Sanctions on Russia

About five months ago—way before all this chaos started—I was looking at some pool dye (I don't actually have a pool, I just had another project in mind)
A single liter was going for $46 at this well-known hardware store back in Chicago.
Fast forward to today, and the price tag says $133.
Same exact color, still just one liter.
I can't tell if it's because of the sanctions or what, but the price has jumped by 250%...
Man, I really kicked myself for not grabbing it then. I kept thinking, "Eh, I'll just pick it up when I go on vacation later this year."

mojneinen said:This isn't about semantics. It's about you twisting the facts.
It's actually fascinating how many people here just hate the West. This pathological hatred makes zero sense to me.

I guess I'm viewed the same way too. I don't hate the West; I just enjoy poking the people who hate everything Russian just to see what happens.

BTW, moving away from politics—a Lada was an incredible car for those brutal winters in rural Pennsylvania. Short wheelbase, pure grit. It would plow through half a meter of snow where the best Western SUV's wouldn't even budge (I've seen it myself). During that big earthquake near Petrinja, you saw the true misery of Western SUV's that couldn't even reach certain areas.
Too bad today's LADA has traded its rugged soul for that fancy, westernized SUV look. Now they're worth exactly what those Western vehicles are worth: nothing. Just all show.
By chasing those western aesthetics, LADA lost its identity. It used to be a beast for rough terrain. Not long ago, before everyone switched over to Range Rover, our Red Cross relied heavily on those old Russian Ladas. Only downside? No legroom.☕

Back to the sanctions. A bunch of people hating on everything Russian confidently claimed that Arabs would ramp up oil and gas production to replace the Russian supply. Here's a logical question: Why would an Arab increase production and drive down oil prices when they're at historic highs, essentially throwing money out of their own pockets? Solidarity? The only time Arabs showed solidarity was with Egypt during the Cyprus War.☕

So, everyone's just hating on everything Russian now?

The only thing I actually have a problem with in Russia is Putin and his whole kleptocratic inner circle—those guys are basically sacrificing Russians just to line their own pockets.

I don't go out of my way hating on their soldiers by default either—unless they're committing actual crimes, which applies to both sides of any conflict.

As for what the "anti-Russia" crowd was saying about the Arabs, who knows. Anything goes on this subforum—it’s become a real dumping ground for nonsense lately.

OPEC announced they'll bump up production in July and August. It's nothing massive, though, and they don't even have that much extra capacity to work with—at least the Arabs are already pushing their limits.

It's more about the ripple effect: since the Chinese and Indians started picking up Russian oil at a discount, it frees up supply elsewhere that can then head toward Europe instead of just flowing into China and India.

Crude prices have cooled off quite a bit over the last month, wouldn't you say?

Regarding the old Lada Riva, I remember back when I was a kid, my dad picked one up, which meant I spent about six or seven months driving that thing.
It was, without a doubt, the most absolute junk I have ever had the misfortune of operating. Aside from the ridiculous gas mileage and a top speed comparable to a snail, I have never experienced such terrifying instability on the road.

The Jeep Wrangler is a whole different beast. It’s a solid benchmark for off-road performance when you're looking at SUVs.

analogbear5 said:So, everyone's just hating on everything Russian now?

The only thing I actually have a problem with in Russia is Putin and his whole kleptocratic inner circle—those guys are basically sacrificing Russians just to line their own pockets.

I don't go out of my way hating on their soldiers by default either—unless they're committing actual crimes, which applies to both sides of any conflict.

As for what the "anti-Russia" crowd was saying about the Arabs, who knows. Anything goes on this subforum—it’s become a real dumping ground for nonsense lately.

OPEC announced they'll bump up production in July and August. It's nothing massive, though, and they don't even have that much extra capacity to work with—at least the Arabs are already pushing their limits.

It's more about the ripple effect: since the Chinese and Indians started picking up Russian oil at a discount, it frees up supply elsewhere that can then head toward Europe instead of just flowing into China and India.

Crude prices have cooled off quite a bit over the last month, wouldn't you say?

With things trending steadily downward lately,
unknown was at $98, while Brent hit $100.

analogbear5 said:The Jeep Wrangler is a whole different beast. It’s a solid benchmark for off-road performance when you're looking at SUVs.

True, but I was specifically referring to their best-selling car, not their SUV.
That vehicle was essentially an unmanageable disaster; taking even a mild corner at 44 miles/h felt like a genuine fight for survival.

George Robinson43 said:With things trending steadily downward lately,
unknown was at $98, while Brent hit $100.

