Greetings! How does this work?

[Anotherkiwi]

No offense intended Anotherkiwi  My eyes were squinting at the tiny flag on your profile

If you hover the mouse over the flag icon, the name of the country pops up.

...and it was hard to differentiate the Aussie and Kiwi flags from the naked eye 

Even when they're this size it's quite easy to tell the difference.  The Australian flag has white stars, including a big one at the lower left, and the New Zealand flag has red stars.  Simple!

[BillyB]

Alright Billy  , since you insist so much, that the purpose of SA increasing production is to increase the oil supply to hurt Iran, Syria & Russia, then I'll indulge you by putting your nice theory to the test by looking at the facts and then let's see if it makes any sense.

Let's look at percentage of Gov Oil Revenue from petroleum extraction:
Iran: 55%
Russia: 37.4%
Syria: 25.1%
Saudi Arabia: 92.5%!!!

Without checking, I'll accept your numbers as facts. What is also a fact is that Saudi Arabia and it's people remain rich whether the price of oil is high or low. The other nations on your list are actually more dependent on oil to improve the lives of their citizens than Saudi Arabia is. Russia's economy did well when the price of oil is high. Since oil prices dropped a few years ago, many construction projects have been scrapped or remain uncompleted.

If SA wants to do hurt, it is shooting its own foot more than shooting the foot of others. Hypothetical SA policy of hurt fails Economics 101.

Your mistake is to believe this is all about economics. It's extremely rare for heads of states to meet and discuss family or in this case, how to put private business, fracking companies, out of business. The topics they discuss are geopolitical in nature. They don't have time to waste on chit chat.


Lowering oil prices to keep fracking companies out of the picture is shooting themselves in the foot. Fracking companies have an interest in keeping oil prices high since they have less of a profit margin than SA. SA benefits from a bigger profit margin. When it comes to economics, shooting yourself before the competitor does isn't smart.


What is smart is to lower oil prices to keep enemies weak that who would like end your right to exist. Look at the history of the Middle East. Seems like somebody is getting overthrown every few years. SA seen the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, get ousted recently and Syria is fighting for it's life. SA seen oil sales help make ISIS the largest terrorist group the world has ever seen. Those guys would love to assassinate some members of the royal family. Economics takes a back seat to maintaining SA's right to exist.

Ok, say Saudi cooperated with USA to initiate this "hurt policy" and in return Saudi got benefits to balance out their own DRASTIC loss of income. But where are the great deals?
1. Saudi purchasing 100s of billions in arms from USA? Benefit goes to USA, not Saudi
2. Saudi borrowing money and selling bonds for fiscal measures? Good for Outside investors, not Saudi

Again, you think this is only about economics and SA got bad deals when if fact they got the best deal. 100 billion in military hardware sales isn't going to make or break America. America will prosper just fine without SA's business. SA got the better deal since they become one of the most powerful nations in the world and by buying American, they create a bond with USA which increases the likelihood America will protect them. You think America made money but SA insured their right to exist for a long time.  Life is much more important than money.

3. USA lifting oil embargo (sanctions) on Iran since last year due to uranium deal? Good for Iran, not good for Saudi? Why the heck is USA helping Iran now? double-standards?

Either USA has very incompetent bureaucrats  who never bothered to consult expert economists to implement such a counter-productive sanction that inevitably hurts SA more

SA is upset with Obama making a deal with Iran. They have the right to be. Iran made the deal to get richer to fund their intercontinental ballistic missile program that was years behind it's nuke program. They were months away from a nuke. Iran also bought a lot of Russian military hardware with the money that was release, including state of the art AA missiles and radars which are going to be used to protect their weapons programs. Once the defenses are up, ballistic missile program perfected, and they milked the Western countries for as much as they can, the nuke deal will be off. They will be top dog in the region and by possessing nuclear weapons, America is less likely to defend it's friends. Obama's nuke deal will be as good as Clinton's was with North Korea.

[kynrazor]

What is also a fact is that Saudi Arabia and it's people remain rich whether the price of oil is high or low.

Interesting that you think no matter the oil price, SA will always remain rich. I am an advocate for things to be explained by a simple universal theory, but you on the other hand need elaborate case-by-case explanations to fit your theory. 

Haha Billy, I guess we will have to agree to disagree here. 

[Boethius]

Hmm, however would that actually mean on the flip side, that people who have survived the perilous long distance relationship phase will eventually form an unusually strong bond in their post-wedding relationship? Sort-of like baptism of fire (having gone through so many obstacles) before finally moving in together? Or actually nothing's a guarantee?

In our case, the LDR did make our bond stronger (and I am talking years apart, without even the ability to see each other.  I should have chosen Penelope as my screen name).  But I don't think there are guarantees in life.

[2tallbill]

If you hover the mouse over the flag icon, the name of the country pops up.

Even when they're this size it's quite easy to tell the difference.  The Australian flag has white stars, including a big one at the lower left, and the New Zealand flag has red stars.  Simple!

Really, with old man eyes, even squinting the NZ flag doesn't retain much of it's detail.
I do the hover thing but when somebody says they are a Kiwi, that sort of gives it away.

[Anotherkiwi]

Really, with old man eyes, even squinting the NZ flag doesn't retain much of it's detail.
I do the hover thing but when somebody says they are a Kiwi, that sort of gives it away.

That was what I was hoping!

[Patrice1953]

Hello to everyone !

[msmob]

Hello Patrice !

Welcome ... please tell us something about your self - where you're from, etc., in the introductions section 

[BillyB]

Hello to everyone !

Hello to you Patrice. What are you looking for?