1. The global economy has weathered far, far worse situations than this. Both world wars, Great Depression, recession, all of those things make this look like a nit comparatively. This isn't even a speck of concern for me.
2. No, I don't think this will escalate. The concept of MAD still is in place here. Russia isn't going to launch nuclear strikes against the West because of we are sending arms to Ukraine. We armed Afghanistan, they armed the Viet Cong and that didn't esclaate.
3. Environment - I don't know how we prioritize moving to a green economy rather than drilling more and sacrifice real lives, the lives of Ukrainians. That doesn't compute for me. These are real men, women and children that are displaced and murdered. I don't care about an extra year of drilling comparatively. I also think that's a false choice. There are plenty of fossil fuel rigs in place. OPEC + is deliberately withholding oil from the market.
4. There is no 'max time' for Ukraine's fight. They should fight until they can't win. Winning is defined by stopping the invasion. Now what does that really mean? It could mean a negotiated peace where some eastern Oblasts are ceded. Russia has had effective control of Crimea since 2014 anyway. But the key is that Ukraine must negotiate from a position of strength. That means the Russians know Ukraine can continue to fight. If they cannot continue to fight, then the Russians won't negotiate. They also cant' lose access to Dnieper River in the SE oblasts. That will cut Kiev from the Black Sea. Cannot happen. Russia would have an economic stranglehold on them.
Thanks for your replies. It is a hard subject to even have an honest conversation on these days. The fact that MAD is even a concept is just chilling and I have less faith that the Neo Cons and ex KGB wouldn't be willing to risk it all to satisfy their egos. For the record I would love to see a free Ukraine and for there to be a stop to the killing, I just am not as sure as you that this doesn't spill over into an escalated conflict. At the same time I really don't want to see this dragging out like afghanistan, imagine the horror that would be caused if we provided long term material and financial support and then in '24 or '28 a new administration pulled our funding and skidaddled. That is another case where I think a negotiated settlement would be preferred. You are definitely correct that Ukraine needs to negotiate from a position of strength if they choose to negotiate at all. Obviously at this point we can't predict the future so we just have to let it play out.
MAD, as maddening of a concept it is, has kept the nuclear peace since 1945. We've come close a few times since then but cooler heads have prevailed. The more concerning thing to me is putin pulling out of existing treaties and refusing to negotiate further arms reductions.
Afghanistan was a negotiated withdrawal. What nobody anticipated was the complete, utter and swift collapse of the Afghan military and police. We should have pulled out after the killing of Osama bin Laden but you know, rosy military reports on "progress" and Pakistan not wanting the US out, for both the US military and economic aid for "cooperation" but also for the corruption. We were played by actors in a region of the world where we really shouldn't be meddling in.
Its going to play out and in large part be influenced by the US mid-terms and 2024. Repubs in Congress are likely to use it against Brandon, cut funding, hold faux hearings for some fauxrage reason, all for an eye on 2024. Remember, one politial party in the US has no solutions for anything. We're in interesting times and I think 1/6 was the beginning of the end. As Liz Cheney said, the threat continues to this day.
I never thought I'd see a land war on the European Continent in my lifetime and it saddens me. Ukraine is being demolished but they'll rebuild. Still it sucks a big one.
Slow news on the Ukraine front. I've been wondering what happens if we fund this to the last standing Ukrainian and what that would mean as far as being a completely destabilized Ukraine and what that means to Europe. A bunch of displaced people and a bunch of men with military experience and training, some of whom are very right wing. Could this support come back to bite us like it did with Afghanistan/Al Qaeda? With the global economy being further shredded and the threat of major food shortages worldwide especially in the global south and poorer countries should we not be trying to push for a settlement and some brokered talks? Russia gets Donbas and Crimea Ukraine becomes Swiss like? How much of the idea that Putin won't stop at Ukraine is sabre rattling and Manufacturing Consent? On the other side if Ukraine somehow manages to "win" and Putin falls how does a completely destabilized Russia help the world? What does a Russia completely financially in debt and dominated by China look like? In a country where we are currently wondering what to do about domestic gun violence and far right ideology, why are we so quick to say that more guns is the answer here? I have always been anti war at least since I have been an adult and have had my own agency of thought. 21st century and the cold war is alive and well. there has to be another way of going forward that isn't that the US military power structure dictates the global narrative. Sure giving up part of Ukraine to a hostile force isn't ideal and would not be easy to accept, but what is the alternative? Do we let this proxy war become the real thing? WWI was started from something far stupider than this.
Ukraine is not Afghanistan. They are not jihadist. So no, I don't think there's any chance that you have marauding bands of soldiers in filtering into Moldova or something.
It's always been the most likely outcome that some eastern Oblasts fall into Russian control. That doesn't mean Ukraine should just let it happen and not fight. And if the West cuts off arms, the whole of Ukraine will fall which will lead to massive humanitarian crisis along with senseless death of all types of citizenry, not just soldiers in battle. Russia has proven that they will commit war crimes many times in the past and in Ukraine.
No offense, but the news narrative of the last week is typical Americanism. Didn't win a war in a month or two? Tide turns a bit or there are setback? Time to pull the plug. My interest is elsewhere.
This was always going to be a hard slog.
Was Afghanistan seen as a Jihadist country before the USSR and USA decided to have a proxy war there?
The only winners with the west supplying arms seem to be the weapons manufacturers.
Like I said I have pretty much been anti war since being an adult, so war is never something that I am in favor of. The idea that this is "typical americanism" as didn't win in a month or two is a joke. Typical americanism is overfunding and overstaying any conflict to the absolute breaking point with the idea that we are serving american strategic interests and geo-political stability or even laughably the concept of good vs evil, which has got us nowhere. I'm unsure that any of our forays in my 40 year life span have done a lot for global stability, if anything it has usually caused the opposite.
Why wouldn't typical Americans begin to question if this is going to turn into another 20 year money sink. I will admit that at the beginning of this conflict I was thinking that here we are with a just cause for once, how much of that was influenced by print and social media I can't calculate. I do know that as the situation has escalated I have asked myself what the difference is between Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine when it comes to US involvement...I'm not sure there is any.
The people bearing the brunt of the financial woes in america are the poor and working class. Obviously Ukrainians have it much worse with war at their actual doors. Global food instability that will damage former US Soviet playgrounds like afghanistan will affect us to a much lower level, except for the rising costs of groceries and gas that the uneducated rabble care so much about.
Yes, I was talking about media moving on to other things, which is what is happening as we speak.
1. Afghanistan is a radicalized country, fighting against the West and Christianity. Whether the Soviet and US wars created that or accentuated it is a bigger argument. But I can't see any scenario where Ukraine, which has been trying to westernize against the yoke of Russia, would suddenly radicalize against the west.
2. The cause is the same today as it was in February. What is changing for you? Is it gas prices, grain prices? Is it suddenly that you think we can't afford it? Affording it is a red herring. Everything we do, we borrow.
The difference between Iraq and Ukraine is completely different. A) Iraq was waged for two reasons: 1. Access to oil 2. Making the mid east safe for Israel. Ukraine is the front line against a quasi-Fascist state that has been slowly trying to expand its economic and military power through wars of aggression in Chechnya, Georgia and now Ukraine. Putin must be checked. C) We invaded Iraq to overthrow the existing gov't and tried to fight a war in their own territory. For Ukraine, we are supporting young liberal democracy that seeks to protect its own freedom and right to self determination. D) Our troops aren't on the ground in Ukraine. They were in Iraq.
The difference between Iraq and Ukraine could not be any more stark. I honestly don't know how you can compare the two. The only commonality is that they both cost money, but I'm pretty sure if you add up the costs, Iraq will be just a touch higher.
I've been thinking about this for a couple days since you posted the questions about what has changed, because I want to give a genuine answer. My chief concern is what this conflict is doing globally. I'm not concerned of the $40 bn or so spent directly so far. I am more concerned about if the western economy can handle this on top of the other crisis that we can't seem to manage currently. $5 a gallon gas and the rapid increase in prices due to the increased cost of shipping, increased price of fertilizer, speculation of a worldwide grain shortage etc. It does not appear that there is an end in sight for the ever increasing cost of living. How long until this creates more discord in our country and other western countries, that is if it isn't already having that effect? Sure part of the current problem is that the increasing profits especially for energy and shipping companies are much higher than what should they should be assuming that the only costs being passed along are based on the cost of a barrel of oil, but what does that mean for the majority of americans and western families making less than 6 figures a year? The rapid rise in prices and inflation, though already escalating due to covid and "supply chain bottlenecks" has gotten out of control since the war and the sanctions started. This is the economic side of things I am worried about. Not to mention that the worse these economic woes are the more chance the american facist right will sweep back into power BIGLY. If there is one thing that Western Democracies are good at, its resiliency and adaptability. There may be short term pain and it might suck for a spell but government and industry typically find their way out. Look at Europe or Japan after WWII. Completely devastated. And look at them today. As for shipping, that's what happens when the world allows for 10 major players to control the market. They're also raking in record profits so far outside the norm that its sickening. And I don't hear the public criticizing them. Misplaced at Brandon. I ordered two large pizza's, each with 3 toppings, and 18 wings with a side of fries. With tip, $93.00. They charged me $1.00 for ordering online. Guess what? I won't be ordering pizza and wings for a while. The fascists will be sweeping into power in 2022 and 2024. And its going to be ugly.
As far as what is happening in terms of the war. Well millions have fled all over Europe and that is obviously not a stabilizing thing. As I said in a previous post, what good does prolonging a war that Russia may ultimately win or end in a stalemate really do for anyone including Ukrainians? Lets say Ukraine wins, pushes Russia back and reclaims Crimea. What incentive does Vladimir and the Russian state have to continue playing ball with the international order? None. Which will inevitably lead to stronger ties with China, who are also supposedly enemies of the american people. If Russia fights to the last Ukranian and demolishes Ukraine, what does a completely destabilized Ukraine with a fringe of quasi Neo-Nazi sympathizers that now have training from Nato and US special forces mean? Blow back? Nah that has never happened to us before. What about all of the American White Supremacists that are Volunteering for Ukraine? Neither of these things is russian Propaganda, the current DHS is concerned about homegrown supremacists travelling to Ukraine and getting battlefield experience, and recently within the last few years a stipulation of us aiding Ukraine was that weapons and training would not go to known Ukrainian Neo Nazi groups like C14(stands for: we must secure the existence of our people and a future for White children) and Azov. Why else would members of the house of representatives have wrote a letter to the department of state with concern to anti semitism in Poland and Ukraine. Now obviously you are thinking that I have bought the Russian propaganda, well no I have absolutely no illusion that the Ukraine is full of a majortiy of Nazis. Heck I understand a lot of the looking the other way as some of these groups provided the necessary force for Maidan revolution. I am worried that depending how things go the minority of neo nazi nationalists could become a significant regional or global problem, and any entrance into nato should probably require a purging of these influences. And of course I have to add the disclaimer, the presence of small groups of neo-nazis does not justify invading a sovereign country, if it did someone would have had grounds to war with us long ago. Legitimate concern. But from what I've read of the Americans fighting in Ukraine, its not what they expected and its a rude wake up call. Nothing like playing Call of Duty and even military vets who didn't see action in the US military are having a tough time of it due to the nature of the units, lack of communication, control structure. I think you'll see less of this rather than more as time goes on.
Environmental concerns: With the rising price of everything and the rising price of fuel this has probably shot any chance at a sustainable future. Though it was gonna be a hard sell to begin with I am thinking the push for renewables and EVs is going to be crushed. The high price of gas currently has public opinion turning towards the drill baby drill line all the world over. Public opinion of kitchen table politics is currently bring the prices down. While a lot of people in the US and Canada will blame Biden and Trudeau I understand that this is a global issue that is exacerbated by OPEC+ and the oil companies themselves putting profits, stock buybacks, etc ahead of the needs of common people. How are people that are having to choose between gas and groceries supposed to pay the average cost of 50k for an EV? And EVs alone won't solve the problem as we will need infrastructure and non fossil fuel power generating sources. Take public transit? In our cities and rural areas, BBB better hurry up.
This is the good news. Question is, is it sustainable? More demand drives economies of scale. And even hybrids can make a difference. Still a drop in the bucket but there are things happening regarding renewables. Off shore wind farms, more sustainable buildings, solar farms and we're really close to fusion energy. In 10 years, it'll be scalable. Question is, can we and the planet hold on?
China maintained its vast dominance in the global electric vehicle market by selling a record 3.3 million cars in 2021, while the U.S. ended a two-year slump to see EV sales double, according to newly released data.
