliban pushing back against the re-instatement of prohibiting woman's education. This seems like common sense, but not that common in old school Taliban.
The current US administration is presenting a softer posture and we are already seeing unintended consequences from that.
Good luck with Russia, China, and Iran in charge.
JR
PS; The only hint of good news is reports that there are factions within the Taliban pushing back against the re-instatement of prohibiting woman's education. This seems like common sense, but not that common in old school Taliban.
This is one of those companies: Team Jorge
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news...orldwide/00000186-461e-d80f-abff-6e9e08b10000
The above one is accessible for all.
The original link:
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news...-at-last/00000186-4b78-da04-a186-7bfa41fe0000
It's behind the paywall, so you'll have to register to get to it, I'm afraid.
Well, they had me. But Apple is irrelevant as comparison. Besides, you can see profits for Exxon goin up. Steeply.
Don't forget these bastards knew about global warming from their own research in the seventies. Research they buried.
Our local govt, in Belgium. Just like other Euro govts had their form of buffering.
That stopped it from becoming a problem for the lesser financially capable citizens. And it poured enough oil on the waves to push the market prices down. No pun intended, of course.
Getting back on topic (middle east news). The UN is threatening to pull their aid operations out of Afghanistan completely because the Taliban won't allow women to work for/with the UN.
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In an unrelated story the inspector general is looking into whether the US is actually funding the Taliban. Before the collapse of the elected Kabul government they were dependent on massive US and western financial aid. It looks like some of those aid spigots are still open and flowing, funding the current Taliban government.
JR
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In an unrelated story the inspector general is looking into whether the US is actually funding the Taliban.
Before the collapse of the elected Kabul government they were dependent on massive US and western financial aid. It looks like some of those aid spigots are still open and flowing, funding the current Taliban government.JR
