Posts by bluewalker6

Arthur Miller7 said:Got a link for that cutoff?

https://www.meed.com/algerian-gas-fl...-spain-decline

dustyowl29 said:For decades now, Algerian gas has been flowing straight into Italy and Spain via the so-called Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline—just take a look at the map...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...map-en.svg.png

Sure, except they recently cut gas deliveries to Spain by about 8 billion cubic meters due to some ongoing dispute with Morocco.
Now, part of that supply is being diverted over to Italy.

Just moving water from one empty bucket to another...

Anthony Hill5 said:Italy has officially inked a deal with Algeria to secure its gas supplies.

In addition to this agreement, massive contracts worth $4 billion have been signed to facilitate the exploration and extraction of new energy fields.

While Russia previously served as Italy's primary gas provider, accounting for a staggering 45% of their supply, Algeria has seized the lead since the invasion began. It is projected that Algeria will export 20 billion cubic meters of gas to Italy within this year alone.

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/2...rs-says-draghi

They were already exporting that much anyway...

crimsoncyclist71 said:Exactly. Just imagine if America decided to ditch Western tech altogether. What exactly would be left, or what could they even get from Russia?

Precisely.
We're talking about giants that can easily afford to write off a relatively impoverished Russian market.

If you can't specify exactly which technologies we're talking about, I’m going to assume you’re just talking nonsense...
Russia is a nation capable of manufacturing rocket engines for space flight.
And that—right there—is the pinnacle of technology. There isn't much beyond that.
There isn't a single piece of Western tech that they can't eventually master, or that the Chinese haven't already mastered.
Sure, Russia will face a recession and significant struggles, but they are simply a country built to weather those kinds of storms. They are arguably the most self-sufficient nation on the planet.
By its very nature, they possess the fundamental resources the entire world requires—resources without which no advanced technology is even viable.
Food, energy, a massive military... these are the ironclad determinants of any nation's survival.
That is why it is impossible to truly isolate them or destroy them...

boldmarlin15 said:It’s hilarious how the Russia-haters are threatening them with a cold winter while ignoring how that winter is actually going to look in Russia.

Sanctions have hammered the Russian economy hard. Once their stockpiles of "Western" goods run dry, you're going to see panic. And I'm not talking about McDonald's; I'm talking about the tech without which Russian industry simply stops working.

The real consequences haven't even hit yet. If this war doesn't wrap up by late summer, Russia gets wiped from every corporate roadmap for next year. They become a write-off on balance sheets, and everyone will think twice before ever looking at that market again. A huge chunk of the Russian middle class will be jobless and broke by autumn. If Europe runs into trouble, believe me, you'll see a massive wave of Russophobia after summer. Don't be surprised when visas get revoked and people get sent back home.

If the kleptomaniac in the White House doesn't wise up, a new wall goes up and nobody will be doing business with Russians for the next 50 years. Don't worry, West... you'll survive. If you can't survive without writing off a wreck like Russia, you don't deserve to.

Is "technologies" really the right way to frame it?

Quincy:

The consequences of these sanctions haven't even fully hit yet. If this war drags on past the end of summer, Russia will be completely wiped from the long-term planning of major corporations for next year—they'll become nothing more than write-offs on a balance sheet, making everyone think twice before ever attempting to touch that market again.

Besides, most of those companies have enough cash reserves to absorb the blow—any losses on their balance sheets from abandoning the Russian market will be absolutely negligible.

If Russia hasn't been gearing up for this entire scenario, then the EU has certainly been meticulously preparing for its own self-destruction.

Back in 2014, Russia was actually one of the world's massive grain and food importers—fast forward to today, and they’ve pivoted to being one of the top global exporters.

Meanwhile, we’re watching absolute chaos erupt on the streets of the Netherlands—which, let's not forget, is one of the largest food producers in the EU—simply because their government decided to shut down 50% of its farms. Apparently, the cows are farting too much and destroying the ozone layer... or whatever excuse they're using this week.

Why isn't Joe Biden being a little more diplomatic toward Canada?

I am not here to litigate other people's bans—I am drawing attention to my own. This is my second strike in seven days.
The reason I mention Jose Clark2’s ban is simply to illustrate your pattern: you ban anyone whose perspective doesn't align with yours.

I took a look at the Ban corner, and frankly, you have made an even bigger mess of it. On top of what happened to Jose Clark2, you have permanently banned several veteran users.
You actually drove a man to break the rules—to create a clone account just to appeal and save his original profile. Only he didn't provide his ID as proof...

And why?
Because someone's argument happens to conflict with some "historical axioms and postulates" you’ve constructed in your own head.
It is truly unbelievable...

Go ahead—join the debate and actually prove your claims. Once you do, perhaps you can codify them into the site rules, treating them like the Bible that no one is allowed to question.

Your moderation style is laughable—it's childish, really.
It is as if there were a referee in a football game who was a die-hard Barcelona fan and would ban anyone who dared to suggest that Barcelona isn't the greatest team on the planet.🙄

Sam Green73 said:Call it whatever you want—personally, I call it a passion for debate.

You don't have any "passion" at all.
In reality, you’re just one of those forum dwellers who sits back, lurks, and cheers from the sidelines...
The only issue is that someone actually handed you moderator tools.
Whenever your little favorites get stuck in an argument, you just sweep their opponents away with bans.
It’s childish.

Occasionally, you jump in with one-liners like "Cut the crap."🤦

There it is—that's your supposed "love for debate."

I see that Jose Clark2 has been banned again. I assume he either said something that doesn't fit within your narrow historical worldview—or perhaps he dared to contradict Wikipedia, a Crusader, or some other self-proclaimed expert... Or maybe it's simply because he came here to complain about you, just like I am doing now.

You turn everything into a mockery, a circus, and effectively kill any meaningful discussion.
For you, the perfect debate is one where Wikipedia and the rest of the clique just sit around nodding in agreement with one another. 🙂

I am filing a formal complaint regarding this specific post and the conduct of the moderator involved:

Furthermore, I object to the fact that my response—which was more than civil—was summarily deleted.

I also wish to contest the prior warnings and the ban issued against me without any logical justification, other than the moderator labeling my input as "trolling."

If he is incapable of restraining himself from biased, unprofessional moderation and partisan outbursts—if his personal opinions and prejudices carry more weight than the actual guidelines—then I suggest he simply incorporate his own private dogma into the forum rules... that way, we might actually know what is permitted, what is forbidden, and which "evidence" or "arguments" are allowed to be challenged in the first place.

It’s a shame... Honestly, if they had Živković and Pantić on the pitch, I think they actually could have taken down the Portuguese.
Still, you have to look at the circumstances—this is a massive achievement in its own right—especially when you consider that most of this squad belongs to the 1996 age group, while Luka Jović was born in '97. So, technically, they’re eligible to run it back again next year.

They didn't drop a single match until the semifinals, where it ended up being decided by a penalty shootout against Portugal—just like last year. This time, however, the luck was on their side.

Regardless, the U-20 World Cup is right around the corner, and I suspect the US will have plenty to show when they bring the full roster. It’s glaringly obvious there is a deep, talented pool of players in this specific age bracket.