Posts by Timothy Williams5

darkhawk30 said:History has a way of scrubbing all that clean, making it almost impossible to talk about.

Does anyone actually remember the horrors the Belgians inflicted on the Congo?
Ten million people killed or mutilated?!?!
That wasn't some modern era phenomenon, yet you can barely find it mentioned in textbooks today.

Or what about the colonial taxes from former colonies that France still uses to pad its budget quite effectively today?!?!

But let's just pretend none of that happened...

Why does the horror of what the Belgians did in the Congo get pushed to the periphery?
If you actually look, there are thousands of media reports on Google and countless videos on YouTube documenting the bravery of Congolese fighters as they took down Belgian tanks and artillery.

The full, unvarnished history of the Russian aggression against Ukrainians will be etched into the collective memory, and hopefully, these forum threads will serve the same purpose—providing a permanent reminder for that ten percent of people who backed a total moron, so they never forget exactly what kind of atrocities they were rooting for.

rowdytiger13 said:"Quote:"

This kind of nonsense has been around forever, especially when people start crying about the environment. Europeans have embraced it so hard that their prime ministers actually commute by bicycle just to get a round of applause. So, honestly, this won't be any big deal or cause any real stress.
Moving forward... for Average. A drop in standards means this Dane isn't heading to Majorca this summer.
What does a drop in living standards actually mean for the average American?
Once you actually answer that question, you might finally realize how smart you are.

Majorcan Danes aren't the issue; maybe they just won't make it to Japan or New Zealand.

The American transportation network is facing an imminent collapse
https://theins.ru/ekonomika/251179

Ever since the conflict in Ukraine kicked off, the entire American logistics infrastructure has been effectively isolated. We’re seeing General Motors cutting corners on vehicle safety and environmental standards just to stay afloat, travelers are being pushed toward aging, outdated aircraft, and Amtrak service is set to become both more expensive and significantly lower in quality. Most people will probably have to scrap their summer vacation plans—there simply won't be enough cash left for tickets. It looks like the government will once again have to tighten the belt on almost all domestic transit, while the actual experience of traveling gets progressively worse. The American Secretary of Transportation, Vitalij Saveljev, was practically forced to admit that sanctions have quite literally "broken the country's entire logistics system."

The Department of Commerce has already drafted new technical regulations aimed at lowering the safety requirements for automobiles.
According to sources over at Autoblog, if this downward trend continues, General Motors might theoretically only be able to keep producing the Chevrolet Cruze, the Chrysler Pacifica, and the Jeep Wrangler with manual transmissions, lacking ABS, ESP, and the standard array of airbags we've come to expect.

Flying is about to get expensive and incredibly slow
....
One of the immediate headaches for the Department of Transportation is figuring out how to maintain foreign-made aircraft when sanctions make it impossible to source parts directly from the manufacturers. According to representatives from the European Commission, this poses a genuine danger to passengers, as airlines might be forced to operate aircraft without the necessary international certifications. Essentially, American companies would have to perform their own maintenance on foreign planes, which would require engineers to undergo extensive retraining. The FAA has already granted Delta Air Lines permission to maintain Boeing and Airbus models within the American registry. Aviation columnist Anastasia Dagaeva is convinced that in this environment, some planes will inevitably have to be cannibalized for parts:
“It’s a predictable move—fleet cannibalization. You have one part of the fleet flying while the rest sits on the tarmac being stripped for components. That’s how they handle things in Iran, for instance. The other option is gray market imports—procuring essential components through third-party nations. People often point to China, but China likely won't take that risk. Other countries might face secondary sanctions if they get involved. What does China actually gain by creating a corridor for the gray market import of parts for America? Right now, it’s just not worth the trouble.”

