The Fascist Dictatorship called Russia under Dictator for Life Putin

[SUZNV + 1,197]

14 hours ago, ronwagn said:

Germany may be nationalistic but it is also fascist and influenced by Greens in the government ruling now. Germany is sold on left wing socialist statism and Turkish immigration plus other nations since Merkel took over. It is far more left leaning than when I was there in the sixties. Merkel grew up under the East German Soviet regime. Freedom of speech is limited there and throughout the European Union. 

I believe the rhythm in Germany is not about socialism, but as the only way to escape its geopolitical position. Even Eastern Germany Communism was because of occupation, not by choice. 

Its technologies in manufacturing dominated EU already which gives them a tremendous financial power in fiat world (look at China dominated WTO).Its only constraint is handicap in nuclear tech and depends on France or oil and LGN and depends on Russia and Green technology innovation  is their only hope, something like the industrialization and nationalism that unified Germany pre WW1. Besides they will have to be in the leader of Europe politically and use that as leverage to ensure their establishment position. They will need to lobby a political ally in number 1 US and Dem is their natural alliance which makes many US people mistake that Germany is left leaning. I would guess France, Greece and Sweden are more left leaning than Eastern Europe, Russia, China (Communism in name only but red capitalism, totalitarian though). I have heard recent attempt in Sweden to take a right turn but it seems hard under the EU structure and demographic (better go to the right direction when you are young).

Both Communism/Socialism or Germany style Nationalism required a heavy centralized power to redistribute resources for political will and asking their citizens to sacrifice personal gain but Communism/Socialism ideology is  about equality  while Germany nationalism theoretical target is Germany because a super power lead in EU and Germans sacrifice their personal wealth accumulation, even financial freedom and working hard to achieve this nationalism goal.  If you remove the worst parts of the Nazi such as wars, racism and genocide, I couldn't see anything  wrong with Germany ideology, except I think they gonna be disappointed third time and the demographic is against them. 

Even the right wing can be centralized (crony capitalism, Cantillon effect etc.)  or decentralized so the left right concept is very misleading. I would prefer the centralized or decentralized (where individualism is the extreme)  than the deprecated  left/right.

[SUZNV + 1,197]

US has a demographic advantage over Russia, China...  is the legal immigration system which make US a world super power but less entitlement. US is perceived to have low nationalism and too much individualism compares to the rest of the world but  underestimate it like Japan with Pearl Harbor dragged the whole Axis team down. 

I don't support illegal immigrant as it is illegal and why US needs immigrants compete for declining general labor jobs  while US can afford to be picky like the rest of the developed world. 

Edited February 9, 2022 by SUZNV

[ronwagn + 6,290]

America has benefited greatly from immigration over the decades. The immigrants were always scorned by many of those who were already here and had to accept the worst jobs. The Irish suffered the most, other than the actual slaves. Many Irish were virtual slaves in some respects. They then became a respected group, then other groups did the same, Germans, Italians, Poles, Russians, Jews, and those of all European countries. Mexicans, including wealthy Spaniards were already established in the Southwest when it became part of America. There were Mexicans from San Francisco to Florida. Americas oldest city is St. Augustine in Florida. Later the Chinese and Japanese came and found a home and discrimination and jobs. They originally settled in the cities of the Pacific Coast. 

IMHO the problem is that Mexico has become a narco state. It has not been able to control its crime and is somewhat like a bigger Middle Eastern state. It is Catholic but run partially by criminal cartels with their own armies. These cartels can afford the best of weaponry, technology, and soldiers formally trained by the United States or others. Elements of the left wing churches consider it a good deed to help unlimited numbers of people to immigrate illegally as do the present leaders of the Democratic Party and RINO Republicans. Our population is growing quickly with illegal aliens which is great for the motel and hotel industry, meat packers, farmers, etc. But it deprives existing citizens, including Mexican Americans of fair competition. The drugs smuggled across the border have caused increasing problems, especially with fentanyl becoming very inexpensive and readily available nationwide. Of course American citizens are buying, so we are equally responsible for the problems and always have been. 

I would prefer that we only allow legal immigration and only allow people who meet our  requirements to become citizens. That is the way it was always intended to be. Legal, not illegal and certainly not illegally supported by our governments or our border patrol!

[Tomasz + 1,608]

A Bloomberg columnist writes about the financial fortress Russia has built in the past few years. According to the authors of the article, this will allow us to survive the new Western sanctions without major losses.

"The steps against Russia, which the Biden administration discuss with its allies, may affect the ruble, the investment climate in the country or inflation, but they are not able to provoke a decline in indicators, as in 2014," the agency said.

The Russian government has managed to build up reserves and reduce public debt to one of the lowest rates among the world's largest economies. Moreover, the Kremlin was able to achieve a budget surplus.

