Libya Stops Oil Shipments to Switzerland While Russia's Medvedev and Venezuela's Chavez Plot Against the United States

The arrogance of oil producers is becoming limitless and increasingly dangerous. Libya, currently supplying 50% of Switzerland's crude oil imports, has halted shipments to Switzerland. You see, Switzerland had the audacity and bad form to arrest Hannibal Gadhafi and his wife for allegedly physically beating their service staff with a belt and a hanger at a five star Geneva hotel. Arraigned and released on bail they promptly fled to Libya. Papa Muammar al-Gadhafi, Libya's defacto head of state set out to teach the Swiss a lesson for their inhospitality, breaching supply commitments of long standing and throwing whatever reputation Libya had as a reliable partner and supplier of a basic raw material into the trash bin. Not leaving bad enough alone they threatened "...unless the Swiss authorities issue an official apology to Gadhafi, his son and the Libyan people, escalating measures will be taken". Thereby teaching the Alp dwelling Swiss not to mess with anyone named "Hannibal."

While Gadhafi was venting his indignation on the Swiss, the New York Times reported on July 23rd that president Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and President Dimitri Medvedev of Russia would coordinate their actions on global oil and gas markets seeking to counter American influence in that sphere. To seal the love fest, Chavez placed an order for at least an additional $1 billion worth of Russian arms calling for the two nations to become "strategic partners" to defend against the "American threat to his country."

Then in caricature of the "los dos banditos", continuing to turn the screw, Medvedev expressed interest in joining with Venezuela and other gas producing states in the formation of an OPEC style gas cartel. He then proceeded to parrot OPEC double talk mumbo jumbo pontificating that such "cooperation" would "help guarantee energy security".

But wait, don't go away. There's more, and of a much more sinister nature. In an augury of the "Cuban Missile Crisis" redux, the Russian news agency, Interfax, quoted Chavez as saying "If Russian armed forces would like to be present in Venezuela, they will be welcomed warmly" responding to a question by reporters whether Russia could put bases in Venezuela . Chavez continued, "we will raise flags, beat drums and sing songs, because our allies will come, with whom we have a common worldview". Shortly thereafter, in the light of day the Venezuelan government lamely tried to distance itself from their President's invitation. But there you have it as clear as clear can be. The level of arrogance being facilitated by our pathetic dependency on oil and our ineffectual policies in dealing with an issue that poses an increasing and ominous threat to our national security, worsening with every passing day.

Perhaps we will have to leave it up to the Swiss to show us the way!

Comments

[MagisterLudi]

Thank you blogger for changing "Soviet" to "Russian." How about substituting Fu Manchu-esque "sinister plot" narrative for something more...ah.... reality based.

[Ira7]

"And, in spite of STORIES of shortages or repression of dissent, the voters of Venezuela still support him by a large percentage. This should tell you that the stories may not all be true, and that IT IS NONE OF OUR BUSINESS."

Stories? You gotta be kidding. The country is a total basket-case, and the majority DON'T support him, which is why his "democracy" isn't much of a democracy of all.

Which is why Chavez is trying to prevent his opponents from running. He can't win, because he's even lost the support of the poor. Their buying power is less, their health is worse, and they were MUCH better off before him.

For God's sake, the dope had his people working with Iran to build a milk processing plant in the interior, but they don't have any cows.

Look, I'm not a "My country right or wrong" kind of guy at all, but when it comes to Venezuela, this is a mess of Chavez's making, and his early promises were not only unrealistic, he has failed on EVERY front.

America might not be the greatest, but if he would have asked us, we would have at least told him to breed the cows before he built the milk plant. But he only worked with Iran in the first place to irk the U.S..

But who did that hurt? The U.S.? No--it hurt the Venezuelan people. But this is his style.

Bad man. Not defendable.

