Sanctions on Russia

rowdytiger13 said:The issue is systemic.
You can’t project optimism if your economy is crumbling. Military might is useless without economic backbone, and as we've seen, Russia's supposed strength is highly questionable right now.
On top of that, people naturally gravitate toward freedom—even if it’s just a shiny illusion—because it’s always more appealing than an obvious dictatorship.
Russia had nothing to offer besides brute force, yet they tried to play at being the USA. If anything, Vladimir Putin was obsessed with acting as the leader for Europe, but to pull that off, you need to lead in almost every sector, not just through sheer aggression.
But Russia isn't even a military leader. They can't impose themselves on Europe because Europe rightfully feels superior. The Russians kept complaining about a lack of respect from Europe, and as that frustration grew, so did the instability in the surrounding regions.
It was only a matter of time before they decided to use the one thing they thought they had left: raw power. Honestly, blaming the West instead of looking in the mirror is laughable; Russia has the capacity to be superior in many ways, but the reason they aren't lies squarely at home.

Everything said here is 👍spot on.

northernangler8 said:This is the kind of naivety everyone falls for. There is no such thing as a truly sovereign state. Our country isn't even truly sovereign. That only exists on paper. Everyone is ruled by someone bigger. That's why what we're seeing in Ukraine is actually a war between two major powers fighting over who gets to dominate and control Ukraine. Do you really think our leadership makes independent decisions? Not a chance. They just do whatever they're told from above; they don't have the backbone to think for themselves. No small country actually calls its own shots.

If Ukraine hadn't given up its nukes, they never would have been freed from the Russians. That was the whole point of the deal. Russia allowed Ukraine to enjoy Western comforts in exchange for the nukes. And look what happened once Russia let the West into their politics. The West poked its nose into their business just to stir up a conflict with Russia, and it's the Ukrainians who are paying the price.

Ukraine had no reason to fear Russia, unless they turned their backs on them—which is exactly what the pro-American politicians in power did. Ukraine could have maintained the freedom it had until now if politicians with bad intentions hadn't engineered this war. The U.S. is bothered by Russia, and this is just their attempt to get rid of them. I guess Putin was being patient while watching the U.S. provoke this situation in Ukraine. This war could have started much earlier, but Putin didn't want it. Now, though, he felt like he had no choice because the noose was tightening too much.

NATO attacks subtly and murky, much like a virus. But it’s always there, quietly provoking war. Not directly, but through indirect actions.

How much sheer stupidity can be packed into one single, tiny post?

Every nation is sovereign and possesses the right to choose its own path and its own partnerships. We chose NATO and the European Union of our own free will.

Ukraine surrendered its nuclear arsenal specifically in exchange for Russian guarantees regarding its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The moment Ukraine decided to chart its own political course and pursue an alliance with the European Union, the Russians responded by violating those very guarantees through the occupation of parts of the country.

You can take those pro-Russian, delusional idiots who claim the West pushed Ukraine into a war with Russia and shove their theories anywhere they like.

northernangler8 said:It’s the exact same story here in America. The only difference is that Americans are a bit more clever, so they just swap out the faces of their "leaders." In reality, everyone follows the same agenda and orders. It's like how the Democrats and Republicans have been rotating power for years; nobody else ever stands a chance at winning.😁 This is essentially a dictatorship, just wearing a mask.

The Democratic Party could have won, but they folded the moment things got tough.
Do you feel bad for them?

I guess there isn't much to say here since the original message was just empty, but I'll be waiting if anyone actually has something worth discussing.

Anthony Hill5 said:How much sheer stupidity can be packed into one single, tiny post?

Every nation is sovereign and possesses the right to choose its own path and its own partnerships. We chose NATO and the European Union of our own free will.

Ukraine surrendered its nuclear arsenal specifically in exchange for Russian guarantees regarding its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The moment Ukraine decided to chart its own political course and pursue an alliance with the European Union, the Russians responded by violating those very guarantees through the occupation of parts of the country.

You can take those pro-Russian, delusional idiots who claim the West pushed Ukraine into a war with Russia and shove their theories anywhere they like.

I guess I could just say you’ve written a massive pile of nonsense. Using the phrase "WE chose" is a stretch. First off, when it came to joining NATO, nobody actually asked us for our input. So, it wasn't really a choice "we" made. As for joining the European Union, half the country didn't even show up to vote. Not to mention how much the politicians were running up against us back then. I mean, remember that famous line from Kamala Harris to the seniors? She basically told them they wouldn't see a dime of their pensions if they didn't vote for the EU.

Is this really what they call freedom of choice? It feels exactly like it did during the lockdowns. You don’t want to listen, so they just force your hand until you finally cave and accept whatever they're spoon-feeding us. They use threats and coercion to make it happen, and then they have the nerve to act like we all asked for it ourselves. I guess you have to wonder if political terror is actually pulling the strings behind our decisions.

northernangler8 said:I guess there isn't much to say here since the original message was just empty, but I'll be waiting if anyone actually has something worth discussing.

