That $83B settlement figure points to a glaring trend in the Public Accounts. The "Contingent Liabilities" for Indigenous claims now often exceed the entire annual operating budget for Indigenous Services. We see this pattern in committee transcripts constantly. MPs debate the upfront cost of water infrastructure, the funding gets deferred, and the government eventually pays more in legal settlements than it would have cost to fix the pipes in the first place.
It's astonishing that commentators like the authors of the pipeline story have no energy industry background and can't produce a lick of data to support their argument. Your nonsense is grounded in nothing more than industry talking points. Go read some global energy demand modelling studies. If you have the courage, find some Chinese oil demand modelling studies. Then you'll understand why the argument for a second West Coast pipeline is completely bogus.
Alternatively, maybe understanding isn't what you're after...
I'm not sure what you mean. Mark Cameron has extensive energy industry and policy background, he's currently a VP with the Pathways Alliance. Arash is a petroleum engineer. Their report, which is linked in our newsletter, is heavily backed up by data. You may disagree with their data or their interpretation of it. But to say their report is nothing more than "industry talking points" is an unfair slur.
No, it's a fair slur. The fact that your writers and sources aren't aware of the contradictory data doesn't validate your analysis. BTW, I've interviewed Mark Cameron. He is the very definition of an industry talking point. And the fact that you think a petroleum engineer is a credible source for a discussion of the business case for a pipeline is another point in my favour.
I'll go one further. Your story is nothing more than agitprop. It is not credible, and I've got the data and international energy expert interviews to prove it. You and your authors do not. It's as simple as that.
I'm afraid that this never-ending argument for another pipeline to the west coast is an ongoing failure of imagination and constructive planning for action. A major issue (other than no private investors or proven market) is that bitumen is a toxic combination of heavy oil and chemicals. All evidence indicates that a spill in salt water would be minimally recoverable, and environmentally disastrous (to say nothing about destroying Indigenous lifestyles and BC's lucrative tourism industry). Plus exporting another raw natural product not only means we don't harvest full value, but it does not aid our sovereignty. We can drill all we want but if all the refineries are on foreign soil, they can chose not to take Canadian product (as we know Venezuela also has heavy oil).
If we refine it ourselves, we can ship less hazardous oil and if there are no buyers, we can sell within Canada. Eastern Canada imports foreign oil for their needs. David Black and Premier Eby are not stupid men, and their proposals advocating refining should have at least as much or more attention paid compared to consultants and journalists.
We should obviously also be looking to add additional energy to the grid (which should be expanded) through wind, tide, solar and geothermal generation - all sources that we have an abundance of in Canada.
BTW, have you read the report in question? It's full of unsupported assumptions that should make your eyes roll. For example, the authors make much of the relative emissions-intensity of Alberta heavy sour crude. But that's a canard. The real argument against the pipeline is economic. There is no business case for it. If you understood global heavy crude supply and demand, you'd understand that. But both you and your authors don't know what you don't know. And the fact that your authors don't know is an indictment of the report and your story.
Yes I have read the report. The business case is a separate question from the focus of their report, which is the substitution effects of Canadian oil and gas on global emissions, which I find persuasive. I know Mark, and he's not an industry shill by any stretch of the imagination. And the reason I mention Arash's training as a petroleum engineer is because in your original comment you complained that the authors of the report had no energy industry background. Which you now cite as proof that they are industry shills. Nice try, but I'm not going to play games.
Ah, you took the quick path to exiting the argument. How typical. Unable to defend your story, just as Cameron and Arash can't defend their argument (which, btw, is ridiculed in many expert circles).
The fact that you find their argument about substitution effects on global emissions is telling. There is no substitution effect. No one is buying LNG or heavy sour crude on emissions-intensity. There is no carbon premium. At least not in the markets that count. The argument against both more Canadian LNG and a pipeline is technological and economic.
You, and your authors, clearly can't keep up in this debate. Duly noted. I'm done here.
Mr. Hislop, over the course of this brief exchange you have asked for data, and for credentials. When presented with both, you have asserted that the data is "contradictory" and that their industry credentials -- which you demanded they have -- are proof that they are industry shills. Yet you yourself have presented no data and no arguments, all you have done in your four comments is insult me, insult the authors and accuse everyone you disagree with of intellectual dishonesty and/or cowardice. Forgive me for having better things to do.
