War

[Wisnu]

Crude oil price WTI or brent now more than USD 105 + cracking spread USD 25 - 30 USD. At least USD 130 /bbl --> USD 0.82 / liter

 

[Helpful Herbert]

Only Pertamax not Pertalite. The fact we can still pay 7650 (41p) when in the UK it's £1.63 (admittedly quality is better) is quite remarkable. Not to mention electricity is quite cheap still.
Indonesia could turn out to be one of the best countries to be in for the next few years.

 

[Nimbus]

There is a deep socialist streak in Indonesia, despite being strongly anti communist. The majority expects the government to control the price of basic necessities and keep it somewhat affordable. There’s actually a constitutional mandate for it. An Indonesian government that allows gasoline price to rise too high is a government that will shortly fall.

 

[waarmstrong]

The price of WT Crude dipped below $100 a barrel today in response to the President's announcement that he will be releasing 1 million barrels a day from the United State's strategic reserve. "Experts" think that will reduce the price of petrol by 20 or 30 cents a gallon. Not a lot, I know, but its the thought that counts. Me thinks he may increase the release amount as we get closer to the mid-term election.

 

[fastpitch17]

Meanwhile, aren't pertamina prices at the pump going up in April?

Pertamax is up. 3kilo lpg is said to be going up soon. No Solar in many parts of Indonesia. Best fix, end all subsidizes.

 

[snpark]

Vat also now 11%

 

[Bad_azz]

Human Rights Watch has published details of (alleged) war crimes against Ukrainian civilians...
** TRIGGER WARNING **
There are detailed accounts from witnesses/survivors in this publication of murder/rape.

Ukraine: Apparent War Crimes in Russia-Controlled Areas

Human Rights Watch has documented several cases of Russian military forces committing laws-of-war violations against civilians in occupied areas of the Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv regions of Ukraine.

www.hrw.org

 

[Nimbus]

They deserve it because they’re nazis.

* sarcasm *

 

[Nimbus]

I keep reminding myself that engaging trumpers, Russian bots, and wumaos on social media is unproductive. Downvote or/and report. It’s getting tougher though when I see civilian bodies piling up and these shills keep spreading lies.

 

[fastpitch17]

I keep reminding myself that engaging trumpers, Russian bots, and wumaos on social media is unproductive. Downvote or/and report. It’s getting tougher though when I see civilian bodies piling up and these shills keep spreading lies.

But, when do the world's peoples start pressuring their leaders to say enough is enough and get involved with this genicide to end it? Yeah, oh putin will use a nuclear weapon thing. So, in the mean time, everyone lets him do whatever he pleases. Loss of russian lifes means nothing to him and he will just tell his people that the other side did it since that is all the information they get.

If putin thinks a nuke, chemical, or biological weapon is needed to end his possible embarrasement, he will use them. I think it is time for the world, not just NATO to end this. WWIII? With who? Russia will only get a few small dictator type led countries to join him. China would never. They would rather sit back and figure out what their easy pickings would be afterwards.

The world can not just sit back and be observers.

 

[Dave70]

Alexandra Tchomte (managing partner at Sabar Grupe) garnered more than 800 likes with more than 100 shares since posting below in LinkedIn 5 days ago. She talks about the economy, not politics.

I don't know if it is by pride , stupidity , greed , blindness , ignorance or simply by vanity that European leaders and politicians are literally leading Europe to an inevitable collapse if nothing is done.

The worst part is that many among the European middle class are just lobotomized by constant bombardment of fake news that makes them to live in an alternate reality. It is sad because the masses are those who will feel the consequences of the actions of the European leaders first and they are many.

I know that some Europeans will try to lynch me here with all sorts of arrogant comments and accusations but the reality on ground is different.

Why not sorting out the problem you have with Russia ? Why falling in the trap of Politicians ? Why not negotiating to end that mad war or special military operation or whatever ? I mean real Negotiation and not the type where you send weapons to Ukraine

I mean you greatly depend on Russia for gas , aluminium , palladium , Uranium , semi-finished iron and steel , fertilizers and many raw materials that are critical to your life when Russia depends on Europe for things like wall paper .

Russia is the largest importer of wall paper in the world but who cares about wall paper except a nation that has the means to buy it ?

Soon if nothing is done , Europe will wake up and realise money has become mere papers in ATM machines or mere figures in computers that will not buy much . Indeed the wealth of nations is in their real economy which is the production of goods and services.

How will you produce whatever you are producing without critical raw materials ? By taking them elsewhere ? What elsewhere ? Is that "elsewhere " ready ? Even if you produce , your end products will have zero competitivity in the global market.

