Power
Good day to each of you reading this article aptly named “Power” and its effect on our lives.
With the use of the web, I looked under the Cambridge dictionary and found the following:
power noun (CONTROL)
ability to control people and events:
the amount of political control a person or group has in a country:
power noun (STRENGTH)
strength:
power noun (OFFICIAL RIGHT)
an official or legal right to do something:
This word, “power” is utilized universally for personal, business, political and socially situations on a daily basis.
No matter what part of the world you live in, there is a person, persons, groups or governments controlling you.
We have seen the explosion of the techno world with gadget after gadget assisting us in our everyday activities at home, work, and in the car when doing errands.
So what or who holds the “power” over you? How about the cell phone? What about the computer? How about the television? If it’s not electronics, then how about your supervisor or the company that you work for? Where does the government fit in and the decisions that they make for you and me? Don’t forget the press who wields what we see and hear? I’m sure that I have left out so many other things that capture us and hold “power” over us, but we left out the most important power which is God.
As I looked at the word “power” in the New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance, I found power was found 272 in the Bible in noun, verb and adjective forms.
In Isaiah 45:7 (KJV), God says I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
As I see it, God created power for his glory and when God creates all people, he gives each of us the power to make a choice to do good or to do evil.
Power is such a strong emotion for various people can be “drunk with power” and literally control that person or people’s actions. Just look at the web and you have power slogans, girl power slogans, women power slogans, black power slogans, white power slogans, power company slogans, solar power slogans, political power slogans, flower power slogans, and the list goes on.
I have heard that with much power comes responsibility and unfortunately those who are “drunk with power” have forgotten about the responsibility part.
This subject is of great importance for we have two world powers “drunk with power” using this great country, the USA, as a piggy bank in their fight against Russia and where is the word peace in this war?
Folks, here it is off the internet– President Biden has signed a $1.5 trillion spending bill that funds the government through September and includes $13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine, as it fights off Russia’s invasion. The president signed the legislation Tuesday, after the Senate passed it late Thursday night by a 68-31 margin.
$13.6 billion in aid to Ukraine—according to the hill.com & cnn.com. The great policemen of the world faces inflation, rising prices, massive food shortages and people going hungry amongst many other problems.
Our president in the USA has levied sanctions against Russia effecting 10’s of millions of people in the Western front.
According to this article,
New Rounds of Sanctions Imposed on Russia
Impact of Sanctions So Far
The statement from the White House indicates that the impacts of sanctions on Russia to date have included:1The White House. “Fact Sheet: United States and Allies and Partners Impose Additional Costs on Russia.”
Additionally, in a separate statement, the Biden administration announced new aid for Ukraine and other countries in the region affected by the humanitarian crisis precipitated by Russia’s war.
New U.S. Assistance
The U.S. also announced more than $1 billion in new humanitarian assistance for those affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine and its severe impacts around the world, which include a marked rise in food insecurity. This funding will provide food, shelter, clean water, medical supplies, and other forms of assistance. The U.S. also announced an additional $320 million in democracy and human rights funding to Ukraine and its neighbors.
The major categories of U.S. aid include:
Regarding food security, the U.S. will provide over $11 billion across the next five years to address food security threats and malnutrition worldwide. This is in response to the danger that Russia’s war will disrupt the supply of critical agricultural commodities.
As you read the Fact Sheet from the White House, are you forming the opinion that the sanctions against Russia have backfired and that these sanctions have hurt the western front immensely?
The western front is seeing gasoline going thru the roof with no end in sight. Yes, there are talks in the USA of states suspending the gas tax as well as the federal government, but this is a temporary band-aid for a severe laceration.
Let’s look at who Russia is presently supplying oil– https://www.rbth.com/business/334882-which-countries-does-russia-sell-oil
Ten Russian oil importing countries in 2021 (by volume):
- China – 70.1 million tons
- Netherlands – 37.4 million tons
- Germany – 19.2 million tons
- Belarus – 14.9 million tons
- Republic of Korea – 13.5 million tons
- Poland – 11.2 million tons
- Italy – 8.9 million tons
- USA – 7.4 million tons
- Finland – 6.3 million tons
- Slovakia – 5.3 million tons
Focusing on the western front, what countries have severed ties with Russian oil? Quoting the Russia Beyond,
In early March 2022, the U.S. also announced a ban on oil imports from Russia. The U.S. accounted for 4.3% of Russian crude oil exports and 8.8% of petroleum products. As a share of U.S. imports, these are similar figures – 3% and 8%, respectively.
The UK has also said that, by the end of 2022, it plans to stop importing Russian oil and petroleum products, which is 8% of its imports. For Russia, this amounts to less than 3% of its exports.
More energy sanctions are being discussed in the EU, but a consensus is needed for this decision. So far, the Baltic States and Poland are in favor of the stricter embargo, while Germany and the Netherlands are against it. More than a quarter of the oil imported into the EU is of Russian origin, so such a decision would be painful for European consumers.
