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Gatorubet

Certifiably Surly
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Posts posted by Gatorubet

  1. Big problem for many Americans if gas prices go up.
    Bigger problem for all Americans is the dishonesty from politicians on why gas/anything prices go up.

    I just recycled the 30 gallons in my hurricane season gas storage tank (old fuel in my cars, new bought today) - and refilled my six 5 gallon NATO steel cans. All no ethanol gas with fuel stabilizers. Good task after waking from my long afternoon drunk nap from early morning Fat Tuesday shenanigans.

    A bit early for storm season, but it might be more expensive soon. And small chance of grid failure.
    • Like 1
  2. Off the top of my head, China can agree to integrate Russia's System for Transfer of Financial Messages with its own Cross-Border Interbank Payment System to facilitate easier payments to Russia, which will help to minimize the impact to some degree to the SWIFT sanctions. It can also exert massive amounts of pressure on countries across the Global South and Asia who depend on trade relations with China to use the system, as well. It would be de-dollarization on speed, of course, which China would need to manage in accordance with its own strategic goals.
     
    It can aggressively utilize its unparalleled access to raw materials and manufacturing to eliminate some of the fallout of Russia being cut off from much of the world's technology markets. It can directly help Russia prop up the Ruble, as it has done in the past, as recently as 2014. It can lend in massive amounts. It can exert a ton of pressure on a variety of state actors to stay out of the sanctions game, which it has an enormous capacity to do. I can go on and on.
     
    It doesn't mean they WILL do these things...but they can. And it again goes to the fine line that I originally discussed of allowing Russia to weaken as much as possible without killing the Golden Goose that can provide incredible amounts of raw materials and energy at an easy, discounted price.

    China will rape Russia; gonna throw Putin a $20 lifeline and charge him $18 a month to rent the rope.
    • Haha 3
  3. I believe the USSR's economy was stronger pretty much at all times than Russia's has been since it fell.  Plus the nature of that system inherently put more resources into "defense." 
    I think we were always rightly suspect of how good really were Soviet forces and weapons and I think that goes double or triple today because their economy is weaker and the kleptocracy form of government is less inherently able to support defense.
    So, to the extent we're being shown that Russian forces are overrated, that's probably to be expected.  Unfortunately, I don't think we can take that completely for granted.

    How to you replace the shit wrecked by the Ukrainians when your less-than-California-GDP economy is wrecked by sanctions?

    You can’t.

    Which leads to, after being pantsed by Ukraine and the world seeing that your Russian Military Giant Cock is really a micro-penis, how do you continue to make the West fear you?

    You show you will eradicate civilians - and “look - I have nukes to go with my crazy no morals policies if you have a problem with that!”

    I think they feel they have to go all Medieval to walk away with any kind of legit Western belief they can’t be fucked with. If you lose the fight people laugh at you. If you lose the fight and you slaughter your opponent’s family after, nobody will fuck with you even though you lost.

    Dunno. Trying to think about the “why” here.
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