Article

2008-03-30 Home Front: Politix

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Steve White 2008-03-30 00:00|| || Front Page|| [10 views ] Top

#1 Oh, for Pete's sake - why don't they just sneak in from Mexico like everybody else?

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2008-03-30 00:10|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/] 2008-03-30 00:10|| Front Page Top

#2 Can you imagine the Quality Control (Construction and Materials) required for something like that (not even talking design). Russia's is worse than ours and ours gave us the "Big Dig" in Boston.

Posted by tipover 2008-03-30 00:34|| 2008-03-30 00:34|| Front Page Top

#3 This is bad. The scenario has already been gamed out. By the British, no less.

Posted by ed 2008-03-30 00:52|| 2008-03-30 00:52|| Front Page Top

#4 oligarchs have needs too, and don't you forget it.

Posted by Thraviper Panda2099 2008-03-30 05:29|| 2008-03-30 05:29|| Front Page Top

#5 Lots of earthquakes up that way.

Posted by Grunter 2008-03-30 09:27|| 2008-03-30 09:27|| Front Page Top

#6 I don't think the Tectonic plates are going to cooperate with that dream.

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-03-30 09:52|| 2008-03-30 09:52|| Front Page Top

#7 I think Barb S. takes the Snark o' the Day award free and clear. ;-)

Posted by lotp 2008-03-30 11:23|| 2008-03-30 11:23|| Front Page Top

#8 Thanks, lotp.

We do what we can.... :-D

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2008-03-30 11:32|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/] 2008-03-30 11:32|| Front Page Top

#9 careful, you two. The day is young, and tu may be feeling pithy....

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-03-30 12:00|| 2008-03-30 12:00|| Front Page Top

#10 I think I saw this movie already, it had Steve McQueen and James Garner and a bunch of limeys...

Posted by Abdominal Snowman 2008-03-30 12:19|| 2008-03-30 12:19|| Front Page Top

#11 Actually it can likely be built. But engineering and building it would not be cheap.

One potential good side effect:

Russian oil pipeline in the tunnel. Hooks to our Alaskan pipeline system.

Very interesting.

Posted by OldSpook 2008-03-30 12:19|| 2008-03-30 12:19|| Front Page Top

#12 Putin probalby also wants the US to pay for it, as well as the upgrades to the transiberian railway required to make any use out of this tunnel.

Posted by rjschwarz 2008-03-30 12:25|| 2008-03-30 12:25|| Front Page Top

#13 OK, getting serious for a sec, it's still a big distance _to_ there from the Russian oilfields, _to_ the pipeline from the Bering Straits, and then you don't have a natural gas pipeline anyway...

Posted by Abdominal Snowman 2008-03-30 12:35|| 2008-03-30 12:35|| Front Page Top

#14 Re: rjschwarz, it wouldn't be cheap.

I'd rather spend that money in North Dakota to produce our oil than spend it in Russia just to be able to import theirs.

Posted by Abdominal Snowman 2008-03-30 12:55|| 2008-03-30 12:55|| Front Page Top

#15 Yes, Barb wins.

Posted by Darrell 2008-03-30 13:29|| 2008-03-30 13:29|| Front Page Top

#16 Russia has already demonstrated exactly how untrustworthy it can be when it controls the central heating. And as Mr. Wife commented, "What's the point? There aren't enough people there to make it worth while."

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-03-30 15:20|| 2008-03-30 15:20|| Front Page Top

#17 Tunnel? Expensive? Impossible?

Washington's illegal aliens are the perfect workforce or 1-800-Call-Foxx.

Posted by Nero Angineper5715 2008-03-30 16:04|| 2008-03-30 16:04|| Front Page Top

#18 Maybe McCain can get all the illegals he wants to allow in to go up north and work on the tunnel and pipeline.

Posted by OldSpook 2008-03-30 16:10|| 2008-03-30 16:10|| Front Page Top

#19 1-800-Call-Foxx

Here a clue: Fox isn't President of Mexico anymore.

Stick to forwarding 'clever' emails, idiot.

Posted by Pappy 2008-03-30 16:11|| 2008-03-30 16:11|| Front Page Top

#20 Snarks aside the Russian railway system actually works very well, They are setting up a rail link from China to western Europe. This is an idea that will eventually happen.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2008-03-30 16:14|| 2008-03-30 16:14|| Front Page Top

#21 In the early 90s a freight train tunnel was proposed. It is actually a good idea. Distance are a bit large and cold for a passenger train.

