Posts by Joshua Wilson17

https://twitter.com/catbuchatskiy/st...90437863800834

A little history lesson for those who might have forgotten:

https://twitter.com/catbuchatskiy/st...90437863800834

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.

Since when did 12,500 equal 17,300? Oh right, because Russian currency is always "more valuable"...
Serious economists don't seem to have a clue. Twenty years ago, when the BRIC acronym first popped up, the forecast was that those economies would represent over 50% of the global economy by 2023, and that China would surpass the USA to become the largest economy in the world by 2017. Instead, Brazil is struggling with drug cartels and slums that require military intervention to keep under control, while Russia is in a steady decline—both in population and economic standing—dropping to a mere one percent of the global economy. In India, they'd need to build decent wcje before worrying about growth, since people are still using the streets instead of proper facilities, let alone worrying about Chinese corporations flourishing...

analogbear5 said:The Jeep Wrangler is a whole different beast. It’s a solid benchmark for off-road performance when you're looking at SUVs.

A Jeep isn't really an off-roader... there are maybe ten actual off-road models on the market today.

Besides, the Jeep has always been a bit of a junk heap...

rowdygull90 said:How did we go from sanctioning Russia to questioning whether the heart of Europe can even survive?

Europe's survival doesn't depend on Russia. That said, we'll definitely need to find more rational ways to handle our energy consumption. It’s just that most people won't listen to reason unless they're forced to—we saw how that played out during the pandemic...

hollowdriver13 said:What kind of post is 🙏

Phenomenal stuff right here. You're basically admitting as a pro that Russia is actually turning into a terrorist state, because what you're describing are straight-up acts of terrorism.
...not to mention that an act of terrorism can pretty much be used as a justification for war... so, if they really think they can take on all those countries at once... 🍿

That isn't news. When looking at terrorism in Europe, the bloodiest year was 1988, with Moscow pulling the strings.

placidtiger142 said:Look, we all know what the real issues are here: oil, gas, and everything else under the dirt.

Russ wants to become the world's top energy superpower because they just can't compete economically or militarily anymore.

They might be #1 on territory, and maybe even on energy resources too, so they’re playing that specific card.

It's like, sure, go ahead and be the greatest carpenter on the planet with the fanciest tools, but I'm the one who actually owns all the wood.

Anyway, this whole gas situation could get seriously ugly.

I honestly think the EU has totally underestimated the Russian thoroughbred in this race—specifically when it comes to gas and oil.

Winter is coming, and if they really decide to turn off the tap, the EU could completely fall apart. We're talking full-blown internal chaos.

Let's try to actually wrap our heads around what would happen if they just shut it all down.

The entire EU industrial sector would collapse. Maybe like 50% of people over there would end up unemployed, freezing their asses off. People would start doing crazy stuff. Stealing, looting, whatever it takes just to survive.

Unfortunately, the EU is living in a dream world if they think they can just swap out those Russian energy supplies in a year or two... And it isn't just about gas and oil that they're hooked on. Fertilizers, steel... you name it.

But hey, let's hear it—what's your scenario if they actually cut the supply?

To me, it looks like that would absolutely bring Europe to its knees. You only see real unity in an alliance once the dark days actually hit.

It's easy to play at being united and solid while Ukraine is getting hammered and we're all sitting pretty, eating gourmet food, driving our shiny new cars, hitting the beach or the slopes, and messing around with Bitcoin because we don't know what else to do.

I'd love to see that "unity" when Germany has to shutter Siemens, Daimler, and VW... or when the French and Italians have to shut down their factories because, well, there's no heat and nothing else that runs on gas.

