Reading archive 2022-03-15

Neo-Nazis are exploiting Russia’s war in Ukraine for their own purposes Not since ISIS have we seen such a flurry of recruitment activity.

Inside Putin’s circle — the real Russian elite: As the west focuses on oligarchs, a far smaller group has its grip on true power in Moscow. Who are the siloviki — and what motivates them?

The truth about gas prices and oil production - "Biden also issued an executive order that paused new oil and gas leases on government land, but within months a federal judge blocked it. After his first year, Biden had outpaced Donald Trump in issuing drilling permits on public lands.

...

"In 2021, the United States slipped to third place in oil production, behind Russia and Saudi Arabia. That’s mainly because large shale companies committed to Wall Street that they would continue to limit production and return more cash to shareholders — 'an effort to win back investors who fled the industry after years of poor returns,' according to the Wall Street Journal. Scott Sheffield, chief executive of Pioneer Natural Resources, told investors in February: '$100 oil, $150 oil, we’re not going to change our growth rate.'"