Honestly, we’re looking at collateral damage now—basically, the people are paying the price. Things could go one of two ways here. Either support for Putin ramps up and everyone turns away from him (maybe a 50/50 split?), or if Ukraine holds the line and manages to retake the south by winter, the tide shifts—mostly because the West is better equipped for a war of attrition.
So how does Lade even function without chips and... AC? And you're calling them a Chinese person?!
The Chinese person is definitely losing about 5% on the chip front—meanwhile, the American is busy building their own factory (aiming for roughly 10% of the global market), and even the European Union (specifically the Germans) are finally realizing how much they actually need this stuff, especially for the auto industry.
It’s just simple math at this point—the Russian war in Europe is hurting China.
Your average Sergei or Olga are basically just cogs in the machine who will happily stay that way regardless of the situation, so they aren't even part of the equation.
It comes down to timing and the opposition.
The real leverage there comes from the cities—it’s all about the alcohol and the corruption.
Bryan Booth82 said:What kind of market are we even talking about here?? Best regards,
Cars—that's high-end stuff right there. Russia is basically addicted to imports since they don't produce half the things they use. (I think there’s actually some truth to those issues with the gas turbine pumps for NS)
Second thing... was that what you meant? How much does that actually contribute to the budgets of European countries—or the European Union, for that matter?
The big question is, what exactly is this "new Putin world" supposed to be? Is the average Russian actually going to want that, or would they prefer a normal (Western) lifestyle?!
I mean, would they rather drive a Dacia or a General Motors (or maybe just some used German cars from the EU) instead of being stuck in a Chevrolet that feels like it's straight out of the 70s?
It really just boils down to a game of chicken—whoever blinks first. The Russian people... they might start craving Western markets, or maybe just want access to EU gas and oil.
Ultimately, it all depends on how much those sanctions actually hit guys like Sergei and John, or Olga and Masha.
Daniel Ward87 said:Total cowards, honestly—both them and their supporters. Personally, I don't mind dealing with high gas and heating prices if it means those Russian pieces of trash eventually get what's coming to them. America stood its ground against the Nazis from '39 to '45 and took care of business, so we can definitely handle this too.
There’s no peace until Russia undergoes full "deputization."
They’re playing the nuclear card on purpose. Have you noticed how every single time... things start going sideways with the war, they suddenly bring up atomic threats?
A little bit of dust settled on us I was just a kid back then, but I remember that day. Well, more like a few days after the disaster at Chernobyl. The communists were trying to cover it up...
Meteorologists are saying if Ukraine pulls the trigger on a nuke, the fallout would mostly drift north—straight into Russia. The separatists would get absolutely blasted.
Donna Wells2 said:It looks to me like the Ukrainians are trying to pull their forces away from the Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, and Bakhmut sectors by launching an offensive down south. We all know how much the Russian military is struggling with troop numbers right now, and this move essentially forces them to peel off units to cover the southern front, which naturally weakens their push toward those other areas. To put it bluntly... they're just stretching the Russians out like a piece of bubblegum.😁
For sure, but they've gotta move fast if they're gonna pull this off. They need to be unpredictable and, honestly, they have to hit those targets in Crimea. Logistics infrastructure is everything here.
Jacob Price95 said:The Taliban and various Islamist groups of all stripes are essentially the textbook definition of how to run a partisan insurgency. If this war keeps up at this pace, there won't be many Ukrainians left; most will end up as refugees. Those who don't care will stay behind, while those who want out will head straight for Western countries or Western Europe.
You mean they launch a massive counteroffensive with a "million" soldiers, lose them all, and then let the Russians just stroll right into Lviv... roughly speaking.
Down south, it's just orcs playing defense. And in the Donbas, it's the Ukrainians.
Basically, they have to absolutely crush them in the south.
They need to get that Black Sea blockade lifted. It’s a pure numbers game—they're a maritime nation, after all. I'm hoping some foreign experts are helping them prep for 'Storm.'
Putin's response? Just leaving figures lying out in front of shops. A little bench...
As long as they keep calling it some kind of "special intervention" instead of an actual war. Then Russian citizens don't really see it as an existential threat to their way of life. Everyone treats it like it's just some sports rivalry—sending over mercenaries and a few "volunteers" here and there. Plus, you’ve got that whole imperialist complex going on—this idea that Russians are somehow superior but constantly looked down upon by the West. It's a mess.
But hey, time and reality will eventually catch up with them.
No one is disputing the fact that fuel costs have increased. What is being questioned is how this surge will impact the general standard of living and that otherwise superficial sense of European unity. There are countless posts along those lines. Why are you twisting my words?
It's about capital accumulation. Corona really showed us how that whole assistance model works. Putin is basically terrified of a permanent embargo and being walled off from the Russian Federation.
He'll need years to build out transit infrastructure toward Asia and stuff like that.
A strategic loss in the war combined with sanctions—it's basically the same outcome.