Posts by Amanda Allen4

Emily Fox2 said:Turkey has suggested that Turkey and Russia move toward using their own national currencies for bilateral trade:
https://ria.ru/20220325/natsvalyuty-1780041212.html

And what’s the response from the Russians? Given that inflation for the Turkish lira has hit a staggering 54%, does anyone honestly think this is a stable move?

wearytrucker22 said:https://m.lenta.ru/news/2022/04/19/kitai/

China has launched a fresh rail route heading straight for Mannheim, Germany, effectively bypassing Russia.
According to China.org, China has kicked off a new rail line toward Germany. This route allows trains to reach the German city of Mannheim while completely avoiding Russia.

The path cuts through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Romania, Canada, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, utilizing a mix of rail and sea transport to cross the Caspian and Black Seas. On April 13, the inaugural train, loaded down with sporting goods, pulled out of Xi'an.

Meanwhile, my own shipment is stuck in
2022-04-15 01:28
Russia, Yartsevo, Item inbound in sorting center.
2022-04-14 22:16
CHINA, Alashankou, Item is in transit.

So close, yet so far. It’ll probably just end up bouncing back to Azerbaijan or Canada at this rate.

It’s the "Silk Road," and they're calling the train the "Silk Express" 😁.

What on earth is actually happening with this supposedly "limitless" Russia-China friendship that Putin just went and announced?

Look, Russia isn't just Putin—it’s a whole entity—so it is entirely possible that the Chinese might also want him gone if it serves their own interests better.

And honestly? The most effective way to make that happen right now would be for him to lose the war in Ukraine.

Rachel Richardson said:

Nathan Thomas12 Asks:
Americans have certainly led wars and made their fair share of mistakes—no one is denying that—but I’m looking for some actual data here. Specifically, I want to know: which territories have they actually annexed?

Russia attacked all its neighbors—and ended up seizing territory from every single one of them.

Even some countries that don't share a border—take Moldova, for instance...

If you set aside the three Baltic states that were illegally occupied by the USSR during WWII—Russia maintained military bases in nearly every single former Soviet republic.

In Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan—it's perfectly legal.
Local conflicts are currently simmering in Tajikistan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
We are seeing active territorial occupations taking place in Georgia and Moldova.
In Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, there was no need—though in Uzbekistan, it remained in place until 2012.

If you want to understand how global power actually functions—beyond the rhetoric and the news cycles—you have to look at the physical footprint of the military. It isn't just about abstract influence; it’s about geography and logistics. Take a look at this list of overseas bases. It serves as a map of where the United States chooses to project its strength. You can think of it like a massive, interconnected network of hubs—much like how a major tech giant might distribute its server farms across the globe to ensure zero latency and total coverage. These aren't just isolated outposts; they are strategic nodes designed to maintain stability and respond to crises in real-time. It’s a massive undertaking—complex, expensive, and deeply integrated into our national security strategy. Whether it's securing shipping lanes or providing a rapid response capability in distant regions, these locations represent the literal foundation of American presence around the world. It's more than just a collection of coordinates; it's the infrastructure of global reach.

The only thing standing between him and reconstituting the USSR was Ukraine.

An aggressive war—driven by nothing more than a hunger for land that was already more than enough to go around.

Land can be sold. After all, Alaska was sold to the USA.

hiddeneagle98 said:I just don't get this—is Putin attacking Ukraine just so Americans can turn a profit?

That happens all the time—it’s what they call “collateral damage.”

Bryan Booth82 said:That is absolutely not the case—in fact, that’s exactly what Putin wants to hear.
If certain people want to interpret the partnership between the European Union and the USA through some cynical lens... well, frankly, that should be their own damn problem.
After Biden's speech in Washington, D.C., that psychopath in Moscow might actually hesitate before deciding whether he can get away with targeting Poland. But if that same speech had come from some European leader? He’d probably launch a missile just for the hell of it.
I don't see any issue with the cooperation between the European Union and the USA, despite what so many people in the European Union seem to think.
Best regards,

Read what I actually wrote.

I never once stated that cooperation between the USA and the EU isn't desirable—what I am saying is that the EU needs to step up and invest more in its own defense systems instead of constantly waiting for America to foot the bill.

How much larger is the EU than Russia? And how many times wealthier is it? Honestly, I don't see why defending Europe using its own resources should be such a massive struggle.

Sam Alvarez4 said:Diplomacy continues to push forward with sanctions:

Slovakia's State Department announced today that they're expelling 35 Russian diplomats

17:38 Slovakia expels thirty-five Russian diplomats

It is high time the EU finally grew some backbone and started looking out for its own interests instead of just hiding behind the apron strings of America!

Sanctions are a necessary evil—plain and simple. And honestly? If Russia loses this war in Ukraine without them, then even better! I’m all for a free market whenever possible.

bluemason3 said:It’s because achieving that requires actual competition and the kind of meritocracy you only find in an open market.

Oligarchic oil capitalism doesn't care about progress. Why bother when you can just kiss the right leaders' feet, grab a seat at a state-owned firm, and spend your days lounging by a pool on a yacht without ever having to innovate?

