Andrei Moutchkine + 828 January 28, 2022 26 minutes ago, ronwagn said: Russia and China and their allies are poking their snouts all around the world. We are too. China has a more money to bribe officials with though. 31 million dollars to the Biden family so far. It is sad that governments are so underhanded. It is a similar conundrum to drug manufacturers, drug dealers, and drug users. China just lost a top hypersonic scientist to America. Sometimes ethics deals wins too. https://www.defenseworld.net/news/31245/Chinese_Scientist_Defects_to_U_S__Carrying_Hypersonic_Weapons_Secrets Defecting to US is very opposite of ethical choice. I support complete drug legalization. This way, it will be the least possible evil. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 January 28, 2022 21 hours ago, ronwagn said: In other words Russia stole the freedom of all those in Eastern Europe and left when it could no longer hold its prisoners. Then it was taken over by the KGB and they sliced up all the businesses in Russia and Putin gained complete control with the help of his crony AKA fascist buddies. The Russian people gained very little. It "stole the freedom of all those in Eastern Europe" to an extent you still do in the West and elsewhere. KGB does not control all the business in Russia, that's a bunk conspiracy theory perpetuated by Goebbels media. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 January 29, 2022 5 hours ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: Defecting to US is very opposite of ethical choice. I support complete drug legalization. This way, it will be the least possible evil. Where has that ever worked? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 January 29, 2022 5 hours ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: It "stole the freedom of all those in Eastern Europe" to an extent you still do in the West and elsewhere. KGB does not control all the business in Russia, that's a bunk conspiracy theory perpetuated by Goebbels media. Putin does the controlling. He tells the Russian deep state what to do. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 January 29, 2022 28 minutes ago, ronwagn said: Where has that ever worked? Before Nixon invented his "War on Drugs", throughout the world? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 January 29, 2022 28 minutes ago, ronwagn said: Putin does the controlling. He tells the Russian deep state what to do. You are overestimating one man's administrative ability, 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 January 29, 2022 6 minutes ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: You are overestimating one man's administrative ability, 6 minutes ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: You are overestimating one man's administrative ability, https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/01/25/as-markets-crash-and-war-fears-grow-russias-business-elite-suffers-in-silence-a76142 He has had decades to build up his power structure and has complete control unless deposed by force. Only the elites can do that. Somewhat like deposing Hitler or Stalin. Easy to think about, hard to do. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 January 29, 2022 17 minutes ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: Before Nixon invented his "War on Drugs", throughout the world? There are enough drugs, especially fentanyl, in the world to kill everyone on the planet. China is the greatest producer but everyone in the business, that is big, is selling it. You should know that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 January 29, 2022 13 minutes ago, ronwagn said: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/01/25/as-markets-crash-and-war-fears-grow-russias-business-elite-suffers-in-silence-a76142 He has had decades to build up his power structure and has complete control unless deposed by force. Only the elites can do that. Somewhat like deposing Hitler or Stalin. Easy to think about, hard to do. In reality, nobody gives a damn. The sanctions have hurt the West more than they hurt Russia. The stories of impeding invasion of Ukraine are simply bullshit. Read some real Russian press, like what Tomasz translates. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 January 29, 2022 1 minute ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: In reality, nobody gives a damn. The sanctions have hurt the West more than they hurt Russia. The stories of impeding invasion of Ukraine are simply bullshit. Read some real Russian press, like what Tomasz translates. Why should anybody trust Putin and his state press. I hope you are right but he has made all the preparatory moves and cannot be allowed to do that without consequences. We certainly don't want a war and neither do the overwhelmed Ukrainians. That doesn't mean false flags can be kept from starting one. You know that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 January 29, 2022 6 minutes ago, ronwagn said: There are enough drugs, especially fentanyl, in the world to kill everyone on the planet. China is the greatest producer but everyone in the business, that is big, is selling it. You should know that. Most illegal drugs are neither addictive nor deadly like fentanyl. If it was about danger to your health, they'd make ingesting rat poison most illegal of all. Yet, they don't. It is not illegal to poison yourself outright, but severely illegal to do possibly do a little harm to your health in some way that is also recreationally valuable? How come? Fentanyl is very difficult to dose right, because it is so potent, but the same property makes it much easier to smuggle. It was a logical response to the squeeze on more traditional opiates. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 January 29, 2022 https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/01/28/russias-pandemic-excess-death-toll-almost-1m-a76194 Russia Sees Record Population Decline As Excess Deaths Hit 1M Russia experienced its largest population decline in 2021 since the end of the Soviet Union. Please don't be stupid enough to tell me I am happy about this! RCW Updated: 10 hours ago Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 January 29, 2022 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: Most illegal drugs are neither addictive nor deadly like fentanyl. If it was about danger to your health, they'd make ingesting rat poison most illegal of all. Yet, they don't. It is not illegal to poison yourself outright, but severely illegal to do possibly do a little harm to your health in some way that is also recreationally valuable? How come? Fentanyl is very difficult to dose right, because it is so potent, but the same property makes it much easier to smuggle. It was a logical response to the squeeze on more traditional opiates. Most drugs are purchased from the lowest priced supplier so are often adulterated with fentanyl and all sorts of