It’s quite something how when Joe Biden releases oil from the American strategic reserves, the Republicans absolutely lose their minds, even though gas prices haven't really budged and those strategic reserves have plummeted to their lowest point in thirty-five years...

unknown
“President Biden drained our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to dangerously low levels just so that we could turn around and send 5,000,000 barrels of oil to Europe and Asia? America Last Presidency!” tweeted Rep Jim Banks.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b2117432.html

Tucker Carlson is absolutely livid: Biden should be impeached for this


It really is worth taking a look at this...😁

brightheron64 said:It’s quite something how when Joe Biden releases oil from the American strategic reserves, the Republicans absolutely lose their minds, even though gas prices haven't really budged and those strategic reserves have plummeted to their lowest point in thirty-five years...

unknown
“President Biden drained our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to dangerously low levels just so that we could turn around and send 5,000,000 barrels of oil to Europe and Asia? America Last Presidency!” tweeted Rep Jim Banks.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b2117432.html

Tucker Carlson is absolutely livid: Biden should be impeached for this

It really is worth taking a look at this...😁

And you know what the Republicans and Tucker wouldn't complain about? If Biden committed ritual seppuku right after helping Donald Trump take over as Emperor of the USA.

brightheron64 said:It’s quite something how when Joe Biden releases oil from the American strategic reserves, the Republicans absolutely lose their minds, even though gas prices haven't really budged and those strategic reserves have plummeted to their lowest point in thirty-five years...

unknown
“President Biden drained our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to dangerously low levels just so that we could turn around and send 5,000,000 barrels of oil to Europe and Asia? America Last Presidency!” tweeted Rep Jim Banks.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b2117432.html

Tucker Carlson is absolutely livid: Biden should be impeached for this

It really is worth taking a look at this...😁

Tucker is pro-Russia, obviously. 😁

And what was the alternative—sell it to refineries at sky-high prices just to somehow lower gas costs later?

That oil was released to bump up supply and steady out the market.

Honestly, sometimes you really have to spell out the obvious for people.

Especially for that mass media crowd most folks rely on—their brains tend to fry a little faster.

brightheron64 said:It’s quite something how when Joe Biden releases oil from the American strategic reserves, the Republicans absolutely lose their minds, even though gas prices haven't really budged and those strategic reserves have plummeted to their lowest point in thirty-five years...

unknown
“President Biden drained our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to dangerously low levels just so that we could turn around and send 5,000,000 barrels of oil to Europe and Asia? America Last Presidency!” tweeted Rep Jim Banks.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b2117432.html

Tucker Carlson is absolutely livid: Biden should be impeached for this

It really is worth taking a look at this...😁

To put things in perspective, 5,000,000 barrels represents a staggering 40% of the total daily oil production in the USA!
To be more precise, they moved 5 million barrels in just ten hours!

Tucker isn't really intended for a demanding audience

brightheron64 said:It’s quite something how when Joe Biden releases oil from the American strategic reserves, the Republicans absolutely lose their minds, even though gas prices haven't really budged and those strategic reserves have plummeted to their lowest point in thirty-five years...

unknown
“President Biden drained our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to dangerously low levels just so that we could turn around and send 5,000,000 barrels of oil to Europe and Asia? America Last Presidency!” tweeted Rep Jim Banks.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b2117432.html

Tucker Carlson is absolutely livid: Biden should be impeached for this

It really is worth taking a look at this...😁

Of course prices dropped once those 5 million barrels hit the market. My earlier point remains: why would other OPEC members play ball with Europe and the US?

Even reading this—taking the sources with a grain of salt—I can basically thank Putin. By invading Ukraine, he proved exactly how vulnerable the EU is. I'm seeing reports from various nations and the European Council about needing to "reduce dependence on Russian energy"... but there's a logical flaw here. What happens if the countries Europe turns to end up in the same spot as Russia? Let's face it: Saudi Arabia is fighting an open war against Yemen. ☕

rowdyraven112 said:Of course prices dropped once those 5 million barrels hit the market. My earlier point remains: why would other OPEC members play ball with Europe and the US?

Even reading this—taking the sources with a grain of salt—I can basically thank Putin. By invading Ukraine, he proved exactly how vulnerable the EU is. I'm seeing reports from various nations and the European Council about needing to "reduce dependence on Russian energy"... but there's a logical flaw here. What happens if the countries Europe turns to end up in the same spot as Russia? Let's face it: Saudi Arabia is fighting an open war against Yemen. ☕

To boost their margins, I guess. If a major retail chain disappears from the American market, what happens then? Well, someone else is just gonna step in, whether they buy it out outright or just open more locations themselves. Like how ExxonMobil took over Bill.

