Category Archives: Politics

Poor Dumb Bast*rds

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An article in The Telegraph notes that Taliban fighters who have moved to Kabul are already fed up with traffic congestion, boring jobs and crime.

Huzaifa, a 24-year-old former sniper, was enrolled in the capital’s police department on arrival. He echoed his comrade’s disdain for office life.

“The Taliban used to be free of restrictions, but now we sit in one place, behind a desk and a computer 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Life’s become so wearisome; you do the same things every day,” he said.

Another former insurgent said- “I sometimes miss the jihad life for all the good things it had”.

The poor dumb bastards. After driving out and humiliating the West, they are left to face bad traffic and thieves in the big city.

Meanwhile, the Taliban has been scraping away the rights of women in the country. Women are now second-class citizens in Afghanistan. It is the only country in the world that forbids women and girls from attending secondary school and university. Male health care workers are now banned from caring for women. The health situation for women in Afghanistan is dire. On top of this women are required to be covered head to toe in public and escorted by a male chaperone virtually everywhere they go. Punishment for infractions can be vicious. Outside aid by NGOs or other influence has been curtailed by the Taliban.

This kind of malignant patriarchy is suffocating Afghan women and has stunted their development. The large scale maltreatment of women is a crime against humanity validated by male selfishness and stupidity. You’re right- I don’t understand Afghan culture and history. I’m sure there is much positive to be said for it. You can try to be respectful of the culture and beliefs of others, but at some point it can cross the line into plain old cruelty.

Furious Russians on Television

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In following the savage Putin war against Ukraine I have become partial to watching short video’s on TVP’s Military Mind via YouTube. TVP is Polish public television. They have unique and up to date war footage and coverage every episode. The war footage they get is mostly drone or smart phone in origin and is pretty rough but it gives a sense of what it is like on the ground. If you are expecting politically balanced war reporting, this is not the place to get it. This Polish station is clearly wary of Russia, or Putin at least, and it’s geopolitical intentions.

Recently there was a particularly disturbing clip on TVP taken from a Russian television show called The Evening With Vladimir Solovyov . Solovyov is a state television mouthpiece for Putin. The format has guests standing at widely separated podiums and taking turns venting their sometimes murderous outrage. In it was a guest named Yevgeny Satanovsky who is President of the Institute of the Middle East who gave a very calm and matter-of-fact opinion on how to deal with their true enemies, the Americans. Russian TV has been startingly vocal about their perception of the “American threat” and what we deserve for standing up against them. From the Daily Beast article–

“First of all, our main enemy is certainly the United States. What does the U.S. react to? They react to two things: the threat of physical annihilation and the liquidation of a certain number of military personnel. What we know based on wars in Vietnam and Korea is that several tens of thousands of annihilated American servicemen will cause the public opinion in the U.S. to be severely strained. I will repeat: not several thousand, like in Afghanistan or Iraq, but a certain number of tens of thousands. Who will liquidate them, where they will be liquidated and in what way is completely irrelevant, but this is one of the objectives if we want to influence the American leadership. We have absolutely nothing to lose.”

Satanovsky concluded that based on how the Americans fought in Korea and Viet Nam, America could be counted on to limit it’s involvement up to a maximum of several “tens of thousands” of US casualties. They feign awareness of our dirty little secret of squeamishness about the body count in foreign engagements. Satanovsky said several times that Russia must “liquidate” several tens of thousands of Americans in order to stop America’s support of Ukraine. This is the key to American disengagement he says.

Resorting to grotesque threats in the same program, Andrey Kartapolov, head of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee, addressed the West with a line from an old Soviet movie: “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt when we cut your throat. We’ll slice just once and you’re in heaven… Our victory will take place wherever the Russian soldier will stop—and wherever he stops, from there he will never leave.”

Americanist Dmitry Drobnitsky commented: “In our country, we embraced one American we wouldn’t want to kill: that would be Tucker Carlson.” This is pathetic beyond words.

All of this is content generated by the host and his guests. But, their sentiments clearly are in line with the Kremlin’s interest in popular support for Putin’s war and antagonism towards the west. Much public sentiment seems to be tied up in national loss of face from the Russian military’s poor performance in the war but not so much in the actual need for the war. If you watch a few of these episodes you’ll see guests venting their white hot rage at America for it’s support of Ukraine peppered with references to WWIII and nuclear war with the west.