Honestly, South Korea probably wouldn't have turned out any differently if they had oil. Japan is a different story entirely—given their history with occupation, they might have managed to pivot toward democracy even if they had plenty of energy resources. SK was a brutal dictatorship, too, but they didn't have any choice but to grow through tech and industry.

Russia went from a communist dictatorship straight into a petro-monarchy. I'm oversimplifying, but they skipped the serious development phase because the educated class basically fled, leaving them stuck.

That all holds water, sure, but there’s another motive fueling their expansionist politics: the desperate desire for Russia to maintain its superpower status. It's embarrassing for them—the largest country on Earth by surface area, loaded with resources, yet unable to stand toe-to-toe with the USA, falling further behind every single day.

In fact, as time goes on, maintaining that "superpower" label becomes less about how many tanks you have and more about economic sophistication.

Robert Barrett6 said:Laughable mantra.🤣


https://atlas.cid.harvard.edu/countries/186/export-basket

Top 10 things Rusiaj exports:

Mineral fuels including oil: US$211.5 billion (43% of total exports)
Gems, precious metals: $31.6 billion (6.4%)
Iron, steel: $28.9 billion (5.9%)
Fertilizers: $12.5 billion (2.5%)
Wood: $11.7 billion (2.4%)
Machinery including computers: $10.7 billion (2.2%)
Cereals: $9.1 billion (1.9%)
Aluminum: $8.8 billion (1.8%)
Ores, slag, ash: $7.4 billion (1.5%)
Plastics, plastic articles: $6.2 billion (1.3%)

Raw materials make up over 60% total; unprocessed goods account for about 40%.

As for grain and cereals, we've already been through this. The European Union is the largest producer overall, and Russian grain probably only made up a tiny fraction of the EU market. They were shipping it to Egypt, India, the Middle East—and it's going to get intense there, too, much like in Africa.

But it doesn't matter. They’re used to hunger. It’ll just make them tougher.🙄.

European Union grain

And which factories are they closing in Germany? 🍿

If (?) we are eating bread made from Russian wheat, it's simply because it's cheaper than domestic options. Once that stops—if it even does—we'll just go back to producing and even exporting more. There is no shortage here; there are merely temporary disruptions in the global market caused by political factors.

That applies to all resources.

Peter Ruiz2 said:Russia is actually one of those rare countries that exports more than it imports, and this whole mantra about them being solely dependent on raw material exports is honestly a joke. Sure, sanctions hit them. They made it hard to get the tech components needed for their industry, but nothing that would actually shake them to the core. Americans have kept Cuba under an economic blockade for sixty years, and you don't see people starving there, do you? Cubans even managed to develop their own vaccine while the European Union couldn't even figure out how to make masks. As for factories closing—where exactly do you live that makes you think what's happening in the EU is some distant reality? Factories are shuttering in Germany right now; workers are getting laid off or sent back to "short-time" work like during the pandemic (which, by the way, hasn't really ended). But this time, it's not because of a virus. Like I said, Russians are used to sanctions; they play the long game. They aren't living hand-to-mouth like we are, where our biggest tragedy yesterday was an Amazon package arriving late.

We're living in a version of the EU where the German Chancellor is openly calling for everyone to "freeze ourselves in protest against Putin." Newsflash: he and the rest of these sanction-obsessed elites aren't actually going to freeze or shop in half-empty grocery stores. It’s not just gas and oil we’re talking about; it’s grain and fertilizer that the EU mostly imported from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. This level of shortsightedness from Western political elites is just unprecedented.

As the old saying goes, "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger."

wiredseal7 said:By that same logic, plenty of folks in the USA and the EU thought sanctions—paired with arming Ukraine to maximize Russian casualties—would spark domestic unrest in Russia and lead to Putin being toppled.

The truth is, Putin has the support of his people—and that is the fundamental difference between what happened when the USSR collapsed and the current state of Russian policy.

Every single opponent of the government in Russia is fleeing to neighboring countries! What remains? A monolithic core that stands firmly behind Putin.

Dennis Price said:Sanctions were triggered by the Russian invasion, not the other way around.😵

Some people just have a fundamental issue with perception—it's a recurring problem. For instance, I’ll stare right at the number 78 and somehow end up writing down 87. It happens!

analogbear5 said:"Russia threatens to settle foreign debt using rubles"
Russia is threatening to pay off its external debt in rubles.
- Wall Street Journal

Every single loan is essentially a gamble—a high-stakes investment, if you will. If the debtor can't come up with the cash, the lender is simply out of luck! Is anyone actually surprised? It’s the oldest story in the book, and frankly, nothing about this situation is news to anyone with half a brain.

silverotter72 said:Did they actually go bankrupt due to poor business decisions, or did the Governor just decide the company was worth zero so they wouldn't have to pay anyone back?
You see what I mean? It isn't just about the loss itself, but rather the underlying reason why it happened.

