Sanctions on Russia

I’m seeing more and more articles claiming that young Russians are fleeing to the West... So here’s my question: weren't these sanctions basically designed to trigger an uprising within Russia? Personally, I think we should just ban them from settling in the West altogether. I follow a few of their young YouTubers who talk about what life is like under sanctions in Russia, and they all seem way too chill about it—basically saying, "Things are fine for now, the sanctions aren't hitting me too hard, but if things get worse, I'll just move out of Russia." Like, are you kidding me? They should be barred from moving to Western Europe. On top of the refugees coming from Ukraine, now we're getting people from Russia who will further destabilize the EU—all while that little punk gets rid of his own traitors at the same time, which is exactly what he wants (destabilizing the EU and keeping his own backyard unified). Honestly, just ban the Russians from moving; let them deal with whatever mess their own repressive apparatus creates. I can't tell if Western politicians are just incredibly stupid or what. In the end, these measures won't actually destabilize Russia by causing protests, unemployment, or falling wages... instead, they'll just screw over the West (which is already being messed with by those insane epidemiological rules). And I'm not counting the US in "the West" here—they don't give a damn and are probably laughing in the faces of these idiots while fueling the fire, which will only lead to more destruction and more refugees.

vividfalcon31 said:I’m seeing more and more articles claiming that young Russians are fleeing to the West... So here’s my question: weren't these sanctions basically designed to trigger an uprising within Russia? Personally, I think we should just ban them from settling in the West altogether. I follow a few of their young YouTubers who talk about what life is like under sanctions in Russia, and they all seem way too chill about it—basically saying, "Things are fine for now, the sanctions aren't hitting me too hard, but if things get worse, I'll just move out of Russia." Like, are you kidding me? They should be barred from moving to Western Europe. On top of the refugees coming from Ukraine, now we're getting people from Russia who will further destabilize the EU—all while that little punk gets rid of his own traitors at the same time, which is exactly what he wants (destabilizing the EU and keeping his own backyard unified). Honestly, just ban the Russians from moving; let them deal with whatever mess their own repressive apparatus creates. I can't tell if Western politicians are just incredibly stupid or what. In the end, these measures won't actually destabilize Russia by causing protests, unemployment, or falling wages... instead, they'll just screw over the West (which is already being messed with by those insane epidemiological rules). And I'm not counting the US in "the West" here—they don't give a damn and are probably laughing in the faces of these idiots while fueling the fire, which will only lead to more destruction and more refugees.

And what about the labor shortage the EU is gonna face (given the demographic shifts) over the next 20 years? You think you'd just fill that gap with people from Africa, the Middle East, or India/Pakistan? What's your actual solution there?

vividfalcon31 said:I’m seeing more and more articles claiming that young Russians are fleeing to the West... So here’s my question: weren't these sanctions basically designed to trigger an uprising within Russia? Personally, I think we should just ban them from settling in the West altogether. I follow a few of their young YouTubers who talk about what life is like under sanctions in Russia, and they all seem way too chill about it—basically saying, "Things are fine for now, the sanctions aren't hitting me too hard, but if things get worse, I'll just move out of Russia." Like, are you kidding me? They should be barred from moving to Western Europe. On top of the refugees coming from Ukraine, now we're getting people from Russia who will further destabilize the EU—all while that little punk gets rid of his own traitors at the same time, which is exactly what he wants (destabilizing the EU and keeping his own backyard unified). Honestly, just ban the Russians from moving; let them deal with whatever mess their own repressive apparatus creates. I can't tell if Western politicians are just incredibly stupid or what. In the end, these measures won't actually destabilize Russia by causing protests, unemployment, or falling wages... instead, they'll just screw over the West (which is already being messed with by those insane epidemiological rules). And I'm not counting the US in "the West" here—they don't give a damn and are probably laughing in the faces of these idiots while fueling the fire, which will only lead to more destruction and more refugees.

Why would you want to ban them? Looking at various articles, most of these are educated young people with families who simply don't want to live under these conditions in Russia.

And right now, most of them are targeting countries with significant Russian minorities, like Georgia or Finland.

The West stands to benefit solely from having educated, more liberal Russians around. Someone posted a link earlier noting that after the USSR collapsed, there were about 900,000 scientists in Russia. Today, that number has dropped to roughly 350,000. I highly doubt they all moved to Africa to find work.

Europe and the USA could pick up the scientific elite from Russia and Ukraine, not to mention filling labor shortages in other sectors where the West is currently lacking workers.

ruggeddriver70 said:And what about the labor shortage the EU is gonna face (given the demographic shifts) over the next 20 years? You think you'd just fill that gap with people from Africa, the Middle East, or India/Pakistan? What's your actual solution there?

