Posted on 09/29/2018 2:16:19 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says the U.S. Navy can blockade Russia if needed to keep it from controlling energy supplies in the Middle East as it does in Europe.
"The United States has that ability, with our Navy, to make sure the sea lanes are open..." Zinke said on Friday at an industry event in Pittsburgh hosted by the Consumer Energy Alliance.
He was there to explain why hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and the shale energy boom has given the U.S. an edge over its rivals Russia and Iran, by making the U.S. less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
"Russia is a one trick pony," Zinke said, explaining that its economy hinges on its ability to sell energy. "I believe the reason they are in the Middle East is they want to broker energy just like they do in eastern Europe, the southern belly of Europe."
President Trump wants the European Union to buy more U.S. natural gas to diversify the continent's energy supply away from Russia.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
What the Secretary Zinke has actually said is that the USA can use its military might to block a competitor's shipments such as shooting at the ships laying the pipelines in the Baltic or Black seas.
Russia doesn't 'broker energy', Russia produces it. The routes we want to use to export it are no business of Poland, the Baltic countries, Romania or whoever else. And our denial to use their territory and/or pipelines is no bullying, sorry.
The people bullied most by Russia are the Russian people themselves. Yet year after year after year (century after century) they continue to submit to their oligarch masters. Or tsar or latest dictator.
For such an energy producing state as you boast, Russia continues to lag behind the rest of Europe in terms of standard of living. Russia is obsessed with bombs and tanks, yet has a GDP that is 1/7 the size of the state of Texas. At least that is what I am told by people here on Free Republic.
But guess what: the Russians might put up with the Kremlin’s bullying but America and the rest of our true allies will not. And our truest allies happen to be nations like Poland.
Israel is getting tired of Russia too. Especially as it pertains to Syria.
Do you have anything on the topic to say?
Russia’s attempts to control oil via its Syria/Iran alliance is detrimental to Israel, our ally. And your pipeline deals with Germany and bullying of Eastern Europe along the way are our business too because Germany is part of NATO, so is Poland, and soon Ukraine. Germany’s leaders are acting like traitors.
MY taxes go to pay for Germany’s defense. Your oligarchs don’t do sh*t to protect anyone. Just exploit. And the Russian people are exploited most of all, so it’s pathetic that you spend your time defending your government when you should be fighting it for the sake of your country’s future.
How is that? Last time I checked the Gulf oil wasn't transported via either Syria or Iran.
And your pipeline deals with Germany and bullying of Eastern Europe along the way are our business too because Germany is part of NATO, so is Poland, and soon Ukraine. Germany’s leaders are acting like traitors.
There are two little problems with this narrative of yours: (1) Germany is a sovereign nation and is well eligible to enter into a contract it chooses. No hothead so far has accused Germany it has violated its obligations under NATO or other treaties by entering the North Stream II pipeline. So, I guess, it hasn't indeed. You seem to prefer Germany to be an US puppet state doing whatever Washington tells them to do. Is it your idea of the free world?
(2) Russia isn't obliged to use any Eastern European pipeline or territory. We invest our own money in the way we choose and where we choose observing local laws like it's happened with the North Streams I and II. The Eastern European countries have no word in this matter whatsoever. Just like my neigbours have no say in the matter what car or vacuum cleaner I'm going to buy.
And the Russian people are exploited most of all, so it’s pathetic that you spend your time defending your government when you should be fighting it for the sake of your country’s future.
I'm sorry that I have failed to deliver upon your expectations. Still, people may have opinions differing yours. As for the time I have spent in this thread, since English is my second language, I've received the benefit of exercise.
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