Propaganda, /ˌpräpəˈɡandə/, noun: information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

Americans should view some of this Russian television content to get an idea of the anti-American, anti-western bile being spewed continuously by the Russian propaganda apparatus. The Kremlin has been a master of propaganda for many years. They know the value of repeating big lies over and over. Unfortunately, certain Americans have been using this technique on our own population as well.

Hegemony, /həˈjemənē,ˈhejəˌmōnē/, noun: leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others. “Germany was united under Prussian hegemony after 1871”

At present, Russia is publicly stamping their feet in outrage over western interference in their dirty little invasion, making every threat they can imagine. At the same time, actors for the state continue to conduct wave after wave of attacks on the west over the internet. Others are covertly interfering with our politics by trying to destabilize democracy. The overall goal the Russian’s share with China is to deflate American hegemony in the world and replace it with their own. You know, just your basic quest for world domination. It never ends.

Wyoming state senator back pedals on EV ban

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An article in the Washington Post today reveals that state senator Jim Anderson who introduced the resolution to ban EV sales by 2035 in Wyoming is now saying that he doesn’t “actually” want EV sales phased out. He said that he has no problem with EVs at all. Instead, he and other legislators have a problem with California’s plan to ban gas-powered vehicles. Anderson said, his bill was “just a resolution saying, ‘We don’t like your bill that you did.’”

It is no secret that regulations made in California often spread to the rest of the country and this seems to be part of the issue for the tit-for-tat in the Wyoming statehouse. Plainly this is a real worry for some. But to fire up the legislative machinery and produce a resolution grumbling about another state’s switch to EVs seems to be a bit of impotent GOP grandstanding. I’m sure it plays well in the Cowboy State. No worries about this tempest in a teapot. EVs will share the road with gas and diesel pickup trucks in Wyoming and the US for a long time to come.

Wyoming wants to ban sales of new EVs by 2035

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The Wyoming legislature has produced SJ0004 – Supporting the phasing out new electric vehicle sales by 2035. Below is a copy of the proposed bill. It’s just a joint resolution. Am I surprised that the square state sitting just north of my square state has produced this? Not in the least.

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. SJ0004

Phasing out new electric vehicle sales by 2035.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Anderson, Boner, Cooper and Dockstader and Representative(s) Burkhart and Henderson

A JOINT RESOLUTION

for

A JOINT RESOLUTION expressing support for phasing out the sale of new electric vehicles in Wyoming by 2035.

WHEREAS, oil and gas production has long been one of Wyoming’s proud and valued industries; and

WHEREAS, the oil and gas industry in Wyoming has created countless jobs and has contributed revenues to the state of Wyoming throughout the state’s history; and

WHEREAS, since its invention, the gas-powered vehicle has enabled the state’s industries and businesses to engage in commerce and transport goods and resources more efficiently throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, Wyoming’s vast stretches of highway, coupled with a lack of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, make the widespread use of electric vehicles impracticable for the state; and

WHEREAS, the batteries used in electric vehicles contain critical minerals whose domestic supply is limited and at risk for disruption; and

WHEREAS, the critical minerals used in electric batteries are not easily recyclable or disposable, meaning that municipal landfills in Wyoming and elsewhere will be required to develop practices to dispose of these minerals in a safe and responsible manner; and

WHEREAS, the expansion of electric vehicle charging stations in Wyoming and throughout the country necessary to support more electric vehicles will require massive amounts of new power generation in order to sustain the misadventure of electric vehicles; and

WHEREAS, the United States has consistently invested in the oil and gas industry to sustain gas-powered vehicles, and that investment has resulted in the continued employment of thousands of people in the oil and gas industry in Wyoming and throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, fossil fuels, including oil and petroleum products, will continue to be vital for transporting goods and people across Wyoming and the United States for years to come; and

WHEREAS, the proliferation of electric vehicles at the expense of gas-powered vehicles will have deleterious impacts on Wyoming’s communities and will be detrimental to Wyoming’s economy and the ability for the country to efficiently engage in commerce; and

WHEREAS, phasing out the sale of new electric vehicles in Wyoming by 2035 will ensure the stability of Wyoming’s oil and gas industry and will help preserve the country’s critical minerals for vital purposes.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING:

Section 1.  That the legislature encourages and expresses as a goal that the sale of new electric vehicles in the state of Wyoming be phased out by 2035.

Section 2.  That the legislature encourages Wyoming’s industries and citizens to limit the sale and purchase of new electric vehicles in Wyoming with a goal of phasing out the sale of new electric vehicles in Wyoming by 2035.

