Posts by urbanotter

Rachel Jones8 said:Are you really in your nineties?

Short on time?
So, what do you do for a living? 😉

I don't

I've actually got a left-side coronary angiogram scheduled for 1:00 PM today.

It looks like I might need a stent along with some work on the right side.

Or perhaps you think my medical situation isn't a valid excuse for being short on time, and you're wondering why the hell I'm still around, paying into a system just so you can have healthcare and a pension.

crimsoncyclist71 said:Aggression against another nation isn't defense.
It never was, and it never will be.
Russia will find itself sent back to the Stone Age.
By right.

So, if I were to grab you by the throat and start choking you, and you fought back,
you wouldn't call that defense—it would just be aggression.
Please, spare me those tired old clichés; they lost their impact a long time ago.

Brenda Murphy3 said:Seriously, what the hell is even the point of what you're saying? Aside from that bolded part—which I already called out—you're missing the forest for the trees. Nobody cares about this stuff "just" because of the financial hit from sanctions. It’s always tied to how people actually interpret Putin's moves. And that bolded section right there? That’s exactly my point. You’re basically trying to justify what the Russians are doing by dragging Yeltsin into the mix, which is complete nonsense. Nobody is out here plotting against Russia; they're targeting Ukraine. And let's be clear: Ukraine isn't Russia.

Look, you can take the stance that Russia has every right to act the way it is because they feel "threatened" by Ukraine moving toward the West and NATO—which, let's be honest, is clearly how you see it. Or, you can take the position that Russia has absolutely no right to pull this crap; they can whine all they want about Ukraine, but at the end of the day, it’s a sovereign, independent nation. That second view is what the vast majority of people in the European Union and across America actually believe. Besides, if you're so obsessed with nothing but the interests of America, you can just sit back and relax—we've got plenty of grain to handle our exports anyway. 😁 I mean, I’m being dead serious here. We’re cranking out about 50% more than we actually need. It's just pure overkill.
Let’s be real for a second—the vast majority of people actually back these sanctions against Russia. There's also a massive chunk of the population that fully supports our membership in both the European Union and NATO. Honestly, nobody sees an issue with us sticking to a unified policy when it comes to dealing with Russia.
And yeah—we *are* independent. Look, you could technically organize an exit from the European Union tomorrow if you actually had enough citizens backing you up, but newsflash: you don't. You simply don't have the support.
Honestly, the whole thing is just a bunch of empty talk on your part. It’s pretty obvious you’re backing Russia and their aggression—or at the very least, you’re making excuses for them and acting like the West is somehow the one responsible for this mess. Fine, go ahead and believe that if it makes you feel better... we aren't Russia, for God's sake.😁

I don't have much time, but

I am simply defending the right of Russia to defend itself against those who are grabbing it by the throat and trying to choke it—something the Americans and NATO have been doing since the collapse of the USSR.
As for wheat and our supposed "self-sufficiency," that won't change the fact that we might have enough, but certainly not at prices people can actually afford.
The entire Western system is built on profiteering; whoever pays the most gets what they need.
Do you honestly believe these prices are the result of a shortage or scarcity, or are they the result of market manipulation used to dictate "commodity prices"?
Just like they are doing with energy right now, that is exactly how they will handle food.
I don't have much more to argue; just walk down to a gas station or a grocery store and you'll see this profiteering system in action.

Ukraine is just a pawn that will end up paying the highest price in this game of the West encircling itself with the NATO alliance—an alliance that claims to be defensive but isn't afraid to strike if necessary.

The Americans defend their interests thousands of miles away from their own borders rather than at home, where their borders have long been secured and surrounded by their own satellites.

Have you ever actually read American history and seen the way they have expanded their influence globally? From the war with Spain over Cuba and Puerto Rico all the way to Afghanistan.
It’s funny how they never seem to use those empty platitudes about sovereignty or a nation's right to self-determination in those cases.

Brenda Murphy3 said:So?

What's even the point of this post? People have been spinning this same exact argument in different ways for days now.

Look, it's blindingly obvious that prices are going to climb and that we're going to feel the sting... nobody is disputing that.
The real question is whether we should actually keep the sanctions on Vladimir Putin despite what he's exporting, or not. That's the only real debate. Right now, a huge chunk of people—not just here in the States, but across the whole European Union—agree that we need to stick to the sanctions and support them.
To be honest, I don't see it as a massive issue. Even if gas jumps to $6.75 and everything else gets more expensive as a result, and even if it drags on for a year or two... that's a price worth paying to choke out Vladimir Putin and his regime. I get that some people aren't thrilled about it, but so far, I haven't met anyone (if anyone at all) who isn't opposing sanctions simply because of their own pocketbook. Usually, that opposition is wrapped up in either open or thinly veiled support for Vladimir Putin, or at least a weird kind of sympathy for what he's doing.