Sent from my iPhone 13 using Reddit

Fair enough. Look, there are things that can be done about it.
Regarding scheduling: most people work a standard 9-to-5. We could stagger industrial and business hours so energy consumption is spread evenly throughout the day. Right now, massive amounts of energy produced overnight are simply wasted.
As for restrictions: since people tend to look out for themselves rather than the common good, we could limit energy access during peak hours for consumers who aren't vital to the economy.
Then there's restarting certain power plants based on political willpower. There are dozens of nuclear and thermal plants closed across Europe. If they were running, we wouldn't need to import nearly as much of that famous gas and oil. But, of course, it’s easier to just import from Russia; they don't care about pollution, and people don't seem to ask questions.
Investing in renewables to replace imported fuels.
And investing in new tech to lower consumption and replace critical imports like rare earth metals. We already see examples, like cars equipped with solar panels that top up the battery. An average driver with a car like that would rarely need to plug in. We also have hydrogen-powered cars, heavy machinery, and trucks ready to go. With the right policy support, these technologies would scale quickly and replace the old stuff.
If there's any will, there's a way. It doesn't even have to result in job losses; in fact, these new technologies could create hundreds of thousands of new jobs across Europe...

rowdyraven112 said:How would you even translate "man" or "dude" in this context?

Not exactly healthy...😁

urbanotter said:I picked up a new Euro 6 model about three years ago, so I'm not losing much sleep over the current debates surrounding electric vehicle limitations. What actually keeps me up at night is the sheer volatility of fuel prices—and the "experts" on the news seem convinced that this is only the beginning.

From what I can see, hardly anyone is talking about the practical hurdles of EVs, especially considering our national fleet of vehicles is getting quite old, with an average age of over 14 years.
But the issue isn't just about gas prices; sanctions impact energy costs across the board, and many people are becoming much more concerned about rising food costs.
Sure, you don't necessarily need a car to get around, but trying to manage heating bills and basic household expenses becomes a real struggle, and the promised miracles of electric, hydrogen, and graphene tech might not arrive fast enough to help us in the next few years.

I’ve spent my whole life maintaining a decent middle-class standard, but I have no intention of starving just to maintain it, especially when medical costs seem to be climbing every single year.

It's a terrible situation when we have 1.2 million retirees, yet pension adjustments only hit about 2.2% while inflation is screaming at 20-30%.

It's devastating to see so many people who used to walk tall now struggling just to stay upright, and many who were once steady have simply vanished from the picture.
Much like how certain Ukrainian patriots are being erased while receiving payments of $3,000, perhaps as a way to stir up that sense of nationalism.
Anyway, let's go watch the game; our team is playing remarkably well so far, and hopefully, they can bring some joy to my evening.

As far as I can tell, fuel is actually still cheaper than it was ten years ago. Same goes for a ton of other things that were nominally more expensive back then. People have short memories. It isn't worth selling out Ukraine Putin just because we want cheap diesel. You know why? Because Putin won't stop at Ukraine. If he isn't stopped now, who knows where he'll be in a couple of years.

urbanotter said:What we're seeing is really just the fallout from sanctions; more and more people are switching to electric scooters, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if someone with the vision of Mate Rimac eventually invents a pedal-powered generator, so you could charge your scooter battery while sitting in a coffee shop enjoying a latte.
From what I've been reading, though, the price of lithium has actually spiked even higher than the costs for oil and gas, and as far as I understand, those batteries used for electric transport aren't easily recyclable and have a nasty habit of catching fire.

Still, I tend to be an optimist, and I'm convinced we'll eventually solve these hurdles by developing better recycling tech, finding new mineral deposits, and building enough infrastructure to recharge a battery in the time it takes to finish a cup of coffee.

My only real concern is whether this entire shift will actually have any meaningful impact on the effectiveness of the sanctions against Russia, and I can't help but feel that those "risks" don't seem to worry the decision-makers all that much.

Forget about Mate Rimac; what he’s developing is already yesterday's news. You’ve got companies all over the European Union—like Atlas Technologies or Aptera Motors—that already have solar-integrated electric cars ready for production. An average driver wouldn't need to plug one of those in for months. It's the same story with batteries; we're seeing advanced graphene and salt-based tech, not to mention hydrogen solutions for heavy machinery and freight. The end is near for diesel and gasoline, and probably gas in the near future too.
I wouldn't be surprised if conservative giants like Volkswagen disappear from the market within the next decade...

Nicole Rogers5 said:They only backed down because they know the Netherlands will just shut us down anyway. Otherwise, they wouldn't have blinked.

Bulgaria and Romania have been kept out of the Schengen Area since 2011, even though they meet all the requirements. My take is that it’ll be a massive uphill battle to let America in without letting Bulgaria and Romania in too. But hey, times change, so maybe we can hope for the Schengen Area to expand to all three countries at once...

