Posts by Brenda Murphy3

dustyowl29 said:Just check Google
since you can find plenty of info on those black market rubles being swapped for Dollars.

Yeah... sure thing... information always finds a way to leak out—I mean, it’s not like Russia shut down the internet entirely, even though they probably would if they could.

You clearly have a decent handle on how this black market currency stuff works. What's obvious—and you don't even need me to confirm it—is that the official exchange rate is a total joke.

Bryan Booth82 said:Does anyone have any intel on what the Dollar is actually trading for on the black market—say, over in Moscow?
Best regards,

I've seen a few articles mentioning this, and honestly, the rate is usually more than double what the official numbers say.

To be more specific, I've read about rates hitting somewhere between 130 and 150 rubles per Dollar. It’s not exactly a shocker... but those aren't exactly breaking news updates, so take them with a grain of salt. I'm pretty sure if you do a little bit of Google searching, you can dig up something more current.

urbanotter said:That’s just your opinion, and it speaks volumes about your crystal ball.
You're entitled to it, even if it's wrong, and the future will soon prove that point.

As for us here in America, Russia has already overtaken us, and I am certain they will pull even further ahead.
Looking at GDP per capita, we find ourselves right alongside them on the charts,
with the reality that the purchasing power of an average Russian citizen is actually higher than that of an American citizen due to lower costs of living.
The sanctions, which have caused massive spikes in food and energy prices, will only serve to widen that gap.

China is currently the world's second-largest economy and is growing at a faster rate than any Western nation, so all serious analysts and economists expect them to overtake the US within two or three years.

😁

Why are you being so stubbornly ignorant... or are you just straight-up lying because you can't face reality?

The US GDP per capita is 30% higher than Russia's, and the purchasing power parity is also higher and trending even further away from them.

And you want to talk about "opinions" and "crystal balls"? It would be hilarious if it wasn't so pathetic.

The US has a significantly higher standard of living than Russia—a country with arguably the largest natural resources on the planet—and you think this is normal? You're actually out here defending this economic and mental nonsense? And if you were even going to try, you'd do it rationally, but no, you just dump a pile of lies, half-truths, and blatant misinformation everywhere.

It's ridiculous... and of course, you're saying this from the comfort of a prosperous nation in the EU, rather than from some total mental wasteland...

God, what kind of mental gymnastics drives you and people like you to act like this?

urbanotter said:Well, I am indeed one of those people who believes that China and other emerging economies are growing faster than the stagnant ones.
So, it isn't just a hunch; I am convinced of it, much like many others who have a decent grasp of where the world is heading.

I don't want to sound too argumentative, but I can see the Western standard of living plummeting, and how that hits everyone, we'll see pretty soon.
I just know that while you can manage without potatoes, it's a lot harder to survive without wheat, natural gas, and fertilizer.

And when it comes to fuel and driving around in big SUVs, you might find yourself needing to save money and ride a bicycle instead.
If someone in Denmark can bike their kids to school, you can certainly do the same.

We're all going to have to tighten our belts, but some people have already learned how to live simply, so it won't be as hard for them as it will be for others.

So, once fuel becomes prohibitically expensive, just grab the family and start pedaling.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/735445...?s=single_unit

Maybe I'll give you a thumbs up and join you.

Oh, please...😁

Where exactly is the Western standard plummeting? Because I’m really not seeing it... people are traveling more than ever and spending more than ever. All I see is the Russian standard in a freefall (and let's be honest, it was pathetic to begin with), and the same goes somewhat for the Chinese, whose growth depends entirely on Western consumption.

Don't worry about the West—you can bet your life that your kids will head toward the West if it means a better life, and they certainly aren't running to Russia or China...

(And this idea that China and others are growing faster than the West—where are you even getting that from? Can you put that in any kind of rational context? It’s like when some politician claims wages rose by 10% in Mexico while only rising by 5% in America, forgetting to mention that 10% of a $300 paycheck is $330, whereas 5% of a $2,000 paycheck is $2,100... the gap is actually widening, not closing. For the Chinese standard to actually approach the Western one, their growth rates would need to be significantly, massively higher than they are today... just do the math and tell me how realistic that actually is).

