Sanctions on Russia

urbanotter said:It doesn't even occur to you to look up what Pope Francis actually thinks regarding the Russian aggression against Ukraine and whether sanctions are morally effective.

Even if you aren't a Christian, a Catholic, or a believer, you should at least be following what the head of the Catholic Church has to say about this whole situation with the invasion and the sanctions.🙄

You mean this?

The Pope implicitly accused Russia of aggression and imperialism in Ukraine.

LINK

Or do you just cherry-pick quotes whenever it suits your narrative? ☕

crimsoncyclist71 said:You mean this?

The Pope implicitly accused Russia of aggression and imperialism in Ukraine.

LINK

Or do you just cherry-pick quotes whenever it suits your narrative? ☕

Actually, check this one out too.

Pope Francis blames the West for escalating the war in Ukraine? 'We aren't seeing the full drama unfolding in the background'

https://www.nytimes.com/news/pope-ukraine-west-drama-1594481

He doesn't say a single word about the sanctions or the actual strikes on Russia; he just completely misses the point and goes off on tangents.

hiddeneagle98 said:Yeah, you're spot on; in America, commodity reserves are a total myth.

I was watching this program where they explained that America imports wheat because even though we produce plenty of everything, there isn't enough space to store it all, so a huge chunk gets exported and then we end up importing it back later...

Wouldn't it make more sense to just store it in silos instead of exporting it? Then, instead of importing it down the road, we could just pull it out of storage. Why doesn't that ever happen?

Silo capacity isn't the issue; there's enough space (at least where I live, and I assume elsewhere too). When it comes to storage, the real headache is managing aging facilities that are still being used, though that's slowly improving as new construction picks up.
The actual bottleneck with wheat is the logistics of producing specific varieties—the so-called "enhancers." High-quality bread flour is usually a blend of different wheat types, and without those specific additives, you aren't getting premium flour. I was talking to some local grain buyers yesterday, and they were claiming this year's crop quality is subpar due to low protein levels. They suggested mills will have to lean heavily on enhancers to hit standard quality specs (though it’s hard to tell how much of that is reality and how much is just an excuse to drive down purchase prices). On top of that, growing these enhancer varieties isn't exactly rocket science—you just need the right seed—but these crops have lower yields. That means they have to be sorted out during intake and stored separately. Managing that within a massive, high-volume system that processes thousands of tons daily without stopping is a logistical nightmare. And since you have to pay a premium for these lower-yield crops, asking American agribusinessmen to swallow that cost is like pulling a tooth without anesthesia.

Nancy Gomez26 said:Silo capacity isn't the issue; there's enough space (at least where I live, and I assume elsewhere too). When it comes to storage, the real headache is managing aging facilities that are still being used, though that's slowly improving as new construction picks up.
The actual bottleneck with wheat is the logistics of producing specific varieties—the so-called "enhancers." High-quality bread flour is usually a blend of different wheat types, and without those specific additives, you aren't getting premium flour. I was talking to some local grain buyers yesterday, and they were claiming this year's crop quality is subpar due to low protein levels. They suggested mills will have to lean heavily on enhancers to hit standard quality specs (though it’s hard to tell how much of that is reality and how much is just an excuse to drive down purchase prices). On top of that, growing these enhancer varieties isn't exactly rocket science—you just need the right seed—but these crops have lower yields. That means they have to be sorted out during intake and stored separately. Managing that within a massive, high-volume system that processes thousands of tons daily without stopping is a logistical nightmare. And since you have to pay a premium for these lower-yield crops, asking American agribusinessmen to swallow that cost is like pulling a tooth without anesthesia.

Well, finally a direct hitin the middle 👍

urbanotter said:Actually, check this one out too.

Pope Francis blames the West for escalating the war in Ukraine? 'We aren't seeing the full drama unfolding in the background'

https://www.nytimes.com/news/pope-ukraine-west-drama-1594481

He doesn't say a single word about the sanctions or the actual strikes on Russia; he just completely misses the point and goes off on tangents.

You need to decide if you actually respect this man and his views, or if you only care about them when journalists spin his words to fit your "neutral" narrative. You can't claim neutrality while refusing to condemn the aggression from Russia’s fascist scum against a sovereign nation.

Just a reminder:

I agree completely with Pope Francis. Even though I'm not a believer, I respect him as a man.

Let me restate his position one more time:

It’s time to admit that armed conquest, expansionism, and imperialism have absolutely nothing to do with the kingdom Jesus proclaimed.

Look at that. He didn't put "aggression" in quotes like you did. ☕

urbanotter said:Actually, check this one out too.

