Sanctions on Russia

Ambientt said:We all know that the whole thing boiled over during those NATO talks in Washington, D.C. back in 2008, when they went promising membership to Ukraine and Georgia. Not long after that, we saw the short war in Georgia, and then a few years later, things kicked off in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, Russia.

Honestly, I think if NATO hadn't made those promises, there wouldn't have been a war in Georgia or even what's happening in Ukraine right now.

If that's how you see it, you're being pretty naive.
But hey, it's your opinion.

Look, countries like Ukraine and Georgia weren't even allowed to think about joining NATO or the European Union. Instead, Putin’s whole grand scheme was to force them into some sort of Eurasian Union—basically a rebranded version of the USSR 2.0. If they had actually managed to secure membership in the EU or NATO, it would have completely blocked Russia from being able to bully those nations into submission to rebuild their old Soviet empire. It's pretty straightforward: Russia was essentially demanding that the West just hand those countries over on a silver platter, leaving them entirely at their mercy.

hiddeneagle98 said:Look, countries like Ukraine and Georgia weren't even allowed to think about joining NATO or the European Union. Instead, Putin’s whole grand scheme was to force them into some sort of Eurasian Union—basically a rebranded version of the USSR 2.0. If they had actually managed to secure membership in the EU or NATO, it would have completely blocked Russia from being able to bully those nations into submission to rebuild their old Soviet empire. It's pretty straightforward: Russia was essentially demanding that the West just hand those countries over on a silver platter, leaving them entirely at their mercy.

You see, there lies the fundamental flaw, and the reason why Putin will ultimately emerge as a loser, even if Ukraine were handed to him on a silver platter today. Consider this: the European Union, or the West, or the American sphere of influence—whatever label you prefer—expands because nations actively BEG to join, waiting patiently in the wings and checking every box just for a chance at membership, seeing as such affiliation guarantees prosperity.
Yet, Putin fantasizes about spheres of influence, some sort of USSR 2.0 that can only be maintained through raw, brutal force, which inevitably collapses the moment that force is withdrawn.
The Putinophiles will never grasp this reality.
Look at China as a comparable example; despite the endless chatter from high-society dilettantes regarding the superiority of their model, they struggle to find voluntary allies, as no one truly wishes to align themselves with them. Does that not speak volumes?
One does not require immense intellect to observe the world and track the movement of the masses:
Are people drifting on rafts from Miami toward Cuba, or the other way around?
Is there a mass migration into China?
And look at the people from Ukraine—the most recent example—are they rushing into Russia? Even when corridors are opened, they refuse to go, preferring to stay under shelling rather than live in the "glory" of Putin's Russia.
Thus, the conclusion is quite simple.

Oh yeah, it’s all the West's fault, right? Otherwise, everyone would just be lining up to move to Putin's Russia... oh wait,

https://www.reuters.com/business/rus...31-2022-03-10/

I mean, besides the fact that Russia keeps screwing over its own allies—like banning grain exports to the European Union right now—it's truly a mystery why anyone with even a remote chance of escaping actually tries to get out. /s

So, according to this estimate, maybe around 200,000 Russians have already fled Russia since this whole mess kicked off: ...

Larry Fox5 said:Look, we’re just throwing out guesses here—you can’t predict this stuff without a crystal ball. All these sanctions being slapped on Russia are going to hit the West too, no question. It’s hard to say exactly how bad, but here in the US, they're already forecasting inflation north of 8% this year. Wheat prices are skyrocketing, and we're looking at massive shortages...
I don't know how much you guys actually realize, but even in places like Germany, you can barely find sunflower oil in stores right now—people are paying over $10 a liter on eBay! Seriously, go check it yourself if you don't believe me.
And don't even get me started on oil and gas. Diesel in Western Europe is hitting $2.50/L, and electricity and heating costs have absolutely exploded. This is going to bleed into every other sector because higher transport costs automatically drive up everything else. Families will have way less cash for vacations, so the tourism industry is going to take a massive hit too.