Autocratic societies and joke regimes like Russia will never, ever reach the standard of Western democracies. That's just how it works—the system itself hits a ceiling it can't break through. So, feel free to keep talking nonsense about us riding bicycles while being overtaken by regimes that have been decades behind us in quality of life—and in the case of Russia, mentally too.

urbanotter said:It’s entirely possible if you happen to own colonies.

But look, if the people controlling the raw materials refuse to let go of a barrel for anything less than $200, you’re going to need a significantly higher paycheck just to cover gas priced at $6 or $7 a gallon.
And the catch is, you actually have to earn that kind of money by producing a high-value finished good, because companies like DoorDash aren't out there delivering pizzas and kebabs all across Nigeria, the Middle East, or Russia.

At that point, the guy making $300 a month will find himself earning $3,000, while you'll be stuck scraping by on $300.

You know how Gudulić is...

He's the type who thinks he's climbing up when he's really just digging himself into a deeper hole.

Oh, sure... obviously...

Let's just get lost in some pipe dream here... we can totally just pay $6 a gallon for gas in the middle of a sanctions war... and even then, the Russian standard of living will still be lower than anyone in the EU, and way, way lower than the Western countries. And that's assuming the Russian economy won't buckle, which is a total joke... plus, it assumes the EU won't find an alternative energy source in a reasonable amount of time—which they absolutely will.

The way you're writing this puts you right in line with those people claiming the West is collapsing... that China and Russia are taking over everything... that BRICS is going to become the main player... and all that other nonsense.

urbanotter said:That’s exactly why a pro-Russian outlet like the Kenyan Morning would claim the Chinese model is becoming the global gold standard.

Bad news for the West, as the ‘Chinese model’ becomes the most desirable: ‘Forget democracy, just feed us!‘

😁

And honestly... what kind of "research" are we even talking about here?

Look, over in Mexico they think Vučić’s iron fist is way better than actual parliamentary democracy, people in Russia feel the exact same way about Putin, and you see the same thing popping up in all sorts of theocracies too...

The common thread? They’re all stuck in the past, being total fossils, and they’ve spent decades lagging behind the standard of living and quality of life found in the West and its democracies.

Seriously. As long as that mindset stays dominant, they’re always going to be trailing behind the West. Everything else is just some idiot's mantra.

Zachary Jackson4 said:Give me a break. Read this and just surrender.

https://www.pravda.ru/news/world/172..._civilizacija/

Read what, exactly?

And surrender to who? 😁

Let me quote myself here:🤣😉

"Ukraine is more credible than anything coming out of Russia right now. We're talking propaganda, strict control, shutting down any media they don't like, throwing journalists in jail, criminalizing dissent, crushing the opposition—all that good stuff is basically the specialty of the Russian government and the Kremlin...

Anyone who thinks this is even remotely comparable to the West—honestly, they’re either a complete moron or a pro-Russian fascist troll... damn it, it's just the truth."

Zachary Jackson4 said:And you, with everything that ends in "ua"

Look, anyone suggesting that what's happening in Ukraine is comparable to what goes on in Russia is either a complete moron or a pro-Russ fascist troll... honestly, I don't know how else to put it—it’s just the truth. We're talking about pure propaganda, absolute media control, silencing any outlet they don't like, throwing journalists in jail, and straight-up liquidating the opposition. That whole playbook is classic Russian government and Kremlin behavior.

If you actually believe there's a comparison to be made with the West, you're either delusional or you're part of the problem. Period.

Joshua Martinez9 said:Well, the Russians have already kicked off one revolution, and if Putin folds, they might just take him down...

The real question is, does that mean Americans are fine with everything since they aren't protesting?

It’s even worse because they're being fed garbage every single day, so I guess they don't bother complaining...

Yeah, Americans are doing totally fine. Honestly, we're doing way better than the average Russian... no matter how you measure it.