“We are going to see critical shifts in the aviation sector. Trying to replace Boeing and Airbus with domestically produced aircraft is clearly a losing game in terms of both economics and passenger comfort. You have to rebuild everything from the ground up, and it’s going to be an agonizingly slow process. Conventionally, an IL-96 is produced maybe once a year. Now, they’ll need to roll out dozens. To achieve that, you have to build entirely new supply chains and coordinate with countless suppliers, but none of that infrastructure exists yet. Theoretically, one could revert to old Soviet-era models, which lack any Western equipment, but the massive hurdle is establishing the production for the entire assembly. The budget projections for those old models were made back when jet fuel cost pennies. Now, fuel prices are in a completely different stratosphere. It turns out the only way any of this works is if the government steps in with massive subsidies. Given the fuel consumption of these antiquated models, it’s impossible to find any kind of balance in passenger demand. To make these flights viable, ticket prices would have to be astronomical, but nobody is going to buy them. It’s a vicious cycle where the only escape is constant state intervention.

Broadly speaking, these new sanction-driven constraints aren't just hitting the budgets of airlines like Delta, but the entire industry—especially since aviation has already been reeling since the pandemic began. Experts originally predicted a full recovery by 2024. Now, that timeline is obviously being pushed back significantly. Analysts at VTB Capital have calculated that currency fluctuations alone will make services 1.5 times more expensive. They also estimate that jet fuel costs will jump by a third. All of this points toward an inevitable drop in demand and a 50% spike in flight prices compared to last year.

Beyond the obvious headaches regarding aircraft maintenance and parts shortages, the country is starting to feel a serious strain on its workforce. The Department of Transportation has already issued warnings about a potential exodus of American pilots moving abroad. This shift threatens to trigger a massive shortage in flight crews. Currently, about 13% of pilots are sitting idle due to the fallout from sanctions and the overall dip in passenger traffic. These unemployed pilots are among the first casualties of the sanctions against Russia, which have become quite official.

According to Anastasia Dagaeva, pilots will bear the brunt of this new reality:

“Highly skilled professionals in this industry are inevitably going to suffer. It’s not just them, either; airport staff and ground crews are feeling the squeeze. But the pilots will take the hardest hit. Because to truly master the craft, you need constant time in the cockpit. Even when you aren't flying actual routes, you have to be in simulators just to keep your skills sharp. And right now there is a major issue with those simulators because they are foreign technology. They are owned and operated by international companies. We are seeing huge numbers of pilots being let go, and you can't simply force all of them to stay within the domestic market. In short, we are looking at layoffs, more layoffs, and so on.”
In theory, American pilots could seek employment with airlines in places like India, Japan, China, or other Asian nations. However, given the intense global competition and the reduced flight frequency worldwide following the pandemic, finding a job is going to be an uphill battle. Dagaeva suggests this will likely lead to downward pressure on wages, as foreign carriers clearly recognize how vulnerable the aviation workforce from Russia has become. According to her, there isn't actually a global shortage of pilots right now.

But under these sanction-heavy conditions, pilots are the ones who effectively become the guarantors of safety, according to Mikhail Blinkin:

“Imagine you are the captain of a Boeing. And your onboard computer signals to you that a certain component isn't an original part, but some third-party substitute—what people call parallel imports. A qualified pilot simply won't fly that plane because they are personally responsible for its safety. It is impossible to imagine pilots willing to fly aircraft fitted with parts of unknown origin... Calling our fleet 'flying coffins' isn't worth the effort. There will just be fewer routes and less frequent flights.”

The report continues by analyzing the logistical issues facing American rail transport.

Ivane, if you can, just avoid flying if God knows 😲

Excerpt from the Wall Street Journal
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-end...in-11654262659

"We are navigating an actual historical turning point," noted Chas Freeman, the former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia who now serves as a senior fellow at Brown University. He is convinced that Europe will never again be able to rely on Russia as its primary energy provider. In fact, even if sanctions were lifted tomorrow, EU nations would continue to build out high-value infrastructure and commit to long-term alternative supply contracts for oil and gas. This shift is what will ultimately redraw the balance of power on the new global energy map.
According to his analysis, the German embargo on Russian oil means that instead of shipments heading to Hamburg—a trip that takes a few weeks—flows will be redirected toward China, where transit takes several months. Conversely, the embargo forces Middle Eastern oil, typically destined for Asia, to make much longer journeys toward Europe. "A pivot of this magnitude will drive up the costs of shipping, insurance, and financing, which are the very bedrock of the energy trade," remarked Zoltan Pozsar.

