Posts by bluemason3

Rachel White said:In what sense does the average American live better than the average Chinese person?

The standard of living.
Better healthcare.
Better education.
Better social services.
Superior infrastructure.
Higher quality housing and construction in general.
A freer society.
Democracy.
Freedom of speech.
Market freedom (though even in China, until the Party decides otherwise).
.
.
.

Honestly, I can't think of any metric where life in China would be better, except perhaps for the elite class.🤔

urbanotter said: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.

That is textbook self-defense.

But if you attack me with a baseball bat just because I decided to give my business to the neighbor instead of yours—because you're a typical narcissistic jerk who thinks I'm your little puppet with no agency or choices—then sure, that's aggression. 🙂

It's just like what Putin is doing. 🙂

After spending his whole life pining for the glory days of the USSR and trying to reclaim that superpower status, Gollum surrounded himself with people who share his ideology and publicly denied Ukrainian identity and sovereignty. You’d have to be completely blinded by Russian narratives to believe this is all just about NATO expansion or playing the victim.

Gary Wilson said:Personally, I think this kind of panic is being spread needlessly—and frankly, some people are profiting from it.
Russia has to move its surplus wheat and other food supplies somewhere, otherwise they'll face a massive hit.
Plus, storage and maintenance aren't free.

In that scenario, they'd face an even steeper loss. A simple cost-benefit analysis suggests it makes no sense for them to let what they've invested heavily in simply rot. In my view, they not in a position where they can just refuse to sell, unless they intentionally and significantly cut back on their planted acreage.

If I recall correctly, their markets haven't even implemented sanctions yet, right?

The real issue is probably transportation. 🤔

restlessmason54 said:I feel like I’ve been hearing this exact same mantra about markets staying closed for nearly ten days straight now.
If you were just an average, objective observer looking at the situation in Russia, you’d probably walk away thinking that based on those same logic points, people would have already resorted to cannibalism out of pure starvation.

It’s a mess, sure, but that hasn't been the case in South Korea since that one awkward period. That doesn't mean things aren't going downhill compared to its neighbors, though, or what it actually has the potential to be.

restlessmason54 said:The West is basically spiraling economically, and Russia is just dragging everyone down with them. 😉

It’s not happening. We’re likely looking at nothing more than a standard, cyclical recession—the kind anyone born before 2002 has already seen a few times. Russia, on the other hand, is headed for a total meltdown if these sanctions stick around for more than a year. 🕺

restlessmason54 said:Ultimately, time is going to reveal exactly what we already suspect: just how much economic resilience Russia actually possesses against external pressures and those heavy-handed sanctions, contrasted against the glaring fragility—and frankly, the blatant dependency—of the European Union's economy.

If you listen to the trolls haunting this thread, Russia should have completely imploded financially ages ago; yet, despite all their predictions, that big bear is holding its ground remarkably well. It’s really just a matter of waiting for the very same countries that tried to squeeze them through sanctions to start feeling the pinch and looking for ways to ease up.😉

And let’s be clear, the fallout is going to be a two-way street.

I don't see the economic logic behind that argument.

brightheron64 said:Oh, it bothers them, it just isn't a dealbreaker yet. But this is exactly where the cracks start to show:

Factbox: A look at Russia-China wheat, sunflower oil trade as Ukraine crisis rages

China expands wheat trade deal with Russia
China's winter wheat harvest seen "worst in history"
Russia eyes China's huge demand for wheat, vegetable oil
China could emerge as a major buyer for Russian wheat and sunflower oil as wide-ranging financial sanctions threaten Russia's agriculture trade flows to its traditional markets in Europe.
https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-i...e-crisis-rages

And that’s the thing—it's specifically China we're seeing here. I can't help but wonder where else these gaps might open up, whether it's in South America or Africa... goodness knows...

I don't really get the point here. As far as I know, Europe wasn't importing much from there anyway, yet the quote calls it a "traditional market." Their actual traditional market is North Africa, not the EU, and I'm not even sure if there are any sanctions over there. Besides, their wheat is low quality—supposedly mostly for livestock feed—so it isn't like they can just plug it into any market gap they find.

Some people are arguing this won't actually change much on the ground. Their logic? Even the gear they already have isn't being used to its full potential because they just don't have enough air superiority. So, they see this as more of a PR stunt than a tactical win.
Purely a PR move. 🤔

hollowdriver13 said:Honestly, once the black market for Western "smuggled goods" really starts booming, it’ll be like a total blast to the past. Everything will settle down, and Putin will basically just head back to where he feels most at home.