Worldwide EV sales doubled year over year in 2021 to 6.6 million, the International Energy Agency reported in its Global EV Outlook for 2022 on May 23. Some 630,000 plug-in battery and hybrid electric cars were sold in the U.S. in 2021, twice as many as the year before. In Europe, 2.3 million EVs were sold.
In all, there were 16.5 million electric cars on the road worldwide in 2021, three times more than in 2018, the agency reported. The IEA and many nations are looking to EVs to replace combustion engines to slow climate change. In the U.S, transportation is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for 33% in 2020.
Escalation: what needs to be said, Russia has Nukes and may be willing to use them, and their overstepping in Ukraine is a wet dream for the Hawks and Neo-Cons in DC. I think putin realizes that's a red line he can't cross. I think he was surprised by the US and West response and we're seeing, once again, the difference between the two political and economic systems in how poor his military really is. I read today that they're pressing 50 year old tanks into service. Time is on Ukraine's side, currently.
Moral: We are in a society that is currently grappling with gun violence of which one side says that more guns and good guys with guns is the answer and the otherside says no guns is the answer, Yet when it comes to sending big guns overseas with little oversight as to where they will all end up in a country that has a history of corruption, both sides seem to be overwhelmingly on board with the fact that more "good guys" with guns is the answer. The other side in the gun debate, the gun safety side, is not saying "no guns is the answer." We're saying reasonable and common sense gun safety regulations can make a difference. I read today that 10,000 guns a month are sold in New York State. Are New Yorker's that afraid? Crazy. And the US is not willy nilly providing arms to Ukraine. Brandon has denied requests for certain arms, in fear of provoking a response from putin. Prudent but time will tell. And if you don't think we have boots on the ground, you're fooling yourself.
Finally I am burned out on my countries endless need to go to war, sell weapons and take sides in proxy conflicts. How can we be surprised that we are a society growing more violently when that seems to be our main cultural export I am also wary of media when it comes to reporting on wars and am not completely sure that we are being sold the whole truth, WMDs anyone. All of the rosy reporting on Afghanistan over 18 years etc. This is partly responsible for where we find ourselves today with 1/6. Not investigating the myth and selling of the Iraq war and whether crimes were committed in the process emboldened the actors in the POOTWH administration. My biggest criticism of Obama is for saying the nation needed to move on. Darth Cheney, Rummy and Wolfowitz should be in jail. 44 million missing emails anyone? War is profitable and as long as there are humans, there will be money made from war. Sad but true but its been going on since the beginning of humanity in some form or other.
As to why I am comparing this to Iraq and Afghanistan it is because those were two huge foreign policy blunders that did not lead to the world being a more stable and safer place, while also taking up most of my adult life, and there is every reason based on the last 3 decades of US War policy that this could end up just the same. The war in Iraq should have never happened and Afghanistan should have ended the day after Osama bin Laden was killed. Personally, I think anyone with a role in the federal government, in any branch, should have to divest from any defense contractor or supplier and have their stocks in blind trusts until 3 years after their service ends. Particularly or at least for POTUS, VPOTUS, all cabinet members and members of congress. Start there.
So that is why I would like to see a push for a diplomatic solution. End this before it escalates. I'm not sure what that entails? Give the separatists their own sovereignty as it doesn't seem like they want to be a part of Ukraine nor does it seem as if Ukraine wants them around. If neither side is willing to budge what red line needs to be crossed before another Nato country joins the fray? Again assuming Ukraine drives russia back with it's head between it's legs, who pays for rebuilding Ukraine? Russia? not likely. The IMF? Would Ukraine have sovereignty if they made a deal with that behemoth? Do we really believe this doesn't have the possibility of escalating into a world war or a nuclear war? Can the case be made that Ukraine can win everything, with weapons support alone? I'd prefer a diplomatic solution as well but it has to be driven by Ukraine and they have to define the terms and decide whether its the right thing for them. If NATO is attacked, there'll be a response but I think this remains a smoldering type conflict until putin is out of the picture. Time will tell but its depressing as hell.
Slow news on the Ukraine front. I've been wondering what happens if we fund this to the last standing Ukrainian and what that would mean as far as being a completely destabilized Ukraine and what that means to Europe. A bunch of displaced people and a bunch of men with military experience and training, some of whom are very right wing. Could this support come back to bite us like it did with Afghanistan/Al Qaeda? With the global economy being further shredded and the threat of major food shortages worldwide especially in the global south and poorer countries should we not be trying to push for a settlement and some brokered talks? Russia gets Donbas and Crimea Ukraine becomes Swiss like? How much of the idea that Putin won't stop at Ukraine is sabre rattling and Manufacturing Consent? On the other side if Ukraine somehow manages to "win" and Putin falls how does a completely destabilized Russia help the world? What does a Russia completely financially in debt and dominated by China look like? In a country where we are currently wondering what to do about domestic gun violence and far right ideology, why are we so quick to say that more guns is the answer here? I have always been anti war at least since I have been an adult and have had my own agency of thought. 21st century and the cold war is alive and well. there has to be another way of going forward that isn't that the US military power structure dictates the global narrative. Sure giving up part of Ukraine to a hostile force isn't ideal and would not be easy to accept, but what is the alternative? Do we let this proxy war become the real thing? WWI was started from something far stupider than this.
Ukraine is not Afghanistan. They are not jihadist. So no, I don't think there's any chance that you have marauding bands of soldiers in filtering into Moldova or something.
It's always been the most likely outcome that some eastern Oblasts fall into Russian control. That doesn't mean Ukraine should just let it happen and not fight. And if the West cuts off arms, the whole of Ukraine will fall which will lead to massive humanitarian crisis along with senseless death of all types of citizenry, not just soldiers in battle. Russia has proven that they will commit war crimes many times in the past and in Ukraine.
No offense, but the news narrative of the last week is typical Americanism. Didn't win a war in a month or two? Tide turns a bit or there are setback? Time to pull the plug. My interest is elsewhere.
This was always going to be a hard slog.
Was Afghanistan seen as a Jihadist country before the USSR and USA decided to have a proxy war there?
The only winners with the west supplying arms seem to be the weapons manufacturers.
Like I said I have pretty much been anti war since being an adult, so war is never something that I am in favor of. The idea that this is "typical americanism" as didn't win in a month or two is a joke. Typical americanism is overfunding and overstaying any conflict to the absolute breaking point with the idea that we are serving american strategic interests and geo-political stability or even laughably the concept of good vs evil, which has got us nowhere. I'm unsure that any of our forays in my 40 year life span have done a lot for global stability, if anything it has usually caused the opposite.
Why wouldn't typical Americans begin to question if this is going to turn into another 20 year money sink. I will admit that at the beginning of this conflict I was thinking that here we are with a just cause for once, how much of that was influenced by print and social media I can't calculate. I do know that as the situation has escalated I have asked myself what the difference is between Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine when it comes to US involvement...I'm not sure there is any.
The people bearing the brunt of the financial woes in america are the poor and working class. Obviously Ukrainians have it much worse with war at their actual doors. Global food instability that will damage former US Soviet playgrounds like afghanistan will affect us to a much lower level, except for the rising costs of groceries and gas that the uneducated rabble care so much about.
Yes, I was talking about media moving on to other things, which is what is happening as we speak.
1. Afghanistan is a radicalized country, fighting against the West and Christianity. Whether the Soviet and US wars created that or accentuated it is a bigger argument. But I can't see any scenario where Ukraine, which has been trying to westernize against the yoke of Russia, would suddenly radicalize against the west.
2. The cause is the same today as it was in February. What is changing for you? Is it gas prices, grain prices? Is it suddenly that you think we can't afford it? Affording it is a red herring. Everything we do, we borrow.
The difference between Iraq and Ukraine is completely different. A) Iraq was waged for two reasons: 1. Access to oil 2. Making the mid east safe for Israel. Ukraine is the front line against a quasi-Fascist state that has been slowly trying to expand its economic and military power through wars of aggression in Chechnya, Georgia and now Ukraine. Putin must be checked. C) We invaded Iraq to overthrow the existing gov't and tried to fight a war in their own territory. For Ukraine, we are supporting young liberal democracy that seeks to protect its own freedom and right to self determination. D) Our troops aren't on the ground in Ukraine. They were in Iraq.
The difference between Iraq and Ukraine could not be any more stark. I honestly don't know how you can compare the two. The only commonality is that they both cost money, but I'm pretty sure if you add up the costs, Iraq will be just a touch higher.
I've been thinking about this for a couple days since you posted the questions about what has changed, because I want to give a genuine answer. My chief concern is what this conflict is doing globally. I'm not concerned of the $40 bn or so spent directly so far. I am more concerned about if the western economy can handle this on top of the other crisis that we can't seem to manage currently. $5 a gallon gas and the rapid increase in prices due to the increased cost of shipping, increased price of fertilizer, speculation of a worldwide grain shortage etc. It does not appear that there is an end in sight for the ever increasing cost of living. How long until this creates more discord in our country and other western countries, that is if it isn't already having that effect? Sure part of the current problem is that the increasing profits especially for energy and shipping companies are much higher than what should they should be assuming that the only costs being passed along are based on the cost of a barrel of oil, but what does that mean for the majority of americans and western families making less than 6 figures a year? The rapid rise in prices and inflation, though already escalating due to covid and "supply chain bottlenecks" has gotten out of control since the war and the sanctions started. This is the economic side of things I am worried about. Not to mention that the worse these economic woes are the more chance the american facist right will sweep back into power BIGLY. If there is one thing that Western Democracies are good at, its resiliency and adaptability. There may be short term pain and it might suck for a spell but government and industry typically find their way out. Look at Europe or Japan after WWII. Completely devastated. And look at them today. As for shipping, that's what happens when the world allows for 10 major players to control the market. They're also raking in record profits so far outside the norm that its sickening. And I don't hear the public criticizing them. Misplaced at Brandon. I ordered two large pizza's, each with 3 toppings, and 18 wings with a side of fries. With tip, $93.00. They charged me $1.00 for ordering online. Guess what? I won't be ordering pizza and wings for a while. The fascists will be sweeping into power in 2022 and 2024. And its going to be ugly.
As far as what is happening in terms of the war. Well millions have fled all over Europe and that is obviously not a stabilizing thing. As I said in a previous post, what good does prolonging a war that Russia may ultimately win or end in a stalemate really do for anyone including Ukrainians? Lets say Ukraine wins, pushes Russia back and reclaims Crimea. What incentive does Vladimir and the Russian state have to continue playing ball with the international order? None. Which will inevitably lead to stronger ties with China, who are also supposedly enemies of the american people. If Russia fights to the last Ukranian and demolishes Ukraine, what does a completely destabilized Ukraine with a fringe of quasi Neo-Nazi sympathizers that now have training from Nato and US special forces mean? Blow back? Nah that has never happened to us before. What about all of the American White Supremacists that are Volunteering for Ukraine? Neither of these things is russian Propaganda, the current DHS is concerned about homegrown supremacists travelling to Ukraine and getting battlefield experience, and recently within the last few years a stipulation of us aiding Ukraine was that weapons and training would not go to known Ukrainian Neo Nazi groups like C14(stands for: we must secure the existence of our people and a future for White children) and Azov. Why else would members of the house of representatives have wrote a letter to the department of state with concern to anti semitism in Poland and Ukraine. Now obviously you are thinking that I have bought the Russian propaganda, well no I have absolutely no illusion that the Ukraine is full of a majortiy of Nazis. Heck I understand a lot of the looking the other way as some of these groups provided the necessary force for Maidan revolution. I am worried that depending how things go the minority of neo nazi nationalists could become a significant regional or global problem, and any entrance into nato should probably require a purging of these influences. And of course I have to add the disclaimer, the presence of small groups of neo-nazis does not justify invading a sovereign country, if it did someone would have had grounds to war with us long ago. Legitimate concern. But from what I've read of the Americans fighting in Ukraine, its not what they expected and its a rude wake up call. Nothing like playing Call of Duty and even military vets who didn't see action in the US military are having a tough time of it due to the nature of the units, lack of communication, control structure. I think you'll see less of this rather than more as time goes on.