Section 3.  That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, each member of Wyoming’s congressional delegation, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the governor of Wyoming and the governor of California.

The NOTAM Issue

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Recently, the FAA had a fiasco with its NOTAM service. Departures were halted system-wide and there was general fear and loathing in the air transport industry. According to Flying magazine, in a preliminary statement the FAA is claiming the cause of the shutdown was related to a damaged database file. The purpose of the NOTAM is to provide important and current information to pilots. There have been facile comparisons to the previous fiasco with Southwest Airlines. Easy does it there folks.

NOTAM used to stand for Notice To Airmen. It was changed to Notice To Air Missions. I guess this is now gender neutral.

Meg Godlewski at Flying magazine writes-

NOTAMs provide essential information to pilots about the abnormal status of a component of the national airspace system, such as ground-based navigational system failures at airports, GPS outages, and facility closures. Pilots are required to check for NOTAMs pertinent to for their departure airport, route, and destination as part of preflight planning.

The content of a NOTAM is written in a highly abbreviated manner. This continues from the days of the teletype machine where brevity was important due to the limitations of communication technology. An example of a NOTAM from an FAA website is shown below-

e. Changes to usable runway length and declared distances

EXAMPLES-

…RWY 19 THR DISPLACED 300FT MARKING NOT STD. DECLARED DIST: TORA 6827FT TODA 6827FT ASDA 6827FT LDA 6527FT. ….
…RWY 01 DECLARED DIST: TORA 6827FT TODA 6827FT ASDA 6527FT LDA 6527FT. …

NOTE-

Runway 19 threshold is displaced 300 feet, therefore the Runway 19 landing LDA is shortened by 300 feet. The LDA and ASDA for Runway 1 are also shortened by 300 feet.

EXAMPLE-

…RWY 05/23 NE 500FT CLSD. DECLARED DIST: RWY 05 TORA 7002FT TODA 7002FT ASDA 7002FT LDA 7002FT. RWY 23 TORA 7002FT TODA 7002FT ASDA 7002FT LDA 7002FT. …

NOTE-

Construction on Runway 05 requires 500 feet to be closed to protect a construction area thus changing declared distances to Runways 05 and 23.

EXAMPLE-

…RWY 08/26 CHANGED TO 10000FT X 150FT. DECLARED DIST: RWY 08 TORA 9000FT TODA 9500FT ADSA 9000FT LDA 9000FT. RWY 26 TORA 9000FT TODA 9000FT ASDA 9400FT LDA 10000FT….

Notice that each example has a “translation” in plain English. It seems like there is no longer a technology-related need for this kind of abbreviated and cryptic text.

In government there is a general hesitancy to fund upgrades to infrastructure, unless maybe it relates to defense. An upgrade of the NOTAM system isn’t like executing a moon landing or splitting the atom. It is plainly needed IT work and when the congress gets through parading their indignity in front of the cameras, they should be able to get started on funding and mandating a fix in the system.

Opinion Polling in Russia, 1/5/23

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The internet magazine Spiegel International, January 5, 2023, has an enlightening interview piece with the independent Russian opinion pollster and sociologist Lev Gudkov. His organization is the Levada Center which is described as the only independently operating opinion research institute in Russia.

Let’s cut to the chase. The tone of the interview is quite depressing in a near term if peaceful resolution of the Putin war is your hope. In case you were harboring the view that a groundswell of popular Russian sentiment against their country’s hostilities in Ukraine might lead to a change in policy in the Kremlin anytime soon, you will be disappointed because that is not what the polling suggests.

The polling also suggests that public sympathy for the plight of the Ukrainians is near zero. The idea of Ukraine as a sovereign state is not popular among the public.

When asked about public skepticism of the war effort-

DER SPIEGEL: What reasons do people give for their skepticism?

Gudkov: They say the operation is taking too long, that no progress has been made. People worry almost exclusively about their own country’s military defeat, the chaos in the army, the incompetence of the leadership. For years, they were told that the Russian army was the strongest and had miracle weapons, but that myth has evaporated.

DER SPIEGEL: The war itself isn’t being questioned.

Gudkov: No, the attacks on Ukraine and the massacres play no role. The Russians have little compassion for the Ukrainians. Almost no one here talks about the fact that people are being killed in Ukraine.

When asked about popular response to the war-

DER SPIEGEL: So they avoid it.