[mommamia526]

If you have not yet checked out Mahmood Ahmadinejad's latest speech, go read it on cnn.com. As angry as we become at all this, we should also consider facts. For example, China is a communist country, still, last time I checked, yet it is doing better as a capitalist country than we are. European countries are considered to be, by Americans, socialist.Europeans have a different opinion on that. Some are parliamentary Monarchies, all are democratic. The Euro is doing rather well, but the dollar.. not so much. Healthcare in the U.S. or education for that matter, is not top of the list either. Ahmadinejad's comment that rich countries are twisting the arms of the poor, could be compared to what happens in the U.S. to the poor, and with the rich. Make no mistake about it, I do not like Ahmadinejad. It was greed that exported capital, industry, employment and imported poverty into the U.S. We do try to manage the world by making threats here, donations there, and often to serve contradictory purposes. Arab countries default on their promises to Palestinians for monetary support, to provide shelter and employment, as we speak.Gr. Britain makes up for part of this deficit - PA could not pay salaries -. What is going on?

[Ira7]

1) Chavez did indeed win democratically, but hosting street parties in poor areas with liquor and free food and bussing them to the polling stations sure didn't hurt.

2) He lost his referendum, so Chavez and his minions have now "ruled" that hundreds of his opponents are ineligible to run for office, because they are "under investigation" for something--although they haven't been charged with anything. One heck of a democracy?

3) Shortages of food...recurring electric outages...an average of 10,000 homicides a year since Chavez took office (double the rate in the 90s)...garbage dangeriously piling up in the streets of Caracas...the highest inflation in Latin America (about 167%)...the LOWEST level of foreign investment in Latin America...corruption and cronyism as never seen before...failed medical, literacy and other educational programs...police state policies as defined by any yardstick...state control of statistics to paint a good picture and abolishment of independent groups capable of providing the rea; statistics...complicity in drug trafficking and aiding terrorist groups...and absolutely zero rise in the Venezuelan quality of living, despite not just record oil prices, but ASTRONOMICAL oil prices.

It's been often argued by Chavez supporters that he is at least trying to help the poor. Well, if he keeps helping them this way, he might just wind up KILLING them.

And unfortunately Chavez, he can't blame his problems on the U.S. like Castro can.

[Crowhaul]

And if Chavez is as bad as you suggest, he will be voted out in the upcoming election. Situation solved. (In other words, we can stop spending our tax dollars on covert ops inside their borders and constant VOA propaganda aimed at destabilizing their government.)

[MoistvonLipwig]

The previous Venezuelan adminstrations were KILLING them. LITERALLY. The army was used to force native Indios into areas where survival chances were slim while economic polilcy made food and medical care scarce. The food shortages are political in nature. The majority of the population is subsistence level. Chavez has set price mandates where if the majority of the nation can afford milk and eggs, then they will have them, or no one will have them. Agricultural socialism can fix that, however black our supposedly leftist media will paint it.

The only places I see any of this news is with that same media, who are owned by and tools of our CAPITALIST elite, regardless of whether they support repugs or dems. Every article they post is suspect and just as likely to be CIA propaganda as it is the truth. The US has and is influencing Venezuelan internal affairs with CIA propaganda and money and consultation with his political oponents.

And, in spite of STORIES of shortages or repression of dissent, the voters of Venezuela still support him by a large percentage. This should tell you that the stories may not all be true, and that IT IS NONE OF OUR BUSINESS.

Again, I can't fault him for making friends with anyone that can help block US interferrence in their affairs when historically we have created and supported DICTATORS that committed torture and murder while sending Venezuelan resources to foreign banks account with their name on it.

[RoloTomassi]

"...state control of statistics to paint a good picture and abolishment of independent groups capable of providing the rea; statistics...complicity in drug trafficking and aiding terrorist groups...and absolutely zero rise in the Venezuelan quality of living, despite not just record oil prices, but ASTRONOMICAL oil prices."

Are you sure you aren't talking about the US instead? And when it comes to oil prices, they are raking in the money no doubt, but they are NOT passing the retail price on to in-country consumers, which makes one hell of a big difference in ANY country....

