Sanctions on Russia

Anthony Hill5 said:That all sounds wonderful in theory, but it ignores the massive "if" hanging over this entire situation.

If that spreads to more countries and more types of goods , The monopoly of London will be goniti

Since the largest shipping conglomerates are Western-based, isn't this essentially making claims about the USA—an entity that is already teetering on the brink of collapse?

You're completely missing the point here.😁

1. The USA is basically one step away from total collapse.

2. Bakhmut was practically lost.

3. These sanctions are actually doing way more damage to NATO members than they are to Russia. #sanctionsdontwork

Take 5 grams of Copium Ultramax as needed.🤣

wiredseal7 said:Here’s a perfect example of how sanctions can trigger some pretty "unintended" consequences—assuming they don't just kill the victim first. In this case, we're looking at the end of London's total grip on maritime insurance:

https://twitter.com/Kathleen_Tyson_/...167834626?s=20

Besides, nobody's actually answering the big questions here. Like, who’s going to step up and make sure these contracts are actually enforced? Who provides the capital and the collateral? Who sits down to hammer out the terms? Where's the infrastructure for all that? Where would the headquarters even be?

It honestly feels a lot like those theories about the Yuan, Ruble, or Rupee replacing the Dollar—especially when you look at the Bank for International Settlements data showing that 88% of international transactions back in 2022 were still done in greenbacks.

I actually thought this was a pretty solid account for a second, until I noticed they were retweeting an Armchair Warlord as if he's some kind of heavyweight analyst. Oops. 🤣

wiredseal7 said:Here’s a perfect example of how sanctions can trigger some pretty "unintended" consequences—assuming they don't just kill the victim first. In this case, we're looking at the end of London's total grip on maritime insurance:

https://twitter.com/Kathleen_Tyson_/...167834626?s=20

That sounds pretty intense. 🙄

brightheron64 said:Whether you call it romanticism or just plain old aggression... do you truly believe that the only valid way forward is to rely on raw military might—to simply crush, overpower, and steamroll anyone who dares to disagree with us...?

If you sit down and actually crunch the numbers, the sheer cost of the American involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq runs into the trillions of dollars. And that’s just the financial side of things—it doesn't even begin to touch the devastating human toll... If we could have taken all those resources poured into every war since 1945 and instead funneled them into cattle ranching, agricultural breakthroughs, cutting-edge tech, or robust social programs, imagine where we might be today...
I don't even need to bring up the history involving Agent Orange and the sheer devastation it inflicted on the environment—though, if you look at the silver lining, Vietnam managed to climb the ranks to become the second-largest coffee producer in the world because of it... we could just shrug our shoulders and accept it as one of those "shit happens" moments, a dark little blot on our shared history that’s been defined by so much conflict, but surely we were meant to walk away from all that with a few lessons learned, right...

On the other hand, if we were to take those trillions of dollars and transform them into something tangible, something material, and genuinely useful for the world... just consider the cost of livestock. You could look at everything from the absolute gold standard, those elite Holstein and Angus master breeds, down to a perfectly serviceable cow that wouldn't even break the $2,000 mark. When you start converting all those massive military budgets into animals capable of feeding huge swaths of humanity—and let's not even get into the methane issue—you really have to ask how much sense warfare actually makes. Anything you might hope to achieve through brute force could almost certainly be handled more effectively through diplomacy and kindness, all without leaving a trail of lost souls on your conscience... assuming you even have one. I’ll say it again: a carrot is far more interesting and productive than a stick...

With a little bit of common sense, all those people who think they can achieve global dominance through nothing but military doctrines and sheer force should probably realize that there are so many other ways to win... from controlling raw materials to securing food supplies, especially when it comes to food security, which grants a level of invincibility far more potent than any rifle ever could...
Look, George Lewis9, if you’re being bankrolled and politically elevated by a giant like Lockheed Martin, then of course you're going to claim that heavy artillery is the only way forward... But it's funny how those people are always the very last ones to ever see a trench or send their own children off to fight, just to be clear about what I mean here... and meanwhile, Vladimir Putin is out there dancing to that exact same twisted rhythm...