The country's financial authorities are also reducing their dependence on the dollar more and more. The main savings were transferred to other types of currencies, as well as foreign trade settlements. Especially in Chinese yuan. According to the agency's interlocutors, only the most extreme scenarios of new sanctions will stop the country's economy from growing.

[nsdp + 449]

On 2/8/2022 at 5:52 AM, Andrei Moutchkine said:

We shall send some war supplies to some criminals close to where you live.

In 1941, Roosevelt only seized Japanese assets in US jurisdiction. Biden is no Roosevelt.

Aren't you a specialist on Russian meteorology? May we invade the Ukraine using regular public roads, pretty please?

No but my father is.  Direct combat experience in Nov1942, March-April and October-November 1943.  Then he had the good fortune to have his Geshwader sent to help deal with Anzio.  How much combat time do you have  in the Rasputitsa?    How much serious combat time do you have at all. I figure my father has more than you do.  I was in SE Asia for the Monsoon so I have vivid memories of combat in mud.  Remember the Highway of Death between Kuwait and Basra  in 1991;that is what happens  when you can't get off the road.   We would love to have supply convoys "lined up like pretty maids in a row" I don't figure  1 Su 57 stands much of a  chance against 122 F-22's flying top cover for A-10  's.  https://www.dangerousroads.org/asia/iraq/10139-highway-of-death.html Would you like to try?  It would be just like the AC47's over the Ho Chi Minh trail with one big difference. Your truck drivers don't have the courage the Vietnamese did.

Your asset comment shows how little you know about international banking fund freezes.   Any corresponding bank  with US connections  including the International Bank of Settlements has their accounts frozen.  Even Dansk Bank in Estonia had to freeze accounts in 2019 for select Russian individuals and companies. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-danske-bank-moneylaundering-idUSKBN1WG32G

Remember I have 40 years+ of experience with dealing with money laundering and asset freezes.  As for Japan 1941, that included funds in in banks in  Iran, Mexico, and Venezuela that Japan used to buy foreign oil after the Netherlands cut off what is now Indonesia and the Brits cut off Burma, Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo.  It also included Argentina  where Japan bought wheat.

[footeab@yahoo.com + 2,190]

On 2/6/2022 at 7:34 PM, SUZNV said:

I keep it simple, ....Germany who caused the last 2 world wars. That is why most of the nuclear weapons are in France.

Uh, sorry, no.  France went nuclear to protect their world empire.  And yes, they truly have a WORLD empire.  In fact, they have more of a worldwide empire than the USA does by a VERY large margin if one looks at land/water area as they never lost their empire after WWII like the UK did.  Yea yea, technically said empire fell, but it didn't, as when France calls their former colonies, who all use the CFA, they all salute, come to attention, and jump to the correct height. 

PS: Reason Inflation in the USA is not worse than it is and why USA empire is growing.. is because a large portion of African population, especially East Africa, has switched to digital usage of the USD via phone pay apps for nearly all transactions and it is spreading.  Its not just the Caribbean countries anymore.  From DRC to Sudan to Ethiopia to Kenya all the way down to Zimbabwe of course, the USD is effectively replacing all local currency in local marketplace.  I have not looked recently at South Africa, but due to their upheaval recently I would not be surprised, but I doubt you can pay your taxes in USD down there yet, like you can in say, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania.    The population of this area in case you guys are wondering is roughly speaking 400Million and growing VERY FAST.  So, while my countries politicans are busy being complete greedy selfish short sighted BASTARDS, thankfully East Africa is saving my countries current stupidity... So, thank you to my Kenyan friends whom I have known for decades.  May we meet again soon. 

[footeab@yahoo.com + 2,190]

6 hours ago, ronwagn said:

 The drugs smuggled across the border have caused increasing problems, especially with fentanyl

NIT: Coming across in 18 wheel semi trucks and semi submersibles on the coasts.  That is more drug running vast quantities, than actual smuggling of small amounts on the backs of illegals as portrayed by the media. 

[SUZNV + 1,197]

12 hours ago, footeab@yahoo.com said:

Uh, sorry, no.  France went nuclear to protect their world empire.  And yes, they truly have a WORLD empire.  In fact, they have more of a worldwide empire than the USA does by a VERY large margin if one looks at land/water area as they never lost their empire after WWII like the UK did.  Yea yea, technically said empire fell, but it didn't, as when France calls their former colonies, who all use the CFA, they all salute, come to attention, and jump to the correct height. 