Gudkov: The war has exposed mechanisms in society that have existed since Soviet times. Out of habit, people identify with the state and adopt its rhetoric about their fatherland’s struggle against fascism and Nazism, just like they did in Soviet times, to justify the situation. It’s all been present in people’s minds for quite some time, and propaganda has activated these patterns. They block out any compassion and empathy for what is happening in Ukraine. Those feelings only apply their own dead and wounded soldiers, “our men.”

Other points made by Gudkov-

  • The potential for substantial public civil unrest was low in Soviet times and it remains so today.
  • Sanctions mostly affect the 20 % urban middle class.
  • Mobilization lead to decreased support for the war.
  • Mobilization was seen as a sign of defeat.
  • People are unwilling to protest because of the police and repression.
  • Fear of nuclear war has built up since the annexation of Crimea. “Soviet stereotypes were serviced, such as the complex of Russians supposedly living in a besieged fortress, being victims and not being liked by anyone.”
  • Gudkov says “In my opinion, the “Putinian” person is a continuation of the Soviet person, but the former is deeply cynical, confused and disoriented. The Soviet person knew that life was not rich, that there was a constant lack of something, be it goods or variety. But they believed that things would get better with time“
  • Russian trust in Ukraine collapsed with the loss of President Viktor Yanukovych who was loyal to the Kremlin.
  • Television broadcaster Margarita Simonyan famously said that if Russia loses “we will all end up in court in The Hague, from the janitor right up to the leaders.” It sounds laughable but who knows how much hyperbole people will absorb?

Russian state control of the media has been very successful in controlling the views of the population as has isolation from outside media. The challenge a belligerent Kremlin poses to the west and to democracy will be with us for a long time. Capitulating to Putin’s Kremlin would be a very regrettable mistake.

We Don’t Understand Russia

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I believe that we in the US must understand that Russia has a history and perspectives that are very different from our own. We have very different languages, alphabets, traditions, folklore and lessons from history. Russia’s land was invaded in WWII by a very capable and violent enemy. Russians suffered and died in great numbers under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin. Russian civilian and military losses during WWII have been estimated to be as high as 40 million dead. Russians continued to suffer in the suffocating grip of Soviet socialism until the collapse of the USSR. These dreadful experiences are layered over a long history that has never been exposed to the liberal democracy or free market capitalism that Americans have benefitted from immensely and take for granted.

It has been my habit to be circumspect about Russia. I studied a bit of Russian language in college, have a handful of Russian colleagues and have been to Russia on business. I enjoy 18th and 19th century Russian literature. I’m certainly no Russia scholar but I am sympathetic towards ordinary Russians who suffer under government repression and subsistence living, especially outside of Moscow or Saint Petersburg. Repression and poverty have been with Russia throughout history. Russia was an absolute monarchy up to the Bolshevik revolution in 1905-1917. It was a feudal society operating under a manorial system. Serfdom was common in Tsarist Russia from as early as the 12th century until 1861 when it was abolished. The Bolshevik revolution put an end to Tsarist rule with the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in 1917 and murder of the Tsar and his family in 1918.

Today, President Vladimir Putin and his political machine have fabricated reasons to justify a violent military invasion in order to fulfill his dream of the unification of a greater Russian empire. Putin knows he won’t be stopped by a political uprising in his country. He seems quite confident that he can unleash brutal violence on the Ukrainian people without worry of a significant backlash at home. The people who fled Russia during the recent conscription are not present to protest against the war effort.

It is easy to believe that if anyone is the first to release a nuclear weapon, it is likely to be Putin or a successor. Release of a nuclear weapon will only be a difficult decision the first time. Once unleashed somewhere, reluctance for use will drop across the world.

The mountain of sanctions on Russia has had the side effect of bolstering Putin’s case that Russia is suffering from oppression from its western enemies. Putin’s response has only been to ratchet up the shelling of Ukraine. He will weaponize everything within his grasp and bring his hammer down as powerfully as he can.

My point today is that the EU, USA, and NATO must be extremely cautious with Russia in the present period of conflict yet maintain vigorous support for Ukraine and other border countries. Ukraine must be supplied with as much firepower as possible without direct conflict between NATO and Russia. Fortunately, that seems to be what is happening so far. While there are two opposing uniformed armies, Putin is using civilian collateral damage in Ukraine as a strategy to terrorize the population into submission.

