All EU nations run trade surpluses with the US as do nearly all our trade partners. So they do as we say because they don’t want to stop this destruction of the US internal economy. This lopsided trade is destroying the US relentlessly and is our major future disaster but it is also TOTALLY ignored by our media owners (most of whom want this bad trade!) and by our AIPAC-owned Congress. The military/industrial complex had funds cut recently and are banging on multiple war drums to drum up more business at our expense, paid for via selling debt to Russia and China.
Foreign Trade – U.S. Trade with Germany: ran $67 BILLION last year. Has increased by around $10 billion a year for the last few years. So, just last January, just three months ago, the U.S. Criticizes Germany’s Export-Led Policies – WSJ.com. Just last January, Germany’s trade surplus with the world was bigger than China’s surplus. Much of Germany’s export growth is due to China and the US buying German goods. Merkel needs Putin badly but also doesn’t want to stop this one way trade with the US.
So dutifully, German Companies Prepare Plans to Supply Ukraine with Gas – SPIEGEL ONLINE
RWE currently draws its gas from Norway or the Netherlands, both major suppliers in Western Europe. It would also be possible to redirect Russian gas from the Nord Stream Baltic Sea pipeline — which connects Russia and Germany — through pipelines in the Czech Republic and Slovakia to Ukraine. The Russians have included provisions in their supply contracts with Germany prohibiting such redirection, but a high-ranking energy utility executive told SPIEGEL these clauses are easily circumvented. “Once gas has been delivered to a storage facility, it is impossible to determine where it came from,” the source said.
So, the Germans think they can lie and cheat Russia??? How insane! The US can stop trade with Germany but Russia can strangle Germany, big time. Even if the Netherlands supplies Germany with gas and this gas is much less than Russia’s supply, the price will eliminate all profits from manufacturing goods due to the lack of competition for gas.
Germany stored gas so they can use it in summer and thus, increase trade profits. Now, they are going to throw this away to keep the US happy. Russia knows this and will now insure that Germany can’t sell this gas to Ukraine which still owes Russia over $2 billion, this circumvention of contracts is illegal. As is the coup in Kiev.
The coup in Kiev has blocked all Russian language TV in the eastern half of the country, further infuriating the Russians living there. The rump Ukraine parliament delivers ultimatum to Crimea over referendum while all Russians know, but few western people, that elected officials who are Russian speakers have been either physically thrown out of Kiev or are boycotting the Parliament due to the fact that it endorsed a coup.
Kerry: No Putin Talks Unless Russia Gives In on Ukraine referendum. This is our diplomacy today: snarling, snapping, unilateral territorial demands. This headline illustrates how insane our State Department is: Hoping to Isolate Russia, US Woos China on Ukraine. While simultaneously telling China, the island dispute with Japan is a closed issue, we handed everything over to Tokyo with zero negotiations and we plan to fight for these islands which the recent war games clearly illustrated.
China, by the way, agreed that all nations should not be chopped up which the EU and US has been doing to all nations they want to control. This means the US has to shut up about Tibet. Recently, Obama met with the religious leader of exiled Tibetans and China condemned this and Obama brushed it off. So thinking that China supports crushing Russia is crazy. Only…China also knows that chasing Russia out of Europe means Russia will go to China!
Total APAIC tool from New Jersey, Robert Menendez: Russia’s aggressive behavior can’t go unchecked – The Washington Post
In Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin is actively propping up President Bashar al-Assad and perpetuating the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.
In Iran, the ink of the Joint Plan of Action signed in Geneva was barely dry when reports surfaced that Tehran and Moscow were negotiating an oil-for-goods swap worth $1.5 billion a month and planned to build a new nuclear plant.
In our own hemisphere, a Russian spy ship paid an unannounced visit to Havana Bay, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoiguannounced plans to expand Russia’s military footprint abroad in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Senator Menendez is pushing a bill in Congress to give billions to Ukraine! He also claims we already spent many millions ‘promoting democracy and good governance’ in Ukraine! So much for the storyline that we have no money for anyone. Especially if they are American citizens. Nope. We have to struggle to survive on our own.
Obama Team: We Can Badly Damage Russian Economy which is true but Russia can do the same to all of NATO and the US. Here is just one thing: ISS Calling Russia: Friend or Foe? | Clayton Anderson, an astronaut. Hey, guess what? We no longer own the space station! If Russia refuses to fly up any NATO nation astronaut, the only people who can go there will be Chinese or Russian.
We were a space-based composite, a coherent and integrated crew, trained to execute competently in both the Russian and U.S. segments of the ISS. Not so today.