Environmental concerns: With the rising price of everything and the rising price of fuel this has probably shot any chance at a sustainable future. Though it was gonna be a hard sell to begin with I am thinking the push for renewables and EVs is going to be crushed. The high price of gas currently has public opinion turning towards the drill baby drill line all the world over. Public opinion of kitchen table politics is currently bring the prices down. While a lot of people in the US and Canada will blame Biden and Trudeau I understand that this is a global issue that is exacerbated by OPEC+ and the oil companies themselves putting profits, stock buybacks, etc ahead of the needs of common people. How are people that are having to choose between gas and groceries supposed to pay the average cost of 50k for an EV? And EVs alone won't solve the problem as we will need infrastructure and non fossil fuel power generating sources. Take public transit? In our cities and rural areas, BBB better hurry up.
This is the good news. Question is, is it sustainable? More demand drives economies of scale. And even hybrids can make a difference. Still a drop in the bucket but there are things happening regarding renewables. Off shore wind farms, more sustainable buildings, solar farms and we're really close to fusion energy. In 10 years, it'll be scalable. Question is, can we and the planet hold on?
China maintained its vast dominance in the global electric vehicle market by selling a record 3.3 million cars in 2021, while the U.S. ended a two-year slump to see EV sales double, according to newly released data.
Worldwide EV sales doubled year over year in 2021 to 6.6 million, the International Energy Agency reported in its Global EV Outlook for 2022 on May 23. Some 630,000 plug-in battery and hybrid electric cars were sold in the U.S. in 2021, twice as many as the year before. In Europe, 2.3 million EVs were sold.
In all, there were 16.5 million electric cars on the road worldwide in 2021, three times more than in 2018, the agency reported. The IEA and many nations are looking to EVs to replace combustion engines to slow climate change. In the U.S, transportation is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for 33% in 2020.
Escalation: what needs to be said, Russia has Nukes and may be willing to use them, and their overstepping in Ukraine is a wet dream for the Hawks and Neo-Cons in DC. I think putin realizes that's a red line he can't cross. I think he was surprised by the US and West response and we're seeing, once again, the difference between the two political and economic systems in how poor his military really is. I read today that they're pressing 50 year old tanks into service. Time is on Ukraine's side, currently.
Moral: We are in a society that is currently grappling with gun violence of which one side says that more guns and good guys with guns is the answer and the otherside says no guns is the answer, Yet when it comes to sending big guns overseas with little oversight as to where they will all end up in a country that has a history of corruption, both sides seem to be overwhelmingly on board with the fact that more "good guys" with guns is the answer. The other side in the gun debate, the gun safety side, is not saying "no guns is the answer." We're saying reasonable and common sense gun safety regulations can make a difference. I read today that 10,000 guns a month are sold in New York State. Are New Yorker's that afraid? Crazy. And the US is not willy nilly providing arms to Ukraine. Brandon has denied requests for certain arms, in fear of provoking a response from putin. Prudent but time will tell. And if you don't think we have boots on the ground, you're fooling yourself.
Finally I am burned out on my countries endless need to go to war, sell weapons and take sides in proxy conflicts. How can we be surprised that we are a society growing more violently when that seems to be our main cultural export I am also wary of media when it comes to reporting on wars and am not completely sure that we are being sold the whole truth, WMDs anyone. All of the rosy reporting on Afghanistan over 18 years etc. This is partly responsible for where we find ourselves today with 1/6. Not investigating the myth and selling of the Iraq war and whether crimes were committed in the process emboldened the actors in the POOTWH administration. My biggest criticism of Obama is for saying the nation needed to move on. Darth Cheney, Rummy and Wolfowitz should be in jail. 44 million missing emails anyone? War is profitable and as long as there are humans, there will be money made from war. Sad but true but its been going on since the beginning of humanity in some form or other.
As to why I am comparing this to Iraq and Afghanistan it is because those were two huge foreign policy blunders that did not lead to the world being a more stable and safer place, while also taking up most of my adult life, and there is every reason based on the last 3 decades of US War policy that this could end up just the same. The war in Iraq should have never happened and Afghanistan should have ended the day after Osama bin Laden was killed. Personally, I think anyone with a role in the federal government, in any branch, should have to divest from any defense contractor or supplier and have their stocks in blind trusts until 3 years after their service ends. Particularly or at least for POTUS, VPOTUS, all cabinet members and members of congress. Start there.
So that is why I would like to see a push for a diplomatic solution. End this before it escalates. I'm not sure what that entails? Give the separatists their own sovereignty as it doesn't seem like they want to be a part of Ukraine nor does it seem as if Ukraine wants them around. If neither side is willing to budge what red line needs to be crossed before another Nato country joins the fray? Again assuming Ukraine drives russia back with it's head between it's legs, who pays for rebuilding Ukraine? Russia? not likely. The IMF? Would Ukraine have sovereignty if they made a deal with that behemoth? Do we really believe this doesn't have the possibility of escalating into a world war or a nuclear war? Can the case be made that Ukraine can win everything, with weapons support alone? I'd prefer a diplomatic solution as well but it has to be driven by Ukraine and they have to define the terms and decide whether its the right thing for them. If NATO is attacked, there'll be a response but I think this remains a smoldering type conflict until putin is out of the picture. Time will tell but its depressing as hell.
See my responses in bold.
Wow @Halifax2TheMax Thanks for all of you thoughts! A lot for my pea brain to process.
Slow news on the Ukraine front. I've been wondering what happens if we fund this to the last standing Ukrainian and what that would mean as far as being a completely destabilized Ukraine and what that means to Europe. A bunch of displaced people and a bunch of men with military experience and training, some of whom are very right wing. Could this support come back to bite us like it did with Afghanistan/Al Qaeda? With the global economy being further shredded and the threat of major food shortages worldwide especially in the global south and poorer countries should we not be trying to push for a settlement and some brokered talks? Russia gets Donbas and Crimea Ukraine becomes Swiss like? How much of the idea that Putin won't stop at Ukraine is sabre rattling and Manufacturing Consent? On the other side if Ukraine somehow manages to "win" and Putin falls how does a completely destabilized Russia help the world? What does a Russia completely financially in debt and dominated by China look like? In a country where we are currently wondering what to do about domestic gun violence and far right ideology, why are we so quick to say that more guns is the answer here? I have always been anti war at least since I have been an adult and have had my own agency of thought. 21st century and the cold war is alive and well. there has to be another way of going forward that isn't that the US military power structure dictates the global narrative. Sure giving up part of Ukraine to a hostile force isn't ideal and would not be easy to accept, but what is the alternative? Do we let this proxy war become the real thing? WWI was started from something far stupider than this.
Ukraine is not Afghanistan. They are not jihadist. So no, I don't think there's any chance that you have marauding bands of soldiers in filtering into Moldova or something.
It's always been the most likely outcome that some eastern Oblasts fall into Russian control. That doesn't mean Ukraine should just let it happen and not fight. And if the West cuts off arms, the whole of Ukraine will fall which will lead to massive humanitarian crisis along with senseless death of all types of citizenry, not just soldiers in battle. Russia has proven that they will commit war crimes many times in the past and in Ukraine.
No offense, but the news narrative of the last week is typical Americanism. Didn't win a war in a month or two? Tide turns a bit or there are setback? Time to pull the plug. My interest is elsewhere.
This was always going to be a hard slog.
Was Afghanistan seen as a Jihadist country before the USSR and USA decided to have a proxy war there?
The only winners with the west supplying arms seem to be the weapons manufacturers.
Like I said I have pretty much been anti war since being an adult, so war is never something that I am in favor of. The idea that this is "typical americanism" as didn't win in a month or two is a joke. Typical americanism is overfunding and overstaying any conflict to the absolute breaking point with the idea that we are serving american strategic interests and geo-political stability or even laughably the concept of good vs evil, which has got us nowhere. I'm unsure that any of our forays in my 40 year life span have done a lot for global stability, if anything it has usually caused the opposite.
Why wouldn't typical Americans begin to question if this is going to turn into another 20 year money sink. I will admit that at the beginning of this conflict I was thinking that here we are with a just cause for once, how much of that was influenced by print and social media I can't calculate. I do know that as the situation has escalated I have asked myself what the difference is between Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine when it comes to US involvement...I'm not sure there is any.
The people bearing the brunt of the financial woes in america are the poor and working class. Obviously Ukrainians have it much worse with war at their actual doors. Global food instability that will damage former US Soviet playgrounds like afghanistan will affect us to a much lower level, except for the rising costs of groceries and gas that the uneducated rabble care so much about.
Yes, I was talking about media moving on to other things, which is what is happening as we speak.
1. Afghanistan is a radicalized country, fighting against the West and Christianity. Whether the Soviet and US wars created that or accentuated it is a bigger argument. But I can't see any scenario where Ukraine, which has been trying to westernize against the yoke of Russia, would suddenly radicalize against the west.
2. The cause is the same today as it was in February. What is changing for you? Is it gas prices, grain prices? Is it suddenly that you think we can't afford it? Affording it is a red herring. Everything we do, we borrow.
The difference between Iraq and Ukraine is completely different. A) Iraq was waged for two reasons: 1. Access to oil 2. Making the mid east safe for Israel. Ukraine is the front line against a quasi-Fascist state that has been slowly trying to expand its economic and military power through wars of aggression in Chechnya, Georgia and now Ukraine. Putin must be checked. C) We invaded Iraq to overthrow the existing gov't and tried to fight a war in their own territory. For Ukraine, we are supporting young liberal democracy that seeks to protect its own freedom and right to self determination. D) Our troops aren't on the ground in Ukraine. They were in Iraq.
The difference between Iraq and Ukraine could not be any more stark. I honestly don't know how you can compare the two. The only commonality is that they both cost money, but I'm pretty sure if you add up the costs, Iraq will be just a touch higher.
I've been thinking about this for a couple days since you posted the questions about what has changed, because I want to give a genuine answer. My chief concern is what this conflict is doing globally. I'm not concerned of the $40 bn or so spent directly so far. I am more concerned about if the western economy can handle this on top of the other crisis that we can't seem to manage currently. $5 a gallon gas and the rapid increase in prices due to the increased cost of shipping, increased price of fertilizer, speculation of a worldwide grain shortage etc. It does not appear that there is an end in sight for the ever increasing cost of living. How long until this creates more discord in our country and other western countries, that is if it isn't already having that effect? Sure part of the current problem is that the increasing profits especially for energy and shipping companies are much higher than what should they should be assuming that the only costs being passed along are based on the cost of a barrel of oil, but what does that mean for the majority of americans and western families making less than 6 figures a year? The rapid rise in prices and inflation, though already escalating due to covid and "supply chain bottlenecks" has gotten out of control since the war and the sanctions started. This is the economic side of things I am worried about. Not to mention that the worse these economic woes are the more chance the american facist right will sweep back into power BIGLY. If there is one thing that Western Democracies are good at, its resiliency and adaptability. There may be short term pain and it might suck for a spell but government and industry typically find their way out. Look at Europe or Japan after WWII. Completely devastated. And look at them today. As for shipping, that's what happens when the world allows for 10 major players to control the market. They're also raking in record profits so far outside the norm that its sickening. And I don't hear the public criticizing them. Misplaced at Brandon. I ordered two large pizza's, each with 3 toppings, and 18 wings with a side of fries. With tip, $93.00. They charged me $1.00 for ordering online. Guess what? I won't be ordering pizza and wings for a while. The fascists will be sweeping into power in 2022 and 2024. And its going to be ugly.
As far as what is happening in terms of the war. Well millions have fled all over Europe and that is obviously not a stabilizing thing. As I said in a previous post, what good does prolonging a war that Russia may ultimately win or end in a stalemate really do for anyone including Ukrainians? Lets say Ukraine wins, pushes Russia back and reclaims Crimea. What incentive does Vladimir and the Russian state have to continue playing ball with the international order? None. Which will inevitably lead to stronger ties with China, who are also supposedly enemies of the american people. If Russia fights to the last Ukranian and demolishes Ukraine, what does a completely destabilized Ukraine with a fringe of quasi Neo-Nazi sympathizers that now have training from Nato and US special forces mean? Blow back? Nah that has never happened to us before. What about all of the American White Supremacists that are Volunteering for Ukraine? Neither of these things is russian Propaganda, the current DHS is concerned about homegrown supremacists travelling to Ukraine and getting battlefield experience, and recently within the last few years a stipulation of us aiding Ukraine was that weapons and training would not go to known Ukrainian Neo Nazi groups like C14(stands for: we must secure the existence of our people and a future for White children) and Azov. Why else would members of the house of representatives have wrote a letter to the department of state with concern to anti semitism in Poland and Ukraine. Now obviously you are thinking that I have bought the Russian propaganda, well no I have absolutely no illusion that the Ukraine is full of a majortiy of Nazis. Heck I understand a lot of the looking the other way as some of these groups provided the necessary force for Maidan revolution. I am worried that depending how things go the minority of neo nazi nationalists could become a significant regional or global problem, and any entrance into nato should probably require a purging of these influences. And of course I have to add the disclaimer, the presence of small groups of neo-nazis does not justify invading a sovereign country, if it did someone would have had grounds to war with us long ago. Legitimate concern. But from what I've read of the Americans fighting in Ukraine, its not what they expected and its a rude wake up call. Nothing like playing Call of Duty and even military vets who didn't see action in the US military are having a tough time of it due to the nature of the units, lack of communication, control structure. I think you'll see less of this rather than more as time goes on.
