Letter: Why is Trump buddying up to Putin?

Could this be Donald Trump’s new slogan: “Make Putin the greatest”?

Trump excitedly selected Exxon’s Rex Tillerson for secretary of state. Assuredly, few U.S. citizens are closer to Putin than Tillerson.

Against national security interests, Exxon CEO Tillerson’s company lobbied against sanctions on Russia.

Putin, former head of Russia’s security service, developed skills making him very effective at economic warfare.

He understands that destroying U.S. dollars traded for oil on the world market limits U.S. military power. Oil-producing countries (OPEC) use surplus petrodollars to purchase U.S. debt securities that fund America’s military.

In1971, Richard Nixon announced the OPEC agreement: all oil worldwide would be traded in U.S. dollars. America’s dollars will no longer be backed by gold. Instead U.S. dollars will be backed by oil. This allowed the U.S. to print unlimited money.

Petrodollars influence U.S. foreign policies. Take Iraq, Libya, Iran, Syria and Russia all wanting to end U.S. dollars for oil, favoring gold-backed currencies.

The U.S. has imposed military attacks or economic sanctions over opposition to petrodollars. Saddam announced Iraq would no longer trade petrodollars for its oil. The U.S. invaded Iraq, and saw to Saddam’s execution.

The U.S. backed Libya’s political revolutionaries killing Gaddafi. He wanted gold dinar traded for oil, not U.S. dollars.

So what purpose would Trump have buddying-up to Putin? Putin clearly intends ending America’s petrodollar, terminating this country’s solvency.

The removal of sanctions strengthens Russia’s leverage over Europe’s energy dependence, weakening America’s influence. We know Trump’s business partners filed bankruptcy while he made off with millions.

This story was originally published February 15, 2017 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Letter: Why is Trump buddying up to Putin?."