Sanctions on Russia

Ethan Gomez82 said:"Quote:"

I have absolutely nothing to offer Putin or Zelenskyy. Honestly, I couldn't care less—it's all the same to me as the conflict in Yemen. I'm just not wired to get worked up over propaganda; I don't waste my time reading that garbage, and frankly, I don't give a damn about everyone else's interests. You get me?

Man, you are so brainwashed by specific viewpoints and propaganda that it’s actually painful to read. Some of these quotes are just straight-up ridiculous..

And hey, you don't *have* to care about other people's business... just like how normal people don't give a damn about your constant whining over gas prices..😁 all 5..😒

Melissa Rivera5 said:So, I guess a government is totally legitimate if Russ rolls in with tanks and installs them by decree after killing off anyone who stands in the way.

Anyway: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_U...ntial_election

Well, that’s just brilliant; everything is perfectly clear to me now.

A Tank is clearly the answer,

Back when a Russian climbed onto a Tank in Moscow and crushed the uprising, there were no more casualties, and by doing that, he really won over his friends in the West.
If Viktor Yanukovych had just hopped on a Tank and cleared out those protesters at the Maidan to send them back to their homes all across Ukraine, we wouldn't be dealing with any war or any deaths today.

Now, damn it, Putin has to act like both a father and a son to Bush, dragging in hundreds of thousands of soldiers to topple an uprising chosen by a portion of Ukraine.
But it does raise the question of what kind of elections these actually are when 20% of the citizens can't even vote, yet it's recognized as legitimate—much like how Guidad was recognized, despite him never being elected but simply declaring himself leader.

Your solution is honestly wonderful; if they had used a Tank, we wouldn't be facing all these complications where a retiree on a $667 fixed income has to choose between buying bread or medicine, because medication isn't free anymore like it was during the old days of socialist welfare.
If a Tank had been deployed, there wouldn't be these sanctions, and everything would be running smoothly, just like in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and everywhere else where a Tank was put to use.😁🙏

hollowdriver13 said:People keep pushing this constant doom & gloom narrative about the West, acting like everyone’s about to starve, but honestly, I don't see it playing out in real life at all.
I mean, look at it—even with people feeling the pinch, Americans are still blowing money on vacations, support for Ukraine remains incredibly high, and you see folks donating tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to help out over there. It’s not like we’re seeing massive protests in major US cities because everyone's suddenly starving or their quality of life has completely cratered.
Is a downturn coming?Yeah, definitely.But I think we're underestimating what that actually looks like. We aren't talking about total collapse; we're talking about someone deciding not to upgrade to the newest iPhone this year, or maybe cutting down from four streaming services to three. Plus, I really think people are underselling how much the Russian invasion rattled the average citizen—it shifted our whole threshold for what we're willing to tolerate.

At boat shows, you see people fighting over the most expensive yachts; at agricultural expos, top-tier tractors sell out in minutes. Yet, according to certain people, a starving America is crying out for breadcrumbs.😲

Michael Ortiz68 said:At boat shows, you see people fighting over the most expensive yachts; at agricultural expos, top-tier tractors sell out in minutes. Yet, according to certain people, a starving America is crying out for breadcrumbs.😲

Hello there! 🤦 Economic experts?

Have you ever really sat down to consider the impact of inflation? It’s become such a massive topic lately. Practically anyone sitting on a decent pile of cash is scrambling to find somewhere to park it just to keep its value. Even that top 5%—the folks who actually have significant capital to move around—are frantically looking for ways to sink their money into something productive before it loses steam. Now, for you, me, and most people I know, this might not feel like an immediate crisis since we aren't exactly swimming in excess liquidity. But shouldn't we be paying closer attention? If things continue along this current trajectory, we might find ourselves having a very different conversation by next winter. Wouldn't you agree?

The fallout from stalled Ukrainian neon production is hitting hard—especially now that Russia has slapped new export sanctions on "unfriendly" nations. Since the Chinese are the third major players in the game, they’re cranking out neon at prices 17 times higher than before:

https://www.kurdo.org/2022/03/26/chi...isen-17-times/

Between this mess and the chip shortages we've been drowning in, things aren't looking any brighter. Definitely won't help matters.

The forecast used to sit at a 9 percent drop for Russia. Now, it’s been revised to 15 percent. That would signal a massive collapse...

