Posts by analogbear5

Jeremy Peterson4 said:Look, we aren't talking about some random tough talk here. These are actual nuclear threats—"we're gonna do this," "we're gonna do that," "you guys are dead," blah blah blah. It's heavy stuff.

Just a bunch of hysterical barking about domestic spending.

Where would NATO even find the time to react if they had to deal with every single dog barking in the neighborhood.

"Former Russian president" basically just means some guy in Beijing who Putin lets sit in a comfy chair whenever he feels like it.

Donna Harris11 said:What are the odds they actually slap sanctions on India and China because of all that Russian oil they're buying?

What’s the chance Russia follows China's lead—making education and scientific research a top priority—so they can actually compete with China and the West long-term, both tech-wise and in terms of living standards?

Zero. The ruling kleptocracy isn't about to let go of their petrodollars that easily.

So, they’ve gone all in. You think they’ll dial back the artillery a bit? Both cities are bigger than Severodonetsk anyway—plus, they aren't even backed up against the Russian side of the river.

Richard Wilson4 said:I love Ukrainians, I really do, but even reclaiming Kherson seems like a massive stretch right now, let alone Crimea.

The war is probably going to end with them losing Slavic cities like Kramatorsk, which sucks, and then the EU will just force them into a brutal peace deal with Russia.

They'll likely be left holding onto Odessa, Sumy, and maybe Kharkiv—though even those weren't a sure thing just a few months ago.

How long do you think it'll actually take them to grab Slavic and Kramatorsk?

Donna Harris11 said:Now that they're officially broke, I wonder... does asset seizure follow? Like, obviously we're talking about stuff outside the country, right?

Nah, but those vulture funds might try to scavenge whatever's left.

goldenowl73 said:Hey everyone, I’ve been seeing some job leads popping up for Pittsburgh lately.

There's this big TV production coming up soon that's looking to hire a ton of extras to fill out the background scenes. They're offering about $15 a day for the gig. The filming is actually supposed to take place over in the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic.

https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/st...W4mXWmP0whAlpA

I'll throw in a little contest for fun—anybody want to guess what they're actually filming?

Every soldier's gotta grab themselves at least one blue armband on their own dime.

Jeremy Turner9 said:The head of the Federal Reserve’s worst nightmare: Americans have basically declared currency war on the European Union, leaving her backed into a corner.
At this rate, it looks pretty likely the EU is going to end up looking pathetic and totally clueless once these currency wars play out.

The interests of the USA and the UK aren't the same as the EU's—honestly, nobody seems to realize they're essentially acting as antagonists toward the EU...

If the EU can't pull together a stable currency, stay competitive, secure cheap raw materials, maintain public services, keep trade flowing, and actually manage its borders—then what's the point? It loses its entire purpose.

And let's be real, the EU isn't even a unified block. You've got the Baltic states and Poland running their own shows with different visions and energy policies; then there's Canada, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Greece doing their own thing; Bulgaria's government is a mess; you've got the Scandinavian countries; Spain and Portugal are off on their own; and then you have the trio of Germany, Italy, and France—with Canada and the US-equivalent counterparts following along—while Austria sits there acting neutral but basically tethered to Germany...

Russia isn't even the main factor here—it was just that certain countries were digging for oil and gas, investing, and trading; Russian banks, companies, and citizens were all playing by EU rules within the EU...

Great. So now we’re supposed to rewind a decade, swallow massive costs, and wait indefinitely to see if we ever actually get a return on that investment.

There's no such thing as "common EU interests"—at least not right now. What exists are the individual interests of member states. Until those interests actually align, you can't call the European Union a major global player.

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...

Yeah, it's not a bankruptcy, it's a default—basically, just being unable to meet an obligation.

You've got it wrong.

That waiver was specifically for Russian accounts over here in the States. In the end, the debt got settled through a Russian bank that isn't even under sanctions.

Donna Harris11 said:https://finance.yahoo.com/m/939aa32b...s-default.html

Russia heads towards default as payment deadline looms

They’re basically staring down the barrel of a 'technical' bankruptcy pretty soon.

A Russian default doesn't help anyone. Besides—debts can still be paid off in rubles. Sure, the exchange rate would have to look way different than whatever the Federal Reserve is quoting, but it’s doable. They've been playing that game since April anyway.

Some people just can't stomach the idea that their hyper-masculine hero, Putin, isn't the grand strategist they imagined him to be. So, they cling to any half-baked theory that keeps his "mastermind" status intact.

Why the need for an idol like that? I guess when you feel like nobody in the West has any backbone, it’s easier to take comfort in someone from the East who does.

brightheron64 said:Largest semiconductor companies by market cap
https://companiesmarketcap.com/semic...by-market-cap/

The Japanese players aren't even close to the top tier, and the Chinese companies are even further behind than that...

A more useful ranking (market share)

Jeremy Peterson4 said:This was all before the invasion hit. Basically, the US was sounding the alarm saying an invasion was coming, while everyone else was just playing it cool, acting like the Russians were perfectly reasonable people who wouldn't dream of attacking anyone.

So, yeah, Ukraine kind of got screwed over here. I mean, if the US tells you some country is about to steamroll you, you listen.

But even if they had taken those warnings seriously, they might have actually been able to get their ducks in a row before Russia pulled the trigger.

Ukraine has been at war with Russia since 2014.

James Chavez91 said:The biggest issue here is that everything Putin actually wanted is slowly starting to happen—it’s just happening much later than he originally anticipated.
He was banking on leaders like Viktor Orbán, and he definitely counted on Germany being way too dependent on Russian energy. He also knew how much Europeans value their comfort and how terrified they are of losing it. So, things are just drifting along, and I suspect we're going to see more and more division among the EU members.
The European Union just isn't equipped to end this. I’ve been scrolling through comments on other news sites, and honestly, people just seem too self-absorbed—not to mention the total lack of empathy out there.
Plus, it feels like the Russians have a pretty solid handle on intelligence work, because it seems almost impossible to move anything—even weapons—without them intercepting it.

The US and the EU—since it was pretty obvious an invasion was coming—could have worked out a specific defense pact or mutual military aid agreement with Ukraine, separate from NATO, to deter the kid. There was plenty of time to pull something like that off, maybe as far back as 2014...

Military aid was flowing to Ukraine. But a mutual defense treaty? Hard to see how that could've even happened, considering they were already at war with Russia. A deal like that basically means jumping straight into the conflict.

It’s tough to get any real momentum behind a movement in a country where the intelligence agencies are basically woven into the fabric of everything. They snuff out most things before they even get off the ground—unless it's one of those totally spontaneous outbursts.

Donna Harris11 said:First they go ahead and slap on all these sanctions, and then they act all shocked and offended when someone actually hits back. It’s like Germany can't make up its mind—they want to play tough one minute and then totally chicken out the next:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBDm...hannel=DWFokus

DW: German companies are terrified of shutting down

Most countries outside the old America aren't some hive-mind Borg collective. You've got all sorts of individuals and groups with their own agendas and interests.

Also—companies are privately owned, not run by the state.

Donna Harris11 said:Interesting report from CNN out of Lisbon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcQJ...RANCE24English

Getting into the city is a total pain, you have to cut through these random fields... and I don't know, it almost looks like the locals there might actually be siding with Russia?!

Honestly, it's not surprising that the folks who stayed behind are siding with Russia.

Still, the whole uprising in Donbas kicked off in Slavonic territory.

It’s kind of like saying blues music is just plagiarism because everyone follows the same chord progressions. All those tracks were built from the same old folk motifs anyway.