Well, we have an interesting situation here. Our country functions according
to procedures and concensus of the powerful. Our government is able to do
very destructive things to the American people and to the world, so long as
the proprieties are respected and approved procedures are followed. But now
we have a President Elect who flaunts propriety and approved procedures. He
doesn't hide his business dealings and financial acquisitions in blind
trusts and foundations. He blatantly uses his new position to solidify
business deals. He has no veneer of religious fervor or belief in Democracy.
The Russians didn't do anything. But the oil business interests in Russia
and the US, probably did do something. So now what will the politicians do?
How do they handle a president who won't play by the rules, who is
indiscreet? What happens to the illusion of due process? As for the mass of
American people, they're as powerless as ever. Some people resist some
things sometimes. But most people are just trying to make it from day to
day. They can't make heads nor tails of all the nonsense that's flung at
them by the corporate media.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2016 10:32 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson Has Deep Ties to
Russia as Well
I swear, I've not heard so much flapping since Humpty Dumpty fell off the
wall and took a great fall.
We're like a bunch of Chicken Little's running about shouting that the sky
is falling in.
Well, of course the sky is falling in. That is, if you happen to be among
the 99% of Americans. The question to me is not how bad is it going to get,
but rather, how are we going to protect the hard fought gains. The past 8
years should teach us one thing. Government can be immobilized when enough
people put their minds...and dollars, to it.
So let's take a few deep cleansing breaths and see how things shake out
between now and the confirmation hearings. That would be a good place to
bring pressure. Even knowing that if this front line of appointments were
all turned aside, the next list would look just about as supportive of the
Ruling Billionaires. But as I say, I don't see any value in getting all
lathered up over what we knew would happen in the remote, laughably
impossible event that Donald Trump was elected.
And remember, Donald Trump was not elected by the majority of American
voters. Even setting aside all of the tricks and games being played with
our votes, a majority of Americans voted by not voting. Donald Trump is
acting as if he has been elected by a landslide. He is in for a big jolt if
he goes forward, breaking his vague political promises.
Carl Jarvis
On 12/12/16, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
News."
Horn writes: "ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson - who has close personal
and company ties to Russia and President Vladimir Putin - is
President-elect Donald Trump's top pick to become the next secretary
of state, with the decision likely coming next week according to NBC
percent stake.
Tillerson and Putin go way back. (photo: Mikhail Klimentyev/AP)
ALSO SEE: Rex Tillerson of Exxon Mobil Set to Be Trump Secretary of
State Pick ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson Has Deep Ties to Russia as
Well By Steve Horn, DeSmogBlog
11 December 16
ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson-who has close personal and company ties
to Russia and President Vladimir Putin-is President-elect Donald
Trump's top pick to become the next secretary of state, with the
decision likely coming next week according to NBC News.
The news comes amid reports that Congressional members and senior U.S.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials say they have intelligence
showing Russia attempted to tip the balance of the November U.S.
presidential election in favor of Trump by hacking into email systems
and giving those emails to Wikileaks. And President Barack Obama has
called for a complete investigation on the matter before he leaves the
White House on Jan. 20.
Though the evidence presented to the U.S. public so far lacks smoking
gun documentation, many are alarmed that a geopolitical adversary may
have interfered with the U.S. electoral process. Trump, though-who has
signaled a potential sea change in the U.S.-Russia geopolitical
relationship-is not among them, as indicated in his choice of
Tillerson for top U.S. diplomat.
"If the goal is to drain the swamp in DC, Tillerson might not be your
man; Exxon's business plan continues to require raising the level of
the ocean to the point where Foggy Bottom will be well underwater,"
said 350.org founder Bill McKibben in a press release. "But this is
certainly a good way to make clear exactly who'll be running the
government in a Trump administration-just cut out the middleman and
hand it directly to the fossil fuel industry."
Exxon Says It's "Not a U.S. Company"
Exxon, the top U.S. producer of oil and gas and a well-documented
funder of climate science denial, actually leases more land in Russia
than it does in the U.S.
"Exxon boosted its Russian holdings to 63.7 million acres in 2014 from
11.4 million at the end of 2013, according to data from U.S.
regulatory filings,"
reported Bloomberg in March 2014. "That dwarfs the 14.6 million acres
of rights Exxon holds in the U.S., which until last year was its
largest exploration prospect."
Exxon, though headquartered in Irving, Texas near Dallas, is a
sprawling "private empire" with assets spread across the globe. When
asked about building more U.S. refineries to protect the U.S. economy
and consumers from fuel shortages, former CEO and chairman Lee Raymond
put Exxon's view of itself and its loyalty to the U.S. bluntly.
"I'm not a U.S. company, and I don't make decisions based on what's
good for the U.S," Raymond is quoted as saying in the 2012 book
Private Empire:
ExxonMobil and American Power by Steve Coll.
