@Rhrosty
"If the Crimea didn't have significant oil and gas reserves, would Putin been interested in the plight of its Russian speakers?"
Yes, he would have been. Sevastopol is Russia's only warm water port, is its access to the Mediterranean, and has been part of Russia since they took it from the Turks in 1783. Khrushchev, a Ukrainian, gave it to Ukraine only 50 years ago when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.
The recent provocation in Kiev was in no small part a desire by NATO to dislodge Russia from the port in Sevastopol, and Putin was not prepared to countenance that.
When the Soviet Union broke apart, the West (EU, US and NATO) agreed not to move into the former states of the Warsaw Pact. They began their move east before the ink was dry on that agreement. Putin, quite rightly, has said enough is enough.
Now Kiev, with the West's backing, is trying to provoke Russia into crossing openly into eastern Ukraine. They may succeed. But they may not. I hope they don't. Left to its own devices, Ukraine will implode soon enough.
Russia may, however, have to cut off the gas going to Ukraine due to unpaid bills. If they do, much of the gas destined for western Europe could also get cut. What foolish games are being played. And to what end?
There's a good question. To what end? Who started this confrontation, and what is their endgame? I still think the wheat fields are as important a factor as any gas reserves.

David G.,

The dreadful nefariousness of the world's bankers is neither here nor there in this issue of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

But I liked your self-portrait: "He sees the world in black and white as dumb-asses across the world tend to do." Brilliant !

Yes, the world is vastly more subtle and nuanced - there may well be fascists on both sides of the Ukraine conflict. And democrats too, and old communists, and old-church Christians, and Muslims, and Cossacks and Circassians, and pro- and anti-US and -EU as well. And Ukrainians pitching for Russia, and Russians pitching for Ukraine. Etc., etc.

So like it or not, even you have to weigh up carefully all the pros and cons of each side: it's certainly not all black and white.

Hal,

The US and the EU engineered a provocation to Russia over the Crimea ? So what was their Plan B ? They did seem to have been caught flat-footed - are you suggesting that they provoked their own outwitting ? Do you have the slightest evidence ?

Joe

Read the news, Joe. It's all in there. Victoria Nuland is a good place to start.

Plantagenent," Explain my economic theories?" We look at the instigation of the private US Federal Reserve however before this we need to look at the 1890's Depression.

In 1873 the elite central bankers removed all the cheap silver money from the US economy and replaced it with their gold. This was known as the crime of 73.Since the elites had most of the gold they reduced the money supply by 80% and assumed most of the wealth. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swkq2E8mswI You need to see 'The Secret of Oz' to really understand.

L Frank Baum who wrote 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' had a powerful economic message in it. The Cowardly Lion represented William Jennings Brian whom Baum had accompanied in his pursuit to defeat the gold bugs and end the Depression. Brian failed to become President and defeat the Wicked Witches of the East and West. The Wicked Witches were JP Morgan and JD Rockefeller the two major banking powers of that time.

In Dec 1913 President Woodrow Wilson signed away the right of Congress to create new money for growth + inflation to the Private US Federal Reserve. It was interesting that William Jennings Brian as Congressman voted for the Private Fed thinking like others,that Congress would have power over them. Slowly Congress lost that power.

Soon after this,WW1 began and central Bankers like the Rothschilds made money getting all sides of this war into debt. They also have shares in arms, building, ships etc and make fortunes loaning to our Govts. This was the beginning of a Global private Central Banking system and their dream of conquering the planet.

-continued

Arjay

You missed the Bank of England and the economic power of London "the City" generally - in the period you've just described.

I'm assuming relevance to Ukraine is coming? For example the Russian economy has been extremely influential to the Ukrainian economy for 100s of years up to this moment.

Planta

Plantagenet, Money has not intrinsic worth. It is just a medium of exchange and a store of wealth. Money represents human endeavour but our financial system has turned it into a commodity that gets perverted by their derivative scams.

If private banks can create new money from nothing as debt to = growth + inflation of any nation,then they own us and our Govts.

Mayer Armchel Rothschild, "Give me control of a nations currency and I care not who makes the laws." They now control most of the planet via debt but Russia and China have too many Govt Banks which makes them mostly independent of their thieving system.

The Private Bank of International Settlements makes all the rules for our banks to function. APRA is not answerable to our Govt but to the private BIS. This group has shares in all the major Corporations on the planet and all our banks. They can determine who our enemies will be and what wars we fight because they control the media and politicians via the creation of money.