Environmental concerns: With the rising price of everything and the rising price of fuel this has probably shot any chance at a sustainable future. Though it was gonna be a hard sell to begin with I am thinking the push for renewables and EVs is going to be crushed. The high price of gas currently has public opinion turning towards the drill baby drill line all the world over. Public opinion of kitchen table politics is currently bring the prices down. While a lot of people in the US and Canada will blame Biden and Trudeau I understand that this is a global issue that is exacerbated by OPEC+ and the oil companies themselves putting profits, stock buybacks, etc ahead of the needs of common people. How are people that are having to choose between gas and groceries supposed to pay the average cost of 50k for an EV? And EVs alone won't solve the problem as we will need infrastructure and non fossil fuel power generating sources. Take public transit? In our cities and rural areas, BBB better hurry up.
This is the good news. Question is, is it sustainable? More demand drives economies of scale. And even hybrids can make a difference. Still a drop in the bucket but there are things happening regarding renewables. Off shore wind farms, more sustainable buildings, solar farms and we're really close to fusion energy. In 10 years, it'll be scalable. Question is, can we and the planet hold on?
China maintained its vast dominance in the global electric vehicle market by selling a record 3.3 million cars in 2021, while the U.S. ended a two-year slump to see EV sales double, according to newly released data.
Worldwide EV sales doubled year over year in 2021 to 6.6 million, the International Energy Agency reported in its Global EV Outlook for 2022 on May 23. Some 630,000 plug-in battery and hybrid electric cars were sold in the U.S. in 2021, twice as many as the year before. In Europe, 2.3 million EVs were sold.
In all, there were 16.5 million electric cars on the road worldwide in 2021, three times more than in 2018, the agency reported. The IEA and many nations are looking to EVs to replace combustion engines to slow climate change. In the U.S, transportation is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for 33% in 2020.
Escalation: what needs to be said, Russia has Nukes and may be willing to use them, and their overstepping in Ukraine is a wet dream for the Hawks and Neo-Cons in DC. I think putin realizes that's a red line he can't cross. I think he was surprised by the US and West response and we're seeing, once again, the difference between the two political and economic systems in how poor his military really is. I read today that they're pressing 50 year old tanks into service. Time is on Ukraine's side, currently.
Moral: We are in a society that is currently grappling with gun violence of which one side says that more guns and good guys with guns is the answer and the otherside says no guns is the answer, Yet when it comes to sending big guns overseas with little oversight as to where they will all end up in a country that has a history of corruption, both sides seem to be overwhelmingly on board with the fact that more "good guys" with guns is the answer. The other side in the gun debate, the gun safety side, is not saying "no guns is the answer." We're saying reasonable and common sense gun safety regulations can make a difference. I read today that 10,000 guns a month are sold in New York State. Are New Yorker's that afraid? Crazy. And the US is not willy nilly providing arms to Ukraine. Brandon has denied requests for certain arms, in fear of provoking a response from putin. Prudent but time will tell. And if you don't think we have boots on the ground, you're fooling yourself.
Finally I am burned out on my countries endless need to go to war, sell weapons and take sides in proxy conflicts. How can we be surprised that we are a society growing more violently when that seems to be our main cultural export I am also wary of media when it comes to reporting on wars and am not completely sure that we are being sold the whole truth, WMDs anyone. All of the rosy reporting on Afghanistan over 18 years etc. This is partly responsible for where we find ourselves today with 1/6. Not investigating the myth and selling of the Iraq war and whether crimes were committed in the process emboldened the actors in the POOTWH administration. My biggest criticism of Obama is for saying the nation needed to move on. Darth Cheney, Rummy and Wolfowitz should be in jail. 44 million missing emails anyone? War is profitable and as long as there are humans, there will be money made from war. Sad but true but its been going on since the beginning of humanity in some form or other.
As to why I am comparing this to Iraq and Afghanistan it is because those were two huge foreign policy blunders that did not lead to the world being a more stable and safer place, while also taking up most of my adult life, and there is every reason based on the last 3 decades of US War policy that this could end up just the same. The war in Iraq should have never happened and Afghanistan should have ended the day after Osama bin Laden was killed. Personally, I think anyone with a role in the federal government, in any branch, should have to divest from any defense contractor or supplier and have their stocks in blind trusts until 3 years after their service ends. Particularly or at least for POTUS, VPOTUS, all cabinet members and members of congress. Start there.
So that is why I would like to see a push for a diplomatic solution. End this before it escalates. I'm not sure what that entails? Give the separatists their own sovereignty as it doesn't seem like they want to be a part of Ukraine nor does it seem as if Ukraine wants them around. If neither side is willing to budge what red line needs to be crossed before another Nato country joins the fray? Again assuming Ukraine drives russia back with it's head between it's legs, who pays for rebuilding Ukraine? Russia? not likely. The IMF? Would Ukraine have sovereignty if they made a deal with that behemoth? Do we really believe this doesn't have the possibility of escalating into a world war or a nuclear war? Can the case be made that Ukraine can win everything, with weapons support alone? I'd prefer a diplomatic solution as well but it has to be driven by Ukraine and they have to define the terms and decide whether its the right thing for them. If NATO is attacked, there'll be a response but I think this remains a smoldering type conflict until putin is out of the picture. Time will tell but its depressing as hell.
See my responses in bold.
Wow @Halifax2TheMax Thanks for all of you thoughts! A lot for my pea brain to process.
I’d been thinking about your posts since you posted and I read them. I wish more of the electorate were as engaged in the issues and with voting. For better or for worse. But I tend to think it would be for the better.
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Care to point it out? Frankly, I’ll take Robert Reich’s street cred on the matter of economics over yours and nick’s.
Corporations, as a whole, have not changed their behavior or strategies in the last year. So saying that they are causing inflation makes no sense. They didn't cause inflation in the last 30 years doing the same things.
If he wants to argue that they could help marginally reduce inflation by cutting prices, that's a different argument. But that would be saying corporations should act collectively to improve the economy rather than acting to the direct benefit of their stakeholders. Now THAT would be the different behavior.
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Care to point it out? Frankly, I’ll take Robert Reich’s street cred on the matter of economics over yours and nick’s.
It’s a biased article that aims to deflect all responsibility away from this administration, so of course you agree with it. I’m not saying this is all Bidens fault but let’s be the honest, the average voter will put all the blame on Joe. And these are the voters that decide elections, imo.
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Care to point it out? Frankly, I’ll take Robert Reich’s street cred on the matter of economics over yours and nick’s.
Corporations, as a whole, have not changed their behavior or strategies in the last year. So saying that they are causing inflation makes no sense. They didn't cause inflation in the last 30 years doing the same things.
If he wants to argue that they could help marginally reduce inflation by cutting prices, that's a different argument. But that would be saying corporations should act collectively to improve the economy rather than acting to the direct benefit of their stakeholders. Now THAT would be the different behavior.
Willing collective economic behaviour seems almost less likely than willing collective politics. As with so many things, I find myself frustrated by how misaligned incentives are in this socio-economic-political system.
Politicians are voted by their constituents, but lobbied by corporations (conflict between capitalism and democracy) Corporations make products that are often critical for the public (i.e. medicine), but price where they want for maximal profits (conflict between public health and capitalism) Even in nature we have misaligned incentives - sugar used to be for enough energy to hunt, now it mostly fattens us, and our incentive is a sugar high (conflict between our short-term survivalism and our long-term survivalism)
All of this is happening while those with power rely on collective stupidity and/or complacency. As the inequalities grow, the problems seem larger, and those with the power are less and less incentivized to do anything about fixing the inequality - in fact, they tend to exploit those on the other side of the tracks.
Part of me thinks that we're so obsessed with saying "this is the singular reason why X happened", is because it's overwhelming to admit that this is a tangled mess we're unlikely to get out of. In programming, we talk about lasagna code (organized, layered, easy to separate to distill into individual behaviours), or spaghetti code (messy, tangled, and if you try to pull out a piece of spaghetti code, it's going to be stuck to a number of other elements). I feel we're living in a spaghetti world with no clear way of untangling.
Anyways - rant over, I hope others have more confidence than I do about our future. I don't want kids in this fucked up place, and I'm sure I can't be the only one.
'05 - TO, '06 - TO 1, '08 - NYC 1 & 2, '09 - TO, Chi 1 & 2, '10 - Buffalo, NYC 1 & 2, '11 - TO 1 & 2, Hamilton, '13 - Buffalo, Brooklyn 1 & 2, '15 - Global Citizen, '16 - TO 1 & 2, Chi 2
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Care to point it out? Frankly, I’ll take Robert Reich’s street cred on the matter of economics over yours and nick’s.
Corporations, as a whole, have not changed their behavior or strategies in the last year. So saying that they are causing inflation makes no sense. They didn't cause inflation in the last 30 years doing the same things.
If he wants to argue that they could help marginally reduce inflation by cutting prices, that's a different argument. But that would be saying corporations should act collectively to improve the economy rather than acting to the direct benefit of their stakeholders. Now THAT would be the different behavior.
Willing collective economic behaviour seems almost less likely than willing collective politics. As with so many things, I find myself frustrated by how misaligned incentives are in this socio-economic-political system.
Politicians are voted by their constituents, but lobbied by corporations (conflict between capitalism and democracy) Corporations make products that are often critical for the public (i.e. medicine), but price where they want for maximal profits (conflict between public health and capitalism) Even in nature we have misaligned incentives - sugar used to be for enough energy to hunt, now it mostly fattens us, and our incentive is a sugar high (conflict between our short-term survivalism and our long-term survivalism)
All of this is happening while those with power rely on collective stupidity and/or complacency. As the inequalities grow, the problems seem larger, and those with the power are less and less incentivized to do anything about fixing the inequality - in fact, they tend to exploit those on the other side of the tracks.
Part of me thinks that we're so obsessed with saying "this is the singular reason why X happened", is because it's overwhelming to admit that this is a tangled mess we're unlikely to get out of. In programming, we talk about lasagna code (organized, layered, easy to separate to distill into individual behaviours), or spaghetti code (messy, tangled, and if you try to pull out a piece of spaghetti code, it's going to be stuck to a number of other elements). I feel we're living in a spaghetti world with no clear way of untangling.
Anyways - rant over, I hope others have more confidence than I do about our future. I don't want kids in this fucked up place, and I'm sure I can't be the only one.
If You Must Point Fingers on Inflation, Here’s Where to Point Them
June 11, 2022
Credit...Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times
By Christopher Leonard
Mr. Leonard is the author of “The Lords of Easy Money” and “Kochland.”
As
the midterm elections draw nearer, a central conservative narrative is
coming into sharp focus: President Joe Biden and the
Democratic-controlled Congress have a made a mess of the American
economy. Republicans see pure political gold in this year’s slow-motion
stock market crash, which seems to be accelerating at the perfect time
for a party seeking to regain control of Congress in the fall.
The National Republican Congressional Committee in a tweet
last month quipped that the Democratic House agenda includes a “tanking
stock market.” Conservatives have been highlighting a video clip from
2020 when then-president Donald Trump warned about a Joe Biden
presidency: “If he’s elected, the stock market will crash.” Right wing
pundit Sean Hannity’s blog featured the clip under the headline: “TRUMP
WAS RIGHT.”
But the narrative pinning
blame for the economy’s woes squarely on Democrats’ shoulders elides the
true culprit: the Federal Reserve. The financial earthquakes of 2022 trace their origin to underground pressures the Fed has been steadily creating for a over a decade.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Care to point it out? Frankly, I’ll take Robert Reich’s street cred on the matter of economics over yours and nick’s.
Corporations, as a whole, have not changed their behavior or strategies in the last year. So saying that they are causing inflation makes no sense. They didn't cause inflation in the last 30 years doing the same things.