Sailors will probably see their paychecks bump up again—or at least they'll have more cash to blow on whatever else they fancy while smuggling nylon and denim into Russia. That’s just how life works.😍

Though, looking at how globalization works, we might find that returning to "normal" happens just as fast as the sanctions did.🤔

hollowdriver13 said:On top of that, if they want permission to even leave, they have to prove they actually intend on coming back to the States, otherwise, they're stuck.
Just pure, unadulterated love for their own people, I guess. 😵

If Americans get what they want and Russia gets kicked out, the world might just find its balance again. #BackToChildhood #ColdWarFTW 🎉

Anthony Hill5 said:I would argue that it is already a done deal.

Poland has agreed to hand over all of its MIG-29 fighter jets to a US airbase "immediately and free of charge" as part of a plan to provide aircraft to the Ukrainians.

Washington has been looking at a proposal under which Poland would supply Ukraine with Soviet-era fighters and in turn receive American F-16s to make up for their loss.

Just a few days ago, the Americans stated that the onus was on Poland to make the final call, precisely because doing so could turn them into a direct target for Russia, given that Moscow has declared any nation providing aircraft or utilizing their airbases for the Ukrainians will be viewed as a belligerent party in the conflict.

It is quite obvious that the Russians have failed to intimidate the Poles.

The U.S. hasn't confirmed anything yet. For a while now, officials have been telling reporters they're looking into it, but also hinting that it might not actually happen.

Here’s some American news coverage following the announcement from Poland, including references to requested comments from the Pentagon:

brightheron64 said:Aha.

Maybe if you actually read the whole article...

"At the same time, Poland requests the United States to provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities.

And? This has been part of the conversation from the start. Usually, everyone just talks about F-16s anyway. I don't really see the point of the comment.🤔

brightheron64 said:🤔

Why Poland hasn't given Ukraine its MiG-29 fighter jets to combat Russia despite U.S. 'green light'
https://theweek.com/russo-ukrainian-...-combat-russia

DoD lower expectations of Polish warplanes for Ukraine
https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon...s-for-ukraine/

Just offering a little bit of technical perspective here:

Ukraine not Quick or Easy https://www.airforcemag.com/backfill
https://www.airforcemag.com/backfill...quick-or-easy/

People were talking about this idea before, but the Polish government and others denied it back then.
Now, though, it's appearing on official Polish government sites:

https://www.gov.pl/web/diplomacy/sta...nes-to-ukraine

Anthony Hill5 said:What truly irritates me is this mindless Russian propaganda.

Exactly. By that logic, the moment someone threatens an invasion, you should just roll over and surrender, because any kind of defense requires sacrifice.
Then they go ahead and blame the victims for getting hurt. They even expect them to apologize for being attacked.

brightheron64 said:I was just spending some time scrolling through the American news cycle...

Of course, everyone is hyper-focused on the price of oil—I mean, look at California, where a single gallon of gas can hit an "unthinkable" $7—and the cost of natural gas... but what isn't getting nearly enough coverage, even though it's starting to dominate the headlines, is the terrifying spike in fertilizer prices and grain... soon we're going to see meat prices skyrocket too... and, all things considered, it’s going to be quite a ride...

Politics might throw out these flashy, "glitzy" ideas designed to dazzle the public, but at the end of the day, the economy is governed by the law of interconnected vessels...

So? No sane person actually thinks sanctions won't cause damage for everyone involved. It’s pretty clear there's a high chance fuel stays expensive for a while, which drags everything else up with it. Plus, between fertilizer shortages and grain issues, food prices will climb regardless of transport costs.

Recession, inflation—any number of grim scenarios could play out.

Personally, I don't have an issue with it. I'm fine with paying a premium if it means weakening Russia and supporting Ukraine.

steelfox98 said:Oil hitting $130
Natural gas at $3,600
Wheat is up 40%. With Russia and Ukraine being the heavyweights in global exports—and Russia leading the charge on fertilizer and everything else...

The USA can feed itself and still has plenty of energy in reserve.
Russia? They can also cover their own food and fuel needs internally.
The EU? They’re just stuck watching everyone else eat and drive.

