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The Soviet Union was a reliable energy supplier to (West) Germany even at the height of the Cold War. Ostpolitik was the dominant mode of thinking across party
by unmole 5y ago
The Soviet Union was a reliable energy supplier to (West) Germany even at the height of the Cold War. Ostpolitik was the dominant mode of thinking across party lines. The West has never had any qualms about buying oil and gas from the worst regimes in the world. This outrage over buying from Russia while turning a blind eye to Arab monarchies seems rather perfomative.
- JumpCrisscross 5y ago> outrage over buying from Russia while turning a blind eye to Arab monarchies seems rather perfomative The Arab monarchies largely keep their messes in their own backyards. When there has been leakage, it has been limited. Russia rolling tanks into Europe is so harebrained it creates a new category of security risk we haven’t had close to home in a while: that of a madman.
- unmole 5y ago> creates a new category of security risk we haven’t had close to home in a while And Europe is reacting to it appropriately. My point was that it's ultimately about geopolitics, not the feigned morality the GP was alluding to.
- throwaway48375 5y ago>The Arab monarchies largely keep their messes in their own backyards. When there has been leakage, it has been limited. 9/11
- rswail 5y agoI wouldn't call 9/11 "limited". Nor is Yemen, or, earlier, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Iran etc. The fundamental of all of these is oil and now, gas. Removing the demand for these will remove the necessity of engaging with these propped up monarchies and autocracies.
- JumpCrisscross 5y ago> wouldn't call 9/11 "limited" Relative to what's going on in Ukraine, it is. 9/11 was a massive terrorist attack. Next to the scale of state-on-state warfare (a category it does not belong in), it was a rounding error. Agree that de-carbonising our economy will remove our need to support these regimes.
- cout 5y agoWhat do you mean by "performative"?
- unmole 5y agoI mean the "How can you buy oil and gas from a murderous dictator?! He bombs innocent people!" style virtue signalling.