It’s certainly much easier to focus on churning out tanks, building aircraft carriers, or "disciplining" anyone who dares to disagree... rather than actually contemplating how to make things better or working toward the global good... which, let's be honest, offers a far more drastic and completely legitimate form of dominance—if that's truly what you're after—than any weapon ever could...

fgzcvijetic As specified by:
...
Imagine if the USA didn't pour $700 billion into weaponry and billions more into foreign wars... but instead directed all that capital toward...

This thread is about Russia, not the USA—there are other subreddits for that. Why don't you just lay out your actual arguments here so you aren't just being off-topic?

Based on some recent calculations regarding the Russian involvement in...
Let's just imagine for a second: what if Russia wasn't pouring billions of dollars into weapons and warfare, but was instead putting that money toward...

By the way, it would be amazing if we could invest in R&D and science instead of pouring everything into weaponry... It’s a nice dream to have, but given where we are in human history right now, you might want to save that sentiment for when you're actually competing for muscle mass. 🙂🙂

Thomas Walker84 said:

fgzcvijetic As specified by:
...
Imagine if the USA didn't pour $700 billion into weaponry and billions more into foreign wars... but instead directed all that capital toward...

This thread is about Russia, not the USA—there are other subreddits for that. Why don't you just lay out your actual arguments here so you aren't just being off-topic?

Based on some recent calculations regarding the Russian involvement in...
Let's just imagine for a second: what if Russia wasn't pouring billions of dollars into weapons and warfare, but was instead putting that money toward...

By the way, it would be amazing if we could invest in R&D and science instead of pouring everything into weaponry... It’s a nice dream to have, but given where we are in human history right now, you might want to save that sentiment for when you're actually competing for muscle mass. 🙂🙂

Yeah, it’s always the same old story.
Whenever people bring up Russia, the conversation somehow pivots back to America.
When we talk about Ukraine, suddenly it's all about America again!
Discussing sanctions? Once again, it ends up being about America.

I am honestly exhausted by this paid-for pro-Russia obsession; it’s getting incredibly tedious. You could open a can of pate and somehow find a way to blame America.

Aman, you pro-Russia crowd, get some new material! We know you're on the payroll, but enough is enough. They're wasting their money on you! No Pasaran!

feralhawk45 said:I've been to Russia myself. Their manufacturing (ignoring sheer volume) didn't impress me, and neither did the skill level of their experts.
Sure, any hack can build a TV in a garage, but they're using parts made in the West (or under Western control).

If they managed to launch the first satellite and put a man in space, they can certainly manage to build a TV, a fridge, or a car that meets 1990s standards. Naturally, most of the bright minds will flee a country like that, but the nation won't just collapse. All these projections about Russia falling apart are being viewed through our (Western) lens, which is fundamentally flawed. It's like North Korea; people have lived there in misery for seventy years, yet they still sing odes to the Great Leader.

Joshua Myers432 said:If they managed to launch the first satellite and put a man in space, they can certainly manage to build a TV, a fridge, or a car that meets 1990s standards. Naturally, most of the bright minds will flee a country like that, but the nation won't just collapse. All these projections about Russia falling apart are being viewed through our (Western) lens, which is fundamentally flawed. It's like North Korea; people have lived there in misery for seventy years, yet they still sing odes to the Great Leader.

That is precisely what sanctions are designed to do: drag Russia's military and industrial capacity back fifty years. If they end up there, how is Russia supposed to send millions of soldiers to the front lines? What are they going to arm them with—a shovel?

If they lack drones, air defense systems, and functional aircraft, they become an easy target. They might be able to churn out some basic drones, but you can't just "make" modern air defense or advanced fighter jets overnight. Once you take out what they currently have, the war is effectively over.

