@snoopydawg

That's what that exceptionally huge military Americans are being drained to provide is for: global control and take-over.

If they're going to kill us all off anyway, why wait until ready to spring at their corporate-captured 'allies' after the others have been taken down? Start by incrementally killing off many of the most vulnerable populations, and work their way up from there, as has already been in progress.

And try to complete that before the rest of the world finally bands together to take The Psychopaths That Be down globally first.

#3

This is the proof of what we have been saying here. This is the smoking gun that in a country that had a real justice system, many people in the Obama administration would have been charged with treason for aiding and abetting our enemies. Bush said that they were considered to be our enemies when he gave his "you are either with us or against us" speech.

One article I read years ago said that McCain should have been charged with treason because he went to Syria without getting permission to hold meetings with the leaders of Al Qaida and ISIS.

This is one of the meetings he held with the leaders

Another one

Besides American exceptionalism, what gives us the right to put sanctions on any country that we want and why can we tell other leaders what they can do with other countries?

@travelerxxx This was a coordinated effort to punish Russia. Ironically there was more economic disruption among the Gulf States than there was in Russia. Serves 'em right.

#5

I would not be surprised if the oil price crash was engineered by the US through Saudi Arabia.The oil money was fueling an incredible construction boom and rebuilding of the military in Russia. But what did the US promise S.A.???

As my livelihood is quite dependent on the price of oil, I was very alert to changes in that market. I have had a strong suspicion from the very beginning that the precipitous drop in oil prices was engineered by the Obama administration. The timing was just a little too convenient with the unrest in Ukraine, etc.

My guess is that Obama was more than willing to sacrifice the profits of the oil corporations and throw them to the wolves. It's not Obama partnering with the Saudis as much as him doing the bidding of his pals on Wall Street. Wall Street hates Putin, as he put the skids to their ransacking of Russia. These Greedsters are still foaming at the mouth with their lust to control the world. Putin stands in their way, and soon China in conjunction with them ... not to mention the other BRICS countries and their sympathizers/allies.

I've waited, in vain so far, for some in depth investigation of the oil price drop which considers a political motive. There have been plenty of economic based reports, but few - if any - that considered the possibilities of a political cause.

Despite the rantings of our right-wing friends, whose propaganda claimed otherwise, Obama had twisted the oil spigots wide open rather than constrained them. He allowed the frackers to operate as if there were no tomorrow, including the massive use of this technology in Gulf of Mexico leases. Few people realize this. Yes, an oversupply of oil caused prices to crash (and remain very low), but Obama policies are what allowed the massive over-production on the US side. I do not discount that the Saudis were probably complicit in the scheme.

@travelerxxx

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-29643612

Falling oil prices: Who are the winners and losers?
By Tim Bowler Business reporter, BBC News

19 January 2015
Business

Global oil prices have fallen sharply over the past seven months, leading to significant revenue shortfalls in many energy exporting nations, while consumers in many importing countries are likely to have to pay less to heat their homes or drive their cars.

From 2010 until mid-2014, world oil prices had been fairly stable, at around $110 a barrel. But since June prices have more than halved. Brent crude oil has now dipped below $50 a barrel for the first time since May 2009 and US crude is down to below $48 a barrel.

The reasons for this change are twofold - weak demand in many countries due to insipid economic growth, coupled with surging US production. ...

...Russia loses about $2bn in revenues for every dollar fall in the oil price, and the World Bank has warned that Russia's economy would shrink by at least 0.7% in 2015 if oil prices do not recover.

Despite this, Russia has confirmed it will not cut production to shore up oil prices.

"If we cut, the importer countries will increase their production and this will mean a loss of our niche market," said Energy Minister Alexander Novak.

Falling oil prices, coupled with western sanctions over Russia's support for separatists in eastern Ukraine have hit the country hard.

The government has cut its growth forecast for 2015, predicting that the economy will sink into recession. ...

...Venezuela is one of the world's largest oil exporters, but thanks to economic mismanagement it was already finding it difficult to pay its way even before the oil price started falling.

Inflation is running at about 60% and the economy is teetering on the brink of recession. The need for spending cuts is clear, but the government faces difficult choices.

The country already has some of the world's cheapest petrol prices - fuel subsidies cost Caracas about $12.5bn a year - but President Maduro has ruled out subsidy cuts and higher petrol prices.

"I've considered as head of state, that the moment has not arrived," he said. "There's no rush, we're not going to throw more gasoline on the fire that already exists with speculation and induced inflation."

The government's caution is understandable. A petrol price rise in 1989 saw widespread riots that left hundreds dead. ...

... Although Saudi Arabia needs oil prices to be around $85 in the longer term, it has deep pockets with a reserve fund of some $700bn - so can withstand lower prices for some time.

"In terms of production and pricing of oil by Middle East producers, they are beginning to recognise the challenge of US production," says Robin Mills, Manaar Energy's head of consulting.

