Posts by Amanda Allen4

Melissa Peterson19 said:Are you seriously talking about the largest nation on the planet with inexhaustible resources? A massive exporter of food, energy, and raw materials? This is a country that put a man in space sixty years ago. They moved their entire industrial base behind the Rockies to escape the Nazis, churning out tanks and gear that didn't stop until they hit Washington, D.C.!?
Now you’re going to claim they lack technical expertise? Have you ever actually been to Russia, or do you even know anyone there? It’s not like they don't produce anything—they make phones and TVs just like any small-time operation in a garage today.
Any specialized knowledge they need, they can easily buy using nickel, palladium, lithium, and other commodities in this interconnected world.
As for the disgruntled citizens desperate for Western brands, they'll get what they want through the black market.

Believe me, the greater the instability in Russia, the tighter the dictatorship becomes. It will likely be even worse after Putin, because a democracy would simply sell off its resources to the West for trinkets, whereas Russians are a people defined by a strong spirit, deep history, tradition, and culture.

The Germans were similar—"a people of immense spirit, great history, tradition, and culture"—and when Hitler took power, they lost the very war they started.

P.S. To be fair, they weren't alone in that war at first; they were allied with the Russians, but Hitler betrayed and attacked them. Just a perfect example of how greed can lead to a total debacle.

The way Saudi Arabia acts like some kind of partner is an absolute disgrace to any alliance of democratic nations—honestly, the sooner they ditch us for the camp of autocratic regimes, the better.

I’m all for a bipolar world.

hollowdriver13 said:Hey, refresh my memory here—what exactly did Brazil and China sign back in 2013 right before that BRICS summit?

Let me help you out with that one. They signed an agreement to start trading using their own local currencies. Everyone was making such a huge deal about how the dollar was basically dead in the water... meanwhile, they're still going strong with their own currency trades. So, how's that "killing the dollar" plan working out for them now that we're a whole decade down the road? ☕

National currencies are slowly dying—there’s really no two ways about it—but if we're being honest, the U.S. dollar is the absolute slowest of the bunch on its long march toward the second world. 😁

Nancy Gomez26 said:For those working within the Swiss banking sector, the prospect of seizing assets and freezing accounts could trigger massive systemic issues down the line. Who among their clientele would actually trust them after such a move, believing they wouldn't be the next targets on the list? People don't funnel capital into Swiss banks just because they appreciate fine cheese or high-end watches.

Unlike their cheese, their financial system doesn't have giant holes poked in it. 😁

hollowdriver13 said:https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/...79938696359941

Apparently, "the wealthy" need to start footing the bill for the government. The logic is that it’s just not right for some folks to be sitting on piles of cash while the national budget is struggling—though, hey, luckily for them, those sanctions aren't actually doing anything anyway.

If you haven't heard about Uravnilovka 2023 yet (maybe because you aren't deep enough in the loop or you're on the wrong side of the powers that be), buckle up. Here we come.

Did I catch that correctly? So, "prosperity" in Russia is supposed to be shared on a voluntary basis rather than through forced tax policy like they do in the West?

It reminds me of those old-school socialist volunteer drives, where people would supposedly work for the good of society out of pure altruism.

Take the most famous volunteer from the former America—when Alija Izetbegović asked him what he wanted as a reward, he simply replied: "just one more shovel, Comrade Marshall."

Trying to take down the dollar is about as productive as trying to fight against the English language being the "lingua franca" of global communication. It’s just not happening.

hollowdriver13 said:The Russian gas blackmail plan just had an epic backfire.

They played their strongest card—their absolute ace in the hole, call it whatever you want—way too early. They didn't even stop to think about what happens if we get a warm winter. They choked off the supply in the fall, but Mother Nature doesn't care about their desperate need for hard currency.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FlgxWiSW...ng&name=medium

A map showing temperature anomalies for Europe compared to the average since '81.

Winter has only just begun, and people seem to forget that today's climate patterns are defined by much more extreme temperature swings than before.

Nathan Evans78 said:

Russia is busy rebuilding a brand-new Russian city right on top of the ruins of old Mariupol, and according to the Associated Press, they're pulling it off using materials sourced from at least one European company.

Just business as usual, I suppose.

