Posts by Nancy Gomez26

crimsoncyclist71 said:The Russian madness is escalating. Now they’re actually trying to convince Russian citizens that the West is seeking revenge for historical defeats at Poltava (1709), Borodino (1812), and Stalingrad (1942-43). 🤦

https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/st...UAbb3xgnYjYrcw

I honestly can't wrap my head around the mindset required to support the absolute insanity coming from the ruling mafia in Russia. 🤦

They realize they've become hopelessly bogged down in Ukraine—so now they invent these convenient "historical justifications" to claim everything is proceeding according to plan. Naturally, everyone else is the villain here; they are never at fault. It isn't even a new tactic; it's their standard operating procedure. They set the fire, then act surprised when they burn. (The real tragedy is that innocent people die because of their delusions). They were warned, clearly and early on, about what they were stepping into.

hiddeneagle98 said:Honestly, this just feels like a perfect excuse to finally send some actually serious anti-aircraft systems over to Ukraine.

The actual reason for the RO has been staring us in the face for a long time; apologies to anyone involved are entirely unnecessary.

Thomas Nelson25 said:They started whining and making threats today. It’s all about the gold.
It honestly trips me out that half the reserves are being held out West.
Not even sure if we're talking private holdings or government stuff at this point.

My take? They likely only keep a fraction of their gold in the West—probably tucked away in that one major bank in NY where everyone stores their bullion. I am almost certain they hold far less than half of their total reserves there; we're probably talking just a few percent of their massive stockpile. For years now, they—alongside the Chinese—have been aggressively buying up gold, moving it through Europe to be recast into new bars before shipping it back home. Everyone is pulling their reserves inward. At the end of the day, you only truly own what you physically possess. Everything else is just... credit.

wearyraven25 said:What are the actual odds that even if Ukraine pulls off a massive military win and retakes Crimea, they’ll actually be able to govern the place? It feels like the population there is so heavily pro-Russ that they aren't going to take kindly to seeing the blue and yellow flag flying again...

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steelheron25 makes a fair point about how far away Kirm is, but that isn't even their primary concern right now. Most people will likely flee Crimea long before the military even arrives; specifically those who can't stomach any authority other than the current regime. As for those who stay—provided they haven't engaged in criminal activity—they are welcome. And by "criminal activity," I mean the seizure of property and assets. Word is, the Russians have already purged anyone who wouldn't align with them and refused to leave voluntarily.

electricsurfer47 said:Once the Ukrainians get their territory back, they'll be able to move around again. It’s not the end of the world.

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And I have to add one inevitable observation: look how easily we are led astray...

Paul Thomas46 said:But haven't they made that public yet? 🤔

Why would they bother announcing it? It’s much more entertaining when the Russian authorities get tangled up in their own lies... or rather, the truth. A little levity during these grim times for Ukraine doesn't hurt, especially when the punchline lands squarely on the enemy's doorstep.

quietviper0 said:What does "squeeze out more Euros" actually mean here? In what way do the Russians walk away with extra Euros through this specific payment scheme? 🤔

The unit price is actually denominated in Euros, not Rubles, along with everything else. Based on what we know, it's pretty much tied to the TTF hub everywhere...
As for the exchange rate the bank uses to convert those Euros into Rubles, nobody in Europe is looking at it, let alone worrying about it, so when you combine that with the previous post about them "taking more Euros," the actual purpose behind it all remains a bit fuzzy to me...

That directive from back in the spring didn't actually mandate paying in Rubles. What it did was introduce a bit of marketing spin while simultaneously ensuring that one specific bank stays clear of sanctions, making sure those Euros don't get stuck in Europe but instead head straight toward Washington, D.C., via this supposed currency conversion...

So, I find myself wondering why this conversion is being treated as some sort of trick, and why none of us seem concerned about what exchange rate is being used? From our perspective, it honestly doesn't matter if they turn 1 Euro into 200 Rubles, or if they turn it into 60 and pocket an extra 140, or even if they turn it into 20 and just leave it at that... We aren't buying Rubles; they are simply conducting their own business however they see fit...
In short, it doesn't affect our pockets one way or the other...
A different scenario would be if we were actually forced to buy Rubles and if prices were strictly set in Rubles. There wouldn't be any open markets or free trading to fall back on; you'd just be at the mercy of whatever the central bank decides to offer. Personally, I don't think that's an unrealistic possibility to consider as we approach winter...

When the Ruble payments were first announced, the direction of the maneuver was obvious. Paying in Rubles while the price remains expressed in Dollars is merely a temporary setup; it's illogical. It was a tactical preparation for the endgame, where they can convert funds at a rate of their own choosing, thereby exerting significant influence over the price—or more accurately, beginning to inject politics directly into gas trading.
They weren't intimidated—they deal with traders far more experienced than themselves. Through gas trade, the Russians attempt to impose their political will. The West, conversely, has no patience for such arrangements—which are essentially extortion. Extortion, creating dependency, and demonstrations of force are the fundamental tools and methods of the old intelligence services (when ideological support fails). You can see the heavy fingerprint of the secret service in these methods and decisions. It seems the Russian intelligence apparatus fails to realize they aren't dealing with a single individual here, but with an entire bureaucratic-political system that has highly developed methods of operation and influence.

