Russia's Economic Disaster - why it matters

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

I see the GOP gaining the Oval Office in 2016, and maybe they will take a more hard line approach to Russian nonsense. That is the only thing Russia respects and understands,POWER. And why would I want a Russian watch when I can have a SEIKO made in Japan for $100? The Seiko I have now has ran for more than 32 years continuously and still keeps perfect time.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Putin simply does not respect our current King. This means he will not worry about our responses to his indiscretions.

Why should he?

 

[4wheeldog]

Originally Posted By: CT8
Trillions of dollars playing war in the middle east and Afghanistan? What is there to show for it? China and the Soviet Union [Russia to the tv watchers] is laughing at our military and most likely the whole nation.


No, they are not. The Russian's only political option if they manage to excite out ire is nuclear......Their conventional military is not match, no way. They would lose a nuke war and they know it. What Putin is doing is political grandstanding with brinksmanship. Their is no way he can win, if he overdoes it, and he knows it.

If you do not believe me about the conventional weapons, read up a little.......Their ships, planes and tanks are inferior and smaller in number. They cannot put boots on the ground any further away than Europe, and they cannot finance a major war, regardless. Why do you guys always minimize U.S. military power? The limited wars we have engaged in for the last several decades have no bearing on what would happen in a major conflict.

 

[L_Sludger]

Our creditors don't have our (i.e. the people pulling the strings in Washington) strategic interests in mind and can respond economically to diminish our warfighting potential somewhat.

 

[Y_K]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Putin simply does not respect our current King. This means he will not worry about our responses to his indiscretions.

Why should he?
Yup. Both maniacs are in [censored] match who is more skilled at ignoring each other.. Here is another spin on Russia. Snowden, then Ukraine. So far, the pedophile wins over narcissist avenger. As pointed out, some cultures view prosperity as an aberration.

 

[L_Sludger]

Thanks for the link Y_K. While I don't care for Stratfor, it's important to read everyone's take on the situation and then to draw your own conclusions.

 

[Y_K]

I don't care much about Stratfor either, they are subtle whores, and as being such they love to show off and chat too much sometimes.
Regardless, Russia started both World Wars. It was defeated in the Cold War. It wasn't finished. Now they themselves are correcting that mistake. Their culture doesn't appreciate this Western "Give a man a second chance" notion.

 

[L_Sludger]

If I were to summarize the russian spirit in one phrase, it's 'never ever give up'

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: Y_K
I don't care much about Stratfor either, they are subtle whores, and as being such they love to show off and chat too much sometimes.
Regardless, Russia started both World Wars. It was defeated in the Cold War. It wasn't finished. Now they themselves are correcting that mistake. Their culture doesn't appreciate this Western "Give a man a second chance" notion.



Russia started both world wars?

You sticking with that bovine excrement or do you want to try again.

 

[3800Series]

Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Our unconstrained economic warfare against Russia has produced a dramatic fall in the value of their currency over the past few months, causing it to reach about half of its value in just a matter of weeks.

Why does this matter to you, the non-Russian?

The bear is cornered. A cornered bear does no good to anyone.

Buy food, water, and iodine. Put together a shelter-in-place plan. Get a gas generator and keep it shielded where its electronics won't fuse together during an electromagnetic event. If things get out of hand, those who have put a tiny amount of thought into contingency planning will have a huge advantage over those who wait for FEMA to rescue them.

And if nothing happens, at least you've got food, drink and something to power essential appliances the next time a wind storm knocks out the power for a day or week.


Russia's #1 export is oil, to such a large degree that the oil has a direct effect on the Ruble. The idea of the US sanctions playing this big of a roll is a joke. Russia is to Europe as China is to America on a Export/Import scale.

Europe for the most part has very little natrual resources (natural gas, rubber, oil, fossil fuels).

Long story short Europe's part in the sanctions are playing a far, far bigger roll then the US's part.


Ruble=value of oil

Nothing more nothing less.

 

[Danno]

Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Originally Posted By: Danno
"Unconstrained economic warfare" Really??
Many think we have not gone far enough to get the message through to Putin, me included.

Just buy food and water, the game's in play now! It won't cost too much, a couple cases of bottled water per household member, some canned food, that stuff is usually on sale somewhere and will hold for a decent while.

If you stocked up when I suggested for the Ebola crisis, later for civil unrest following unpopular court decisions, you're most of the way there anyway, just add some iodine to your stock. A dosimeter and SGE 400/3 gas mask with NBC filtration are optional.

I have taken care of my family's immediate needs. My geographical location will insulate me from most of the troubles you mention.
Putin will need more hurt applied, before it gets better.

 

[3800Series]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
The Russians are doing what they are because they see weakness in the West. They have to decide if the Ukraine is that important to them. The Russians like to control Christian buffer states between them and the Muslum world. Can't say as I blame them.
Didn't "somebody" hit the "reset button" a while back?


The idea of Russia being a Military/Economic threat to the US is a joke. Russia is nothing more then a discarded shell compared to the former USSR.

The Ukraine boarder war is nothing more then a homeland boost for Putin's popularity. Its about building the image of the power.

The only real threat Russia is capable of producing is Nuclear weapons.

Not only that but Nuclear weapons that where less then "advanced" 50 years ago when they where made/engineered.

I hate to say this because I truely love this country but the US has not moved on since from the Cold War mentality.

Its always been about the "next" great threat. Which isn't a bad thing to worry about. Looking back at the last 80 years tho in US history its been one war after another.