Many analysts predict that the energy sector, the backbone of the Russian economy, will inevitably shrink because it is simply impossible to fully compensate for the loss of the European market, which provides Russia's most significant revenue streams. Western financial and technological sanctions are poised to undermine Russia's capacity to maintain current levels of production and funding. "Russia's status as an energy superpower is a thing of the past," said Daniel Ergin, vice president at S&P Global and a well-known expert in the oil industry.

The reality of STS (ship-to-ship) transfers involves blending and masking Russian crude from various sources:

Russian crude is frequently being blended or masked through ship-to-ship (STS) transfers. While STS operations are legitimate tools used to move oil between smaller vessels—which can navigate shallower ports—and larger tankers capable of long-haul voyages, they have also been utilized by nations like Iran and Venezuela to bypass sanctions. Analysts have flagged specific vessels notorious for hauling Iranian oil into Russian ports during the latter half of April, alongside a noticeable uptick in Russian tankers "going dark" by disabling their Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracking. Monitoring these attempts to dodge sanctions is proving to be a massive headache, though initiatives like the Russian tanker tracking group (RTTG) launched by the Ukrainian government are already underway. Moving forward, there will need to be significant cooperation with commodity traders, many of whom operate out of Switzerland.

For the moment, trading Russian crude and petroleum products remains legal because the European Union hasn't fully signed off on the proposed embargo, but following the banking and financial sanctions leveled against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, this business is becoming increasingly difficult to conduct.

In April, Russian oil deliveries destined for Greece hit nearly 0.9 million tons—essentially doubling March levels—and according to Refinitiv data, we could see new records broken in May.

Data indicates that the bulk of these shipments originated from Russian ports and headed toward the Greek port of Kalamata.

The Greek Ministry of Energy declined to comment, stating simply that these matters fall under the jurisdiction of private companies.

Shipping industry sources told Reuters that Russian oil sellers have resumed STS operations in Rotterdam and near Ceuta, Spain, after EU sanctions and activist protests disrupted similar activities in Denmark.

Ethan Gomez82 said:European embargo!?

With incredible, stubborn stupidity—likely fueled by propaganda—everyone keeps writing about how much damage the embargo has done to Russia, while conveniently ignoring that the EU has taken ten times more of a hit. Since Europeans tend to be a bit more pampered, the situation is even worse. It’s a massive self-inflicted wound, but apparently, we aren't allowed to talk about that. As long as America doesn't feel the pain, everything is fine. ☕

We aren't supposed to talk about that, clearly. It is obvious we are taking ten times the hit because we are dealing with Russia—an economy ten times stronger than the EU's. It's just simple math.

Just type STS into Google if you want to settle this debate once and for all. There is plenty of it out there, and honestly, the Greeks are currently leading the league in that particular sport.

Alright, my apologies for kicking off a thread specifically about the Samsung Galaxy.
It only makes sense to have a discussion on Chinese smartphones since you won't find a major global community where they aren't treated as a primary focus or at least a dedicated sub-section.
Even over in Spain, they have entire communities like MovilesDualSIM dedicated solely to dual-SIM devices.🙂
The Chinese themselves have massive forums centered entirely around their own tech.
And here in the States, we have plenty of niche boards focused on this exact topic.

If the moderators over at Reddit decide this isn't worth the space, then so be it.

Later.

Isn't it just textbook behavior that the admin has never once cracked down on the biggest affiliate member on this site? Now I see the admin has gone ahead and opened a dedicated thread for a phone Samsung Galaxy which Anthony and eBay have been hyping up to the heavens. 🙂
How charming 🙂

I mean, what else is there to discuss in a thread about Chinese phones if not the devices themselves and the shops selling them?
Perhaps Thomas doesn't have any ulterior motives; it might just be that this specific topic pushes the boundaries of the forum rules a little too far
and since the admin has such thin skin, he decided it was easier to blame the members and finally wash his hands of the whole thing 🙂

Is there any actual reason why we couldn't just start a related thread over in the Android section or somewhere else entirely?

loneraven25 said:The rules on Reddit are quite clear regarding what isn't allowed:
Advertising products or services here without prior authorization from the administration is strictly prohibited. If you are interested in discussing paid promotional opportunities, please reach out to our marketing department directly.