If Russian energy vanishes from the EU market, why wouldn't some trader just jump in and offer it? If they don't, they're basically just leaving money on the table.

George Robinson43 said:To put things in perspective, 5,000,000 barrels represents a staggering 40% of the total daily oil production in the USA!
To be more precise, they moved 5 million barrels in just ten hours!

To put that scale into perspective, a major hub like the Port of Houston handles roughly 50,000,000 barrels annually. I suppose that means we're talking about something on the level of 500 tankers just for a bit of comparison, which really highlights how massive this situation is.

George Robinson43 said:To put things in perspective, 5,000,000 barrels represents a staggering 40% of the total daily oil production in the USA!
To be more precise, they moved 5 million barrels in just ten hours!

I mean, fine, but if that's the case, why all the constant complaining about our strategic reserves running thin?...

It seems like oil used to be the primary driver behind international conflicts, but now we've reached a point where it's causing friction right here at home...

rowdyraven112 said:Of course prices dropped once those 5 million barrels hit the market. My earlier point remains: why would other OPEC members play ball with Europe and the US?

Even reading this—taking the sources with a grain of salt—I can basically thank Putin. By invading Ukraine, he proved exactly how vulnerable the EU is. I'm seeing reports from various nations and the European Council about needing to "reduce dependence on Russian energy"... but there's a logical flaw here. What happens if the countries Europe turns to end up in the same spot as Russia? Let's face it: Saudi Arabia is fighting an open war against Yemen. ☕

And look, prices have already jumped back up today...🙄

Relying on Saudi Arabia and the UAE to act like some kind of guardian angel coming to save us from this volatility... well, I think someone might have miscalculated there. With Biden heading over there next week, he really needs to dig into what's actually happening—whether they truly can't increase production or if they simply won't... Apparently, Macron already mentioned to him that the Saudis have very little spare capacity left, which caught him quite off guard...

Hey everyone, look, the reserves are sitting right here in the States, being pumped out constantly... at least when it comes to Americans.

rowdyraven112 said:I guess I'm viewed the same way too. I don't hate the West; I just enjoy poking the people who hate everything Russian just to see what happens.

BTW, moving away from politics—a Lada was an incredible car for those brutal winters in rural Pennsylvania. Short wheelbase, pure grit. It would plow through half a meter of snow where the best Western SUV's wouldn't even budge (I've seen it myself). During that big earthquake near Petrinja, you saw the true misery of Western SUV's that couldn't even reach certain areas.
Too bad today's LADA has traded its rugged soul for that fancy, westernized SUV look. Now they're worth exactly what those Western vehicles are worth: nothing. Just all show.
By chasing those western aesthetics, LADA lost its identity. It used to be a beast for rough terrain. Not long ago, before everyone switched over to Range Rover, our Red Cross relied heavily on those old Russian Ladas. Only downside? No legroom.☕

Back to the sanctions. A bunch of people hating on everything Russian confidently claimed that Arabs would ramp up oil and gas production to replace the Russian supply. Here's a logical question: Why would an Arab increase production and drive down oil prices when they're at historic highs, essentially throwing money out of their own pockets? Solidarity? The only time Arabs showed solidarity was with Egypt during the Cyprus War.☕

You're comparing apples to oranges here. An SUV is a "lifestyle" vehicle—that's how they're marketed, and the manufacturers basically admit they aren't off-roaders. If you actually want an off-road machine, you grab a Toyota Land Cruiser or a Volkswagen. You really want to compare that to a Chevrolet?

If we're all haters of everything Russian, then you're clearly a fan of a nation that wants borders stretching across the old USSR!!! They're constantly terrorizing and attacking their neighbors and snatching up territory... it never stops.

brightheron64 said:I mean, fine, but if that's the case, why all the constant complaining about our strategic reserves running thin?...

It seems like oil used to be the primary driver behind international conflicts, but now we've reached a point where it's causing friction right here at home...

And look, prices have already jumped back up today...🙄

Relying on Saudi Arabia and the UAE to act like some kind of guardian angel coming to save us from this volatility... well, I think someone might have miscalculated there. With Biden heading over there next week, he really needs to dig into what's actually happening—whether they truly can't increase production or if they simply won't... Apparently, Macron already mentioned to him that the Saudis have very little spare capacity left, which caught him quite off guard...

The US President clearly possesses more insight than the Americans do. Honestly, stop trying to muddy the waters.🤣