Posts by darkdriver

Did they seriously just chicken out from Lisicianska?

urbanotter said:I suppose they're all just cruising around on electric scooters instead.😁

Honestly, the elderly are out there struggling to fill up their tanks—and once they actually have enough cash to pull into a gas station, they’ll probably be too broke from the price of gas and groceries just to even enjoy the meal on their table.

bluerider63 said:Sanctions definitely work. I mean, Russia is pulling in oil money like there's no tomorrow, while back here in the States, we're getting hit with news that gas prices are jumping to $5.25/gal.

Honestly, I bet like 90%—maybe even more—of the crews looking at that PDF don't even care about the fuel prices. It could be anything, really... $10As far as they're concerned...

Anthony Hill5 said:It matters immensely to them, because finally, those in New York and Los Angeles will be able to reach the standard of living enjoyed by the average American living elsewhere. Life will become significantly more pleasant once we are no longer burdened by the petty envy of those residing outside of the major metropolitan centers.

Since those folks only make up about 10% of the population, they're really gonna have to deal with the reality of the majority
No Nutella for them

hollowdriver13 said:So, apparently Russia is somehow "thriving" under all those sanctions. You know how it goes—the folks close to Putin keep insisting they’re stronger than ever despite the West hitting them with everything they've got. But if you actually look at the numbers, the reality tells a pretty different story. Check out this comparison from May 21/22

https://census.gov/compendium/document/50801

I pulled some of the biggest drops to show just how much these industries are actually struggling right now.

Ford: -96.7% (3,700 vehicles)
Freightliner: -39.3%
ICE motors: -57%
Passenger rail cars: -59.8%
Freight cars: -51.8%
Fiberglass cables: -80.8%
Whirlpool: -58.1%
Washing machines: -59.2%
AC electric motors: -49.9%
Elevators: -34.7%
Excavators: -60%

I still don't really get what any of this means for your average Russian—you know, the people living outside of Moscow or Saint Petersburg, who probably don't even have a flushing toilet, running water, or a washing machine, and have definitely never even tasted Nutella. And let's be real, most people fall into that category, right?

steelfox98 said:The reverse is just as true. It won't hit Germany quite as hard, but losing access to a market of 140 million people also leads to layoffs.

And where exactly are they going to get the raw materials? Unlike the struggling European Union, which country on this planet actually holds the most resources? Even if they manage to grab some, how can they possibly compete with the Chinese, who will secure everything at a fraction of the cost compared to Russia?
Or are we just switching to manufacturing things out of thin air?

Do I really need to remind everyone how all those self-proclaimed "experts" predicted Russia would collapse within a month, yet now it's the European Union shivering in fear of the upcoming winter?
A few days ago, Macron "accidentally" found himself explaining the situation to Biden in front of the press. Not to mention how the European Union hasn't even implemented sanctions on Russian gold—they're still just "considering" it, which is trivial compared to the energy crisis facing Europe.
Clearly, they've realized sanctions are a double-edged sword that cuts us just as deeply. Of course, that doesn't apply to those living off their parents' dime, blissfully unaware of what's happening around them.

The Macron - Biden scene is pure surrealism:

It's like watching old school comedy legends back in their prime🤣 🤣 🤣
This French guy is going on and on about oil supplies—and I guess Joe is just sitting there wondering when his nurse is gonna show up to change his diaper.

Joshua Myers432 said:Of course, people assume you can just flip a switch and start mass-producing something as complex as a modern vehicle—and I'm not talking about some boutique Tesla operation making two cars a year. This Chinese scrap metal only looks modern because they shamelessly ripped off the styling. Copying a silhouette is easy; try copying what's actually under the hood.

Then there are the ones who genuinely believe China is going to churn out ten aircraft carriers tomorrow and kick Americans out of the Pacific Ocean. 🤦 They might build ten ships and slap an "aircraft carrier" label on them, but the US has a century of expertise and institutional knowledge on this. We're looking at a gap that won't be closed for at least another twenty years.