But I'll tell you what. Write a data-driven rebuttal of the PPF report, publish it in the Tyee or whichever other outlet you prefer, and if it has a reasonable amount of intellectual credibility and rhetorical magnanimity, I'll gladly link to it in our next newsletter.
Brilliant framing on the emissions displacement argument. The PPF report basically flips teh conventional climate calculus by looking at what Canadian energy actually replaces rather than just what it emits. I've seen this dynamic play out in corporate energy procurement decisions where purchasing cleaner sources from responsibel jurisdictions actually lowers net global footprint even if individual emissions seem higher on paper. The real challenge though is making sure export growth genuinely displaces dirtier supply instead of just adding to total consumption.
it won't be long before someone makes that their home I suspect or they build empires on protecting it all - the washroom police. Empires built on a mess, again.
broken yet forgotten? https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-an-impatient-mark-carney-would-rather-bypass-the-public-service-than/ those with passion, determination, motivation and innovative ideas need not apply. Keep it status quo milk the mess raise the ranks the motto I see it every damn day and shake my head at it all. Let many messes as I have integrity, morals, values and standards but some don't I don't know how they sleep at night. At the end of the show they will be judged...
what drives them completely over the edge to commit murder? that is the question... why do people do what they do. Otherwise we are merely throwing money into a fire pit. I worked for that fire pit for close to a decade, the stuff I saw there incredible. https://nationalpost.com/news/the-rcmps-annus-horribilis
Is it genetics, situation, environment, blood thirsty? parenting etc... who knows.
One of the rare moments when the only possible reaction is "Damn. This shit is too demented to be written by ChatGPT." Some real head-lodged-fully-up-asshole level of neofascist, nerd reich wanna ignorance. Congrats!
Its damn well incredible how dilapidated some of the reserves are. Where does all that money go? https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/planned-government-spending/government-expenditure-plan-main-estimates/2025-26-estimates.html billions upon billions is any of it being held accountable and responsible in spending. The least we should have in this country is a standard set for potable water, sewage, hydro, and medical (just the basics we don't need to put a third breast on anyone or an eye under someone's arm pit just cause they feel special etc..). Every Canadian deserves a foundation of essential services be it the feds handing out funding to ensure those services are there and the provinces plus territories as well with some sort of accountability, standards and responsibility at all government levels.
What's the point of having government if it can't even tie its own shoes? As we go rescue the world yet we can't rescue ourselves first - co/dependency is. The need to rescue others without rescuing self first. Always rescue self first before others. As per the pre-flight preparation security statement - put your mask on first! they state.
Has anyone at INAC even been out to an aboriginal community as they sit behind a desk feasting off it all. Much of the problem with the feds is they sit at the 90000ft level. And, most bureaucrats have never even seen much of canada let alone try to manage it all at the 90000ft level.
I passed by the homeless shelter yesterday 3 audis sitting in the parking lot, I guess someone someplace is feasting off of other's hardships. Empires built on a mess I have seen this many many times now at the federal level.
Where the heck is the pipe? sometimes I think they are talking about crack pipes. It just amazing me that we can't process our own petroleum products esp in that we were one of the first wells in the world https://uwaterloo.ca/wat-on-earth/news/field-tripping-north-americas-first-oil-well Like I said before, we had it all in this country not so much so anymore.
So much in-house fighting and broken systems with broken promises.
Pirate like now, just go take over a territory claim it as your own. Next Greenland and the Artic? where will we stand, can we stand or too weak and vulnerable now. National defense, yikes!
And as oil comes down, it has to come down to keep inflation down and interest rates thus housing. The need to print/borrow money to no end and sell the country off (bonds- inversely correlated to interest rates).
Keep that oil to yourself. Its like having a delicious chocolate bar on a ship wrecked island.
Oil is going to become very very precious. 47 years left of the 'easy' to get at stuff https://www.worldometers.info/oil/ as we boil it, dig deeper for it, push it out with polymers, go way out to sea etc...
Debt velocity of money and oil runs this show. Will we ween ourselves off it soon, doubt it. Not until we are down to the last drop.