Just as the sun rises after a long night, reconstruction follows war—it's inevitable. This could actually serve as a massive catalyst for boosting the economy and restoring national pride, wouldn't you agree?

Gregory Ramos3 said:I was just about to start posting some memes about the US dollar, because man, this thing has been taking a serious nose dive lately. It’s honestly kind of wild—we're looking at a 15% drop over the last month and then another 11% just this week alone... like, what on earth is actually going on?

I was just sitting here staring at these exchange rate charts, trying to make sense of how much everything is swinging lately, and man, it’s a total rollercoaster. It feels like every time I blink, the value of the dollar is doing some wild dance against other currencies, and honestly, it’s enough to give anyone a little bit of a headache if they stare too long! I’m just over here trying to wrap my head around whether now is actually a decent time to plan any big moves or if I should just sit tight and hope the volatility settles down a bit before I make any silly mistakes.
🤔

It's called "price discovery." It’s what happens in a free market—nothing more, nothing less.

analogbear5 said:Never. The US isn't going to go bankrupt.

Sure—if you want to follow that logic—but while we sit around waiting for someone to actually explain how that works, let's not forget that a country can face a fate far more catastrophic than simple bankruptcy.

Jesse Hughes6 said:I don't recall anyone ever actually claiming that oil supplies are infinite.
Then again, what makes you so certain we're dealing with a resource that has a fixed, predictable limit?

Oil is essentially infinite because there is always more out there—it’s just that some of it is far too expensive to actually bother drilling for.

analogbear5 said:It’s actually pretty wild when you think about it—a planet with a finite volume can still hold an endless supply of oil.

Isn't that just like the logic they use for diamonds? People claim there's barely any diamond content left in the Earth's crust—as if they're some disappearing act! They aren't going anywhere. If you want one for a gold ring, you just walk into the first jewelry store you see and buy it. Simple as that.

David Jackson2 said:Honestly, this is such a minor headline for a Muslim-majority nation—especially when you consider what’s actually happening over in Turkey right now. It’s almost trivial compared to the new media law they just passed. Specifically "Article 29"—which is straight-up Orwellian, if you ask me.

Under this new rule, the government can basically come after you criminally for any social media share if they decide what you posted counts as "misinformation" or "spreading fear and disrupting public order." So, yeah... we're talking one to three years in prison—plus another year and a half if the info was shared anonymously. Pretty wild, right? 🙄

For example, while the official US Bureau of Labor Statistics might report one inflation number, independent economists could claim it’s actually twice as high. Under this law, making a statement like that is enough to land you behind bars for a few years.

On top of that, Turkey is demanding that big tech companies store data on American users on local servers within Turkey and hand over the algorithms used to boost certain content to the government.

Turkey is already hovering at the very bottom of global freedom of speech rankings, and this is just another heavy blow to whatever remains of democracy in that country.

I remember back when Turkey was trying to join the European Union, but certain opposition members blocked them. At the time, I thought it was absurd because Kemal Ataturk had already "modernized" Turkey at the start of the last century. Apparently, he didn't quite succeed after all.

Turkey simply refuses to embrace the values of our Western civilization, and fine—let it be that way.

Looking back now, seeing Turkey being denied entry into the European Union seems like it was actually a very smart move.

brightheron64 said:If my memory serves me right, they've basically been draining our own Department of Energy reserves.



President Biden’s Dangerous Use Of The Strategic Petroleum Reserve
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbl...h=5e0be8eb4047

Joe was banking on the idea that the Prince would just step in and refill everything, but apparently, things have gotten a little more complicated than he anticipated...
Whether domestic production can actually bridge that gap remains to be seen, though honestly, I haven't the slightest clue myself...

It can, sure—but there's a catch: you're looking at higher prices for refined products because production costs here in the USA are significantly higher than they are in Saudi Arabia. Plus, this isn't an overnight fix; it takes time.

It’s exactly like when you run out of bread, can't find any at the local bakery, and are forced to knead the dough and bake it yourself from scratch. 😁

casualtiger2 said:Their feelings don't really matter here.
The goal right now is making them harmless—and that’s exactly what sanctions do.
In a year or two, Russia will be economically crippled, which means they won't be able to sustain the war in Ukraine—or anywhere else—for at least the next 15 to 20 years.
That gives everyone else enough time to get ready to defend themselves.
Now, we can only hope they eventually realize who their actual enemy is.