Try saying that to a retiree living on a meager $0.00 pension, or to someone supporting a family on a middle-class salary.

And really, what is this war being fought for?
So that Ukraine wouldn't be "dependent" on Russia, but rather on America and the West.
Or it's fought in the name of these lofty slogans about being a sovereign, independent nation with the right to decide its own destiny.

But the reality is that a country can only truly be independent if it has the weapons to defend itself.
If you can't, you're always dependent on someone else.
We call ourselves independent, yet we can't even move a finger if Brussels doesn't give us the green light.
Just yesterday at a local fishermen's meeting, they were pushing the idea that certain projects can't get off the ground simply because Brussels hasn't approved our management plans yet.

All these imposed sanctions are largely a facade, because the flow of Russian energy imports and exports continues unabated, while things like Coca-Cola or hamburgers are just distractions for fools.
Ukraine has already restricted wheat exports, and Russia will likely follow suit.
And when you consider that Russia accounts for 26% of global wheat exports, there isn't a replacement out there that can fill that gap.
Food—which both Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of—is a more critical strategic resource than fuel. Even though it's hard to produce one without the other, to grow enough food, you absolutely need sufficient energy and vast amounts of farmland.
Then you have the oilseed industry, where Russia and Ukraine are also heavy hitters, followed by a whole list of metals and raw materials that the modern world simply cannot function without.

You don't have to praise Russia, but you can't just ignore it either.
Personally, I couldn't care less about Russia; I would never want to live there, just as I didn't want to live in the West. I just want to live in my own country among my own people.
But you can't just erase Russia from the map if they won't allow Western moguls to come in and strip them bare, the way they did during the era of Yeltsin.

Arthur Watson4 said:I have to admit, this whole saga with Coca-Cola has been one of the more compelling series of posts since the war began.

Sure, they’ll probably just end up making a version of Cola that’s somehow better—and older—than the original.

Exactly, I'm right there with you!

These are definitely some of the "heavy hitters" in terms of debate,
but nothing hits quite as hard as the actual sanctions or the news about Western companies halting Coca-Cola production.
The whole of Russia is basically in an uproar just because they might lose access to the "real" Coca-Cola.🙏

I saw firsthand how effective these sanctions actually are—and who they really end up hitting—when I was checking the updated gas prices this morning.
It's all driven by this preemptive fear that supplies will run low, even though Russian energy exports haven't actually stopped yet.
You don't need much imagination to figure out what happens if the Russians decide to actually pull the plug on those exports.
If you listen to the analysts and pay attention to what's being said about wheat and food costs, you can see how much everything has already spiked.
But I suppose nobody here is particularly concerned, since most people aren't directly reliant on things like wheat, fertilizer, or blue diesel.
Still, we’re all going to find out the reality soon enough when the impact finally hits our wallets and our overall standard of living.

hiddeneagle98 said:Are you even reading this? Russia has to pay the Bulgarians to move that gas through to Mexico.

The Bulgarians aren't taking rubles. They’ve already made it clear they’ll shut down the pipeline to the Russians—or rather, to Mexico—if the money doesn't come in dollars.

Instead, Russia is just going to sell their oil to China at a massive 5x discount in exchange for yuan, which they can then immediately dump straight back into Chinese tech.

I honestly find it hard to believe that Bulgaria would actually shut down the pipeline. Besides, looking at the scale of things, Mexico isn't such a massive consumer that anyone would go to extreme lengths over them.

Even if they do end up selling oil at a discount, it’s still going to be more profitable than waiting for everything to settle back to the status quo. It's simple supply and demand: the higher the global congestion and the greater the hunger for oil and gas, the higher the prices climb, which means you get more even with a smaller margin.
I do agree with the point about them trading in yuan to purchase Chinese goods; that seems to be one of their primary objectives. If that happens, the Federal Reserve could print money all they want, but it won't have the same impact it used to. All it will really do is drive inflation much higher than the current 8% we're seeing.

George Robinson43 said:Absolutely no one.
Nationalized assets aren't actually functioning companies.

Think of it like this: they could manufacture elderberry juice in a Coca-Cola factory and slap a Coca-Cola label on it, but that doesn't make it actual Coca-Cola.

Well, I guess I just learned something new today.

