Igor Sechin, Putin aide, buys Yukos production unit

yahoo ^ | Thu Dec 23,12:15 PM ET

[ckilmer]

Thu Dec 23,12:15 PM ET

Igor Sechin, former deputy chief of staff for President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites), is seen during a parade marking the Victory Day on Red Square in Moscow, in this May 9, 2004 file photo. Igor Sechin now is chairman of the board of Rosneft oil company which bought a little- known company, BaikalFinansGroup, that just days earlier had purchased Yukos' most important production unit, Yuganskneftegaz. (AP Photo/Konstantin Zavrazhin, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

[Dog]

Well...well....well..

[dgallo51]

This will be known as Putin's NEW DEAL!

[Antoninus]

Comments?

How is this anything other than nationalizing industries?

[Danae]

Don't tell me, i can see it now. Putin so misses the Soviet era and his KGB that he is going to re-create it. Seems like he is well on the way.

[Destro]

How do you think Yukos got started?

[Destro]

PS: This company wont make a deal to sell itself to an American energy concern like Yukos planned.

[Antoninus]

How do you think Yukos got started?

So you think the government owning the means of production is a good thing, I take it??

[Destro]

No - but why weren't you upset when Yeltsin handed all those industries for free to the oligarchs more than a decade ago? A little too late to feign outrage now isinit?

[kingsurfer]

Good point.

The oligarchs were willing to give control to outsiders.

It is in Russia's interest to keep control over their oil industry.

[Destro]

Merger talks between YUKOS and the US-based oil companies ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco have been temporarily suspended until the fate of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the head of YUKOS who was arrested this weekend, becomes clearer, the Financial Times reports citing sources close to the talks.

Think Putin was going to punk out and let America control one of Russia's biggest oil company? An oil company born from the Yeltsin era rigged bidding system that sold off state assets for a song which created the oligarchies in the first place?

[Antoninus]

No - but why weren't you upset when Yeltsin handed all those industries for free to the oligarchs more than a decade ago? A little too late to feign outrage now isinit?

So....it's better for the state to control it than for the free market to operate, eh? Thanks, that says a lot. I now understand you a lot better.

[Antoninus]

The oligarchs were willing to give control to outsiders. It is in Russia's interest to keep control over their oil industry.

I guess the billions of $ that Russia got in foreign aid and investment should just have been poured in regardless of whether free enterprise was really allowed to operate, eh?

[kingsurfer]

Russias oil industry is massively important for it geo-politically.

If America had these interests would you want China or Russia to control them?

[Destro]

Your crocodile tears mean nothing to me. If you were serious about that point you would join me in calling for trade sanctions on China (Like I advocate on here many times) since most Chinese owned businesses are a co-op with the Chinese communist party. But Walmart would not be too happy with that now would they?

Sorry I took your attempt to find something to justify your animosity for Russia and turned it on its head.

[Destro]

If Americans existed that thought like Russians Long Beach port facilities and the Panama Canal would not have been sold to front groups owned by the Chi-Com govt. Just because Americans are asleep at the wheel does not mean the Russians need be.

[kingsurfer]

Absolutely.

The British Government managed to screw everyone over apart from big conglomerates with our North Sea oil.

Norway on the other hand manages to fund all their welfare system from their oil while I seemingly pay for most of ours out of my paycheck.

[Destro]

What I find annoying is that there is no analysis going on here. The reason this is being done is as I posted - some may not like it but it is logical and understandable. I get a kick out of the feigned "shock" by those looking for an excuse to slam Putin/Russia because they miss the cold war.

Guess who owns all of Saudi Arabia's oil wells? Never bothered any American before.

[kingsurfer]

Russia is far less a threat than China is.

They are more concerned with getting their house in order unlike the Chinese who are very concerend with getting into other people's houses.

[Destro]

What most people don't understand about China is that she is not historically speaking a land conquering empire. Outside of what China considers China's natural frontiers the historical model the Chinese follow is the tribute system. What many Americans don't get is that China is not seeking power to gain real estate but rather the power to influence and control other nations and bend them to her will.