Friday, November 7, 2014

While We Were Busy With Elections

Putin has been busy, too.

A column of 32 tanks, 16 howitzer artillery systems and trucks carrying ammunition and fighters has crossed into eastern Ukraine from Russia, the Kiev military said on Friday.
"The deployment continues of military equipment and Russian mercenaries to the front lines," spokesman Andriy Lysenko said in a televised briefing referring to Thursday's cross-border incursion.
I take this report, like the one from the Russians that Ukrainian government forces have broken the September 5th truce, with some measure of skepticism.

However, the results of our election Tuesday has not solved all the problems in the world.  We still have a huge issue with government debt that isn't going away.  We have inflation in food prices.  We have less than sixty percent of the working age population in the work force.  The Middle East is still a mess.  Ebola is still a problem.  Almost every state is reporting cases of Enterovirus D68, which came up with the illegals from Central America.

From the Russian perspective, the actions by the Saudis to drive down oil prices and crimp off the more expensive U.S. production is a serious economic blow.  As with us, the production costs of Russian oil are much higher than for the Saudis.  The Russians are not only competitive with oil over $100 a barrel, they are making a nice profit.  Not so under $70.  The ruble is under pressure.  Wars have started over less.

There is a rumor that Putin and Obama are going to meet next week.  I don't think Putin likes Obama very much, but he will use him, and he is more savvy than our HKB.  Obama is weaker than ever.  Weak people often become belligerent to mask their vulnerability.

A good, big war takes a number of smaller issues out of the headlines and off the minds of the masses.  The EU is probably not going to have a good winter economically anyway, so what the heck.
Get stocked up and keep stocked up.  

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