Sanctions on Russia

Joshua Myers432 said:Russia hasn't exactly had a history of democracy, so the people don't know any better. How are they supposed to revolt? Regardless, things are arguably a lot better under Putin than they were under Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Peter the Great, or the rest of that crew.

It isn't merely a lack of democratic heritage; for most of the last thirty years, they existed behind an information blockade, with only the most minimal—and strictly managed—contact with the outside world. The average citizen of the USSR understood that things were different elsewhere, yet they could never distinguish between reality and the state-sponsored propaganda they consumed. They lived with the nagging suspicion that the public narrative was a fabrication. Often, what they did see from the West seemed too perfect to be true.
Over the last three decades, however, their connection to the global community has intensified. That shift alone might change the entire calculus compared to the era that preceded it.

USD/RUB at 81? Now we're talking! lol

Nathan Evans78 said:USD/RUB at 81? Now we're talking! lol

Here we go again—the ruble is supposedly collapsing, except it isn't. Of course, we’ll just have to wait for the self-proclaimed experts on this forum to explain why. 😬

Nathan Evans78 said:USD/RUB at 81? Now we're talking! lol

Can we just talk about those 20% interest rates on the ruble for a second?🤔🤔

lp

Justin Kern67 said:Here we go again—the ruble is supposedly collapsing, except it isn't. Of course, we’ll just have to wait for the self-proclaimed experts on this forum to explain why. 😬

The ruble is basically useless outside of Russia anyway.☕

coastalmarlin64 said:What's the verdict? Any thoughts?

First off—this was written by Gojko Drljača, which is basically an instant red flag telling you not to take any of the absolute idiocy in this article seriously.

Second—Gojko is a total Putin sympathizer who actually dreams about scenarios like this; he’s been practically sucking up to Putin more times than I can count. Only a complete moron, or someone who's a die-hard Putin supporter, could try to paint Putin as some kind of brilliant strategist... and honestly, those two groups usually overlap quite nicely...😁

Oh, please, Gojko Drljača...🤣🤣

Brenda Murphy3 said:First off—this was written by Gojko Drljača, which is basically an instant red flag telling you not to take any of the absolute idiocy in this article seriously.

Second—Gojko is a total Putin sympathizer who actually dreams about scenarios like this; he’s been practically sucking up to Putin more times than I can count. Only a complete moron, or someone who's a die-hard Putin supporter, could try to paint Putin as some kind of brilliant strategist... and honestly, those two groups usually overlap quite nicely...😁

Oh, please, Gojko Drljača...🤣🤣

If you ask me, he—and by extension, The New York Times—isn't just being a Putin sympathizer... they are much more likely just following orders.
Just pay up and we'll write whatever propaganda you want.

This isn't some new trend; it’s been their business model for ages.
There used to be way more pro-Russia rhetoric in The New York Times... but now, it seems the editorial line shifts based on whoever is cutting the biggest checks.

lp

...I mean, Gojko was totally fine there, I don't see the issue at all...
Is it really impossible that this is just Putin's Take 2?
Not in my book!

rustynomad12 said:...I mean, Gojko was totally fine there, I don't see the issue at all...
Is it really impossible that this is just Putin's Take 2?
Not in my book!

Since invading Ukraine, Putin hasn't made a single rational move. He seems totally lost, just searching for some shortcut to grab any kind of win he can. And honestly, he's just tangling himself deeper into a web of his own making.

The weak guys surrounding him are finally starting to speak up.

Combining all that, I reckon it'll lead to the end of Putin and the end of Russia as we know it.

Andrew Miller102 said:If you actually bother to read the links,😁 everything clearly distinguishes between what relates to sanctions and what's a direct result of the war in Ukraine. There simply isn't any Neon coming from Ukraine anymore; production has either ground to a halt or died off entirely.

Ingas, a firm based in Mariupol,

Cryoin, a firm out of Odesa.

If you pay any attention to where chips are manufactured, you'll realize the major players are incredibly worried. TSMC in Taiwan is leading that anxiety, which makes sense given they are the linchpin for most Western customers. AMD, Qualcomm, Sony, Microsoft, Nvidia, MediaTek, and Apple are just a few names on a much longer list of companies whose hardware relies directly on TSMC's production capacity.

