Dept. of the more things change, etc.

It seems Russia, Iran and Qatar have expressed interest in forming a gas cartel. The article rightly notes that none of these countries is a major supplier to the US. However, Russia is the major gas supplier to Europe, and a formal agreement of this sort between Russia and Iran would go a long way toward sandbagging any diplomatic means of halting the latter’s nuclear program.

Incidentally, for those who insist on calling the Europeans quislings for not, say, supporting Georgia to the hilt when it gets involved in tiffs with Russia, it might be salutary to be mindful of Europe’s dependence on Russian energy.

More broadly, this is only one more reminder that geopolitics still matters, and that the diverging interests of nations like Russia and the US will stymie efforts to uphold an international order based primarily upon American power.

To those who wish to avoid creeping pessimism, I suggest this Edward Jay Epstein article, which claims that the original cartel (OC?) was never all that.

And for those who hate their jobs, feel free to take the time to peruse Epstein’s supremely weird website, which combines fascinating journalism with perhaps the worst web design ever. I particularly recommend his book on the diamond industry, included in its entirety, to any unfortunates whose girlfriends are pressuring them to buy a ring.