PS: Reason Inflation in the USA is not worse than it is and why USA empire is growing.. is because a large portion of African population, especially East Africa, has switched to digital usage of the USD via phone pay apps for nearly all transactions and it is spreading.  Its not just the Caribbean countries anymore.  From DRC to Sudan to Ethiopia to Kenya all the way down to Zimbabwe of course, the USD is effectively replacing all local currency in local marketplace.  I have not looked recently at South Africa, but due to their upheaval recently I would not be surprised, but I doubt you can pay your taxes in USD down there yet, like you can in say, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania.    The population of this area in case you guys are wondering is roughly speaking 400Million and growing VERY FAST.  So, while my countries politicans are busy being complete greedy selfish short sighted BASTARDS, thankfully East Africa is saving my countries current stupidity... So, thank you to my Kenyan friends whom I have known for decades.  May we meet again soon. 

I do realize that, given Vietnam was directly affected after WW2 and NZ is a nuclear free country as the consequence of France testing nuclear in Oceanic (because French was kicked out of Algeria),  I post the map of France World Map before. One of the reason Roosevelt didn't split West Prussia into 6 smaller nations.  France is the only one with military capacity in EU and world wide territories for EU to  potential claim benefit from area such as Antarctica. Germany contribute to EU economy and technologies and France offer military  and mitigate bad EU geopolitics position.   No wonder they are so mad with AUKUS but France will have to maintain these just like the US do in the sea trading routes. 

To be fair, many Africa countries can exist because Europe, especially France says so but  they got competition for new style of colony by China which helps the Africa countries to digitalize USD with infrastructure  ( as they lend money in USD instead of buying US treasury bonds like Japan and EU).

In tough economics time ahead with inflation in Brazil, Turkey or Lebanon and possibly China may push USD and any major currency currency with SWAP agreement with Fed  stronger than other currencies (like China, Saudi etc.) Not for reducing basic needs and energy price though and CPI will have to be manipulated to reduce the living standard of retirement as it is the only way out politicians can think off)

This will lead to US needs to be more trade deficit, higher student loan, higher healthcare, less low skill jobs, as all the USD in trade deficit will come back to the US in the form off the foreign  share holders which need profit. This will create US more polarized left and right as general labors who are lack behind were given excuse for inequality such as races, genders, and youngster feels they are  being exploited by boomers, or feel entitlement for just being born in the US which create social conflicts by politicians. And US continue its path in trade deficit, deficit public spending, and social security and pension becomes a giant Ponzi scheme and US would move left eventually as more and more youngster and retirements depends on big Gov.  

I wonder how will this end and the threats of the US empire is within, just as in EU or China or Japan or Russia. Extraordinary time and there would be no world war to reset the world economy like the last 2. Still feel lucky that US has many states compete to each other for self adjustment and my hope is in this.  I doubt any country want to share the burden of the World Reserve currency in recession time because this means lowering living standard middle class and retirement and more social conflicts. 

Edited February 10, 2022 by SUZNV

[Eyes Wide Open + 3,554]

8 hours ago, SUZNV said:

I do realize that, given Vietnam was directly affected after WW2 and NZ is a nuclear free country as the consequence of France testing nuclear in Oceanic (because French was kicked out of Algeria),  I post the map of France World Map before. One of the reason Roosevelt didn't split West Prussia into 6 smaller nations.  France is the only one with military capacity in EU and world wide territories for EU to  potential claim benefit from area such as Antarctica. Germany contribute to EU economy and technologies and France offer military  and mitigate bad EU geopolitics position.   No wonder they are so mad with AUKUS.

To be fair, many Africa countries can exist because Europe, especially France says so but  they got competition for new style of colony by China which helps the Africa countries to digitalize USD with infrastructure  ( as they lend money in USD instead of buying US treasury bonds like Japan and EU).

In tough economics time ahead with inflation in Brazil, Turkey or Lebanon and possibly China may push USD and any major currency currency with SWAP agreement with Fed (China and Saudi Arabia is not one of the currencies)  stronger than other currencies Not for reducing basic needs and energy price though and CPI will have to be manipulated to reduce the living standard of retirement as it is the only way out politicians can think off)

This will lead to US needs to be more trade deficit, higher student loan, higher healthcare, less low skill jobs, as all the USD in trade deficit will come back to the US in the form off the foreign  share holders which need profit. This will create US more polarized left and right as general labors who are lack behind were given excuse for inequality such as races, genders, and youngster feels they are  being exploited by boomers, or feel entitlement for just being born in the US which create social conflicts by politicians. And US continue its path in trade deficit, deficit public spending, and social security and pension becomes a giant Ponzi scheme and US would move left eventually as more and more youngster and retirements depends on big Gov.  

I wonder how will this end and the threats of the US empire is within, just as in EU or China or Japan or Russia. Extraordinary time and there would be no world war to reset the world economy like the last 2. Still feel lucky that US has many states compete to each other for self adjustment and my hope is in this. 

