President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, left, and King Salman of Saudi Arabia, then the crown prince, at a session of the G20 summit talks in November in Brisbane, Australia. Credit Pool photo Rob Griffith
New York Times: Saudi Oil Is Seen as Lever to Pry Russian Support From Syria’s Assad
WASHINGTON — Saudi Arabia has been trying to pressure President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to abandon his support for President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, using its dominance of the global oil markets at a time when the Russian government is reeling from the effects of plummeting oil prices.
WNU Editor: I love these conspiracy theories .... especially when it comes from the New York Times. As for this theory .... it is going to take a lot more for Russia to be forced/convinced in not supporting President Bashar al-Assad of Syria.
12 comments:
Well looky here.
WNU,
Whoops jumped the gun, again didn't check photo date, but I understand Putin is going to Egypt in a few days and that is interesting.
James. I hear that a big arms deal is in the works.
When I was working in the FO I was offered one of two posts .... China or Egypt. I choose Egypt because I wanted to climb the Great Pyramids. So I spent the better part of 3 - 4 months brushing up on Arabic and learning everything that there was to know about Egypt.
The week before I was to go to Cairo I was called in and told that because of my poor performance record (I was always critical of policy) .... I was being shipped to the backwater country of China as punishment. I was not a happy camper .... so it was either that or being dumped in some basement somewhere in Vladivostok checking visa applications for the rest of my life.
The funny thing is .... as I have mentioned to you before .... when I left China it became one of the top spots for FO personnel to be stationed at ... and today ... China and the U.S. is where everyone in the FO now wants to go.
As for climbing the Great Pyramids .... I promised my GF that I will take her there in the next few years .... bribe who I have to bribe .... and climb the Great Pyramid so I can kiss her. If Marc Anthony and Cleopatra could do it .... as I said to the GF ... so could we. :)
By the way, check this out
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2298729/The-view-TOP-Great-Pyramid-Tourists-secretly-climb-Egyptian-landmark-amazing-photos.html
Very cool.
Years ago, maybe it was on PBS, I watched a show where a Japanese Egyptologist and some Japanese Engineers recreated building the pyramids using a scale model (about 40' tall), historically correct methods, and local labor. Well they had a sledge with a roughly squared stone of about 5 tons and about 100 egyptians. Out comes one of the japanese engineers with a headband with japanese characters and a little flag who starts waving the flag exhorting the egyptians to pull! Meanwhile the japanese egyptologist in voice over explained that the old time egyptians woke everyday and went to work with effusive joy knowing they were serving their Pharoah who was conveniently also a god. I'm sure. For twenty years to get up almost every day to haul big rocks up a hill that gets taller everyday, I can just see the joy.
James,
The scholarship is not settled, but the current theories, is that the pyramids, were built by a "middle class" of engineers, skilled tradesmen and managers,
( nice living quarters, good food, beer, leisure time, trappings of middle class wealth, ornate burial),
And a raw labour pool of mostly Delta Farmers, earning a second income between the harvest, and the planting,
(Barracks style living accomodations, good food, beer, dice game, respectfull burials, some hints of Workplace Health and Safety).
According to some accounts, going to work on the pyramids was the period equivalent of the Alberta wheat farmers, heading off to the drill rigs, back in the 50's, 60's and 70's, when the northern rigs could only run in winter.
Beer and bread was their diet. And yes .... it was regarded to be a plum job in the off season .... as it was explained to me by an Egyptian friend years ago. And according to him ....Moses and the Jews did not play a critical role in the building of any pyramids. But that was just his opinion.
But man-o-man .... climbing the pyramids is one of the things that I want to do before I cannot. And as a bonus for you James .... I will take my driver, tee, and golf ball .... and scream fore while I whack that ball in the direction of Cairo. If done right .... I am sure it will be on the cover of Golf Digest. :)
P.S. This is where my GF thinks I am insane.
WNU Editor,
Your GF is right, you are insane,
Everybody knows you need to use a sand wedge.
Thanks Jay. I just laughed for 30 seconds.
Yes, I'm aware of that school of thought. The two major sides on this argument have been going at it for a long time. Studies done of the worker villagers done over a decade ago have boosted the it was "desirable off-season work" camp considerably, but as you say it is far from settled, they are still going at it over the length of time of construction. Still though, regardless of working conditions a big damn rock is still a big damn rock and that blankety blank hill just gets taller every day.
James,
While it was the literal work of Syphius every day,
It was outside, clean air, sunshine, group work, good exercise, and the pyramid got taller, day by day,
Vs the metaphorical work of Syphius every day,
In a grey room, with grey light, in a grey cubicle, sitting all day, with cubicule to cubicle talk frowned upon, and an actual slavedrive for a boss,
And all you have to show for it is an evergrowing pile of electrons moved around some wires and circuits.
Better be careful WNU, I understand Egyptians get very upset when someone tries to play through.
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