If he wants to argue that they could help marginally reduce inflation by cutting prices, that's a different argument. But that would be saying corporations should act collectively to improve the economy rather than acting to the direct benefit of their stakeholders. Now THAT would be the different behavior.
Reich isn’t arguing that corporations are the sole cause of inflation but the largest culprit in a group of many culprits. We didn’t get where we are in a year and neither did corporations. It’s the cumulative effect of the past 30 years of corporate mergers and acquisitions, fed policy as the author in mickey’s linked article states and less competition in major sectors of the economy, namely shipping, consumer products and energy. All of which are recording record profits. I guess you think less competition is good for the consumer?
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Care to point it out? Frankly, I’ll take Robert Reich’s street cred on the matter of economics over yours and nick’s.
Corporations, as a whole, have not changed their behavior or strategies in the last year. So saying that they are causing inflation makes no sense. They didn't cause inflation in the last 30 years doing the same things.
If he wants to argue that they could help marginally reduce inflation by cutting prices, that's a different argument. But that would be saying corporations should act collectively to improve the economy rather than acting to the direct benefit of their stakeholders. Now THAT would be the different behavior.
Reich isn’t arguing that corporations are the sole cause of inflation but the largest culprit in a group of many culprits. We didn’t get where we are in a year and neither did corporations. It’s the cumulative effect of the past 30 years of corporate mergers and acquisitions, fed policy as the author in mickey’s linked article states and less competition in major sectors of the economy, namely shipping, consumer products and energy. All of which are recording record profits. I guess you think less competition is good for the consumer?
The cause of inflation is fundamentally the same thing that it was in the 1970's.. lack of supply of oil. Energy drives everything. The more expensive energy is, the more expensive every single good and service is. I don't think it's that complicated. And energy won't abate until oil is back in the 80's or lower consistently. And that won't happen until Russia is back in the market or OPEC truly increases its supply for a long time.
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Care to point it out? Frankly, I’ll take Robert Reich’s street cred on the matter of economics over yours and nick’s.
Corporations, as a whole, have not changed their behavior or strategies in the last year. So saying that they are causing inflation makes no sense. They didn't cause inflation in the last 30 years doing the same things.
If he wants to argue that they could help marginally reduce inflation by cutting prices, that's a different argument. But that would be saying corporations should act collectively to improve the economy rather than acting to the direct benefit of their stakeholders. Now THAT would be the different behavior.
Reich isn’t arguing that corporations are the sole cause of inflation but the largest culprit in a group of many culprits. We didn’t get where we are in a year and neither did corporations. It’s the cumulative effect of the past 30 years of corporate mergers and acquisitions, fed policy as the author in mickey’s linked article states and less competition in major sectors of the economy, namely shipping, consumer products and energy. All of which are recording record profits. I guess you think less competition is good for the consumer?
The cause of inflation is fundamentally the same thing that it was in the 1970's.. lack of supply of oil. Energy drives everything. The more expensive energy is, the more expensive every single good and service is. I don't think it's that complicated. And energy won't abate until oil is back in the 80's or lower consistently. And that won't happen until Russia is back in the market or OPEC truly increases its supply for a long time.
So lack of competition and corporate greed have nothing to do with inflation of today? What was the rate of inflation during the first gulf war and during the initial phases of the invasion of Iraq if energy prices are the single determinate of inflation? Money supply has no effect? Consumer Demand has no effect? I don’t think it’s as simple as you contend.
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Care to point it out? Frankly, I’ll take Robert Reich’s street cred on the matter of economics over yours and nick’s.
Corporations, as a whole, have not changed their behavior or strategies in the last year. So saying that they are causing inflation makes no sense. They didn't cause inflation in the last 30 years doing the same things.
If he wants to argue that they could help marginally reduce inflation by cutting prices, that's a different argument. But that would be saying corporations should act collectively to improve the economy rather than acting to the direct benefit of their stakeholders. Now THAT would be the different behavior.
Reich isn’t arguing that corporations are the sole cause of inflation but the largest culprit in a group of many culprits. We didn’t get where we are in a year and neither did corporations. It’s the cumulative effect of the past 30 years of corporate mergers and acquisitions, fed policy as the author in mickey’s linked article states and less competition in major sectors of the economy, namely shipping, consumer products and energy. All of which are recording record profits. I guess you think less competition is good for the consumer?
The cause of inflation is fundamentally the same thing that it was in the 1970's.. lack of supply of oil. Energy drives everything. The more expensive energy is, the more expensive every single good and service is. I don't think it's that complicated. And energy won't abate until oil is back in the 80's or lower consistently. And that won't happen until Russia is back in the market or OPEC truly increases its supply for a long time.
So lack of competition and corporate greed have nothing to do with inflation of today? What was the rate of inflation during the first gulf war and during the initial phases of the invasion of Iraq if energy prices are the single determinate of inflation? Money supply has no effect? Consumer Demand has no effect? I don’t think it’s as simple as you contend.
I didn't say nothing. Maybe it has some effect. Perhaps if there were more than Pepsi and Coke, drinks would not have gone up in price dramatically. Maybe. At the same time, over the last 30 years when there was NOT inflation, the same M&A activity was in place, yet the prices did not go up, in fact I would bet when adjusted for inflation, they are cheaper than they were before major M&A. That's because there was likely less efficiency in the system. With more efficiency, prices can be reduced.
Reich sort of fancies himself a modern day TR and that's all well and good. TR believed that corporations existed to serve the people and that concept was a major force behind his fights with Rockefeller, Morgan, etc. I see Reich's perspective as similar, that corporations should be working to keep prices down to serve the public. By contrast, they are trying to meet Wall Street expectations and the easiest and fastest way to do that is to raise prices. I absolutely believe their expenses are up because of the cost of energy. And they are passing that on to consumers.
So the answer to your question is that yes, perhaps there is some effect of consolidated market that makes inflation worse. But I do not believe for a second that it's the driving force behind inflation. If that were true, then we would have had inflation for the past 30, 40 years. So it doesn't pass the sniff test for me.
Regarding a portion of my comments in one of the above posts related to corporate profits driving inflation. I can only imagine the howling protests from repubs if Brandon began anti-trust investigations. And of course inflation is all Brandon’s fault.
Care to point it out? Frankly, I’ll take Robert Reich’s street cred on the matter of economics over yours and nick’s.
Corporations, as a whole, have not changed their behavior or strategies in the last year. So saying that they are causing inflation makes no sense. They didn't cause inflation in the last 30 years doing the same things.
If he wants to argue that they could help marginally reduce inflation by cutting prices, that's a different argument. But that would be saying corporations should act collectively to improve the economy rather than acting to the direct benefit of their stakeholders. Now THAT would be the different behavior.
Reich isn’t arguing that corporations are the sole cause of inflation but the largest culprit in a group of many culprits. We didn’t get where we are in a year and neither did corporations. It’s the cumulative effect of the past 30 years of corporate mergers and acquisitions, fed policy as the author in mickey’s linked article states and less competition in major sectors of the economy, namely shipping, consumer products and energy. All of which are recording record profits. I guess you think less competition is good for the consumer?
The cause of inflation is fundamentally the same thing that it was in the 1970's.. lack of supply of oil. Energy drives everything. The more expensive energy is, the more expensive every single good and service is. I don't think it's that complicated. And energy won't abate until oil is back in the 80's or lower consistently. And that won't happen until Russia is back in the market or OPEC truly increases its supply for a long time.
So lack of competition and corporate greed have nothing to do with inflation of today? What was the rate of inflation during the first gulf war and during the initial phases of the invasion of Iraq if energy prices are the single determinate of inflation? Money supply has no effect? Consumer Demand has no effect? I don’t think it’s as simple as you contend.
I didn't say nothing. Maybe it has some effect. Perhaps if there were more than Pepsi and Coke, drinks would not have gone up in price dramatically. Maybe. At the same time, over the last 30 years when there was NOT inflation, the same M&A activity was in place, yet the prices did not go up, in fact I would bet when adjusted for inflation, they are cheaper than they were before major M&A. That's because there was likely less efficiency in the system. With more efficiency, prices can be reduced.
Reich sort of fancies himself a modern day TR and that's all well and good. TR believed that corporations existed to serve the people and that concept was a major force behind his fights with Rockefeller, Morgan, etc. I see Reich's perspective as similar, that corporations should be working to keep prices down to serve the public. By contrast, they are trying to meet Wall Street expectations and the easiest and fastest way to do that is to raise prices. I absolutely believe their expenses are up because of the cost of energy. And they are passing that on to consumers.
So the answer to your question is that yes, perhaps there is some effect of consolidated market that makes inflation worse. But I do not believe for a second that it's the driving force behind inflation. If that were true, then we would have had inflation for the past 30, 40 years. So it doesn't pass the sniff test for me.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Moscow-backed officials try to solidify rule in Ukraine
By DAVID KEYTON and JOHN LEICESTER
Today
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Kremlin-installed officials in occupied southern Ukraine celebrated Russia Day on Sunday and began issuing Russian passports to residents in one city who requested them, as Moscow sought to solidify its rule over captured parts of the country.
At one of the central squares in the city of Kherson, Russian bands played a concert to celebrate Russia Day, the holiday that marks Russia’s emergence as a sovereign state after the collapse of the Soviet Union, according to Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.
In the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, Moscow-installed officials raised a Russian flag in Melitopol’s city center.
Ukrainian media reported that few, if any, local residents attended the Russia Day festivities in the two cities.
Russia Day was also celebrated in other occupied parts of Ukraine, including the ravaged southern port of Mariupol, where a new city sign painted in the colors of the Russian flag was unveiled on the outskirts and Russian flags were flown on a highway leading into the city.
Also, the Russia-aligned administration in Melitopol started handing out Russian passports to those who applied for Russian citizenship. RIA Novosti posted video of a Moscow-backed official congratulating new Russian citizens and telling them: “Russia will not go anywhere. We are here for good.”
President Vladimir Putin earlier this year issued a decree fast-tracking Russian citizenship for residents of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. In captured cities in the south and east, Moscow has also introduced the ruble as official currency, aired Russian news broadcasts and taken steps to introduce a Russian school curriculum.
The Kremlin's administrators in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions have voiced plans to incorporate the areas into Russia, despite protests and signs of an insurgency among local residents.
Russian-installed officials Sunday in Melitopol reported an explosion in a garbage bin near the city’s police headquarters and said two residents were injured.
Another blast was reported at an electrical substation in the city of Berdyansk, which is also under Russian control. The Kremlin-backed administration pronounced it a terrorist attack, and officials said electricity was shut down in parts of the city.
On the battlefield, Russia said it is used missiles to destroy a large depot in western Ukraine that contained anti-tank and air-defense weapons supplied to Kyiv by the U.S. and European countries. It said the attack took place near the city of Chortkiv in the Ternopil region.
Ternopil Gov. Volodymyr Trush said four Russian missiles damaged a military installation and four residential buildings in Chortkiv. More than 20 people were wounded, including a 12-year-old girl, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
“This strike had no tactical or strategic sense, just like the absolute majority of other Russian strikes. It is terror, just terror,” he said in a video address.
In light of the strike, Zelenskyy made another plea for modern missile defense systems from the U.S. and other Western countries, saying, “These are lives that could have been saved, tragedies that could have been prevented if Ukraine had been listened to.”
Also, heavy fighting continued for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern city in Luhansk province with a prewar population of 100,000 that has emerged as central to Russia's campaign to capture the Donbas, Ukraine's industrial heartland.
Russian forces shelled a Sievierodonetsk chemical plant where up to 500 civilians, 40 of them children, were holed up, Luhansk Gov. Serhii Haidai said.
An official with the pro-Moscow, self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, Rodion Miroshnik, said 300 to 400 Ukrainian troops also remained inside the plant. He said that efforts were underway to evacuate the civilians.
Leonid Pasechnik, head of the Luhansk People’s Republic, said the Ukrainians making their stand in Sievierodonetsk should save themselves the trouble.
“If I were them, I would already make a decision" to surrender, he said. “We will achieve our goal in any case."
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
"Are we at war in Ukraine? If we swapped places — if Russian apparatchiks admitted helping to kill American generals or sink a U.S. Navy vessel — I doubt we’d find much ambiguity there. At the very least, what the United States is doing in Ukraine is not not war. If we have so far avoided calling it war, and can continue to do so, maybe that’s only because we’ve become so uncertain of the meaning of the word."
"Ukraine’s Parliament passed two bills that will restrict Russian music and books. If President Volodymyr Zelensky signs the legislation, it will be a significant step forward in Kiev’s attempt to purge the Russian culture.