Already some European car manufacturers have closed their factories. Prices of commodities are skyrocketing and no amount of printing bank notes can sustain the situation for long. Inflation will knock at the door if this tendency is not stopped.

Yes Russia might be disturbed a bit if all these transactions ended but Europe will go down.
The other reality is that China and Russia relationship is not moving an inch. They are together for life. Even the BRICS is becoming stronger and stronger.

Why refusing to understand that it is not about Ukraine as Ukraine might be a scapegoat? Ukraine looks like the alibi of the crime of some hidden forces.

I realise that for the first time the African leadership is taking a new positive trajectory when the European leadership is jeopardizing Europe.

I realise that the world can be multipolar yet in peace with itself if Politicians take the right decisions.

###

 

[Nimbus]

Alexandra Tchomte (managing partner at Sabar Grupe) garnered more than 800 likes with more than 100 shares since posting below in LinkedIn 5 days ago. She talks about the economy, not politics.

I don't know if it is by pride , stupidity , greed , blindness , ignorance or simply by vanity that European leaders and politicians are literally leading Europe to an inevitable collapse if nothing is done.

The worst part is that many among the European middle class are just lobotomized by constant bombardment of fake news that makes them to live in an alternate reality. It is sad because the masses are those who will feel the consequences of the actions of the European leaders first and they are many.

I know that some Europeans will try to lynch me here with all sorts of arrogant comments and accusations but the reality on ground is different.

Why not sorting out the problem you have with Russia ? Why falling in the trap of Politicians ? Why not negotiating to end that mad war or special military operation or whatever ? I mean real Negotiation and not the type where you send weapons to Ukraine

I mean you greatly depend on Russia for gas , aluminium , palladium , Uranium , semi-finished iron and steel , fertilizers and many raw materials that are critical to your life when Russia depends on Europe for things like wall paper .

Russia is the largest importer of wall paper in the world but who cares about wall paper except a nation that has the means to buy it ?

Soon if nothing is done , Europe will wake up and realise money has become mere papers in ATM machines or mere figures in computers that will not buy much . Indeed the wealth of nations is in their real economy which is the production of goods and services.

How will you produce whatever you are producing without critical raw materials ? By taking them elsewhere ? What elsewhere ? Is that "elsewhere " ready ? Even if you produce , your end products will have zero competitivity in the global market.

Already some European car manufacturers have closed their factories. Prices of commodities are skyrocketing and no amount of printing bank notes can sustain the situation for long. Inflation will knock at the door if this tendency is not stopped.

Yes Russia might be disturbed a bit if all these transactions ended but Europe will go down.
The other reality is that China and Russia relationship is not moving an inch. They are together for life. Even the BRICS is becoming stronger and stronger.

Why refusing to understand that it is not about Ukraine as Ukraine might be a scapegoat? Ukraine looks like the alibi of the crime of some hidden forces.

I realise that for the first time the African leadership is taking a new positive trajectory when the European leadership is jeopardizing Europe.

I realise that the world can be multipolar yet in peace with itself if Politicians take the right decisions.

###

Freedom is not free.

 

[Nimbus]

But, when do the world's peoples start pressuring their leaders to say enough is enough and get involved with this genicide to end it? Yeah, oh putin will use a nuclear weapon thing. So, in the mean time, everyone lets him do whatever he pleases. Loss of russian lifes means nothing to him and he will just tell his people that the other side did it since that is all the information they get.

If putin thinks a nuke, chemical, or biological weapon is needed to end his possible embarrasement, he will use them. I think it is time for the world, not just NATO to end this. WWIII? With who? Russia will only get a few small dictator type led countries to join him. China would never. They would rather sit back and figure out what their easy pickings would be afterwards.

The world can not just sit back and be observers.

Dialog doesn’t work with people paid to spread propaganda, like Putin bots and wumaos. Their livelihood literally depends on spreading lies.

It doesn’t work with flat earthers and trumpers either. Have you ever tried to convince a Christian that the Resurrection did not happen? Me neither.

I like dialog, but I’m also a pragmatic. There comes a time when talking is no longer appropriate, so you just need to defeat them.

 

[fastpitch17]

The above joker lost me when fake news was mentioned coming from Europe. I think everyone is well aware where the propaganda comes from.

Afican company. Russia has been investing quite a bit as of late into Africa. That investment fawcet is slowing to a drip right now. African companies that get their fingers on some are of course upset. The anti American voicesbare strong there in her replies. Oh well, at keast Americans are primarily anti putin but as the butchering continues of Ukraineans, russian citizens will have blood on their hands too. We have seen the media, French, German, US, Japan, England, and even the Middle East medias showing the on scene barbarian practices of the russian troops against the Ukrainians civilians. We have also heard the russian fake news propaganda. Even Fox News who have people on the ground are reporting how russians are commuting war crimes constantly. Maybe not the prime time mouth pieces but the actual news department is.