Pope Francis blames the West for escalating the war in Ukraine? 'We aren't seeing the full drama unfolding in the background'

https://www.nytimes.com/news/pope-ukraine-west-drama-1594481

He doesn't say a single word about the sanctions or the actual strikes on Russia; he just completely misses the point and goes off on tangents.

The best proof of how effective these sanctions actually are is the sheer volume of posts you "neutrals" vomit out every day trying to prove they aren't working. 👍

analogbear5 said:Try looking at it from the perspective of a small-scale farmer who's never going to see a return on that kind of investment—then it might click.

Look, owning silos pays off; it always has. Basic economic logic dictates that prices bottom out when supply peaks—which is right during harvest season. It’s perfectly predictable that prices climb later on. I know most people who initially built those silos just to store their own grain eventually pivoted into buying up others' stock. But even that business model carries its own set of headaches, risks, and logistical nightmares. Sure, rising prices are great, but one shouldn't forget that prices can tank just as easily. There have been plenty of instances where folks bought high only to sell the exact same goods lower. Plus, you need serious liquidity to fund the purchasing. You tell people they'll get paid in two weeks—they nod and agree—but the second they dump their haul into the intake bin, the questions start: "Where's my money?"

crimsoncyclist71 said:The best proof of how effective these sanctions actually are is the sheer volume of posts you "neutrals" vomit out every day trying to prove they aren't working. 👍

Most of us posting here have zero direct connection to the implementation of sanctions—nor do we feel most of their consequences personally. Perhaps if we look at the whole group, only Ivan the Terrible feels the weight of this on his own skin. Everything else is just cheering for one side or the other, or rooting against them, based on individual political biases and personal whims.
It is naive to assume that sanctions against Russia are the sole driver behind fuel or grain prices. There are far more variables at play; sanctions are merely one cog in a massive machine.
Regarding food costs—arable land is shrinking while the population continues to swell, and nobody wants to live on half-rations. Fuel prices follow a similar logic. We currently have an administration in power that believes wind turbines and solar panels are a panacea for everything; they would push those green agendas at any cost, even if it means accepting these high energy prices to facilitate their specific policies.

crimsoncyclist71 said:The best proof of how effective these sanctions actually are is the sheer volume of posts you "neutrals" vomit out every day trying to prove they aren't working. 👍

If sanctions aren't working as intended or expected, that's a matter of hard facts, not just the number of posts being written.

So many respected figures and economists are pointing out that they are either ineffective or poorly designed.
I might be missing something here, but I honestly don't see where these sanctions have achieved any kind of meaningful breakthrough or actual shift in policy.
From what I can gather, for the most part, they’ve just caused suffering, hurting ordinary citizens while setting entire countries back by decades.
We’re seeing this exact pattern with the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus; there's no sign of a change in the direction of their policies on the battlefield. If anything, the endless influx of increasingly modern and lethal weaponry only serves to prolong the suffering, drive more people to flee their homes, and increase the death toll.

And this whole idea of "helping" through arms shipments is pushing the country into a financial hole that won't be filled until 2077, regardless of whether the Ukrainian nationalists "defeat" Russia.

Americans boast about providing free aid to Ukraine, but it’s a lie—they’ve plunged an invaded nation into staggering debt that won't be paid off until 2077!

urbanotter said:If sanctions aren't working as intended or expected, that's a matter of hard facts, not just the number of posts being written.

So many respected figures and economists are pointing out that they are either ineffective or poorly designed.
I might be missing something here, but I honestly don't see where these sanctions have achieved any kind of meaningful breakthrough or actual shift in policy.
From what I can gather, for the most part, they’ve just caused suffering, hurting ordinary citizens while setting entire countries back by decades.
We’re seeing this exact pattern with the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus; there's no sign of a change in the direction of their policies on the battlefield. If anything, the endless influx of increasingly modern and lethal weaponry only serves to prolong the suffering, drive more people to flee their homes, and increase the death toll.

And this whole idea of "helping" through arms shipments is pushing the country into a financial hole that won't be filled until 2077, regardless of whether the Ukrainian nationalists "defeat" Russia.

Americans boast about providing free aid to Ukraine, but it’s a lie—they’ve plunged an invaded nation into staggering debt that won't be paid off until 2077!

Honesty is the best policy.

Nancy Gomez26 said:Most of us posting here have zero direct connection to the implementation of sanctions—nor do we feel most of their consequences personally. Perhaps if we look at the whole group, only Ivan the Terrible feels the weight of this on his own skin. Everything else is just cheering for one side or the other, or rooting against them, based on individual political biases and personal whims.
It is naive to assume that sanctions against Russia are the sole driver behind fuel or grain prices. There are far more variables at play; sanctions are merely one cog in a massive machine.
Regarding food costs—arable land is shrinking while the population continues to swell, and nobody wants to live on half-rations. Fuel prices follow a similar logic. We currently have an administration in power that believes wind turbines and solar panels are a panacea for everything; they would push those green agendas at any cost, even if it means accepting these high energy prices to facilitate their specific policies.

