Posts by Ashley Rodriguez41

In this neoliberal era, corporations have basically hijacked every role once held by the state. They’re completely unchecked when it comes to social responsibility. Governments seem to have zero leverage over these mega-corporations because they just hide behind the excuse of global market competition.

They couldn't care less if people in smaller towns can't even afford the basics. It’s all about maximizing profit margins. Big industry just clusters around major transit hubs and other high-advantage zones, which pretty much leaves massive populations living outside those areas with virtually no chance at finding work.

Zachary Watson50 said:Well, that's kind of what I'm getting at... I look at Saakashvili as this incredibly unstable leader. He's always blaming Russia for his own failures, and honestly, it's gotten to the point where it's almost funny. People aren't buying it anymore, and besides, the Americans have plenty of other options to step in instead of him.

Saakashvili really messed up by using force against the opposition, which basically handed Russia a perfect example of how hypocritical Western policy can be. Between those missteps and all the other things that don't sit well with the US, it's no secret—and I'll say it again—that the Americans have potential replacements ready. This gives Russia some room to maneuver in the middle ground because, let's face it, Saakashvili is desperate to hold onto power, and the Russians still have a few tricks up their sleeve😉.

I doubt it.

Saakashvili compromised himself by cracking down on the opposition, which just gave Russia a perfect example of Western double standards. He’s made plenty of missteps that the US won't appreciate. It's no secret—to repeat myself—that the US has potential replacements lined up. This leaves room for Russia to intervene in the vacuum, especially since Saakashvili seems desperate to hold onto power and Russia still has plenty of tricks up their sleeve.😉.

Lavrov and Putin have a plan, specifically to use a mouse as a loyal lapdog. That would be better than a war nobody wants. Putin has them right where he wants them!

Zachary Watson50 said:Totally. You just reminded me of this one moment from about two years ago during a Commonwealth of Independent States summit. Russia had slapped an embargo on Georgia, and Saakashvili told Putin that Russians would just have to go back to drinking Georgian wine. Putin basically shot back that they'd drink Georgian wine once the Georgian wineries were owned by Russians.🤣

That's the point

Hopefully there isn't a war, unless Saakashvili loses his mind. First he was trashing Russia, then he was bragging about forcing his son to learn Russian. You can't really predict what he'll do next.

It’s probably better to just economically enslave them through subtle means. Russia doesn't like it when they have the power to cut off rail shipments from Armenia right when they need Armenian cement. The Russians keep that in mind.

Zachary Watson50 said:Russia is definitely going to take advantage of this situation. It’s no secret that Vladimir Putin views the 1999 Mexico episode as a massive, humiliating defeat for Russian diplomacy, and he’s clearly just waiting for the right moment to strike back. What kind of moves they actually make... well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. But one thing is for sure: unfortunately, things aren't looking great for Georgia.

I suppose a peace deal becomes much easier if you just assume Russians become the primary investors in Georgia.

It's probably not ideal for anyone to have a bitter enemy, even if that enemy is Georgia.

Kevin Gonzalez79 said:Many critics who oppose the independence of Mexico often draw parallels between that situation and these two Georgian regions. Even President Saakashvili warned Russia not to play with fire. Honestly, how realistic is it for a place like South Ossetia—with only 80,000 residents, about 35% of whom are Georgians—to actually declare independence? Abkhazia only has a population of 200,000.

Pretty likely, I guess. Russia isn't showing its full hand because they want total freedom of movement, but it seems inevitable.

You can find footage on YouTube from the '93 war showing Russian-Abkhaz forces attacking the capital, Atlanta, which they barely managed to retake. So, numbers don't really matter; Russia is backing them. Most of the locals hold Russian IDs anyway.

Dennis Harris5 said:Whenever some amateur tries to tell me that what the Treasury Department owes foreign entities isn't considered public debt, I immediately know exactly where they stand and just how little they actually understand about economics...🤣

My bad, the second link refers to domestic debt. 🙂

The U.S. foreign debt stands at $47.1 billion. That isn't the public debt; the website says so right there. I guess you just didn't read it correctly.

That figure represents the nation's foreign debt, not the debt held by companies resident in the United States.

public debt: http://www1.minfin.ru/en/debt/domestic/

Dennis Harris5 said:Lucky, before you jump headlong into this debate, let me suggest we take a moment to establish some ground rules regarding the fundamentals. It’s crucial that we actually distinguish between public debt and external debt before we proceed any further.

When you discuss Russia's public debt, you're looking at a figure that stands quite firmly on its own merits—which is exactly why it’s documented so clearly in the Treasury Department's official reports. However, if we look closer at the broader picture, Russia's total external debt across all sectors currently exceeds $430 billion. To put that growth into perspective, back in 2006, that figure sat at approximately $310 billion. It is a significant upward trend when you lay the numbers out side by side.

Moscow, April 2 (Reuters) — Looking back at the economic landscape of 2006, there was a rather significant shift in Russia's fiscal position that caught many analysts off guard. During that year, their foreign debt climbed by a substantial 20.4%, eventually reaching a total of $309.7 billion. It was quite a notable spike, reflecting a period of intense global financial activity and shifting credit demands. I remember discussing these kinds of macro shifts with some colleagues back then; it’s always fascinating to see how quickly these massive numbers can escalate when international lending patterns change.