It has been quite some time since Russians were trained to perform in U.S. spacesuits. American astronauts no longer don the Orlan. As a matter of fact, rarely do Russian cosmonauts assist U.S. astronauts — or vice versa — in daily prescribed tasks on the ISS, unless “permission” has been received from controlling program managers on the ground. When it does happen, it is highly probable that additional funding has been transferred between the two organizations. Our programs are becoming more segregated, and that concerns me, as does the situation unfolding in Ukraine.
The US still boasts about being a #1 space explorer but NASA has seen funds cut hugely in the last five years. Unlike Ukraine, we have no money for NASA anymore. China is laying claim to the moon now, it is barely beginning but will accelerate over time since China, Russia and eventually, Germany will take over the moon. Meanwhile, our Zionist media owners want Russia crushed for ideological reasons: Penalties for Mr. Putin – NYTimes.com
No doubt, Mr. Putin will retaliate if any harsh sanctions are imposed against him. But the sooner American and European leaders can demonstrate that they are prepared to impose serious penalties — and to accept the resulting sacrifices — the better the chance that those sanctions will not prove necessary.
So, this Zionist really thinks that Russia is going to back down and let a paramilitary anti-Russia coup take away their only warm sea port? How insane! Russia isn’t weak or bankrupt this time around. Yeltsin was a drunk and a fool. The last thing Putin is—weak or stupid.
So let’s look at the money: On October, 2013, Russian central bank says no plan to reduce US treasury holdings …but in December, China Reduces its US Dollar Holdings. The Geopolitics of “Forex and Russia said it may do the same. Russia Forex Selling Highlights Monetary Policy Risk To Gold [ETFS Gold Trust] after Russia sold $11.5 billion in dollars to keep the ruble up. Note how the US has virtually no FOREX holdings of any sort! Russia has $480 billion in reserve currency.
My article from 2011: Worst Sovereign Debt Countries Cannot Bail Out Global Banking | Culture of Life News
Here is what I wrote three years ago:
We also see, if we bother to read the news, that China and Germany have increasing ties in technology exchanges and building things and are increasingly on the same side of many economic debates. The US is worse off than all of the PIIGS in Europe and do note that right on the heels of the US and UK banking systems bailing out all of Europe, both are as bad off as the PIIGS debt nations of Europe that are wrecking its banking system!
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I also took note that the US and UK are using NATO to attack or try to destroy some of the top sovereign wealth nations on earth, namely, Libya and Iran, just as we destroyed Iraq. The US and NATO are also constantly testing the powers of Russia and China who are at the top of this list. Our invasion of Afghanistan, which is higher on this list than a number of NATO nations, didn’t enrich the US. But it is clear that the deep in debt nations warmonger mainly against oil export powers or industrial giants. The insanity of going to war against wealthy industrial giants is obvious to me but escapes the Pentagon which, I fear, thinks, can nuke all of these industries and reduce rivals to dust.
This is going to be the death blow to the EU, to NATO, to the US. Far from being super strong, aside from Germany and the oil/gas selling states in the EU, the rest of the EU is BANKRUPT as is the US which as we see above, has the world’s biggest, nastiest sovereign debt, not wealth. Our only glue holding things together is the promise to allow one way trade debts with all nations who hold US dollars which are all I.O.U.s.
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I have another theory..I think crimea border area has essentially being “sold off” to Russia. The West is broke and cornered from an energy perspective. Germany is a closet ally of Russia. This back and forth on sanctions and threats are hollow and nevertheless could not possibly be enforced. It is a show for us “believers in western democratic ideals”. Next stop Belarus. And who knows what China will demand?
we’ll see how my theory holds up. It may be wildly off but things are moving rapidly so I’ll know soon enough. Whats up in saudia arabia…as bandar has lost favor?
Saudi Arabia is desperate to have oil more expensive.
‘Saudi Arabia is desperate to have oil more expensive.’
So they are greedy, broke or both?
Both. Due to population explosion and most being on ‘welfare’ with a thousand ‘princes’ living off the dole, with consumption of energy nearing 100% of output…yes, Saudi Arabia is hitting this brick wall and needs expensive oil to keep up.
OT
Measles outbreak in Manhattan
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/03/11/officials-19-cases-of-measles-identified-in-outbreak-across-upper-manhattan-the-bronx/
In November of 2013, the US domestically produced more oil than it imported for the first time since 1955. And the rate of export just keeps on climbing.
While delightful democracy Nigeria has so born most of the decline in imports by the USA, our dearest friends the KSA are also seeing their exports of crude to the US decline.
It is an entirely changed world in the oil markets over the past three years and that change looks to have legs. The US should continue to increase its level of supply and exports at the expense of most other non industrialized exporters. China has replaced the USA as the number one importer of crude; which implies that China’s sovereign wealth position will weaken until China can bring domestic reserves on stream.
