The impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, or more importantly,
the varied international response to it, has been changing the global balance of power.
The global definition of “have” and “have not” is beginning to change. A “have” country would be one
that has a highly educated society and workforce, has upscale industries and a sophisticated
financial system, and incorporates the use of advanced technology. Today such a definition
is nothing without also referencing access to sufficient natural resources and raw materials.
The Russia-Ukraine war could have resulted in a peaceful settlement within months of its
commencement. Peace negotiations were already underway and had the potential for success,
but eventually the priority shifted. The European Union (EU) led by the U.S. and U.K.,
ultimately decided that Russia should be punished and its economy be effectively destroyed,
in order to change its behavior. This goal has not worked out as expected.
The supply of energy and food became jeopardized globally, and this danger may not only persist
for years to come, but escalate to the point where we do have a series of global crises.
Ironically however, strong climate change initiatives are still underway,
directed at reducing the use of traditional energy re sources but also targeting agriculture.
These actions will only make the supply of various essential commodities worse.
There are currently no viable energy replacements in sufficient quantity to substitute for fossil
fuels, yet the mentality is predominantly, “let us get rid of the fossil fuels first,
and we will figure out the rest later” as though some unforeseen technical advances will solve
the problem in a matter of months. Solar panels for example, will not produce sufficient energy
in the northern hemisphere, where strong sunshine is only available during the summer months.
In the latter half of the 20th century, we would look with amazement if not ridicule,
at the Chinese whose primary form of transportation in cities such as Beijing
being the bicycle, while we have, in the western hemisphere, gas powered vehicles. Today,
China has gas powered vehicles while many in the western nations may one day be pushed to bicycles,
as gas-powered vehicles are gradually being banned through legislation,
we will no longer access to traditional energy sources, and electric vehicles will become
unreliable as our electric grid is overwhelmed and produces blackouts. Our food supplies will
also be limited as farmers will no longer have access to diesel to run farm equipment, if not
already put out of business due to legislation attacking various forms of gas emissions.
Many have forgotten the value of commodities and these are now becoming more expensive,
as the EU in particular is beginning to see. Food and sources of energy are important. No country
has an endless supply of money to continue buying from others when not produced at home. Countries
that supply commodities under today’s environment will prosper tremendously. These commodity
producing nations will be able to exercise greater political power on the world stage and more
substantially direct the course of events. Check out our video: The Western World’s
Disconnect from Reality. You will find the link in the description below.