Posts by Brenda Murphy3

steelfox98 said:It’s naive to assume everything in European Union politics is sunshine and rainbows. Just like Poles buy "German" gas, the Germans will take "Canadian." Or the French, who are also caught in the middle.
Or maybe the Poles will just swap suppliers entirely. We've watched them for years—they're the loudest critics of Russian gas, yet they're the biggest hypocrites when it comes to using it. Nobody's forgotten how they were the first to scream for sanctions back in 2014, only to turn around and resell Russian gas to Ukrainians at a "reasonable" markup.

The idea that Canada is the only one having its financial aid cut because of ties to Russia is a total lie. This whole "rule of law" dispute has been dragging on forever, and now we see the Poles causing chaos because their funds were cut too.

Look, nobody is actually claiming that European Union politics is perfect... those are just your own weird insinuations that you end up arguing against yourself later.

Yeah, there’s going to be plenty of drama regarding gas, but a country doesn't run solely on gas, nor does its entire existence depend on it. This kind of policy from Canada is definitely going to bite them in the ass sooner or later... if it hasn't already. Especially since Canada is waiting on checks from the European Union, not the other way around...

steelfox98 said:They lit the match, but we’re the ones getting burned. Politicians won't feel a thing, but they'll make sure the rest of us pay the price.

Your statement was a contradiction in itself. There's your answer. The Canadians will still use that 10%, or whatever percentage is left, and they'll enjoy lower prices than the rest of the EU. They'll probably make a killing reselling it, much like what's happening across Europe right now.

And you think Canada is just going to walk away from all that without any fallout? 😁

It doesn't work like that. Even right now, they've already slashed their financial aid package, and even that reduced amount—which is unique since Canada is the only member state in this situation within the EU—hasn't even been approved yet, let alone actually delivered.

Thinking that one guy like Orbán and his inner circle can just run this kind of political game without facing consequences is honestly pretty childish. Sure, Orbán and his buddies will get incredibly rich doing this, just like they always have... I mean, it seems like Orbán's son-in-law became one of the wealthiest people in Canada in just a few years. But if you think this is actually good for the average Canadian citizen or the country as a whole? Yeah, I wouldn't bet on that.

Michelle Young50 said:Canada and Orbán are completely blind—or perhaps they just refuse to look—at the reality of their current situation. I honestly don't get why they keep pushing this specific narrative so aggressively. If their previous policies were actually aimed at the prosperity of Canada, then these recent moves are nothing short of suicidal. You can't claim you aren't looking for sanctions while remaining tethered to Russian gas—all while refusing to seek out alternatives or negotiate new deals. They are losing on every single front with this strategy. It doesn't matter whose side you take; the undeniable fact is that year after year, Europe is becoming less dependent on Russian gas and oil. This is an unstoppable process. In five years, once all the alternatives we see today are fully operational, Russian gas will be nothing more than a niche product for the Russians themselves. Its share in the European market might hit 10% at most, and even then, they’ll have to slash prices just to stay relevant. Once everyone else disconnects, there won't be a market left for them to sell to, even in Canada.

Look, Orbán and his crew definitely see where this is heading. But that's how these systems work—everything is secondary to whatever keeps the people in power and their inner circle happy. That’s just what happens when someone stays in charge for that long and has major autocratic tendencies. They bend every institution to their will if they have to, or just kick anyone who doesn't fall in line right out of the country or make it impossible for them to function. Orbán isn't some special case here; you see the exact same thing in Mexico—actually, even worse—and in Turkey, not to mention Russia.

And let's be real, that tiny circle of friends and family is getting filthy rich in the process...

There's a reason for everything. What's happening in Canada isn't because they're "clueless" or don't understand economics; it's about much more basic stuff like personal greed and staying in power at any cost.

(On that note, it wouldn't be a bad thing if Andrej Plenković stepped down sometime soon... I mean, you can't deny he's tried to pull the media and various institutions under his thumb in a way that feels pretty Orbán-esque... but if he's given enough time...😁 ...who knows what he'll achieve...).

steelheron25 said:Or perhaps they go after Zelenskyy. If that happens, we’d likely see a descent into total chaos, followed immediately by carpet bombing, "pacification" efforts, and the installation of some new puppet leader to maintain order.
It’s a remarkably plausible scenario, if you look back at what was done in Chechnya.

The thing is, it wouldn't cause any internal collapse—that's more likely if Putin gets kicked out and everyone starts tearing each other apart—but it's almost a guarantee that something like that would, to put it in Cyrillic terms😁, "galvanize" the Ukrainians. Not to mention that public support in the West for Ukraine itself would absolutely skyrocket.