According to a report released Wednesday by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the sanctions imposed on Moscow due to its invasion of Ukraine are wiping out fifteen years of economic progress and thirty years of integration with the West.

However, predicting the full impact is difficult. It all depends on potential new sanctions from one side and how Russia might retaliate, particularly within the energy sector.

While this war could prove incredibly costly for Vladimir Putin, sanctions don't work like flipping a light switch, noted IMF economist Elina Ribakova during a press conference.

In its latest report, the IMF predicts the Russian economy will shrink by 15 percent this year followed by an additional 3 percent decline in 2023.

On the topic of Europe without Russian gas

Carl Lee27 said:It looks like Cheniere Energy is about to kick off construction on the next phase of their Corpus Christi terminal pretty soon, mostly because they’ve already sold out all their capacity.
Here is a quick breakdown of the US liquefaction terminals. Most of them are concentrated right over in Texas and Louisiana. These figures represent what the Department of Energy has approved for export, including shipments to countries where the US doesn't have a formal free trade agreement signed yet.

Currently operational

• Sabine Pass 1-6, 48 billion m3 per year
• Corpus Christi 1-3, 25.1 billion m3 per year
• Freeport 1-3, 22.4 billion m3 per year
• Cameron 1-3, 20.6 billion m3 per year
• Calcasie Pass 1-9, 8.3 billion m3 per year
• Cove Point, 8 billion m3 per year
• Elba Island 1-10, 3.5 billion m3 per year

Under construction

• Calcasie Pass 10-18, 8.3 billion m3 per year (September 2022)
• Golden Pass 1, 8.3 billion m3 per year (2023)
• Golden Pass 2-3, 16.6 billion m3 per year (2024)
• Plaquemines 1-24, 18.4 billion m3 per year (2024)

Approved, excluding smaller projects, and currently in various stages of closing out financial structures

• Driftwood, 38 billion m3 per year
• Grand Isle LNG, 37.2 billion m3 per year
• Alaska LNG, 27.6 billion m3 per year
• Lake Charles, 20.7 billion m3 per year
• Port Arthur, 18.6 billion m3 per year
• Dolphin, 18 billion m3 per year
• Gulf LNG, 16 billion m3 per year
• Corpus Christi Stage III, 15.8 billion m3 per year
• Plaquemines Phase 2, 14.7 billion m3 per year
• Cameron 4, 13.8 billion m3 per year
• Magnolia, 12.1 billion m3 per year
• Freeport 4, 7 billion m3 per year
• Texas LNG, 5.5 billion m3 per year
• Lake Charles 2, 3.45 billion m3 per year

(Note that Corpus Christi Stage III is 100% reserved, Plaquemines Phase 2 is at 70%, Driftwood at 35%, Lake Charles at 30%, and so on)

President of Senegal: Ukraine needs to clear the mines from the port; Putin promised there will be no attack.

Panic is setting in across hungry parts of Africa.
The leader explains:
Sall mentioned that after meeting Vladimir Putin in Russia last week, the Russian President personally assured him that such an attack simply won't happen.

"I even pointed out to him: 'The Ukrainians said you'll strike if we clear the mines.' But he insists it won't happen, giving his word that he will honor this commitment," the Senegalese leader stated.

"Now, the focus must shift to mine clearance, alongside involving the United Nations... so we can finally get that Ukrainian wheat moving again," he added.

🤣 🙏 🙏

Terry Green3 said:I honestly don't see what the anti-sanction crowd would even argue. What’s the alternative? Just sitting back and watching a sovereign nation get carved up?

How exactly would they propose sanctioning this kind of behavior?
The European Union was basically forced into this reaction. The Russians played their wild card in Crimea.

Right now, these sanctions are primarily hurting the EU, and frankly, it’s an even bigger blunder for those who have already abandoned the Russian market, yet all this really proves is that the world is moving to discredit Russia entirely, signaling that any expectation of prosperous business there is becoming utterly futile.

Which, I suspect, also paves the way for potential military action—take the Waste-land, for example.

darkcyclist92 said:Right now, these sanctions are primarily hurting the EU, and frankly, it’s an even bigger blunder for those who have already abandoned the Russian market, yet all this really proves is that the world is moving to discredit Russia entirely, signaling that any expectation of prosperous business there is becoming utterly futile.

Which, I suspect, also paves the way for potential military action—take the Waste-land, for example.

Russia might be able to blackmail Germany with gas for another year and a half, but after that, the Germans will let them go under.