Carl Lee27 said:Aircraft cannibalization is officially underway

Exclusive: Russia begins stripping commercial jets for parts as sanctions take their toll

Moscow, Aug 8 (Reuters) - According to four industry insiders speaking to Reuters, American-made and foreign-built airlines in Russia—including the state-run Aeroflot (AFLT.MM)—have started dismantling certain jetliners just to harvest the spare parts they can no longer source internationally due to the heavy sanctions from the West.

These moves actually align perfectly with the guidance the Russian government handed out back in June, basically telling airlines to start using some of their fleet as "parts donors" to make sure the rest of those foreign-made planes stay in the air through at least 2025.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aer...te-2022-08-08/

It was predictable. But this can't last forever—not as a reliable source for spare parts. First, they'll run out of consumables, assuming they didn't stockpile them beforehand. On one aviation forum, there was significant skepticism regarding whether certain components could actually be manufactured domestically in the US. Take carbon brake linings, for instance; only a handful of companies globally possess the capability to produce them. Tires are similarly critical, though perhaps those could realistically be manufactured within the US. As for repairing modern jet engines? That’s impossible without original parts. If domestic production of such tech were actually viable, the entire aviation landscape would look very different.

Nathan Thomas12 said:Obviously, the gas is being paid for in dollars, not rubles.
Basically, the whole thing goes through Gazprombank—the foreign buyer drops dollars into a specific account, then the bank handles the exchange from dollars to rubles before moving those rubles over to Gazprom's account. At the end of the day, the Russians get their hands on the dollars, which is what they actually care about. The whole "pay in rubles" stunt is just a clever way for them to squeeze out as many dollars as possible.

Exactly. When the unit price is set in rubles but you're paying at the register in dollars, you aren't just dealing with the sticker price; you're dealing with whatever exchange rate they decide to apply. The price is likely pegged in contracts against other benchmarks, but the rate at which a Russian bank swaps those dollars for rubles is under Kremlin control. If this wasn't already baked into the existing contracts, it represents a fundamental shift in how business is conducted.

analogbear5 said:

William Cooper11 Asks:
Giving up on a war isn't the same thing as a total collapse. Nobody’s actually out here calling for Russia to fall apart—even if that would probably be the best move for any sane person left in the world.
Will they back out of the war? Who knows. They folded in Afghanistan—so this isn't exactly their first rodeo. 😁

Honestly, the USSR was operating at a much higher level of civilization than modern-day Russia.

I find myself inclined to agree, particularly regarding the final stages of the USSR. No matter how stubborn they were—constantly taking hits and stumbling along—one eventually learns certain lessons from such an era, even if the tuition is incredibly high.

William Cooper11 said:You've got a point, but when someone like Dugin is busy filling heads with fantasies about restoring the Russian Empire and how "true" Orthodoxy needs to crush the morally bankrupt West, nobody is thinking about spare parts for Aeroflot's Airbus fleet. 😁

Hold on a second... pilots have been instructed to scale back on brake usage. This essentially means leaning more heavily on engine braking and deploying thrust reversers. The logic is that while you save the brakes, you end up burning through more fuel and engine resources. So, if the primary concern was brake wear, I suppose you could say the problem is practically solved.

Carl Lee27 As stated by:
It seems we are starting from nothing. Or perhaps, it is simply the beginning of a void. With this article... Building on the previous point, and specifically regarding that report from Yale, here is my take. To put it bluntly: sanctions are working. Despite the desperate lies and the frantic attempts by the Kremlin to mask the reality, certain truths remain impossible to ignore:
Oil is being offloaded at a massive discount.
Oil revenues were always a tighter squeeze for Russia than they were for the Arabs, making their break-even point sit somewhere around $42 to $44. Now, once you factor in the discounts, a massive chunk of those Russian fields is staring down the barrel of being completely unprofitable.
Then there is the logistical nightmare of actually getting the oil to its destination—in this case, India. It’s yet another hurdle that eats away at what little margin is left.
The math is simple, if bleak. Russia's energy exports are currently bringing in more revenue than they were before the war, yet that figure is still effectively halved compared to their previous highs. This isn't a sustainable peak; it’s a temporary plateau. We are looking at a steady decline. Without access to Western technology, their production capacity will inevitably crater. When you factor in the tightening grip of sanctions and the broader downward pressure on global oil prices, the trajectory becomes clear. The decline is inevitable.
We’ve already touched on the gas situation in this thread. Let’s be realistic: there is simply no way for Russia to reroute 180 to 200 billion cubic meters of annual supply away from Europe. It just doesn't work. The pipeline infrastructure heading toward China is entirely disconnected from the networks serving the West. Even if they ever managed to link them, it would happen solely at China's behest. Russia lacks both the capital to fund such a massive undertaking and the technical capacity to actually build it. The Chinese, unlike their counterparts in Moscow, seem to possess a much clearer grasp of the math; they are prioritizing trade with the West, which dwarfs their dealings with Russia by a factor of fifteen or twenty.
Black market currency trading is rampant—something certain people in this group will undoubtedly recognize. In those circles, if you want to get your hands on dollars, you’re looking at a 100% premium over the official exchange rate. It's a steep price for access.
Entire economic sectors have essentially ceased to exist. All that remains is the sudden, aggressive rise of empty rhetoric regarding self-sufficiency.

