One of the dictionary definitions of the word obligation is "a debt of gratitude for a service or favor." If you are obligated to someone it is harder to take actions against them. In Europe at the moment, as Russia is invading Ukraine, it is difficult for the NATO countries to completely sanction the invaders because they obtain much of their fuel from Russia. To their credit NATO countries have joined the US in sanctioning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which would have carried natural gas from Russia through a submerged pipeline in the Baltic Sea to Germany, paralleling an existing smaller pipeline, the Nord Stream 1. The shipment of the natural gas will have to remain in much more expensive routes. But termination of the shipments is out of the question because Europe is dependent on Russia for this supply--they are obligated. Germany, for example, has closed its coal burning plants and its nuclear generators in favor of natural gas. They now import a significant percentage of that from Russia.
Of course, our country could have supplied Europe with oil and natural gas just over a year ago when we were energy independent. Liquified natural gas (LNG) could have been shipped from our shores to terminals in Rotterdam and elsewhere in Europe. This possibility has been removed by the present administration when our energy policy was altered to restrict production of fossil fuels. According to the Green New Deal (GND) and John Kerry we must cut back on the production of fossil fuels to reduce global warming. But consider this: we are now importing oil from many countries including the middle east, and even Russia and Iran. So, to some degree we are now obligated to Russia for oil supply--Europe certainly is. Because our production has been reduced, the supply-demand balance has been tilted, resulting in a dramatic increase in the price of oil. We are all paying more at the pump, but we are still burning gas. The Russian economy is highly dependent on its exports of fossil fuels, so that country is greatly benefiting from these much higher prices. We cannot fully sanction Russia because we are beholden to them for their fuel supply.
Reduction of global warming, which is GND's objective, is not achieved. We may be producing less oil in the USA, but other parts of the globe are producing more. Follow the science they say, but that's only when the science agrees with their philosophy. (For example, they never refer to the fact that global temperatures have continuously risen since the last ice age ten thousand years ago.) In the current situation they should follow the economics! We have it within our power to neutralize the obligation to Russia, but the unproved obsession with climate change is preventing us.
The Chinese president Xi is undoubtedly watching the war in Ukraine very carefully. If Putin is successful, will the invasion of Taiwan be next? Putin first took Georgia, then the Crimea before invading Ukraine. Under somewhat different circumstances China took over Hong Kong. Xi sacked the political leaders and forced communism on the former British colony. He could use Putin's argument that the country he wishes to invade was originally part of China. That's true--Taiwan used to be part of China. But that was before communism overtook China. So, what would be our response if Taiwan was invaded? Are we obligated to China? Let's look at that.
The keyboard I am using to type this column was made in China. A garden implement I bought a few days ago was also made in China. I am sure that if I searched, I could find dozens of articles in my house, garden and garage that were of Chinese origin. The same must be true throughout the entire country. Significant parts of many industries are beholden to Chinese imports. Fair trade with our allies is important, but when that trade involves potential adversaries, we need to have readily available alternatives.
There is a glimmer of hope in all of this. The conscience of the world has been stirred by the bravery of the Ukranian people. Their President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has turned out to be an inspiring leader. He vowed: "we will fight for as long as needed to liberate our country." He reminds me of Winston Churchill in the dark days when Britain stood alone before Hitler in the early stages of WWII. Churchill's many speeches raised the morale of the British people. Skeptics said that Hitler would wring Britain's neck like the neck of a chicken. Churchill responded: "Some chicken! Some neck!"
Whether or not Zelenskyy succeeds remains to be seen, but the hatred of Putin has been revealed. World opinion has been turned against him. There is outrage that a sovereign nation should be invaded. One hundred thousand Germans came out to demonstrate in Ukraine's support. NATO has been united, much to Putin's dismay Let us all pray for the courageous Ukrainian people.
Peter Gilderson, Madison.