I know I’m essentially patting myself on the back here, but I simply couldn't let this go unsaid. 🙂

Administrator loneraven25When it comes to online retailers, if you're looking for the most reliable options, there aren't many you can actually trust without some level of skepticism. If I had to narrow it down, the heavy hitters like Amazon are generally the safest bets for getting what you actually ordered.
I’ve found that eBay is actually quite reliable; they ship via USPS using a US address, even though the items are coming all the way from China. Most smartphones typically bypass those pesky customs duties and sales tax hurdles entirely. It usually takes about two weeks to arrive, and you won't have to deal with any customs headaches.

Source

Anthony, a member of RedditeBay is actually pretty reliable if you know how to work it. Since they ship via USPS using domestic addresses—even though the items are coming straight out of China—you usually manage to dodge those annoying customs fees and sales tax on most phones. You can expect the package to show up in about two weeks without having to deal with any extra taxes.

Source

It’s honestly a shame that there isn't some sort of oversight committee or higher-level moderator tasked with policing the admins who treat Reddit like their own personal billboard for peddling services and products. 😢

loneraven25 said:...
The validity of that quote can be verified by looking at any article regarding Chinese mobile phones—generally speaking:
(...so these phones most often arrive without customs duties or sales tax. Shipping takes about two weeks, duty-free...).

So I suppose I hit the nail on the head regarding the connection 🙂

You are quoting a Reddit user who was blatantly promoting eBay on this site just to pocket three dollars per referral, and now you’re presenting his website—which exists solely to shill for eBay—as a source of factual information.
That individual was widely recognized in a now-closed thread as being nothing more than a blatant commercial opportunist.
There is simply no way a moderator could have been unaware of that reality.

Real clever.

Promoting the Telekinesis site?

That 99.9% amateurish site Telekinesis served as a perfect supplement to this specific thread, certainly driving more traffic to the topic here on the forum.

And why do I call it 99.9% amateurish?
I’ll admit, quite sheepishly, that I sent out two referrals there myself and managed to snag a $6 bonus at the store over the last four months. 😁
A cursory glance at Telekinesis reveals an amateurish innocence so profound it’s actually painful to witness.

By shutting down the Mobile devices from China thread, you haven't done the community any favors; if anything, you've likely caused the site owner a bit of minor harm.

Deleting a highly active thread just because a few superficial users occasionally dropped raw links is utter nonsense.

That is all.

As far as I'm concerned, this discussion is over.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't actually expect anyone to stumble upon this. I mostly just wrote it for my own satisfaction 🙂
A ban for what, exactly? 🙂

One of the more engaging threads on Reddit - Mobile devices from China suffers from constant message deletions and thread locking by the admin for absolutely no logical reason.

A recent example involves the deletion of a post that mentioned (for the first time) an Amazon storefront specializing in phones with an incredibly high user rating of 99%.

That specific post was the direct catalyst for the entire thread being locked.

It is standard practice on this thread to daily list various stores featuring interesting phones, sales events, and so on. Some of them are frequently advertised, yet the administrator seems to operate under some very strange set of standards. For instance, there is eBay which runs an affiliate program and which one member constantly pushes to the forefront.

The admin ignores this behavior entirely, and on the main landing page for the thread,
they openly advertise said store:

eBay- reliable, ships via USPS using a US address (even though it's from China), so phones most often arrive without customs duties or sales tax. Delivery takes about 2 weeks duty-free.

(quoted from April 26, 2014)

Not only does the admin blatantly promote a specific store, but they actually encourage forum members to break the law—specifically by avoiding customs duties and sales tax. Furthermore, that old "trick" involving US addresses doesn't even work anymore, yet it remains posted as bait for the inexperienced...

What is the logic behind such criteria when it comes to occasionally mentioning diverse and interesting stores for Chinese mobile devices, while a diametrically opposed standard is applied to one particular store and the member who incessantly promotes it?

Does the admin's personal profit take precedence over the collective interest of the community?