The Chinese are basically praying—or whoever it is they pray to, if they even do that—that Western political elites stay exactly as they are right now: just average Western consumers who swallow everything, especially all that Western propaganda and cheap Chinese goods.
By doing that, they’re already way ahead of the West when it comes to any future conflict, which feels like it's just a matter of time, I guess.

Jeremy Turner9 said:In reality, this isn't a genuine bankruptcy, occurring because Russia finds itself unable to service its debts simply because its central bank and most of its commercial banks have been severed from the payment system and SWIFT...

I suspect this entire maneuver is merely a pretext to seize Russian assets that have been frozen...

It appears that the West is actually the one facing bankruptcy...

The West isn't bankrupt, it's just showing everyone how things really work
That whole Western mantra about how property rights—whether we're talking real estate, gold, cash in the bank, you name it—are sacred? It isn't worth the toilet paper used to wipe Joe Biden's ass.

rowdytiger13 said:I never actually said that about China.
If anything, I think we’re heading straight toward a multipolar world defined by two superpowers: the USA and China. A lot of people don't see it coming, but I have for a long time. China has been flying under the radar, playing the long game with incredible patience. They won't fall for an epochal blunder like the invasion of Ukraine. In fact, they effectively put Taiwan on the back burner once they saw how the world reacted to that invasion.
Furthermore, the CIA admitted ages ago that they are completely blind when it comes to China, and they're the only ones. Maybe they're lying, or maybe it's a calculated statement, but it's a distinction they only make for China. They seem to see Russia more clearly than they see Ukraine.
The Americans also view China as a far greater threat. I agree with them, though I don't believe they can stop it anymore.

👍
Look, I wasn't aiming at anyone specifically—not even you—but there are plenty of folks on this forum claiming that Chinese people will basically end up stuck in the Middle Ages if they don't have Western know-how and stuff like that.

Bryan Booth82 said:Honestly, even after reading through this again, I still haven't been able to wrap my head around what you were actually trying to say.

LP

I believe you
LP

Bryan Booth82 said:I honestly don't know if it's even possible to pack this much pathetic whining into such a short comment.🤔👍
LP

Just look at how those comrades are pushing for sanctions
Timberlake is basically just a total pushover for all your emotional outbursts
Seriously, you guys have everything—from tiny little bursts of drama to full-on religious litanies
LP
P.S.
I get it, though... you guys can't agree on what was actually said because if you did, half of your arguments would just fall apart

Didn't you guys all claim China would need another 30 or 40 years—if they ever actually make it—to catch up to the West? I mean, wasn't the consensus mostly that they’re just basically glorified photocopiers of Western tech, churning out cheap, low-quality junk?
First off, regarding the idea that your average Russian—who, let's be honest, most of you think is just out there grazing in fields, digging holes in the ground to go to the bathroom, melting glacier ice because there's no running water, and spreading lard on bread because they've never even heard of Nutella—is going to suffer because of these sanctions... yeah, right.
You guys are honestly such a textbook example of hypocrisy.

rustywalker82 said:Honestly, once we ramp up alternative energy production outside of Russia, India and China are going to have to start acting like civilized players in the global economy when it comes to dealing with terrorist states. Unless, of course, they’d rather deal with massive unemployment and economic shutdowns again.

In the short term, nobody really benefits from a massive energy shortage, so right now everyone is just focused on making sure those countries don't actively back territorial annexations. For the moment, that's holding steady.

So, what you're saying is we should expect India and China to follow suit and join the rest of the democratic, civilized West in boycotting Saudi oil pretty soon?
Oh, wait...

Bryan Booth82 said:Yeah, I have to point that out too... that tired old argument that sanctions won't do a damn thing to Russia is such a naive fairy tale. People love to claim Russians can survive on nothing but bread and water, but it's nonsense.
Is there anything new to say? It's getting incredibly stale.

Best,

Man, all I’ve got is that whole argument about how the US might end up becoming a Chinese factory, but that feels pretty dated now, right?
Or maybe I'm wrong?

