Ref Ukraine

[NorthernRaider]

I still do not believe (yet) there is any direct threat to us in the UK unless the twin idiots John Kerry and William Hague do something stupid.

However it is worth noting that the Russian Federation foriegn ministry and apparently Putin himself are saying if the west acts in any way against Russia it will turn off the natural gas supplies to Europe thus causing massive problems for us who rely on Russia imported gas.

So those of us with back up heating systems like wood burners may wish to ensure your stocks are fully topped up.

[Barneyboy]

where did you here that NR ,about turning off the gas mate

[Bulletscott]

Yeah im watching closely, didnt know that about the gas either thanks NR

[CharlesHarris]

The current Russia-Ukraine situation is more dangerous in the long run for the US than all of the other internet doomsayer possible calamities that we hear everyday. Our President lives in a cloud of his own words and sincerely believes his rhetoric represents reality. Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, spent his formative years on the tip of the spear in the Cold War, as a officer in the KGB. He is not a politician, but a ruthless authoritarian who lives comfortably in a world of power in which he works every day for his Mother Russia, just like every successful and competent super power leader has always done.

In the US we like to think that “God is on our side" and that we were on the right side of good against evil whenever we took action. This arrogance has made us a lot of enemies, even among our supposed allies. Whether we were right or wrong at the time does not matter in the end. History shows that the US got involved, spread its influence to gain power to keep the Bolshevik bullies in check, avoided global nuclear war, bring down the old Soviet Union and the Berlin wall and my spending our blood and treasure enabled the Eurozone to develop economically, rather than militarily.

Now, the bullies on the block (China and Russia) have rebuilt their skill set. They are the mixed martial arts fighters in the ring when it comes to their economic bases, their political houses, and their militaries which are being modernized with updated training, equipment, and tactical concepts which they all learned from the US. America has become the old boxing champ who feels fine to just sit in the crowd, wear fancy clothes, smoke big cigars and watch the goings on. Modern Russia stands proudly in the ring pointing at us taunting us saying "I’m the number one! You loud mouthed jackass, if you don’t like how I fight, then step up here in the ring, buddy and I’ll cram your big cigar up your arrogant Yankee ass, you prick!."

In the days of the Cold War the Soviets were scared of us, but we didn’t know it at the time. We trained our military to be better, bigger, faster and stronger. Now we have a gutless President who is a paper tiger pontificator, and Putin’s Russians think they are stronger than us. Whether they are or not they really are is beside the fact. This is because they are the bully on the block now and we have a community activist running the White House who is clearly neither a fighter nor the most powerful man in the world. He has never held a real job or served in the military. Conflict is not in his blood. In two terms of office he put the US where he wanted it, so we are now just another gutless Euro player.

Down-sizing the US military to pay for growing the dependent welfare class is going to bankrupt our country and place our security at risk in the world scheme. Those who loive freedom must be ever vigilant, because Obama's leftist agenda will continue to play out in years to come if Americans don’t elect leaders who have the balls to undo the worst of the damage.

A weaker America makes the world more dangerous for everyone, because the countries who sat safe under the US military umbrella will not have to weather the storms on their own, without American heavy lift transport or tactical air superiority.
Maybe the next time there is an earthquake or tsunami somewhere, the victims can cry out help in Chinese and see who comes? Socialism puts every country in a position of weakness even if the day to day lives of the citizens seem care free while they suck on the government teat.

Beware of your bath water fellow frogs. Jump out of the pan and run for your lives, for you are about to be scalded.

[Lightspeed]

This crisis is a real and present threat to UK energy supplies.

Gasprom the RF state oil company has already threatened cutting the UKR supply. This is the ultimate weapon that RF has against UKR. They will cut supplies immediately UKR mobilises against them.

Winter is still not over so that this is a very strong lever, and one that RF have used in the past. When they did there was collateral supply problem to Western Europe including UK.

Baltic pipe line is now open into Germany, but there is no knowing if increased flow from that route will end up reaching UK.

[NorthernRaider]

Barneyboy Offline
RE: Ref Ukraine
where did you here that NR ,about turning off the gas mate

TV last night, either Sky or RT or AJ , Journo speaking with a Russian diplomat who said something like " Naturally if the issue is not resolved peacefully and Russias interests met Russia of course reserves the right to stop exporting natural gas to the Ukraine and European Union.". FYI Ukraine is 100% dependant on Russia for all its gas supplies, Russia has turned off or slowed the flow before simply for the reason the Ukrainians objected to a sudden 20% price hike.

Soooooo if the EU places barriers and constraints on Russia in response to their criminal acts in Crimea, you can be reasonably sureMad Vlad will turn off the gas.

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Well bugger me backwards with a green banana it was less than a month ago I was saying to my wife how fed up I was with having gas bottles and piles of logs everywhere because I had to move them every time I wanted to get at something in the garage or garden. I don't feel bad about having them now.

[bigpaul]

dosent surprise me one bit-he's done that before, would seem to be the least he would do.

[Barneyboy]

oh shit if that happens we are buggered

[NorthernRaider]

No not so Barney, we will struggle with the gas shortage and prices will go up a lot but the UK govt has contingency plans in place to buy super tankers full of liquefied LPG from the middle east which will cover our shortfall, but it could take 3 months to get up and running fully, and we would have to compete with other EU nations needing gas so the prices will go through the roof and the supply be irregular. I think its why they uprated some place in Wales called Milford Haven where the ships dock.

[bigpaul]

not really BB, no gas supplies would not only effect straight gas supplies would also affect gas powered power stations so probably some limited electricity supplies, maybe some electricity rationing could be put in place, but it dosent mean we're all doomed, far from it, but of course the sheeple would start panicking when they cant watch X factor lesbian celebrities dancing in the jungle!!!!