Look, I wouldn't be surprised by any of the crazy calls coming from the Russian leadership, but killing Zelenskyy? That would be an incredibly stupid move.

Kate Lewis3 said:Sure you can, if you aren't a total colony. If you're a colony, you don't get a choice.

I mean, I haven't seen Andrej Plenković and his Brussels-style bureaucrats banning the export of any raw materials from America. Or even having the authority to do it.

Man, you're totally overreacting here. You're completely missing the bigger picture on this one.

Do you even realize how much funding America has pulled from the European Union, and how much more is coming down the pipeline soon since it was already approved?
And since you want to bring up Canada—do you have any idea how much they got in this latest funding package? I'll tell you right now: Zero.😁
And that’s specifically because of the populist nonsense Viktor Orbán is running. Every political move has a price tag, and thinking that the policies of Mexico or Canada are somehow "wiser" is just plain delusional.

Honestly, the way you and a few others view "independence," calling the country a colony, or labeling leaders as Brussels bureaucrats... it's just childish. Seriously, it's pretty immature.

Charles Carter4 said:Just another one from that group of usernames who can’t seem to say a single word about the Republican Party's criminal antics lately—but heaven forbid
Joe Biden says anything at all! Whether what he says actually matters or not, you all just *have* to jump on it immediately. If he goes hard on Plenković—who, let's be honest, is a total lowlife making a complete mockery of public discourse—you're all over it. But if he tries to use even slightly softer language? Suddenly, you're acting like he's some delicate little boy who isn't allowed to criticize his buddy Plenković. I get it, really, it must be such a struggle for you guys.

Man... I'm sure his lack of interest has absolutely nothing to do with the crew Biden grabs lunch with at the gala, those connections over to Canada, or even ExxonMobil itself...😁

Kate Lewis3 said:Look, I hate being the devil’s advocate for those crooks over at the White House, but you have to wonder how much actual room to maneuver this government even has. Between all the legal baggage from joining the European Union—specifically that "free movement of goods" nonsense—and how much the folks here blindly cheer for every little step toward "progress," we're stuck. Combine that with an administration that basically just takes orders from the central committee in Brussels, and it's pretty clear: we've basically turned ourselves into a colony.

By the way, Canada and Mexico have already banned pellet exports, and they used to be our biggest suppliers. But since they aren't part of the EU, they actually have the power to pull that move.

So... what, we're a colony and we should just start taking cues from Mexico and Canada? 😵😁

For real, man, do you actually believe the crap you're typing?

Besides, you can walk away from the EU whenever you want. You just need to round up enough people in America who'll actually back you up... So, good luck with that. 😁 ...

wiredseal7 said:And of course, nobody seems to get the irony.

The guy talking about irony is the same one spouting absolute nonsense about NATO servers, claiming Chinese cars are going to wipe out the European Union and Japanese brands, and so on and so forth...

Seriously, man, if that's the case, then your entire body of work regarding Russia is just one big irony. If that's how you feel—my bad, I apologize.🙂

wiredseal7 said:Lol
And what do you think the GDP for China, the US, or Germany looks like if we measured it in rubles?

🤣🤣

God, seriously... is it even possible for people to write such absolute nonsense or ask questions this brainless?

Donna Harris11 said:We're looking at street protests toppling governments and total Balkanization—basically tearing things apart like back in the 90s... I mean, Hillary Clinton or Madeleine Albright practically said it themselves, how unfair it is that Russia has all those massive natural resources

Then there's the whole history of bad blood with the Anglosphere.

Like that armed incident from last year where a super modern US Navy Ship Deliberately Sailed Close to Crimea

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/24/w...er-crimea.html

US Navy Ship Deliberately Sailed Close to Crimea, US Officials say

Well, looking at what the Russian regime is pulling off right now... it seems like that line of thinking might have actually been spot on.😁
The only way to deal with a state and a regime like Russia's is to dismantle them one way or another, or squeeze them hard enough that they force the change themselves from within. There's nothing inherently wrong with thinking that way; it’s nothing new when you look at how the Russian state and its leadership have behaved throughout history. Honestly, the only fascinating part is how incredibly dim-witted and incompetent they are, constantly tripping over the exact same stones and making the same massive blunders... but hey, when I see the crowd of people here backing them up and hearing the "logic" being used—I'm not even surprised by this level of stupidity.

You know what Forrest said: Stupid is as Stupid Does....
Is there any better way to describe the Russian state and its government? 🤣

cosmicgull52 said:Dugin is acting like a total amateur.

https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/st...yBidjOdhw&s=19

It isn't politically correct, but I have seen plenty of people like this in the region. They aren't even human; they are just rabid dogs.

