How to beat the Bear

The short answer - energy independence. Sounds simple, right? But unfortunately the world is full of nihilist who insist on crippling our ability to work from a position of strength. From the XL pipeline to LNG exports, the environmental nut-cases are on a suicidal course to ensure that Russia regains its superpower status. Not by Russia's show of force but by the West’s alarming display of weakness. And not just in the US. Continental Europe has their share of idiots too. Just look had the hundreds of billions of Euros Germany flushed down the toilet easing on down the road to stupidity with their investment in ‘renewable’ energy. As the west sleeps, the Bear has taken the initiative to put themselves in the position to dictate terms as they effectively invade another country. All the while, the West wets their collective pants and wags a rancorous finger at Putin. And the finger Putin gives back is not his index finger I can assure you.

Does anyone remember the days when the US had an agreement with the Poles to add a missile defense system to their arsenal? Heady days then, amirite? Then came Smart Power - where Obama caves to Russia’s request to renege on the agreement in exchange for diddly-squat. Good times, good times.

But the real power in the world today is energy. Just ask the average Venezuelan. They have the largest oil reserve on the planet but are unable to refine it due to the heavy sulfur content. Back in the days before Thugo Chavez, the US developed the technology to refine this crude and everybody wins. That is until Chavez decides to go all Lenin on everybody and the US shuts down their ability to refine their crud. Doh!

The lesson is to partner with your allies for energy or develop your own reserve and thereby ensuring both national security and economic freedom. You’d a thought we would have learned this in the 70’s when the Arabs decided to flex their collective muscles when they cut off oil from the Middle East. Carter went so far as to create the Energy Department so we would have a government agency to monitor just how screwed we were.

But now, through technology, many countries have discovered the ability to recover energy that in the past was untouchable. Good for us, no? Well now enter stage left the environmental knuckleheads, with no discernible evidence, has decided that all energy is bad, so they mount a crusade to shut down the XL pipeline, LNG exports, Nuclear power plants, Coal plants and any other type of energy source. I am convinced that they will not be happy until we are living in caves with synthetic bearskins and flint knives and wiping our butts with our hands.

So rather than seeing energy independence as a national security necessity, this administration sees it as a political tool. They are incapable of seeing beyond the next election. The greenies have them so tied to the millions of dollars needed to fund their elections that they are willing to forgo the security of, not just Europe. but our own borders as well. Now that’s Smart Power folks.

It might be too late for Ukraine but there are other Baltic states that are more than just a little nervous. Right now the US needs to send a signal to the world that we are prepared to meet Russia head on and hit it where it will hurt the most - in the wallet. Europe is Russia’s largest energy market. Take that away and Putin will be nothing more than a regional thug.