If a period of lower prices were to force some higher cost producers to shut down, then Riyadh might hope to pick up market share in the longer run. ...

...Alongside Saudi Arabia, Gulf producers such as the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have also amassed considerable foreign currency reserves, which means that they could run deficits for several years if necessary.

Other Opec members such as Iran, Iraq and Nigeria, with greater domestic budgetary demands because of their large population sizes in relation to their oil revenues, have less room for manoeuvre. ...

...Nigeria, which is Africa's biggest oil producer, has seen growth in the rest of its economy but despite this it remains heavily oil-dependent. Energy sales account for up to 80% of all government revenue and more than 90% of the country's exports.

The war in Syria and Iraq has also seen Isis, or Islamic State, capturing oil wells. It is estimated it is making about $3m a day through black market sales - and undercutting market prices by selling at a significant discount - around $30-60 a barrel.

United States: Fracking boom

"The growth of oil production in North America, particularly in the US, has been staggering," says Columbia University's Jason Bordoff.

Speaking to BBC World Service's World Business Report, he said that US oil production levels were at their highest in almost 30 years.

It has been this growth in US energy production, where gas and oil is extracted from shale formations using hydraulic fracturing or fracking, that has been one of the main drivers of lower oil prices. ...

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/04/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-is-said...

Saudi Oil Is Seen as Lever to Pry Russian Support From Syria’s Assad

By MARK MAZZETTI, ERIC SCHMITT and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICKFEB. 3, 2015

WASHINGTON — Saudi Arabia has been trying to pressure President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to abandon his support for President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, using its dominance of the global oil markets at a time when the Russian government is reeling from the effects of plummeting oil prices.

Saudi Arabia and Russia have had numerous discussions over the past several months that have yet to produce a significant breakthrough, according to American and Saudi officials. It is unclear how explicitly Saudi officials have linked oil to the issue of Syria during the talks, but Saudi officials say — and they have told the United States — that they think they have some leverage over Mr. Putin because of their ability to reduce the supply of oil and possibly drive up prices. ...

...Mr. Putin, however, has frequently demonstrated that he would rather accept economic hardship than buckle to outside pressures to change his policies. Sanctions imposed by the United States and European countries have not prompted Moscow to end its military involvement in Ukraine, and Mr. Putin has remained steadfast in his support for Mr. Assad, whom he sees as a bulwark in a region made increasingly volatile by Islamic extremism. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-29651742

Lower oil prices, reflected in falling petrol prices at the pump, have been a boon for Western consumers. Are they also a potent US weapon against Russia and Iran?

That's the conclusion drawn by New York Times columnist Thomas L Friedman, who says the US and Saudi Arabia, whether by accident or design, could be pumping Russia and Iran to brink of economic collapse.

Despite turmoil in many of the world's oil-producing countries - Libya, Iraq, Nigeria and Syria - prices are hitting lows not seen in years, Friedman writes.

Analysts identify a number of possible reasons for the steep drop - increased US production, slowing economies in Europe and China and steady production from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec).

Rather than look at the causes, however, Friedman says to look at the result - budget shortfalls in Russia and Iran - and what it means.

Who benefits? He asks. The US wants its Ukraine-related sanctions against Russia to have more bite. Both the Saudis and the US are fighting a proxy war against Iran in Syria.

"This is business, but it also has the feel of war by other means: oil," he writes. ...

#5

I would not be surprised if the oil price crash was engineered by the US through Saudi Arabia.The oil money was fueling an incredible construction boom and rebuilding of the military in Russia. But what did the US promise S.A.???

As my livelihood is quite dependent on the price of oil, I was very alert to changes in that market. I have had a strong suspicion from the very beginning that the precipitous drop in oil prices was engineered by the Obama administration. The timing was just a little too convenient with the unrest in Ukraine, etc.

My guess is that Obama was more than willing to sacrifice the profits of the oil corporations and throw them to the wolves. It's not Obama partnering with the Saudis as much as him doing the bidding of his pals on Wall Street. Wall Street hates Putin, as he put the skids to their ransacking of Russia. These Greedsters are still foaming at the mouth with their lust to control the world. Putin stands in their way, and soon China in conjunction with them ... not to mention the other BRICS countries and their sympathizers/allies.

I've waited, in vain so far, for some in depth investigation of the oil price drop which considers a political motive. There have been plenty of economic based reports, but few - if any - that considered the possibilities of a political cause.

Despite the rantings of our right-wing friends, whose propaganda claimed otherwise, Obama had twisted the oil spigots wide open rather than constrained them. He allowed the frackers to operate as if there were no tomorrow, including the massive use of this technology in Gulf of Mexico leases. Few people realize this. Yes, an oversupply of oil caused prices to crash (and remain very low), but Obama policies are what allowed the massive over-production on the US side. I do not discount that the Saudis were probably complicit in the scheme.