I honestly don't care if they ever "realize" anything, as long as they are physically unable to wage conquest wars. The longer this mess in Ukraine drags on, the more likely it becomes that they'll hit that breaking point.

Putin is far too busy to even show up for Gorbachev's funeral

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...busy-to-attend

“ Although the ceremony will include certain “state funeral elements,” a White House spokesperson noted that the President, Vladimir Putin, won’t be in attendance—all because of his supposedly packed “work schedule.”

Jessica Peterson2 said:It was precisely because of Gorbachev that he went on to trigger all those subsequent conflicts and wars.

Armed conflicts in the Baltic states following their declarations of independence (ethnic Russian uprisings followed by Soviet military intervention).

1989. Uzbekistan within the USSR. Massacres of ethnic Meshetian Turks and their subsequent expulsion.

It’s been constant. Armed clashes in Kyrgyzstan vs. Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan vs. Tajikistan, along with continuous ethnic strife in those regions.

- 1987-... Azerbaijan vs. Armenia. Ethnic cleansing in both countries. The creation of the unrecognized Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, the occupation of parts of Azerbaijan by Armenia, and the ongoing de-occupation efforts regarding the "Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh."

- 1989. Uzbekistan within the USSR. Massacres of ethnic Meshetian Turks and their subsequent expulsion.

- 1989-1992. Moldova vs. the self-proclaimed PNR: Russians, Russian "volunteers," and the Russian military. The creation of the unrecognized PMR.

- 1990. Massacre of Uzbeks in Osh (Kyrgyzstan within the USSR).

- 1990-1997. Civil war in Tajikistan. A ceasefire was eventually signed.

- 1990-1992. Moldova vs. the ethnic Gagauz and "volunteers" from Transnistria. It ended relatively peacefully.

- 1991-1996. Russia vs. Chechnya. The creation of the unrecognized Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.

- 1992. Armed internal conflict in Ingushetia vs. South Ossetia.

- 1992-2008. Georgia vs. the self-proclaimed Abkhazia: Abkhazians and Russian "volunteers." The creation of the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia.

- 1992-2008. Georgia vs. the self-proclaimed Abkhazia: Abkhazians and Russian "volunteers." The creation of the unrecognized Republic of South Ossetia.

- 1999-2009. Russia vs. Chechnya. Chechnya's return to the Russian Federation, though in reality, the conflict persisted until 2017.

- 2008. Russia vs. Georgia. Russia occupied about 20% of Georgian territory and subsequently recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

- 2014. Russia vs. Ukraine. Occupation and annexation of Crimea by Russia. The creation of the unrecognized LPR and DPR in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

2022-... Russia vs. Ukraine. Still ongoing.

It is good that you pointed out these facts—things we had forgotten, or things some people never even knew in the first place.

Here’s one direct consequence of those sanctions—Russia is literally setting money on fire because they have nowhere to send the gas:

“plant, near the border with Finland, is burning an estimated $10m (£8.4m) worth of gas every day”.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62652133

Nathan Thomas12 said:It’s funny how the Kremlin sycophants collectively decided to ignore my post about how Russian GDP has tanked by 40% when measured in rubles due to sanctions.
Facts clearly don't matter to them—they just want to hear the same tired nonsense over and over, like a broken record. :doubleslap:

In an autocratic state, any decline in the standard of living is far easier for the citizens to swallow—and tolerate—than it would ever be in a democracy.

That's essentially a form of political immunity that shields such regimes from total collapse.

Justin Mendoza16 said:😵😵😵 what absolute idiots...

These morons don't even get it yet. By invading Ukraine, they basically built themselves an iron curtain right on the border that's gonna stay there for at least the next 100 years. They’re gonna get kicked out of Ukrainian territory, period. Plus, those sanctions? They're gonna absolutely wreck their economy and lifestyle for years to come...

🙂I was reading this in the news yesterday, can't remember if it was the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal...

Foreign companies in Russia make up about 12% of the workforce.
The fallout from them leaving is huge—economic activity is tanking, and we're talking over a thousand companies that account for roughly 40% of the Russian GDP.

You simply cannot have it both ways—you can't run a Russian imperial empire and a 21st-century democratic state at the same time.

They made their choice, and now the rest of us just have to deal with the consequences.