<\/p>\n
Paul Craig Roberts<\/p>\n
Washington\u2019s \u201cRussian sanctions\u201d are the best thing that ever happened to Russia. The sanctions forced Russia away from her mindless effort to be part of the West, turned her toward her real allies, and forced Russia to do what she should have done long ago \u2014 bill her energy in rubles, thus supporting her own currency instead of her enemy\u2019s. Washington\u2019s sanctions are also benefitting Russia by tearing up the economies of NATO countries, causing dissension among EU members, and causing, finally, European peoples to wonder why their governments support Washington\u2019s warmongering at the expense of the European peoples.<\/p>\n
Washington\u2019s sanctions fall on Washington\u2019s European empire. The European benchmark price of electric power has risen 500% to $509 per megawatt hour. The European natural gas future price is ten times higher than it was a year ago. The idiot German government is \u201chelping\u201d the situation by placing additional taxes on natural gas.<\/p>\n
German industry executives are expressing concerns that Germany, denied energy by Washington\u2019s sanctions, will be deindustrialized. American owners of cars made by Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, and Volkswagen might soon find themselves unable to obtain parts needed to keep their cars in service.<\/p>\n
Bankruptcies in Europe are exploding. In the past three months bankruptcies are up 11.9% in Denmark, 14.7% in Belgium and 74.4% in Latvia.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Russia is benefitting from high energy prices and a strong ruble.<\/p>\n
The question is: Is the real target of Washington\u2019s sanctions Russia, or is Washington making Europe even more subservient to Washington\u2019s domination by driving down the European economies?<\/p>\n