Europe seems to produce nothing but politicians and fog; if TSMC production ever stops for any reason—and China is always lurking nearby—we're looking at an epic-scale crisis. Even the auto industry is heavily dependent on TSMC for the various chips and SoCs integrated into modern vehicles.☕

If you were actually following this, you'd know that the U.S. is busy building its own chip fabs right here at home and over in Germany so they aren't tethered to Taiwan, and word is they've even mined some of those overseas plants just in case things go south.
The whole Neon issue will eventually sort itself out.

boldotter2 said:Since invading Ukraine, Putin hasn't made a single rational move. He seems totally lost, just searching for some shortcut to grab any kind of win he can. And honestly, he's just tangling himself deeper into a web of his own making.

The weak guys surrounding him are finally starting to speak up.

Combining all that, I reckon it'll lead to the end of Putin and the end of Russia as we know it.

that's my point exactly! So, a Drljacin scenario might actually work

Nathan Evans78 said:USD/RUB at 81? Now we're talking! lol

At this rate, once those Kremlin big shots lose their funding, we'll all be living on nothing but cheap deli sandwiches again.

P.S. Honestly, you should ask them how they even manage to fake that exchange rate. Here’s a little hint: they ban selling foreign bonds, force every single business to dump their hard currency straight into the Central Bank, prohibit regular citizens from accessing foreign cash, and slap on 20% interest rates. Just wait until that whole bubble finally pops... 🕺

hollowdriver13 said:At this rate, once those Kremlin big shots lose their funding, we'll all be living on nothing but cheap deli sandwiches again.

P.S. Honestly, you should ask them how they even manage to fake that exchange rate. Here’s a little hint: they ban selling foreign bonds, force every single business to dump their hard currency straight into the Central Bank, prohibit regular citizens from accessing foreign cash, and slap on 20% interest rates. Just wait until that whole bubble finally pops... 🕺

Any nation would act similarly under these circumstances. However, most wouldn't deliberately drive themselves into such a corner. What we are seeing with Putin is a self-inflicted wound. Usually, when a government resorts to these kinds of desperate measures, it is due to external pressures or factors beyond their control. This? This is the direct fallout of their own choices, and it is absolutely devastating for an already struggling economy.

Bryan Booth82 said:Can we just talk about those 20% interest rates on the ruble for a second?🤔🤔

lp

And despite those insane interest rates, annual inflation hit 15.66% according to the Russian Department of Commerce back on March 25th.

But hey, Americans aren't even allowed to trade currency—exporters are basically forced to buy up the US dollar—so everything's just fine and the economy is totally thriving.

Back to the USSR.🎉

In response to the sanctions leveled by the West, Russia announced today that entry into the country is now banned for EU leaders, most members of the European Parliament, high-ranking military officials, and journalists who support the sanctions...

They haven't released the specific names yet—I guess they need some time to sort through the list. 🤣😂

Russia imposes sanctions on EU leaders and most European Parliament members 18:44
"The restrictions apply to top EU leadership, including several European commissioners and heads of European military agencies, as well as the vast majority of members of the European Parliament who advocate for anti-Russian policies."

How much of a technical headache is it actually to shut down gas exports? I mean, what does that even entail—and what kind of costs are we looking at beyond just losing out on customer payments?

Dennis Price said:How much of a technical headache is it actually to shut down gas exports? I mean, what does that even entail—and what kind of costs are we looking at beyond just losing out on customer payments?

Honestly, from the control room, it’s literally just one mouse click and the system shuts all the valves down. That's pretty much it...

Chris Thomas94 said:Honestly, from the control room, it’s literally just one mouse click and the system shuts all the valves down. That's pretty much it...

Are the screws being stockpiled?

Dennis Price said:Are the screws being stockpiled?

Look, if you actually have some warehouse space available...

Either you find a spot for it, or you just stop dragging it out into the open.

Dennis Price said:Are the screws being stockpiled?

It really depends on how much you're cranking out. You could just throttle back production, or you could shut the whole thing down entirely.

But honestly, if you're asking about how to actually kill the gas flow, it’s as simple as one click on the computer running the system. We're talking SCADA systems here—usually something from General Electric, Yokogawa, or Emerson...