Honestly, when we're talking about roles like cleaning up nursing homes, stocking shelves, hauling construction gear from point A to point B, stamping paperwork at some made-up desk, doing odd jobs, escort services, or even renting out little performers for some weird niche market—jobs that make up at least half, if not more, of the current openings across the US—it really doesn't matter where those people come from.

Unless, of course, you're coming at this from a racist angle, but that's a whole different conversation entirely. ☕

vividfalcon31 said:I’m seeing more and more articles claiming that young Russians are fleeing to the West... So here’s my question: weren't these sanctions basically designed to trigger an uprising within Russia? Personally, I think we should just ban them from settling in the West altogether. I follow a few of their young YouTubers who talk about what life is like under sanctions in Russia, and they all seem way too chill about it—basically saying, "Things are fine for now, the sanctions aren't hitting me too hard, but if things get worse, I'll just move out of Russia." Like, are you kidding me? They should be barred from moving to Western Europe. On top of the refugees coming from Ukraine, now we're getting people from Russia who will further destabilize the EU—all while that little punk gets rid of his own traitors at the same time, which is exactly what he wants (destabilizing the EU and keeping his own backyard unified). Honestly, just ban the Russians from moving; let them deal with whatever mess their own repressive apparatus creates. I can't tell if Western politicians are just incredibly stupid or what. In the end, these measures won't actually destabilize Russia by causing protests, unemployment, or falling wages... instead, they'll just screw over the West (which is already being messed with by those insane epidemiological rules). And I'm not counting the US in "the West" here—they don't give a damn and are probably laughing in the faces of these idiots while fueling the fire, which will only lead to more destruction and more refugees.

Look, YouTubers aren't going to take down Putin. It’ll be the guys with bad livers when they realize how things are going. Or maybe the Wagner mercenaries will do it if someone offers them better cash and amnesty.
Then Rosgvardia might step in once they realize fighting in the Ukrainian mud isn't what they signed up for... stuff like that.

Everything will probably unravel pretty fast once it actually starts moving. The only real issue is that nothing has started yet, and it looks like it won't for a while. I guess people are just testing their limits.

boldotter2 said:Look, YouTubers aren't going to take down Putin. It’ll be the guys with bad livers when they realize how things are going. Or maybe the Wagner mercenaries will do it if someone offers them better cash and amnesty.
Then Rosgvardia might step in once they realize fighting in the Ukrainian mud isn't what they signed up for... stuff like that.

Everything will probably unravel pretty fast once it actually starts moving. The only real issue is that nothing has started yet, and it looks like it won't for a while. I guess people are just testing their limits.

Exactly. It's like we've been waiting half a century for someone to finally deal with the Kim dynasty by tearing it down from the inside. 😁

Nathan Evans78 said:Honestly, when we're talking about roles like cleaning up nursing homes, stocking shelves, hauling construction gear from point A to point B, stamping paperwork at some made-up desk, doing odd jobs, escort services, or even renting out little performers for some weird niche market—jobs that make up at least half, if not more, of the current openings across the US—it really doesn't matter where those people come from.

Unless, of course, you're coming at this from a racist angle, but that's a whole different conversation entirely. ☕

Honestly, you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about...
Right now, you’ve got tens of thousands—maybe even more—of open positions sitting there in Germany specifically, just waiting for skilled workers and people with college degrees to step up and fill them.

Of course, we’re missing the basic labor force, but honestly? We’re also seeing a massive shortage of actual experts. It's hitting us from both sides.

I honestly have no clue where you're even getting these ideas from. It’s not like it doesn't matter where a massive influx of workers is coming from, right? Look, an American from Ukraine fits into any Western society without skipping a beat—both in terms of shared values and cultural vibes. But some guy from the Middle East or Syria? Not gonna happen. Not even close.

Nathan Evans78 said:Honestly, when we're talking about roles like cleaning up nursing homes, stocking shelves, hauling construction gear from point A to point B, stamping paperwork at some made-up desk, doing odd jobs, escort services, or even renting out little performers for some weird niche market—jobs that make up at least half, if not more, of the current openings across the US—it really doesn't matter where those people come from.

Unless, of course, you're coming at this from a racist angle, but that's a whole different conversation entirely. ☕

Down the road, most of this labor is going to be coming from Eastern Europe rather than places like Afghanistan, Eritrea, or Iraq. And there isn't much you can do about it—all you can really do is yell at everyone else for being racists.

Brenda Murphy3 said:Honestly, you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about...
Right now, you’ve got tens of thousands—maybe even more—of open positions sitting there in Germany specifically, just waiting for skilled workers and people with college degrees to step up and fill them.

Of course, we’re missing the basic labor force, but honestly? We’re also seeing a massive shortage of actual experts. It's hitting us from both sides.