[bacaja]

Perhaps foriegn countries are putting sanctions on the U.S. What could we have
possibly done to deserve such treatment? I thought we were the only ones who could do that.

[Lilybart]

This is another reason we need a President who can talk to the world and get countries back on our side. President Obama will not violently overthrow Chavez so a right wing dictator can do just what he is doing now. President Obama will have communcations with Russia and others. McCain just wants his turn to kick some world butt and that would be the worst thing we could do now.

(this is only sort of a reply to you, but I can only post comments if I Reply!)

[MagisterLudi]

"President Obama will not violently overthrow Chavez"

Neither would Clinton, Kucinich, Biden or Edwards... and your point is...

[outnow]

Oil is a mixed blessing for humanity. If there is climate change, then we must change our habits. Our military has expended much of our oil reserves fighting WW II, leading to FDR attempting to tie up oil with the Saudis in competition with the Churchill on behalf of the British oil companies. Why don't you decry the brutality of the Saudis? Or even of the colonial British?

The neoliberal Washington Consensus is good for commodity traders but bad for the American people. The people are in direct competition with the vast defense spending that equals or exceeds the rst on the nations on earth combined.

My scant sixty years on this planet have been totally absorbed with the Cold War and now the endless Global War on Terrorism. It seems that the two wars are being combined into a war against Islamo-Fascism/socialism/communism. Do you really believe that we have that many enemies without creating more conflict with our trade policies? Is Chavez not elected by his own people. Are we not trying to overthrow his government?

What makes the Saudis better people than those in Venezuela?

[alvarorb]

For those of you who think Chavez is a popular leader, who looks after the interest of his people. Just remember that many Americans did not believe Stalin was the monster that he was.
Chavez is just another populist leader with tons of money. Where his image and self preservation are more important than the 25 million Venezuelans. He'll say what you want to hear and if you don't, you'll agree with him for $100 oil.
For those that accuse the writer of this piece of being a paid pen. I wonder who pays many of the pro-Chavez posts.

[MoistvonLipwig]

Chavez and a Venzuelan socialist era were voted in democratically. The literacy rate and health care in that nation has gone from one of lowest and worst to highest in SA and best. When Chavez recently tried to ammend their Constitution to grant himself more power, it was voted down and he has stood by the rule of law and respected the vote of the citizens.

ALL OF THIS IS MORE THAN I CAN SAY FOR THIS NATION UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION.

We really did try to stage at least two coup attempts against Chavez, again, a democratically elected leader and have been waving war flags against any nation that dares interfer with the world oil market, which we seem to consider belonging to us.

Can you really blame him for wanting to be friends with the next biggest baddest bully on the block?

[Angel1961]

Hear, hear. We have overthrown 50 regimes in 200 years and when we tried to overthrow Chavez in 2002, we lost his trust forever. We have a terrible history in South and Central America. The UN declared us a state sponsor of terrorism for supporting terrorists in Nicaragua. Remember Chile and United Fruit? What about the spies we put in Bolivia recently via Rhodes scholars and USAID after Morales nationalized the gas companies. We have no business spraying coca leaf there and destroying crops they have relied on for thousands of years for their medicinal value. We are widely distrusted and for good reason.

[GetAbike]

Raymond, don't you see US in the mirror?
It is we who have been the bullies around the world. Nobody has been spared our arrogance and entitled world-view - And those are the lucky ones who weren't threatened or attacked.
Ya, I know we "had" to exact revenge on somebody for 911(other than the perp country that has us by the bells), but it has been extended to anyone with a "fern " name or agenda not in sync with ours.

So, why be so shocked at alliances made between those threatened by us?
"....Chavez continued, "we will raise flags, beat drums and sing songs, because our allies will come, with whom we have a common worldview" .
Sounds like the USA the last few years, though Chavez may be missing how little that posture has gotten us. But then he may have more success with that BS than we have had.