Joshua Myers432 said:If they managed to launch the first satellite and put a man in space, they can certainly manage to build a TV, a fridge, or a car that meets 1990s standards. Naturally, most of the bright minds will flee a country like that, but the nation won't just collapse. All these projections about Russia falling apart are being viewed through our (Western) lens, which is fundamentally flawed. It's like North Korea; people have lived there in misery for seventy years, yet they still sing odes to the Great Leader.

Tell me, how happy would you actually be going back to 1990s computers, fridges, and cars? How thrilled would you be as a business owner if you had to go back to using tools from that era? It should be obvious to you that when everyone else is moving forward, stagnation is just a fancy word for falling behind.

North Korea has been sitting in total isolation for seventy years now... the USSR and Russia were never truly cut off. Sure, they dealt with sanctions and restrictions, but what we’re seeing with North Korea—it’s basically unprecedented.

Joshua Myers432 said:If they managed to launch the first satellite and put a man in space, they can certainly manage to build a TV, a fridge, or a car that meets 1990s standards. Naturally, most of the bright minds will flee a country like that, but the nation won't just collapse. All these projections about Russia falling apart are being viewed through our (Western) lens, which is fundamentally flawed. It's like North Korea; people have lived there in misery for seventy years, yet they still sing odes to the Great Leader.

North Korea, despite all the sanctions and poverty, is actually doing better now than ever before. It’s tragic, but I guess it’s true. And Russia? They were living much better a year ago than they are today.

Aside from sending the first human and satellite into space during the 20th century, Russia also wiped out their Tsar, his entire family, and his whole army in that same century—so much so that nobody even knows where their graves are anymore. That's something to keep in mind, I suppose.

Between Russia and the rest of the Eastern Bloc under the influence of the USSR, they used to churn out everything from fridges to Lades. Then, their whole social structure just fell apart. Suddenly, they had McDonald's, Levi's, and rock 'n' roll hitting them all at once. That was only one generation ago, maybe.

And of course, there's that old saying: if you had it then, you wouldn't have it now.

boldotter2 said:North Korea, despite all the sanctions and poverty, is actually doing better now than ever before. It’s tragic, but I guess it’s true. And Russia? They were living much better a year ago than they are today.

Aside from sending the first human and satellite into space during the 20th century, Russia also wiped out their Tsar, his entire family, and his whole army in that same century—so much so that nobody even knows where their graves are anymore. That's something to keep in mind, I suppose.

Between Russia and the rest of the Eastern Bloc under the influence of the USSR, they used to churn out everything from fridges to Lades. Then, their whole social structure just fell apart. Suddenly, they had McDonald's, Levi's, and rock 'n' roll hitting them all at once. That was only one generation ago, maybe.

And of course, there's that old saying: if you had it then, you wouldn't have it now.

If you look at nominal GDP per capita (based on the latest numbers available):

North Korea: USD 1,300
Russia: USD 12,194
China: USD 12,556
United States: USD 17,685
Taiwan: USD 32,811

The numbers pretty much speak for themselves, don't they?

Let’s look at the other side of the coin—how the rest of the world actually views things. Close Western allies, like those Gulf monarchies, are pivoting hard toward China and Russia. Israel is playing dumb, and Mexico is openly pushing back against American policy. South Americans were just waiting for their moment; they haven't forgotten decades of CIA-related terrorism. Even Africa still views itself as a colony of the European Union, while maintaining excellent ties with Russia dating back to the USSR era, where they enjoyed much more equal footing than Western politics ever allowed. It’s hardly surprising that they are shedding European influence so fast; look at how French troops were recently kicked out of several countries. Then there's this whole circus regarding Ukrainian grain, supposedly meant to "save starving Africans," yet it mostly just ends up in Europe while every effort is made to block shipments from Russia. I highly doubt African nations are impressed by such hypocrisy.
After over a year of pressure, not a single non-Western nation has joined the sanctions. In fact, what some people on this forum predicted is actually happening: the rise of the petro-yuan. It doesn't take a genius to see how the petro-dollar serves as America's primary lever of coercion, paired with endless wars and the destruction of any nation that won't fall in line. Immediately following that shift, Argentina negotiated a swap into yuan, Egypt made its announcement, India moved to bilateral exchanges, and Brazil...