Economically, sure, the world is going to feel it but she forgot to mention that fixes for a lot of it are already in the works. Russia in the end will collapse economically before much damage is done elsewhere.

 

[fastpitch17]

Dave70 must be rejoycing. Support these butchers, the blood spreads to your hands.

This is Sasha. During the evacuation from Vyshorod in Kyiv oblast, his boat came under Russian fire, and Sasha went missing.

Today Sasha was found dead. He was 4 years old.

Since the beginning of the new Russian invasion, at least 165 Ukrainian children have died. https://t.co/sdjCCCetyo

 

[Nimbus]

The official CCP line is that all the problems are America and Europe’s fault. An internal propaganda video paints Putin as a hero.

Bristling Against the West, China Rallies Domestic Sympathy for Russia

China’s Communist Party is mounting an ideological campaign aimed at officials and students. The message: The country will not turn its back on Russia.

www.nytimes.com

I miss the part where America and NATO threatens Putin so he invades Ukraine against his will. The logic is not strong with this one.

 

[Nimbus]

Dave70 must be rejoycing. Support these butchers, the blood spreads to your hands.

This is Sasha. During the evacuation from Vyshorod in Kyiv oblast, his boat came under Russian fire, and Sasha went missing.

Today Sasha was found dead. He was 4 years old.

Since the beginning of the new Russian invasion, at least 165 Ukrainian children have died. https://t.co/sdjCCCetyo

According to Russia and China:

• There is no proof it was the Russians
• Ukrainian Nazis did it to make Russia look bad
• She’s still alive, her death is fake news
• It’s NATO and America’s fault
• Your mom

* half sarcasm *

 

[Dave70]

Why refusing to understand that it is not about Ukraine as Ukraine might be a scapegoat? Ukraine looks like the alibi of the crime of some hidden forces.

I agree with Alexandra that Ukraine might be the scapegoat as the US regime change war against Russia started years ago. In 2019, RAND Corporation published their paper discussing methods used to enact regime change and destroy Russia. The obsessive focus on ruining a country is extremely sick. Consider this in context with the NATO expansion, the agenda becomes quite clear. Destroying a country means unrest, civil war, and the collapse of social services. To consider this as some kind of game in which we “win” against another nation is moral evil.

The narrative “Russia attacked another country” is simplistic and totally devoid of any historical, geopolitical, and real-world context. No wonder it is the position of most people. In the era of people having attention span the size of a text message, anything beyond “A attacked B” is sophistry.

Nonviolent Ways the United States Could Exploit Russian Vulnerabilities

Despite its vulnerabilities and anxieties, Russia remains a formidable opponent in a few key domains. What non-violent, cost-imposing measures could the United States pursue to stress Russia's economy, its military, and the regime's political standing at home and abroad?

www.rand.org

 

[Nimbus]

I agree with Alexandra that Ukraine might be the scapegoat as the US regime change war against Russia started years ago. In 2019, RAND Corporation published their paper discussing methods used to enact regime change and destroy Russia. The obsessive focus on ruining a country is extremely sick. Consider this in context with the NATO expansion, the agenda becomes quite clear. Destroying a country means unrest, civil war, and the collapse of social services. To consider this as some kind of game in which we “win” against another nation is moral evil.

The narrative “Russia attacked another country” is simplistic and totally devoid of any historical, geopolitical, and real-world context. No wonder it is the position of most people. In the era of people having attention span the size of a text message, anything beyond “A attacked B” is sophistry.

Nonviolent Ways the United States Could Exploit Russian Vulnerabilities

Despite its vulnerabilities and anxieties, Russia remains a formidable opponent in a few key domains. What non-violent, cost-imposing measures could the United States pursue to stress Russia's economy, its military, and the regime's political standing at home and abroad?

www.rand.org

Fancy words don’t change the fact that Russia invaded Ukraine, destroyed its cities, and murdered its civilians. Ukraine did not attack Russia first, and is never a threat to Russia.

I’d like you to tell Ukrainians who lost their family members that they’re just ignorant of the geopolitical context.

What a steaming pile of garbage.

You got a problem with USA? Have a go at USA. Pick a guy your own size. Leave little Ukraine out of it.

Putin had been successful in installing his lackey in the white house. He got no grounds to complain about America personally targetting him and his oligarch.

 

[Bad_azz]

The propaganda that is being spouted is just inconceivable if one stands back & just looks at the situation as objectively as possible.

