Tag Archives: peak oil

New Year Special: 2012 Predictions

It’s been a great year! To recap, in rough chronological order, 2011 saw: The most popular post (with 562 comments and counting; granted, most of them consisting of Indians and Pakistanis flaming each other); Visualizing the Kremlin Clans (joint project … Continue reading

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The Race To Collapse

As readers of this blog know, I have long regarded the return of economic crisis as an inevitability (because the core energy and no-growth predicament facing the Western world wasn’t solved in 2008-9 but merely kicked further down the road by … Continue reading

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Decade Forecast, Part 1 – The Downsizing Of Pax Americana

This is the first post in a series of three, in which I will analyze the major trends that will define the next ten years and their likely impacts on global regions. To put these forecasts into context, I must … Continue reading

Posted in Sublime Oblivion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

New Year Special, Part 2: 2011 Predictions

Carrying on from yesterday’s 2010 in Review, I’ll now lay out my predictions for this year and see how well last year’s stacked up to reality. (1) Last year, I wrote: “World economy continues an anemic recovery, though there are … Continue reading

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Tales From The Beijing Embassy

Four cables from Cathay, courtesy of this excellent Cable Search tool. The first cable (Cable 1) is one of the last dispatches of Ambassador to the PRC Clark T. Randt, a long, analytical piece from January 2009. But it’s also … Continue reading

Posted in Coffee House, Sublime Oblivion, The Sublime Cables | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Everyone is Still Underestimating China

There’s been lots of fanfare over China’s GDP overtaking Japan’s in Q2 2010 (coming hard on the heels of a big ruckus over its DF-21 “carrier killing” ballistic missile and rising tensions with the US over North Korea and the … Continue reading

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Russia’s Roads to Nowhere, or: build Railways instead!

Though it’s not quite true that Russia has “no roads, only directions”, the old saying isn’t far off the mark. The World Bank’s recent report on Russia’s economy notes that the Eurasian giant’s road network is primitive and crumbling, coming … Continue reading

Posted in Da Russophile, Sublime Oblivion | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Sublime News #8 – #9

1. The revolution in Kyrgyzstan to be covered in Sublime News #10 – this issue is packed enough as it is. For now, read Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Resurgence (free Stratfor) for a summary. 2. Putin made a conciliatory speech on the 70th … Continue reading

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Sublime News #6

1. My e-friend Eugene Ivanov participated on Peter Lavelle’s Crosstalk program at Russia Today, Lobbying: Who really rules America? Check it out! 2. Is Obama transforming America into Amerika? Let me explain. Take a look at the details of the healthcare … Continue reading

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Sublime News #5

1. Sorry for being three days late with what is supposed to be the weekly news. I tend to get lazier during holidays, even though I get far more free time! Alternatively I could just be getting bored. We’ll see. … Continue reading

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