Nordstream 1 being shutdown permanently

[Estrella]

Kudos to Putin for doing what Scholz (and frankly, most of the EU) did not have the balls to do.

[Estrella]

And, if true, this matters not because Europe is getting less gas – the 10% or whatever we were still getting wasn't much, neither for filling our stockpiles, nor in terms of European money for the Russian treasury and all the moral questions that come from that. It's important because, again if it is really true, it removes all remaining credibility from the Chamberlainist option of 'maybe Putin will turn on the tap if we debase ourselves enough'.

Of course, there will still be an undercurrent of pro-Russian and pro-selling-out-Ukraine-for-gas popular sentiment in many countries – we can't discount that. But Putin has lost the governments and big corporations that wanted both Nord Streams because they thought he was a cheap and reliable supplier, unlike those goddamn stealing Ukrainians, or corrupt Arabs, or greedy Americans. As Al said once, it's all... distinctly Scargillian.