Basically Russia wants us to believe that Ukraine is mass murdering its own citizens- ok yes that has happened in the past- Pol Pot/Cambodia being a prime example Stalin another...
However cluster bombing entire regions/cities to my knowledge has not ever been the MO for doing that. it is too much of a noisy death when they could do something much sneakier and quieter as has happened in the past.
It isn't credible, when quite clearly the missiles are coming in from sites external to Ukraine- offshore/Belarus.
Ethnic cleansing has been selective historically & people being 'liberated' were glad to be 'rescued'. This is quite clearly not the case in Ukraine, we have all seen videos of the protests.
Some of the videos were fact checked to be from a different place/time - and have to be discounted as evidence. [I say 'some' but I have only found one so far specifically being a mass protest]

Eye witness reports are credible and are being gathered by HRW and other legitimate independent bodies to ensure clear & documented evidence is available for any future legal proceedings.
Drone footage is being shown and being matched up with locations and evidence.

At this time it all points to one thing:
Putin and his supporters are trying to sow seeds of doubt, enough to cause distraction but in all reality they are just banking on the divisions that have been created by years of them sowing dissent online.
Quite clearly Russia is throwing lines of propaganda out on a story here or a story there, but the big picture shows that Russia is the aggressor.
There is no challenge to that. Russia itself has put forward no clear challenge to that. Initially Russia could not clearly state why they went in, they came up with contrasting reasons until they decided on a party line of denazification.
Denazification itself doesn't add up- if that was what they were doing why kill / attack Jews and Jewish sites indiscriminately? Remember the holocaust memorial?

Yes, re the story of Sasha there are different lines to it- I have seen multiple sources- details aren't the same, some say he was 6 some say he was 4. Some say Ukraine is to blame most say Russia is to blame.
Harsh as it might sound- this is one small and very beautiful child who is now dead because of this war.
The bullet that hit him if it was Russian or Ukraine doesn't really have a bearing on the big picture. The big picture is that he (and many others) would be alive if there had been no war.

Yes it is tragic , yes it is downright bloody awful that children are being killed, don't get me wrong, my heart bleeds for all the innocents caught up in this, but I am trying to be completely objective as I look through things that are going on.
What we are looking at is 2nd hand because NONE of US are there seeing it first hand.
We have to rely on the reports coming out but so many of them are coming from independent reporters, freelance journalists, and videographers. Many of whom have been killed doing their jobs. Can we honestly say they have all been paid/conditioned to not do the jobs they excel at and just believe one bias, do you honestly think these seasoned journalists en masse are not checking out the evidence, questioning it and reporting it?


Secondary source material has value, primary source material has more value- however I do NOT plan on popping over to that region to take a look for myself. So we have to rely on eye-witness accounts.

One rule for those of us looking at things online- check the source. Another rule- is the material purely designed to trigger emotions or does it have a broader message?

With all the documentation (videos/pictures/testimony) coming out from the cities that were occupied by Russians it is very hard not to be triggered emotionally. To be able to have a balanced view we have to be able to look at the evidence with some emotional distance and balance it.

Yes, I have been emotionally affected by sights of a man whose face was blown off, yes I have been affected by the witness testimonies of women who were raped. Yes, I look away (but try not to) when it shows people's pets that have been shot.

Any human with empathy would be disturbed.
I have been disturbed greatly by it all, I am not squeamish, far from it, I can deal with traumas, blood, guts and death.

I am grateful that I am not living it, as so many Ukrainians are.
I am sickened by the acts that humans commit against each other.

Furthermore, I am sickened by the people who go online (from their little place of safety) and try to justify what is being done.
Would they stand up in a room of people in full view and make the same statements?
Do they have the courage of their convictions? Do they have any actual, credible evidence to back up their big picture?

I wonder what is actually going on inside their brains. Is it that they get a perverse kick out of being obtuse, do they just want attention, are they being paid to create division, are they psychologically sick?
Do they really believe that the rest of us are completely incapable of research (I mean proper research- not just Wikipedia & a few biased articles) I don't have the answers to that either.

The big-picture question I have in all of this was, is and will continue to be "Why?".

Why would Putin send his troops? Why would he shut down all independent media in his own country? Why are other countries standing back and letting thousands and thousands of civilians be slaughtered? I have a list of "whys".
The only logical answer coming to mind at this stage is - Ukraine has something that Russia wants- lots of somethings. Russia is trying to justify its aggression when in actual fact it is basically wanting to pillage and occupy a country that has a vast supply of resources. and a strategic location.

Anyhow I rattled on long enough.
Those are my thoughts on all of this and those who think it is fun or some kind of kick to get attention for themselves by making bizarre statements or provocations can go sit in a corner and do some deep self-reflection for all I care. Or they can just Foxtrot Oscar.