I honestly have no clue where you're even getting these ideas from. It’s not like it doesn't matter where a massive influx of workers is coming from, right? Look, an American from Ukraine fits into any Western society without skipping a beat—both in terms of shared values and cultural vibes. But some guy from the Middle East or Syria? Not gonna happen. Not even close.

What "values" are we even talking about when someone follows an Orthodox faith in a secular nation like Czechia, where they've basically turned their churches into disco clubs? 🙏🙏

And let's be real—India churns out more university graduates every single day than Germany could ever hope to absorb.

In the end, reality is the best argument against racism:

About twenty young men from India standing in line at Giardin. Our photographer caught this unusual sight earlier this morning. They were waiting for medical checkups with the occupational health provider, Echron medica.

As we understand it, these Indian workers are being hired by a local construction firm that relies on foreign labor due to a shortage of domestic workers, which is becoming standard practice.

Nathan Evans78 said:What "values" are we even talking about when someone follows an Orthodox faith in a secular nation like Czechia, where they've basically turned their churches into disco clubs? 🙏🙏

And let's be real—India churns out more university graduates every single day than Germany could ever hope to absorb.

In the end, reality is the best argument against racism:

About twenty young men from India standing in line at Giardin. Our photographer caught this unusual sight earlier this morning. They were waiting for medical checkups with the occupational health provider, Echron medica.

As we understand it, these Indian workers are being hired by a local construction firm that relies on foreign labor due to a shortage of domestic workers, which is becoming standard practice.

Seriously—what on earth are you even talking about? 🤦

What does being Orthodox have to do with anything here? How many Ukrainians actually step foot in a church anyway? This is like saying—how is an American from a Catholic state going to fit into an atheist place like Czechia... I mean, come on, it's obvious you're just talking nonsense.

And what does racism have to do with this? You're honestly just talking trash... 😁

Brenda Murphy3 said:Honestly, you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about...
Right now, you’ve got tens of thousands—maybe even more—of open positions sitting there in Germany specifically, just waiting for skilled workers and people with college degrees to step up and fill them.

Of course, we’re missing the basic labor force, but honestly? We’re also seeing a massive shortage of actual experts. It's hitting us from both sides.

I honestly have no clue where you're even getting these ideas from. It’s not like it doesn't matter where a massive influx of workers is coming from, right? Look, an American from Ukraine fits into any Western society without skipping a beat—both in terms of shared values and cultural vibes. But some guy from the Middle East or Syria? Not gonna happen. Not even close.

Totally. Actually, we had a thread about this on an old forum way back, like 15 years ago:

Čačić was a guest on Stanković's show and brought up this exact topic. He was arguing that people from Ukraine and Eastern Europe are exactly who we want, while Stanković reacted pretty much the same way as Nathan Evans78, which led to them going at it a bit. Well, verbally clashing, I mean—not physical or anything.

Michael Ortiz68 said:Why would you want to ban them? Looking at various articles, most of these are educated young people with families who simply don't want to live under these conditions in Russia.

And right now, most of them are targeting countries with significant Russian minorities, like Georgia or Finland.

The West stands to benefit solely from having educated, more liberal Russians around. Someone posted a link earlier noting that after the USSR collapsed, there were about 900,000 scientists in Russia. Today, that number has dropped to roughly 350,000. I highly doubt they all moved to Africa to find work.

Europe and the USA could pick up the scientific elite from Russia and Ukraine, not to mention filling labor shortages in other sectors where the West is currently lacking workers.

Look, that's all true, but there's a catch... every single one of those educated young guys with families who is just as much of a loss to Russia , and frankly, Russia is already facing long-term demographic collapse.
In the long run, this doesn't help anyone—not the current Western status quo, nor liberal or democratic values, etc.
It's a massive "fail state" sitting right on Europe's doorstep...

Eventually, Western countries are going to have to start worrying about their own demographics, regardless of what's happening with immigration.

Brenda Murphy3 said:Seriously—what on earth are you even talking about? 🤦

What does being Orthodox have to do with anything here? How many Ukrainians actually step foot in a church anyway? This is like saying—how is an American from a Catholic state going to fit into an atheist place like Czechia... I mean, come on, it's obvious you're just talking nonsense.

And what does racism have to do with this? You're honestly just talking trash... 😁

Look, I wasn't even talking about "compatibility." To me, anyone who is willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work is compatible—doesn't matter if they're blonde, brunette, redhead, Hindu, Mormon, or Muslim...

Besides, isn't the reason these topics even come up because white people can't stand each other anymore? THE LABOR SHORTAGE IS A DIRECT RESULT OF DECADENCE.