This switch you speak of is occurring now, North America only needed a catalyst. That catalyst was this trucker's strike formed in Canada.

It has gained enough traction and press mask mandates are dropping in almost every state in the US. Most importantly this is happening haphazardly, not one directive from the Fed.

Biden is getting left behind by his own party as Democratic governors across the US move to lift mask mandates

https://www.businessinsider.com/mask-mandates-democratic-governors-cdc-president-joe-biden-2022-2

In tandem with that US citizens across this country are confronting school boards with their curriculums...actually they are demanding  change to the point of civil disobedience.

Last but not least the crime waves across this country have been so blatantly ignored that now it has taking on a whole new dimension.

Change is coming abruptly from within, this change may very well become violent once the depth of socialist disorder is exposed.

Much of this is being suppressed in the news cycles and soon that will change. CNN CEO was recently tanked/fired, that network was the mouth piece for this party.. 

Change is coming, how this all ends no one knows. This Socialist's party...they are well financed, determined and very arrogant...this change could get messy.

 

.

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by Eyes Wide Open

[SUZNV + 1,197]

1 hour ago, Eyes Wide Open said:

This switch you speak of is occurring now, North America only needed a catalyst. That catalyst was this trucker strike formed in Canada.

It has gained enough traction and press mask mandates are dropping in almost every state in the US. Most importantly this is happening haphazardmy, not one directive from the Fed.

In tandem with that US citizens across this country are confronting school boards with their curriculums...actually they are demanding  change to the point of civil disobedience.

Last but not least the crime waves across this country have been so blatantly ignored that to is now taking on a whole new dimension.

Change is coming abruptly from within, this change may very well become violent once the depth of socialist disorder is exposed.

Much of this is being suppressed in the news cycles and soon that will change. CNN CEO was recently tanked/fired, that network was the mouth piece for this party.. 

Change is coming, how this all ends no one knows. This Socialist's party...they are well financed, determined and very arrogant...this change could get messy.

 

.

 

It is beyond that though. Any new leadership will have to clean up the mess from the old one wiped under the carpet, what happens now rooted from policies and structure many years ago, some date back in 1990s or even right after WW2.

Secondly US is trapped in between the world reserve currency, which goes along with entitlement and on going with that vs payback all the debt with an aging population and drawback from the world hegemony. Any administration will have to choose between these, regardless of party. 2 Bush have their fair shares along with Clinton or Obama. 

My prediction would be the later choice but we will see the trend every 2 years with the elected politicians. Can't see how can they keep their places for more than 30 years. I may sound desperate but I am not (sorry if I stirred up the negative feeling), As throughout the history many great generations didn't  have much choice but embrace it, why should I be different this time.

At least we don't need to worry about civil war as most of military is patriot and in the centric (not extreme left) and red states have all the oil, foods and manufacturing. And from the history it seems US has always been this way every 50 years or more. Some part of me even think  maybe it is a good wake up cal otherwise we won't appreciate what we have. Jefferson said “I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.”

Edited February 10, 2022 by SUZNV

[Tomasz + 1,608]

The development of joint projects in the field of energy, infrastructure and digital technologies will increase the volume of Russian-Chinese trade to USD 250 billion annually, Hu Angang, Valdai Club expert and director of the Chinese Studies Center at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told RIA Novosti.
After talks between Russian and Chinese leaders in Beijing on February 4, Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined a new goal of increasing trade between Russia and China - $ 250 billion a year.
As Hu Angang notes, China still needs large imports of goods from abroad, and the complementarity of the Russian and Chinese economies offers great opportunities for further increasing bilateral trade. "China still has to import a large number of goods, energy resources, minerals, agricultural products," said the expert.
At the same time, he believes that the Chinese government may encourage local businesses to invest in projects jointly with Russia, including into infrastructure and energy. "Especially in the field of green energy and infrastructure construction, China has great advantages in these areas," he added.
The expansion of joint cooperation in the information sphere may also contribute to the growth of trade, especially in the light of China's plan for the development of the digital economy in the country for 2021-2025, Hu Angang believes. "This provides new areas of two-way collaboration such as cloud computing, big data, internet of things, industrial internet, blockchain technology, artificial intelligence," he said.
Earlier, the leaders of Russia and China set themselves the task of doubling the trade turnover between the two countries - from $ 100 billion a year to $ 200 billion by 2024.

The 100 billion mark was reached in 2018.

According to the Central Customs Administration of the PRC, trade between Russia and China increased by 35.8% in 2021 and amounted to USD 146.887 billion. In turn, according to the materials of the Federal Customs Service of Russia, trade turnover increased by 35.2%, to a record USD 140.705 billion.

