Pajamas Media

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If you don’t want Russia to join OPEC offer them something better. Constantly swirling the dregs of the cold war round your glass won’t get you anywhere. Doesn’t it strike you as odd that you solve the problem of Iran by undermining Russia?
THE USA is not very popular anywhere in the world. Its schemes to manipulate European governments are public knowledge. Confronting Russia in Europe will bring the Post war settlement there to an abrupt end. This will
not improve either the power or the reach Of the USA.

With the eventual triumph of world socialism assured, why should we worry about a future “genosse” joining the ranks of the (diminishing) capitalist resource hegemon? With our leader working to break the backs of the capitalist oppressors here and worldwide, (as well as assuring all organisms a future world by stopping the rising of the oceans) what do we have to fear from a class of oppressors that will sell us the rope to hang them with? We should embrace the idea, and join it ourselves, aligned with our future brothers in the workers paradises of Cuba and Venezuela, we can undermine and make democratic the distribution of natural resources to the truly needy (and politically correct) and not the truly greedy. Chis is right, we have embraced the false god of free will and capitalism, and now we deserve to pay the price. WORKERS UNITE!

Don only in America would Obama be seen as Anti Capitalist. Elsewhere your antediluvian ideas have no salience. Of course no one will be more shocked than you if CNN carries ‘Workers of all countries unite you have nothing to loose but your chains’. Try taking stock. There is a capitalist system that doesn’t work. An ecological system that no one understands. A series of social crisis that no one can control.
Other than that ‘No worries’

It’s in Russia’s interest not to join OPEC. All OPEC does is limit production. Russia acts as the spoiler and ups its production every time.
It scarfs in the money on oil on the inflated prices.

Chris and Don,

With the gradual triumph of socialism in the non-Muslim world, the big question remains: who will be the eventual victor in the struggle between Islam and us enlightened socialists? That is no merely theoretical question, because the day is going to come when the current alliance of convenience between socialist groups and Islam will have served it purpose, and then the two ideologies will compete with each other.

Russia and Iran may be a test case of this, since both countries do have an alliance against the United States. But once the United States is defeated, where is that alliance between Russia and Iran going to go?

right Oscar, Russia has no interest in OPEC, but she has interest to keep good relations with Iran, umm, lots of international companies are aegering toward central Asia oil and gas, and Iran is “there” as their shield, Russia needs Iran, but Iran doesn’t, that’s why they play on all the boards, actually, the American’s would be their favorite, but the conditions still are not convenient for Iran, they have to renounce to HBZ and Hamas

Russian disease rates are epidemic. Alcoholism is rampant Their beautiful women are selling themselves as mail-order brides; anything to escape Russia. Those with real talent are also fleeing. All this, and Russia still wishes to play the game of realpolitik. They spent $250B to tear off part of the Caucasus. That money could be spent on desperately needed infrastructure, but no-o.

This is the approach we need to take. We need to let the world know just how sick Russia is. We also need to get them to understand that the idea of a nuclear-armed Iran is also not int their interests. We’re not the only ones with Islam problems.

All of this presupposes that we have a strong, competent President who won’t be withdrawing into isolation, and a country that isn’t itself veering off into looming bankruptcy. If our economy crashes further, oil demand will continue downwards no matter what OPEC does.

“As a member of OPEC, Russia would make Moscow increasingly dependent on Iran”

Really? I’d say each member’s interest aligns along price, and the addition of Russia would simply allow them to dominate on the question of price even more absolutely. I’d say that gels nicely with the arms pacts between Iran and Russia. I would think the ultimate strategic effect Russia’s induction would have would be (as you point out) to undercut the importance of the Arab Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, a bulwark of Pax Americana for 60 years.

Honestly I think, above all, we have to stop imagining that Russia can somehow be subordinated to Iran. Iran simply doesn’t have the strategic assets Russia, despite the apparently grave challenges both countries face.

Fred I See no triumph of Socialism gradual or otherwise. I see the rapid approach of species extinction. Since Global warming results from the wide spread application of 19th century technologies the ‘triumph’ may be a century to late. Marie Claude neither Russia or America are subjects consequently they have no ‘interests’ their rulers however do. Russia covers 20 percent of the worlds land mass. For centuries its rulers have been preoccupied with maintaining their borders against invasion. There current rulers have reverted to this older role.

I don’t see this discussion being related to socialism vs capitalism.
If we evaluate this from the economic angle, its an extension of what is happening in G20. And that is: centre of economic gravity moving away from the EU and the US.

Russia needs to reinvigorate it’s population, build a sustainable economy and re-establish it’s it’s own “self respect/confidence”, joining OPEC will net it nothing in this effort, save give OPEC a window (and influence) on a wholly Russian resource. As far as global warming? Simple answer, Nuclear power. More complicated one, fusion. One is now, the other (with combined efforts and resources) . . . 5 years? Hydrocarbons are a necessity for the near term, from plastic to dies, from lubrication to paint (not even mentioning power and propulsion) it will take at least 30 to 50 years to replace them (given a practical replacement now). The only viable option to lower the amount of greenhouse gases is to have a drastic shrinkage in human (and bovine) populations, perhaps that is what Pelosi was speaking of when she talked of monies to Planned Parenthood (saving the states monies). I guess to that end a “cradle to grave” national medical system can fulfill a “culling” function (as it so effectively does where it is practiced) so it just makes sense (unless you are one of those being culled; too old, too injured, too sick, too expensive to treat, too politically untrustable).

So, Russia sits on to huge assets, Gas and Oil, why subject themselves to any control or influence from the outside? Right now they have the best of all worlds, they play along when they want to, and don’t at whim. We just need to have a real common frame of reference with them so we can form a (a’la’ Pournelle) “Co-Dominium”.

#1,#2. we must join him, gandalf, we must join with suaron,,,,,,, see you at the slave camp, boys….
that’s the place where the workers unite, all week long, and ev’ry on saturday night.

or perchance, their entries were meant as satire,

Russia does not want to be part of OPEC. They could have joined a million times over but they don’t want to. They make more money selling bigger quantities. Russia does not want to be part of EU, NATO, nothing. All they care about are the former soviet states and china. that’s all. Anyone else for them is just a means to an end.