The guy literally led his own kid straight to their death, and true to form for someone like him, there isn't a single shred of empathy to be found... it's honestly sick...

wiredseal7 said:Driving a Chinese car through Washington, D.C. and my take on them:

Apparently, prices have jumped 50% just because everyone wants one—and word on the street is that Chinese manufacturers finally stepped up their game. They’re claiming reliability is solid since they’re sourcing critical parts—transmissions, engines, you name it—from the EU, the USA, and Japan.

Basically, they’re squeezing out all the legacy brands that used to dominate the market. Those sanctions are a total self-inflicted wound, especially for the European Union and Japanese auto industries. 🤦
Even if there’s a Western engine under the hood, the lion's share of the profit still ends up in Chinese hands—which just fuels their ability to crush the competition.

Oh, sure...😵...just another piece of Russophile nonsense and pure fiction.

The Russian market makes up maybe 2% of the global total. A chunk of that goes to the local Ford models, and whatever remains will eventually find its way to Japanese or European cars one way or another—plus most of them rely on European engines anyway. Any actual loss (aside from what happens with Renault) is going to be practically invisible on a global scale... we're talking less than 1% of the world market here. In this sector, just like in so many others, Russia is totally irrelevant, insignificant, and a total joke....

And your lies about how this is some "self-inflicted wound" for the European and Japanese auto industries are just blatant nonsense... which, honestly, is pretty standard for the Putinophiles hanging out on this forum.

It's just lie after lie, following a loop of stupidity... over and over again.

Nathan Evans78 said:

The benchmark German baseload power price for 2023 delivery climbed 3.1% to reach $519.89 per megawatt hour (MWh) at 16:02 GMT.

German baseload contracts covering November and December 2022, Q4 2023, Q1 2024, and the full years of 2025 and 2026 have all hit fresh peaks.

Over in France, the first-year contract also hit a high of $745/MWh, marking an 11.1% jump.

Earlier, the French contract for Q4 2022 touched a high of $1,135, while the Q1 2023 contract saw its first trades at $1,195.

The facts are simply relentless. ☕

Wednesday as gas and carbon contracts climbed and German utility Uniper announced

🤦

And someone actually thinks they can deny those facts? 🤔

Look, nobody is even trying to argue against the points you're making... what people are actually denying is the blatantly idiotic context being used to frame everything, and the actual, brutal impact this is going to have on everyone's cost of living and the whole economy.

Man, we're all circling the drain here...😁

I look around and honestly, it feels like half the people I know are struggling just to put food on the table, let alone keep the heat running through the winter... and it’s all being blamed on those sanctions against Russia🤣 ...man, I wouldn't mind having a slice of that Russian prosperity instead of this total American meltdown...😵

It doesn't matter if 90% of these doom-and-gloom scenarios are complete nonsense. It doesn't matter that energy prices weren't even tied to the sanctions and were already skyrocketing long before the war in Ukraine kicked off... but none of that matters to the usual suspects. They'll just keep shouting about how incompetent the US is, how "stupid" the sanctions are, how "strong" the dollar is becoming, or how the whole system is collapsing. Just endless noise...

Of course, according to them, everything would be fixed if we just scrapped the sanctions entirely and let Russia do whatever the hell they want...
How dense do you have to be to constantly peddle the same garbage that the usual idiots are always spewing?

Anthony Perez9 said:The real question is who actually wants this to happen?

Attacking Ukraine means attacking everyone in Belarus and the rest of the Russian Federation who actually values democracy.

That's Putin's endgame—using the destruction of Ukraine to keep the Russian Federation—that whole Russian colony—from falling apart.

Mexicans?

Look, putting political correctness aside for a second, the similarity between how Russians and Mexicans see the world—and the kind of garbage they spout on TV—is absolutely wild.

I mean, you see hundreds of these statements on national news networks, where people are straight-up claiming Russians should march all the way to Lisbon or that Europe needs to be "de-nazified." You hear it from politicians, news anchors, and guests like Goranin Šarić and other total jokers...

The real issue is that in some countries, the number of people you'd call "democratic thinkers" is a tiny, tiny minority.

rowdyraven112 said:And what’s the payoff? Zero. What do we lose? Just the average Russian spending near Leningrad, which isn't much anyway.
What do we actually lose here? Not much. A vacation to a far-off destination costs at least $1,000 per person plus extras. We didn't have a ton of Russians to begin with, but one single charter flight of them probably spends more in one day than 5,000 people on a cruise ship. Besides, the kind of trips like that are taken by wealthy Russians who can afford a coffee at $17 in downtown San Francisco without blinking. ☕

If the entire European Union actually put up a wall against regular Russians—it would definitely make an impact domestically... don't kid yourself... but Russians as tourists in the US and across Europe are totally (and I mean totally) irrelevant... what you're claiming above is completely unrealistic. Russians would suffer way, way more from a ban like that, while the negative economic fallout for both us and the European Union would be negligible. This idea that a Russian charter flight spends more than a cruise ship of 5,000 people is also total nonsense... but let's not even get into that.