“The government, as before, is convinced that it cannot give up [Russian] oil exports,” said Steffen Hebestreit, Germany’s chief government spokesperson.
Nevertheless, in connection with a possible oil embargo from Europe, Russia is studying the possibility of redirecting its raw materials to Asia.
Canada and the USA are not exporting Russian oil and the UK will be severing ties by the end of 2022. These are our Israelite nations who are severing ties with Russia, but, as you can see, key western front members are either against it or are wavering on a decision.
Another key factor is China who has been the biggest buyer of Russian oil for the past five years. Last year, it bought 70.1 million tons of oil from Russia (30.6% of total Russian exports) for the sum of $34.9 billion.
And now for the wild card, India—From the web– https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20220320-india-buys-steeply-discounted-russian-oil-to-meet-its-energy-needs
India buys steeply discounted Russian oil to meet its energy needs
India, which refuses to take sides in the Ukrainian conflict, was importing Russian crude oil at discounted rates, resisting pressure from the West to avoid such purchases. Local media say it could buy up to 15 million barrels of cheap fuel to meet the country’s enormous energy demands.
Indian Oil Corp, the country’s largest oil refiner, bought three million barrels of Russian crude oil through a Dutch energy and commodity trading firm late last week at a discount of up to 22.7 euros a barrel to dated Brent, media reports said.
The delivery is scheduled by the month of May, newspapers quoting unnamed Indian officials said.
A second refiner too made a rare purchase of two million barrels of the Ural brand of Russian oil while a third has floated tenders seeking one million barrels of similar crude, added Press Trust of India (PTI) official news wire agency.
Now here is the interesting part that the press has left out, https://www.infobae.com/en/2022/03/17/as-sanctions-for-war-increase-in-ukraine-russia-turns-to-india-to-sell-oil-and-weapons/
As sanctions for war increase in Ukraine, Russia turns to India to sell oil and weapons
In addition to the oil deal, the Indian government is also exploring ways to maintain trade with Russia by reviving a Cold War-era agreement called rupee-ruble trade, according to two other Indian officials with knowledge of the matter. The mechanism, which would be similar to a general ledger of trade between the two countries, would allow Indian and Russian companies to do business by avoiding the need to use US dollars, the predominant currency of international trade, and reducing the risk of possible US sanctions.
The three Indian officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. “Eighty-five percent of India’s oil comes from imports, so we’re always looking for good options,” said one official. “If that includes a good package from the Russian side, and there is no impediment to buying from Russia, then let’s accept it.”
Indian officials characterized ruble and rupee ledgers, which are likely to be set up in Russian and Indian banks that are not exposed to the US financial system, as a solution to help the Indian economy and its exporters rather than a way to evade potential US sanctions. India trades with Iran, another country under US sanctions, using a similar trade agreement between riyal and rupee.
And how are those western sanctions working out against Russia? I am not making this up, Vladimir Putin has beat the sanctions by providing oil to China and India.
If Indian officials utilize the ruble/rupee ledgers thus not utilizing the US dollar or EU form of currency and that they have been successful in using this form of payment successfully with Iran, then Russia will have money flowing to their banks with no trouble.
When reading this article from infobae, this paragraph was so very interesting,
As oil purchase talks intensified last weekend, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksander Novak called on India’s Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to express Russia’s interest in “further attracting Indian investment to the Russian oil and gas sector and expanding the networks of sales of Russian companies in India”., according to a statement issued by the Kremlin.
If you read my last column on Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksander Novak, Take notice that according to the NY Times dated 03/02/22 by Stanley Reed, Left unmentioned in the statement was the fact that Russia’s deputy prime minister, Alexander Novak, is a co-chair of OPEC Plus.
As I begin to close my thoughts, here is a statement pulled from https://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/2022/03/22/president-biden-says-new-world-order-is-coming/
President Biden Says New World Order is Coming
President Biden met with a small group of business leaders from some of the largest American energy, food, and manufacturing companies. During the course of the meeting, he said there will be “a new world order” established. The president added that the U.S. must be at the helm of it while discussing the war in Ukraine and the impact it is having on the American economy.
“You know, we are at an inflection point, I believe, in the world economy, not just the world economy, in the world — occurs every three or four generations,” President Biden said. “Now is the time when things are shifting. There’s going to be a new world order out there. We’ve got to lead it, and we’ve got to unite the rest of the free world in doing it.”
During his discussion, the president described how there are “significant opportunities to make some real changes,” specifically with regard to how the world reacts to the Russia-Ukraine matter.
Uproar, Conspiracy Theory, slip of the lip or a warning of a one world economy and a new world order to support all things globally, economically and politically.
As a Christian, my thoughts are simple,, we will see the day when we must take stand for Christ or be silent—this may include the taking of our lives—
Which stand will you take?
I will add more information on the Russia-Western sanctions in the next segment.
May God Bless you and May Bless God always.
Jeff