By that logic, neither Kraft Heinz nor Del Monte would be considered actual companies.☕

Gary Wilson said:Making a Coca-Cola is easier than you'd think. 🤣

I cannot access external links or watch YouTube videos directly. If you can provide a transcript or a summary of the video's content, I will be happy to rewrite it for you according to your specific instructions.

That whole idea about there being some magical, untouchable formula? It’s really just a myth at this point.

The recipe is famously guarded as a closely held secret dating all the way back to 1886, with the only official written version supposedly locked away in a bank vault. According to the Daily Mail, only two employees actually know the specific formula that gives the soda its signature flavor. However, the full list of ingredients was actually published back in 1979—according to This American Life—in a local newspaper in the beverage's hometown of Atlanta, though nobody really thought much of it at the time. The article even features a photo of what looks like the original handwritten recipe, likely penned by a friend of the pharmacist and inventor, John Pemberton. To verify if it was the real deal, This American Life reached out to historian Mark Pendergrast, who believes the document could indeed be authentic. Of course, there is no way to know for sure if the actual recipe has been tweaked over the decades.

Read more at: - www.vecernji.hr

analogbear5 said:Alright, fine—who’s going to hire all those people once they lose their jobs? Who’s actually going to buy anything if nobody can afford it? How are companies supposed to stay afloat if there's no one left to sell to? You can complain about junk food all you want, but for a lot of folks, that stuff is what pays the bills.

If we tried following that model where the government just invents fake bureaucracy jobs to artificially lower unemployment, we'd be staring down hyperinflation and total collapse.

The reality is that only about a third of the world has actually imposed sanctions on Russia, which means there is still more than enough demand globally for Russian grain, synthetic fertilizers, oils, and rare earth metals.
Even Japan is signaling that they won't walk away from the gas pipeline project near the Aleutian Islands, despite the fact that they introduced sanctions against Russia due to pressure from the United States.
The Germans aren't exactly thrilled about being forced into these strained relations with Russia either.
It seems to me that this supposed "Western unity" is much stronger in news headlines than it is in the actual, messy reality of global trade.

Japan shows no sign of abandoning the Russian Sahalin-2 LNG project

https://www.geopolitika.news/vijesti...-dcvQj0ZS8NKjk

Dennis Price said:Demand for Russian oil is actually dropping. 😅 They're going to have to cut prices just to move it.
What you're saying might apply elsewhere, but it's not quite right here. Oil isn't expensive just because Russia wants it to be. If anything, they'd drop the price in a heartbeat if it meant keeping the West interested. Prices are high because a huge chunk of buyers are intentionally looking elsewhere.

I'm struggling to see where these "alternative sources" are coming from, especially when we're seeing a deficit of roughly one million barrels per day right now, even with Russia delivering its contracted amounts to the market.
It feels like Joe Biden has been running himself ragged trying to convince Middle Eastern leaders and Nicolás Maduro to ramp up production, but they aren't biting.
The price hikes are being driven by speculators who jump at every little bit of volatility to push rates higher.
Meanwhile, oil continues to flow through long-term contracts at agreed-upon volumes and specific price points dictated by those very agreements.
I remember back when Stern was heading up ExxonMobil, delivery contracts were typically structured for five years, with annual meetings held to adjust terms if circumstances shifted.
And please, don't go trying to label Stern a communist just because he understood how supply chains work.🙄

Arthur Miller7 said:Look, it’s not even about the recipe. Seriously—what part of this am I missing? You can't just buy a reputation! Sure, they could set up shop right next to a Coca-Cola plant and churn out their own version—maybe even make it taste better—but it’ll never be called Coca-Cola. Period. That's the bottom line. You could start making soda using their exact same ingredients tomorrow, but you can't slap their name on it. And honestly? You'll never reach that level. Not you, not anyone else.

I understand exactly what you're trying to get at,

but you seem unable to grasp that during wartime, the rules you think are carved in stone or untouchable dogmas don't really carry any weight.
What would a massive corporation like Coca-Cola actually do to protect its brand identity if Russia started mass-producing Coca-Cola using all their trademarked branding?
Would they even bother trying to sue them in some court or file a complaint with a trademark agency?

When you're looking through a rifle scope, the only thing you can really do is pull the trigger or launch a missile.😉

Andrew Hall47 said:They'll probably just fly in some experts from Venezuela to help out. ☕ It'll definitely lead to an even better Coca-Cola and a much improved McDonald's.

That’s an idea that needs to be brought straight to Putin; he's definitely the kind of leader who would actually listen to advice like that.😁

Megan Thomas5 said:And how exactly are they going to access the computers where everything is stored, specifically the machine inputs?

