Sanctions on Russia

urbanotter said:Honestly, that’s just nonsense; no matter how you spin it, Russia is going to demand payment for their gas in whatever currency they decide fits their interests at the moment.

If they start insisting on being paid in rubles, anyone who actually needs that gas is simply going to have to go out and buy rubles using dollars, euros, or whatever other major currency Russia decides to accept.
The reality is more likely to play out through massive legal battles where oligarchs see their global assets frozen, and in retaliation, Russia freezes the assets of Western corporations operating within their borders.
It’s a bit like how if Abramovich were to lose Chelsea, he might end up seizing control of something like Coca-Cola or McDonald's to keep his revenue streams moving.

At the end of the day, most of this feels like political theater designed to scare the average person, while the truly powerful and wealthy find ways to ensure they don't actually lose much of anything.

Jesus Christ, 🙂

urbanotter said:Honestly, that’s just nonsense; no matter how you spin it, Russia is going to demand payment for their gas in whatever currency they decide fits their interests at the moment.

If they start insisting on being paid in rubles, anyone who actually needs that gas is simply going to have to go out and buy rubles using dollars, euros, or whatever other major currency Russia decides to accept.
The reality is more likely to play out through massive legal battles where oligarchs see their global assets frozen, and in retaliation, Russia freezes the assets of Western corporations operating within their borders.
It’s a bit like how if Abramovich were to lose Chelsea, he might end up seizing control of something like Coca-Cola or McDonald's to keep his revenue streams moving.

At the end of the day, most of this feels like political theater designed to scare the average person, while the truly powerful and wealthy find ways to ensure they don't actually lose much of anything.

You deserve a Nobel Prize in Economics. 😵

https://www.reuters.com/world/russia...te-2022-03-14/

So, they just kicked Russia out of the international ship certification association. It’s going to be pretty wild seeing how they plan on getting oil delivered to tankers now.

Here’s the breakdown of how companies actually break into the Russian market:

From lowest risk to highest—strictly by the book:

Exporting
Shipping goods from overseas into Russia. The upside? Low risk. The downside? Shipping costs, marketing headaches, customs, and the constant need to find a reliable importer.

Licensing
A Russian company with its own facilities buys the rights to manufacture a specific product. In exchange for the license, they get to use the intellectual property—patents, manufacturing processes, trademarks, and all that good stuff.

Franchising
Kind of like licensing, but more rigid. Typically, a Russian company buys a franchise and has to play by the franchisor's strict rules. Location and production have to hit specific standards, and you can only sell the franchisor's products. No exceptions.

Joint Venture
Two companies—one Russian and one foreign—team up to form a third, jointly owned entity. This way, the foreign investor gets the edge of working with a local partner who actually understands the domestic market and economy.

Direct Investment
A foreign company sets up shop in Russia directly—either by building their own plants from scratch or just buying out existing ones.

Andrew Hall47 said:You deserve a Nobel Prize in Economics. 😵

I’ll let you have the last word on that, since you clearly earned it;
you’ve managed to uncover the groundbreaking truth that even during wartime, everyone is expected to follow economic principles and international law to the letter.🤦

George Robinson43 said:The bare walls of a factory aren't a company either.
They are simply assets owned by a company.

But within those walls, you have people—skilled workers who understand the manufacturing process inside and out, and they'll be able to pick up right where they left off without much trouble.
As for the branding, the product will simply be called whatever the manufacturer decides it should be, even if Coca-Cola makes that call.
If a few elitists feel slighted because they aren't drinking a Coca-Cola where the profits don't flow back to owners in America, honestly, it won't matter to the vast majority of people.

It would actually be quite tragic if Americans didn't have access to these healthy, quality products; they'd have to work much harder to avoid looking completely unhealthy by the time they hit their late teens.

urbanotter said:But within those walls, you have people—skilled workers who understand the manufacturing process inside and out, and they'll be able to pick up right where they left off without much trouble.
As for the branding, the product will simply be called whatever the manufacturer decides it should be, even if Coca-Cola makes that call.
If a few elitists feel slighted because they aren't drinking a Coca-Cola where the profits don't flow back to owners in America, honestly, it won't matter to the vast majority of people.

It would actually be quite tragic if Americans didn't have access to these healthy, quality products; they'd have to work much harder to avoid looking completely unhealthy by the time they hit their late teens.

And how exactly are they going to access the computers where everything is stored, specifically the machine inputs?

urbanotter said:I’ll let you have the last word on that, since you clearly earned it;
you’ve managed to uncover the groundbreaking truth that even during wartime, everyone is expected to follow economic principles and international law to the letter.🤦

It's yours. You earned it.

