‘Europe sanctions Russian oil.’ Statements like this are common in the media (including in my own articles) but they can be misleading. ‘Europe sanctions Russian oil’ makes it sound like there is a single actor, ‘Europe’, who has decided not to buy oil from another actor, ‘Russia’ – in this case because the former disapproves of, or wishes to punish, the latter.
But that’s not what’s going on.
What ‘Europe sanctions Russian oil’ actually means is that European states have prohibited European companies from buying oil from Russian companies. In other words, the embargo involves coercion of European companies by European states. This is not to say it’s unjustified (that’s a separate issue); I’m just pointing out how it really works.
Now, companies are beholden to their shareholders, or to tax-payers if they’re owned by the state. While individual CEOs may have strong, personal convictions for or against the sanctions, they have to do what is best for their shareholders – not what is best for Ukraine, NATO or the West.
So if companies can find a way around the sanctions, while still respecting the letter of the law, they’ll almost certainly take it. They have no interest in complying with the ‘spirit’ of the sanctions. This is particularly true under an oil embargo, since oil is one of the most useful products in the economy.
I previously discussed one way in which companies have been flouting the ‘spirit’ of the sanctions: importing Russian oil that has been mixed with Kazakh oil during transit, and for which they can therefore issue a Kazakh “certificate of origin”.
Recently, someone on Twitter gave this example:
I work as a maritime pilot. Had a Russian ship with oil come into a Dutch port, we passed the breakwaters, swung around and headed out to sea again, to Germany. Magically the cargo was suddenly labelled as ‘Dutch oil’, so the Germans were happy to receive it.
Another way companies can get around sanctions is by buying Russian oil from third parties. It’s well known that India has been importing crude oil from Russia, refining it, and then re-exporting it to Europe at a profit.
Alternatively, other oil exporters can simply buy up the Russian oil themselves. Saudi Arabia has been importing crude oil from Russia, and then setting it aside for domestic consumption. Meanwhile it sells its own oil to Europe at market prices, which greatly exceed those it pays for the Russian oil.
Unless the West literally blockades Russian ports, or manages to convince countries like China, India and Saudi Arabia to go along with an oil-price cap (which seems very unlikely), I can’t see how the embargo will work.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.
Billionaires Fund Extreme Net Zero
latest leaflet to print at home and deliver to neighbours or forward to politicians, media, friends online.
https://youtu.be/QMgr0qbpB9M?si=KIPh36hrS71M0ERN
Mahyar Tousi and a short vid about the German farmers protests.
Downticker – please explain your viewpoint
Leftism
Michael, downtickers are best ignored. I have a couple of trolls always following me.
Happy and go lucky just like Canada! I wonder if the Justin Germans will get heavy handed with them too? I like food! Long live the farmers
https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/25293827/jn1-masks-covid-big-devious-new-strain/
“Professor Peter Openshaw, a virus expert at Imperial College London.”
Despite scores and scores of papers totally refuting the mask nonsense an alleged Professor from wherelse but Imperial College says that they should be reintroduced to combat a virus with symptoms identical to a bad cold / ‘flu.
Conclusion – he is a professor in name only and is decidedly not a ‘virus expert.’ And the final confirmation – he works for the Billy Gates funded Imperial College.
I rest my case.
You beat me to the same conclusion!
The problem is that measures that were once used to (sopposedly) combat a (supposedly) exceptionally deadly virus are now being proposed for respiratory diseases we’ve always tolerated without problem.
It’s as if they are desperate to reduce society’s tolerance level of disease.
That way, more control, more medications.
Bastards.
One of many predictions made by sceptics when this started was that measures allegedly brought in to “combat” “covid” would logically get extended to flu etc, given that “covid” (if it exists) is just another flu/bad cold. Another “conspiracy theory” come true.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/25293827/jn1-masks-covid-big-devious-new-strain/
said virologist is from Imperial College! Who would have thought it. Services to the corruption of science continue.
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/joey-barton-v-woke-united-its-a-walkover/
John Ellwood over at TCW with a delightful article on how Joey Barton is gunning for the wokerati – and winning. Wonderful.
Some twat government minister has decided he has to chip in
Joey Barton comments on women are ‘dangerous’, says sports minister Stuart Andrew – BBC Sport
WTF do we need a “sports minister”? What has sport got to do with the state? They can’t even do the basics.
The see you next Tuesday has said he will “speak to social media companies” to see what can be done about Barton. I hope Musk tells him to do one.
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/vaccine-firms-can-fool-governments-but-not-the-markets/
Paula Jardine on terrific form at TCW where she takes apart the grotesque “vaccine” industry. A couple of billions is small change but the market is collapsing.
“THREE years after the launch of mRNA gene therapy vaccines, all now proven to be both harmful and ineffective, the share prices of all three of the companies involved – BioNTech, Pfizer and Moderna – have plummeted. The invisible hand of the market is acting where governments and regulators refused.”
You can fool some people all of the time! You know the rest
”Adel Sidi Yakoub’s abusive treatment and misogynist views of women are learned from his Islamic faith and his Prophet’s example.”