It’s fascinating, really. These people who get a kick out of seeing others struggle. If this keeps up, they'll be howling in a few months when reality finally hits them right in the face.

It looks like Russia imports way more food from the EU than the other way around.

I recently picked up a bunch of local canned sardines on sale, and apparently, their main export market is Russia. Not saying that's a good thing, obviously; replacing a major market like that and keeping production steady isn't exactly easy.

steelfox98 said:Oil hitting $130
Natural gas at $3,600
Wheat is up 40%. With Russia and Ukraine being the heavyweights in global exports—and Russia leading the charge on fertilizer and everything else...

The USA can feed itself and still has plenty of energy in reserve.
Russia? They can also cover their own food and fuel needs internally.
The EU? They’re just stuck watching everyone else eat and drive.

It’s fascinating, really. These people who get a kick out of seeing others struggle. If this keeps up, they'll be howling in a few months when reality finally hits them right in the face.

Who exactly is celebrating the fact that an evil dwarf dictator invaded another country, killing people and forcing them into exile?

I hadn't quite noticed. 🤔 🤷

Benjamin Taylor6 said:Basically, if you try to offload your holdings in Russia, you'll just end up holding worthless scraps of paper. Honestly, the only logical move is to sit tight and wait for the dust to settle—which could take years, mind you. And even then, the Russians could just issue a decree claiming I invested rubles instead of dollars, and by the time inflation eats through them, those rubles won't be worth the ink used to print them.

The issue isn't about my opinion or how the rest of the world views it; the issue is that the Russians simply won't acknowledge anything else. Unless someone manages to force their hand—which, let's face it, seems impossible right now—you're stuck.

It might be impossible today, but nobody wants to pour money into a regulatory system this unreliable. Hopefully, they want to normalize relations sooner rather than later.

Or maybe Putin has already accepted becoming the next South Korea in the near future.🤔

silverotter72 said:Give me a break. You sound like a paid troll, probably operating out of Mexico (judging by those typos you can't seem to shake).
He claims he’s prepared... just look at the ruble:



If this counts as being "prepared," I sincerely hope he’s applied that same level of foresight to his military and his contingency plans (though, looking at the state of things, I highly doubt it).
Prepared? More like marching straight into the same hole he crawled out of.

https://i.ibb.co/vdq118S/Pjur-analys...nal-lube-2.jpg

Bryan Booth82 said:

Now this is actually interesting.🤔

lp

Who knows if it's accurate, but I don't think it would be all that surprising if there were people volunteering for Russian paramilitary groups in the Donbas.

Since Israelis have mandatory military service, anyone could potentially volunteer for Ukraine, and they have plenty of citizens who moved there from both Ukraine and Russia.

Carl Sanders5 said:You guys are being way too optimistic about these sanctions, honestly. I’m not seeing it. Russians are used to this stuff; it's practically part of their routine. How long did the Cold War even last? Over 30 years, right? And they still functioned just fine.

There are over 30 million people living out in Siberia. Every single year, they deal with summer water shortages and three-month stretches of winter gas rationing when it hits -40. They know exactly what poverty feels like.

As for the middle class—whose quality of life is about to tank—they’re just going to bail. We're already hearing reports that trains heading from Russia toward Norway are packed to capacity.

Sure, the economy will take a massive hit in the long run, but IMO? Don't hold your breath for some big political breakthrough. It's a long shot.

Taking everything else into account, we should also mention that the ruling elite in the USSR didn't invest in a Western lifestyle or Western financial markets. Today, however, via the Oligarch, they keep much of their wealth in the West and are accustomed to a "capitalist" standard of living.

This means that beyond the state and military being drained, the leadership itself will feel the sting personally. And frankly, they couldn't care less about the general population.

Kyle Nelson2 said:There’s absolutely no room for despotic or aggressive nations in the USA.
I'd much rather see a place like Japan or India take over Russia's seat instead.

The purpose of VS isn't to act as a lobbyist clique or just a military alliance. Its real goal is to lower the odds of a nuclear exchange—basically preventing WW3. It was designed specifically so that competitors have to sit at the same table and keep each other in check.

Kicking out one of the two biggest nuclear powers makes the whole idea of the USA pointless. It’s not meant to be a platform for sanctions and pressure campaigns. The USSR was part of it, Stalin was a founder, and China is a dictatorship too.