Who’s Buying What Oil?

By Aramie Louisville Vas

The mainstream media is in a stir, reporting that Russia has officially called out Turkey on Wednesday for buying oil from Daesh. And “they have proof.”

Russia’s got satellite images on Turkey supposedly showing tanker trucks loading oil at installations controlled by Daesh. Turkish President Ergodan is insulted because no one has the right to “slander” Turkey this way.

“Don’t no one talk that way ‘bout us!”

On Thursday, Erdogan shot back with a statement that it’s actually Russia that’s benefiting from the oil trade with Daesh.

“We have the proof in our hands,” said the president in a televised speech. “We will reveal it to the world.”

Oil is not leading us down any good roads in terms of terrorism or sustainability. Daesh makes millions of dollars a day selling oil, at a fraction of the regular barrel price. Up to $3 million, according to analysts. For comparison, Saudi Arabia makes something like $800-$900 million per day, at least. Who’s buying terrorist oil? Where is the revenue coming from? Common sense says it’s probably not just one country. And as a friend to this reporter likes to say “It is politics; someone is lying.”

Now this is a good moment to recall that Russia has historically lead the way in the U.N. to put in place measures to denounce and punish those countries caught buying oil from Daesh. In 2014 when Russia wanted sanctions against any country caught buying terrorist oil, the U.S. tried to water down the wording which would condemn and penalize. That’s a bit strange. Now, Saudi Arabia also dropped their oil prices round 2014 so low oil prices don’t necessarily mean the U.S. or their allies have lots or even some of Daesh oil. Still. Why would the U.S. want to protect anyone buying terrorist oil?

Of course Russia is plenty pissed right now that Turkey just shot down their war jet so there is good incentive to “get back” Turkey on the part of the Russians. The U.S., incidentally, has rejected Russia’s claim against Turkey. And – of course they have! Turkey is a U.S. ally. And Russia’s been bombing Daesh better than the U.S., which is annoying to Western leaders and their allies and … oh, don’t let’s get started. We’re all a bunch of squabbling turkeys in a trailer park.

Truest truth: our way of life is unsustainable. We will not collectively listen; we were resistant to slow change and we won’t induce radical change now (if we can help it) to live without oil and without what we’ve been told are our wonderful traditions and comforts. We’ll watch the miserable around us suffer, and be glad it is not us. And when it IS us, we will wonder why nobody cares.

I don’t have hope for you. I don’t have hope for me. If and when some radical type of change occurs, I will be there gathering food and trying to maintain some kind of peace while still defending my person and loved ones. I’ll meditate upon a radical change that will morph us into souls of pure love and eternal light. Until that radical change though, I’ll be driving to work and using oil and working on bringing that revolution in whatever ways I can manage without starving or permanently throwing my hands in the air. And I hope, I sincerely hope, that you will be there with those of us who are on the front.

So, who’s buying what oil? Another worthy (albeit big-picture) question is “how long will we consent to a world run on oil?” How long will we continue our commitment to well-worn paths of war and rampant fear? Is there some way through the chaos to another, more sustainable, side?