Most bottling plants operate as franchises, which really isn't much of an issue since the production processes and the actual formulas are already well-established.
Honestly, even if they stopped producing it entirely, I don't see it as a loss; if anything, it would probably be a win for the Americans.
I’ve never been a huge Coca-Cola fan myself—I might grab one during the summer, but I generally prefer tonic water.
At 89 years old, standing 6'3" and weighing about 200 pounds, I’m perfectly content with how things are.
I certainly don't feel like I'm missing out by not being a 300-pound die-hard Coke lover, the kind of person who doesn't consider their day a success unless they've polished off a double serving.

Andrew Hall47 said:It's yours. You earned it.

So what's the word? Are they giving Russ Abramovich Coca-Cola and McDonald's? 😁

I can't help but wonder who is actually going to be "calling the shots" once these companies are nationalized.

Quincy:

The ruling party, United Russia, announced today that a government commission has approved the initial phase of nationalizing assets belonging to foreign corporations exiting the country, according to Reuters. The official statement indicates the commission has backed legislation that would see any company leaving Russia—where citizens from 'hostile nations' hold more than a 25 percent stake—placed under new management.

Read the full story here: - www.vecernji.hr

George Robinson43 said:The bare walls of a factory aren't a company either.
They are simply assets owned by a company.

But within those walls, you have people—skilled workers who understand the manufacturing process inside and out, and they'll be able to pick up right where they left off without much trouble.
As for the branding, the product will simply be called whatever the manufacturer decides it should be, even if Coca-Cola makes that call.
If a few elitists feel slighted because they aren't drinking a Coca-Cola where the profits don't flow back to owners in America, honestly, it won't matter to the vast majority of people.

It would actually be quite tragic if Americans didn't have access to these healthy, quality products; they'd have to work much harder to avoid looking completely unhealthy by the time they hit their late teens.

Andrew Hall47 said:You deserve a Nobel Prize in Economics. 😵

I’ll let you have the last word on that, since you clearly earned it;
you’ve managed to uncover the groundbreaking truth that even during wartime, everyone is expected to follow economic principles and international law to the letter.🤦

hiddeneagle98 said:Look, Trump, if you're already paying for that gas in dollars, there should be enough cash in that pile to cover the transfer to Bulgaria. If Russia refuses to pay the full amount, just deduct whatever they owe from the total and pay the Bulgarians the difference yourself. It's not rocket science.

Honestly, that’s just nonsense; no matter how you spin it, Russia is going to demand payment for their gas in whatever currency they decide fits their interests at the moment.

If they start insisting on being paid in rubles, anyone who actually needs that gas is simply going to have to go out and buy rubles using dollars, euros, or whatever other major currency Russia decides to accept.
The reality is more likely to play out through massive legal battles where oligarchs see their global assets frozen, and in retaliation, Russia freezes the assets of Western corporations operating within their borders.
It’s a bit like how if Abramovich were to lose Chelsea, he might end up seizing control of something like Coca-Cola or McDonald's to keep his revenue streams moving.

At the end of the day, most of this feels like political theater designed to scare the average person, while the truly powerful and wealthy find ways to ensure they don't actually lose much of anything.

Matthew Rodriguez9 said:Spot on... the whole play here is to drain Russia's bank account while simultaneously tanking the European standard of living, basically forcing them to stay dependent on the US.

Once that's settled, the US can shift its full attention toward China.

It's pretty obvious where their foreign policy is headed... which is exactly why they need a Democratic win again, both in Congress and in the presidential election.

I suspect the Chinese are well aware of this strategy,
so the real question is how they’ll ultimately react, because seeing Russia reduced to a mere pawn isn't exactly something that aligns with their own interests.

And since a major confrontation between China and the USA isn't far off, I imagine many people on this forum will find themselves living through it.

neonpuma30 said:It’s not actually about what they want to do (though we could debate that!), it's more that NATO wouldn't take Ukraine in for several reasons—mostly because those borders with Russia are still such a mess.

We are part of NATO ourselves, yet we still have significant stretches of undefined borders.
I think your memory might be failing you a bit; I hope you haven't come down with age-related dementia at such a young age.

Amanda Hughes37 said:This is getting serious... though, honestly...😲

What's going to happen to those poor young soldiers once they've blown off all that steam?
They might find themselves forced back into old habits, where they'll be welcomed with open arms by certain local residents.🙏

These are the kinds of sanctions that you simply cannot afford to ignore. 😁🙏