Edit
I honestly don't get how you guys can claim that Russia—minus Moscow and Petersburg (so like, 14 or 15 million people out of 140 million total)—is some kind of desolate wasteland where everyone lives in shacks without indoor plumbing, running water, washing machines, Nutella🤣 or any other modern comforts (which, let's face it, is mostly just what you guys and the news outlets describe when talking about Russia and Russians) and then expect those people to feel the sting of shortages when they basically have nothing to begin with.
I mean, you guys really need to get your stories straight about what Russia actually is and who Americans—well, who Russians—actually are first.

Bryan Booth82 said:Go ahead, Google it... though honestly, it feels like you've either finally woken up to reality or you're just running out of ways to defend Russia's supposed economic bright future.

lp

Look, I’m honestly too exhausted to dive deep into this myself—and you clearly know your stuff when it comes to all those numbers and volumes—so I figured I'd just ask you.
The Russians, though—they're basically built to live large. Like, their whole history is just one long stretch of decadence and over-the-top extravagance, so I mean, losing that lifestyle is probably gonna hit them pretty hard.
I guess those 153 UN member states will surely step up and send them some humanitarian aid, maybe just some loaves of bread and salted fish, just so they don't, you know, actually starve.
But honestly? I'm more worried about what's happening in Europe. Since I'm such a total Putinophile—I mean, I really enjoy all the perks that come with it—I still find myself questioning things. And from what I can see, things aren't exactly looking great for our own domestic industries right now.
Glory to Sanctions
Lp

Bryan Booth82 said:Fine, go ahead, "Google it" if you want...
But let me give you a reality check using a simple analogy. If you have a one-liter bottle, sure, you can pour exactly one liter of water into it.🤔
Now, if you have 40 bottles, you can certainly guarantee those first 40 liters. But what about the other 153? Who knows? You might run out of water before they're full. Maybe some bottles are cracked, maybe some are empty, or maybe you barely manage to squeeze out another 20 or 30 liters. How on earth do you expect to fill them all perfectly every single time?
The truth is, it sounds easy on paper, but it's a nightmare in practice. You actually have to organize the logistics, secure the shipping, establish the supply chains, chase down payments, and hit strict deadlines... everything that happened effortlessly with those first 40 units requires massive coordination. It doesn't just happen by magic!

Glory to Sanctions LP

So, how many liters actually go into a barrel? I guess it depends on what kind of barrel you're talking about—like, are we talking about industrial oil stuff or just a standard container? But if you're asking about the standard oil barrel used here in the States, it's about 42 gallons... which works out to roughly 159 liters. Just a little heads-up though—it can vary depending on who's doing the measuring, I suppose!
Glory to Sanctions LP!

Man, I really thought the folks over at the embassy in D.C.—you know, like all US embassies out there—actually employed smart people, but these guys? They honestly make that little gnome back home look like a genius by comparison
Like I’ve said before, the Russians are just creeping forward like cowards while the Ukrainians are making those brave tactical retreats 🤣 It’s straight up Alan Ford vibes over there
Actually, maybe I was being too hard on the old crew at The New York Times—specifically that whole Stalinist era crowd—because honestly, today's "journalists" and their handlers could probably learn a thing or two from them... or even from Goebbels, if we're being real
Glory to Sanctions

Is Google gonna just ignore China's GDP?
I know, I know—we're all basically becoming Chinese puppets at this point

hollowdriver13 said:Nah, if you read it a little more closely, he didn't mention the quantity at all.

Literal quote

Imagine having piles of cash sitting at home—like, millions of dollars stuffed in closets and drawers. But there’s one tiny catch—someone went ahead and welded all your doors and windows shut, so now you're totally trapped inside.

Look, if someone welds your doors and windows shut and you can't get out, then yeah, I guess it means they welded every single door and window.😉

hollowdriver13 said:Because let's be real, a single country like the UK or even Suriname doesn't carry nearly that much weight on the global stage...

Was he actually talking about global influence, or just how many doors and windows they managed to weld shut?