I guess I could just say you’ve written a massive pile of nonsense. Using the phrase "WE chose" is a stretch. First off, when it came to joining NATO, nobody actually asked us for our input. So, it wasn't really a choice "we" made. As for joining the European Union, half the country didn't even show up to vote. Not to mention how much the politicians were running up against us back then. I mean, remember that famous line from Kamala Harris to the seniors? She basically told them they wouldn't see a dime of their pensions if they didn't vote for the EU.

Is this really what they call freedom of choice? It feels exactly like it did during the lockdowns. You don’t want to listen, so they just force your hand until you finally cave and accept whatever they're spoon-feeding us. They use threats and coercion to make it happen, and then they have the nerve to act like we all asked for it ourselves. I guess you have to wonder if political terror is actually pulling the strings behind our decisions.

And that is exactly how Russia treats Ukraine. Congratulations on the insight.

William Anderson5 said:And that is exactly how Russia treats Ukraine. Congratulations on the insight.

Congrats to you, then, for only seeing Russia. You're totally ignoring Australia, Austria, Germany, Canada... what exactly did those countries do to their own people during the pandemic? And you really want to claim they're any better than the Russians?

northernangler8 said:Congrats to you, then, for only seeing Russia. You're totally ignoring Australia, Austria, Germany, Canada... what exactly did those countries do to their own people during the pandemic? And you really want to claim they're any better than the Russians?

Are you seriously comparing lockdowns to the invasion of Ukraine? That's surreal...

We didn't choose the European Union or NATO—we were forced into them by our own EU/NATO puppets through sheer coercion. But then again, the Russians didn't choose this invasion either; they’re just following the orders of their NATO/EU puppet, Vladimir Putin. Even the people in Ukraine didn't vote to defend themselves; instead, that wicked Zelenskyy—just another puppet—has used terror to force the population to submit to Russian aggression, only so they can try to defend themselves against that very terror...
...

It's perfectly logical....

northernangler8 said:Give me a break, we were asking for an end to the fighting too, just so those guys would finally pull back. 😁 Look, you have to see that it doesn't work that way. In this situation, I guess Ukraine just has to give something up in exchange for peace and freedom.

Haha, what exactly are we even arguing about here? Is the argument just "oh, maybe I should drop dead" or "Vladimir Putin is a dictator"? Wow, you guys really floored me with those heavy-hitting points. You literally haven't said a single thing of substance. So, come on then—convince me. Where’s the actual proof for your little theory? Where's the evidence that Putin is actually out there trying to conquer the entire world? 🙂

I mean, honestly, how on earth did you manage to stretch out such a wild cause-and-effect connection? It’s nothing short of a miracle, really. 😁
Give me a little more...

northernangler8 said:Congrats to you, then, for only seeing Russia. You're totally ignoring Australia, Austria, Germany, Canada... what exactly did those countries do to their own people during the pandemic? And you really want to claim they're any better than the Russians?

They are better because they will eventually have to answer to their voters at the ballot box—once. That is the difference. Putin acts this way because he knows there is no accountability mechanism for him to face his citizens. He can send tens of thousands of his soldiers to their deaths without blinking an eye, all to satisfy his own personal frustrations, fears, and miscalculations. That is the fundamental, qualitative distinction here.

rowdytiger13 said:The issue is systemic.
You can’t project optimism if your economy is crumbling. Military might is useless without economic backbone, and as we've seen, Russia's supposed strength is highly questionable right now.
On top of that, people naturally gravitate toward freedom—even if it’s just a shiny illusion—because it’s always more appealing than an obvious dictatorship.
Russia had nothing to offer besides brute force, yet they tried to play at being the USA. If anything, Vladimir Putin was obsessed with acting as the leader for Europe, but to pull that off, you need to lead in almost every sector, not just through sheer aggression.
But Russia isn't even a military leader. They can't impose themselves on Europe because Europe rightfully feels superior. The Russians kept complaining about a lack of respect from Europe, and as that frustration grew, so did the instability in the surrounding regions.
It was only a matter of time before they decided to use the one thing they thought they had left: raw power. Honestly, blaming the West instead of looking in the mirror is laughable; Russia has the capacity to be superior in many ways, but the reason they aren't lies squarely at home.

What you wrote is accurate. I would merely add that there is no true military struggle without economic power behind it. Russia has succeeded only in constructing an illusion of military strength; in reality, the structure is hollow and decaying from within.

In my view, Russia's perennial mistake has been this desperate urge to compete with Americans on their own terms. They lost that game the moment they agreed to play it. This failure is simply the byproduct of uninspired politicians—career bureaucrats who have traditionally held the reins in those territories. There were those with different, more sincere ideas, but they never survived politically, as facing reality head-on is viewed there as a fatal weakness.

