OPEC cuts oil production: US conceit (EU and Japan)
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The United States, under the Democratic Party and leadership of President Joe Biden, is extremely conceitful. Elites in Washington enact endless sanctions and threaten nations that follow an independent line. Therefore, OPEC+ – while naturally focusing on their respective economies – is deemed to have implemented policies against America, which seeks to bring down the price of energy aimed at the domestic market and the Russian Federation.
The European Union (EU), under Ursula von der Leyen, is increasingly using the same coercion within the EU. Australia (non-G7), Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom are also building an increasingly hostile G7 and EU club that looks down on nations in a colonial sense. Hence, nations including Hungary, Mali, Serbia, and the Soloman Islands face EU and G7 group pressure.
Biden faces internal political pressure concerning the upcoming midterm elections in November. Also, Biden is aggrieved by the independence of OPEC+ because he seeks to weaken the economy of the Russian Federation – in tandem with EU and G7 nations. Therefore, the so-called progressive nations of America, the EU, and G7 seek to impose their economic needs at the expense of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America, and other parts of the world concerning economics and geopolitics.
The White House said, “The President is disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+ to cut production quotas while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.”
The Guardian reports, “The White House made clear that it viewed the decision by the oil production cartel, in which the plus sign represents the inclusion of Russia, to reduce daily production by 2m barrels, as a geopolitical move, and a slight to Biden who is seeking to cut Russian revenues and keep the petrol price down before November’s congressional elections.”
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan is rubber stamping the policies of Washington to the detriment of this nation. Instead of focusing on strengthening ties with China: under Kishida, Japan is following the diktats of America along with joining the EU and G7 club at the expense of Asia and other parts of the world. The late former leader Shinzo Abe had positive relations with the Russian Federation. However, Kishida and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi are pro-America to an extreme.
Reuters reports, “U.S. officials have said part of the reason Washington wants lower oil prices is to deprive Moscow of oil revenue. Biden traveled to Riyadh this year but failed to secure any firm cooperation commitments on energy. Relations have been further strained as Saudi Arabia has not condemned Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.”
Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator, sums up the colonial-minded nature of America. He said, “I think it is a mistake on their part. And I think it’s time for a wholesale re-evaluation of the US alliance with Saudi Arabia… I just don’t know what the point of the current alliance is… if we have to work so hard to get the Saudis to do the right thing.”
The nations of OPEC+ have positive relations with the Russian Federation. Despite this, OPEC+ nations are meant to sacrifice their profits by over-production to suit the whims of America, the EU, and the G7.
Naturally, despite pressure from America, OPEC+ nations seek a higher price energy market to help their respective economies. This colonial mindset emanating from Washington is growing in extremity under the Democratic Party. Therefore, other nations within the EU and G7 should look in the mirror.
Do they equally want to be viewed negatively throughout Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America, and other parts of the world? Japan should take a neutral stance similar to India and other nations that seek independence. However, under Kishida and Hayashi, servitude to America is the order of the day.
Japan can’t see the world outside of the corridors of Washington. Therefore, Japan isn’t at ease within its own geopolitical space in Northeast Asia.
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