Op-Ed Over At Rigzone Re: Russia-China Gas Deal

Back on June 10, 2014, I wrote a fairly long piece on the implications of the Russia-China natural gas deal. Now, Rigzone has an op-ed on that deal. The US lost this chess match. The "Global Shift" is just one of the "Big Stories" I follow.

Rigzone: Russia-China Gas Deal -- The End of the US-EU Energy Power Play --

All of this means that the leverage enjoyed by the Gulf States such as Qatar – one of the high-profile allies of the United States in the region – will take a beating in a longer timeframe.

The recent European elections also raised a question mark over the mandate enjoyed by the parliament at Brussels wherein the UK, France and Denmark have voted overwhelmingly in favor of Eurosceptic parties.

While the EU is marred by internal bickering, the Russia-China duo are romping away with a great show of unity – at least in inking deals that could diminish the clout of the European heavyweights.

All in all, there is much to ponder and strategize accordingly for the policymakers and statesmen both in Washington and Brussels. For this deal and its ramifications would be felt in the times to come.

There is a common theme running through much of this. It started six to twelve months ago.

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Iraq Imploding -- And There's A Media Blackout On Events?

I don't have cable television, so perhaps the cable news channels are running 24/7 the stories coming out of Iraq, but I doubt it. There is very little even in the print media. My hunch is that "things" in Iraq are much, much worse than any of us can imagine. The bits and pieces I get regarding what is going on in Iraq suggests the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is fairly well organized. My hunch these guys are fresh, well-armed, and very, very "pumped up." On the other hand, the "Iraqi Army" is worn out trying to maintain some semblance of calm over the past several years; is probably quite corrupt from the top down; poorly trained; probably poorly equipped, and, ... scared.