I have not been to Africa but I will visit the Amazon soon and this massive waterfall https://iguazufalls.com/national-park/ which sits between Argentina and a BRICS member...
Shall be interesting to see - the people, terrain, culture, economics, food etc.. etc... One foot on Argentina siding with the pirate the other siding with BRICS. Hoping my pipes don't freeze while I'm basking like a lizard eating coconuts not worrying about much cause yah probably don't need much there to survive - shorts shoes optional and just fine beaches and coconuts! what more do you really need out of life really. Some higher power provided it all for us but we fools kinda mess things up in greed. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolution-of-the-self/201210/greed-the-ultimate-addiction
lets face it the airline industry sucks in canada.
Nice airport! though but not much inside it syndrome. The costs are high and the seats are confined. When in so called developing nations, I call them over developed cause they have faced the music of jam packed cities where your neighbor can look up your rear end pretty much and inflation went haywire etc etc... in those countries you can fly way over the mountains and anywhere for under 100CAD and a bus for under 20CAD for a 4-6 hour trip. I'm not sure how they do it - labor costs low? I'm sure the cost to buy and maintain the aircraft is the same as we pay cause there isn't much competition in that domain anymore - the two giants airbus and Boeing. I try to stay away from he 737 max. Yah, sure everyone says - its safe come join in the fun. Like doing crack or something. Its fun I guess? for that moment in time.
So, the aircraft (canadian airline) down to a BRICs country was packed. The young person in front of me decided it would be great if they had a recliner almost right in my face. The seats are so close as it is. And, we're stuck in a seat with no window. Who builds such aircraft. I guess it could be some structural thing perhaps as we were right by the wing.
An overnighter, red eye. So we fell asleep missed our hot meal. We have to go chasing down the attendant. They kind of look at us strangely and said don't fall asleep next time. So odd, reminds me of going to the store last day and I had a question for the person at the desk regarding technical features. They said - good morning in a condescending way of arrogance. It was the afternoon. Whatever. Such is customer service now in canada. Everyone above other humans I guess. It too degrading? I don't go shopping enough to really judge it.
We managed to get our food. It was slop. Must be either made by prisoners or its the same food that prisoners eat? jail house food. Small, wet looking odd kind of portions of gunk. Something my dog wouldn't eat and it eats anything pretty much. When in so called developing nations, the airlines give you a hot meal. I was going from the islands to panama some time ago on a so called 'developing nation' aircraft. Superb service, hot hamburgers! right on! for just a 2 hour flight. In our world, North america we'd get a little cookie and a juice box. Plus those recycled wood cutlery which is ok, better than plastic that sits for decades in our landfills. That's another matter as we love our garbage (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/fifth-estate-recycling-1.6410657https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canadians-produce-more-garbage-than-anyone-else-1.1394020 ) as a consumer nation. We bury our problems then dress it up in a nice bow.
The cookie we got with our meal was rock hard I'm sure if I could throw it out of the aircraft it would not break apart as it hit the ground. The eggs, I think that's what they were, soggy and wet like. One little sausage that tried to make its mark in life grey like and it looked like a worn piece of sock. Yuk is all I can say, jail house food. Don't know who is making these food purchases but I think Gordon Ramsays better have a chat with them. In fact, I think we need a Gordon Ramsay for a complete clean up, fix up and rebuild. That won't happen though we're delicate snowflakes now and the system will ensure of that. Made to fail. Evil by our side now as its fun to dance in the endless mud. Stuck on stupid we are, insanity is...
Then comes the mounds upon mounds of customs, scan all your stuff again as though your did a drug deal in the sky. Then the human maze through the duty free section. Booze, t-shirts and sunglasses the prices so marked up. But, yah need suckas without much thinking power nor will power to buy buy buy. https://www.c-span.org/clip/white-house-event/user-clip-bush-shopping-quote/4552776
It amazes me the hyper inflation in some of these countries where you are paying 200 bucks for a box of cereal. The prices are all the same as America and I suspect they are controlled by some giant someplace setting the standard rate on pricing.