[Crowhaul]

Mr. Learsy, based on the fact that we the public have been paying for both covert and non-covert actions against the democratically-elected leader of Venezuela, as well as a constantly streaming VOA broadcast propaganda campaign (again, paid for by we taxpayers) it's not surprising that Chavez would turn to Russia.

Nice one-sided article once again... I wonder just who exactly is paying you to write this stuff.

[guajiro]

The oil companies of Exxon (Rockefeller family), Shell (owned by the British), etc. If the U.S. won't trade with Venezuela guess what they're gonna do? Trade with someone else of course. I wonder what grade school the Bush administration learned their economics degrees at?

[ceti]

Learsy continues to beat the war drums and calls for a churlish and self-defeating foreign policy.

With the US reactivating the 4th Fleet to patrol Caribbean and Latin American waters and continuously threatening Venezuela (Colombia's military budget is still far larger), what is Venezuela supposed to do? And with the US baiting the Russian bear on its doorstep in Georgia, Ukraine, Poland, and the Czech Republic what is Russia supposed to do (especially when this betrays the agreement made with Gorbachev 18 years ago)? Every action here has a counter reaction and the Russians and Venezuelans are both on defense here.

[Rule Of Law]

Can anyone here say, "National Emergency, Martial Law, Suspension of the Constitution?" I knew that you could.

[Rule Of Law]

Ah, Cold War II! What utter horse feathers.

What about the American arrogance of destabilizing governments that oppose our economic hegemony? Remember the phrase "Gunboat Diplomacy?" Or the arrogance of our military invading sovereign countries, murdering their people and stealing their resources? And that can't touch the arrogance of our Banks and their power to rule the world!

We had our chance with Cuba. Castro came to Us first! But the Military Industrial Complex needed the Cold War in our back yard to keep us frightened enough that the money spigot was wide open! So we "forced" him into the arms of the Soviet Union. These were economic choices, not military. The arms industry and the Bankers who thrive on war needed the threat to justify their robbery of our Treasury.

Tarting up this little deal between Russia and Chavez as a similar threat to us is as ridiculous as the original notion of a Communist vs Capitalist war. The banks and Military in both countries were the only winners, the Berlin Wall fell right on schedule and the program moves forward as planned!

Chavez wanted to be our ally in this hemisphere, but he knew we intended to destabilize his government.The biggest threat to our national security is in Washington DC! And compared to the power of Goldman-Sachs, Morgan, Citi, Bank of England and the FED, OPEC is a paper tiger. And Learsy's attempt here to beat the drums for Cold War Redux, is a failure.

[nicnic]

the Argument is absolutely certain, oil and energy resource over-dependence is a problem of national security, for the US and, the world as we know it.
It is no excuse to say that "the peoples of Russia and Venezuela are supposedly "faring well"", since not many of the people who this post know what living in a country with no representative institutions, no real rule of law or no certainty of milk availability on the stores... is like. If anyone thinks that "well-faring people" is equal to "good country" I suggest you try to go to Venezuela or Russia to start-up a business there, or ask anyone who tried to have one there.
Those countries -are- concentrating on a single source of income and nullifying the value of property rights and the people's rights to organize and develop by themselves. why? I guess that handing-out caramel to people with no options is much easier than dealing with union representatives or business owners.
Is the hunger of oil feeding a return to centralized and medieval models of government for the rest of the world? -or even, ours too?-
The answer may lay in the jungles of Colombia where "guerrilla organizations" -which is to say "neo-feudal drug lords" have more developed armies than the Colombian government because producing, refining and importing cocaine is far easier than allowing the peoples organize themselves and decide what to do with their land, their future and their countries.

[satyriasis]

Hugo Chavez is doing what the native Americans failed to do, successfully stand up to imperial fascist USA. I applaud him.

[KillTheMessenger]

So what? Switzerland can buy its heating oil at any price in the world market. They got the money. They won't go cold this winter.

Do WE need conservation? Absolutely.

[jhNY]

The heads of sovereign nations are doing whatever they want regarding commodities they own which we want to control! How cheeky of them! Don't they know who we are?