If things actually got desperate and needed drastic measures here in the States, it would happen, but it’s just not necessary right now. Plus, unlike what's going on in Russia, we actually have legitimate free elections where we swap out our presidents, governors, and mayors relatively often. It's the exact opposite of the Russian situation. So, yeah, you're basically comparing apples to oranges...😁

swiftjackal11 said:The catch is, people in South Korea don't know anything else. But how long can our people actually endure this?

How long does it take?

Look, Russia has been under a total media blackout for years... the dominant narrative is so deeply baked into the minds of most Russians, and when you factor in their historical baggage and being used to living under those kinds of conditions, I think it's pretty damn optimistic to think the "people" are actually going to step up and start something. I really hope I'm wrong, but honestly, I doubt it.

And you see a similar vibe in our own backyard—not quite as rigid as what's happening in Russia, but definitely hitting some of the same notes—with Mexico. When you read their news sites and stuff, you feel like you've stepped into another dimension or some parallel reality where all of Europe and the UK are supposedly falling apart, there's chaos everywhere, shortages are rampant, the Russian ruble is king, and basically the entire West is collapsing... meanwhile, Mexico is obviously just playing this super "wise" balancing act... and a huge chunk of the population is totally convinced that's exactly what's happening. It's wild, especially since hundreds of thousands of them are out there working in the US. In Russia, the whole situation is just cranked up to eleven.

I definitely wouldn't pin my hopes on some massive "people's uprising." Unlike pretty much every other socialist state, Russia didn't have that kind of movement back in the 90s... so I really don't believe it's coming now.

Zachary Jackson4 said:Because I don't trust anyone, I am attempting to figure this out myself.

Look, if you don't trust anyone, you're never actually going to wrap your head around anything...

The Holodomor was a massive tragedy involving so many people... yet you're acting like something said by a guy like Putin is actually worth considering. So, turns out you *do* trust someone after all, don't you? 😁

Zachary Jackson4 said:Now I have to ask about the Holodomor. It was brought up in another thread. You might recall Vladimir Putin claiming the connection is misrepresented when people say only Ukrainians suffered. So, I went to check the Wikipedia entry for context.

"In 2013, the Institute for Demographic and Social Research, named after the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, hosted an international scientific conference titled 'Famine in Ukraine in the first half of the 20th century: causes and consequences (1921-1923, 1932-1933, 1946-1947).' During this event, demographic loss estimates were presented based on published results regarding the 1932-1933 famine: deaths in Ukraine totaled 3,917,800 people, in Russia 3,264,600, and in Kazakhstan 1,258,200, totaling 8,731,900 across the entire USSR. Relative losses from the 1932-1933 famine were highest in Kazakhstan at 22.42%, followed by Ukraine at 12.92%, Russia at 3.17%, and an average of 5.42% across the USSR."

Look, this data isn't even right... I honestly don't get why you'd think a single source like that counts as anything legit.

Timothy Williams5 said:Woman fined $350 for spray-painting "Thou Shalt Not Kill" from the $1200 Bible into the snow

https://zona.media/news/2022/07/06/ne_ubij

A district court in Vologda has handed Avgustina Sentulev a $350 fine for spray-painting anti-war messages in the snow, subsequently tossing her appeal. This whole situation was brought to light by Newsvo.

On March 18, Sentulev was found guilty under the Administrative Offense Law regarding the "discrediting" of the military. According to the court records, the offense stemmed from her writing "No War," "Peace," "NO WAR," and "Thou Shalt Not Kill"—that sixth commandment from the Bible. She reportedly used turquoise, green, and gray aerosol cans to stencil these phrases onto the snowy roadway.

By May 23, Judge Yevgeny Medvedchikov rejected the appeal Sentulev filed against the fine. He made it quite clear that, contrary to what the local resident might believe, the right to free speech isn't absolute here. In his view, the messages left in the snow constitute public "discrediting" of the Russian Armed Forces, which, despite being officially labeled as not participating in a war, are conducting "special operations."

Regarding the meaning of the messages—specifically "****, 'Peace,' 'Thou Shalt Not Kill,' and ****" concerning the events in Ukraine—the court ruled that the lower court was correct in determining they discredited the Russian Armed Forces, which aren't technically at war but are carrying out a special operation designed to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens while maintaining international peace and security, the ruling states.

