BZ
Obama:
Category Archives: Obama
Saudis offer Russia secret oil deal if it drops Syria
Kerry has said: “the bombing begins Thursday.”
Here is an important headline from Tuesday, from the UK Telegraph:
Saudi Arabia has secretly offered Russia a sweeping deal to control the global oil market and safeguard Russia’s gas contracts, if the Kremlin backs away from the Assad regime in Syria.
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard 12:00PM BST 27 Aug 2013
The revelations come amid high tension in the Middle East, with US, British, and French warship poised for missile strikes in Syria. Iran has threatened to retaliate.
The strategic jitters pushed Brent crude prices to a five-month high of $112 a barrel. “We are only one incident away from a serious oil spike. The market is a lot tighter than people think,” said Chris Skrebowski, editor of Petroleum Review.
Leaked transcripts of a closed-door meeting between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan shed an extraordinary light on the hard-nosed Realpolitik of the two sides.
That said, where does it leave the United States? Hanging precariously? Promises of oil contracts denied? Broken?
Or does Saudi Arabia fear Russia — and its potential response — more than it fears the United States?
President Putin has long been pushing for a global gas cartel, issuing the `Moscow Declaration’ last to month “defend suppliers and resist unfair pressure”. This would entail beefing up the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), a talking shop.
Apparently, a clear Russian intervention if the US and/or other countries involve themselves in Syria.
The Putin-Bandar meeting was stormy, replete with warnings of a “dramatic turn” in Syria. Mr Putin was unmoved by the Saudi offer, though western pressure has escalated since then. “Our stance on Assad will never change. We believe that the Syrian regime is the best speaker on behalf of the Syrian people, and not those liver eaters,” he said, referring to footage showing a Jihadist rebel eating the heart and liver of a Syrian soldier.
Prince Bandar in turn warned that there can be “no escape from the military option” if Russia declines the olive branch. Events are unfolding exactly as he foretold.
Are you listening, Mr Obama?
BZ
July 4th
I’m at work today, but in celebration of this day, I recommend reading the information at these links:
The Declaration of Independence.
The US Constitution.
The Bill of Rights.
The Federalist Papers.
When in doubt, always, always go back to the basics.
God bless America, the last and best supporter of freedom on the planet and, as always, an experiment in progress.
Today’s government, unfortunately, confiscates your rights and then sells them back to you via taxes and blood. The greatest threat to this country and its American Taxpayer is not Islam or Right Wing radicals and soldiers — as the federal government would have you believe. It is that government itself.
BZ
Another year for ObamaKare — is this the downfall?
From FoxNews.com:
Obamacare Employer Mandate Delayed Until After Midterms
By Mike Dorning and Alex Wayne
Businesses won’t be penalized next year if they don’t provide workers health insurance after the Obama administration decided to delay a key requirement under its health-care law, two administration officials said.
The decision will come in regulatory guidance to be issued later this week. It addresses vehement complaints from employer groups about the administrative burden of reporting requirements, though it may also affect coverage provided to some workers.
Let me be blunt: any number of multiple local, state and federal agencies have NO idea how to enable the betrayal that ObamaKare has become.
Continuing to Implement the ACA in a Careful, Thoughtful Manner
By: Mark J. Mazur
7/2/2013
Over the past several months, the Administration has been engaging in a dialogue with businesses – many of which already provide health coverage for their workers – about the new employer and insurer reporting requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We have heard concerns about the complexity of the requirements and the need for more time to implement them effectively. We recognize that the vast majority of businesses that will need to do this reporting already provide health insurance to their workers, and we want to make sure it is easy for others to do so. We have listened to your feedback. And we are taking action.
Yes, this is a break. But a break that has been crafted in order to acquire some more centrist coalitions on diversity?
If you like your plan and your doctor, you can keep them, correct?
Or perhaps you cannot.
The delay: is this a good thing or a bad thing?
BZ
Russia to provide “security,” on US soil, during national emergencies?
According to EMERCOM of Russia in a press release:
Several documents signed during joint work of Russian Emergency Ministry and FEMA rss
26 June 11:32
The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry and the USA Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are going to exchange experts during joint rescue operations in major disasters. This is provided by a protocol of the fourth meeting of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission Working Group on Emergency Situations and seventeenth meeting of Joint U.S.-Russia Cooperation Committee on Emergency Situations, which took place in Washington on 25 June.
In addition, the parties approved of U.S.-Russian cooperation in this field in 2013-2014, which envisages exchange of experience including in monitoring and forecasting emergency situations, training of rescuers, development of mine-rescuing and provision of security at mass events.
Let me repeat this tidbit in case you missed it: “provision of security at mass events.”
Meaning: Soviet “experts” providing “security” on US soil. In most countries, who is most “expert” in providing security? The military or police forces. And what does “security” mean in occasion of a “mass event”? It won’t mean people with frowns and brochures. In my interpretation of words, “security” at “mass events” means military personnel who are armed and loaded.
Translated: armed Russian personnel on our soil to “secure” our civilian population.
Under this agreement via Homeland Security, will it include what are termed NSSEs — National Special Security Events — which include such things as international summits, conventions, even presidential inaugurations?
Anyone besides me have questions to include: why has this completely fallen off the US American Media Maggot radar?
BZ