We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Kerry’s Double Assisted Suicide: Russia Oil Gains, America Loses from Sanctions

Click here to access article by F. William Engdahl from New Eastern Outlook. 

Engdahl explains how the US obsession to undermine the Russian economy has not only backfired by hurting US and Canadian oil firms and causing havoc with the budget of a US key ally--Saudi Arabia, but is actually increasing business for Russian oil companies.
Secretary John Kerry and friends have managed what can only be called a brilliant double suicide. The September 2014 deal with Saudi Arabia to crash oil prices, then at $103 a barrel for US WTI grade crude oil, not only has managed to bring the US shale oil industry—Washington’s new strategic card allowing the US to essentially abandon her Saudi and Gulf Arab allies–to the brink of bankruptcy and collapse. The oil price collapse, ironically, also gave Russian oil beautiful profits and forced the companies to turn east for far larger and more lucrative new markets. Team Russia-Saudi Arabia: 2 to 0 for Team USA-Canada.
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