It's absolutely ridiculous that our gas prices are rising. Companies will use any excuse - even hide behind the horror of Putin's atrocities - as justification for raising prices. Our current inflation isn't largely due to rising costs of materials or lack of labor - it's due to record profits and CEO raises. Cut the profits and the salaries and we wouldn't have this inflation.
Yes, ban Russian imports, absolutely. But sadly it is still the poor who pay for the actions of men in power - both in America and in Russia.
So true— crazy-high CEO raises, companies buying back their stock and increasing dividends to their shareholders, too. Very few media sources question the rise in any prices, but particularly the rise in gas prices and act like it is a given.
Exactly. As for the news... we have to remember that the majority of all our media sources are for profit as well. These are corporations. Which essentially makes our news government-supported propaganda (capitalism is government-supported, let's be honest) They choose to report a narrative that directs the blame away from themselves.
It seems crazy to sanction other aspects of the Russian economy without sanctioning their oil too; hurting the people while still fueling the invasion.
Another point that I don't think has been discussed much: if China knew about these invasion plans in advance, Putin's Oligarchs certainly were told too. I'm sure they took steps to protect themselves from the impact of the sanctions. Again, the Russian elite escape consequence while others suffer.
The problem I see with our oil situation is that our current administration's plan is to buy more heavily from Iran and Venezuela; shifting our funding from one murderous tyrant to another.
The bind we are in is the direct product of flawed environmental thinking: the United States has moved quite a few of its un-green endeavors overseas (Lithium, copper mining, oil drilling) so that our leaders can pat themselves on the back. Now the poor and middle class will suffer the consequences.
Thanks for writing, I enjoyed your work shining a light on this.
Thank you, Cole. You always see all of the facets to a particular issue. I didn't know the intent was to purchase more oil from Venezuela and Iran...not great! And yes, it has been mentioned that Russia prepared in advance for the sanctions, and they probably did, but I don't quite understand why the media is raving about the "crippling sanctions" we and Western Europe have imposed and just waiting for Russia to crumble any day now.
I also think part of the flaw in our environmental thinking is not having the will to shift to renewable energy resources—should have been done decades ago, and I believe it could have been. Now that would be something to pat ourselves on the back about!
It's absolutely ridiculous that our gas prices are rising. Companies will use any excuse - even hide behind the horror of Putin's atrocities - as justification for raising prices. Our current inflation isn't largely due to rising costs of materials or lack of labor - it's due to record profits and CEO raises. Cut the profits and the salaries and we wouldn't have this inflation.
Yes, ban Russian imports, absolutely. But sadly it is still the poor who pay for the actions of men in power - both in America and in Russia.
So true— crazy-high CEO raises, companies buying back their stock and increasing dividends to their shareholders, too. Very few media sources question the rise in any prices, but particularly the rise in gas prices and act like it is a given.
Exactly. As for the news... we have to remember that the majority of all our media sources are for profit as well. These are corporations. Which essentially makes our news government-supported propaganda (capitalism is government-supported, let's be honest) They choose to report a narrative that directs the blame away from themselves.
It seems crazy to sanction other aspects of the Russian economy without sanctioning their oil too; hurting the people while still fueling the invasion.
Another point that I don't think has been discussed much: if China knew about these invasion plans in advance, Putin's Oligarchs certainly were told too. I'm sure they took steps to protect themselves from the impact of the sanctions. Again, the Russian elite escape consequence while others suffer.
The problem I see with our oil situation is that our current administration's plan is to buy more heavily from Iran and Venezuela; shifting our funding from one murderous tyrant to another.
The bind we are in is the direct product of flawed environmental thinking: the United States has moved quite a few of its un-green endeavors overseas (Lithium, copper mining, oil drilling) so that our leaders can pat themselves on the back. Now the poor and middle class will suffer the consequences.
Thanks for writing, I enjoyed your work shining a light on this.
Thank you, Cole. You always see all of the facets to a particular issue. I didn't know the intent was to purchase more oil from Venezuela and Iran...not great! And yes, it has been mentioned that Russia prepared in advance for the sanctions, and they probably did, but I don't quite understand why the media is raving about the "crippling sanctions" we and Western Europe have imposed and just waiting for Russia to crumble any day now.
I also think part of the flaw in our environmental thinking is not having the will to shift to renewable energy resources—should have been done decades ago, and I believe it could have been. Now that would be something to pat ourselves on the back about!