Then comes the traffic, have to de-learn all the rules enforced and etched into your neurons. The cops aren't there to catch speeders nor wrong doers mostly there for show. Unlike America, if you have a cop behind your back you better pull over. The cops here have their lights on all the time, again for show of force I suspect. No one pulls over everyone goes about their day. Motorcycles whizzing in and out of traffic and anything pretty much goes. Again, you have to de-learn all the rules etched into your head. And, rethink organized semi-chaos to some degree.
Everyone is trying to sell something we call them socialistic states, yet really everyone is trying to sell something. And, you want medical you will be paying. What freebees. And, security everywhere as though paranoia will destroy yah. I suspect as these economies collapsed key things happen as dictators take fold - paranoia as fear is used <link> and probably military might as well to instill fear <quote dictators> Socialism, farthest thing more like capitalism hope for the best there is not much of big government here to protect your soul and make you dependent on them. I think they have been there done that learned their lessons. Maybe, us not so much so. When is our next bailout, handout and buyout.
Government will protect us right? Hmmm, self serving entity it is now.
Product selection is minimal as giants have a grasp on the nation. Yet, luckily locals have smaller outlets to sell local produce all the fresh non-GMO fruits and veggies you could so desire. Not sprayed for they are grown locally. Try that in america during the winter months, again our dependencies on giants and big government. Here yah just need shorts t-shirt shoes optional (seen many on a motorbike with no shoes yesterday) and all the fresh fruits and veggies you can so desire. What more do you really need out of life. As some higher power provided it all. But, we humans kinda f-up a good thing, greed and chasing the almighty buck to sooth our soul like a bad addiction eh!
Instead of looking backwards we better look forwards.
That $83B settlement figure points to a glaring trend in the Public Accounts. The "Contingent Liabilities" for Indigenous claims now often exceed the entire annual operating budget for Indigenous Services. We see this pattern in committee transcripts constantly. MPs debate the upfront cost of water infrastructure, the funding gets deferred, and the government eventually pays more in legal settlements than it would have cost to fix the pipes in the first place.
It's astonishing that commentators like the authors of the pipeline story have no energy industry background and can't produce a lick of data to support their argument. Your nonsense is grounded in nothing more than industry talking points. Go read some global energy demand modelling studies. If you have the courage, find some Chinese oil demand modelling studies. Then you'll understand why the argument for a second West Coast pipeline is completely bogus.
Alternatively, maybe understanding isn't what you're after...
I'm not sure what you mean. Mark Cameron has extensive energy industry and policy background, he's currently a VP with the Pathways Alliance. Arash is a petroleum engineer. Their report, which is linked in our newsletter, is heavily backed up by data. You may disagree with their data or their interpretation of it. But to say their report is nothing more than "industry talking points" is an unfair slur.
No, it's a fair slur. The fact that your writers and sources aren't aware of the contradictory data doesn't validate your analysis. BTW, I've interviewed Mark Cameron. He is the very definition of an industry talking point. And the fact that you think a petroleum engineer is a credible source for a discussion of the business case for a pipeline is another point in my favour.
I'll go one further. Your story is nothing more than agitprop. It is not credible, and I've got the data and international energy expert interviews to prove it. You and your authors do not. It's as simple as that.
I'm afraid that this never-ending argument for another pipeline to the west coast is an ongoing failure of imagination and constructive planning for action. A major issue (other than no private investors or proven market) is that bitumen is a toxic combination of heavy oil and chemicals. All evidence indicates that a spill in salt water would be minimally recoverable, and environmentally disastrous (to say nothing about destroying Indigenous lifestyles and BC's lucrative tourism industry). Plus exporting another raw natural product not only means we don't harvest full value, but it does not aid our sovereignty. We can drill all we want but if all the refineries are on foreign soil, they can chose not to take Canadian product (as we know Venezuela also has heavy oil).
If we refine it ourselves, we can ship less hazardous oil and if there are no buyers, we can sell within Canada. Eastern Canada imports foreign oil for their needs. David Black and Premier Eby are not stupid men, and their proposals advocating refining should have at least as much or more attention paid compared to consultants and journalists.
We should obviously also be looking to add additional energy to the grid (which should be expanded) through wind, tide, solar and geothermal generation - all sources that we have an abundance of in Canada.
