I know this post is not in line with many thoughts. Also it ends in a commercial for a book. The book appears to be contrarian to many peoples assumptions. Also it is not particularly supportive of US economic actions recently. Just don't follow the link at the bottom if you really think things are going the right way.

It is not in conflict with dberry's post below!

Pundits and analysts alike are claiming that cheap crude is lining our pockets with more spending money... while at the same time punishing our enemies that rely on oil revenues, namely Vladimir Putin.

The problem is, this win-win dream scenario is just that - it's a myth.

Russia isn't on the ropes. And Putin isn't worried.

He knows that the more oil prices tumble, the more it hurts US shale production.

The shale revolution that pushed our reliance on foreign oil down to just 10% is a capital-intensive industry. It runs on high oil prices. And the majority of US fracking operations are uneconomical at $75 per barrel.

We're at $82 per barrel now... and domestic production is already winding down. 19 shale rigs went offline just last week. And producers are cutting costs and canceling drilling.

This slide in oil prices is endangering American energy independence and emboldening, not weakening, Russia.

You see, Russian oil companies aren't concerned with quarterly earning reports. They move in lockstep with the Kremlin.

And Putin doesn't live by election cycles. He's not going anywhere.

In fact, this is the perfect opening for Putin's state-controlled oil companies to make acquisitions at a discount. They'll emerge from this stronger than ever! It's another win for Putin in what we're calling the Colder War - the epic struggle to control the world's energy trade.

Click here to see what Putin's planning next - and what it means for your portfolio.