In a controversial video that has sparked widespread debate on social media, Adel Sidi Yakoub, a French Muslim footballer and TikTok influencer, has publicly outlined a series of Islamic rules that he expects his future wife to adhere to. In his video titled “My wife will not have the right,” which he posted on January 6, Adel, who plays for Entente Sportive Pays d’Uzes in the Gard department, outlines what he describes as “very reasonable” restrictions.
Adel asserts that his wife will be barred from having male friends, emphasizing his role as her only friend and confidant. This is just the start of a series of prohibitions that also extend to her work and social life. He insists she should not work in an environment where men are present and should not travel without him, though he makes exceptions for family members such as her brother or father.
The footballer, who also has a significant following on Instagram with over 83,000 followers, does not stop there. He dictates a strict dress code for his future wife, forbidding her from wearing tight-fitting clothes and suggesting, although not insisting, that wearing a veil would be ideal.”
https://rairfoundation.com/french-muslim-footballer-popular-influencer-lists-his-future/
Oh Mogs, It’s so saddening to witness that video!
I know, Dinger. He’s basically outing himself as a domestic abuser before he’s even got a partner! Where is the respect? Well there is none when you demean women and view them as possessions, mere ‘things’, not remotely your equal, to own and control with zero rights, other than those you deem ‘allowable’. The saddest thing is that this would all be considered ”normal” in the Islamic culture but it’s literal abuse by Western standards. I mean, controlling what somebody wears ( anything other than a tent is forbidden, it looks like ) or forbidding them to go anywhere without you, forbidding your partner from working with men…WTAF is that other than out and out abuse of somebody’s freedom and basic human rights? Sick culture, sick attitude.
I see the resident Misogynist Society disagree though. No surprises there. They love a bit of abuse of/hostility towards women and evidently have serious psychological issues. I just hope none of them are married and/or are the fathers of daughters…. Nasty.
Totally agree
I was brought up to respect and care for women and children, protect and help them, even go to war and die for them (not the king, f him)! I cannot fathom this satanic attitude
Well would you Adam and Eve it…Hardlines has been fiddling with my post, yet again, and has erased the opening paragraph. He’s not happy unless he’s done a shift that has involved editing/removing my posts.
Obviously no explanation given though. Because that would involve basic respect. Free speech for the win, eh?? LOL Don’t stop the censorship whatever you do, Mr Gestapo!
I’m obviously on a ”list”, Dings, the way he continues to follow me around. Who knew little ole Mogs could be so controversial!?
Having read the https://trusttheevidence.substack.com/p/smokescreens-part-7 , it’s statement that “In the most extreme case, barely believable, the Care Quality Commission let the nursing home provider decide the cause of death” reminded me once more of the old Harold Shipman case. The theme of the article being that they just don’t know, and by implication the ONS output was severely undermined.
The post office scandal is tragic, but really old news.
Why is it now all of a sudden mainstream news?
Because it is highlighting exactly what a monumentally hypocritical @$$#0£€ Sir Ed Davey is, and by implication the Lib Dems and the other scum infesting Westminster in general
“scum infesting Westminster in general”
liblabconsgreen!
Boy, do we need change!
He’s also a climate botherer, right dodgy geezer. Was my parents’ MP.
Because there is a film (apparently quite good) on Neflix.
Correction: it’s either BBC or ITV, not sure but basically there is a film that has recently come out about it and it is getting word of mouth traction.
If youre asking why is it being kept in the news, see Boomer Bloke’s answer.
“The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), whose remit is supposed to be to save those in peril at sea, has become a taxi service for illegal immigrants.
The French coastal authorities make no attempt to prevent the dinghies from leaving their shores. Instead, they escort them into English waters, and the RNLI does the rest. The migrants typically arrive in Kent, on the south English coast. Although the migrants keep their documentation to get across Europe, they ditch it once on the water. Doing so prevents British authorities from determining their country of origin and thus makes them more difficult to remove. If the English Channel were trawled tomorrow, more passports and cellphones would be netted than fish.”
https://www.unz.com/article/a-special-relationship-comparing-us-and-uk-immigration/
Thanks team for deleting my other post and thereby confirming that you are neither a true advocate of free speech nor able to handle the truth.
Just thought this was amazingly humorous!
News flash- war is not good for the planet !
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/09/emissions-gaza-israel-hamas-war-climate-change
“Paula Vennells has bowed to pressure to hand back her CBE”
That showed her, ugh!
Now prison for life!
“Lloyds are paying the price for firing Carl Borg-Neal”
I’m sure 800 grand is going to bring lloyds to its knees!
“Why the Rwanda Bill doesn’t go far enough”
Go far enough? It hasn’t gone anywhere!
give us strength!
‘India’s plans to double coal production ignore climate threat”
Then India will prosper!
“Corbyn to join South Africa’s delegation accusing Israel of genocide”
Please Jezza, start your own party! Imagine all the brain dead numptie votes he’ll take off starmageddon if he does!