IT: ⛽ Gas prices reach new all-time highs, and...Are you in favor of Finland joining NATO?

REPOST - stupid me, starting a big conversation on Community Feed where we can't see but 2 responses. Moving it here where we can see more replies if needed....

Oh, and I hear you Frank-001. I've added a bit to take in your input....

Along the lines of "If at first, you don't succeed,
Try, try again." One more 'push' to get Causes to let us EDIT. I truely believe this will go NOWHERE, but got to try. I'm not sure Causes has means or ways to change their code.

So, I'm going to request that they install the EDIT button for our Comments/Replies under the condition that your Comment/Reply has NOT been "Liked' yet. I believe Causes had raised this as an issue once before with jimK.

This is far from perfect! Depending on how popular you may be and how long it may take another user to find your post to 'Like', is definately an issue. But I think it would at least give you a minute or two to review your post to decide to edit or not.

[EDIT] While I would like to request the whole nine yards of EDIT changes, I want to keep it as simple of a change as possible. IF they ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING TO HELP, at least we will know they can modify stuff and we can then push harder for all the other things we need (navigation, view more replies, on and on and on).

But before I send the request to 'support', what do you think? Pretty sure THEY will see this too.

And now we can see it all together. PS. Deleting other comment..

What didn't make Causes?  The mass shooting in Buffalo. My heart hurts for the victims, their families, and black communities across our nation. 

So, what can I do as a non-black person who wants to help? 

https://www.cultureamp.com/blog/how-to-support-black-employees

How to support your black employees | Culture Amp

During unrest and crisis Black employees are experiencing heightened stress and trauma. Learn 5 way...

https://www.cultureamp.com/blog/how-to-support-black-employees

Finland (and Sweden) should be allowed to join NATO as both countries have prepared for this, have no territory disputes with Russia, and will contribute heavily to defense of the Baltic & Arctic.

Russia has threatened to attack Finland again (Russia has attacked twice between 1939-1944 and took 10% of territory in the peace settlement) so Finland has prepare for another Russian attack by

1) Avoiding Russian energy using only 5% which Russia has cut off claiming nonpayment when Finland would not change contractually agreed Euros to Rubles per Russian recent demands.

2) changed public opinion from 50% to 80%+ and parliament has approved after Russia invaded Ukraine.

3) Underground bomb shelters and cities for 900K

4) Has security agreements with Norway, Denmark, Sweden, UK

5) Defense budget 2% of GDP which has been invested in air, artillery, intelligence (collect & analyze) missile, Navy & cyber, with more tanks than Germany, and can mobilize 280K troops

Russia is now changing its position that they no longer care if Finland joins but will make retaliatory moves based on the placement of NATO infrastructure in Finland and the threat to Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which includes Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Robert Dalsjo, senior NATO analyst at the Swedish Defense Research agency cites the following advantages

1) NATO's uncertainty over how Sweden and Finland would act in a crisis, would no longer exist , eg use of air space, troops, supplies
2) increase security and deterrence in the Baltic Sea region
3) Political feather in the cap
4) UK, Germany & other western countries already signed agreements to protect 

Harry Nedelcu, NATO expert and director of policy at Rasmussen Global cites

1) political, target toward Russia
2) stronger NATO naval presence in the Baltic sea,

Finland's former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb

1) capable of making quick decisions
facing an aggressive revisionist, imperialist, totalitarian, authoritarian Russia, they are coming to the conclusion that NATO membership is the way to go”
2) Helsinki was preparing for Russian “consequences” should they make the NATO move.
3) Russia caused this by invading Ukraine

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg 

1) membership process would "go quickly.
2) Highly capable forces already inter operate with NATO through years of partnership & training exercises
3) Contributed to NATO led forces in Afghanistan, Balkans, Iraq
4) Enhances NATO capability to defend Baltic states
5) Memorandum of understanding exists for Host Nation Support which allows for logical support (locate on or transition through)
6) Defense budget 2% of GDP which has been invested in air, artillery, intelligence (collect & analyze) missile, Navy & cyber, with more tanks than Germany, and can mobilize 280K troops

Russian threats

1) Medvedev warned that Moscow would fortify (military & technical) its presence in the Baltic region if Finland and Sweden joined NATO which is highly unlikely as Ukraine invasion show they don’t have the resources
2) conducting cyber attacks
3) advertising campaigns alleging that various famous people were Nazis. 
4) Threatened to cut off gas but only 5% of Finlands energy comes from Russia
5) Violates air space regularly
6) Response dependent on NATO infrastructure placed in Finland
 
Turkey

1) doesn’t have positive views due to Kurdish refugees (Turkey considers them terrorists) but hasn’t threatened blocking
2) Finland calls for patience suggesting a deal in the making

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61420185

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10813491/Hidden-city-Helsinki-built-nuclear-apocalypse-entire-population-shelter-months.html

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-calls-finland-sweden-joining-nato-mistake-with-far-reaching-consequences-2022-05-16/

https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/norway-sweden-and-denmark-reinforce-defense-cooperation

https://m.dw.com/en/scholz-finland-sweden-can-count-on-german-support-if-they-seek-nato-access/a-61667618

https://www.dw.com/en/nato-new-challenges-for-the-alliance-as-finland-and-sweden-inch-closer-to-membership/a-61763272

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220512-finland-s-leaders-back-nato-membership-in-major-policy-shift-triggered-by-ukraine-war

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-finland-nato-sweden-turkey-b2078248.html

https://www.justsecurity.org/81481/an-offer-nato-cannot-and-should-not-refuse-finlands-membership/

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2022/05/13/turkeys-leader-opposes-letting-finland-sweden-join-nato/

Turkey’s leader opposes letting Finland, Sweden join NATO

The Turkish leader explained his opposition by alleging that Sweden and other Scandinavian countrie...

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2022/05/13/turkeys-leader-opposes-letting-finland-sweden-join-nato/

Crude prices are down15% since the early-March peak but are now bottlenecked in refining as the energy market earns record profits.

Crude is processed by oil refineries into gas, diesel, and jet-fuel used for travel in a process called “Crack" and "spread" refers to the price difference between crude oil bought by refiners and the final products sold by them.

From 1985 to 2021 the crack spread averaged about $10.50 per barrel and only rose above $20 during high demand has now hit $55 per barrel of gasoline.

Current crack spreads are even higher for diesel and jet fuel that affects consumers pricing of plane tickets and products that are shipped by truck or air (especially multiple step global supply lines).

The release of national reserves was unrefined oil that needs to be refined, and many refineries are still reopening from Covid lockdowns andare at the lowest capacity since 2014 according to Energy Information Administration

Opening refining capacity is the only way to reduce cost at the pump now.

Congress needs to review this process now and if necessary the DPA should be invoked.

https://www.businessinsider.com/why-gas-prices-so-high-crude-oil-market-crack-spreads-2022-5