Jack's Corner

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

UKRAINE, GAS, MONEY

The situation in Ukraine is about natural gas. That is the deal. Nothing else, except
that natural gas is about money. So, natural gas and money. Simple, right? But,
whose money are we talking about?

Now, we know that the gas is Russian gas, but the money – who pays for the Russian
natural gas? Up until now, the Russians have subsidized the cost of gas to Ukraine, but
that is coming to an end. Putin wants to be paid market price for his gas, and if Ukraine
does not pay this price, Putin will not deliver the Russian gas to Ukraine. He will simply
sell it somewhere else at full price. If that happened, economic meltdown in Ukraine.

Ukraine is a nation of extensive, heavy industrial production. Until 1991, this industrial
production was for the benefit of the USSR. After 1991, Ukraine became independent
and continued to produce industrial goods and consume great amounts of natural gas.

As long as the government in Kiev was pro Russian, this all worked itself out. Ukraine got
cheap natural gas, and Russia got its industrial production, including weapons.

Now, with Ukraine not so friendly to Russia, Putin is calling in his chips and wants to cash-out
and be paid. Ukraine does not have the money to pay the natural gas it has used or is going
to use in the future. So, Ukraine is throwing the mortgage to Crimea on the table and hoping
this satisfies Putin for a while. He is not satisfied.

Putin wants the EU and the USA to come to Ukraine’s rescue by putting up the money that
is owed for the “gas bill”. It is being reported as the EU and USA coming to the rescue of
Ukraine to help with its “deficit”. All the money is going to Russia. All of it. Deficit = Russia.

So, back to the original question, “whose money are we talking about”. Mine and yours.

This is just the continuation of the never ending world conflict over energy supply. Only we
don’t really call it that. We call it things like “deficit” and “land grab” and “Putin trying to put
the Soviet empire back together”.

One more time - it will be our money that pays for this.

Over

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

FACT AND FICTION

Fact - there is a Bristlecone Pine tree in the western US desert
that is over 5,000 years old. Measured by tree rings
Fact – 15,000 to 18,000 years ago worldwide sea level was some
300 feet lower than it is today. Measured by geologists.
300 feet! Sea level has been rising ever since this low stand event.
It has been rising for the last 15,000 to 18,000 years.
Which part of the 300 foot rise in sea level was man responsible for?
Ask the 5,000 year old tree. You will get just as good an answer
from the tree as you will get from the pseudo scientists that are
screaming about global warming.
Ask our former VP, Al Gore, if he understands the significance of
a sea level that was 300 feet lower than it is today. Heck, ask him
if he even believes that sea level was ever that low.
Yes, man’s activities have affected the climate. No, there has not
been any catastrophic consequences from man’s activities.
Journalists and hucksters are driving the debate on climate change.
Real scientists need to be heard. Look for them and listen.
Over