It would require a train across alaska and then through Canada to the US.

Theoretically this could make it possible to ship a train car from South Africa to Panama via land.

Posted by 3dc 2008-03-30 16:47|| 2008-03-30 16:47|| Front Page Top

#22 There is also a conceptual design for a bridge from Wales on the Seward Peninsula past the Diomedes and onto Chukotka Peninsula in the Russian far east. There are some serious issues in the Bering Straits, including some righteous ice flows. I have flown over the Straits and have seen ice pressure ridges over 50' high.

So the whole project is kinda visionary, if you have the spare cash. I do not see our govt having any, nor the banks for a while.

In comment #16, TW hits it on the head. Can you trust the Russians, especially transparent soul boy pooty poot? Better we develop our domestic energy instead, from a national defense point of view......current traitor members of Congress can't grasp that one.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2008-03-30 17:11|| 2008-03-30 17:11|| Front Page Top

#23 Gieauteen teen
In comment #16, TW hits it on the head. Can you trust the Russians, especially transparent soul boy pooty poot? Better we develop our domestic energy instead, from a national defense point of view......current traitor members of Congress can't grasp that one.

It truly is a crime, think of a mom with two kids trying to swing it with gasoline prices, heating oil etc all the while we have...

#1) VAST, PROVEN, ACCESSIBLE, RESERVOIRS OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS IN ALASKA AND OFF THE COAST OF CALIPHORNIA! [sorry joe, i stole yourn caps]

#2) In 2008 The drilling and pumping Technology of oil and gas is something to behold,

It has evolved into a damn Art Form of Clean and Safe Technology. Drilling and Pumping is Super Safe for all us varmints and Super clean too so that Mom, Caribou and sea life can benefit from drilling for our energy.

God Damn wher is the

Posted by RD">RD 2008-03-30 18:07|| 2008-03-30 18:07|| Front Page Top

#24 God Damn where is the that Guillotine

Posted by RD">RD 2008-03-30 18:09|| 2008-03-30 18:09|| Front Page Top

#25 ION, INTERFAX > RUSS ANTI-SUBMARINE PLANES PATROL/FLY OVER THE BARENTS, BALTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS.

One or more successful Russ "Rod from God" = deep Deep DEEP PENETRATOR(S) will flood the thingy???
In reality, Russ = USSR = Russ history wid these kinds of international contrux projects is NOT GOOD. THERES ALWAYS A FIRST TIME.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2008-03-30 18:46|| 2008-03-30 18:46|| Front Page Top

#26 It would be good for both countries and allow us access to Asia and Europe by more than just ship. i would imagine that it would have mostly Chinese goods going to the US and US coal going to Russia and China in the other direction.

Posted by crosspatch 2008-03-30 19:43|| 2008-03-30 19:43|| Front Page Top

#27 Snarks aside the Russian railway system actually works very well

Compared to the deh Spvoet systeM?

Posted by Zebulon Angavick7428">Zebulon Angavick7428 2008-03-30 23:01|| 2008-03-30 23:01|| Front Page Top

#28 BIIIIGGGG problem: US/Western technology established a standard roadbed gauge of 4'8". Soviet rail gauge is 5'. You can run Russian trains on Western rails using dual-flange systems, but you CANNOT run Western equipment on Russian rails. Guess which side will demand the other change?

Soviet/Russian rail systems are ok, but not great. They have the same problems the US has, plus the tendency to overload their system. There are rail crashes in Russia, and they're not rare.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2008-03-30 23:30|| 2008-03-30 23:30|| Front Page Top

#29 Bridge to Hawaii

A man walking along a California beach was deep in prayer. All of a sudden he said out loud, "Lord grant me one wish."

At once the sky clouded above his head and in a booming voice the Lord said, "Because you have TRIED to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish"

The man said, "Build a bridge to Hawaii, so I can drive over anytime I want to."

The Lord said, "Your request is very materialistic. Think of the logistics of that kind of undertaking. The supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific! The concrete and steel it would take! I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of another wish, a wish you think would honor and glorify me."

The man thought about it for a long time. Finally he said, "Lord, my wife says that I am uncaring and insensitive. I wish that I could understand women. I want to know how they feel inside, what they are thinking when they give me the silent treatment, why they cry, what they mean when they say "nothing", and how I can make a woman truly happy."

After a few minutes God said, "You want two lanes or four on that bridge?"

Posted by CrazyFool 2008-03-30 23:36|| 2008-03-30 23:36|| Front Page Top