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Wat? Pretty much all eastern/former communist block countries that are in the EU oppose it. That's almost 40% of the block. They can't directly confront Germ

Wat? Pretty much all eastern/former communist block countries that are in the EU oppose it. That's almost 40% of the block. They can't directly confront Germany, but the US can, and it is doing so rightly. The project comprises the long term security of the Nato block, and the said countries have a major distrust towards Russia as it has they have suffered a lot under thier imposed communist regimes. For a bunch of smart people, HN veers too much into hands off 'libertarian' side of things. US lets its hands off in the region, it will slowly be transformed again into a basket case of 'kleptocratic' countries in the way Russia is today. ---- The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Croatia––all highly dependent on Russian gas––signed a petition against Nord Stream 2 in March 2016, highlighting the risks for energy security in Central and Eastern Europe. Italy is in a similar bind. In 2015, Italy accused the EU Commission of applying double-standards when the Commission did not reject the Nord Stream 2 project, as it did with the South Stream––a project which would have benefited Italy’s role as energy hub in the Mediterranean. For this reason, Italy complained about Germany’s influence in the EU Commission and called for equal treatment. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2019/04/22/nord-stream-2-a-failed-test-for-eu-unity-and-trans-atlantic-coordination/ https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2019/04/22/n...

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
FpUser 7y ago
All those countries you mentioned are totally free to buy only from the US. Building a pipeline will not prevent anyone from buying gas from the US as long as it is competitive. The sanctions are mostly trying to strangle competitor/adversary and prop own industry using political means rather then market forces.
- zozbot234 7y ago
  If gas supply based on that pipeline is controlled by a single state actor, that's the definition of not being competitive. The question is, why are people willing to prop up a monopolistic supplier in that manner instead of seeking real energy independence. Because Russian gas is cheaper right now? That's penny-wise, pound-foolish. The first puff is always free!
  - chii 7y ago
    > That's penny-wise, pound-foolish. but if you can pick up the penny(-wise) now, and let somebody else pick up the pound(-foolish), you make bank and leave before the going gets tough.
- detaro 7y ago
  > All those countries you mentioned are totally free to buy only from the US. That has nothing to do with their objections to the pipeline, to the contrary.
- nradov 7y ago
  The Eastern European countries that were formerly occupied by the USSR would prefer to keep Russia economically weak. They don't want to be invaded again.
- mattrp 7y ago
  All those countries actually know what it’s like to live behind the iron curtain and don’t really want to do so again. What should happen is the US should move it’s German bases to a country that actually wants them there like Poland but doing so would probably risk a war. Germany might not like America on their soil but they also have to realize the status quo is certainly better than the alternative. This nordstream project just has German cronyism written all over it and I wouldn’t be surprised if the rest of Europe is worse of because A few kleptocrats had to make a buck. They should be sanctioned quite honestly.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

FpUser 7y ago

All those countries you mentioned are totally free to buy only from the US. Building a pipeline will not prevent anyone from buying gas from the US as long as it is competitive. The sanctions are mostly trying to strangle competitor/adversary and prop own industry using political means rather then market forces.

zozbot234 7y ago
If gas supply based on that pipeline is controlled by a single state actor, that's the definition of not being competitive. The question is, why are people willing to prop up a monopolistic supplier in that manner instead of seeking real energy independence. Because Russian gas is cheaper right now? That's penny-wise, pound-foolish. The first puff is always free!
- chii 7y ago
  > That's penny-wise, pound-foolish. but if you can pick up the penny(-wise) now, and let somebody else pick up the pound(-foolish), you make bank and leave before the going gets tough.
detaro 7y ago
> All those countries you mentioned are totally free to buy only from the US. That has nothing to do with their objections to the pipeline, to the contrary.
nradov 7y ago
The Eastern European countries that were formerly occupied by the USSR would prefer to keep Russia economically weak. They don't want to be invaded again.
mattrp 7y ago
All those countries actually know what it’s like to live behind the iron curtain and don’t really want to do so again. What should happen is the US should move it’s German bases to a country that actually wants them there like Poland but doing so would probably risk a war. Germany might not like America on their soil but they also have to realize the status quo is certainly better than the alternative. This nordstream project just has German cronyism written all over it and I wouldn’t be surprised if the rest of Europe is worse of because A few kleptocrats had to make a buck. They should be sanctioned quite honestly.