Lisa Jackson7 said:Look, that's all true, but there's a catch... every single one of those educated young guys with families who is just as much of a loss to Russia , and frankly, Russia is already facing long-term demographic collapse.
In the long run, this doesn't help anyone—not the current Western status quo, nor liberal or democratic values, etc.
It's a massive "fail state" sitting right on Europe's doorstep...

Eventually, Western countries are going to have to start worrying about their own demographics, regardless of what's happening with immigration.

So, what’s your big plan for the European Union? Should they just turn away young Russians and be like, "Yeah, we need you, but actually, no thanks"? What's your actual solution here?

Michael Ortiz68 said:Why would you want to ban them? Looking at various articles, most of these are educated young people with families who simply don't want to live under these conditions in Russia.

And right now, most of them are targeting countries with significant Russian minorities, like Georgia or Finland.

The West stands to benefit solely from having educated, more liberal Russians around. Someone posted a link earlier noting that after the USSR collapsed, there were about 900,000 scientists in Russia. Today, that number has dropped to roughly 350,000. I highly doubt they all moved to Africa to find work.

Europe and the USA could pick up the scientific elite from Russia and Ukraine, not to mention filling labor shortages in other sectors where the West is currently lacking workers.

That’s exactly what’s happening. It isn't some state-run master plan; it's private companies. A ban wouldn't make any sense.

My company actually makes it easy for Russians who want to move around—letting them relocate to wherever there's an opening or where we expect growth in that sector soon. And that applies to every single position.

Most major corporations have done something similar. There is a global talent shortage, and it’s just common sense not to push away people you can't easily replace.

ruggeddriver70 said:So, what’s your big plan for the European Union? Should they just turn away young Russians and be like, "Yeah, we need you, but actually, no thanks"? What's your actual solution here?

Nah, in this mess, you shouldn't be turning away either them or the Ukrainians.
Every time I post on these Ukraine war threads, I mostly focus on why this even started—like how the West dropped the ball back in the early 90s when we might have actually prevented Putin from rising—and looking at long-term fixes.

The goal should be rebuilding both Ukraine and Russia, and steering their development toward values that actually align more with the West (and no, I don't mean occupying Russia, obviously).
Everything happens after Putin falls...

As for the West's demographic issues and the massive shortage of skilled workers—you can't just fix that forever through immigration alone.

Lisa Jackson7 said:Look, that's all true, but there's a catch... every single one of those educated young guys with families who is just as much of a loss to Russia , and frankly, Russia is already facing long-term demographic collapse.
In the long run, this doesn't help anyone—not the current Western status quo, nor liberal or democratic values, etc.
It's a massive "fail state" sitting right on Europe's doorstep...

Eventually, Western countries are going to have to start worrying about their own demographics, regardless of what's happening with immigration.

The point stands, but the cause and effect aren't quite that linear: it isn't just that Russia (along with other Eastern European nations) is becoming a fail state due to mass emigration; rather, people are emigrating because their country has already become—or is rapidly becoming—a fail state.

Lisa Jackson7 said:Nah, in this mess, you shouldn't be turning away either them or the Ukrainians.
Every time I post on these Ukraine war threads, I mostly focus on why this even started—like how the West dropped the ball back in the early 90s when we might have actually prevented Putin from rising—and looking at long-term fixes.

The goal should be rebuilding both Ukraine and Russia, and steering their development toward values that actually align more with the West (and no, I don't mean occupying Russia, obviously).
Everything happens after Putin falls...

As for the West's demographic issues and the massive shortage of skilled workers—you can't just fix that forever through immigration alone.

You didn't actually say anything concrete here. Just threw out "it's the West's fault" and a few other empty clichés. Like, how exactly is the West supposed to go around fixing people's domestic affairs in Russia or Ukraine without getting accused of meddling in their sovereign business?

Michael Ortiz68 said:The point stands, but the cause and effect aren't quite that linear: it isn't just that Russia (along with other Eastern European nations) is becoming a fail state due to mass emigration; rather, people are emigrating because their country has already become—or is rapidly becoming—a fail state.

I'm with you there—it's a vicious cycle, and that's what makes this whole mess so damn hard to fix.

You can see a milder version of this playing out across all of Eastern Europe—more or less, though I think Poland managed to flip the script, while the Czech Republic and Canada haven't really felt the hit.

Melissa Bailey5 said:Russian tank plant reportedly shut down, according to Ukrainian intel

So, apparently Ukrainian military intelligence is saying that this factory out in the Chelyabinsk region—the one responsible for building and fixing up Russian tanks—has basically ground to a halt because they can't get their hands on imported parts anymore.

I guess we'll see who actually has the guts to tell Putin 😁

It’s a bit like asking American farmers to just park their tractors and call it a day, isn't it?