[Eyes Wide Open + 3,554]

4 hours ago, SUZNV said:

My prediction would be the later choice but we will see the trend every 2 years with the elected politicians.

You have made quite a succinct statement. Perhaps a bit Freudian in nature.

In 22 the backlash towards this socialist party now in power will be quite deafing. One can expect extremely aggressive legislation to move forward, investigations taken to the level of McCarthyism. Frankly it is easy to say our constitution will be bruised along the way.

It is my own perception world powers are quite aware of this now, hence these new and uncharted alliances. 

The US and the world cannot endure these wild swings in US governance no longer. 

Do not forget the Biden admin issuing a stand down order to the US military after the transfer of power. Nor the barbed wire surrounding the US capitol protecting this new administration from its citizens?...the illusion of power personified.

We have one Democratic senator stopping this power grab...and many behind the scenes make no mistakes.

As to the world stage? Remember the first Iraq invasion? France,Spain and German relations were severely strained..I see little difference today.

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by Eyes Wide Open

[Tomasz + 1,608]

About 'winning' and 'losing' the Cold War

04 Feb 2022 by Leo Ensel

"By the grace of God we won the Cold War!"

On January 28, 1992, US President George HW Bush proudly trumpeted to Congress that America had won the Cold War. In the retrospective, it is precisely this sentence, with its brash triumphalism, that turns out to be the starting signal for the new Cold War.

The people of Russia may be for or against Putin. They may be old communists or new rich, Soviet nostalgic, 'Westerner' or pan-Slavist. Skilled workers, professors, shop assistants, the unemployed or pensioners. They may live in the Black Earth Region, in the Volga Delta, Transbaikalia, Udmurtia, Yakutia or in the Komi Republic. One sentence drives them all crazy :

"The Soviet Union lost the Cold War!"

In fact, the brash hurray triumphalism of certain Western circles has contributed significantly to the fact that Russia and the West are now long in the middle of a second Cold War and an extremely dangerous new arms race. And it is indicative of the mental and moral level of the people who utter this sentence so quickly that they are apparently only able to think in terms of victory and defeat! - But one after anonther.

Provisional restraint

 When the Berlin Wall fell in autumn 1989 and the peaceful revolutions in Eastern Europe swept away the communist dictatorships, the US administration under George HW Bush was still diplomatically reticent. It was clear in Washington that any loud Western cheering would only have damaged the further course of events. Eventually, cataclysmic events such as a possible reunification of Germany were already on the horizon, and they were not to be jeopardized under any circumstances. Initially, all demonstrative gestures that could have had a humiliating effect on the people of the Soviet Union were refrained from, while the 'Russian separatist' and later gravedigger of the country, Boris Yeltsin, was promoted unnoticed! On November 21, 1990, George Bush senior, together with 31 other heads of state and government, signed the “Charter of Paris”, which in its central and epoch-making sentence: “Security is indivisible, and the security of each participating state is inseparably linked to that of all others ' broke with the rivalry of thought and action, with the potentially world-destroying politics of the superpowers' zero-sum game. This ended the Cold War.

At least that's what the world thought.

The coming out

 But just one month after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Bush - coincidentally during the election campaign - could no longer contain himself and on January 28, 1992, at the beginning of his annual ' State of the Union Address ' before Congress, he literally burst out: The World has seen changes of truly biblical proportions in the past twelve months. Nothing less than communism itself died that year. And for a long time he, the President, had not had the opportunity "to show the joy that was in my heart" because he was so busy with these changes and all the progress. But, now everyone should prick up their ears!, "the biggest thing" that has ever happened in his life and in the lives of others is this:"By the grace of God America won the Cold War!" (By the way: The fact that he personally held none other than God responsible for this stupid historical lie lends this remark a particularly embarrassing note).

No sentence has proven to be as fatal for Western-Russian relations as this one! This sentence already contains the seeds of the following American policy of unilateralism, the "single world power", NATO eastward expansion, the policy of regime change, aggressive wars contrary to international law, the termination of almost all disarmament and arms control treaties. And it proves that the man who uttered it and all those who later parroted it thoughtlessly with proud chests and acted according to its logic were apparently too mentally limited and morally too irresponsible to even grasp the decisive factor.

Playful trust

 Without the revolutionary policies of the Soviet administration at the time, i.e. without the policies of New Thinking - then as now decades ahead of its time because it puts the interests of all of humanity above the deadly rivalry of the superpowers - the Cold War would never have ended peacefully! Mikhail Gorbachev, the architect of this revolutionary change in foreign and armament policy thinking and acting, puts it this way:

“The end of the Cold War was our common victory. It came about through dialogue and negotiation on the most complex security and disarmament issues and through establishing bilateral relations. Without all of this, the Cold War and arms race could have continued for a few more decades. And who knows what that could have led to!”