So what's the word? Are they giving Russ Abramovich Coca-Cola and McDonald's? 😁

Carl Lee27 said:Someone mentioned earlier in the thread how much Russia relies on imports just to keep their agricultural sector running, especially when you look at stuff like seeds.
And honestly, Bayer (who owns Monsanto) is wielding that exact leverage right now.

Bayer has threatened to suspend crop supply sales to Russia next year unless The country stops its attacks on Ukraine.

The German drug and agrochemical conglomerate, which is basically a powerhouse when it comes to seeds and crop treatments, mentioned they're weighing the idea of cutting off essential farming supplies to Russia—even though everyone knows a move like that could send global food prices through the roof and cause all sorts of chaos.

Bayer did say they already sent over the necessary products for Russia for this year ’ S Growing season in an attempt to help stabilize the global food supply, but they're holding off on any decisions regarding the 2023 crop supplies until they see how things play out in Ukraine.

https://www.ft.com/content/cf2c7515-...f-23827dff2ef4

On top of that, there are still several ways the U.S. could really ramp up the sanctions, like slapping on a total embargo or even cutting off Russia's access to International waterways.

Quote : Thus, Adeyemo said in an interview with the TV channel that the United States was still considering a complete trade embargo and blocking Russia's access to international waterways.

The official pointed out that the United States is currently discussing everything from banning imports of nickel, uranium, and titanium from Russia to cracking down on the crypto assets held by Russian entities.

https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/813329.html

Either the Americans are chasing foolish ideas that aren't actually feasible,😁 or they can certainly try if their ultimate goal is to escalate this conflict into WWIII.☕

hollowdriver13 said:https://www.reuters.com/world/russia...te-2022-03-14/

So, they just kicked Russia out of the international ship certification association. It’s going to be pretty wild seeing how they plan on getting oil delivered to tankers now.

If I'm reading this right, they're basically stripping Russian ships of their ability to even move anything...

Super brutal move. But looking at what's happening over in Ukraine, hopefully, this actually helps wrap the war up.

urbanotter said:But within those walls, you have people—skilled workers who understand the manufacturing process inside and out, and they'll be able to pick up right where they left off without much trouble.
As for the branding, the product will simply be called whatever the manufacturer decides it should be, even if Coca-Cola makes that call.
If a few elitists feel slighted because they aren't drinking a Coca-Cola where the profits don't flow back to owners in America, honestly, it won't matter to the vast majority of people.

It would actually be quite tragic if Americans didn't have access to these healthy, quality products; they'd have to work much harder to avoid looking completely unhealthy by the time they hit their late teens.

Once again, we're stepping right into that pseudo-spiritual territory used to justify aggression.

Listen, friend, you can technically survive on nothing but cornmeal, a splash of milk, and an apple—that'll keep you going.
But that isn't how people are raised to live. People can adapt to anything under wartime conditions, sure, but a 16-year-old or a 25-year-old has grown up accustomed to a certain standard of living, and it's a hard pill to swallow when you're told it's gone.
He couldn't care less about a war being fought thousands of miles south of him. That's just not his concern.

Andrew Hall47 said:It's yours. You earned it.

So what's the word? Are they giving Russ Abramovich Coca-Cola and McDonald's? 😁

I can't help but wonder who is actually going to be "calling the shots" once these companies are nationalized.

Quincy:

The ruling party, United Russia, announced today that a government commission has approved the initial phase of nationalizing assets belonging to foreign corporations exiting the country, according to Reuters. The official statement indicates the commission has backed legislation that would see any company leaving Russia—where citizens from 'hostile nations' hold more than a 25 percent stake—placed under new management.

Read the full story here: - www.vecernji.hr

urbanotter said:I can't help but wonder who is actually going to be "calling the shots" once these companies are nationalized.

Quincy:

The ruling party, United Russia, announced today that a government commission has approved the initial phase of nationalizing assets belonging to foreign corporations exiting the country, according to Reuters. The official statement indicates the commission has backed legislation that would see any company leaving Russia—where citizens from 'hostile nations' hold more than a 25 percent stake—placed under new management.

Read the full story here: - www.vecernji.hr

They'll probably just fly in some experts from Venezuela to help out. ☕ It'll definitely lead to an even better Coca-Cola and a much improved McDonald's.

urbanotter said:That whole idea about there being some magical, untouchable formula? It’s really just a myth at this point.