The first bill will place heavy restrictions on any author who held Russian citizenship after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The law will ban the printing of books by Russian citizens, forbid importing the commercial import of any book printed in Russia, Belarus, or "occupied Ukrainian territory," and requires special permission to import any book in Russian."
"As president, Zelensky has advanced the culture war. After the Russian invasion, Zelensky removed members of parliament from parties that were deemed “pro-Russian.” He also nationalized Ukraine’s media, giving him further control over the narrative in Ukraine."
"But the following month, the Russian rouble rebounded to 40 percent against the dollar compared to January, reaching a seven-year high and becoming the world’s best-performing currency in 2022."
"Analysts say Russia has so far made correct manoeuvres to withstand the effect of sanctions; the question is whether the West will be able to weather its own sanctions."
The ban applies to Russian oil exported to the EU by sea, exempting the 10 percent of imports by pipeline following Hungary’s opposition that it cannot easily get oil elsewhere. Slovakia and the Czech Republic also voiced the same concerns."
"China is now Russia’s biggest trade partner, whereas prior to 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and sanctions ensued, its biggest trade partner was Germany.
Similarly prior to 2014, Russia was one of the world’s biggest importers of food; today, it is a net exporter.
In the last three months, India has bought four times more crude oil from Moscow than it used to in the same period, becoming Russia’s top crude oil buyer, Mishchenko said.
Moscow is now earning a significant amount in oil export revenue – $20bn per month, an increase of 50 percent since the start of 2022."
1. Are we at war with Russia?
2. Imagine a bill in the US that stated we wouldn't allow any books or media from Iraqis, Afghanis, Mexicans etc. People would be in the streets and probably burning down our Shitties. Now imagine our president kicked parties out of the government and declared them enemies, and then nationalized our media and created a 24 hr propaganda machine, almost sounds like what some Repubs wet dream. Doesn't seem very democratic to me.
3. The ruble is gaining value so much so that Russian government is taking steps to weaken it. In addition India and China two of the biggest population and manufacturing centers in the world are creating closer and closer ties with Russia. EU historically has gotten 40% of their gas from Russia where do they go now? Winter is closer than we think, how are people going to heat their homes. And wheat, well we all know how that is going, lndia has stopped exports of wheat to shore up its own supply which has raised prices globally. The UN says there is a global grain shortage that could see millions suffer hunger and starvation.
Where do we go from here? Not looking good for the Ukrainians or the world. So far it seems that Russia is seeing benefits with a strengthened currency and stronger lucrative ties with China, India, South America and Africa. Is this all part of the plan? $54 Bn price tag so far, while that is a far cry from the $2 Trn in Afghanistan, it is an unimaginable sum to send with little oversight and it is just the beginning depending on how long this goes on without a diplomatic solution.
Please feel free to criticize me for crying about gas prices and the cost of groceries if it makes you feel better. But also maybe take a second to think about diplomacy, pushing for an anti war solution to all this or even take some time to imagine a better world in general, it's possible, unless this situation gets too far out of hand.
"Are we at war in Ukraine? If we swapped places — if Russian apparatchiks admitted helping to kill American generals or sink a U.S. Navy vessel — I doubt we’d find much ambiguity there. At the very least, what the United States is doing in Ukraine is not not war. If we have so far avoided calling it war, and can continue to do so, maybe that’s only because we’ve become so uncertain of the meaning of the word."
"Ukraine’s Parliament passed two bills that will restrict Russian music and books. If President Volodymyr Zelensky signs the legislation, it will be a significant step forward in Kiev’s attempt to purge the Russian culture.
The first bill will place heavy restrictions on any author who held Russian citizenship after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The law will ban the printing of books by Russian citizens, forbid importing the commercial import of any book printed in Russia, Belarus, or "occupied Ukrainian territory," and requires special permission to import any book in Russian."
"As president, Zelensky has advanced the culture war. After the Russian invasion, Zelensky removed members of parliament from parties that were deemed “pro-Russian.” He also nationalized Ukraine’s media, giving him further control over the narrative in Ukraine."
"But the following month, the Russian rouble rebounded to 40 percent against the dollar compared to January, reaching a seven-year high and becoming the world’s best-performing currency in 2022."
"Analysts say Russia has so far made correct manoeuvres to withstand the effect of sanctions; the question is whether the West will be able to weather its own sanctions."
The ban applies to Russian oil exported to the EU by sea, exempting the 10 percent of imports by pipeline following Hungary’s opposition that it cannot easily get oil elsewhere. Slovakia and the Czech Republic also voiced the same concerns."
"China is now Russia’s biggest trade partner, whereas prior to 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and sanctions ensued, its biggest trade partner was Germany.
Similarly prior to 2014, Russia was one of the world’s biggest importers of food; today, it is a net exporter.
In the last three months, India has bought four times more crude oil from Moscow than it used to in the same period, becoming Russia’s top crude oil buyer, Mishchenko said.
Moscow is now earning a significant amount in oil export revenue – $20bn per month, an increase of 50 percent since the start of 2022."
1. Are we at war with Russia?
2. Imagine a bill in the US that stated we wouldn't allow any books or media from Iraqis, Afghanis, Mexicans etc. People would be in the streets and probably burning down our Shitties. Now imagine our president kicked parties out of the government and declared them enemies, and then nationalized our media and created a 24 hr propaganda machine, almost sounds like what some Repubs wet dream. Doesn't seem very democratic to me.
3. The ruble is gaining value so much so that Russian government is taking steps to weaken it. In addition India and China two of the biggest population and manufacturing centers in the world are creating closer and closer ties with Russia. EU historically has gotten 40% of their gas from Russia where do they go now? Winter is closer than we think, how are people going to heat their homes. And wheat, well we all know how that is going, lndia has stopped exports of wheat to shore up its own supply which has raised prices globally. The UN says there is a global grain shortage that could see millions suffer hunger and starvation.
Where do we go from here? Not looking good for the Ukrainians or the world. So far it seems that Russia is seeing benefits with a strengthened currency and stronger lucrative ties with China, India, South America and Africa. Is this all part of the plan? $54 Bn price tag so far, while that is a far cry from the $2 Trn in Afghanistan, it is an unimaginable sum to send with little oversight and it is just the beginning depending on how long this goes on without a diplomatic solution.
Please feel free to criticize me for crying about gas prices and the cost of groceries if it makes you feel better. But also maybe take a second to think about diplomacy, pushing for an anti war solution to all this or even take some time to imagine a better world in general, it's possible, unless this situation gets too far out of hand.
1. Imagine a bill where we put restrictions on declared enemies of the US? Um yeah, I think I can imagine that. Did we burn our "shitties" when we interned the Japanese? What about when we passed the Aliens Enemies Act? FDR's EOs regarding detention of Germans, similar to suspensions of Habeas Corpus during the Civil War also occured. I think I can pretty much not only imagine, but read a little history about it as well. The Ukrainian parliament's act doesn't even make me flinch. Why would it? They are at a war for their lives right now. You and I never faced a moment of risk during Afghanistan or Iraq. You can't even start to compare the two.
2. Again, it's interesting how all of these problems somehow supersede the Ukrainians' right to be free, independent and actually live. The Russian gov't is a criminal gov't. It's one that pillages wealth and commits war crimes. I don't give a fuck about much Germans need to pay for gas. I give slightly larger of a fuck about the wheat prices. It's an issue, but how does giving control to the Russians of 40% of the world's high quality grain make the world better? It just gives them more control.
Either we are standing with Ukraine, or standing with Russia. If we don't support Ukraine, that is standing with Russia. It sucks that our lives have become so dramatically worse since the Russians decided to start killing Ukrainians. Tough break for us.
"Are we at war in Ukraine? If we swapped places — if Russian apparatchiks admitted helping to kill American generals or sink a U.S. Navy vessel — I doubt we’d find much ambiguity there. At the very least, what the United States is doing in Ukraine is not not war. If we have so far avoided calling it war, and can continue to do so, maybe that’s only because we’ve become so uncertain of the meaning of the word."
"Ukraine’s Parliament passed two bills that will restrict Russian music and books. If President Volodymyr Zelensky signs the legislation, it will be a significant step forward in Kiev’s attempt to purge the Russian culture.
The first bill will place heavy restrictions on any author who held Russian citizenship after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The law will ban the printing of books by Russian citizens, forbid importing the commercial import of any book printed in Russia, Belarus, or "occupied Ukrainian territory," and requires special permission to import any book in Russian."
"As president, Zelensky has advanced the culture war. After the Russian invasion, Zelensky removed members of parliament from parties that were deemed “pro-Russian.” He also nationalized Ukraine’s media, giving him further control over the narrative in Ukraine."
"But the following month, the Russian rouble rebounded to 40 percent against the dollar compared to January, reaching a seven-year high and becoming the world’s best-performing currency in 2022."
"Analysts say Russia has so far made correct manoeuvres to withstand the effect of sanctions; the question is whether the West will be able to weather its own sanctions."
The ban applies to Russian oil exported to the EU by sea, exempting the 10 percent of imports by pipeline following Hungary’s opposition that it cannot easily get oil elsewhere. Slovakia and the Czech Republic also voiced the same concerns."
"China is now Russia’s biggest trade partner, whereas prior to 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and sanctions ensued, its biggest trade partner was Germany.
Similarly prior to 2014, Russia was one of the world’s biggest importers of food; today, it is a net exporter.
In the last three months, India has bought four times more crude oil from Moscow than it used to in the same period, becoming Russia’s top crude oil buyer, Mishchenko said.
Moscow is now earning a significant amount in oil export revenue – $20bn per month, an increase of 50 percent since the start of 2022."
1. Are we at war with Russia?
2. Imagine a bill in the US that stated we wouldn't allow any books or media from Iraqis, Afghanis, Mexicans etc. People would be in the streets and probably burning down our Shitties. Now imagine our president kicked parties out of the government and declared them enemies, and then nationalized our media and created a 24 hr propaganda machine, almost sounds like what some Repubs wet dream. Doesn't seem very democratic to me.
3. The ruble is gaining value so much so that Russian government is taking steps to weaken it. In addition India and China two of the biggest population and manufacturing centers in the world are creating closer and closer ties with Russia. EU historically has gotten 40% of their gas from Russia where do they go now? Winter is closer than we think, how are people going to heat their homes. And wheat, well we all know how that is going, lndia has stopped exports of wheat to shore up its own supply which has raised prices globally. The UN says there is a global grain shortage that could see millions suffer hunger and starvation.
Where do we go from here? Not looking good for the Ukrainians or the world. So far it seems that Russia is seeing benefits with a strengthened currency and stronger lucrative ties with China, India, South America and Africa. Is this all part of the plan? $54 Bn price tag so far, while that is a far cry from the $2 Trn in Afghanistan, it is an unimaginable sum to send with little oversight and it is just the beginning depending on how long this goes on without a diplomatic solution.
Please feel free to criticize me for crying about gas prices and the cost of groceries if it makes you feel better. But also maybe take a second to think about diplomacy, pushing for an anti war solution to all this or even take some time to imagine a better world in general, it's possible, unless this situation gets too far out of hand.
1. Imagine a bill where we put restrictions on declared enemies of the US? Um yeah, I think I can imagine that. Did we burn our "shitties" when we interned the Japanese? What about when we passed the Aliens Enemies Act? FDR's EOs regarding detention of Germans, similar to suspensions of Habeas Corpus during the Civil War also occured. I think I can pretty much not only imagine, but read a little history about it as well. The Ukrainian parliament's act doesn't even make me flinch. Why would it? They are at a war for their lives right now. You and I never faced a moment of risk during Afghanistan or Iraq. You can't even start to compare the two. Different times obviously. There is more evidence that in the current state of the US and the distrust of our military and government that we would absolutely not standby and be placated by the justifications that subdued the population in the past. Would you be ok with Republicans declaring Democrats enemies and purging them from the political system in the US, vice versa? I sure wouldn't whether we were at war or not, although the case could be made that we are in a cold civil war. Additionally I have lived long enough to know that everything my country tells me is not always the truth or in my best interest or for that matter the world's
2. Again, it's interesting how all of these problems somehow supersede the Ukrainians' right to be free, independent and actually live. please show me where this claim is being made. The Russian gov't is a criminal gov't. Agreed It's one that pillages wealth and commits war crimes. To be fair the same can be said of the USA I don't give a fuck about much Germans need to pay for gas. How about the rest of the EU? I give slightly larger of a fuck about the wheat prices. It's an issue, but how does giving control to the Russians of 40% of the world's high quality grain make the world better? I don't think anyone is calling for giving Russia control of all of Ukraine's arable land here, I'm pretty sure at least I personally am making a case for diplomatic alternatives that could deescalate, if you are actually looking for an answer for how giving russia control of 40% of the world's grain is going to make the world better, I don't have one. It just gives them more control. Which is why it would be stupid and was proposed by literally no one.