That’s actually a really fascinating idea—instead of just slapping on sanctions, why not just tax Russian oil exports? There are some seriously strong arguments behind it, too, ranging from the fact that they can't just pivot to new buyers overnight to how much this could actually benefit Ukraine. And man, those charts are incredibly convincing.
https://navigatingrussia.substack.co...utm_medium=web
I was also digging into how much they actually rely on the West just to keep the lights on at their drilling sites; basically, if you take away access to Halliburton, Schlumberger, and the rest of the big players, a massive number of their fields could be shut down pretty fast. It reminds me so much of what happened right after the USSR collapsed, where they lost such a huge chunk of their production capacity that they had to spend years crawling back to stability with help from Western companies.

Carl Lee27 said:That’s actually a really fascinating idea—instead of just slapping on sanctions, why not just tax Russian oil exports? There are some seriously strong arguments behind it, too, ranging from the fact that they can't just pivot to new buyers overnight to how much this could actually benefit Ukraine. And man, those charts are incredibly convincing.
https://navigatingrussia.substack.co...utm_medium=web
I was also digging into how much they actually rely on the West just to keep the lights on at their drilling sites; basically, if you take away access to Halliburton, Schlumberger, and the rest of the big players, a massive number of their fields could be shut down pretty fast. It reminds me so much of what happened right after the USSR collapsed, where they lost such a huge chunk of their production capacity that they had to spend years crawling back to stability with help from Western companies.

I argued right away that taxing Russian oil and gas (and doing so gradually with increasing rates) is a far better choice than partial import restrictions...
that way, you don't run into supply shortage issues, and you force importers to either find alternative sources or pressure the Russians into significantly lowering their prices until their profit margins vanish...

The Chinese have hit the brakes; looks like those new deals with Russia are off the table.
https://www.commonspace.eu/news/stat...es-russian-oil

coastalbison6 said:The Chinese have hit the brakes; looks like those new deals with Russia are off the table.
https://www.commonspace.eu/news/stat...es-russian-oil

Look, the Chinese aren't stupid...
Why on earth would they rush to sign contracts right this second?
They should just sit tight and wait for the West to drop even heavier sanctions. Once the Russians have absolutely nowhere left to sell their product, that's when the Chinese step in to save the day by picking everything up at massive discount prices...
It is nothing more than pure economic calculation...

That’s exactly where this is headed. They’re basically prepping for a massive rollback—all while expecting taxpayers across the European Union to foot the bill for the rebuild.

cave troll said:🙏 🙏
The Illuminati, the Masons, and Americans.

And NATO... and George Soros

I suspect Bill Gates cooked this one up too.

Dana Chase51 said:I suspect Bill Gates cooked this one up too.

Then you have that naive child in the White House, falling for every single thing served up by the cursed West:

The West: Don't attack Ukraine, Vladimir—it will cause nothing but trouble.
Vladimir: Actually, I really want to!
The West: Fine, we're arming Ukraine, just don't invade—you've had enough of Crimea...
Vladimir: But I still want to!
The West: If you attack, you'll face sanctions!
Vladimir: You think you can intimidate me? I am fearless (he thinks: why bother warning me if they weren't so weak and powerless? If they actually had teeth, they would have let me go in there to get stuck and bleed out; they wouldn't be giving me a heads-up), besides, you all depend on me for your gas supplies. If you were serious, you would have hit me with sanctions when I took Crimea (he thinks: they're clearly terrified of me).
The West: Vladimir, please don't attack, we're all going to end up screwed because of you.
Vladimir: I feel like it (he thinks: They are definitely weak; now is the time to strike...)

It is a game of chess that an ordinary person can barely wrap their head around. Next to a titan like that, even Bill Gates looks somewhat pathetic.

Anthony Moore15 said:Look, the Chinese aren't stupid...
Why on earth would they rush to sign contracts right this second?
They should just sit tight and wait for the West to drop even heavier sanctions. Once the Russians have absolutely nowhere left to sell their product, that's when the Chinese step in to save the day by picking everything up at massive discount prices...
It is nothing more than pure economic calculation...

That’s why Europe needs to diversify its energy sources. Then, they can buy from Russia only when there's a significant discount, similar to how the Chinese play it. Every country should have an import quota for Russian energy based on the size of their economy.

analogbear5 said:That’s why Europe needs to diversify its energy sources. Then, they can buy from Russia only when there's a significant discount, similar to how the Chinese play it. Every country should have an import quota for Russian energy based on the size of their economy.

Implementing import tariffs on Russian energy is actually a much better way to go...
By doing that, you force the market to self-correct. You prevent shortages, and the Russians end up having to lower their prices just to stay competitive, which effectively wipes out their profit margins...
You basically manipulate the market simply by adjusting the tariff levels...

+ It creates a steady stream of revenue for the EU bureaucracy...