Sanctions on Russia

gentleviper62 said:Who could actually manufacture equipment worth that much on such a short timeline?

We sent over the heavy artillery, but there's no way we just finished building it all yesterday or the day before, right?

And besides, we weren't even the ones manufacturing them in the first place.

Richard Wilson4 said:Why on earth would the Russians intentionally deploy so few soldiers in a war where their whole goal is to finish as fast as possible?

Because they completely miscalculated. Sure, they’ve got forces scattered all over Russia and stationed globally, but now everything has to revolve around Ukraine—it turns out the whole thing was just way more than one segment of the Russian military could actually chew on.
And wouldn't you know it—they're stuck right back where they started, pretending to "keep the peace."

Betty Mitchell said:Russia has plenty of capacity to handle sanctions; this is a long game they've been playing. Their social networks, banking systems, and digitalization are already top-tier. I expect them to start churning out their own computer and mobile tech in a few years. The Russian economy used to be way too monolithic, and that was always a massive weakness.

The real question is what happens to Ukraine. My bet? Nothing. It’ll be a total wreck—demographically, structurally, economically, and morally. They've plummeted below 30 million people, down from 54 million just thirty years ago.

Is there some kind of sportsbook out there? I’d love to put some money down on these absolutely wild convictions of yours.

The real question is what becomes of Ukraine. My take? Nothing. It’ll be a total wreck—demographically, structurally, economically, even morally. Their population has plummeted below 30 million, considering they were sitting at 54 million just thirty years ago.

Did you maybe mix up Ukraine and Russia?

casualranger2 said:Look, Russians have always had a reputation for producing top-tier mathematicians—the kind of brainpower that serves as the literal bedrock for engineering. So, honestly, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher how they haven't managed to develop consumer tech or software that can actually go toe-to-toe with the West. It feels like their entire innovation engine just gets funneled into one specific lane: building destructive missiles and weapons of mass destruction.

The reality is that anyone in Russia who actually possesses real expertise or value as a specialist is looking for any way possible to get out of the country. This has become especially true since the start of the special operation to annex foreign territory. Because of that brain drain, Russia is just going to stay stuck in the Middle Ages.

Running, running, running—all those capable, ambitious young people just... heading for the exit..

hiddeneagle98 said:Is there some kind of sportsbook out there? I’d love to put some money down on these absolutely wild convictions of yours.

The real question is what becomes of Ukraine. My take? Nothing. It’ll be a total wreck—demographically, structurally, economically, even morally. Their population has plummeted below 30 million, considering they were sitting at 54 million just thirty years ago.

Did you maybe mix up Ukraine and Russia?

The obsession with Russia is starting to look like straight-up religious idolatry. It's irrational to the core.
I just hope the shock actually snaps them back to reality, though who knows. Irrational people can face their absolute worst defeat and total disgrace, yet still convince themselves they've achieved some divine victory... all while sinking straight into the mud.

Anthony Perez9 said:The obsession with Russia is starting to look like straight-up religious idolatry. It's irrational to the core.
I just hope the shock actually snaps them back to reality, though who knows. Irrational people can face their absolute worst defeat and total disgrace, yet still convince themselves they've achieved some divine victory... all while sinking straight into the mud.

Unfortunately, it's true. The saddest part is how many Americans are still under the spell of Domazet-oizam 😬

Lošo: This is a war between Christ and the Antichrist, and the West is the Antichrist. Putin will win.

Dana Robinson4 said:We sent over the heavy artillery, but there's no way we just finished building it all yesterday or the day before, right?

And besides, we weren't even the ones manufacturing them in the first place.

Those 130mm shells are incredibly hard to find, and nobody’s actually confirmed if those were shipped out yet.
The artillery is mostly from the 70s... I honestly don't know how much that's going to help the guys on the ground.

urbanotter said:But honestly, this isn't just a joke; it’s the reality of how sanctions against Russia are actually playing out here in America.

The local budget expert practically shuddered when she saw the December 2021 catalog. She put together a comparison chart that really highlights some shocking consumer trends: "I'm a cash believer, and I only eat whatever happens to be on sale."

And then you have the argument that inflation wouldn't even be an issue if the European Union had just handed Ukraine over to Putin... what a thought...

goldenowl73 said:Alright, let's play a game. What would you actually do if the Federal Reserve suddenly jacked up interest rates on Dollar savings to 20%, while keeping Euro savings stuck at a measly 0.8%?

The Federal Reserve more than doubles its key interest rate to 20% to try and save the sinking ruble

What do you think happens to the value of the Dollar in that scenario?

That’s exactly what Russia did right when the invasion kicked off. They started cutting it back gradually later on, but they never once allowed people to just freely buy or sell foreign currency on their own terms. If you don't call that artificial market manipulation, then I honestly don't know what does.

Right after those first sanctions hit, the USD/RUB shot up to 150 before Russia slapped on all those restrictions. You can't even trade currency freely—they basically killed any real demand for foreign cash.
If the Ruble wasn't total garbage, they wouldn't need these restrictions.

ambush said:Me, a Republican Party soldier? Not a chance! Honestly, I feel like we should just round up all those Republicans and toss them straight into a gas chamber... 👍

And unlike the six million Jews, for every single Republican, there’d be a perfectly valid reason. 👍

Earlier, you were rambling on about some sort of boomerang effect where sanctions trigger a 40% price hike.

The thing is, your logic completely ignores how the Republican Party has been tearing this country apart for the last thirty years. By framing it that way, you're basically playing defense for them.

But if you actually believe the Republican Party is to blame for what's happening now, then clearly it isn't the sanctions on Russia causing that 40% jump in prices.