It’s no wonder a clueless guy like Kirby only makes matters worse with his idiotic statements:

US national Security Council spokesman John Kirby accused lula of "parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-65307553

Decades of the Western philosophy "what is permitted to Jupiter is not permitted to the bull" are finally coming due, and the events in Ukraine are the catalyst accelerating everything. This is especially true regarding sanctions, because the rest of the world is rightfully asking, "Are we next?" I recently read somewhere that a third of all countries are currently under some form of sanctions; I'll try to find the link.

Somebody from a developing country said to me, 'what we get from China is an airport. What we get from the United States is a lecture.

https://twitter.com/LHSummers/status...67949297700872

This whole circus regarding Ukrainian grain—the kind they claim will "save starving Africans"—is a joke. Most of it just ends up sitting in Europe, all while they scramble to block any shipments coming out of Russia. Honestly, I highly doubt those African nations are particularly thrilled by such blatant hypocrisy.

This is a textbook case of twisting the truth and massaging facts to suit the agenda of Terroristan.

It’s as if grain only flows toward Eastern or Western Europe. As if we haven't seen thousands of ships and millions of tons of wheat, corn, or grain being sent to Africa, the Middle East, or any other corner of the globe that actually needed it.

And besides, look at how quickly things change; as soon as the farmers in Poland or Slovakia started protesting, they suddenly found a way to "fix" that problem too.

It’s the same pattern. Just like how we froze without Russian gas or stopped driving because of Russian oil, our agriculture and our farmers are headed for the exact same fate.

Just as I predicted before the conflict even kicked off, once Russia finally collapses, those who were once obsessed with Moscow will suddenly pivot to becoming absolute sycophants for Beijing. Long live the petro-yuan! 🤣

HELLO EVERYONE,

steelfox98 said:Let’s look at the other side of the coin—how the rest of the world actually views things. Close Western allies, like those Gulf monarchies, are pivoting hard toward China and Russia. Israel is playing dumb, and Mexico is openly pushing back against American policy. South Americans were just waiting for their moment; they haven't forgotten decades of CIA-related terrorism. Even Africa still views itself as a colony of the European Union, while maintaining excellent ties with Russia dating back to the USSR era, where they enjoyed much more equal footing than Western politics ever allowed. It’s hardly surprising that they are shedding European influence so fast; look at how French troops were recently kicked out of several countries. Then there's this whole circus regarding Ukrainian grain, supposedly meant to "save starving Africans," yet it mostly just ends up in Europe while every effort is made to block shipments from Russia. I highly doubt African nations are impressed by such hypocrisy.
After over a year of pressure, not a single non-Western nation has joined the sanctions. In fact, what some people on this forum predicted is actually happening: the rise of the petro-yuan. It doesn't take a genius to see how the petro-dollar serves as America's primary lever of coercion, paired with endless wars and the destruction of any nation that won't fall in line. Immediately following that shift, Argentina negotiated a swap into yuan, Egypt made its announcement, India moved to bilateral exchanges, and Brazil...

It’s no wonder a clueless guy like Kirby only makes matters worse with his idiotic statements:

US national Security Council spokesman John Kirby accused lula of "parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-65307553

Decades of the Western philosophy "what is permitted to Jupiter is not permitted to the bull" are finally coming due, and the events in Ukraine are the catalyst accelerating everything. This is especially true regarding sanctions, because the rest of the world is rightfully asking, "Are we next?" I recently read somewhere that a third of all countries are currently under some form of sanctions; I'll try to find the link.

