Tag: Shipping

House Republicans Propose The Study Of An Oil Naval Blockade Of China

Ms. Cat

The House of Representatives is discussing a move that would effectively amount to an act of war if carried out: a naval blockade on China.

House Republicans Propose The Study Of An Oil Naval Blockade Of China

The following is outdated, especially considering the problems with the US Navy’s LCS ships, but I thought that the bold quote was interesting. I highly doubt that Russia would ever submit to the US!

Related:

[2013] Stranglehold: The Context, Conduct and Consequences of an American Naval Blockade of China

In short, Russia would not only be China’s best hope of overcoming an American blockade, but it would also be the United States’ key to closing China’s transit route through Central Asia and preventing China’s two neighboring oil producers from supplying it with petroleum. In an American blockade of China, Russia’s importance as a swing state cannot be overstated, as is borne out by the observation that “no blockade of China in history has succeeded without Russian acquiescence.”

WHO warns of biological hazard in Khartoum + CIA’s Latest Attempted Coup in Africa

Ms. Cat

One of the warring parties in Sudan has captured a lab with various pathogens, including cholera bacteria, the WHO has warned. A three-day cease-fire brokered by the US is mostly holding. DW has the latest.

WHO warns of biological hazard in Khartoum

Related:

Bombing Khartoum; CIA’s Latest Attempted Coup in Africa

[2017]: Sudanese official defends decision to have CIA office in Khartoum

This is not a race

Ms. Cat

When Emmanuel Macron complained to Biden that the Inflation Reduction Act will hurt European businesses I made fun of him. I made fun of all the European politicians who complained about the IRA because, really, it has always been pathetic to assume someone other than yourself should take care of you and your strategic interests because you’re friends.

This is not a race (original)

China’s Growing Military Might

Ms. Cat

By Brian Berletic

What many in the West at first dismissed as a tantrum thrown by Beijing over the unauthorized visit of US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan appears instead to be a carefully thought-out strategy designed to incrementally reassert Chinese sovereignty over the island territory. Beijing’s ability to do this is underwritten by the nation’s growing military might.

China’s Growing Military Might

Moscow’s New Found Independence + More

Ms. Cat

Moscow’s New Found Independence

Hudson noted, however, that “the biggest beneficiary” of Russia having been laden with sanctions is Washington. This is because Europe, which is heavily reliant on Russian energy, is faced with simultaneous energy and food crises, thus leaving it with little ability to pay attention to other matters.

“Basically, Washington doesn’t care if Russia wins the war [in Ukraine], because the US has succeeded in eliminating its competition in Europe, especially Germany.”

Related:

The International Energy Agency says Western sanctions have had a “limited impact” on Russian oil production

The agency added that the European Union’s commitment to reduce member states’ gas consumption by 15 percent from August 2022 to March 2023 will continue to increase oil demand by about 300,000 barrels per day for the next six quarters.

Shipping oil from the US to Europe costs 12 times more than the start of 2022 as nations continue to shun Russian crude

The Aframax vessels are optimally-sized to dock at European docks, which often cannot fit supertankers, an analyst from E.A. Gibson Shipbrokers told Bloomberg, and the current sky-high rates should remain heightened in the months ahead so long as sanctions against Russia remain.

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“The market consensus was too pessimistic about Russia’s capability to re-route volumes to other buyers,” IEA analysts said. “Russia’s exports adjusted towards other buyers without a serious disruption to its production.”

Biden officials worry their Russia sanctions were so powerful they also brought economic suffering to the US, report says

Ms. Cat1 Comment

Corporate ‘Self-Sanctioning’ of Russia Has US Fearing Economic Blowback

But some Biden administration officials are now privately expressing concern that rather than dissuading the Kremlin as intended, the penalties are instead exacerbating inflation, worsening food insecurity and punishing ordinary Russians [they don’t care about the people, the true purpose of sanctions is to encourage people to overthrow their leader] more than Putin or his allies.

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When the invasion [special military operation] began, the Biden administration believed that if penalties exempted food and energy [what exemptions?!], the impact on inflation at home would be minimal. Since then, energy and food have become key drivers of the highest US inflation rates in 40 years, a huge political liability for President Joe Biden and the Democratic party heading into November’s mid-term elections [they only care about winning the midterms].

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There’s no sign that administration officials feel their sanctions policy was a mistake or that they want to dial back the pressure. If anything, officials have said a key US goal is to ensure Russia can’t do to other nations what it has done in Ukraine [then tell Puppet Zelensky to negotiate instead of flooding Ukraine with weapons!!].

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The Biden administration rejects [denies] any suggestion that sanctions are part of the problem, emphasizing that the US isn’t penalizing humanitarian goods or food, and putting [shifting] the blame on Putin’s decision to attack Ukraine, including by targeting shipping on the Black Sea [which is blocked with mines].

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About 1,000 companies have so far announced that they are curtailing operations in Russia, according to data collected by the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute. That underscores one reason sanctions are so popular with policy makers: They essentially outsource US policy to the private sector [intentional and/or just being lazy?!], which makes it less surgical, less calibrated and less responsive to policy changes, said Smith, the former OFAC adviser.

This becomes important as all sides seek an end to the war [no, they don’t]. The lifting of sanctions can be dangled as an incentive to help bring about a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. But right now it’s hard even to offer that as a potential benefit of entering into negotiations because much of the pullout by American businesses has been self-inflicted [they screwed themselves]. Companies could face public blowback if they are seen as rushing back into the Russian market.

Headline stolen from:

Biden officials worry their Russia sanctions were so powerful they also brought economic suffering to the US, report says