<strong>Written By:</strong> 4Canada
<strong>Date:</strong> 2006-10-24 10:39:00
<a href="/article/13959494-putin-gets-mugged-in-finland">Article Link</a>

Putin’s move to nationalize the industry has been popular at home (his personal approval rating is consistently over 70%) and has had a profound effect on stabilizing the ruble and raising the standard of living. Most Russians still remember the country’s bleak experiment with "free market" capitalism during the 1990s when the ruble fell through the floor and Russia’s national assets were raffled off by the chronically-inebriated Yeltsin (under the supervision of western advisors). "The Oligarchs", as they were known, contributed significantly to Russia’s economic decline as well as its loss of prestige in the world. Putin has restored national pride, fueled the new prosperity, and is quickly rebuilding Russia into a world power. If energy prices continue to soar, as they undoubtedly will, Russia will be a force to reckon with throughout the 21st century.

American politicians and corporatists are concerned about Russia’s meteoric rise and are developing strategies to undermine its progress. The ultimate goal is to integrate Russia’s prodigious natural resources into the global system, which is another way of saying that a plan is being devised to assert direct-control over Russian oil and natural gas.

Since greed is inexhaustible, it is not likely that this battle will end anytime soon.

Putin’s name already features prominently in the register of American enemies, which now includes, Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Morales, Castro, Kim Jung-Il, al Assad, Haniyeh, and Muqtada al Sadr. Anyone who defends their national interests over the prevailing system of global feudalism can expect to find themselves in Washington’s crosshairs and to be duly demonized in the American media.

The Energy Charter Treaty

According to the BBC, the proposed Energy Charter Treaty would create a "trade partnership" which would make it easier for companies to invest in the Russian energy sector, and use Russian pipelines to export the oil and gas they produce. The pact would also be designed to ensure that Russia treated all European countries equally, and lay the basis for a long-term trade partnership."

Why?

Why should Putin allow foreign companies to share in Russia’s wealth? Putin is not running a "charity". He is expected to use his nation’s resources to improve things for the Russian people, which is exactly what he is doing. The insistence that he do otherwise by entering into a "trade partnership" violates the central tenet of capitalism; the right to private property. These are Russian resources. They do not belong to the extended family of predatory corporatists.

The meeting in Finland has nothing to do with any principled appreciation of capitalism or "fair play" or anything else for that matter. It’s just more-of-the-same extortion and coercion masquerading as "multilateral negotiations." It’s all baloney.

Putin has been criticized for using oil and natural gas to send a message to rivals in Georgia and Ukraine. Vice President Cheney has called this "blackmail". In reality, it is an effective and peaceful way to send a message to provocateurs that there are limits to one’s patience. It is unwise to tweak the nose of the man who is heating your house and powering your vehicle.

Besides, Cheney is the last one who should be talking about "energy blackmail". Can anyone forget the extortion-racket that Enron conducted against the American people; bilking them of tens of billions of dollars while the Federal Energy Commission (FEC) breezily looked the other way? Or the skyrocketing gas prices (which created unprecedented profits for the oil giants) which have mysteriously plummeted at the pump just weeks before the mid-term elections?

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[Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on October 25, 2006]

   

Putin has some distinct advantages no other persons being seduced by the elites had before:

He is the leader of Russia, and has a decided bend towards authoritarian rule. Entering into this agreement would weaken both his control over Russia, and even more importantly, his position in the eyes of his people.

His solid control over Russia was what allowed Russia to use their energy resources as a big stick in dealing with the Ukraine a couple of winters ago. This action forced EU leaders to take him extremely seriously.

I do not believe for an instant that Putin would be pushed into anything that would in any way erode his, or Russia's, power in successfully exert their will either regionally or globally.

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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

   

And just to clear up any confusion: I am fully in favour of Russia once more being a global super power.

One global super power is a recipe for global domination, and the actions of the US since the fall of the former Soviet Union prove once more that "absolute power corrupts absolutely".

Although the doctrine of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) did hold the entire world under the shadow of nuclear annihilation, it also preserved the peace by making it clear in no uncertain terms that it was an "I die, you die" situation.

It was a mexican standoff that benefitted us all.

With a strong Russia, Bush and his successors will once more be faced with the fact that they are not the gods of all they survey.

And that, in my opinion, is an extremely good thing.

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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

   

I've been putting the bug in people's ears to pay attention to Russia over the past couple years. And this is why.

The same economist (Les Sachs) that brought Poland back out of the dark ages and into Europe was also consulted on helping Russia out of it's massive hole after the fall of Communism. He strongly suggested that they nationalize oil, as controlling the production of oil is what stopped Bolivia's hyperinflation (due to their forced 'war on drugs'). Yeltsin dismissed him as 'crazy'. And what happened? Hyperinflation.

When I saw Putin trying to do the old 'you haven't paid your taxes' line to Yukos Oil, it was obvious that Yukos (that was sold off for a bag of magic beans) was to be nationalized. For Russia, it will be a very good thing.

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

   

since both harper and putin announced they were 'energy exporters' at the
russian gr8 scumpit , i highly doubt putin would 'sell out' , he's more bent on
building russia up again. harper on the other hand would probably love to be
approached by these guys and make a deal....you know, a brilliant one like
softwood lumber.

my take on russia becoming a super power and that a super power is needed
is that they are all cutting their own 'global throats'. the system as it is is
getting ready to implode , what would be a natural followup is going back to
old ways and moving forward from there. by that i mean pre-christian 'clan
mother' (which means gender equal) , consensus based ridings that are laid
out by natural resources, not population figures. no, i'm not green party, i
follow my native traditiions.

i'm afraid it will take a nuke or two and several more natural disasters to
wake everyone up, but if this is the role of the dark, to move us there, then
they're doing a good job, n'est pas? bastards.