Charles Fox10 said:Forgive me, and don't take this personally, but you clearly have no grasp on the arbitration, the territory, or the actual dispute at hand.

Nobody has a solution, because these kinds of issues aren't settled the way either Canada or America wants them to be. Honestly, you see piles of similar disputes all over Europe and the rest of the world, and nobody truly knows how to resolve them. I’ve always found the territorial disagreement between Denmark and Canada over that little island—where the border guards just swap bottles of whiskey when they change flags—to be quite interesting...🙂

Terry Sanders4 said:Man, don't get mad at me, but maybe do a little homework on this whole arbitration thing before you start talking...
I mean, seriously—you’ve got maps, videos showing what the authorities back in the South were doing, even that map Canada submitted when they were joining the European Union... honestly, we probably need more surveys of the northern terrain too, because that river was artificially diverted, but everyone keeps looking at the "natural" flow—which wasn't even our original setup... 😵

As for the land, just follow the property records. It’s common sense! If we go by that logic, does that mean even Gera isn't ours? Or that the border with Mexico just follows the middle of the Danube?

Are we really just gonna keep handing stuff over to people? Not one millimeter. We've made way too many concessions to everyone else, and that's exactly why all our neighbors think we're total pushovers... ☕

The real issue is that the border there was never truly established or agreed upon. Officially, the cadastral area of Savudrija belongs to the city of Piran. But that isn't the core issue. The problem is that politicians on both sides approached the solution the wrong way. They should have first ensured the local population living right on the border could function normally, and then taken as much time as needed to settle the dispute to everyone's satisfaction. Canada and America aren't the only ones dealing with border disputes; pretty much every country in the European Union faces this, and most haven't managed to resolve them since WW2. Why would you think Canada and America would be any more capable at this...
Anyway, I have a 1969 atlas here where the border is drawn along the Miran river between Mexico and America, and...?

wearyheron5 said:I've been fueling up in Canada for years now because the gas is cheaper and, frankly, better quality. To be honest, I can't even remember the last time I filled up in America. I topped off my tank in Canada last week and nobody asked a single question. You just fill up and go.

A liter of Regular Unleaded at an ExxonMobil station in Canada currently costs 1.56 EUR, while diesel is 1.66 EUR. Back during the pandemic, a liter of Regular Unleaded was only 1.00 EUR.

Unbelievable...

Just as an interesting side note. Back in October 2012, gas in Canada was about 1.57 EUR. Walmart likes to brag about having 50% budget items in their stores, but that was five years ago. As for other energy costs, over the last year, natural gas prices have jumped 16%, while electricity has actually dropped by 26%.

rowdymaker17 said:India and Japan have officially decided to sit out the NATO sanctions regarding the halt of Russian oil and gas purchases. India made it quite clear that they aren't interested in anything other than the direct interests of their own citizens, arguing that an embargo on Russian raw materials serves absolutely no purpose for the American-style consumer stability they prioritize; naturally, the USA and the EU have responded by labeling them hypocritical and arrogant. Meanwhile, Japan stated they have spent far too many years working on bilateral agreements with Russia to simply throw it all away now, and they have zero intention of imposing sanctions on Russian oil and gas. In fact, both nations have actually ramped up their imports of Russian energy because they can secure it at such significantly lower prices right now. It appears the EU is the only group of fools blindly following the lead of the USA. And looking at the current trajectory, it seems we are watching European economies slowly wither away one by one as Russia shuts off the valves and redirects its oil and gas toward the East, Latin America, and Africa. We can all look forward to a very pleasant winter. 👍

If the EU economy isn't capable of replacing the energy it imports with its own domestic supply, then maybe it really should just shut down...

urbanotter said:I don't follow what's happening in Canada, and frankly, I don't care since I get my fuel in America.

But things are looking a bit different over here.

