Number Two with a Bullet

MANIFESTO

While Feckless Leader may have looked into his eyes and “gotten a sense of his soul” or been reassured with his “trustworthiness,” European heads of state seem far less comfortable of late with Vladimir Putin. After a 3-day halt Russian oil was once again flowing into Germany Wednesday, and an energy crisis in Europe seems to have been staved off. With oil prices once again on the downward slope Americans are sure to feel comforted at the pump and this incident will fade into our collective unconscious – much like Putin’s penchant for political killings. However, taking a quick look at the numbers shows that when it comes to oil exporters there aren’t many reliable Western allies in the top five. The gap between number two and number three is pronounced. This fact is surely not lost on President Putin as he consolidates his control of Russia’s natural resources with little regard for the tenants of democracy or free markets.