BTW, have you read the report in question? It's full of unsupported assumptions that should make your eyes roll. For example, the authors make much of the relative emissions-intensity of Alberta heavy sour crude. But that's a canard. The real argument against the pipeline is economic. There is no business case for it. If you understood global heavy crude supply and demand, you'd understand that. But both you and your authors don't know what you don't know. And the fact that your authors don't know is an indictment of the report and your story.
Yes I have read the report. The business case is a separate question from the focus of their report, which is the substitution effects of Canadian oil and gas on global emissions, which I find persuasive. I know Mark, and he's not an industry shill by any stretch of the imagination. And the reason I mention Arash's training as a petroleum engineer is because in your original comment you complained that the authors of the report had no energy industry background. Which you now cite as proof that they are industry shills. Nice try, but I'm not going to play games.
Look, oil companies need a business case to operate. No business case no profit no business. It really is that simple.
Ah, you took the quick path to exiting the argument. How typical. Unable to defend your story, just as Cameron and Arash can't defend their argument (which, btw, is ridiculed in many expert circles).
The fact that you find their argument about substitution effects on global emissions is telling. There is no substitution effect. No one is buying LNG or heavy sour crude on emissions-intensity. There is no carbon premium. At least not in the markets that count. The argument against both more Canadian LNG and a pipeline is technological and economic.
You, and your authors, clearly can't keep up in this debate. Duly noted. I'm done here.
Mr. Hislop, over the course of this brief exchange you have asked for data, and for credentials. When presented with both, you have asserted that the data is "contradictory" and that their industry credentials -- which you demanded they have -- are proof that they are industry shills. Yet you yourself have presented no data and no arguments, all you have done in your four comments is insult me, insult the authors and accuse everyone you disagree with of intellectual dishonesty and/or cowardice. Forgive me for having better things to do.
But I'll tell you what. Write a data-driven rebuttal of the PPF report, publish it in the Tyee or whichever other outlet you prefer, and if it has a reasonable amount of intellectual credibility and rhetorical magnanimity, I'll gladly link to it in our next newsletter.
Brilliant framing on the emissions displacement argument. The PPF report basically flips teh conventional climate calculus by looking at what Canadian energy actually replaces rather than just what it emits. I've seen this dynamic play out in corporate energy procurement decisions where purchasing cleaner sources from responsibel jurisdictions actually lowers net global footprint even if individual emissions seem higher on paper. The real challenge though is making sure export growth genuinely displaces dirtier supply instead of just adding to total consumption.
ah look ottawa is getting a new homie shelter - https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/downtown-ottawa-getting-a-new-place-to-go-when-you-gotta-go/
it won't be long before someone makes that their home I suspect or they build empires on protecting it all - the washroom police. Empires built on a mess, again.
huh who would have ever thunk it https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-wake-up-canada-the-trump-doctrine-is-aimed-at-us/
broken yet forgotten? https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-an-impatient-mark-carney-would-rather-bypass-the-public-service-than/ those with passion, determination, motivation and innovative ideas need not apply. Keep it status quo milk the mess raise the ranks the motto I see it every damn day and shake my head at it all. Let many messes as I have integrity, morals, values and standards but some don't I don't know how they sleep at night. At the end of the show they will be judged...
wtf? https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-ottawa-canadian-researchers-universities-funding-elbows-up/
confident in canadian made? https://ottawacitizen.com/public-service/defence-watch/canadian-forces-space-project don't think so...
echiwawa say its not so! https://ottawacitizen.com/public-service/defence-watch/mriya-report-donations. My old boss has seen some corruption, but he hears no evil, speaks no evil sees no evil. Typical.
how much is this costing? https://globalnews.ca/news/11609761/canada-gun-buyback-pilot-25-guns/ maybe its better to find out why people do what they do? as our neighbors to the south mass produce guns to no end. If a criminal wants a gun they will get a gun at any means. Luckily nut cases are rare amongst us humans. Do guns kill or do people kill people? our serial killers, mass murders etc... who are they? https://watch.plex.tv/movie/ted-bundy https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wicked-deeds/202402/the-extreme-narcissism-of-serial-killer-btk https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-22/cannibal-and-serial-killer-jeffrey-dahmer-is-caught https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/robert-pickton https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/articles/canadas-most-prolific-serial-killers https://www.npr.org/2019/01/30/690016982/toronto-gardener-pleads-guilty-to-killing-8-men-some-of-whom-were-buried-in-plan https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2010/10/21/130723912/canadian-military-officer-sentenced-to-life-for-murders etc... etc... how to stop them who knows...