 But unfortunately it didn't stop there.

 “Instead of acknowledging all this, the West declared itself the winner. The end of the Cold War - for him that was only completed with the end of the Soviet Union. American statesmen called this a policy of strength. And concluded from this that it was now necessary to further expand one's own military power, to enforce one's own will, to create a unipolar world, an American empire. Now the world had to watch as the trust capital accumulated in the 1980s was gambled away, as instead of a new, secure world order, the specter of a new chaos emerged in which the law of the strongest prevailed. The Paris Charter, the ideas of collective security, the creation of a Security Council for Europe, which were seriously discussed in 1991,

Today we are standing in front of the ruins of this development.

The Cold Warriors lost the Cold War

 Let's set things right once and for all.

The first Cold War could be ended because the then Soviet administration around Mikhail Gorbachev had previously defeated nothing less than the logic of the arms race itself in thought and action ! And this is exactly what made it possible for the West, which was initially reluctant, to completely scrap the most dangerous short- and medium-range weapons and force nuclear disarmament worldwide by 80 percent.

The Russians are still very aware of this. A little tip: Just go to Russia and ask the first Russian you meet. He will tell you: "We ended the Cold War !"

https://ostexperte.de/uber-das-gewinnen-und-verlieren-des-kalten-krieges/

[ronwagn + 6,290]

23 hours ago, footeab@yahoo.com said:

NIT: Coming across in 18 wheel semi trucks and semi submersibles on the coasts.  That is more drug running vast quantities, than actual smuggling of small amounts on the backs of illegals as portrayed by the media. 

China thinks it is payback for the opium wars even though America had nothing to do with that. I need to research the worldwide use of fentanyl and its damage. It is reducing the lifespan of young people wherever it is used, due to overdose deaths. 

[ronwagn + 6,290]

6 minutes ago, ronwagn said:

China thinks it is payback for the opium wars even though America had nothing to do with that. I need to research the worldwide use of fentanyl and its damage. It is reducing the lifespan of young people wherever it is used, due to overdose deaths. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fentanyl It is commonly mixed with other drugs. People do not even know what they are using so more accidents happen. The potency of fentanyl is the real killer though. It is dangerous to handle and to take illegally. The American lifespan has actually decreased due to the death of young and middle age druggies from opioids. 

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/opioid-overdose World Health Organization

 

[Rob Plant + 2,756]

On 2/7/2022 at 3:23 AM, Andrei Moutchkine said:

Moscow is 3rd richest big city worldwide, but #1 in quality of life and standards of living

Depends who you ask!

On this list Moscow is 211th

My favourite city is Rome and thats 203rd go figure!

https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings.jsp

[nsdp + 449]

14 hours ago, Rob Plant said:

Depends who you ask!

On this list Moscow is 211th

My favourite city is Rome and thats 203rd go figure!

https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings.jsp

Austin should not be #7 more like 100, Oklahoma City  ought to be  bout the same.  Dallas and Houston are both jokes. I lived in Houston for 20 years and never again.

Queretaro in Mexico is a lot better than most cities ranked above it in the US. Especially Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. I studied 1 year at what was then the School of Mines. 

[ronwagn + 6,290]

15 hours ago, Rob Plant said:

Depends who you ask!

On this list Moscow is 211th

My favourite city is Rome and thats 203rd go figure!

https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings.jsp

The town I live in has some of the cheapest housing available, has its share of crime, and is spread out over a large area in the corn and soybean belt. It is a great place to live, has a mild climate, and plenty of places to work. The low cost of living makes up for the lower wages. Also, no traffic jams aside from waiting for a train once in awhile. The freeways are virtually empty compared to big cities. We have a lake in the middle of town and several others. We have great hospitals in several areas, one that I am retired from is ten minutes away. We have a nature preserve two miles away. We probably rank as one of the least desirable small cities in the country. It all depends on what you want. Big cities are off my list. 

[ronwagn + 6,290]

On 2/9/2022 at 5:31 PM, Tomasz said:

A Bloomberg columnist writes about the financial fortress Russia has built in the past few years. According to the authors of the article, this will allow us to survive the new Western sanctions without major losses.

"The steps against Russia, which the Biden administration discuss with its allies, may affect the ruble, the investment climate in the country or inflation, but they are not able to provoke a decline in indicators, as in 2014," the agency said.

The Russian government has managed to build up reserves and reduce public debt to one of the lowest rates among the world's largest economies. Moreover, the Kremlin was able to achieve a budget surplus.