They had better strike a deal with the Germans (even if it's under the table) if they plan on having any kind of relationship with Europe at all. If the Germans sink billions into gas from Africa—which they plan to abandon in 20 or 30 years anyway—they won't touch a single drop of Russian fuel in the West for a decade, maybe two...

The EU might face a crisis for two years, while Russia will face it for twenty before they ever win the Germans over again...

Jack Hill2 said:Russia might be able to blackmail Germany with gas for another year and a half, but after that, the Germans will let them go under.

They had better strike a deal with the Germans (even if it's under the table) if they plan on having any kind of relationship with Europe at all. If the Germans sink billions into gas from Africa—which they plan to abandon in 20 or 30 years anyway—they won't touch a single drop of Russian fuel in the West for a decade, maybe two...

The EU might face a crisis for two years, while Russia will face it for twenty before they ever win the Germans over again...

Maybe an agreement would be the better path,

but I just don't think the Germans are even being consulted on what can or cannot be negotiated here.

As for all these predictions or crystal ball gazing...

https://www.businessinsider.com/pwc-...38-trillion-24

Jack Hill2 said:Russia might be able to blackmail Germany with gas for another year and a half, but after that, the Germans will let them go under.

They had better strike a deal with the Germans (even if it's under the table) if they plan on having any kind of relationship with Europe at all. If the Germans sink billions into gas from Africa—which they plan to abandon in 20 or 30 years anyway—they won't touch a single drop of Russian fuel in the West for a decade, maybe two...

The EU might face a crisis for two years, while Russia will face it for twenty before they ever win the Germans over again...

Maybe it would be better if they just sat down and talked,

but I personally don't think anyone is asking the Germans for permission or considering what they're allowed to negotiate.

As for all these predictions and crystal ball gazing...

https://www.businessinsider.com/pwc-...38-trillion-24

p.s.

I'm curious how exactly Russia is using gas to blackmail Germany? Is it by cutting off the supply, refusing to deliver the amounts they promised, hiking prices above contract rates, or simply refusing to let Nord Stream 2 go online? 🤷🤷

electrictrucker82 said:Hello there! 🤦 Economic experts?

Have you ever really sat down to consider the impact of inflation? It’s become such a massive topic lately. Practically anyone sitting on a decent pile of cash is scrambling to find somewhere to park it just to keep its value. Even that top 5%—the folks who actually have significant capital to move around—are frantically looking for ways to sink their money into something productive before it loses steam. Now, for you, me, and most people I know, this might not feel like an immediate crisis since we aren't exactly swimming in excess liquidity. But shouldn't we be paying closer attention? If things continue along this current trajectory, we might find ourselves having a very different conversation by next winter. Wouldn't you agree?

So now we're talking about "black" inflation? I thought we had already collectively agreed that sanctions against Russia were the sole culprit for everything. Apparently, if there had been no sanctions and Ukraine had just surrendered, we wouldn't be hearing the cries of hungry people echoing through the streets of Europe today.

African nations are practically itching to have their old friends from the EU come over and sell them gas at a bargain price—you know, done with all that genuine heart and love for the good old days of King Leopold.

Dana Robinson4 said:No unemployment?

The rates are swinging anywhere from 3% in places like Des Moines to 14% in areas like rural Mississippi.

A 4% unemployment rate is generally considered full employment... because there's always a segment of the population that doesn't want to work, can't work, or whatever else.

If you drill down to the local level, you’ll see why unemployment looks the way it does in certain areas. It’s not even about actual joblessness; it’s driven by all sorts of other factors. You've got one group dealing with the shadow economy—people collecting social benefits while working under the table—and then you have people who just flat-out refuse to work, or specific demographics like the Rom community, which is a whole different conversation entirely.

Jobs are available pretty much everywhere, but there’s a subset of people who just don't want those specific roles. If you walk into any big retail chain in Little Rock or hit up any construction firm, etc., etc.—you could start working tomorrow if you wanted to.
Look, I get it, someone with a college degree isn't exactly thrilled to be stocking shelves at Walmart, but that’s a completely separate issue. That has nothing to do with a lack of jobs and everything to do with a bunch of other things—starting with how our education system is set up...

But anyway, this is getting off-topic...😁

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog announced on Thursday that Iran is planning to pull surveillance cameras away from its most critical nuclear facilities. This move essentially blinds international inspectors and puts any potential agreement to rein in Tehran's nuclear program at serious risk.