Oh, it was absolutely due to business operations. I’m sure there are plenty of folks over in the West who poured money into Russian ventures and are now sweating over the possibility of losing everything.

steelfox98 says: Look at this post

"Oil hitting $130
Natural gas at $3,600
Wheat up 40%—and remember, Russia and Ukraine are two of the biggest exporters on the planet, with Russia being the massive leader in fertilizer exports and everything else.//

The USA can cover its own food needs through domestic production, though they’re running pretty low on energy supplies right now.
Russia—they can also sustain themselves with their own food and energy production.
The EU? They can just sit there and watch everyone else eat and drive.

It’s honestly fascinating watching these people cheer because someone else is suffering—but if this keeps up for even a few months, they’ll be howling when reality finally hits them square in the face."

The real question here is whether spiking energy and agricultural prices can actually offset lost sales. Is it easier for a buyer to find a new supplier in the long run than it is for a producer to hunt down an entirely new market?

At the end of the day, the biggest disaster for Ukraine isn't the loss of wheat and fertilizer sales—it's the Russian aggression and the total destruction of the country itself."

Jesse Hughes6 said:Europe is going to get absolutely hammered on energy in the short term. There’s no point in kidding ourselves about it; we’re all going to feel the sting.
In the long run, though, diversification is where we actually stand to win.

Exactly! And how exactly is Russia supposed to profit from this war? There is just no justice left in this world.

silverotter72 said:Actually, I don't think that applies here. Usually, we weigh the investment against risk and reward under standard conditions. But when someone just seizes assets by decree, completely disregarding international norms, well, then you have to expect pushback. You'd expect pressure to ensure things continue according to established international standards rather than some unilateral rulebook cooked up on the fly.

It would be just as easy for Greece to pass a law stating they don't owe anyone a dime. Easy peasy. I’m not sure why they haven't thought of that yet. 😁 The chance of such a decree gaining any international recognition is essentially zero.

Am I really the only one here who lost money invested in a company that went bankrupt?

After two years of dragging things through the courts, I managed to claw back 30% of my capital—and honestly, I was happy about it because I was part of a privileged group of investors. Some people walked away with absolutely nothing.

silverotter72 said:It seems you might not quite grasp the fundamental mechanics of economics—you know, the whole supply and demand thing.
If a Russian citizen wants to buy a single hamburger from me, I am the one who dictates the price and the currency used, not him. He can't just issue a decree to change that. Either he agrees to my terms, or he doesn't get his hamburger.
He could try telling me, "But I have a law that says blah blah blah." Honestly, man, that law is meaningless here. Either you send me dollars, euros, or US dollars, or I’m not shipping that hamburger to you. You could send me rubles, or you could send me hugs and kisses for all I care; it doesn't change the deal.

Ultimately, the Russians will either play by the rules set by the seller (the global market), or they simply won't get the goods they need to import into their country.

By that same logic, if you invested $100k in Russia, and now they're claiming, "Okay, that's no longer $100k, it's X amount of rubles," well, once things eventually stabilize, you'll be the one using international law to point out: "Whatever you send me doesn't count as repaying my stake. The rest of the world will only consider this debt settled when you send actual USD, regardless of whatever laws you've cooked up in your own little corner of the world."

So, don't worry too much. The Russians can pretend to make decisions that affect the entire globe within their own borders, but outside those borders, those decisions are about as serious as a bad joke or a domestic argument over home decor. It's like if I decide the kitchen tiles should be beige, but my wife insists they'll be white. I can convince myself I've won the argument, but the reality remains that the tiles will be white, no matter what I say.

Just imagine you lend me $1.75, and I declare: "By my own executive decision, I don't owe you $1.75 anymore; I owe you five pebbles from the beach instead." Hahaha, that's just not how the world works.

There is a fundamental issue here: when you put your capital—your hard-earned money—into a business, there is potential profit, yes, but there is also the very real risk of loss.

There is a rule in investing that is far more important than "buy low, sell high"—and that is if a debt cannot be collected, you lose your money. That happens all the time, doesn't it?

Morgan Morales4 said:Look, I don't know all the gritty details—it's not like I'm in the loop with them to get a clear explanation or anything—but even as a blonde girl who might be a bit naive, I just don't buy the idea that you can suddenly fix an entire internet infrastructure in just ten days during an invasion.

Personally, I agree that any act of aggression should be met with sanctions, regardless of who is behind it, just so everyone else learns their lesson before they try something similar. I really hope they do learn.
If this is such a massive issue of energy dependency, why didn't they spend those two years of using the gas developing alternatives immediately? We guess we'll never truly know.

Zachary Johnson3 said:Man, the ruble is absolutely tanking... it's already down to 175 per USD

So, the Russians might actually bring back communism—a classless society where private property doesn't exist and money, according to Marx, is essentially useless. Can you even imagine?

Imagine a world where a person actually has everything they could ever possibly need—but without the crushing weight of actually owning anything. No property taxes, no maintenance, no endless headaches over possessions. Just pure, unadulterated utility. Wouldn't that be the ultimate way to live? To exist in a state of total fulfillment without a single worry about ownership hanging over your head? It sounds like a dream, doesn't it?