https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-ties-between-crime-and-malignant-narcissism#1 https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2024/04/05/does-the-human-warrior-gene-make-violent-criminals-and-what-should-society-do/ they are your dictators too seeking more power/control/fame/fortune at any costs (financial/legal,physical,emotional etc... https://www.castanet.net/news/In-A-Pickle/499884/Spotting-the-games-narcissists-play ) https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/dictator-psychology/
what drives them completely over the edge to commit murder? that is the question... why do people do what they do. Otherwise we are merely throwing money into a fire pit. I worked for that fire pit for close to a decade, the stuff I saw there incredible. https://nationalpost.com/news/the-rcmps-annus-horribilis
Is it genetics, situation, environment, blood thirsty? parenting etc... who knows.
One of the rare moments when the only possible reaction is "Damn. This shit is too demented to be written by ChatGPT." Some real head-lodged-fully-up-asshole level of neofascist, nerd reich wanna ignorance. Congrats!
Its damn well incredible how dilapidated some of the reserves are. Where does all that money go? https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/planned-government-spending/government-expenditure-plan-main-estimates/2025-26-estimates.html billions upon billions is any of it being held accountable and responsible in spending. The least we should have in this country is a standard set for potable water, sewage, hydro, and medical (just the basics we don't need to put a third breast on anyone or an eye under someone's arm pit just cause they feel special etc..). Every Canadian deserves a foundation of essential services be it the feds handing out funding to ensure those services are there and the provinces plus territories as well with some sort of accountability, standards and responsibility at all government levels.
What's the point of having government if it can't even tie its own shoes? As we go rescue the world yet we can't rescue ourselves first - co/dependency is. The need to rescue others without rescuing self first. Always rescue self first before others. As per the pre-flight preparation security statement - put your mask on first! they state.
Has anyone at INAC even been out to an aboriginal community as they sit behind a desk feasting off it all. Much of the problem with the feds is they sit at the 90000ft level. And, most bureaucrats have never even seen much of canada let alone try to manage it all at the 90000ft level.
“It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.” https://fee.org/articles/30-priceless-quotes-from-the-great-thomas-sowell/
I passed by the homeless shelter yesterday 3 audis sitting in the parking lot, I guess someone someplace is feasting off of other's hardships. Empires built on a mess I have seen this many many times now at the federal level.
Ah, our fine leaders. A drama teacher at the helm of the ship what could go wrong did go wrong. People starting to notice merely have a cabinet shuffle or rename the dept/agency to something else and voila is shinny again. And, where the heck is all that billions going to this guy? Now its rather cute that he can do this https://kzok.iheart.com/content/2022-03-18-watch-the-ukrainian-president-play-the-piano-with-his-penis/ but, is all that money being accounted for? This comes to mind https://www.gmichaelhopf.com/hard-times
Where the heck is the pipe? sometimes I think they are talking about crack pipes. It just amazing me that we can't process our own petroleum products esp in that we were one of the first wells in the world https://uwaterloo.ca/wat-on-earth/news/field-tripping-north-americas-first-oil-well Like I said before, we had it all in this country not so much so anymore.
So much in-house fighting and broken systems with broken promises.
Should we be giving all our resources away for peanuts? https://financialpost.com/commodities/energy/oil-gas/why-canadian-oil-is-sold-at-a-discount don't think so.
I suspect Venezuela was trying really hard to hold onto that oil such lush jungles, beaches, and mountain ranges down there- soon one big shopping mall? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLODGhEyLvk The american virus, but what is even made in america anymore https://thereitis.org/bush-pr-team-covers-china-stamp-with-made-in-usa/ as it has an addiction problem https://www.c-span.org/clip/call-in/user-clip-addicted-to-oil/4484705 needs a 12 step program? https://www.zdnet.com/article/might-as-well-face-it-youre-addicted-to-oil/
Pirate like now, just go take over a territory claim it as your own. Next Greenland and the Artic? where will we stand, can we stand or too weak and vulnerable now. National defense, yikes!