In June, Tillerson attended the St. Petersburg International Economic
Forum after taking a two-year hiatus from attending the event, which
is the top business meeting held annually in Russia. Igor Sechin, CEO
of Russian state oil company Rosneft and currently the subject of U.S.
sanctions, served as the keynote speaker.
Offshore Drilling, Fracking, LNG
Exxon and Rosneft have maintained close business relations, so much so
that Putin gave the Order of Friendship Award to Tillerson in 2013. In
terms of business ties, what has that "friendship" entailed?
The two oil companies had intended to tap into Russia's bounty of over
191 billion acres of offshore Arctic oil as part of their joint venture.
(However, that was before the U.S. sanctioned Russia for its incursion
in Crimea, which has temporarily halted the drilling plans.) The two
companies also co-run the Arctic Research and Design Center for
Continental Shelf Development in Russia, in which Exxon maintains a 33.33
Since 1996, Exxon has also taken part in the Sakhalin Consortium,bill.
which centers around pumping oil offshore from Russia's Sakhalin
Island. Exxon and Rosneft also co-own acreage in Texas' Permian Basin
shale patch, and until recently dropping the joint venture, they
co-owned 20 offshore drilling plots in the Gulf of Mexico.
Beyond the Gulf, Exxon maintains a joint venture with Rosneft to do
offshore drilling in Alaska's Point Thompson in the state's North
Slope territory.
In Russia, Exxon also co-owns a stake in the proposed Sakhalin
liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Sakhalin, which would see that
gas exported to the global market. However, the plant opening was
delayed when sanctions hit, pushing it back at least two years
according to an April 2015 announcement.
Exxon also has a joint venture with Rosneft in the Bazhenov Shale
basin in Siberia, into which Exxon poured $300 million. Exxon owns a
49 percent stake and Rosneft 51 percent in that venture, which is to
explore hydraulic fracturing or fracking possibilities in the field.
If exploration bears fruit, Rosneft would hold a 66.67 percent
interest in drilling the field while ExxonMobil would maintain a 33.33
percent stake.
"This agreement combines the strengths of our two companies,"
Tillerson said when the two companies announced the deal in June 2012.
"ExxonMobil has technology leadership in tight oil and unconventional
reserves development and Rosneft brings direct knowledge and
experience of Western Siberia's geology and conventional production."
If drilling proves technologically feasible, Bazhenov could become the
most prolific shale field in the world.
Lobbying Against Russian Sanctions
As soon as sanctions are lifted in Russia, which Trump has said he
would do, Exxon has said it will return to the Russian Arctic.
BuzzFeed has reported that a bill is now making its way through
Congress which would make it much more difficult for the next
president to reverse those sanctions, which were put in place through
a series of executive orders. Exxon is very interested in the fate of that
As Buzzfeed reported:percent stake.
"We have not lobbied on the bill," Alan Jeffers, spokesperson for
ExxonMobil, told BuzzFeed News. "Our activities on the bill constitute
monitoring of congressional activities."
That was this summer before Congress was again in session. Yet the
bill's language has already been changed in a way that would make
Exxon's dealings in Russia much easier, as it essentially exempts the
exective order sanctioning Rosneft and other Russian energy companies.
With Tillerson heading the State Department, this kind of
international energy policy may become much more common.
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. Error! Hyperlink reference not
valid.
Tillerson and Putin go way back. (photo: Mikhail Klimentyev/AP)
http://www.ecowatch.com/rex-tillerson-putin-2140257585.htmlhttp://www.
ecowat ch.com/rex-tillerson-putin-2140257585.html
ALSO SEE: Rex Tillerson of Exxon Mobil Set to Be Trump Secretary of
State Pick ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson Has Deep Ties to Russia as
Well By Steve Horn, DeSmogBlog
11 December 16
xxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson-who has close personal and company ties
to Russia and President Vladimir Putin-is President-elect Donald
Trump's top pick to become the next secretary of state, with the
decision likely coming next week according to NBC News.
The news comes amid reports that Congressional members and senior U.S.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials say they have intelligence
showing Russia attempted to tip the balance of the November U.S.
presidential election in favor of Trump by hacking into email systems
and giving those emails to Wikileaks. And President Barack Obama has
called for a complete investigation on the matter before he leaves the
White House on Jan. 20.
Though the evidence presented to the U.S. public so far lacks smoking
gun documentation, many are alarmed that a geopolitical adversary may
have interfered with the U.S. electoral process. Trump, though-who has
signaled a potential sea change in the U.S.-Russia geopolitical
relationship-is not among them, as indicated in his choice of
Tillerson for top U.S. diplomat.