Reliable partners, as always. 🤦

Jack Hill2 said:Russia might be able to blackmail Germany with gas for another year and a half, but after that, the Germans will let them go under.

They had better strike a deal with the Germans (even if it's under the table) if they plan on having any kind of relationship with Europe at all. If the Germans sink billions into gas from Africa—which they plan to abandon in 20 or 30 years anyway—they won't touch a single drop of Russian fuel in the West for a decade, maybe two...

The EU might face a crisis for two years, while Russia will face it for twenty before they ever win the Germans over again...

Everything would look much brighter if other suppliers were actually showing some solidarity or empathy toward Germany, perhaps even offering energy at Russian prices—or maybe even lower, given the current situation and the noble intentions behind the embargoes...

Inflation in Germany is hitting twice what was originally anticipated
The German economy is expected to grow this year at only half the speed predicted by those who clearly didn't see the writing on the wall back in December; they're looking at just 1.9 percent, whereas the Federal Reserve's projections in December suggested an activity increase of 4.2 percent...

"Our baseline scenario assumes that the war and its fallout won't escalate any further," the Federal Reserve warned...

They also cautioned that if the conflict intensifies and Germany loses access to Russian energy—whether through European embargoes or a sudden Russian shutdown of exports—inflation could skyrocket while the economy takes a massive hit...
In that specific scenario, economic activity could shrink by three percent in 2023, with inflation climbing to around six percent, according to the Federal Reserve's calculations...

Meanwhile, Bloomberg is telling a slightly different story:
The Federal Reserve's outlook, published Friday, shows German inflation averaging 7.1% this year, 4.5% in 2023 and 2.6% in 2024 -- up from 3.6% in 2022 and 2.2% in the other two years earlier.

And as for our fate? Well, wherever Germany goes, we'll likely follow right behind them...

brightheron64 said:Everything would look much brighter if other suppliers were actually showing some solidarity or empathy toward Germany, perhaps even offering energy at Russian prices—or maybe even lower, given the current situation and the noble intentions behind the embargoes...

Inflation in Germany is hitting twice what was originally anticipated
The German economy is expected to grow this year at only half the speed predicted by those who clearly didn't see the writing on the wall back in December; they're looking at just 1.9 percent, whereas the Federal Reserve's projections in December suggested an activity increase of 4.2 percent...

"Our baseline scenario assumes that the war and its fallout won't escalate any further," the Federal Reserve warned...

They also cautioned that if the conflict intensifies and Germany loses access to Russian energy—whether through European embargoes or a sudden Russian shutdown of exports—inflation could skyrocket while the economy takes a massive hit...
In that specific scenario, economic activity could shrink by three percent in 2023, with inflation climbing to around six percent, according to the Federal Reserve's calculations...

Meanwhile, Bloomberg is telling a slightly different story:
The Federal Reserve's outlook, published Friday, shows German inflation averaging 7.1% this year, 4.5% in 2023 and 2.6% in 2024 -- up from 3.6% in 2022 and 2.2% in the other two years earlier.

And as for our fate? Well, wherever Germany goes, we'll likely follow right behind them...

It’s unlikely we’ll see GDP growth below 2%. Besides, our economy is structured totally differently than Germany's, so this whole energy mess doesn't hit us nearly as hard.

It is pretty wild to watch how news gets spun and how people manufacture a specific narrative or "vibe" whenever they feel like it. Even if the worst-case scenario in this article actually happens (which is a massive 'if'), we're still talking about 2% growth. I bet a headline like "Despite the war in Ukraine and the sanctions, the German economy is still growing by at least 2% this year" wouldn't sound nearly as sensationalized as the one we're looking at now...😁

On the flip side, plenty of folks on the forums are convinced that the sanctions are doing more damage to the EU, while Russia will definitely face an economic crash—with recent projections suggesting it could be a staggering 15% drop.

It’s honestly unbelievable how much you can manipulate public perception just by playing word games...

The first road bridge connecting Russia and China just opened... talk about perfect timing 🤣

VIDEO: The first road bridge between Russia and China is officially open

Mark Carter14 said:The first road bridge connecting Russia and China just opened... talk about perfect timing 🤣

VIDEO: The first road bridge between Russia and China is officially open

"Just in time" ????🙄

I have to wonder, just in time for whom exactly?😉