So, what's your actual take on this?...

gentleviper62 said:Who could actually manufacture equipment worth that much on such a short timeline?

The countries sitting on old Soviet tech are gonna see some profit here.
But the US is gonna step in and replace it all with Western—specifically American—gear.
Poland is turning into a real powerhouse.

gentleviper62 said:Who could actually manufacture equipment worth that much on such a short timeline?

That’s just how the American military-industrial complex works once they get a little momentum. Back during the Cold War, they could take those Freedom-class vessels—okay, fine, they weren't strictly warships, but they were the only reason the United Kingdom kept its head above water—from laying the keel to full completion in just 19 days.

Plus, let's be real, a huge chunk of that equipment is probably already sitting in a warehouse somewhere.

The German military-industrial complex really pulled off some absolute miracles in record time during WW2.
And let's not forget—they gave us the world's first jet fighter, the P-51 Mustang... wait, scratch that, the P-51 Mustang was an American icon—they gave us the first jet, the P-51 Mustang... actually, let me rephrase—they rolled out the first jet, the P-51 Mustang... no, I mean the P-51 Mustang... okay, let's just say they delivered the first jet, the P-51 Mustang... hang on, I'm getting my planes mixed up—anyway, they delivered the first jet, the P-51 Mustang... hold on, I definitely meant the P-51 Mustang... fine, point is, they delivered the first jet, the P-51 Mustang...

coastalbison6 said:Those 130mm shells are incredibly hard to find, and nobody’s actually confirmed if those were shipped out yet.
The artillery is mostly from the 70s... I honestly don't know how much that's going to help the guys on the ground.

It isn't that they're rare; it's just that someone has to foot the massive bill for them...

I don't think Lockheed Martin is going to hand those over just because someone asked nicely, right?

Besides, isn't that exactly how things go—one single shell causes enough devastation to turn an entire town dark?

goldenowl73 said:Alright, let's play a game. What would you actually do if the Federal Reserve suddenly jacked up interest rates on Dollar savings to 20%, while keeping Euro savings stuck at a measly 0.8%?

The Federal Reserve more than doubles its key interest rate to 20% to try and save the sinking ruble

What do you think happens to the value of the Dollar in that scenario?

That’s exactly what Russia did right when the invasion kicked off. They started cutting it back gradually later on, but they never once allowed people to just freely buy or sell foreign currency on their own terms. If you don't call that artificial market manipulation, then I honestly don't know what does.

Now we're just faking data? Your headline and stats don't match the actual article; you basically "edited" the link title to suit your narrative.
The article states the rate is 8%, not the 20% seen immediately after sanctions hit. It was lowered several times shortly after. Actually, if memory serves, it was 9% before the conflict, and now it's even lower.
They're struggling, clearly. 🤣

We saw this whole play in 2014. After the initial shock and the crash, the Russians adapted. They went from being net importers to arguably the biggest agricultural exporters, bolstered their industry, and stockpiled record amounts of gold and reserves.

steelfox98 said:Now we're just faking data? Your headline and stats don't match the actual article; you basically "edited" the link title to suit your narrative.
The article states the rate is 8%, not the 20% seen immediately after sanctions hit. It was lowered several times shortly after. Actually, if memory serves, it was 9% before the conflict, and now it's even lower.
They're struggling, clearly. 🤣

We saw this whole play in 2014. After the initial shock and the crash, the Russians adapted. They went from being net importers to arguably the biggest agricultural exporters, bolstered their industry, and stockpiled record amounts of gold and reserves.

Ebote, when are you all going to stop clinging to that idiotic mantra that Russia is somehow profiting from Western sanctions?🤦
I get that you want to believe that, but wishful thinking isn't going to change reality.

Russia is sick. These sanctions are slowly tearing them apart, much like a malignant cancer ravages a human body.

Look, sorry, but the sooner you all face the truth, the easier it will be to stomach the inevitable collapse.
Best regards

steelfox98 said:Now we're just faking data? Your headline and stats don't match the actual article; you basically "edited" the link title to suit your narrative.
The article states the rate is 8%, not the 20% seen immediately after sanctions hit. It was lowered several times shortly after. Actually, if memory serves, it was 9% before the conflict, and now it's even lower.
They're struggling, clearly. 🤣

We saw this whole play in 2014. After the initial shock and the crash, the Russians adapted. They went from being net importers to arguably the biggest agricultural exporters, bolstered their industry, and stockpiled record amounts of gold and reserves.

Yeah, they dropped the interest rate.
But the ruble is still garbage until Russia allows free exchange of foreign currency for rubles.
On top of that, exporters are forced to flip 80% of their foreign currency inflows back into rubles—basically handing it over to the government.
It’s not just trash; it’s trash squared. If you had billions of rubles sitting around, you could spend the whole year using it as toilet paper—and honestly, TP would probably have more value.

Nathan Thomas12 said:Yeah, they dropped the interest rate.
But the ruble is still garbage until Russia allows free exchange of foreign currency for rubles.
On top of that, exporters are forced to flip 80% of their foreign currency inflows back into rubles—basically handing it over to the government.
It’s not just trash; it’s trash squared. If you had billions of rubles sitting around, you could spend the whole year using it as toilet paper—and honestly, TP would probably have more value.

At the end of the day, the value of the ruble is nothing more than a direct reflection of the absolute state of the Russian economy and its government.
It’s a house of cards.
Best,

coastalbison6 said:Those 130mm shells are incredibly hard to find, and nobody’s actually confirmed if those were shipped out yet.
The artillery is mostly from the 70s... I honestly don't know how much that's going to help the guys on the ground.

A range of 17 miles, which means they can cover the border with Belarus properly again...