My concern is the uncertainty of long-term political stability in US policy towards Russia, Ukraine and support for NATO. The US must maintain a firm opposition to Putin’s expansionism. Putin (and Xi for that matter) is clearly aiming to topple US hegemony in the world and would like nothing more than to see the US recede in influence. If you are not from the US, maybe this doesn’t sound so bad. But someone will aim for global hegemony and get it. Who is the least unfortunate choice?

Unfortunately, the disastrous presidency of Trump in the US gave the world in general, and Russia and China in particular, the impression that the US was in cultural decline due to moral corruption. We were perceived as a tired superpower rotting from within. A power vacuum will always be filled by some nation either abruptly or a centimeter at a time.

The political situation for Lukashenko in Belarus seems very precarious. It is hard to believe that he is a complete patsy for Putin. Knuckling under to Russia has to chafe at least a little bit. Russia has amassed firepower along the border joining Belarus and Ukraine and seems poised for action. Putin is also threatening Moldova over the safety of Russian troops in Transnistria. Any European state sharing a border with Russia has much cause for alarm. I’m guessing that Poland is worried about Russia capturing land to join the Kaliningrad Oblast to the rest of the country.

Putin will stop his aggression only when he is dead. Even then, a successor like Medvedev would likely continue the autocratic trend begun by Putin. Autocracies are notably difficult to take down. This war can play out in any number of ways.

The Dear Leader is Trafficking in Trading Cards

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Former president #45 has announced on his Truth Social platform that he will be offering “Limited Edition” NFT trading cards of himself in various costumes and poses for $99 each. According to the website, with every card you purchase, you’ll be entered into sweepstakes for a bonus offering of prizes- many of which are a chance to bask in the shadow of the impeached man himself. The cards feature images of #45 posing as a western lawman, astronaut, zillionaire, golf great, right-stuff jet pilot, football player, NASCAR driver, and boxing champ. They hit all the stereotypes of the All-American hero.

The Non-Fungible Token form of the card is as weightless and ethereal as his alleged “greatness”. Your NFT will take up residence in the incomprehensible upside-down world of the blockchain.

>>> I would post a picture but I don’t want to soil the interwebs with #45’s picture any more than it already is. <<<

The disclaimer at the bottom of the webpage says that NFT INT LLC is not owned, managed, or controlled by #45 or his companies.

It’s all very funny but also a little sad and maybe cynical. This NFT as an item of commerce rests on the assumption that supporters of #45 function at a level that thinks that buying trading cards featuring a cartoon of a swaggering gas bag is a good “investment” and are willing to pay $99 a pop for a kitschy fantasy image. I guess you could print out an image on your $89 home Agilent printer then tape it to your refrigerator.

As a business model, this has a certain appeal. No production expenses other than some graphic art, a website, setting up an LLC and a bank account in the Cayman Islands. Everything is online and automated. The electronic media are providing free publicity in the form of news segments just like they did during the 2016 presidential election. Word of mouth does the rest. It is a money machine where you put in pennies on one side and dollars come out the other end plus it shouldn’t require very much supervision. Looks like a good online hustle.

On Being Woke

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I’ve found that when things look wildly complex, stepping back and rebuilding from basic principles sometimes helps. We live in a noisy and troubled time. Electronic media has amplified everyone’s voice and connectivity. People are naturally attracted to negativity and many are happy to stir the pot for the wrong reasons.

At present it is popular in conservative circles to publicly accuse liberals of being “woke”. The public figures who hurl this “accusation” do so with the vote-seeking intent of demeaning individuals and groups by highlighting a contrast. Wokeness is conflated with excessive permissiveness, moral fragility, feeble mindedness, wasted money and ill-informed generosity with those who are purportedly undeserving. It is a rhetorical device that paints a picture of “us vs them”. Woke is taken to be counter to the longstanding ideal of meritocracy.

The definition and background of “woke” can be found in Wikipedia. Broadly speaking it refers to being aware of social inequalities. Lately it has been transmogrified into an epithet. But is it really a recent phenomenon? I would say “no”. It is in part a recent variant of long-standing conservative doctrine. That would be the libertarian notion that government should not commit resources to the poor and disadvantaged. To take resources from people already outraged by federal governance and taxation and then redistribute it to the needy is regarded as theft and a violation of our freedom and liberty and is, ultimately, un-American.

To be woke is to be aware of social inequity- past, present and future. Reading, talking to people, empathizing and thinking can and will make a person woke. The study of history reveals, among other things, the human brutality that was common in the past. The history of mankind reveals repeated episodes of conquest, persecution, slavery and mass slaughter. We humans have devised a wide variety of brutal and hideous ways of killing each other- from stabbing, hanging, shooting, clubbing, drowning, electrocuting, poisoning and starving. Our clever species is good at inventing and using weaponry to help fulfill the urge to dominate.