Either we are standing with Ukraine, or standing with Russia. I thought we could do two things at once with these brains of ours, Support the people of Ukraine and their struggles for freedom, recognize Russia's illegal actions and the war crimes they are committingall while still looking at a non military option, and question all of the information being served to us in a time of war, as the famous saying goes Truth is the first casualty of war, unless of course you mean that support of Ukraine means unquestioning loyalty and constant military support? If we don't support Ukraine, that is standing with Russia. Can you support Ukraine and be critical of the surrounding geopolitical reality. It sucks that our lives have become so dramatically worse since the Russians decided to start killing Ukrainians. I thought this was a move by Putin and the Russian Govt? I don't want to start equating all Russians with the killing of Ukrainians, the average Russian has about as much to do with killing Ukrainians as any of us did with killing Libyans, Iraqis, Afghanis etc. Tough break for us. Tough break for the world.
Bold above is obviously me. The only fact I have now that I am relatively certain of is. Russia attacked Ukraine militarily and unprovoked and in violation of international laws. Everything else including what is the right course of action is up in the air, in my opinion escalation is not the answer and throughout history the escalation of war has caused nothing but more carnage and suffering for all sides, that's why I think about it and try to have discussions. Putin has a history of poisoning and imprisoning political enemies and is clearly not trustworthy. Why then wasn't more done previously to curb him and the Russian Government? Why was Nato not more interested in bringing Ukraine into the fold earlier. If not Nato, and if everyone saw this conflict as inevitable why wasn't more done diplomatically prior. If it all comes down to Putin, why wasn't more done to Putin earlier. If the answer is because of nukes, why don't we sneak some Nukes into Ukraine and tell Putin it is time to negotiate. I'm pretty sure you said in a previous discussion that any negotiating needs to be done with Ukraine in a position of strength, what is stronger than some Nukes? I've heard mutually assured destruction is a determinant and that that is why putin isn't using nukes yet. Are backchannel meetings taking place with the olgarchs and other high ranking officials in order to depose putin or at least get him to change course? Is the only course of action war and escalation? To what point, the annihilation of either Russia or Ukraine? Hopefully there isn't any fallout if war is the only path forward. I'm worried that we (USA Govt) aren't actually all in on freedom and independence of the Ukrainians at any means including diplomacy which could take many forms, not just capitulation to russia. I'm also worried that the US and the West is taking advantage of Ukraine to try to destabilize Russia and isn't worried about the Human cost to Ukranians or Russians or for that matter citizens of other countries all over the world not directly involved in the conflict. Maybe I am worried too much.
I can't reply to this much information. I'm at work and it's just too much. Happy to argue in shorter spurts.
I will say if the US and Europe stopped providing weapons, the Ukraine would lose the whole country, not just the eastern part. And then you would have Russia controlling 40% of the world's high quality grain. Suddenly a belligerent enemy of the US controls massive amounts of oil and food. That is not only bad for Ukrainians, it's bad for the world. You're arguing that the US should push for some sort of peace. I'm pretty much 100% sure that the US diplomats and Ukraine have discussed peace terms multiple times. This war is new, it's not long and extended. But there's no way those discussions should be public.
I can't reply to this much information. I'm at work and it's just too much. Happy to argue in shorter spurts.
I will say if the US and Europe stopped providing weapons, the Ukraine would lose the whole country, not just the eastern part. And then you would have Russia controlling 40% of the world's high quality grain. Suddenly a belligerent enemy of the US controls massive amounts of oil and food. That is not only bad for Ukrainians, it's bad for the world. You're arguing that the US should push for some sort of peace. I'm pretty much 100% sure that the US diplomats and Ukraine have discussed peace terms multiple times. This war is new, it's not long and extended. But there's no way those discussions should be public.
Thanks for taking the time. I was fortunate to have a slow morning followed by a lunch break so I could be much more long winded. I understand that you have deep blood ties to Ukraine, if I am not mistaken from our previous discussions, so I really like to read your thoughts on the matter and help them to inform my own.
I can't reply to this much information. I'm at work and it's just too much. Happy to argue in shorter spurts.
I will say if the US and Europe stopped providing weapons, the Ukraine would lose the whole country, not just the eastern part. And then you would have Russia controlling 40% of the world's high quality grain. Suddenly a belligerent enemy of the US controls massive amounts of oil and food. That is not only bad for Ukrainians, it's bad for the world. You're arguing that the US should push for some sort of peace. I'm pretty much 100% sure that the US diplomats and Ukraine have discussed peace terms multiple times. This war is new, it's not long and extended. But there's no way those discussions should be public.
Thanks for taking the time. I was fortunate to have a slow morning followed by a lunch break so I could be much more long winded. I understand that you have deep blood ties to Ukraine, if I am not mistaken from our previous discussions, so I really like to read your thoughts on the matter and help them to inform my own.
I can't reply to this much information. I'm at work and it's just too much. Happy to argue in shorter spurts.
I will say if the US and Europe stopped providing weapons, the Ukraine would lose the whole country, not just the eastern part. And then you would have Russia controlling 40% of the world's high quality grain. Suddenly a belligerent enemy of the US controls massive amounts of oil and food. That is not only bad for Ukrainians, it's bad for the world. You're arguing that the US should push for some sort of peace. I'm pretty much 100% sure that the US diplomats and Ukraine have discussed peace terms multiple times. This war is new, it's not long and extended. But there's no way those discussions should be public.
Thanks for taking the time. I was fortunate to have a slow morning followed by a lunch break so I could be much more long winded. I understand that you have deep blood ties to Ukraine, if I am not mistaken from our previous discussions, so I really like to read your thoughts on the matter and help them to inform my own.
I find some of the reporting especially on casualties from all media sources a bit dubious. Mostly due to the fact that we are being told that if Russia overtakes Ukraine that the baltics and potentially all of Europe is next. If Russia is experiencing such heavy casualties and the war is becoming one of attrition, certainly those fears of Russia expanding through Europe were unfounded. Unless the heavier tolls of attrition are on the West and Ukraine. The next point for me is if morale is fading and such heavy losses are being sustained, how are the russians gaining territory? https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60506682
I am also wary because the sources cited in the US News article is British intelligence, also sourced in the BBC article I shared. If I have learned anything from the previous US/West backed conflicts in my life and the recent decades immediately preceding my birth it is that information provided by Western Intelligence is not always the most trustworthy, and is sometimes used to give both the heads of state and citizens of the allied countries more rosy outlooks than actually exist on the ground. One other source that the BBC article I linked and the US News article you linked share is the Institute for the Study of War whose board consists of various US Armed Services heads as well as the head of a major US Defense contractor.
If the US News article is correct then this war will likely be protracted and end in a stalemate where the parties involved will be forced back to the negotiation tables and likely come up with something not too different from Minsk II. Which is why the whole scope of this boggles my mind. Why would Russia if it is just a paper tiger try to invade Ukraine? Maybe because of the new partnerships in the global market and the strengthening of the BRICS countries that have been cemented. Why would Ukraine not try earlier, backed by the west, to negotiate a Minsk agreement? Now we have death on a massive scale a country with a destroyed infrastructure and for what? To continue fighting, while strengthening the new Russia-China alliance and the boosting of the Russian economy, only to negotiate something close to similar frameworks that had previously been proposed. Unless the only way to guarantee that Russia will hold up their end is more fighting and more Russian losses. It is a tragedy all around and especially for the Ukranian people.
Post Script
Are we (USA) forgiving all of Ukraines previous debt to us and pushing institutions like the World Bank and IMF to do the same? That seems like the kind of material support that is just as needed, if not more so than military.
I think the argument is that if Ukraine did not put up a fight (backed by Western powers) then the likelihood of another invasion increases. You can't say that the risk was overblown after the Ukraine army puts up a gallant fight. The argument now is that Russia is FAR less likely to try another invasion because of the fight of Ukraine and the western powers.
Regarding sources, well pick your poison. Do you think reading Sputnik and being told that Russia has only lost 1300 soldiers, yet they are going nowhere and multiple generals have been killed, would be more accurate?
I think the argument is that if Ukraine did not put up a fight (backed by Western powers) then the likelihood of another invasion increases. You can't say that the risk was overblown after the Ukraine army puts up a gallant fight. The argument now is that Russia is FAR less likely to try another invasion because of the fight of Ukraine and the western powers.
Regarding sources, well pick your poison. Do you think reading Sputnik and being told that Russia has only lost 1300 soldiers, yet they are going nowhere and multiple generals have been killed, would be more accurate?
Lol obviously I wouldn't consider Sputnik or RT or any Russian state media unbiased when it comes to reporting on this. They have to wag their dog too. I guess I would say I am skeptical of any information presented while this is ongoing. The whole truth will likely not be available for some years after this war has concluded.
I think the argument is that if Ukraine did not put up a fight (backed by Western powers) then the likelihood of another invasion increases. You can't say that the risk was overblown after the Ukraine army puts up a gallant fight. The argument now is that Russia is FAR less likely to try another invasion because of the fight of Ukraine and the western powers.
Regarding sources, well pick your poison. Do you think reading Sputnik and being told that Russia has only lost 1300 soldiers, yet they are going nowhere and multiple generals have been killed, would be more accurate?
And then Russia strikes Kiev during a G7 meeting. Kills civilians shopping at a mall. Could there be a more direct message to Americans? Did any get it? (This topic almost dropped to bottom of pg 1 during these renewed air strikes. I haven’t posted here in awhile either)
What can possibly be done now to stop Putin? If we send our top air defense tech to “close the skies” to Russian air strikes, we run the risk of Putin getting his hands on our top tech. We’ve upended the economy to try to stop this atrocity. How much further can this go?
Comments
Afghanistan was a negotiated withdrawal. What nobody anticipated was the complete, utter and swift collapse of the Afghan military and police. We should have pulled out after the killing of Osama bin Laden but you know, rosy military reports on "progress" and Pakistan not wanting the US out, for both the US military and economic aid for "cooperation" but also for the corruption. We were played by actors in a region of the world where we really shouldn't be meddling in.
Its going to play out and in large part be influenced by the US mid-terms and 2024. Repubs in Congress are likely to use it against Brandon, cut funding, hold faux hearings for some fauxrage reason, all for an eye on 2024. Remember, one politial party in the US has no solutions for anything. We're in interesting times and I think 1/6 was the beginning of the end. As Liz Cheney said, the threat continues to this day.
I never thought I'd see a land war on the European Continent in my lifetime and it saddens me. Ukraine is being demolished but they'll rebuild. Still it sucks a big one.
Keep your passport valid.
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There are no kings inside the gates of eden
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https://www.salon.com/2021/12/01/whats-really-driving-inflation-corporate-greed_partner/
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If he wants to argue that they could help marginally reduce inflation by cutting prices, that's a different argument. But that would be saying corporations should act collectively to improve the economy rather than acting to the direct benefit of their stakeholders. Now THAT would be the different behavior.
Politicians are voted by their constituents, but lobbied by corporations (conflict between capitalism and democracy)
Corporations make products that are often critical for the public (i.e. medicine), but price where they want for maximal profits (conflict between public health and capitalism)
Even in nature we have misaligned incentives - sugar used to be for enough energy to hunt, now it mostly fattens us, and our incentive is a sugar high (conflict between our short-term survivalism and our long-term survivalism)
All of this is happening while those with power rely on collective stupidity and/or complacency. As the inequalities grow, the problems seem larger, and those with the power are less and less incentivized to do anything about fixing the inequality - in fact, they tend to exploit those on the other side of the tracks.
Part of me thinks that we're so obsessed with saying "this is the singular reason why X happened", is because it's overwhelming to admit that this is a tangled mess we're unlikely to get out of. In programming, we talk about lasagna code (organized, layered, easy to separate to distill into individual behaviours), or spaghetti code (messy, tangled, and if you try to pull out a piece of spaghetti code, it's going to be stuck to a number of other elements). I feel we're living in a spaghetti world with no clear way of untangling.
Anyways - rant over, I hope others have more confidence than I do about our future. I don't want kids in this fucked up place, and I'm sure I can't be the only one.