It’s just a vicious cycle that leads straight back to recession, business bankruptcies, unemployment spikes...

Stop being naive and thinking these sanctions are only hitting Russia.

Total bedastoca, I just checked. I actually picked some up at the Walmart yesterday.
It kind of reminds me of those toilet paper panics and everyone hoarding stuff at the start of the COVID-19 crisis. In Germany, people were seriously rushing out to stock up, but from what I could tell, the market settled down pretty quickly after that.

Anyone with half a brain should be looking for an exit from Russia as fast as they can. The people staying behind are mostly hardened criminals or those lacking the skills to find any real work in today's economy.

It’s essentially the perfect recruiting pool for Putin's security apparatus, and honestly, they don't need much more than that.

slyfox43 said:Anyone with half a brain should be looking for an exit from Russia as fast as they can. The people staying behind are mostly hardened criminals or those lacking the skills to find any real work in today's economy.

It’s essentially the perfect recruiting pool for Putin's security apparatus, and honestly, they don't need much more than that.

The middle class—the ones who can actually afford to go into exile—already fled. The poor? They're stuck.

I was listening to N24 on German radio today, specifically an analysis regarding the aggression in Ukraine. They were claiming that since the start of the invasion back on February 24th, Russia has actually managed to rake in $10 billion from the West through the export of gas, oil, and coal.
They also floated an estimate suggesting that this war is draining Russia at a rate of $1 billion per day—which would put their total losses at roughly $18 billion so far.

It’s incredibly difficult to pin down what the actual, accurate figures are. I’ve heard everything from $1 billion to $20 billion being lost daily due to this aggression... so it really begs the question: how much longer can they actually sustain this before they hit total bankruptcy?

Of course, when you calculate those massive daily war costs, you absolutely have to factor in the compounding impact of all those sanctions...🤔

Honestly, it’s getting harder and harder to find even a single shred of evidence that could be considered a legitimate argument on the Russian side.🤔

Best regards,

Bryan Booth82 said:I was listening to N24 on German radio today, specifically an analysis regarding the aggression in Ukraine. They were claiming that since the start of the invasion back on February 24th, Russia has actually managed to rake in $10 billion from the West through the export of gas, oil, and coal.
They also floated an estimate suggesting that this war is draining Russia at a rate of $1 billion per day—which would put their total losses at roughly $18 billion so far.

It’s incredibly difficult to pin down what the actual, accurate figures are. I’ve heard everything from $1 billion to $20 billion being lost daily due to this aggression... so it really begs the question: how much longer can they actually sustain this before they hit total bankruptcy?

Of course, when you calculate those massive daily war costs, you absolutely have to factor in the compounding impact of all those sanctions...🤔

Honestly, it’s getting harder and harder to find even a single shred of evidence that could be considered a legitimate argument on the Russian side.🤔

Best regards,

And if you look at the hardware losses, once you tally everything up on Oryx, it's climbing past $4 billion. Even Oryx itself has posted that Russian losses are getting so massive they can't even keep the list updated fast enough anymore and are starting to fall behind.

Jack Kelly5 said:Total bedastoca, I just checked. I actually picked some up at the Walmart yesterday.
It kind of reminds me of those toilet paper panics and everyone hoarding stuff at the start of the COVID-19 crisis. In Germany, people were seriously rushing out to stock up, but from what I could tell, the market settled down pretty quickly after that.

This is straight from today's New York Post. I seriously doubt they have any real reason to stir up panic. Most likely, people just started hoarding because they're scared of shortages—which naturally leads to empty shelves. Besides, they already explained why there isn't enough oil.

So you managed to find oil in some random German village the size of Chicago at a Walmart? That just proves it's available everywhere... Honestly, where do you guys even come from. 🤣

https://www.bild.de/geld/wirtschaft/...7584.bild.html

Larry Fox5 said:This is straight from today's New York Post. I seriously doubt they have any real reason to stir up panic. Most likely, people just started hoarding because they're scared of shortages—which naturally leads to empty shelves. Besides, they already explained why there isn't enough oil.

So you managed to find oil in some random German village the size of Chicago at a Walmart? That just proves it's available everywhere... Honestly, where do you guys even come from. 🤣

https://www.bild.de/geld/wirtschaft/...7584.bild.html

Oh sure, you read it in the New York Post so you're an expert, while everyone living in a German village the size of Chicago is totally clueless.
I honestly don't know where you people come from...
😬

I honestly can't decide if I'm being a total cave troll or if there's actually some merit to what I'm saying here, but let's just dive into it. Mark Clark6 says:
It looks like Russia has made their choice once again, and this time around, they aren't dragging any part of the West along for the ride. Then he heads off on a journey into that part of the Russian world where the West simply doesn't exist anymore—a place where the entire nation has basically decided to collectively turn its back on every single Western value we hold dear.
I mean, sure, this whole new approach feels like a total carbon copy of Kim Il-sung’s Juche ideology, but honestly? I think any free thinker in the West who has finally realized that our side has completely lost its way will just naturally gravitate toward this enlightenment. There’s plenty of room for everyone, from the outskirts of Voronezh all the way to Vladivostok. 👋

I honestly find this whole theory about "Western consumerist values" being baked into brands like Dior, Chanel, Apple, McDonald's, or even Cole Haan to be pretty hilarious. It’s such a reach.
Honestly, any sane person who actually gives a damn about their own survival could live without that kind of nonsense.

Larry Fox5 said:This is straight from today's New York Post. I seriously doubt they have any real reason to stir up panic. Most likely, people just started hoarding because they're scared of shortages—which naturally leads to empty shelves. Besides, they already explained why there isn't enough oil.

So you managed to find oil in some random German village the size of Chicago at a Walmart? That just proves it's available everywhere... Honestly, where do you guys even come from. 🤣

https://www.bild.de/geld/wirtschaft/...7584.bild.html

I don't know about other places... but you can find cooking oil on almost every corner here in Munich, and I haven't seen anyone in the media—whether it's on TV, the radio, or in the papers (admittedly, I don't read the New York Post)—mentioning anything about an impending shortage or a spike in demand.🤔
Then again, maybe I'm wrong.

lp

restlessmason54 said:

I honestly can't decide if I'm being a total cave troll or if there's actually some merit to what I'm saying here, but let's just dive into it. Mark Clark6 says:
It looks like Russia has made their choice once again, and this time around, they aren't dragging any part of the West along for the ride. Then he heads off on a journey into that part of the Russian world where the West simply doesn't exist anymore—a place where the entire nation has basically decided to collectively turn its back on every single Western value we hold dear.
I mean, sure, this whole new approach feels like a total carbon copy of Kim Il-sung’s Juche ideology, but honestly? I think any free thinker in the West who has finally realized that our side has completely lost its way will just naturally gravitate toward this enlightenment. There’s plenty of room for everyone, from the outskirts of Voronezh all the way to Vladivostok. 👋

I honestly find this whole theory about "Western consumerist values" being baked into brands like Dior, Chanel, Apple, McDonald's, or even Cole Haan to be pretty hilarious. It’s such a reach.
Honestly, any sane person who actually gives a damn about their own survival could live without that kind of nonsense.

Come on, pick a side and be consistent for once. It’s hard to take the criticism seriously when you're posting on a forum powered by Western tech, using Western hardware, and communicating via the Western internet.

Sure, you could survive without it, but honestly, the world would manage just fine without you.

Christian Torres3 said:The middle class—the ones who can actually afford to go into exile—already fled. The poor? They're stuck.

I also neglected to mention our colleague grozan. He isn't exactly a hardened criminal nor lacking in intellect, so my previous assumption doesn't quite hold water.

restlessmason54 said:

I honestly can't decide if I'm being a total cave troll or if there's actually some merit to what I'm saying here, but let's just dive into it. Mark Clark6 says:
It looks like Russia has made their choice once again, and this time around, they aren't dragging any part of the West along for the ride. Then he heads off on a journey into that part of the Russian world where the West simply doesn't exist anymore—a place where the entire nation has basically decided to collectively turn its back on every single Western value we hold dear.
I mean, sure, this whole new approach feels like a total carbon copy of Kim Il-sung’s Juche ideology, but honestly? I think any free thinker in the West who has finally realized that our side has completely lost its way will just naturally gravitate toward this enlightenment. There’s plenty of room for everyone, from the outskirts of Voronezh all the way to Vladivostok. 👋

I honestly find this whole theory about "Western consumerist values" being baked into brands like Dior, Chanel, Apple, McDonald's, or even Cole Haan to be pretty hilarious. It’s such a reach.
Honestly, any sane person who actually gives a damn about their own survival could live without that kind of nonsense.

See, here's the thing—Western values are really about democracy, the rule of law, individual liberties, and all that good stuff. Everything you just listed is just a byproduct of those things.
Consumerism is nothing more than a behavioral pattern. The West is wealthy specifically because of liberalism, democracy, and those core principles, which in turn provides citizens with the means to consume. The fact that nobody is forcing them to buy this stuff—meaning, if they wanted to live modestly, much like how Russians will soon be living, they absolutely could—but they choose to spend on (often totally unnecessary) material goods anyway, tells me there's something deeper driving that consumerism after all.

restlessmason54 said:

I honestly can't decide if I'm being a total cave troll or if there's actually some merit to what I'm saying here, but let's just dive into it. Mark Clark6 says:
It looks like Russia has made their choice once again, and this time around, they aren't dragging any part of the West along for the ride. Then he heads off on a journey into that part of the Russian world where the West simply doesn't exist anymore—a place where the entire nation has basically decided to collectively turn its back on every single Western value we hold dear.
I mean, sure, this whole new approach feels like a total carbon copy of Kim Il-sung’s Juche ideology, but honestly? I think any free thinker in the West who has finally realized that our side has completely lost its way will just naturally gravitate toward this enlightenment. There’s plenty of room for everyone, from the outskirts of Voronezh all the way to Vladivostok. 👋

I honestly find this whole theory about "Western consumerist values" being baked into brands like Dior, Chanel, Apple, McDonald's, or even Cole Haan to be pretty hilarious. It’s such a reach.
Honestly, any sane person who actually gives a damn about their own survival could live without that kind of nonsense.

At this rate, we're just one step away from using esotericism to justify outright aggression. 🤦

Bryan Booth82 said:I don't know about other places... but you can find cooking oil on almost every corner here in Munich, and I haven't seen anyone in the media—whether it's on TV, the radio, or in the papers (admittedly, I don't read the New York Post)—mentioning anything about an impending shortage or a spike in demand.🤔
Then again, maybe I'm wrong.

lp

I don't even follow him—just stumbled onto this news because they always seem to have the fastest updates coming out of Ukraine. Honestly, I don't know much about the micro-level stuff and maybe there really is a shortage happening around here in Baden... but I bet there are plenty of cities in Germany dealing with it too. That link you sent shows people over in Potsdam scouring different stores and coming up empty-handed...

Look, the point is—it wouldn't even surprise me if we start seeing shortages of certain goods during this crisis, or if they just become way too expensive to buy... I mean, look at the price of Nickel—it’s shot up from $28,000 to $64,000 since the war started...
Just imagine—every single industry that relies on this stuff to even function. It’s a total nightmare...

Initially, we are going to face significant hurdles and price hikes across various sectors. However, over a more extended period, the market will inevitably regulate itself and recover, discovering alternative methods and supply chains to compensate for current shortages. While prices may stabilize at a slightly higher baseline than we are used to, they shouldn't remain at these extreme levels indefinitely.

Look, there will be a period of hardship where we simply have to endure and adapt, but in the long run, the market will correct its course and restore equilibrium.