The country's financial authorities are also reducing their dependence on the dollar more and more. The main savings were transferred to other types of currencies, as well as foreign trade settlements. Especially in Chinese yuan. According to the agency's interlocutors, only the most extreme scenarios of new sanctions will stop the country's economy from growing.

https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/RUS/russia/gni-per-capita 

It looks to me like the Russian people are not getting their fair share from Putin's cronies. 

[Andrei Moutchkine + 828]

On 2/10/2022 at 4:12 AM, nsdp said:

No but my father is.  Direct combat experience in Nov1942, March-April and October-November 1943.  Then he had the good fortune to have his Geshwader sent to help deal with Anzio.  How much combat time do you have  in the Rasputitsa?    How much serious combat time do you have at all. I figure my father has more than you do.  I was in SE Asia for the Monsoon so I have vivid memories of combat in mud.  Remember the Highway of Death between Kuwait and Basra  in 1991;that is what happens  when you can't get off the road.   We would love to have supply convoys "lined up like pretty maids in a row" I don't figure  1 Su 57 stands much of a  chance against 122 F-22's flying top cover for A-10  's.  https://www.dangerousroads.org/asia/iraq/10139-highway-of-death.html Would you like to try?  It would be just like the AC47's over the Ho Chi Minh trail with one big difference. Your truck drivers don't have the courage the Vietnamese did.

Your asset comment shows how little you know about international banking fund freezes.   Any corresponding bank  with US connections  including the International Bank of Settlements has their accounts frozen.  Even Dansk Bank in Estonia had to freeze accounts in 2019 for select Russian individuals and companies. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-danske-bank-moneylaundering-idUSKBN1WG32G

Remember I have 40 years+ of experience with dealing with money laundering and asset freezes.  As for Japan 1941, that included funds in in banks in  Iran, Mexico, and Venezuela that Japan used to buy foreign oil after the Netherlands cut off what is now Indonesia and the Brits cut off Burma, Sarawak, Brunei and North Borneo.  It also included Argentina  where Japan bought wheat.

No more asset freezes after Basel III

The Nazis were barely motorized / used a lot of horses. It is different now.

Edited February 15, 2022 by Andrei Moutchkine

[Andrei Moutchkine + 828]

On 2/11/2022 at 12:23 PM, Rob Plant said:

Depends who you ask!

On this list Moscow is 211th

My favourite city is Rome and thats 203rd go figure!

https://www.numbeo.com/quality-of-life/rankings.jsp

https://www.mos.ru/en/mayor/themes/36299/8050050/

This only ranked very large cities over 6 mln population.

A lot of such lists are stacked in favor of small, sleepy villages where nothing happens. I live in Vienna now. No way it is even equal of Moscow.

Edited February 15, 2022 by Andrei Moutchkine

[frankfurter + 562]

On 2/11/2022 at 12:57 PM, ronwagn said:

China thinks it is payback for the opium wars even though America had nothing to do with that. I need to research the worldwide use of fentanyl and its damage. It is reducing the lifespan of young people wherever it is used, due to overdose deaths. 

Your vile ignorance and racism has no bounds.

Historians Geoffrey Ward and Fredric D. Grant (1986) assert American mercantile interests benefited significantly from the opium trade; including a young man named Warren Delano, whose grandson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, would ultimately become president of the United States. Whereas individual American businessmen and traders profited significantly from this trade, the United States government participated in protecting and encouraging those interests. The US did not respond to China complaints, nor did the US do anything to curtail the illicit trade.

Fentanyl is a legitimate drug in the USA and elsewhere. The problem is government corruption has given the drug cartels access to it. As a street drug, it is illegal in China, as it is elsewhere. As a legit drug, it is very tightly controlled in China, and the penalty is death for violators. As a legal drug, it is exported to Mexico, where it is 'leaked' to the cartels. No illicit fentanyl is exported from China. What you in the US receive is illicit product from Mexico. Neither US nor Mexico give the death penalty for illicit production, sale, and use, so the drug remains popular.

The US fight against drugs is a farce, as drugs could be quite easily stopped by stopping the flow of cash. You condone freezing the cash for the poorest nations, but you do nothing to freeze the cash of the richest cartels. You blame others for your problems, when clearly the problems are of your own making.

[Andrei Moutchkine + 828]

On 2/6/2022 at 4:47 PM, SUZNV said:

US don't need to hold back the EU development. EU in a terrible geopolitics position, with conflicts  between monetary from ECB and  individual fiscal policies to make any individual economics reform effectively with the aging demographics constraints. I understand you mean the competition between USD and Euro but the Euro is declining in the SDR basket. I can't wait to see how the next SDR revision look like. The higher share in this represent the more trade deficit and more government spending pressure so I want US share is decline as well. Short term pain for long term gain but it is very unlikely so looks like the US MMT combines with Keynesian style policies make public debt go brrrrrr. 