Somebody from a developing country said to me, 'what we get from China is an airport. What we get from the United States is a lecture.

https://twitter.com/LHSummers/status...67949297700872

🤦

And here we go again, more childish wet dreams from the pro-Russian / pro-Chinese apologists... though, much to their great disappointment, it's all just fairy tales for children... ☕

steelfox98 said:Let’s look at the other side of the coin—how the rest of the world actually views things. Close Western allies, like those Gulf monarchies, are pivoting hard toward China and Russia. Israel is playing dumb, and Mexico is openly pushing back against American policy. South Americans were just waiting for their moment; they haven't forgotten decades of CIA-related terrorism. Even Africa still views itself as a colony of the European Union, while maintaining excellent ties with Russia dating back to the USSR era, where they enjoyed much more equal footing than Western politics ever allowed. It’s hardly surprising that they are shedding European influence so fast; look at how French troops were recently kicked out of several countries. Then there's this whole circus regarding Ukrainian grain, supposedly meant to "save starving Africans," yet it mostly just ends up in Europe while every effort is made to block shipments from Russia. I highly doubt African nations are impressed by such hypocrisy.
After over a year of pressure, not a single non-Western nation has joined the sanctions. In fact, what some people on this forum predicted is actually happening: the rise of the petro-yuan. It doesn't take a genius to see how the petro-dollar serves as America's primary lever of coercion, paired with endless wars and the destruction of any nation that won't fall in line. Immediately following that shift, Argentina negotiated a swap into yuan, Egypt made its announcement, India moved to bilateral exchanges, and Brazil...

It’s no wonder a clueless guy like Kirby only makes matters worse with his idiotic statements:

US national Security Council spokesman John Kirby accused lula of "parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-65307553

Decades of the Western philosophy "what is permitted to Jupiter is not permitted to the bull" are finally coming due, and the events in Ukraine are the catalyst accelerating everything. This is especially true regarding sanctions, because the rest of the world is rightfully asking, "Are we next?" I recently read somewhere that a third of all countries are currently under some form of sanctions; I'll try to find the link.

Somebody from a developing country said to me, 'what we get from China is an airport. What we get from the United States is a lecture.

https://twitter.com/LHSummers/status...67949297700872

The British left railways and infrastructure all over their empire—but let’s be real, it wasn't about local growth; it was about exploitation.

Anthony Jones15 said:

This whole circus regarding Ukrainian grain—the kind they claim will "save starving Africans"—is a joke. Most of it just ends up sitting in Europe, all while they scramble to block any shipments coming out of Russia. Honestly, I highly doubt those African nations are particularly thrilled by such blatant hypocrisy.

This is a textbook case of twisting the truth and massaging facts to suit the agenda of Terroristan.

It’s as if grain only flows toward Eastern or Western Europe. As if we haven't seen thousands of ships and millions of tons of wheat, corn, or grain being sent to Africa, the Middle East, or any other corner of the globe that actually needed it.

And besides, look at how quickly things change; as soon as the farmers in Poland or Slovakia started protesting, they suddenly found a way to "fix" that problem too.

It’s the same pattern. Just like how we froze without Russian gas or stopped driving because of Russian oil, our agriculture and our farmers are headed for the exact same fate.

How much goes to Africa? That was supposedly the whole reason for the grain deal.
The examples from Poland or Slovakia actually prove my point. Thanks.

analogbear5 said:The British left railways and infrastructure all over their empire—but let’s be real, it wasn't about local growth; it was about exploitation.

True. The Britons were—and are—the worst. Subjugated nations didn't really have a choice back then, unlike today when they willingly choose China. You only have to look at how they built the Pelješac Bridge while we were still struggling with access roads. Not trying to lecture anyone here.

.

steelfox98 said:How much goes to Africa? That was supposedly the whole reason for the grain deal.
The examples from Poland or Slovakia actually prove my point. Thanks.

True. The Britons were—and are—the worst. Subjugated nations didn't really have a choice back then, unlike today when they willingly choose China. You only have to look at how they built the Pelješac Bridge while we were still struggling with access roads. Not trying to lecture anyone here.

Why don't you tell us who actually footed the bill? The Chinese?

George Robinson43 said:Why don't you tell us who actually footed the bill? The Chinese?

Turner Construction just nods along in total agreement.