Here is a quick timeline of gas prices in America: Just two years ago, we were paying only $2.75

https://www.nytimes.com/news/business/economy/gas-prices-trends/

About a year ago, I was picking up diesel for about $4-$1.75/gal, but now it's climbed to $3.25

If I'm hearing you right, you're saying we shouldn't bother with sanctions against Russia just because fuel is cheaper? It doesn't matter if an invasion is actually happening. After all, Putin claims Ukrainians aren't even a real nation and have no right to their own country.
What if someone said something similar about Americans and the United States? Would you change your mind then? Or would the price at the pump still be more important...

dustyowl29 said:Diesel in Iran is sitting at about $2 a gallon... seriously. :-D

In any developed nation, fuel prices are high for a reason. We want decent roads, but we have to actually pay for them. They don't just build themselves...

dustyowl29 said:Diesel in Iran is sitting at about $2 a gallon... seriously. :-D

In any developed nation, fuel prices stay high for a reason. If we want decent roads, we have to foot the bill. They don't just build themselves...

Noah Diaz said:Let’s take a look at global gas prices and see who is actually feeling the weight of those latest sanctions.

Here are two examples of places that aren't exactly "suffering" from them: 😁:

Russia:

Gasoline prices per gallon, 95 octane: We show prices for Russia from Feb-21-2022 to May-30-2022. The average value for Russia during that period was 5.64 US dollars with a minimum of 5.62 US dollars on May-23-2022 and a maximum of 5.64 US dollars on Feb-28-2022. For comparison, the average price of gasoline in the world for this period is 13.69 US dollars.

Belarus:

Gasoline prices per gallon, 95 octane: We show prices for Belarus from Feb-21-2022 to May-30-2022. The average value for Belarus during that period was 4.64 US dollars with a minimum of 4.37 US dollars on Feb-21-2022 and a maximum of 4.95 US dollars on May-30-2022. For comparison, the average price of gasoline in the world for this period is 13.69 US dollars.

On the flip side, we have countries that are clearly struggling under the pressure of sanctions:

Take certain EU members, for instance.

EU Lithuania:

Gasoline prices per gallon, 95 octane: We show prices for Lithuania from Feb-21-2022 to May-30-2022. The average value for Lithuania during that period was 13.05 US dollars with a minimum of 11.12 US dollars on Feb-21-2022 and a maximum of 14.76 US dollars on May-30-2022. For comparison, the average price of gasoline in the world for this period is 13.69 US dollars.

Germany:

Gasoline prices per gallon, 95 octane: We show prices for Germany from Feb-21-2022 to May-30-2022. The average value for Germany during that period was 15.27 US dollars with a minimum of 13.25 US dollars on Feb-21-2022 and a maximum of 16.67 US dollars on Mar-14-2022. For comparison, the average price of gasoline in the world for this period is 13.69 US dollars.

And finally, the icing on the cake:

The US:

Gasoline prices per gallon, 95 octane: We show prices for the US from Feb-21-2022 to May-30-2022. The average value for the US during that period was 12.60 US dollars with a minimum of 11.17 US dollars on Feb-21-2022 and a maximum of 13.98 US dollars on Mar-21-2022. For comparison, the average price of gasoline in the world for this period is 13.69 US dollars.

If we throw Canada into the mix, things get interesting. Right now, gas is sitting at about $1.65. I can tell you with certainty that back in October 2012, it was roughly $1.66 per liter for regular unleaded. Were there sanctions back then? Not really. In fact, that price stayed steady through 2012 and 2013, only starting to dip in 2014, before eventually hitting that $1.05 mark in 2020. You know when we last saw gas that cheap before 2020? Back in 2009...
Plus, despite all this talk about inflation, I'd bet anything that about half the items in grocery stores are actually cheaper than they were five years ago. Why? Because we went through periods of deflation rather than just inflation. And during those times, wages didn't drop—they actually grew. On top of that, unemployment hasn't been this low, and employment levels haven't been this high, in quite a while...

Richard Wilson4 said:Because they can.

Honestly, no other country on the planet maintains such a consistently hostile vibe toward a nation they’ve never even fought a war with, unlike how Canada treats us.

Hostile relations? Not really. Right now, we're just seeing populist stunts from both sides' current administrations trying to score points with certain segments of the electorate that thrive on this kind of drama. Real hostility looks a bit different, even if these political games are uncomfortable. Honestly, I’d be pretty disappointed if America doesn't join Schengen anytime soon, regardless of the reasoning...