Nathan Evans78 said:The guys this little guy is mobilizing haven't even seen the sights in Moscow, let alone ventured near the Baltic Sea. This is just one more heavy-handed move that’s going to help bring this war to a swift conclusion. 🙏

They won't even extend it, will they?

At the end of the day, how much actual support does Putin really have back home in Russia? I mean, if they love him that much—who gives a damn? They don't need to come to the West anyway... besides, their own government is constantly lecturing them about destroying the West, nuclear weapons, and all that crap.

And honestly, it’s pretty funny—I feel like 99% of people in the West would be absolutely fine if Russia just built a massive wall around itself and kept everyone out, but somehow Russians still act all salty when they can't get access to the West... it's pure schizophrenia. It's just like Zakharov and that whole crowd calling for Russians to stay home and educate themselves locally, while she and her buddies' kids are all busy getting their degrees over here in the States... absolute madness and hypocrisy squared.

Quote:>

Nathan Evans78 says: Look, the Iranian economy is absolute garbage and sanctions have definitely slowed them down, but let's be real—Hamas has been taking massive joy rides across the region that were anything but insignificant. Plus, the shortage of oil coming out of Iran is just a tiny fraction of why we're seeing the oil prices we have today. Besides, we've got Xi Jinping meeting up with our democratic buddy MBS in a couple of days; I’m dying to see how those assholes are going to swallow that in the European Union. Just imagine if Japan had slapped an embargo on itself right before going to war with the US. History actually played out differently: the USA—the world's oil powerhouse—hit Japan with an embargo, which is exactly what triggered their attack on Pearl Harbor. ☕

The Iranian economy isn't trash; it's their political system that's trash. It's the exact same story with Russia, and honestly, the same goes for China.

Economic performance is nothing more than a direct reflection of the political climate and whoever is sitting at the top of the food chain.

Iran is actually a phenomenal country with a massive history and culture—there's so much to see and experience there. In terms of basic humanity, they’re arguably three steps ahead of the Russians... they just need to get rid of this Islamist idiocy and their backward system..

And obviously, Japan didn't attack the US because of what you're claiming..but that’s beside the point anyway.
The bottom line is this: as long as these countries and places like them stick to these kinds of political systems, they’re going to remain stuck-up losers who do absolutely nothing for their own people. Russia might even take the lead in terms of pure negativity here...

gentleviper62 said:Look at Iran. They've been under constant sanctions, yet their GDP per capita hit $20,000 in 2022. It’s pretty clear that technology can still be imported. Plus, countries sitting on massive natural resources will always remain attractive players on the global stage.

😵🤣

Seriously, does every single one of you Putin-worshippers and anti-Western types have to be such blatant liars or just completely clueless?

Iran has a GDP per capita of $20,000? 🤣 What planet are you living on? You're off by a good 10x... honestly. I guess you've got your own special brand of "math" going on over there...

Nathan Evans78 said:Seriously, a Putin supporter praising Ukrainian partisans? I don't know what kind of delusions you guys are living in...

Meanwhile, the European trade deficit shrank a bit this month, sitting at a deficit of 24.6 billion. Let’s just assume where all that cash is actually flowing—straight into the pockets of democratic regimes. ☕

Aha...😒

Honestly, if you actually understood what a trade deficit is, or the sheer dispersion within the European economy, maybe we could actually have a real conversation here...

As for who's getting the money, you don't need to lose too much sleep over it... as long as you're working within the EU, and your kids end up working in the EU, and it's highly likely they'll be heading somewhere even more Western than Canada... or are they aiming for that Russian prosperity instead?🤣

And look, I didn't call *you* a Putin supporter, but you're definitely leaning anti-EU and anti-West... why? Only you know that, but it clearly shapes your views, leading you to post totally unrealistic nonsense...
Otherwise, is there some massive economic collapse happening in the EU? A recession? Some cataclysmic disaster? Or is it actually the case that people are spending more than ever, millions are traveling, and companies can't find enough workers because business is booming? It's a fascinating little world you live in, where everything you say seems to clash with basic facts... (yeah, yeah, I know... winter, hunger, gas shortages, etc...🤣 )