Comments on: “He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing.” https://habitablezone.com/2022/09/29/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-controls-a-thing/ Sun, 19 Apr 2026 17:51:50 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2022/09/29/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-controls-a-thing/#comment-51089 BuckGalaxy Sat, 01 Oct 2022 04:23:25 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=97487#comment-51089 Perhaps Putin had already made the decision to cut off Europe for the winter? Also, Europe has been working hard to wean itself from Ruskie energy anyway. Putin maybe saw the handwriting on the wall? We also don't know exactly what caused the three simultaneous leaks. Divers could have gone down there and made easy-to-patched leaks? We can almost certainly rule out a natural cause to the leaks. One, maybe two but as Ian Fleming said, three times is enemy action. Hopefully we will be able to determine the cause once we send divers down there to inspect the pipelines. Perhaps Putin had already made the decision to cut off Europe for the winter? Also, Europe has been working hard to wean itself from Ruskie energy anyway. Putin maybe saw the handwriting on the wall? We also don’t know exactly what caused the three simultaneous leaks. Divers could have gone down there and made easy-to-patched leaks? We can almost certainly rule out a natural cause to the leaks. One, maybe two but as Ian Fleming said, three times is enemy action. Hopefully we will be able to determine the cause once we send divers down there to inspect the pipelines.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2022/09/29/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-controls-a-thing/#comment-51088 ER Sat, 01 Oct 2022 03:32:21 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=97487#comment-51088 I never thought of that. Still, he has a hand on the cut-off valve for European energy already. If he blows up the pipeline, he loses the power to turn it off and on, so he loses the ability to influence EU policy. He gives up the carrot AND the stick! It sounds like he's shooting himself in the foot. And even if it works just like he hoped for, and the EU/US throws Ukraine under the bus, he's stuck with all this gas and his best market will be lost to him. Maybe he can sell it to the Chinese, but they'll never trust him to honor his word in the future. I never thought of that.

Still, he has a hand on the cut-off valve for European energy already. If he blows up the pipeline, he loses the power to turn it off and on, so he loses the ability to influence EU policy. He gives up the carrot AND the stick! It sounds like he’s shooting himself in the foot. And even if it works just like he hoped for, and the EU/US throws Ukraine under the bus, he’s stuck with all this gas and his best market will be lost to him. Maybe he can sell it to the Chinese, but they’ll never trust him to honor his word in the future.

]]> By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2022/09/29/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-controls-a-thing/#comment-51087 BuckGalaxy Sat, 01 Oct 2022 00:59:54 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=97487#comment-51087 He can blame America for it. Biden had said he wanted to stop the pipeline. Putin's propaganda machine, in coordination with the rightwing media bubble, are using that soundbite to say it was America that sabotaged the pipeline. He's getting the same result he would have by cutting off the energy flow during winter without taking the blame for it, and trying to drive a wedge between Europe and the US at the same time. He can blame America for it. Biden had said he wanted to stop the pipeline. Putin’s propaganda machine, in coordination with the rightwing media bubble, are using that soundbite to say it was America that sabotaged the pipeline. He’s getting the same result he would have by cutting off the energy flow during winter without taking the blame for it, and trying to drive a wedge between Europe and the US at the same time.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2022/09/29/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-controls-a-thing/#comment-51086 ER Fri, 30 Sep 2022 23:35:13 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=97487#comment-51086 But why damage a pipeline that can make you rich when you could just as easily stop the flow through it by closing a valve at your end? If closing the valve is the stick, then opening it is the carrot. It makes no sense. I'm missing something here... But why damage a pipeline that can make you rich when you could just as easily stop the flow through it by closing a valve at your end? If closing the valve is the stick, then opening it is the carrot. It makes no sense.

