Comments by "" (@craigkdillon) on "Will Russia become a superpower? Part 2/2" video.

  1. Russia's energy problem is much worse than merely having to extract from remote areas. Pipelines can always be built. No, the real problem is that the world is moving towards renewable energy power and electric cars. Oil is in an inexorable decline as a geostrategic resource. By 2050, oil will be largely irrelevant. In fact, the coming of the decline in peak oil demand will happen before 2030. After that, oil prices will plummet and stay low permanently. This will be a body blow to Russia's economy. Russia will have to finally leave its 18th Century thinking behind. It must embrace trade, international cooperation, rule of law, and private enterprise. If not, its demise will be profound, and likely very bloody.
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  2. One more thing, if Russia does not get its act together, and leave 18th Century thinking behind, it will become poorer and poorer. Already Russia cannot afford the advanced weapons it designs - see the cancelled SU-57 and slow acquisition of Armata tanks. That may lead to a time when Russia will not be able to prevent a Chinese taking of parts of Siberia. China claims it is an Arctic power. How can it claim that, UNLESS China has intentions on getting Siberia?????
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  3. Regarding need to modernize Russia's oil industry -- disagree strongly. Global peak oil demand will be reached in next 10 years, or less. After that, oil demand will continue to decline, until it becomes irrelevant. The world is already moving towards a renewable energy infrastructure. We will achieve that somewhere between 2050 and 2100. But, oil prices will plummet long before that -- probably before 2030. What will Russia do to finance its economy and its military??? Russia has turned its back on the world. It makes little that the world wants. What does it export besides guns and vodka??? Putin is guiding Russia down a dead-end path. I don't see Putin's Russia ending well.
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  4. Putin returning Russia to an authoritarian form of government is not surprising. In China, Xi is ruling China as a modern Chinese emperor, complete with a Middle Kingdom view of China's world position. BTW, the should mean that China and Russia will be open rivals for Asia. Can we expect China to demand the return of Siberia soon??? I wonder....
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