Slashdot Mirror
Iran Forced To Cancel Its Space Program
MarkWhittington writes The War is Boring blog reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been obliged to cancel its nascent space program. This development means that former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's dream of being the first astronaut to be launched into space by Iran have been dashed. Ironically, Anousheh Ansari, who was obliged to flee to the United States from Iran to avoid religious oppression, remains the only Iranian-born space traveler. She did it by going to Texas, making her fortune in the electronics business, and paying for her trip to the International Space Station.
How about 'all of the above.'
The Saudis have a stated policy of pumping the oil while it is still valuable. They expect technology to make oil obsolete in 100 years or so. Even plastic feed stock can come from plants. That said; I'm not sure I believe them.
They also claim to have about 200 years worth of oil and the lowest costs in the world. If all that is true, then they should pump like mad. The market will find a new equilibrium, if some nations can't turn a profit at that price, that is not the Saudi's problem. Everybody involved understands sunk costs though.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
They are diversifying by buying assets in the US. When the oil finishes they (Saudi elite)will move to the US and leave the Saudi population to wallow in misery. This is not a democracy we are talking about here
From http://www.bbc.com/news/busine...
"Saudi Arabia can cope with low oil prices for "at least eight years", Saudi Arabia's minister of petroleum's former senior adviser has told the BBC. Mohammed al-Sabban said the country's policy was to defend its current market share by enduring low prices. "You need to allow prices to go as low as possible in order to see those marginal producers move out of the market," he said."
Eight happy years!
http://www.theweek.co.uk/busin...
"The dramatic fall in the oil price will spur the UK economy to grow faster than had been predicted this year, according to influential forecaster the EY ITEM Club."
Yo-hoo
Best I can tell, based on US Pro-Republican/Anti-Obama images I'm receiving online, the Saudis have absolutely nothing to do with the drop in oil-prices; it is all due to the Republicans being elected into Congress and having changed all laws to be pro-US instead of pro-Islam.
Of course the falling prices are due to the Republican win! Why, just in the last two weeks since the Republicans took office, even the length of the day is getting longer after the long _black_ night of Obama's Winter. Mark my words, though, these sunny days won't last. I predict that, if Obama is still in office in six months, that the entire country will start to get colder and darker.
http://earthsky.org/earth/everything-you-need-to-know-december-solstice