At the end of the day, Russia will follow the exact same trajectory as every other nation that has faced Western sanctions—meaning they’ll be systematically cut off from global flows. And I'm not just talking about economics. History shows us that no country has ever truly won a head-to-head confrontation with the West. Russia won't be the exception to that rule either.

The irony is quite striking. If the Russian Federation hadn't become so deeply entwined with the West, these sanctions wouldn't sting nearly as much. They would be far easier to stomach. Had they simply stuck to manufacturing outdated relics like old Chevys or obsolete cargo planes, they might have actually maintained some semblance of an independent industrial base. Of course, keeping those production lines running made little sense in the long run; the tech was ancient. So, they pivoted toward modernization. But in doing so, they integrated themselves into the global supply chain and created a massive dependency. Once you realize how vulnerable that makes you, you don't go launching reckless "special operations."

Susan Walker25 said:Pusitic is just being played by his own brothers..

Chinese people aren't so welcoming that they'd just let foreigners wander through their country without consequence.

Susan Walker25 said:She'll be waiting a long time before she can travel through Europe. Sure, she can hit Shanghai, Beijing, or any beach she wants once that happens.

Without a passport, it’s a tall order.

Joshua Myers432 said:That’s an apples-to-oranges comparison. Ukraine isn't Korea, it isn't Afghanistan, and it isn't a country being invaded by Mexicans. The situation there is far more nuanced. For heaven's sake, Zelenskyy is a native Russian speaker. There isn't much else to say...

It has been obvious for quite some time that the language spoken—whether Russian or Ukrainian—is irrelevant. Most people over there can understand Russian just fine. However, not everyone speaks Ukrainian, even if they are firmly on the side of Ukraine in this conflict. This isn't the breakup of America, where linguistic identity dictates everything. It might seem strange to us here in the States, but that’s simply how history played out there. That is a whole different conversation.

Larry Walker24 said:Russia is rolling out duty-free shops where diplomats can snag Western goods using foreign currency. It’s a move that’s giving people major flashbacks to those infamous Beriozka stores from the USSR era, according to The New York Times.

These shops could be popping up as early as this fall, selling imported stuff that's becoming nearly impossible to find in regular American stores since so many Western companies have bailed on the country because of the war in Ukraine.

To get through the door, you'll have to show official ID proving you're a foreign diplomat, an employee of an international organization, or part of their family. They're also going to take dollars and euros directly.

"It's total USSR vibes!" wrote Sergej Smirnov, the editor-in-chief of the outlet Mediazona, which picked up the story after it dropped in the official parliamentary papers.

What’s the endgame here?
Sanctions aren't hitting the mark anyway, the local currency is holding steady, shelves are full, and there are no shortages... something about this whole setup just doesn't add up.

Andrew Booth29 said:Honestly, this is just an old tradition playing out. After the revolution, you had judges who, by sheer inertia, actually stuck to the law—which meant they occasionally let innocent people walk free. But then the Party stepped in and gave those judges a bit of "guidance": don't bother looking at whether the person is actually guilty; just look at which class they belong to.🧐

It made the whole judicial system much more efficient, I suppose. And frankly, looking at things today, it seems like we're operating on those exact same principles.

I once watched an excellent documentary about the Stalin era. It featured archival documents that made things crystal clear: Moscow would demand a specific quota of "enemies of the people" from regional and city committees. They had to find a precise number within a set timeframe, specifically allocated to certain districts. And of course, they met those quotas. If they failed to show "productivity" in hunting down enemies, they were the ones who ended up facing the consequences.

Andrew Booth29 said:It's just like that one Russian official put it: they're guilty, and the court is simply there to decide what the specific charge should be.

Even Beria used to say: 'Just show me the man, and I'll find the crime.'

Jessica Peterson2 said:It seems like alcoholism is becoming a massive headache for high-ranking Russian officials. Just last night, the "Acting President"—or should I say, the "little guy"?—decided to take to Facebook to announce the restoration of the USSR. This all comes immediately following the annexation of Small Russia into Great Russia, along with the forced incorporation of the Union of Georgia (which he claims "never existed") and the "artistic invention" known as Kazakhstan.

Once he supposedly sobered up, the post was scrubbed from the timeline, leaving everyone to blame some vague group of ammonium "hackers."

Are we talking about 'Dimon in new sneakers'?

dustyowl29 said:Something is definitely brewing, and it looks like Putin is busy plotting his exit strategy.
As for who steps into his shoes—or even just fills the void—that’s anyone's guess. We might be looking at some high-level diplomat, or maybe someone more... battle-hardened.

Did the Secret Service reach out to you?