Man, the Russian system is absolute bottom-of-the-barrel trash... and mark my words, it’s going to crash and burn exactly like the USSR did. It'll just be a cycle where a bunch of lowlife vultures swoop in, find some new Vladimir to worship, and then—boom—we're right back at square one...😁

Honestly, if you actually support this Russian regime and their whole setup, you’ve gotta be either complete garbage or a total moron... and yeah, that includes all the pro-Vladimir Putin scum hanging around this forum too.😁

swiftjackal11 said:Even in the poorest parts of America, you'll run into people living large, and vice versa. It works the same way in the wealthiest states—you're still going to find people struggling to get by.

And honestly, what you're saying is still pretty conditional...

There are places in this world where being "poor" is basically just a choice, and even then, you're only poor when you compare yourself to everyone else in that specific country—not when you look at 90% of the global population.

If you're living in the US, Switzerland, Norway, or Denmark, you simply cannot be "poor" in the way someone would be considered poor in India, Russia, or various African nations. It's just not a possibility.
Sure, there might be outliers—maybe because of old age, chronic illness, or whatever—but if you're an average, healthy person who actually wants to work? You aren't going to be poor.

Just look at the US—if we aren't talking about retirees or people dealing with medical issues, but just take a regular, relatively healthy person—that individual isn't going to be "poor" in the sense that word carries weight in India or most other parts of the world.

😁

I haven't hung out in these Ukraine threads for a while, but man, I come back and see that the amount of pro-Russia and pro-Putin garbage and bottom-of-the-barrel trolls hasn't changed one bit...

brightheron64 said:Everything would look much brighter if other suppliers were actually showing some solidarity or empathy toward Germany, perhaps even offering energy at Russian prices—or maybe even lower, given the current situation and the noble intentions behind the embargoes...

Inflation in Germany is hitting twice what was originally anticipated
The German economy is expected to grow this year at only half the speed predicted by those who clearly didn't see the writing on the wall back in December; they're looking at just 1.9 percent, whereas the Federal Reserve's projections in December suggested an activity increase of 4.2 percent...

"Our baseline scenario assumes that the war and its fallout won't escalate any further," the Federal Reserve warned...

They also cautioned that if the conflict intensifies and Germany loses access to Russian energy—whether through European embargoes or a sudden Russian shutdown of exports—inflation could skyrocket while the economy takes a massive hit...
In that specific scenario, economic activity could shrink by three percent in 2023, with inflation climbing to around six percent, according to the Federal Reserve's calculations...

Meanwhile, Bloomberg is telling a slightly different story:
The Federal Reserve's outlook, published Friday, shows German inflation averaging 7.1% this year, 4.5% in 2023 and 2.6% in 2024 -- up from 3.6% in 2022 and 2.2% in the other two years earlier.

And as for our fate? Well, wherever Germany goes, we'll likely follow right behind them...

It’s unlikely we’ll see GDP growth below 2%. Besides, our economy is structured totally differently than Germany's, so this whole energy mess doesn't hit us nearly as hard.

It is pretty wild to watch how news gets spun and how people manufacture a specific narrative or "vibe" whenever they feel like it. Even if the worst-case scenario in this article actually happens (which is a massive 'if'), we're still talking about 2% growth. I bet a headline like "Despite the war in Ukraine and the sanctions, the German economy is still growing by at least 2% this year" wouldn't sound nearly as sensationalized as the one we're looking at now...😁

On the flip side, plenty of folks on the forums are convinced that the sanctions are doing more damage to the EU, while Russia will definitely face an economic crash—with recent projections suggesting it could be a staggering 15% drop.

It’s honestly unbelievable how much you can manipulate public perception just by playing word games...

Dana Robinson4 said:No unemployment?

The rates are swinging anywhere from 3% in places like Des Moines to 14% in areas like rural Mississippi.

A 4% unemployment rate is generally considered full employment... because there's always a segment of the population that doesn't want to work, can't work, or whatever else.

