7: The impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, or more importantly,

11: the varied international response to it, has been changing the global balance of power.

17: The global definition of “have” and “have not” is beginning to change. A “have” country would be one

24: that has a highly educated society and workforce, has upscale industries and a sophisticated

30: financial system, and incorporates the use of advanced technology. Today such a definition

37: is nothing without also referencing access to sufficient natural resources and raw materials.

45: The Russia-Ukraine war could have resulted in a peaceful settlement within months of its

50: commencement. Peace negotiations were already underway and had the potential for success,

57: but eventually the priority shifted. The European Union (EU) led by the U.S. and U.K.,

63: ultimately decided that Russia should be punished and its economy be effectively destroyed,

69: in order to change its behavior. This goal has not worked out as expected.

75: The supply of energy and food became jeopardized globally, and this danger may not only persist

82: for years to come, but escalate to the point where we do have a series of global crises.

89: Ironically however, strong climate change initiatives are still underway,

94: directed at reducing the use of traditional energy re sources but also targeting agriculture.

101: These actions will only make the supply of various essential commodities worse.

107: There are currently no viable energy replacements in sufficient quantity to substitute for fossil

114: fuels, yet the mentality is predominantly, “let us get rid of the fossil fuels first,

119: and we will figure out the rest later” as though some unforeseen technical advances will solve

126: the problem in a matter of months. Solar panels for example, will not produce sufficient energy

132: in the northern hemisphere, where strong sunshine is only available during the summer months.

138: In the latter half of the 20th century, we would look with amazement if not ridicule,

144: at the Chinese whose primary form of transportation in cities such as Beijing

149: being the bicycle, while we have, in the western hemisphere, gas powered vehicles. Today,

155: China has gas powered vehicles while many in the western nations may one day be pushed to bicycles,

161: as gas-powered vehicles are gradually being banned through legislation,

166: we will no longer access to traditional energy sources, and electric vehicles will become

172: unreliable as our electric grid is overwhelmed and produces blackouts. Our food supplies will

179: also be limited as farmers will no longer have access to diesel to run farm equipment, if not

185: already put out of business due to legislation attacking various forms of gas emissions.

191: Many have forgotten the value of commodities and these are now becoming more expensive,

197: as the EU in particular is beginning to see. Food and sources of energy are important. No country

204: has an endless supply of money to continue buying from others when not produced at home. Countries

211: that supply commodities under today's environment will prosper tremendously. These commodity

217: producing nations will be able to exercise greater political power on the world stage and more

223: substantially direct the course of events. Check out our video: The Western World's

229: Disconnect from Reality. You will find the link in the description below.