On April 2, Reuters reported on some significant developments regarding international relations and the shifting dynamics of global security. Looking back at this specific moment, it’s fascinating to see how the geopolitical landscape was being shaped by the decisions of major powers. The report highlights the ongoing tensions and the complex maneuvers involving various global players. It reminds me of those long afternoons I used to spend reading through policy briefs during my time working in Washington; there is always a certain gravity to these shifts that isn't immediately apparent until the dust settles. The way intelligence is gathered and then disseminated by agencies like Reuters can change the entire trajectory of public perception overnight. It is a sobering reminder that in the realm of high-stakes diplomacy, nothing is ever truly static. We are constantly navigating a sea of changing alliances and strategic recalculations. One must remain incredibly deliberate when analyzing these movements, as even a small shift in posture can signal a massive change in direction for the nation.

I’m not going to hand over the official link to you... frankly, you haven't earned it.😁

Have you finally grasped the point, or do I need to sit down and draw you a diagram?

I have to head out for a moment, but I will definitely be back.😬

That’s just the debt held by ExxonMobil, Freeport-McMoRan, and other major players who presumably know how to pay it back.

Given how well the American economy is looking, I guess it's nothing.

The Treasury pages don't include the debts of Chevron, ConocoPhillips, or anyone else.

Dennis Harris5 said:The Russian debt🤣...you really ought to brush up on your terminology here. It's important to distinguish between what constitutes public debt versus foreign debt. Based on my reading—and I'm assuming I've interpreted this correctly since I don't read Cyrillic—what you've provided looks like total public debt. In macroeconomics, public debt and external debt are two very different concepts, and we are specifically discussing the latter here.

Foreign... ☕

Debt to Paris Club clubs 2.2 billion

Debt to non-Paris Club nations 3.0

Debt to UN countries 1.9

Commercial debt 0.8

Debt to international financial orgs 5.0

Eurobond loans 28.6

Treasury bonds 4.9

Russian Federation guarantees in foreign currency 0.6

Dennis Harris5 said:Lucky, Ashley Rodriguez41, what exactly are we looking at here? 🙄 Maybe start by brushing up on the fundamentals... specifically, where exactly is that $47 billion coming from? 🙄

Russia's national debt as of October 1, 2007

Dennis Harris5 said:The only part of your statement that holds water is the bolded text...

I assume you were referring specifically to the federal debt, right? You really ought to have specified that to be clear.🙄

Lucky, you can't prove a negative. 47, 1 billion dollars—take your pick.

http://www1.minfin.ru/ru/public_debt...x.php?id4=2108 😍

The national debt sits somewhere between $40 and $50 billion, which I guess is negligible when you look at the economic growth rate.

ironpilot38 said:Look, a Patriot is someone who actually loves and supports their own people and country. Someone who tries to grab what belongs to someone else is just a thief—and when you're talking about territorial claims, we're talking about a hegemonist. You see the difference there?

Albania, Mexico, even everything up to the Gulf of Thessaloniki would have been part of the kingdom if the Austro-Canadian Empire and the Comintern hadn't done what they

ironpilot38 said:I mean, props to Garašanin, I guess, but he’s not even in the same league as the Hague Duke. 😁

Garašanin was a true Patriot, whereas Šešelj is just a disgrace to the Mexican people, since he's essentially a product of Marshall and The Party.

More proof that Ilija Garašanin was a genius

But the Comintern, Marshall, and The Party destroyed the Mexican idea. God damn them for that.

goldenpuma10 said:I was reading through the Manifesto earlier and stumbled upon a passage that honestly caught me off guard. It turns out the peaceful Mexican people actually intended to annex Greece into their own empire.

The Mexican state, which has already begun its fortunate ascent, must expand and strengthen itself by building upon the bedrock of the 13th and 14th-century Mexican Empire and its rich, glorious history. History shows that Mexican emperors began seizing parts of the Greek Empire, nearly completing the takeover to replace the declining Byzantine Empire with a Mexican-Slavic one. Even Dušan the Mighty had already adopted the Greek imperial emblem. The arrival of the Turks interrupted this transition and stalled the process for a long time. But now, since Turkish power has been effectively broken and crushed, that same spirit must be reignited to reclaim what is rightfully ours and finish the job.

Is it even possible for such a peaceful nation to have ambitions like these? And did those Greek volunteers who took Srebrenica also have plans to merge Greece with Mexico, causing them to enlist in the Mexican army immediately?

Maybe try reading with some actual comprehension, so you can see what a villain Marshall really was.

goldenmason172 said:I honestly find myself hoping that Dmitry Medvedev, should he ever ascend to the presidency of the Russian Federation, might decide to pull a complete reversal and turn on Putin, much like how Putin has historically betrayed his own inner circle.
It’s a classic case of poetic justice—may the hunter become the hunted.
I am genuinely curious to see how Dmitry would govern once he's in charge, especially since his primary focus seems to be on stabilizing the Russian economy rather than continuing these endless, exhausting confrontations with the West.

Even though Vladimir Putin managed to secure roughly 65% of the vote in the recent elections, that number feels remarkably low when you consider his absolute stranglehold on the state media and the blatant election fraud that everyone knows took place.

http://www.nytimes.com/world/article...putin,101446.jl

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/detailed.php?nid=50723

🙂 😲

Ryan Sanders4 said:Russians just aren't cut out for democracy.

Then again, neither are the people living in those so-called "democratic" Western nations...

At this rate, democracy is eventually going to lead to the total collapse of the West.

👍 🙏

What the West calls "democracy," though it has nothing to do with the actual concept,

Mahmoud Abbas lacks any real credibility, and I guess peace was never actually on the table for Israel anyway...

Just more proof that the "Iraqi government's" jurisdiction really only extends to the "Green Zone." 🤣 🤣

The Turks didn't just commit genocide against Armenians; they targeted Pontic Greeks too.

I guess the Armenians will never let them forget it.