Got oil I would not flaunt the stuff not now with all the giants wanting to gobble it up in no time I suspect during our lifetime we'll see these wells go black https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-oil-gas-extraction-tracker/tracker-map/
And as oil comes down, it has to come down to keep inflation down and interest rates thus housing. The need to print/borrow money to no end and sell the country off (bonds- inversely correlated to interest rates).
Keep that oil to yourself. Its like having a delicious chocolate bar on a ship wrecked island.
Lord of the flies comes to mind there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjApB6IiQKE
Oil is going to become very very precious. 47 years left of the 'easy' to get at stuff https://www.worldometers.info/oil/ as we boil it, dig deeper for it, push it out with polymers, go way out to sea etc...
Thus, the pirates need that oil at all costs to keep inflation down and interest rates. That casino has to rock and roll! (wall street https://hbr.org/2010/10/dopes-and-dopamine-the-problem inside job https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2IaJwkqgPk and wall street https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-Q9AOp2FW8
So, who is the aggressor and the bully anyhow? who dropped the first nuclear bomb? EU vs Russia didn't seem to go off with a bang yet https://time.com/7338115/putin-issues-warning-to-europe-russia-ukraine-peace-talks/ nor china vs taiwan blowing up the AI tech boom
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/30/how-are-chinas-new-war-games-around-taiwan-different-from-earlier-drills
https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/why-russia-and-china-are-sitting-out-venezuelas-clash-with-trump-0fcc7710
Everyone had a gun to everyone's head but the only one that fired a shot was? the pirate...
Now what? as they burn through 300B barrels of oil. Rock and roll machine but the planet? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_boundaries
Debt velocity of money and oil runs this show. Will we ween ourselves off it soon, doubt it. Not until we are down to the last drop.
I have not been to Africa but I will visit the Amazon soon and this massive waterfall https://iguazufalls.com/national-park/ which sits between Argentina and a BRICS member...
There was this local that ran across the Sahara though https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4lQkc19FEE https://www.rayzahab.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_the_Sahara https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/nothing-is-impossible-for-ray-zahab biked with his brother a few times way back when many moons ago. Those were the days!
Shall be interesting to see - the people, terrain, culture, economics, food etc.. etc... One foot on Argentina siding with the pirate the other siding with BRICS. Hoping my pipes don't freeze while I'm basking like a lizard eating coconuts not worrying about much cause yah probably don't need much there to survive - shorts shoes optional and just fine beaches and coconuts! what more do you really need out of life really. Some higher power provided it all for us but we fools kinda mess things up in greed. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolution-of-the-self/201210/greed-the-ultimate-addiction
Ah BRICS. Currently in a BRICS country way down south. Hot hot hot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKR2n-G-wdM
lets talk about airline in canada as the competition moves in, good luck competiting against other airlines https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/expanded-air-transit-agreements-canada-uae-saudi-arabia-9.7018498 as we lost our way in greed I suspect as the space gets smaller, the food sucks big time and the service well, what service?
lets face it the airline industry sucks in canada.
Nice airport! though but not much inside it syndrome. The costs are high and the seats are confined. When in so called developing nations, I call them over developed cause they have faced the music of jam packed cities where your neighbor can look up your rear end pretty much and inflation went haywire etc etc... in those countries you can fly way over the mountains and anywhere for under 100CAD and a bus for under 20CAD for a 4-6 hour trip. I'm not sure how they do it - labor costs low? I'm sure the cost to buy and maintain the aircraft is the same as we pay cause there isn't much competition in that domain anymore - the two giants airbus and Boeing. I try to stay away from he 737 max. Yah, sure everyone says - its safe come join in the fun. Like doing crack or something. Its fun I guess? for that moment in time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/28/business/boeing-quality-problems-speed.html
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2024/08/summary-of-boeing-problems.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEw0KGwFyc8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIEuSuhF_VQ best we not forget.
So, the aircraft (canadian airline) down to a BRICs country was packed. The young person in front of me decided it would be great if they had a recliner almost right in my face. The seats are so close as it is. And, we're stuck in a seat with no window. Who builds such aircraft. I guess it could be some structural thing perhaps as we were right by the wing.