Really? Euro is increasing in share of SWIFT transactions, though. With dollar being effectively toxic due to weaponization.

[Andrei Moutchkine + 828]

On 2/12/2022 at 3:08 AM, nsdp said:

Austin should not be #7 more like 100, Oklahoma City  ought to be  bout the same.  Dallas and Houston are both jokes. I lived in Houston for 20 years and never again.

Queretaro in Mexico is a lot better than most cities ranked above it in the US. Especially Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. I studied 1 year at what was then the School of Mines. 

This is obviously an American list. No way there would be so many American cities otherwise. (due to no public infrastructure whatsoever) San Jose being ahead of San Francisco is a mystery to me. The place is intolerable.

I do actually agree with Düsseldorf being the best German city. Nizny Novgorod being the best Russian city is weird. Maybe I should take a look, it has been a while. (is my original hometown)

There is absolutely nothing positive about places like Yerevan.

Edited February 15, 2022 by Andrei Moutchkine

[SUZNV + 1,197]

2 hours ago, Andrei Moutchkine said:

Really? Euro is increasing in share of SWIFT transactions, though. With dollar being effectively toxic due to weaponization.

I don't understand why these are related. SDR basket is simply to try to provide BANCOR like style  alternative to Bretton Wood successor, central bank of central banks with a reserve as a mixed basket, IMF, issue mixed basket bank reserve  with the agreement between central banks, including FED. FED is not a world central bank but only take responsible onshore banks & institution in the US, buyer of last resort for US treasuries so they doesn't even compete to each other. 

SWIFT is simply a international inter banks transfer system, which include a club of international banks and institution book keeping ledger system, a kind of international banking club. Being kick out of this "club" only mean the whole club stop money transfer with you, no more, no less. Whatever money you receive from other end doesn't matter as it simply a book keeping ledger system, physical printed money involve and depend on normal exchange rate which USD is the international standard ruler and the final currency these banks use for accounting.  For example before SWIFT they are using old TELEX or Western Union/Telegram doesn't use SWIFT system for transfer remittance money oversea, same with El Salvador remittance with bitcoin doesn't use SWIFT either. 

EU members have never fully trusted each other with the bloody history. Their current trust EU system's foundations: NATO which US is a major contributor and Russia/USSR as a common enemy. Without one of these 2, EU collapse as Germany trusted France as much as Russia without NATO and Germany is the one benefit the most from the EU system as an exporter. Who would be the counter part of France military on land and on sea, especially since Brexit? I don't mean France is bad, but every country for themselves and trusts need foundation in tough time.

Euro dollar got extra trust from the SWAP line between ECB and FED. And on top of that the SWIFT club. We live in the FIAT era and with the above, it is safe to say that US secure Euro FIAT structurally. However US may get much much more introvert in the future to deal with it internal conflicts and debt, cause by USD as world reserve currency itself so I expect the US politicians won't have much choice for hegemony over internal conflicts. The problem is because we live in the FIAT world and I see no alternative. Firstly which country wants to have trade deficit and secondly which country can be trust that their economy would be more stable than US so people can speculate in this new currency. My guess everyone would want to gave up as much share in their SDR as they can in tough economics time ahead for their own votes. The SDR can only exist as US FED agreed to join.

Yes EU politicians will try to point out  some positive statistics here and there to boost the moral of their people and use US as a source of united Euro just like Russia, but the louder it is, the more desperate economics situation they are in. Any EU country want to feel close to each other, they will use US, Russia, or even China as a common target of hate in to secure their voter base and that is it. See how desperate Macron showed when he tried to speak for Putin last week? With the aftermath of covid19 gloomy looks with inflation, any incumbent politicians are under pressure, world wide. 

Besides, just look at ECB balance sheets vs FED balance sheet vs BoJ balance sheet and you can see that how strong ECB vs FED vs BoJ, along with the percentage to compare apple to apple. On top of that is the disfunction of ECB and individual EU member's fiscal policies. And for China it is a big puzzle. Again, we live in the FIAT world. 

One more major contributor to Euro is Germany.  The only future the biggest economy in EU have now is to make EU depends on its economy while Russia will have to always be the threat to prevent the rise of Eastern Europe. In the perfect world if we have a friendly Russia, then Poland will be the trading hub with good relationship with Eastern Europe Bloc, Russia and the US. France enjoys their international territories around the globe with North Africa is their backyard while the UK with the Common Wealth. What does Germany have besides  its engineering and discipline culture, stuck in between?  

Understand the core fundamental of Europe geopolitics and then watch mainstream you will see how much mainstream offset in the real geopolitic events. And they are bragging about professional journalism? Most of the case the voters don't fully understand what they are they voting for. 

Edited February 15, 2022 by SUZNV