"If the goal is to drain the swamp in DC, Tillerson might not be your
man; Exxon's business plan continues to require raising the level of
the ocean to the point where Foggy Bottom will be well underwater,"
said 350.org founder Bill McKibben in a press release. "But this is
certainly a good way to make clear exactly who'll be running the
government in a Trump administration-just cut out the middleman and
hand it directly to the fossil fuel industry."
Exxon Says It's "Not a U.S. Company"
Exxon, the top U.S. producer of oil and gas and a well-documented
funder of climate science denial, actually leases more land in Russia
than it does in the U.S.
"Exxon boosted its Russian holdings to 63.7 million acres in 2014 from
11.4 million at the end of 2013, according to data from U.S.
regulatory filings,"
reported Bloomberg in March 2014. "That dwarfs the 14.6 million acres
of rights Exxon holds in the U.S., which until last year was its
largest exploration prospect."
Exxon, though headquartered in Irving, Texas near Dallas, is a
sprawling "private empire" with assets spread across the globe. When
asked about building more U.S. refineries to protect the U.S. economy
and consumers from fuel shortages, former CEO and chairman Lee Raymond
put Exxon's view of itself and its loyalty to the U.S. bluntly.
"I'm not a U.S. company, and I don't make decisions based on what's
good for the U.S," Raymond is quoted as saying in the 2012 book
Private Empire:
ExxonMobil and American Power by Steve Coll.
In June, Tillerson attended the St. Petersburg International Economic
Forum after taking a two-year hiatus from attending the event, which
is the top business meeting held annually in Russia. Igor Sechin, CEO
of Russian state oil company Rosneft and currently the subject of U.S.
sanctions, served as the keynote speaker.
Offshore Drilling, Fracking, LNG
Exxon and Rosneft have maintained close business relations, so much so
that Putin gave the Order of Friendship Award to Tillerson in 2013. In
terms of business ties, what has that "friendship" entailed?
The two oil companies had intended to tap into Russia's bounty of over
191 billion acres of offshore Arctic oil as part of their joint venture.
(However, that was before the U.S. sanctioned Russia for its incursion
in Crimea, which has temporarily halted the drilling plans.) The two
companies also co-run the Arctic Research and Design Center for
Continental Shelf Development in Russia, in which Exxon maintains a 33.33
Since 1996, Exxon has also taken part in the Sakhalin Consortium,bill.
which centers around pumping oil offshore from Russia's Sakhalin
Island. Exxon and Rosneft also co-own acreage in Texas' Permian Basin
shale patch, and until recently dropping the joint venture, they
co-owned 20 offshore drilling plots in the Gulf of Mexico.
Beyond the Gulf, Exxon maintains a joint venture with Rosneft to do
offshore drilling in Alaska's Point Thompson in the state's North
Slope territory.
In Russia, Exxon also co-owns a stake in the proposed Sakhalin
liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Sakhalin, which would see that
gas exported to the global market. However, the plant opening was
delayed when sanctions hit, pushing it back at least two years
according to an April 2015 announcement.
Exxon also has a joint venture with Rosneft in the Bazhenov Shale
basin in Siberia, into which Exxon poured $300 million. Exxon owns a
49 percent stake and Rosneft 51 percent in that venture, which is to
explore hydraulic fracturing or fracking possibilities in the field.
If exploration bears fruit, Rosneft would hold a 66.67 percent
interest in drilling the field while ExxonMobil would maintain a 33.33
percent stake.
"This agreement combines the strengths of our two companies,"
Tillerson said when the two companies announced the deal in June 2012.
"ExxonMobil has technology leadership in tight oil and unconventional
reserves development and Rosneft brings direct knowledge and
experience of Western Siberia's geology and conventional production."
If drilling proves technologically feasible, Bazhenov could become the
most prolific shale field in the world.
Lobbying Against Russian Sanctions
As soon as sanctions are lifted in Russia, which Trump has said he
would do, Exxon has said it will return to the Russian Arctic.
BuzzFeed has reported that a bill is now making its way through
Congress which would make it much more difficult for the next
president to reverse those sanctions, which were put in place through
a series of executive orders. Exxon is very interested in the fate of that
As Buzzfeed reported:
"We have not lobbied on the bill," Alan Jeffers, spokesperson for
ExxonMobil, told BuzzFeed News. "Our activities on the bill constitute
monitoring of congressional activities."
That was this summer before Congress was again in session. Yet the
bill's language has already been changed in a way that would make
Exxon's dealings in Russia much easier, as it essentially exempts the
exective order sanctioning Rosneft and other Russian energy companies.
With Tillerson heading the State Department, this kind of
international energy policy may become much more common.
http://e-max.it/posizionamento-siti-web/socialize
http://e-max.it/posizionamento-siti-web/socialize