An overnighter, red eye. So we fell asleep missed our hot meal. We have to go chasing down the attendant. They kind of look at us strangely and said don't fall asleep next time. So odd, reminds me of going to the store last day and I had a question for the person at the desk regarding technical features. They said - good morning in a condescending way of arrogance. It was the afternoon. Whatever. Such is customer service now in canada. Everyone above other humans I guess. It too degrading? I don't go shopping enough to really judge it.
We managed to get our food. It was slop. Must be either made by prisoners or its the same food that prisoners eat? jail house food. Small, wet looking odd kind of portions of gunk. Something my dog wouldn't eat and it eats anything pretty much. When in so called developing nations, the airlines give you a hot meal. I was going from the islands to panama some time ago on a so called 'developing nation' aircraft. Superb service, hot hamburgers! right on! for just a 2 hour flight. In our world, North america we'd get a little cookie and a juice box. Plus those recycled wood cutlery which is ok, better than plastic that sits for decades in our landfills. That's another matter as we love our garbage (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/fifth-estate-recycling-1.6410657 https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canadians-produce-more-garbage-than-anyone-else-1.1394020 ) as a consumer nation. We bury our problems then dress it up in a nice bow.
The cookie we got with our meal was rock hard I'm sure if I could throw it out of the aircraft it would not break apart as it hit the ground. The eggs, I think that's what they were, soggy and wet like. One little sausage that tried to make its mark in life grey like and it looked like a worn piece of sock. Yuk is all I can say, jail house food. Don't know who is making these food purchases but I think Gordon Ramsays better have a chat with them. In fact, I think we need a Gordon Ramsay for a complete clean up, fix up and rebuild. That won't happen though we're delicate snowflakes now and the system will ensure of that. Made to fail. Evil by our side now as its fun to dance in the endless mud. Stuck on stupid we are, insanity is...
Then comes the mounds upon mounds of customs, scan all your stuff again as though your did a drug deal in the sky. Then the human maze through the duty free section. Booze, t-shirts and sunglasses the prices so marked up. But, yah need suckas without much thinking power nor will power to buy buy buy. https://www.c-span.org/clip/white-house-event/user-clip-bush-shopping-quote/4552776
It amazes me the hyper inflation in some of these countries where you are paying 200 bucks for a box of cereal. The prices are all the same as America and I suspect they are controlled by some giant someplace setting the standard rate on pricing.
Then comes the traffic, have to de-learn all the rules enforced and etched into your neurons. The cops aren't there to catch speeders nor wrong doers mostly there for show. Unlike America, if you have a cop behind your back you better pull over. The cops here have their lights on all the time, again for show of force I suspect. No one pulls over everyone goes about their day. Motorcycles whizzing in and out of traffic and anything pretty much goes. Again, you have to de-learn all the rules etched into your head. And, rethink organized semi-chaos to some degree.
Everyone is trying to sell something we call them socialistic states, yet really everyone is trying to sell something. And, you want medical you will be paying. What freebees. And, security everywhere as though paranoia will destroy yah. I suspect as these economies collapsed key things happen as dictators take fold - paranoia as fear is used <link> and probably military might as well to instill fear <quote dictators> Socialism, farthest thing more like capitalism hope for the best there is not much of big government here to protect your soul and make you dependent on them. I think they have been there done that learned their lessons. Maybe, us not so much so. When is our next bailout, handout and buyout.
Government will protect us right? Hmmm, self serving entity it is now.
Product selection is minimal as giants have a grasp on the nation. Yet, luckily locals have smaller outlets to sell local produce all the fresh non-GMO fruits and veggies you could so desire. Not sprayed for they are grown locally. Try that in america during the winter months, again our dependencies on giants and big government. Here yah just need shorts t-shirt shoes optional (seen many on a motorbike with no shoes yesterday) and all the fresh fruits and veggies you can so desire. What more do you really need out of life. As some higher power provided it all. But, we humans kinda f-up a good thing, greed and chasing the almighty buck to sooth our soul like a bad addiction eh!
Instead of looking backwards we better look forwards.
Empire down? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe3dPXArywM