The Bakken in North Dakota, the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas and the Marcellus from Ohio to NY have changed the energy equations in this world.
Saudi Arabia is just one oil producer of many that soon will have no oil to export .Mexico is very close to no exports,The UK is back to importing after blowing their North sea reserves.
Libya has “Govt “forces firing on North Korea flagged oil tankers that are shipping from “rebel “controlled ports.Who could make this up?
Meanwhile in Canada tar is still leaking to the surface from their fancy steam injected horizontal drilling that has fractured all the rock and aquifers.
They have no idea how to stem the flow as it is seeping up thru many,many fractures back up to the surface.They are going to destroy northern Alberta just to keep the American empire going for a few more years(XL pipeline).
Canada should nationalize the oil and keep it for the future.Same goes for the natural gas which we don’t have much left of but they want to liquify and ship off shore.
CK…The Bakken has already peaked and the other shale plays will soon follow .A temporary blip on US production paid for by thousands of aquifers destroyed and people poisoned.One of the bigger scams in the oil/gas patch.
http://peakoilbarrel.com/bakken-update-production-slowing/
Not a peak yet, still growing.
While I enjoy Tyler Durden, he has a vested interest in pushing the Bakken is dead meme.
The US still imports energy! Not JUST oil. All forms of energy, mainly from Canada and Mexico. By exporting slightly more oil than importing, this puts a tiny ding in our trade deficit which is still gargantuan.
China manufactures stuff as does Germany. Both import energy as does Japan. Both are the richest sovereign wealth nations on earth. See?
The writing is clearly on the wall, yet some folks here still refuse to see it. I don’t know how else to state this. I’m really not that old, but apparently a lot of readers on this blog, oh, I don’t know….STILL DON’T GET IT!!!! The U.S. is going down hill RAPIDLY, and almost all of the people in power are in on the TAKE! GET IT YET???? ISRAEL HAS BOUGHT AND ***PAID*** for this country and most of our “representatives” have sold us out, including your beloved Obama.
True story….if anyone gives a flying F_ck!….I grew up with a girl who became my high school class president. Very smart girl, btw! She became (we were in the upper income area of Washington D.C.) the speech writer for Daddy Bush (the FIRST LIAR, and I think his demon spawn, the SECOND). Her name is Mary Kate Cary (nee Mary Kate Grant) and she is one of the WASHINGTON ELITE, regularly espousing her particular brand of bullsh_t to everyone who has the misfortune of reading her opines. These are people who run our government and our country into the ground, and she and her worthless lawyer husband are EXTREMLY RICH!
I have pointed out for years now that our elites have decided that looting and destroying makes them very, very rich so they do this while waving the American flag.
Yeah, the US used to be able to export it’s depressions by devaluing the USD. When that happy trick stopped working the rich fired up the printing press and the military machine and fixed a permanent depression on the working class instead. This depression is rising year on year sucking down more and more of the middle class.
In effective terms the US have 20+ % unemployment which is without doubt depression figures
My apologies for not knowing who this quote is from, but it sums thing up pretty well
“But now, when it is proposed to sanction Russia over its military intervention in Crimea, it passes through public discourse like a hot knife through butter. No one complains that Russia is being “unfairly singled out.” No one claims that people who want to impose sanctions on Russia are motivated by an irrational hatred of the Russian people. No one claims that supporters of sanctions want to “delegitimize Russia” or “destroy Russia,” nor that supporters of sanctions “refuse to accept Russia’s right to exist.”
Just that Russia has to obey international rules which the EU and US via NATO refuse to follow even slightly.
The most amusing thing to me about this little Ukrainian tug of war, is that the US can no longer play the “evil communist empire” card. For over 40 years it gave the US and NATO carte blanche , justifying ANY expense, ANY weapons program, US troops EVERYWHERE in Europe and justification for the existence of NATO itself (and wasn’t it just so timely and convenient that “the global war on terror” came into being right on cue) . You have to know our leaders are still smarting over the rejection of the farce they tried to foist over Syria (which was a back door attempt to start a war with Iran). I believe all the threads now lead to Iran , which the Zionists want neutered ( of should I say, want the AMERICANS to neuter) . Anyway, I bet our leaders pine for the old days when they could just say “commie USSR” and use the accompanying “intervene anywhere in the world ” card. Kinda like the worn out, dog-eared ‘war on terror’ “intervene anywhere ” card , that couldn’t even get them into Syria.
This survived the disaster of Vietnam! Even gross, expensive defeats never slowed down the ‘Russia is evil’ machine.
Theres a lot of stuff on the interweb tese days about how the US debt matters not as they can print as much as they want, seems to be a growing idea and the credit cycle moves up a bit.