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
If You Must Point Fingers on Inflation, Here’s Where to Point Them
By Christopher Leonard
Mr. Leonard is the author of “The Lords of Easy Money” and “Kochland.”
As the midterm elections draw nearer, a central conservative narrative is coming into sharp focus: President Joe Biden and the Democratic-controlled Congress have a made a mess of the American economy. Republicans see pure political gold in this year’s slow-motion stock market crash, which seems to be accelerating at the perfect time for a party seeking to regain control of Congress in the fall.
The National Republican Congressional Committee in a tweet last month quipped that the Democratic House agenda includes a “tanking stock market.” Conservatives have been highlighting a video clip from 2020 when then-president Donald Trump warned about a Joe Biden presidency: “If he’s elected, the stock market will crash.” Right wing pundit Sean Hannity’s blog featured the clip under the headline: “TRUMP WAS RIGHT.”
But the narrative pinning blame for the economy’s woes squarely on Democrats’ shoulders elides the true culprit: the Federal Reserve. The financial earthquakes of 2022 trace their origin to underground pressures the Fed has been steadily creating for a over a decade.
continues....
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
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Reich sort of fancies himself a modern day TR and that's all well and good. TR believed that corporations existed to serve the people and that concept was a major force behind his fights with Rockefeller, Morgan, etc. I see Reich's perspective as similar, that corporations should be working to keep prices down to serve the public. By contrast, they are trying to meet Wall Street expectations and the easiest and fastest way to do that is to raise prices. I absolutely believe their expenses are up because of the cost of energy. And they are passing that on to consumers.
So the answer to your question is that yes, perhaps there is some effect of consolidated market that makes inflation worse. But I do not believe for a second that it's the driving force behind inflation. If that were true, then we would have had inflation for the past 30, 40 years. So it doesn't pass the sniff test for me.
https://community.pearljam.com/discussion/293678/capitalism-the-fed-and-economic-policy#latest
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Kremlin-installed officials in occupied southern Ukraine celebrated Russia Day on Sunday and began issuing Russian passports to residents in one city who requested them, as Moscow sought to solidify its rule over captured parts of the country.
At one of the central squares in the city of Kherson, Russian bands played a concert to celebrate Russia Day, the holiday that marks Russia’s emergence as a sovereign state after the collapse of the Soviet Union, according to Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.
In the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, Moscow-installed officials raised a Russian flag in Melitopol’s city center.
Ukrainian media reported that few, if any, local residents attended the Russia Day festivities in the two cities.
Russia Day was also celebrated in other occupied parts of Ukraine, including the ravaged southern port of Mariupol, where a new city sign painted in the colors of the Russian flag was unveiled on the outskirts and Russian flags were flown on a highway leading into the city.
Also, the Russia-aligned administration in Melitopol started handing out Russian passports to those who applied for Russian citizenship. RIA Novosti posted video of a Moscow-backed official congratulating new Russian citizens and telling them: “Russia will not go anywhere. We are here for good.”
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Ukraine hails teen drone operator who spied Russian armor
Russian-owned successor of McDonald's opens in Moscow
Swedish, US troops drill on remilitarized Baltic Sea island
NATO chief: Turkey has 'legitimate concerns' over terrorism
President Vladimir Putin earlier this year issued a decree fast-tracking Russian citizenship for residents of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. In captured cities in the south and east, Moscow has also introduced the ruble as official currency, aired Russian news broadcasts and taken steps to introduce a Russian school curriculum.
The Kremlin's administrators in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions have voiced plans to incorporate the areas into Russia, despite protests and signs of an insurgency among local residents.
Russian-installed officials Sunday in Melitopol reported an explosion in a garbage bin near the city’s police headquarters and said two residents were injured.
Another blast was reported at an electrical substation in the city of Berdyansk, which is also under Russian control. The Kremlin-backed administration pronounced it a terrorist attack, and officials said electricity was shut down in parts of the city.
On the battlefield, Russia said it is used missiles to destroy a large depot in western Ukraine that contained anti-tank and air-defense weapons supplied to Kyiv by the U.S. and European countries. It said the attack took place near the city of Chortkiv in the Ternopil region.
Ternopil Gov. Volodymyr Trush said four Russian missiles damaged a military installation and four residential buildings in Chortkiv. More than 20 people were wounded, including a 12-year-old girl, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
“This strike had no tactical or strategic sense, just like the absolute majority of other Russian strikes. It is terror, just terror,” he said in a video address.
In light of the strike, Zelenskyy made another plea for modern missile defense systems from the U.S. and other Western countries, saying, “These are lives that could have been saved, tragedies that could have been prevented if Ukraine had been listened to.”
Also, heavy fighting continued for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern city in Luhansk province with a prewar population of 100,000 that has emerged as central to Russia's campaign to capture the Donbas, Ukraine's industrial heartland.
Russian forces shelled a Sievierodonetsk chemical plant where up to 500 civilians, 40 of them children, were holed up, Luhansk Gov. Serhii Haidai said.
An official with the pro-Moscow, self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, Rodion Miroshnik, said 300 to 400 Ukrainian troops also remained inside the plant. He said that efforts were underway to evacuate the civilians.
Leonid Pasechnik, head of the Luhansk People’s Republic, said the Ukrainians making their stand in Sievierodonetsk should save themselves the trouble.
“If I were them, I would already make a decision" to surrender, he said. “We will achieve our goal in any case."
___
Follow AP's coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
___
This story has been corrected to show that a 12-year-old girl, not a boy, was wounded in a missile strike on Chortkiv.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
"Are we at war in Ukraine? If we swapped places — if Russian apparatchiks admitted helping to kill American generals or sink a U.S. Navy vessel — I doubt we’d find much ambiguity there. At the very least, what the United States is doing in Ukraine is not not war. If we have so far avoided calling it war, and can continue to do so, maybe that’s only because we’ve become so uncertain of the meaning of the word."
https://news.antiwar.com/2022/06/19/ukraine-parliament-passes-new-laws-seeking-to-purge-russian-culture/
"Ukraine’s Parliament passed two bills that will restrict Russian music and books. If President Volodymyr Zelensky signs the legislation, it will be a significant step forward in Kiev’s attempt to purge the Russian culture.
The first bill will place heavy restrictions on any author who held Russian citizenship after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The law will ban the printing of books by Russian citizens, forbid importing the commercial import of any book printed in Russia, Belarus, or "occupied Ukrainian territory," and requires special permission to import any book in Russian."
"As president, Zelensky has advanced the culture war. After the Russian invasion, Zelensky removed members of parliament from parties that were deemed “pro-Russian.” He also nationalized Ukraine’s media, giving him further control over the narrative in Ukraine."
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/6/2/shooting-themselves-in-the-foot-western-sanctions-on-russia
"But the following month, the Russian rouble rebounded to 40 percent against the dollar compared to January, reaching a seven-year high and becoming the world’s best-performing currency in 2022."
"Analysts say Russia has so far made correct manoeuvres to withstand the effect of sanctions; the question is whether the West will be able to weather its own sanctions."
"The EU has been discussing reducing dependency on Russian energy, and after haggling for a month, it decided on Monday to ban 90 percent of Russian oil imports to the EU by the end of the year, part of the bloc’s sixth sanctions package. The EU finalised the decision on Thursday.
The ban applies to Russian oil exported to the EU by sea, exempting the 10 percent of imports by pipeline following Hungary’s opposition that it cannot easily get oil elsewhere. Slovakia and the Czech Republic also voiced the same concerns."
"China is now Russia’s biggest trade partner, whereas prior to 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and sanctions ensued, its biggest trade partner was Germany.
Similarly prior to 2014, Russia was one of the world’s biggest importers of food; today, it is a net exporter.
In the last three months, India has bought four times more crude oil from Moscow than it used to in the same period, becoming Russia’s top crude oil buyer, Mishchenko said.
Moscow is now earning a significant amount in oil export revenue – $20bn per month, an increase of 50 percent since the start of 2022."
1. Are we at war with Russia?
2. Imagine a bill in the US that stated we wouldn't allow any books or media from Iraqis, Afghanis, Mexicans etc. People would be in the streets and probably burning down our Shitties. Now imagine our president kicked parties out of the government and declared them enemies, and then nationalized our media and created a 24 hr propaganda machine, almost sounds like what some Repubs wet dream. Doesn't seem very democratic to me.
3. The ruble is gaining value so much so that Russian government is taking steps to weaken it. In addition India and China two of the biggest population and manufacturing centers in the world are creating closer and closer ties with Russia. EU historically has gotten 40% of their gas from Russia where do they go now? Winter is closer than we think, how are people going to heat their homes. And wheat, well we all know how that is going, lndia has stopped exports of wheat to shore up its own supply which has raised prices globally. The UN says there is a global grain shortage that could see millions suffer hunger and starvation.
Where do we go from here? Not looking good for the Ukrainians or the world. So far it seems that Russia is seeing benefits with a strengthened currency and stronger lucrative ties with China, India, South America and Africa. Is this all part of the plan? $54 Bn price tag so far, while that is a far cry from the $2 Trn in Afghanistan, it is an unimaginable sum to send with little oversight and it is just the beginning depending on how long this goes on without a diplomatic solution.
Please feel free to criticize me for crying about gas prices and the cost of groceries if it makes you feel better. But also maybe take a second to think about diplomacy, pushing for an anti war solution to all this or even take some time to imagine a better world in general, it's possible, unless this situation gets too far out of hand.
There are no kings inside the gates of eden
2. Again, it's interesting how all of these problems somehow supersede the Ukrainians' right to be free, independent and actually live. The Russian gov't is a criminal gov't. It's one that pillages wealth and commits war crimes. I don't give a fuck about much Germans need to pay for gas. I give slightly larger of a fuck about the wheat prices. It's an issue, but how does giving control to the Russians of 40% of the world's high quality grain make the world better? It just gives them more control.
Either we are standing with Ukraine, or standing with Russia. If we don't support Ukraine, that is standing with Russia. It sucks that our lives have become so dramatically worse since the Russians decided to start killing Ukrainians. Tough break for us.
There are no kings inside the gates of eden
I will say if the US and Europe stopped providing weapons, the Ukraine would lose the whole country, not just the eastern part. And then you would have Russia controlling 40% of the world's high quality grain. Suddenly a belligerent enemy of the US controls massive amounts of oil and food. That is not only bad for Ukrainians, it's bad for the world. You're arguing that the US should push for some sort of peace. I'm pretty much 100% sure that the US diplomats and Ukraine have discussed peace terms multiple times. This war is new, it's not long and extended. But there's no way those discussions should be public.
There are no kings inside the gates of eden
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
I am also wary because the sources cited in the US News article is British intelligence, also sourced in the BBC article I shared. If I have learned anything from the previous US/West backed conflicts in my life and the recent decades immediately preceding my birth it is that information provided by Western Intelligence is not always the most trustworthy, and is sometimes used to give both the heads of state and citizens of the allied countries more rosy outlooks than actually exist on the ground. One other source that the BBC article I linked and the US News article you linked share is the Institute for the Study of War whose board consists of various US Armed Services heads as well as the head of a major US Defense contractor.
If the US News article is correct then this war will likely be protracted and end in a stalemate where the parties involved will be forced back to the negotiation tables and likely come up with something not too different from Minsk II. Which is why the whole scope of this boggles my mind. Why would Russia if it is just a paper tiger try to invade Ukraine? Maybe because of the new partnerships in the global market and the strengthening of the BRICS countries that have been cemented. Why would Ukraine not try earlier, backed by the west, to negotiate a Minsk agreement? Now we have death on a massive scale a country with a destroyed infrastructure and for what? To continue fighting, while strengthening the new Russia-China alliance and the boosting of the Russian economy, only to negotiate something close to similar frameworks that had previously been proposed. Unless the only way to guarantee that Russia will hold up their end is more fighting and more Russian losses. It is a tragedy all around and especially for the Ukranian people.
Post Script
Are we (USA) forgiving all of Ukraines previous debt to us and pushing institutions like the World Bank and IMF to do the same? That seems like the kind of material support that is just as needed, if not more so than military.
There are no kings inside the gates of eden
Regarding sources, well pick your poison. Do you think reading Sputnik and being told that Russia has only lost 1300 soldiers, yet they are going nowhere and multiple generals have been killed, would be more accurate?
There are no kings inside the gates of eden
What can possibly be done now to stop Putin? If we send our top air defense tech to “close the skies” to Russian air strikes, we run the risk of Putin getting his hands on our top tech. We’ve upended the economy to try to stop this atrocity. How much further can this go?