The idea of Nation building is expensive and has done nothing but bite us in the but except for Japan.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Our unconstrained economic warfare against Russia has produced a dramatic fall in the value of their currency over the past few months, causing it to reach about half of its value in just a matter of weeks.....

IMHO, you greatly overestimate the current White House's influence, not to mention their competence in world affairs. "Unconstrained economic warfare"? According to who? Surely you don't believe they are competent enough to orchestrate the rapid fall of oil? The bamster arrives to bow and play patty-cake and puti just laughs at him.

I do agree that the rapid decline of the price of oil has puti's full attention. No doubt. I've long believed that to get his and the middle east's attention, you ought to go after the very thing proping up their regimes and enabling them to buy weapons. They're currently panicing. Good. The Europeans are big winners here as no doubt their economy will get a needed boost from a lower oil & gas price.

 

[L_Sludger]

1) Russia cut gas supplies by 60 percent to Europe yesterday due to Ukrainian transshipment theft. Europe is in panic.
2) By 'our unconstrained economic warfare' I'm referring to the elite, not the pantywaist administration. The financial elite, the Club of Rome, the Bilderberg group, the real movers behind things are out to punish Russia for not playing into their NWO Agenda 21 plan.

 

[3800Series]

Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Our unconstrained economic warfare against Russia has produced a dramatic fall in the value of their currency over the past few months, causing it to reach about half of its value in just a matter of weeks.....

IMHO, you greatly overestimate the current White House's influence, not to mention their competence in world affairs. "Unconstrained economic warfare"? According to who? Surely you don't believe they are competent enough to orchestrate the rapid fall of oil? The bamster arrives to bow and play patty-cake and puti just laughs at him.

I do agree that the rapid decline of the price of oil has puti's full attention. No doubt. I've long believed that to get his and the middle east's attention, you ought to go after the very thing proping up their regimes and enabling them to buy weapons. They're currently panicing. Good. The Europeans are big winners here as no doubt their economy will get a needed boost from a lower oil & gas price.


Still not cheap there. I have family in German, was talking to them 2-3 weeks ago. They still pay $7+ USD for gas (Euro to USD).

 

[shDK]

Russia will try to bully the former eastern European member countries of the USSR, that are now a part of the EU. Putin will seek to stand out as a strong leader for his people, and he will succeed. Because the Russians are just suckers for a strong leader, then democracy, civil rights, fight against corruption and so on must be looked at some other time.

The weapons and defence industry will see gold in the horizon. The EU and it's member states will at first try to strangle Russian economy. It might work, it might not. No matter what Europe will realize that they will have to increase military budgets, and rethink there army's. That sure is about time that happen. I do totally understand those US politicians that criticize Europe for not spending enough on it,s military.

Putin at the moment look at EU and it,s member states like a paper tiger. But in reality Russia. Don,t wan,t to push western Europe to much. history can tell him how western Europe react when it is standing with it,s bag against the wall. Germany couldt Probertly outmanufacturer Russia alone. And both the UK and France still has nuclear weapons.

Ofcourse no one wish it to go that far.

 

[GreeCguy]

Originally Posted By: Clevy
Originally Posted By: Y_K
I don't care much about Stratfor either, they are subtle whores, and as being such they love to show off and chat too much sometimes.
Regardless, Russia started both World Wars. It was defeated in the Cold War. It wasn't finished. Now they themselves are correcting that mistake. Their culture doesn't appreciate this Western "Give a man a second chance" notion.



Russia started both world wars?

You sticking with that bovine excrement or do you want to try again.


While I wouldn't go so far as to say they "started" two world wars, keep in mind that when Germany invaded Poland 9/1/1939, Russian also invaded Poland from the other side. It wasn't until Germany invaded the USSR in "Operation "Barbarossa" that the "Great Patriotic War" began.

As far as World War one is concerned, things escalated significantly when Nicolas II mobilized his troops.

So they definitely had a major role to play in both World Wars and on both sides of the battle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I#July_Crisis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Poland

 

[L_Sludger]

Something to consider is that American economic sanctions on Japan led to their declaring war on the US, thereby opening the entire Pacific front to total mayhem.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: Y_K
I don't care much about Stratfor either, they are subtle whores, and as being such they love to show off and chat too much sometimes.
Regardless, Russia started both World Wars. It was defeated in the Cold War. It wasn't finished. Now they themselves are correcting that mistake. Their culture doesn't appreciate this Western "Give a man a second chance" notion.
Weren't there some Germans and Japanese involved in starting WWII?

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: 3800Series
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Our unconstrained economic warfare against Russia has produced a dramatic fall in the value of their currency over the past few months, causing it to reach about half of its value in just a matter of weeks.....

IMHO, you greatly overestimate the current White House's influence, not to mention their competence in world affairs. "Unconstrained economic warfare"? According to who? Surely you don't believe they are competent enough to orchestrate the rapid fall of oil? The bamster arrives to bow and play patty-cake and puti just laughs at him.

I do agree that the rapid decline of the price of oil has puti's full attention. No doubt. I've long believed that to get his and the middle east's attention, you ought to go after the very thing proping up their regimes and enabling them to buy weapons. They're currently panicing. Good. The Europeans are big winners here as no doubt their economy will get a needed boost from a lower oil & gas price.


Still not cheap there. I have family in German, was talking to them 2-3 weeks ago. They still pay $7+ USD for gas (Euro to USD).


By gas, I meant natural gas. Not gasoline.