Others may view history and current affairs differently. They may see social Darwinism at work where the unfit are destined to fall to the wayside and die out. Holding a predilection to dominate may be seen as simply survival of the fittest. It is only natural they’ll say. And that is true, it is natural. But there is an avoidable dark side. The current example is in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. He wants to Russify the former Soviet states. His public rationale is to recover what he believes was once a “Great” Russian empire. In exchange for the government staying out of their lives, Russian citizens have agreed to stay out of politics. Look at what’s happened. Putin has constructed a power base and is building an empire the old-fashioned way- by a scorched earth invasion. This is a kind of social Darwinism at play, but at a terrible cost. Social equity is not in the equation.

To be against social equity is quite easy. Simple ignorance of facts or the shape of one’s belief structure is all it takes. But the lack of civility and compassion in people is far more than a simple shortage of facts. It is one thing to be merely ignorant of facts. It is quite another thing to remain ignorant in the presence of fact. The idea of social equity stands on the merits of being kind to fellow beings.

I’m not able to come up with a mathematically concise rationale on the merits of being kind based on just the laws of physics. The inanimate universe has no empathy or consciousness. Numerous religions present kindness as an expression of the divine. But religion can venture into the idea that we should be kind because the Deity says so. Being kind to one’s fellow man because the Deity says so and backs it with the threat of eternal punishment rings of insincerity and action under duress. It more resembles the Deity in the image of man by way of a theological Stockholm Syndrome. What underpinnings are there for the existence of a secular kindness for its own sake without the threat of supernatural punishment?

This is a topic for another day. Today I do not have an answer for a secular basis for kindness. I’m sure someone has already cracked this nut. That said, good ideas are where you find them and for that we can look to the past.

Pleas for kindness have been made early on, notably in religious writings such as in the Book of Matthew, 5:3-12. These are the Beatitudes-

3Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the Earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be satisfied.
7Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called the Sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Whether you believe in a Deity or not, aligning with the gentleness suggested by the Beatitudes is at the center of what wokeness means. What in the hell is wrong with this?? Even if you are a secular bugger like me, there is tremendous sensibility here. If this is woke, then I’m woke.

If you have the chance sometime, ask a fan of Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis or Lauren Boebert what precisely is wrong with the kindness inherent in being woke? What sort of hold do these public figures have on us that leads us to be against something as humane as wokeness? Are we such a simpletons that these people can lead us around by the nose by cynically rousing anger and hatred in us.

It is true that wokeness can have extreme elements that may be difficult or impossible to attain. Progressives have been known to have a utopian bent just like libertarians have had, only in the opposite direction. We should realize that wokeness is a direction, not a place. It’s a big challenge for some folks. Just remember, it is possible to eat an elephant, but with one bite at a time. Let’s start lunch with basic kindness and build from there.

Oil Tanker Shipments

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The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is a primary source of data relating to global petroleum and distillate use. It follows production, transport and prices. In addition to supplying data, they provide some interpretation of the global picture. There is so much BS circulating about fuel costs that a credible source of information is welcome.

Oil tankers come in two varieties- clean and dirty. A clean tanker hauls low-sulfur distillates. A dirty tanker hauls crude oil. Since the invasion of Ukraine, tanker shipments from Russia to the west have fallen off and longer voyage shipments have increased. This has increased the cost of transport and floating storage of petroleum and distillates. In the time between February 2022 and November 2022, Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) rates from the Middle East to the US Gulf Coast (USGC) have more than tripled. The rates from USGC to Rotterdam have increased from $8.00 to more than $27.00 per metric ton. Rates of shipments on Suezmax ships have also tripled. Dirty tanker rates from Russian ports in the Baltic and Black Sea have gone up due to increased insurance rates. Also, add to all of this the increased cost of bunker fuel for longer voyages.

Shipments of LPG (propane) have been delayed by long waiting times for passage through the Panama Canal. Congestion at the Neopanamax locks has led to increased scarcity of Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGC). Propane is both a fuel and an industrial feedstock. Propane is dehydrogenated to propylene and used for the production of polypropylene. Propane is also a fuel whose demand is highly seasonal with greatest demand in the winter months. VLGCs in the Middle East are drawn out of the area by better rates in the US, creating scarcity there.