By RICK WHITBECK / THE DAILY CALLER
Anyone who turned on the news or opened a newspaper during the Trump presidency heard “Russia” on an unending loop.
Americans were inundated with rumors and innuendo – many of which turned out false – about so-called connections between the 45th president and Russia at every turn, whether they liked it or not.
The mainstream media just could not get enough.
For the first five months of the Biden administration, the media has focused its attention elsewhere: the “existential threat” of climate change, untold amounts of government spending and various other attempts by Biden and his team to shift American left-ward.
But with Wednesday’s meeting between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva, Russia is back front and center.
For those of us in Alaska, it was once said we can see Russia from our house. While that line has become a joke, for those of us who care about energy jobs and domestic energy production, the early actions of the Biden administration are serious as a heart attack. The most significant action we have seen regarding Russia involves pipelines: canceling the one with our friends and enabling the construction of one by our foes.
Last month, the Biden administration decided against sanctioning the Russian company behind the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, claiming it would destabilize relations with Russia and the European countries that will receive fuel from the pipeline.
It’s indisputable that completing Nord Stream 2 will be a huge geopolitical victory for Putin. The ability to go straight to Germany further puts the squeeze on Ukraine, where gas currently must pass through to reach Western Europe. Barring further developments, the pipeline’s completion is slated for this summer.
Unfortunately, Biden’s fondness for pipelines doesn’t extend to domestic producers here at home. Last week, they put the nail in the coffin of the Keystone XL Pipeline, and here in Alaska they have shut down the opportunity for tens of billions of barrels of potential production from the 10-02 area in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and from on- and off-shore federal lands – although the latter’s ruling has been held up by a federal judge from Louisiana.
Read this column at The Daily Caller, where it first appeared. Rick Whitbeck writes for The Daily Caller, Must Read Alaska, The Federalist, and other publications in his role as Alaska director for Power the Future, a nationwide non-profit focused on supporting energy workers, while pushing back on radical green groups and the ideologues who fund them. Contact him at [email protected].
Oil and gas is the only source of legitimate income the criminal Russian kleptocracy possesses. Therefore, Putin would be a fool if he didn’t build more leaking, inefficient pipelines.
Let’s hope some of those wackos in the Biden Administration don’t decide to shut down the trans-Alaska pipeline
Sounds about right. The Russians get stronger and Biden furthers his quest to weaken America. He goes to bed at night thinking about what he can do to make Americans squeal like a pig.
Charlie Bussel- Sir, shutting down TAPS and the resulting work of dismantling and reclamation of effected areas would result in the biggest jobs boon to Alaskans since, well, when we built the darn thing. These Jobs would of course be very short lived, I don’t see this happening in my lifetime, despite the fact that I continue to be amazed by this group of idiots currently in control.
Dill baby Drill
Wait, maybe not all that money goes into the PFD
Then the lying, cheating, stealing legislators take it.
What wrong with this picture.
Commie Biden, Commie Harris and Commie Murkowski at their best!!!
yep
Good for Russia. It is taking care of itself and their nation’s history and culture survival. they are one of the world’s oldest civilizations, so they would know the importance to take care of themselves.
Maybe the Russian government will know how to use Alaska’s natural resources too. Shall Alaska hand itself over to Russian officials, maybe Putin will make Alaska and Alaskans useful again serving another master
Locking up so much of America’s public land to oil and mineral development drove oil production to work in dangerous places, like Deepwater Horizon in the gulf. Drilling three and a half miles under water? That’s desperation to keep the shareholders happy.
It also drove the major miners offshore, where environmental regulations are weak and hardly enforced … with only “Our thoughts and prayers” whenever some foreseeable disaster happens and kills thousands. Who cares? Not our thousands.
The EnviroNazis have made hundreds of millions in donations while creating the political climate which encourages , nay, facilitates such disasters.
Bit late for a scoop, Rick, what’s your angle?
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Alaskans seemingly more afraid of losing their stuff than their Constitutional freedoms are supposed to rise up, do what exactly?
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President Biden, with no warning, flipped a switch, turned on Russia’s petroleum industry, turned off America’s petroleum industry because not doing so “…would destabilize relations with Russia and the European countries that will receive fuel from the pipeline”.
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That’s it, that’s all you got?
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An investigative journalist worth a damn would be risking life, limb, and career to uncover what “…destabilize relations with Russia” actually means, why the Biden Administration suddenly cares.
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Tip of a global quid pro quo… what Hunter did in Ukraine that cost a Ukrainian prosecutor his job stays in Ukraine, if Biden “approves” Russia’s pipeline… and kills America’s pipeline?
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Russians see a dollar-devaluation issue bubbling up because the Biden machine’s printing too many dollars… Russians insulating their economy against a soon-to-be falling dollar… Russia’s economy spooling up for war with China who sees America’s socially emasculated military as combat ineffective, no deterrent to anything, crippled as it seems by a “woke” civilian populace?
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Questions like these, and more, are what an investigative journalist is expected to, well,… investigate.
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Then readers’ll have something substantive about which to care.
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Enough with preaching to the choir, Rick.
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Aspiring contributors to The Daily Caller, Must Read Alaska, and The Federalist, news sources known for top-quality reportage, should expect a higher journalism bar, yes?
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So it’s back to the keyboard with you, old son, let’s see some Pulitzer-worthy print from you!
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