On the Nature of Things | Forum

i sometimes forget america exists now - only the lefty media in australia still mentions it when they are frothing about religious right and gun laws.

for the rest you guys have long since slipped out of relevancy, shame it all came down to your ability to purchase disposable crap and stimulate the world economy.

noddy wrote:i sometimes forget america exists now - only the lefty media in australia still mentions it when they are frothing about religious right and gun laws.

for the rest you guys have long since slipped out of relevancy, shame it all came down to your ability to purchase disposable crap and stimulate the world economy.

Other than a market to dump exports on, the US is mostly relevant to the very poor people in very poor nations that US policy directly immiserates or murders. As far as foreign policy is concerned the US is a kind of roving street gang that victimizes the most defenseless people in the poorest neighbourhoods. You just don't want them in yours.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... fears.html

World should 'de-Americanise', says China following default fears
US default fears prompts China's state-run media call for the world to "de-Americanise" as Christine Lagarde warns of "massive disruption the world over"

The looming prospect of a US default on debt prompted China to call for the world to “de-Americanise”, amid warnings of a new global recession.

In China, Xinhua, the official government news agency, said that as American politicians continued to flounder over a deal to break the impasse, “it is perhaps a good time for the befuddled world to start considering building a de-Americanised world”.

The jibe came as Christine Lagarde, the International Monetary Fund chief, raised the spectre of a repeat of the 2008 financial crash as hopes dwindled for a resolution of the crisis over the debt ceiling and partial government shutdown.

Harry Reid, the leader of the Democrat-controlled Senate and Mitch McConnell, who heads the Republican minority, met on Sunday for “preliminary” talks following the acrimonious collapse of negotiations between the White House and Republicans in the lower chamber.

Speaking of oil . . .

Reuters | U.S. surges past Saudis to become world's top oil supplier

The United States has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become the world's biggest oil producer as the jump in output from shale plays has led to the second biggest oil boom in history, according to leading U.S. energy consultancy PIRA.

As for China . . .

Last month, China surpassed the United States as the largest importer of crude, according to the U.S. government, as the rise of domestic output cuts the U.S. dependence on overseas oil.

Seems like it's time to update some perceptions.

Who voted for Obama I wonder.

Typhoon wrote:Speaking of oil . . .

Reuters | U.S. surges past Saudis to become world's top oil supplier

The United States has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become the world's biggest oil producer as the jump in output from shale plays has led to the second biggest oil boom in history, according to leading U.S. energy consultancy PIRA.

As for China . . .

Last month, China surpassed the United States as the largest importer of crude, according to the U.S. government, as the rise of domestic output cuts the U.S. dependence on overseas oil.

Seems like it's time to update some perceptions.

The US was always a massive producer, so I don't think the edge viz. KSA is that important, but the growing maw of Chinese industrial and consumer demand is the real story here. India's on deck as well. If you're a believer in the constant-growth consumer economy, or you own an oil company, then this is great news, but if you're an environmental hand-wringer then Mother Earth is doomed (doooooooomed!).

I vote for Pope Francis. His bank and his public influence are huge.

China lies, and what is true is based on projected increases in western consumption. Tenuous power at best.

Putin is talented and charismatic, but powerful? I dunno. More like the Billy Mays of politics.

Obama is the Javanese shadow puppet of Western finance. A paper illusion masterfully and dramatically presented.

I'll give the papacy a chance in this contest, but I'd like to see an example of one of their major policies being adopted. They wisely stay out of the having-an-army business, so we don't need to worry about that category. But other than preventing some women in the third world from having access to contraception I don't see where they are really able to implement any of their doctrines.

Great bank, museum, and library though.

I don't see the First High Ruler of Remulak listed as a choice

Typhoon wrote:There has been one confirmed fatality due to the current fracking fuel boom: the website The Oil Drum dedicated to the concept of peak oil closed down.

US tight oil production future, according to Goldman Sachs:


and according to EIA:


For perspective, "classical" oil production has been on a plateau since 2005 approximately. It may have peaked in 2006, we will know it for good only with the benefit of hindsight a few years from now.

Global liquid fuel production has increased only slowly since 2006, and only thanks to alternative sources of liquid fuel: biofuel, liquefied gas, tight oil.
All these alternative sources are limited in rythm of possible production, some of them in possible duration.

"Classical" oil, which represents something like 90% of liquid fuel sources, will be staying on that plateau for an undefined time... until it begins diminishing.

While peak classical oil probably already happened, peak liquid fuels is delayed for some years.

Russia, Saudi Arabia derive large power from their oil production, power which will tend to increase within the next few years or decade when liquid fuels also begin to plateau. Difference between them being that Russia is independent also for defense, while Saudi Arabia must remain integrated within the US defense system.

Mr. Perfect wrote:I agree. What we've just witnessed I think can only be compared to Reagan Gorby, Kruschev Kennedy wherein one leader completely b!tslapped another, it's an incredible experience to be able to witness it firsthand.

All the more remarkable since when it comes to hard power factors (size of economy, military...), present Russia is much less powerful in relative terms to the US, than Soviet Union was at the time of Reagan or Kennedy.

Typhoon wrote:Speaking of oil . . .

Reuters | U.S. surges past Saudis to become world's top oil supplier

Yes, but not even touching the issue of how much time this will last, the fact remains that US oil production covers maybe 60% of oil consumption, meaning the US remains a large importer. While Russia, not to speak of Saudi Arabia, is a large exporter.

Alexis wrote:

Typhoon wrote:Speaking of oil . . .

Reuters | U.S. surges past Saudis to become world's top oil supplier

Yes, but not even touching the issue of how much time this will last, the fact remains that US oil production covers maybe 60% of oil consumption, meaning the US remains a large importer. While Russia, not to speak of Saudi Arabia, is a large exporter.

Now all they need is an economy . . .

Typhoon wrote:

Alexis wrote:

Typhoon wrote:Speaking of oil . . .

Reuters | U.S. surges past Saudis to become world's top oil supplier

Yes, but not even touching the issue of how much time this will last, the fact remains that US oil production covers maybe 60% of oil consumption, meaning the US remains a large importer. While Russia, not to speak of Saudi Arabia, is a large exporter.

Now all they need is an economy . . .

I'd still rather be the dealer than the junkie.

I'd rather live in America than KSA or Russia, and things are pretty bad here.

Mr. Perfect wrote:I'd rather live in America than KSA or Russia, and things are pretty bad here.

Indeed, but the question was about power of head of state, not good life for most of that state's citizens.

Alexis wrote:Indeed, but the question was about power of head of state, not good life for most of that state's citizens.

They are often directly opposed. Monarchs of impoverished or developing nations tend to have more power than the technocrats running European socialist democracies. Arab "oil sheikhs" often live in absurd wealth and opulence that would embarrass a stereotypical Wall Street alpha, but of course they live that life on the backs of both figurative and literal slaves.

Obama's pitch for most powerful head of state:

Obama: "I am really good at killing people"

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2354

I wonder what the poll results would be now.

Bump.

Putin now torturing obama’s successor