The recipe is famously guarded as a closely held secret dating all the way back to 1886, with the only official written version supposedly locked away in a bank vault. According to the Daily Mail, only two employees actually know the specific formula that gives the soda its signature flavor. However, the full list of ingredients was actually published back in 1979—according to This American Life—in a local newspaper in the beverage's hometown of Atlanta, though nobody really thought much of it at the time. The article even features a photo of what looks like the original handwritten recipe, likely penned by a friend of the pharmacist and inventor, John Pemberton. To verify if it was the real deal, This American Life reached out to historian Mark Pendergrast, who believes the document could indeed be authentic. Of course, there is no way to know for sure if the actual recipe has been tweaked over the decades.

Read more at: - www.vecernji.hr

Look, it’s not even about the recipe. Seriously—what part of this am I missing? You can't just buy a reputation! Sure, they could set up shop right next to a Coca-Cola plant and churn out their own version—maybe even make it taste better—but it’ll never be called Coca-Cola. Period. That's the bottom line. You could start making soda using their exact same ingredients tomorrow, but you can't slap their name on it. And honestly? You'll never reach that level. Not you, not anyone else.

Andrew Miller102 said:Either the Americans are chasing foolish ideas that aren't actually feasible,😁 or they can certainly try if their ultimate goal is to escalate this conflict into WWIII.☕

If Russia can't get their merchant vessels into European Union ports or access the North Atlantic, then things are getting very uncomfortable.

Megan Thomas5 said:And how exactly are they going to access the computers where everything is stored, specifically the machine inputs?

Most bottling plants operate as franchises, which really isn't much of an issue since the production processes and the actual formulas are already well-established.
Honestly, even if they stopped producing it entirely, I don't see it as a loss; if anything, it would probably be a win for the Americans.
I’ve never been a huge Coca-Cola fan myself—I might grab one during the summer, but I generally prefer tonic water.
At 89 years old, standing 6'3" and weighing about 200 pounds, I’m perfectly content with how things are.
I certainly don't feel like I'm missing out by not being a 300-pound die-hard Coke lover, the kind of person who doesn't consider their day a success unless they've polished off a double serving.

urbanotter said:I honestly find it hard to believe that Bulgaria would actually shut down the pipeline. Besides, looking at the scale of things, Mexico isn't such a massive consumer that anyone would go to extreme lengths over them.

Even if they do end up selling oil at a discount, it’s still going to be more profitable than waiting for everything to settle back to the status quo. It's simple supply and demand: the higher the global congestion and the greater the hunger for oil and gas, the higher the prices climb, which means you get more even with a smaller margin.
I do agree with the point about them trading in yuan to purchase Chinese goods; that seems to be one of their primary objectives. If that happens, the Federal Reserve could print money all they want, but it won't have the same impact it used to. All it will really do is drive inflation much higher than the current 8% we're seeing.

Demand for Russian oil is actually dropping. 😅 They're going to have to cut prices just to move it.
What you're saying might apply elsewhere, but it's not quite right here. Oil isn't expensive just because Russia wants it to be. If anything, they'd drop the price in a heartbeat if it meant keeping the West interested. Prices are high because a huge chunk of buyers are intentionally looking elsewhere.

The Associated Press is reporting that US President Joe Biden has signed a law allowing US Airlines to keep foreign aircraft for use on domestic flights.
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/rus...U0aMqdgs7HDTKb

I think they're talking about seizing foreign planes—apparently, there are maybe 500 of them sitting in the US right now.

Andrew Hall47 said:They'll probably just fly in some experts from Venezuela to help out. ☕ It'll definitely lead to an even better Coca-Cola and a much improved McDonald's.

That’s an idea that needs to be brought straight to Putin; he's definitely the kind of leader who would actually listen to advice like that.😁

urbanotter said:But within those walls, you have people—skilled workers who understand the manufacturing process inside and out, and they'll be able to pick up right where they left off without much trouble.
As for the branding, the product will simply be called whatever the manufacturer decides it should be, even if Coca-Cola makes that call.
If a few elitists feel slighted because they aren't drinking a Coca-Cola where the profits don't flow back to owners in America, honestly, it won't matter to the vast majority of people.

It would actually be quite tragic if Americans didn't have access to these healthy, quality products; they'd have to work much harder to avoid looking completely unhealthy by the time they hit their late teens.

Only a fraction of the profit actually goes to the US to cover licensing fees. The rest stays with the local companies doing the actual manufacturing on the ground.