Yet another example of the diverging universes humanity now occupies.
Russia never blackmailed or even threatened to blackmail Europe in regard to gas or energy, Europe blackmailed itself - additionally The US probably blew up the gas pipe line, ensuring that Russia couldn't blackmail Europe even if it wanted to.
Europe has had a very mild winter, and was able to fill its gas reserves earlier. Yes, it is true that Europe has done a bit better than it was initially feared.
The problems will arise next winter, when the gas reserves might be much lower. But the other problem remains, even if industry and housing manage with less Russian gas, the article doesn't even mention the cost of LPG which could be 100% greater than Russian gas Also, it depends entirely on US shale extraction, which is running down in many areas, Europe could find itself investing billions in LPG facilities only to find it can't get LPG. - or it can get it only at severely inflated prices. The US then will be the blackmailer.
This chart shows European gas prices, certainly as compared to through most of 2022 following the Russian SMO. But look at Feb 2020 or 2019, gas then was around 20-25 euros/mWH, it's presently 57 Euros/mWh (i think I'm reading this graph correctly) You will also find published in many newspapers the claim that gas prices have now returned to pre-invasion levels, they have, but what they fail to tell you is that gas prices had already risen substantially just prior to the invasion, ie they are deliberately misleading, as note above the general price of gas for many years (the graph goes back 10 years) from Russia was less than half the present prices.
Furthermore, coal production and burning is now increasing again. making a nonsense of pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
It really doesn't matter what you read in the MSM around Russia, it truly is almost all lies or manipulation. It just never stops
Europe may have avoided an acute disaster, but the effects of shutting itself off from Russian gas will start to bite. Germany in particular will find its industrial competitiveness being very hard to sustain, as the US additionally subsidises its own industries.
It truly is amazing how the German leadership, so stupid as to go along with the US to cut its own economic throat. You have to hand it to the US,- the blind obedience to its power from its European vassal states.
Re: Russia's gas blackmail has failed, so the Guardian says
The folly of man is only dwarfed by the folly of states.
If you want a laugh, or cry, have a look at the imperialist war and invasion by Athens of Sicily which occurred 2,500 years ago. It all looks and sounds very familiar, tragically so.
Re: Russia's gas blackmail has failed, so the Guardian says
Indeed. We do forget the parallels from the past. It's more than likely that some ancient Greeks were bewailing human folly during the Sicilian war you mention, and someone wrote on their tablet, "If you want a laugh or cry, have a look at the imperialist war and invasion of Sumar by Sargon of Akkad in Mesopotamia 2,000 years ago - it looks and sounds very familiar, tragically so"
Re: Russia's gas blackmail has failed, so the Guardian says
I remember... a long time ago, thinking, as we spent, or so it seemed, a lot of time going through the Napoleonic Wars, that, would it have made much difference to the vast majority of the population of Britain, if Napolean had defeated Wellington at the Batttle of Waterloo?
And I remember putting my hand up and asking our history teacher about it. The classroom fell silent and he looked at me like I was absolutely crazy. Of course it mattered he almost snarled, otherwise we'd have been ruled over by the French! I don't think he got my point.
Subsequently, I realised, many years later that Napoleon would have had great difficulty invading England even if he'd triumphed at Waterloo, because the might of the English Navy would have still been too much for him.
on February 3, 2023, 7:29 am