If you mean the Keystone XL pipeline, that was Canadian oil destined for the Texas Gulf Coast. It was intended as an addition to the original Keystone pipeline that currently provides oil to Illinois and a distribution hub in Oklahoma. Much of the latter goes to Texas.
Russians are fine. It’s Putin. Why does a communist/socialist society have rich party leaders and wealthy oligarchs? While the workers live in squalor?
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It’s not a communist society. Russia is a dictatorship. They don’t even masquerade as a communist government anymore.
Yup!
To their credit, they disavowed Communism, but then Putin and his ex-KGB cronies created a very lucrative Capitalist Kleptocracy for themselves and a small core of like-minded followers. Twenty years later, they still hold all the cards for themselves.
The masses are undoubtedly better-off than they were under the Communist regime, but the fact remains that dissent is stifled, political opponents are routinely done away with though poisoning, a free press is non-existent, and almost all of the wealth flows to… probably… no more than a couple of hundred people.
Another possible reason for the apparently low morale among the Russkie soldiers is the fact that one of their top Generals was killed by sniper fire. You can see a photo of yet another burning Soviet vehicle (plus a few more abandoned Russian vehicles), and read the details regarding the General at the link below. I wonder if those vehicles were abandoned because of lax maintenance, or because of bad tires, or if the troops simply fled in fear. In any event, those two abandoned vehicles (and possible weaponry inside) only serve to further bolster the Ukrainian motor pool.
Just to keep this on a strictly-automotive footing, an F1 racing driver from Russia has been terminated by a US-based racing team. His father is one of the Russian oligarchs who is very closely allied with Putin.
Look at these luxury vehicles fleeing Russia!
Courtesy of The BBC:
At Vaalimaa, Finland’s border crossing with Russia - 120 miles east of Helsinki - buses and cars stop for passport and customs checks. These aren’t Ukrainians, they’re Russians, and although the flow isn’t heavy, it is constant.
Some people are anxious to get out of Russia because there has been a persistent rumour that President Vladimir Putin’s government might soon introduce martial law to deal with demonstrations against the invasion of Ukraine.
With flights to Europe halted, the only way out of the country is by car - crossing this border - or by train.
We spoke to one young Russian woman who was leaving for the West - one of the lucky ones who had an EU visa before the sanctions were announced. She was in despair at what has been happening.
“People in Ukraine are our people - our family,” she said. “We shouldn’t be killing them.” Would she think of going back, I asked? “Not while our dreadful government is there. It is so, so sad.”
Crazy times for sure. In one week no more masks and war 24/7. I’m not sure any of these reports can be believed anymore.
I spent my adult life in the Army, loved every minute of it (ha), but am ashamed to say our disability system is flat out broke.
The only ones who should be getting disability, in my opinion, are those with a Purple Heart.
Sorry for going off-topic, but this has long been a burr under my saddle.
Anyone interested in the tornados in Iowa yesterday? All I can get is war info on the TV from this country in Europe. I’m sure the National Guard has been called out by now. People dead, homes destroyed.
well, that’s sad. life is hard enough without having to worry about extreme weather and crazy people. sometimes I think we are getting closer to… The End of Days.
Officials: 7 dead after tornadoes tore through central Iowa (aol.com)
Yes, I am concerned about that tragedy, and I keep thinking…
What did the folks in Iowa do to p*ss-off God so badly?
What the heck, man? Go read the book of Job.
I never thought of Divine Retribution being the cause of disasters (natural and otherwise) until the Rev. Jerry Falwell and the Rev. Pat Robertson both stated that the 9/11 terrorist attack on The US was the result of an angry God’s displeasure. Are you saying that those highly esteemed clergymen were wrong?
I think God tests us. go through the pain and suffering to see if we still have faith. Boy, has He/She been testing me my whole life. 
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+1
When I received a very ominous diagnosis from an Oncologist a few months ago, I began to realize just how much God has been testing me. In the aftermath of that diagnosis, I decided to reverse my–overall–frugal nature, and to try to enjoy myself as much as possible in my remaining time. The Lexus dealership is going to benefit from my decision.
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Yes they were wrong. A few people don’t speak for millions of us. Romans 8:28. Evil and bad things happen but all things work for good.
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But I guess the point was, the memo came out and within one week, Covid is a dead subject and we are on to 24/7 war monitoring by our betters. Might call it the second pandemic. No other news is important. And we are supposed to believe these clowns? Fool me once . . .
And yeah to keep it car related, a pick up truck was blown 50 feet into a ditch. No explosives.
there must of been a lot of air in those tires when they blew to go that far.
Well, God causes rain to file on the righteous and wicked alike. AKA, sometimes good things happen to bad folks and bad things happen to good folks for apparently no reason that we can see. Are you asking if I think the world will be judged for the sin of its inhabitants? Yes, I do. Are you asking if I think man can know exactly what God’s intentions are for each event? No I do not. Could God allow things to happen to this country as a whole because it intentionally disregards him? Sure.
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