Friends, In this article, from a Russian source, we see Russia establishing its own financial / energy-trading institutions, in competition with traditionally dominant Anglo-American institutions. I suggest that these developments are very relevant to the Iran scenario. The benefits to Anglo-American elites, of an Iranian conquest, would be greater control over oil sources and oil finance. These financial / energy moves by Russia, and other moves in collaboration with China and the SCO nations, have the effect of minimizing the benefits from an attack on Iran. By decreasing the benefits, while simultaneously increasing the costs - by giving Iran modern weapons systems - an Iran invasion becomes less and less attractive to Anglo-American elites. The following earlier postings are relevant here: 10 May 2006 * Engdahl: USA's 'geopolitical nightmare' * http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/?id=1137&lists=cj 20 Apr 2006 Russia will deliver air defense systems to Iran http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/?id=1119&lists=newslog 25 Apr 2006 A Worst-case Scenario for the New American Century http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/?id=1133&lists=newslog These are all very pivotal developments, as regards the overall geopolitical situation. The Big Geopolitical Picture, as I see it, has to do with the PNAC agenda, and responses to it by other powers. From the above articles we can see that PNAC has encouraged the development of powerful counter alliances, which I would summarize under the heading of SCO - Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (http://www.sectsco.org/home.asp?LanguageID=2). The Big Game can be characterized as "US-UK-PNAC vs. China-Russia-SCO". In particular from Engdahl's article above, I get the impression that the SCO forces have more or less managed to grind the PNAC advance to a halt. Further incremental advances, as in Iran, have become harder to achieve and their payoff has been downgraded from strategic to tactical. In this context, consider the following articles: 22 May 2006 US, ISRAEL OPERATE IN IRAN http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/?id=1163&lists=newslog 22 May 2006 US spells out [contingency] plan to bomb Iran http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/?id=1166&lists=newslog 23 May 2006 U.S. Is Proposing European Shield for Iran Missiles http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/?id=1171&lists=newslog 26 May 2006 Bush: U.S. would aid Israel if attacked http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/?id=1183&lists=newslog The bottom line on all this, as I see it, is that an attack on Iran will only make sense if the intent is to spark a global conflict - a High Noon showdown between US-UK and China-Russia. The timing of any such attack will have little to do with events in Iran, and everything to do with the overall balance in strategic forces between the two major sides. Washington's rhetoric around Iran will continue to be disinformation as regards Iran, but it will be revealing as regards the timing of any High Noon showdown. The Matrix has its uses. World Wars I and II were orchestrated by Anglo-American elites, and were successful projects in extending and maintaining Anglo-American dominance of world affairs. Today's geopolitical scenario has striking parallels to the pre-WW I scenario. In that scenario, Germany had eclipsed Britain industrially, and was on a course to consolidate its gains in terms of energy, trade, and finance. Britain's position of global dominance was under dire threat, and a High Noon shootout, with the help of Uncle Sam, was the means by which the German 'threat' was averted. China is now the world's dominant industrial nation, and Russia is the world's largest oil producer. China has lots of money, and Russia has lots of modern technology and weapons. The US economy is a shambles, and every day the balance of power is shifting increasingly toward the SCO block. What alternatives do Anglo-American elites have at this point? If they follow their traditional modus operandi, that would mean WW III, but in a nuclear context. If they do nothing, their days global dominance are numbered. They could pursue a peaceful accommodation, but that would be entirely outside their scope of experience, and perhaps beyond their ability to imagine. Like the ancient Romans, they only understand dominance and subservience. these are indeed 'interesting times', rkm -------------------------------------------------------- Original source URL: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060522/48434383.html RTS bourse to start trading oil, oil products, gold on June 8 22/05/2006 16:03 MOSCOW, May 22 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Trading System, Russia's premier stock market, announced Monday that it would start trading in gold, oil and oil products on June 8. The announcement comes in the wake of President Vladimir Putin's state of the nation address May 10, when he said Russia, as a leading oil exporting nation, should establish its own oil exchange to trade crude and petroleum products for rubles. "The first trading in contracts for gold will commence in Russia on June 8," the RTS said in a statement. The stock exchange also said it would start trading in futures and options on oil and oil derivatives, including Urals brand, diesel fuel, jet fuel and fuel oil. Trade will be in rubles based on prices calculated by the Platts agency. The settlement period for a contract is one month and the minimum security guarantee on a contract is 10% of its overall value. The derivatives section of the RTS, known by its Russian acronym Forts, will trade futures and options on gold in rubles based on the London Stock Exchange evening fixing rate. The settlement period for a contract is one month and the minimum security guarantee on any contract is 5% of its overall value. The statement said RTS would collect a 1-ruble commission for each concluded contract. 10:43 23/05/2006 RUXX investment index aiming to recover after 10% fall http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060523/48463797.html 18:13 22/05/2006 RTS bourse to launch domestic oil futures at start of 2007 http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060522/48444227.html 18:24 03/04/2006 RTS to launch commodity futures trading in May http://en.rian.ru/business/20060403/45131633.html 16:34 03/05/2006 Major Russian stock exchange posts 84% net profit rise in 1Q06 http://en.rian.ru/business/20060503/47168474.html 18:25 11/05/2006 Ruble-denominated oil exchanges could launch in 2007 - expert http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060511/48003539.html © 2005 RIA Novosti -- -------------------------------------------------------- Escaping the Matrix website http://escapingthematrix.org/ cyberjournal website http://cyberjournal.org subscribe cyberjournal list mailto:•••@••.••• Posting archives http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/ Blogs: cyberjournal forum http://cyberjournal-rkm.blogspot.com/ Achieving real democracy http://harmonization.blogspot.com/ for readers of ETM http://matrixreaders.blogspot.com/ Community Empowerment http://empowermentinitiatives.blogspot.com/ Blogger made easy http://quaylargo.com/help/ezblogger.html
