Category Archives: Europe

Lack of Grownups in the Room Exacerbates Bank Freakout

The bank firefighting squad seems to be out on a bender.

Fed, Central Banks Created the Current Crisis and Are on Course to Making Matters Worse

The Fed has a lot of ‘splaining to do, yet seems determined to keep doing the wrong thing.

Turkey’s Opposition Leads in the Polls. Would They Move the Country Closer to the West?

The Turkish opposition’s “memorandum of understanding on common policies” reveals which way they’re likely to steer the country should they win May’s election.

Hoisted from Comments: Rosneft Refinery in Schwedt Continues to Be a Microcosm of Europe’s Sanctions-Induced Energy Mess

A case study in sanctions blowback: how the Rosneft refinery, an important provider of diesel and jet fuel, looks like a stranded asset.

A Feminist Demand on International Women’s Day: Fire Victoria Nuland

If feminists support this Bush-era neocon simply because she is a woman, Victoria Nuland might just burn down the world in a nuclear fire.

The Financial Times’ Martin Wolf Worries About Europe’s Future but Oddly Not the US’

Martin Wolf’s musings about what lies in store for Europe has a huge blind spot as far as the US is concerned.

“How Stupid Do They Think We Are?” Nord Stream Pipelines Bombing Edition

Shameless Nord Stream spin.

The West Goes After LNG in Mozambique Despite Regional Violence That Has Displaced Close to a Million People

The EU and US are trying to replace Russian gas and push China out of the resource-rich African nation.

Coups, Chaos, and the Crumbling of the Francafrique: the Widening War between East and West in Africa’s Sahel

US undersecretary of state Victoria Nuland says to remain calm.

Wolf Richter: US Natural Gas Production Surges to Record in 2022, Up 33% from 2017. LNG Exports Hit Record Despite Freeport Terminal Shutdown

LNG exports to Europe up 150%, exports to Asia and Latin America plunge. Germany buries its head in the sand.

The Widening War: How the Nato-Russia Confrontation Is Playing Out in North Africa

Europe is desperate for North African energy, and yet the West threatens to alienate countries there with its demands they cut ties with Russia.

Why Biden Snubbed China’s Ukraine Peace Plan

The US doth protest too much over China’s napkin doodle peace principles. Why the defensiveness?

The Fiscal Side of Europe’s Energy Crisis: The Facts, Problems and Prospects

A deep dive into the costs and impact of the recent, large-scale European energy subsidies.

Ukraine, Russia, China, and Dealing With Crazy People

What passes for leadership in the West is becoming more agitated, particulalry over Ukraine.

The Irish Question

Brexit fudged the question of the Irish border. The Tory “Ultras” that pushed for a hard Brexit are still loaded for bear on this matter.