I agree that the pandemic played a role in fueling price volatility in the energy sector, but I was hoping that the lockdowns and the chaos from the early days of the pandemic were finally behind us, allowing prices to stabilize.
But from what I can see, there isn't any sign of fuel or food prices calming down, and I don't see it happening anytime soon.
I certainly agree that certain players are profiting immensely from these high prices, but I am convinced it isn't Europe, and as an American, I'm feeling the direct impact of this.
Sanctions don't just mess with fuel availability and costs; they have also driven up the price of synthetic fertilizers, and we all know how vital that is for maintaining high crop yields.
If we aren't providing the soil with what it needs to thrive, then the idea of America being self-sufficient in food production becomes very questionable, not to mention the skyrocketing costs involved.

In my view, the belief that America is entirely self-sufficient when it comes to food production is nothing more than a comforting illusion, and it's a mantra that is becoming harder to sustain every day.

urbanotter said:Unfortunately for me, I’m running a much larger setup with a 1,000-gallon tank, and my engine burns through fuel a bit faster at about 5 gallons an hour.
It seems these "sanctions" have kept my boat tied to the dock for two months now, and it’s genuinely threatening the livelihoods of four or five families who depend on this work.

Sadly, these sanctions don't just impact the people sitting around, waiting for an excuse to walk down to the local coffee shop to kill time by coming up with clever nicknames for Vladimir Putin.

He only looks out for himself until disaster actually hits his own doorstep. Then, suddenly, everyone else is to blame—even Putin. He'd throw anyone under the bus just to save his own skin, let alone someone in Ukraine. The guy doesn't get that we aren't the ones making these calls; we're just living through the fallout. The only person who can actually stop this aggression is Putin.

Nancy Gomez26 said:Honesty is the best policy.

The real question is how you manage to get by when you're drowning in high-interest credit card debt versus how much easier life feels when you aren't carrying that weight on your shoulders.

I don't think I really need to spell out for you how much more your yields can improve if you opt for something more natural, like spreading some organic manure instead of relying entirely on synthetic fertilizers and planting cover crops.

swiftjackal11 said:He only looks out for himself until disaster actually hits his own doorstep. Then, suddenly, everyone else is to blame—even Putin. He'd throw anyone under the bus just to save his own skin, let alone someone in Ukraine. The guy doesn't get that we aren't the ones making these calls; we're just living through the fallout. The only person who can actually stop this aggression is Putin.

Please spare me the melodrama and your supposed crystal ball predictions.

Just get back to discussing the sanctions if you actually have something substantive to contribute regarding them.

urbanotter said:Please spare me the melodrama and your supposed crystal ball predictions.

Just get back to discussing the sanctions if you actually have something substantive to contribute regarding them.

You're sitting here lecturing about sanctions while your own ship is sinking. Go tell Putin.

swiftjackal11 said:You're sitting here lecturing about sanctions while your own ship is sinking. Go tell Putin.

Don't you worry one bit about that.
If the ship actually goes under, I'll just file a claim with State Farm.😉

I noticed there hasn't been a single meaningful word mentioned regarding the actual impact of these sanctions, so I think I'll head out to grab a coffee with my buddies and let you all sit here and try to come up with something worth discussing.😁 😉

crimsoncyclist71 said:Why are you so hell-bent on justifying one country's aggression against another?

It’s because the guy is Mexican. NATO bombed Mexico back in '99, and he just harbors this deep-seated resentment toward everything Western—even if he actually lives in the States.
You find thousands of people like him everywhere.
The '99 bombings aren't something people just move on from. People tend to forget what actually triggered it all—everything that went down between '91 and '99—but I guess that’s beside the point...

NATO hits back at aggressors, I think most people get that part.

dustyowl29 said:It’s because the guy is Mexican. NATO bombed Mexico back in '99, and he just harbors this deep-seated resentment toward everything Western—even if he actually lives in the States.
You find thousands of people like him everywhere.
The '99 bombings aren't something people just move on from. People tend to forget what actually triggered it all—everything that went down between '91 and '99—but I guess that’s beside the point...

The guy's a European, but he absolutely hates Europe.

Let’s look at the classics—between 1945 and 1980, Josip Broz Marshall moved thousands of people from the Midwest over to Florida.
Just take a look at the last names in Miami. Every third one you run into sounds like it’s straight out of Chicago.