Did The US Sabotage Nord Stream?
You might hate the ground Tucker Carlson walks on, but I still urge you to watch his broadcast from last night:
It's about the underwater sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines. Tucker points out that there is no good reason at all for Russia to have sabotaged these pipelines. Why would the Russians render inoperable the source of their economic leverage over Europe? I mean, maybe they did do it, but it's hard to understand why, given that if they wanted to cut off gas to Europe, they have the power without destroying their own equipment.
But, as Tucker points out, it's not hard at all to understand why the US would want the pipelines damaged. He airs clips of Joe Biden and the State Department's Victoria Nuland saying earlier this year that if Russia invades Ukraine, it would be a shame if something happened to Nord Stream. Well, they were more forceful than that:
Those aren't smoking guns ... but they ain't beanbag. One could certainly see why sabotaging Nord Stream benefits the US. We didn't want Europe to get Nord Stream in the first place, because it would make Europe dependent on Russian gas. This is perfectly reasonable, from an American point of view. However, if Washington sabotaged those pipelines in the middle of the Ukraine-Russia war, that would mean an insane escalation of the war, to sabotaging critical infrastructure. Think about it: if Russia can't deliver gas to Europe anyway, because the pipelines are too damaged, that makes it harder to make peace and restore energy flow to Europe. This fits Washington's policy goals. That doesn't mean Washington is responsible for this sabotage, but there's a lot more reason for Washington to have blown the pipelines up than for Russia.
Prominent Polish politician Radek Sikorski understood this, firing off this ill-advised tweet as soon as the news broke:
The Washington Post calls Tucker Carlson's case "shoddy," but if so, the Post's feeble analysis did not prove the claim.
Nobody knows yet who did this. If I had to bet money, I'd bet it was us. I can't believe there's a journalist as prominent as Tucker Carlson raising this possibility, but I'm very glad he is. We are barreling towards the possibility of a nuclear conflict with Russia, and it seems like Washington is being almost as reckless as Moscow.
UPDATE: Think about it: winter is soon arriving in Europe. If European peoples get tired of being cold, and/or paying a fortune for heating, they may take to the streets to demand that their governments push for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, so that the flow of Russian gas can start again. But now, with the Nord Stream pipelines badly damaged, that possibility has been foreclosed, has it not?
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UPDATE.2: Steve Sailer speculates that it was the Ukrainians.
UPDATE.3: Y'know, maybe there was no sabotage at all, but rather:
A new line from Norway to Poland opens today. Germany was looking like it might lift stop sanctions in order to keep its economy alive.
Poland hates Russia and Germany. Poland is very much pushing for a wider war.
It has been argued by some, even before the war began, that the US was looking to have this conflict with Russia in order to hurt Europe. So far it is working.
America has been pushing the conflict since 2014. There is no desire for peace in the US government. Blowback to America is going to make 9/11 look like a child's toy.
As for the question of cui bono that's pretty obvious: Russia benefits. It's a huge propaganda coup if they spread tales the the US (Poland, Ukraine, NATO etc) did this. And Carlson, and, alas, now Rod, are pitching right in to help. The Russians are finding themselves in a hard place right now; they're grasping at whatever straws they can.
Germany has already called it sabotage. Germany and Russia owned the pipelines. Germany needs the gas. Russia makes money selling it. The US has been threatening the pipeline. Biden said he would shut it down. Germany has been damaged by this war more than any country except Ukraine itself and its industry is shutting down. .
Russia doesn't benefit. Germany doesn't benefit. Poland benefits. US benefits. Ukraine benefits. It is really simple unless you are an easily programmed zombie.
Last I checked not a single shot has been fired and not a single bomb has gone off in Germany. Words have meanings: How is Germany "damaged"?
Seems like "Pipeline truthers" are about to take their place along side 9-11 truthers, Clinton Chroniclers and Stolen Election freaks in the Conspiracy Theory Hall of Shame.
On the other hand, for the US to have done this, against its European allies and a nuclear Russia, would be far too dangerous even for the Biden administration.
Remember “A Bronx Tale”? The biker gang threatens not to leave, so what does our anti-hero mobster do? Locks the door and tells them “well, now you can’t leave.” No points for guessing who gets beaten up afterwards.
But seriously, you really want more hard facts before constructing a theory. Although it is interesting Sputnik and RT haven't come out with an official response from Moscow and the event has sent afine hornet nest tumbling among the anti-Russian allies.
Does Professor Moriarty have an alibi?
Putin’s conscription orders are backfiring big time. My Russian friends who have contact with relatives in Russia tell me that for the last several days absenteeism by men has been over fifty percent in places. Men are not going to their jobs where they can be found and served conscription orders. Men are missing. Besides the ones in Ukraine and those conscripted, others have left Russia or are trying to leave Russia or are hiding out with an aunt in Novisibirsk or whatever. The situation is unsustainable even in the short term. You can’t run a society and an economy if every able bodied man between 20 and 50 is afraid to go to work or even to go out in public.
If I am wrong, I shall come to a discussion thread and humbly confess I was wrong. But I think in the near future you will acclaim me a prophet.
"The Nord pipelines weren’t in use. To me, that means it’s time for maintenance! Hard to maintain pipes when product is flowing.
Pipelines running methane, under saltwater, require PMCS* quicker than you’d think, and more often than you’d believe.
I would bet a cup of coffee that any of the required weekly and monthly checks and services since the Russians took over have been pencil-whipped. (See Andreev Bay 1982.)
They officially shut it down in July of 2020 for maintenance, and had cornbread hell getting it back on-line, and “issues” with maintaining flow throughout the next year; shut it down again in July of 2021, with bigger “issues” — we say “issues” because the Russians won’t explain what these issues were — and even more problems, including unexplained, major disruptions in gas flow in Dec21/Jan22; Feb 22; and April 22."
https://thelawdogfiles.com/2022/09/nordstream.html