dangerous ingredients. I am a retired psychiatric RN, MA. I have worked in the drug and alcohol abuse field. I have heard all the excuses and arguments. Some can control their usage but many cannot and eventually fall over the cliff. Most never get out. https://www.rferl.org/a/drug-deaths-russia-pandemic/31365534.html Drug Deaths In Russia Spike 60 Percent During Pandemic July 19, 2021 00:34 GMT By RFE/RL Edited January 29, 2022 by ronwagn 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 January 29, 2022 4 minutes ago, ronwagn said: Why should anybody trust Putin and his state press. I hope you are right but he has made all the preparatory moves and cannot be allowed to do that without consequences. We certainly don't want a war and neither do the overwhelmed Ukrainians. That doesn't mean false flags can be kept from starting one. You know that. Most of the Russian press is privately owned and critical of the government. Tomasz usually cites https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kommersant As any business publication of note, they advocate appeasing the West at any cost. The actual amount of diversity of opinion on foreign policy issues is seriously larger in Russian press than it is in yours. Where it is outright non-existent. It's like reading the same newspaper issued by the CIA. Why would anybody trust your press? A significant fraction of Russian press are outright hostile to the Russian government, no matter what they do. In effect, they work for you. You haven't experienced that much freedom of speech ever. 100,000 troops they cite is nowhere near enough for full-scale invasion of Ukraine, especially given that Ukrainians have at least as many on their side of the border, also. To put this into perspective, Desert Storm was some 670,000 and Barbarossa ~3.8 million. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 January 29, 2022 9 minutes ago, ronwagn said: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/01/28/russias-pandemic-excess-death-toll-almost-1m-a76194 Russia Sees Record Population Decline As Excess Deaths Hit 1M Russia experienced its largest population decline in 2021 since the end of the Soviet Union. Please don't be stupid enough to tell me I am happy about this! RCW Updated: 10 hours ago Yet again, look closer to home. US statistics are even worse. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 January 29, 2022 (edited) 12 minutes ago, ronwagn said: I am a retired psychiatric RN, MA. I have worked in the drug and alcohol abuse field. I have heard all the excuses and arguments. Some can control their usage but many cannot and eventually fall over the cliff. Most never get out. https://www.rferl.org/a/drug-deaths-russia-pandemic/31365534.html Drug Deaths In Russia Spike 60 Percent During Pandemic July 19, 2021 00:34 GMT By RFE/RL So, you have a vested interest. So do I. I will not let any government control my dope. I have my own opinion on what is good for me. The drug deaths are overwhelmingly opiates (which do have an inherently bad therapeutic index) or botched product (would not happen if it was up to pharmaceutical standards) Edited January 29, 2022 by Andrei Moutchkine 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 January 29, 2022 Just now, Andrei Moutchkine said: Yet again, look closer to home. US statistics are even worse. Our population is double that of Russia and are statistics are more truthful perhaps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 January 29, 2022 2 minutes ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: So, you have a vested interest. So do I. I will not let any government control my dope. I have my own opinion on what is good for me. https://docs.google.com/document/d/17hjQGTucmxIxip1yMIucQFYngWee0CaHulGykt1yGBg/edit One of my topics. I am not a user. I rely on the Holy Spirit to fulfill me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 January 29, 2022 5 minutes ago, ronwagn said: Our population is double that of Russia and are statistics are more truthful perhaps. Why would your statistics be any more truthful? I've got one word for you - Fauci. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 January 29, 2022 5 minutes ago, ronwagn said: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17hjQGTucmxIxip1yMIucQFYngWee0CaHulGykt1yGBg/edit One of my topics. I am not a user. I rely on the Holy Spirit to fulfill me. Holy Spirit and a speck of meth fills better than Holy Spirit alone 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hondo Bravo 0 HB January 29, 2022 On 1/26/2022 at 5:15 PM, Starschy said: Which market crash? Russian blue chip index started April 20 about 13000 Rbl climes up till End of 21 to 27000 Rbl and is now 20500 Rbl A 24% drop in market valuation is a crash Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Starschy + 211 PM January 29, 2022 4 hours ago, Hondo Bravo said: A 24% drop in market valuation is a crash When yor portfolio increases slightly over 100% in one year and drops 20-25 % thats not a crash. Its higher volatility as in all Brics markets. If thathappened in US or France that would be a crash. But a 100% increase would be a very rare exception. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 January 29, 2022 13 hours ago, Andrei Moutchkine said: Why would your statistics be any more truthful? I've got one word for you - Fauci. There may have been a lot more deaths attributed to COVID here because of how hospitals are rewarded for treating COVID versus other diseases. Honest doctors and nurses here want to use other treatments but are often not allowed to. Is that the case in Russia with hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin etc? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronwagn + 6,290 January 29, 2022 https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/25/putin-fears-ukrainian-freedom-and-democracy-not-nato-view Putin fears Ukrainian freedom and democracy, not NATO | View COMMENTS Updated: 25/01/2022 By Oleksandr Sushko Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrei Moutchkine + 828 January 29, 2022 2 hours ago, ronwagn said: There may have been a lot more deaths attributed to COVID here because of how hospitals are rewarded for treating COVID versus other diseases. Honest doctors and nurses here want to use other treatments but are often not allowed to. Is that the case in Russia with hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin etc? The Russian system actually works the same. That is, it pays to report anybody who tested positively as a COVID death, regardless of the actual cause, to get special COVID emergency funds. I think it percolates down from WHO level down to most countries. Neither hydroxychloroquine nor ivermectin are officially approved against COVID in Russia, same as everywhere. The only difference is that they got their own collection of vaccines. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites