Sanctions on Russia

Frank4 said:The USA just fell apart without any major wars, nothing like what we saw over in our neck of the woods back home...
Boris Yeltsin was the one who broke up the USA...

But there were conflicts in Georgia, Moldova, Armenia vs Azerbaijan, and Chechnya had two wars...

urbanotter said:In reality, very little has actually changed; it’s just been packaged a bit more nicely. One time it's framed as a fight against hateful communism, and the next, it's presented as liberating people from tyranny and gifting them democracy.
I honestly wonder how much an average person in Iraq, Iran, or Saudi Arabia actually cares about the concept of democracy.

Putin has been issuing warnings constantly, but apparently, no one was listening.
If Trump had stayed in office as a "businessman," maybe we wouldn't be facing this conflict, but with the questionable choice of Biden, things have shifted fundamentally.

Historically, Russia has endured three devastating wars—Napoleonic, WW1, and WW2—suffering massive destruction and losing tens of millions of lives.
It’s entirely possible that this is why Putin is so wary; he feels pressured by a power that, instead of engaging in civil war or direct combat on its own soil, used strategic circumstances to push itself into becoming the world's sole hegemon or the "only military superpower."
Lately, however, the tide is starting to turn. China is entering the fray, Russia is finding its footing again, and then there's India, which certainly won't be sitting idly by.
This suggests that the old status quo and influence are slipping away, something some people are having a very hard time swallowing or accepting.
This isn't just a localized conflict between Ukraine and Russia; it's about a global shift and the redistribution of power.
Yet, some people remain fixated solely on heart-wrenching news reports and smartphone footage, failing to see that a massive tsunami is approaching if we don't establish a new balance of influence.

Nono, before they can even sit at the negotiating table, they need to master basic sanitation in India. Only then can they truly engage in a conversation with their peers.

Not to mention how Eritrea is turning into an East African tiger

George Robinson43 said:Nono, before they can even sit at the negotiating table, they need to master basic sanitation in India. Only then can they truly engage in a conversation with their peers.

And let's not forget the part where they drink straight from the Ganges and eat fish swimming in carcasses.

George Robinson43 said:Nono, before they can even sit at the negotiating table, they need to master basic sanitation in India. Only then can they truly engage in a conversation with their peers.

Be glad our population growth is slow (compared to the massive numbers coming out of India and China)... I mean, what am I supposed to do? Build a trillion-dollar sewage system for a billion and a half people every single day?

And for heaven's sake, don't shake hands in India...

crimsoncyclist71 said:This is what you support:
https://twitter.com/TpyxaNews/status...aA5JIHYzk6ru4w

Have you no shame?

I mean, the guy's 80 years old—clearly just a hardcore commie missing the old days. It's pretty obvious.

https://twitter.com/Shtirlitz53/stat...5Es1_&ref_url=

And just like that, prosperity is finally knocking on the door. It’s happening.

Richard Wilson4 said:Is it truly a viable strategy to impose sanctions on the world's largest economy?

It seems unlikely that China would ever truly return to the level of influence currently held by Russia, if they even managed to reach such a standing at all.

crimsoncyclist71 said:This is what you support:
https://twitter.com/TpyxaNews/status...aA5JIHYzk6ru4w

Have you no shame?

Richard Wilson4 said:But there were conflicts in Georgia, Moldova, Armenia vs Azerbaijan, and Chechnya had two wars...

anamoonaj said:Adult content is perfectly acceptable, especially when it originates from the West.👍
Regarding the topic of adult content, if you are truly interested in pursuing that conversation, you might find more substance by moving over to the dedicated thread for it; personally, I don't find it particularly compelling to dwell on such matters here.

Anyway, let's get back to the heart of the matter. Do you honestly expect me to stand in solidarity with South Korea, Eritrea, Iran, or Syria—nations whose governments have actively backed the criminal aggression seen in Ukraine?🤔

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It seems the USA finds itself locked in a righteous crusade to defend global freedom and democratic values, while Russia acts more like a scavenger picking at the remains of others.

There are always collateral damages in these situations; someone inevitably has to pay the price, and more often than not, it is the ordinary citizens who bear the brunt of the consequences.

There are certain corners of the globe—places like South Korea, Eritrea, Iran, and Syria—that seem to have slipped through the cracks of the global consciousness, existing as nations that much of the world has simply forgotten are even there.

Some individuals may find themselves aligned with pacifist ideals, particularly those who hold Christian convictions, as they simply cannot reconcile their faith with the act of unjustified killing.

Anthony Hill5 said:One would have hoped that after everything we've witnessed over the last twenty days, you might have finally opened your eyes, yet here you are, still burying your head in the sand. It is truly pathetic.

If I may ask you a question: Is Khodorkovsky somehow the sole criminal among the oligarchs, which is why he's the only one facing justice? Are we really to believe that every other oligarch is a paragon of virtue, enjoying the fruits of their "hard work" while he alone suffers? What, precisely, is the distinction between Khodorkovsky and the rest of them?

A huge chunk of that wealth belongs to former criminals, relatives, buddies, and the various mistresses of officials—you name it. It’s stuff that should probably be investigated back in Russia, assuming they ever see more stable times.

That doesn't mean it's the job of the European Union or the USA to step in, slap on sanctions, and just seize all that property through freezing accounts. That money belongs to Russia and the Russian people.

Besides, what does any of that have to do with Ukraine? Why is this being bundled into these "crisis" sanctions? Since when did anyone care about oligarchs who spent the last two decades treating the European Union like an open buffet?
If they had just kept that extra cash at home instead of funneling it abroad, maybe things would be different.

We are constantly bombarded with headlines claiming that Russia is on the brink of bankruptcy and will inevitably default on its bonds, suggesting that creditors can simply move to seize the frozen financial assets held abroad to recoup their losses...

urbanotter said:And don't even get me started on how "devastating" it is to stop reading Leo Tolstoy, Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Sholokhov, or Ivan Turgenev.

Or perhaps banning performances at the Bolshoi Theatre.🙏

Those are such catastrophic losses for Russia that they simply won't be able to survive.🙏

But really, what can you do?
Europe has made its firm decision to distance itself from Russia and move away from Russian gas dependency.
Now, they'll just rely on American and Arab supplies at whatever unpredictable "market" prices come their way.

The results are already clear and tangible.

Gas prices in Europe have hit an all-time high right as American LNG exporters have finally completed years of development on projects designed to flood international markets with shale gas supply.

According to traders, major American producers—like Cheniere Energy, the largest exporter in the States—are among those reaping massive profits from the price surge, thanks to numerous long-term LNG sales contracts signed over the last few months.

https://seebiz.eu/energetika/americk...-krizi/272458/

Not a fan of Dostoevsky? Don't forget Putin's old favorite, Solzhenitsyn.

Look, I'm definitely not advocating for censoring Russian artists, even if they happen to support Putin.

Jeremy Turner9 said:It seems the USA finds itself locked in a righteous crusade to defend global freedom and democratic values, while Russia acts more like a scavenger picking at the remains of others.

There are always collateral damages in these situations; someone inevitably has to pay the price, and more often than not, it is the ordinary citizens who bear the brunt of the consequences.

There are certain corners of the globe—places like South Korea, Eritrea, Iran, and Syria—that seem to have slipped through the cracks of the global consciousness, existing as nations that much of the world has simply forgotten are even there.

Some individuals may find themselves aligned with pacifist ideals, particularly those who hold Christian convictions, as they simply cannot reconcile their faith with the act of unjustified killing.

...so sure, call Russia "scavengers" if it makes you feel better.
To be Konretno about it, the Russians are engaged in a criminal aggression against neighboring Ukraine, where their primary objective is, among other things... to annihilate democracy itself.

Best,

analogbear5 said:Not a fan of Dostoevsky? Don't forget Putin's old favorite, Solzhenitsyn.

Look, I'm definitely not advocating for censoring Russian artists, even if they happen to support Putin.

Dostoevsky, Rachmaninoff, Tolstoy, Gogol, Tchaikovsky, Pushkin... everything epic that ever came out of Russia was buried a long time ago.
I mean, what kind of artists can even come out of today's world?

Jeremy Turner9 said:We are constantly bombarded with headlines claiming that Russia is on the brink of bankruptcy and will inevitably default on its bonds, suggesting that creditors can simply move to seize the frozen financial assets held abroad to recoup their losses...

Look, I used to think along those exact same lines, but then I started looking at the actual numbers. Do you realize that the current damage Russia has inflicted on Ukraine—not even counting the horrific loss of life, just the physical destruction—is being estimated at a staggering $500 billion?

At the end of the day, someone has to foot that bill. So when you consider that the frozen funds amount to roughly $300 billion, does that not seem like a drop in the bucket? It’s frankly peanuts compared to the total devastation.

Best,

wiredseal7 said:A huge chunk of that wealth belongs to former criminals, relatives, buddies, and the various mistresses of officials—you name it. It’s stuff that should probably be investigated back in Russia, assuming they ever see more stable times.

That doesn't mean it's the job of the European Union or the USA to step in, slap on sanctions, and just seize all that property through freezing accounts. That money belongs to Russia and the Russian people.

Besides, what does any of that have to do with Ukraine? Why is this being bundled into these "crisis" sanctions? Since when did anyone care about oligarchs who spent the last two decades treating the European Union like an open buffet?
If they had just kept that extra cash at home instead of funneling it abroad, maybe things would be different.

Don't you see that the West has decided Russians need to come out of this war as net losers, one way or another? Since direct military action on Russian soil isn't an option, the damage is being redirected elsewhere. If this war is just politics by other means, I don't see why you're getting so worked up over the sanctions. Are the grenades falling on cities considered private property now?

Larry Fox5 said:Dostoevsky, Rachmaninoff, Tolstoy, Gogol, Tchaikovsky, Pushkin... everything epic that ever came out of Russia was buried a long time ago.
I mean, what kind of artists can even come out of today's world?

What about Warhol with his twenty-colored soup cans or Banksy?

The most fascinating bit regarding the sanctions is the rumor that Russia might actually follow through with paying out interest on their bonds in hard currency tomorrow, just as originally agreed. This comes despite them passing special domestic legislation intended to let them off the hook. Of course, that’s just an internal law that carries zero weight in the global market. Everyone who jumped in recently is holding their breath, wondering if they should start celebrating. If this actually happens, I think it’s a clear signal that Russia realizes they simply have no viable alternative to Western financial flows. They understand that declaring bankruptcy by defaulting on obligations to the "evil West" would set them back so much in the long run that, despite everything, they'll be forced to pay.

Sure, you can dissolve these state-mandated management teams or try to reclaim seized aircraft, but once a nation earns the stigma of sovereign default, that’s a label that is incredibly difficult to scrub away.

Dennis Price said:Don't you see that the West has decided Russians need to come out of this war as net losers, one way or another? Since direct military action on Russian soil isn't an option, the damage is being redirected elsewhere. If this war is just politics by other means, I don't see why you're getting so worked up over the sanctions. Are the grenades falling on cities considered private property now?

I hear you—but let's not pretend freezing an oligarch's assets is some grand act of justice. Honestly? It's just a convenient excuse to loot them a little bit.

Michelle Nelson4 said:The most fascinating bit regarding the sanctions is the rumor that Russia might actually follow through with paying out interest on their bonds in hard currency tomorrow, just as originally agreed. This comes despite them passing special domestic legislation intended to let them off the hook. Of course, that’s just an internal law that carries zero weight in the global market. Everyone who jumped in recently is holding their breath, wondering if they should start celebrating. If this actually happens, I think it’s a clear signal that Russia realizes they simply have no viable alternative to Western financial flows. They understand that declaring bankruptcy by defaulting on obligations to the "evil West" would set them back so much in the long run that, despite everything, they'll be forced to pay.

Sure, you can dissolve these state-mandated management teams or try to reclaim seized aircraft, but once a nation earns the stigma of sovereign default, that’s a label that is incredibly difficult to scrub away.

Lol, please. America went broke back in '71 and only really found its footing again once cowboy Reagan took the reins. 😁

Nathan Evans78 said:Lol, please. America went broke back in '71 and only really found its footing again once cowboy Reagan took the reins. 😁

Comparing the mighty USA to a crumbling Russia just doesn't work.