[ExI] A paranormal prediction for the next year

[Anders Sandberg]

John Clark <johnkclark at gmail.com> , 15/1/2015 4:32 AM:


On Wed, Jan 14, 2015  Kelly Anderson <kellycoinguy at gmail.com> wrote:



> it is also POSSIBLE that they are doing so because the Obama administration wishes to put extreme pressure on Russia. 


The collapse of oil prices is certainly terrible news for Vladimir Putin (Boo Hoo), but when did Obama get the power to tell OPEC what to do?  


It is more a case of shared aims. If you read the commentary in The Economist, Foreign Policy and similar places, analysts point out that the Saudis are keen to undermine Iran, and the low price is hurting IS, Russia and fracking too. Obama might be happy about all of them except the last. 


It is the usual case of partially overlapping aims. Just consider the contradictory past and present US policy visavi the Kurds. 


Of course, the Saudis also have a succession problem that is deeply worrying. There might be a need to fill the coffers with money to buy off fractions, hence the high production. 





Anders Sandberg, Future of Humanity Institute Philosophy Faculty of Oxford University
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