If you drill down to the local level, you’ll see why unemployment looks the way it does in certain areas. It’s not even about actual joblessness; it’s driven by all sorts of other factors. You've got one group dealing with the shadow economy—people collecting social benefits while working under the table—and then you have people who just flat-out refuse to work, or specific demographics like the Rom community, which is a whole different conversation entirely.

Jobs are available pretty much everywhere, but there’s a subset of people who just don't want those specific roles. If you walk into any big retail chain in Little Rock or hit up any construction firm, etc., etc.—you could start working tomorrow if you wanted to.
Look, I get it, someone with a college degree isn't exactly thrilled to be stocking shelves at Walmart, but that’s a completely separate issue. That has nothing to do with a lack of jobs and everything to do with a bunch of other things—starting with how our education system is set up...

But anyway, this is getting off-topic...😁

Ethan Gomez82 said:"Quote:"

I have absolutely nothing to offer Putin or Zelenskyy. Honestly, I couldn't care less—it's all the same to me as the conflict in Yemen. I'm just not wired to get worked up over propaganda; I don't waste my time reading that garbage, and frankly, I don't give a damn about everyone else's interests. You get me?

Man, you are so brainwashed by specific viewpoints and propaganda that it’s actually painful to read. Some of these quotes are just straight-up ridiculous..

And hey, you don't *have* to care about other people's business... just like how normal people don't give a damn about your constant whining over gas prices..😁 all 5..😒

rowdymaker17 said:The corrupt Western media has pivoted to a fresh narrative, because once the frantic bureaucrats in Washington and Brussels finished wrecking people's lives and completely destabilizing markets across two continents, they decided that we are somehow the only ones suffering from our own sanctions against Russia:

The Federal Reserve announced today that it will withdraw economic stimulus in July and hike key interest rates in an attempt to curb inflation, which has been driven by the rising costs of energy, food, and various other goods and services.

And naturally, they won't mention that this inflation and price surge happened because of the relentless slapping of sanctions on Russia—from whom NATO members import up to 80% of their needs—instead, they claim this:

Russia's unjustifiable aggression against Ukraine continues to weigh heavily on the economies of the US, Europe, and the rest of the world, triggering trade disruptions, raw material shortages, and driving up prices for oil and commodities alongside other factors.

So, now that it’s become clear that Russia is actually emerging even stronger from these sanctions while becoming wealthier, leaving the US and the EU poorer and stuck with a fractured market where half the world has been sanctioned—leaving them with no way to fulfill their own domestic needs—it looks like China will surpass the combined output of the EU, the US, and Russia next year. In our desperate attempt to stop something, our mindless politicians implemented sanctions that effectively granted China and Russia total independence and unchecked growth... but no, it isn't that the idiots in Brussels and Washington are incompetent, it's all Russia's fault. Do these dim-witted media outlets truly believe the public is that incredibly stupid? These articles and statements are written at the intellectual level of a complete moron.

😁😁

And you, Nathan Evans78, you're just as persistent as you are brainless... and man, that is a lot to handle....🤣

(Weren't you the one claiming India's PPP was higher than Germany's? Or was that some other clone?)

Whatever—props to you for being stubborn... there are plenty of idiots on this forum, so I guess you've got plenty of material to write about...😒

bluerider63 said:Just a bunch of empty clichés. 😁

Putin’s basically throwing a tantrum and clutching his weapons because all those politicians in the European Union decided to play hero, sacrificing their own people just to try and slow down the Russian war machine. It’s the same old story, honestly.

The only clichés here are claiming the European Union will starve and that Russia will profit from this.... if you actually believe that, you have to be a total moron.

And where exactly are these EU politicians sacrificing their people? You’ve got the European Union mixed up with Russian fascists, corrupt officials at the top, and the general mess of the Russian state and its system. Over there, politicians sacrifice the people and their prosperity just to line their own pockets, not in the EU. People live great in the EU; Governments communicate clearly with the public about what's coming and the consequences—they've said a million times that prices would go up... and guess what? A massive number of Europeans still support the sanctions. So what now? Are you going to keep lying and spreading this brainless propaganda, or are you going to take a break today from the clichés and the idiocy?🍿 😁