I’m missing something here…

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2022/09/29/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-controls-a-thing/#comment-51085 ER Fri, 30 Sep 2022 23:22:19 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=97487#comment-51085 Blowing it up is relatively easy. Use depth charges, or even a homing torpedo (it must look like a submarine resting on the bottom), I don't know much about this technology either, and there seems to be very little information available about it. I've heard that even though the line was not in use, it was filled with pressurized gas. A breach would cause it to leak, but for how long? I've also heard salt water can damage the interior of the pipe, but I don't know what the repair and maintenance procedures are, surely there are ways to repair this in the event of an accident or natural disaster. Does the pipe have a sealing mechanism that can isolate a breach? I don't know and nobody's talking. Undersea cables break occasionally, and there are means to fix them and bring them back on line quickly, I presume its much the same for pipelines. Blowing it up is relatively easy.

Use depth charges, or even a homing torpedo (it must look like a submarine resting on the bottom),

I don’t know much about this technology either, and there seems to be very little information available about it. I’ve heard
that even though the line was not in use, it was filled with pressurized gas. A breach would cause it to leak, but for how long?
I’ve also heard salt water can damage the interior of the pipe, but I don’t know what the repair and maintenance procedures are,
surely there are ways to repair this in the event of an accident or natural disaster. Does the pipe have a sealing mechanism that can isolate a breach?
I don’t know and nobody’s talking.

Undersea cables break occasionally, and there are means to fix them and bring them back on line quickly, I presume its much the same for pipelines.

]]> By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2022/09/29/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-controls-a-thing/#comment-51084 BuckGalaxy Fri, 30 Sep 2022 23:05:18 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=97487#comment-51084 Putin wants to hurt Europe badly for its support of Ukraine, while at the same time putting blame on America. Sabotaging the pipeline cuts off Europe's energy supplies, forcing prices to jump and guaranteeing a painful Winter for the continent. His hope is to make Europeans less enthusiastic about opposing his war. And his lapdogs in the rightwing media cocoon like Tucker Carlson are happily spreading Putin's preposterous misinformation that America did it because Biden was opposed to the pipeline. Win win for Putin. Putin wants to hurt Europe badly for its support of Ukraine, while at the same time putting blame on America. Sabotaging the pipeline cuts off Europe’s energy supplies, forcing prices to jump and guaranteeing a painful Winter for the continent. His hope is to make Europeans less enthusiastic about opposing his war. And his lapdogs in the rightwing media cocoon like Tucker Carlson are happily spreading Putin’s preposterous misinformation that America did it because Biden was opposed to the pipeline. Win win for Putin.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2022/09/29/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-controls-a-thing/#comment-51083 podrock Fri, 30 Sep 2022 22:36:37 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=97487#comment-51083 I confess, I don't know a lot about how theses pipelines are constructed or operate. I understand they are about 4 feet in diameter, made of inches thick steel, and are cased in a few inches of concrete to hold them down. It appears they are constructed in segments. I haven't found out how those segments are joined, Bolted, welded, both? Does this joining occur underwater or on a laying ship? Joins are weaknesses. So many questions. Along this pipeline, are there stations that act as relief valves if needed? Pressurization nodes? Pumps? Monitoring stations? This stuff connected to the internet, by any chance? But don't forget that the Russians suck at infrastructure. Did we ever find out what that huge explosion was in the north a few years back? Rumors of Russian ships and subs in the area. So how, exactly, would one blow up an undersea pipeline? Me thinks it would take a lot of resources. Or a lot of cleverness. I confess, I don’t know a lot about how theses pipelines are constructed or operate.

I understand they are about 4 feet in diameter, made of inches thick steel, and are cased in a few inches of concrete to hold them down.

It appears they are constructed in segments. I haven’t found out how those segments are joined, Bolted, welded, both? Does this joining occur underwater or on a laying ship? Joins are weaknesses. So many questions. Along this pipeline, are there stations that act as relief valves if needed? Pressurization nodes? Pumps? Monitoring stations? This stuff connected to the internet, by any chance? But don’t forget that the Russians suck at infrastructure. Did we ever find out what that huge explosion was in the north a few years back?

Rumors of Russian ships and subs in the area.

So how, exactly, would one blow up an undersea pipeline? Me thinks it would take a lot of resources. Or a lot of cleverness.

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