Oil is the answer here. If we could say find a new source of relatively easily recovered oil, that costs us far less than what it costs the Russians to recover their oil, ($10.00 Barrel! Ours around $3.00!)
And export it to energy poor Europe!
The Russians would lose the current controls they exert over many energy poor nations, who are afraid to seriously rock the boat, least their energy supplies be seriously curtailed or cut off?
We may have just such a resource, and given comparative refining requirements, a much less carbon intensive and vastly less expensive one at that!
The only problem its location and the Ideological warriors who guard it, with their entirely unreasonable locked and bolted recalcitrant or moribund mindsets.
I'm not advocating anyone burn more oil, just a much less, in total, carbon intensive variety!
And if we could seriously threaten Russia economically, one feels, they would very suddenly become much more amenable to most of our ideas for Syria?
Besides, where are we going to source our oil supplies if the Middle East erupts into a full on conflagration?
Russia?
Rhrosty.

What would a "full on conflagration" in the Mid East look like anyway?
We've seen "full on wars" between Mid East states in our lifetimes and they are always limited in scope and duration, bloody yes but "connflagration", not really. The Lebanese, Iraqi and Syrian troubles are seem to to be the typical way in which Arabs conduct warfare. Remember the mid east states are just lines on the map drawn by the western powers, to tribal people like Arabs they don't have the same significance as the lines describing the segments Europe or Asia do to their inhabitants.

Suddenly, Singer says nothing about Israel and devotes all his curious black and white ranting and raving to Syria. Methinks I smell a rat!

What is Singer's latest game, I wonder? Why has he dropped Israel from his political agenda? Has be become a Muslim or a 7 day a week bike rider?

Are Singer and Israel working together to get the groundwork laid for some false-flag operation?

Or is the U.S. working with Israel and Britain and Australia to throw a few nukes in strategic places around the Middle East?

Is Obama pretending to be totally involved with things financial so he looks to be completely uninvolved with the strange games being played in the M.E.?

It's curiouser and curiouser!

I smell many rats.

"Every war when it comes, or before it comes, is represented not as a war but as an act of self-defense against a homicidal maniac."

George Orwell.

P.S. Did Orwell have in mind Obama and/or Netanyahu?

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_orwell.html#yVEfOIlGBRfTZigq.99

David G Israel is working very hard at creating a huge war in the Middle East but powers within the US Govt and Military do not want a war with Russia/China.

The Zionists are in absolute desperation and will try another false flag attack within the USA and blame it on Iran or Syria.

Remember David the attack on the US Liberty in 1966 by Israel who tried to blame it on Egypt ?

Arjay,
Maybe, but 9-11 succeeded because the people in charge of national defense at the time were a bunch of craven cowards and Zionist toadies who due to fear of making the wrong choice froze when the moment of crisis arrived, Obama and co are cut from different cloth, or so it seems.

Always predictable how most commenters blame oil, Israel or the West for generally Muslim Middle Eastern young men with guns killing each other within their own borders.

The long term cause of Syria's War is the 1,400 year old split in Islam between the more extremist Sunnis and Shiites.

The more immediate cause is the dictatorial rule of the minority Alawite-Shiite Assad Government over the Sunni majority of Syria. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sectarianism_and_minorities_in_the_Syrian_civil_war

Most commenters can blame the Western societies they themselves live in as much as they like but is doesn't remove the responsibility from never resolved intra-Muslim hatreds.

To #plantagenet

Nice to see someone focusing on the issues in Syria for a change.

The Sunni/Shiite divide is causing havoc in many other Arab states.

It is a power game whose end is not really able to be predicted at this point in time.

Iran v Saudi Arabia are the main combatants.

Who will be left standing at the end of what is destined to be an ongoing struggle in places like Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, the Gulf States and Syria is anyone's guess.

"It is a power game whose end is not really able to be predicted at this point in time," says the Singer innocently.

I reckon that Israel, in combination with its enabler, the U.S., has already decided what the outcome will be.

It won't be good for the Arabs but it will be good for the U.S. and its proxy, Israel, unless the Arab nations bury the hatchet, combine, and present a united front to the brazen, fanatical imperialists!

If the Suez Canal was to be closed, that might spoil Israel's game!

By the end of 1973 all in the Middle East, including Egypt, realised the closure of the Suez Canal wouldn't happen.

Now with Russia, China, Vietnam and even Cuba seeing the advantages of capitalism only a reactionary group of unreconstructed Marxists hanker for a workers' paradise.

North Korea is the last workers' paradise for those who don't want to live in the "evil" capitalist West :)

With capitalism, greed is your creed!

Serious capitalists pay little or no tax because of dubious avoidance schemes.

Capitalists are never happy no matter how much money they have.

Capitalists see people as an easy target just waiting to be ripped off!

Capitalists often engage in criminal activity to maximize their profits.

Capitalists use their money and influence to elect Governments that will help them in the get-rich-quick schemes.

Capitalists like Murdoch use their media power to spread capitalist propaganda and justify endless war.

Capitalists live in exclusive ghettos so they don't have to mix with commoners and proles.

Capitalists believe in conspicuous consumption and, whenever they can, flaunt their ill-gotten riches.

Capitalists believe implicitly that might is right. They don't believe in the fair-go, or equality for all, or welfare for the battlers.

Capitalist love money more than anything else. It is their God!

They are grotesque, twisted human beings!

They are to be pitied really.

<a href="http://www.dangerouscreation.com/2013/10/capitalists-the-blight-of-humanity/poverty-picture/" rel="attachment wp-att-14841"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14841" alt="poverty-picture" src="http://www.dangerouscreation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/poverty-picture.jpg" width="461" height="500" /></a>

Sorry, guys and gals! I tried to post a photograph on OLO concerning capitalism but the link doesn't seem to work.

If you click on my website icon you'll be able to view a very moving photograph which won a Pulitzer Prize.

Take care!

To #David G

Are you David G or Dennis M or do you go under both pseudonyms?

Do you use any other pseudonyms on the Internet?

Why are you reluctant to make any comments using your real name?

Singer, I use pseudonyms because the internet is alive with all manner of spooks and weirdos, some of whom might want to harm me and/or my family given that I frequently comment on issues seen by some as 'controversial'.

But someone has to speak out against injustices and for the voiceless and I do so even though it may occasionally upset some. But I am very careful to stay on the right side of the law and do not intentionally break it with my opinions.

David G. We all know our oppressors because they are the ones whom we cannot criticise.ie our international banking conglomerates who own big oil, big pharma and our Govts.