Who is "doomed"?

[Hummin]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

The west doesn't own the M E so why does it need "God's fist"? We haven't had borders there since they became independent. All the west has been doing is causing mayhem and death and destruction. Is that what you want?

It doesnt matter who is ruling, one part will always be the dog and sacrificed, and thats what you do not understand. 

 

It the palestines was given the rights, the jews had been in the same position as them. All parts is willing to do war crimes for their own interests. 

 

There is no saints in this game

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, frank83628 said:

Do the US or Iseael pay reparations for any of their destruction in the Middle East

A very good question.

Let's see how they justify it being "different" for Russia.

[Hummin]

2 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

Do the US or Iseael pay reparations for any of their destruction in the Middle East

Europe had rebuilt Gaza and Libanon how many times? How many Palestinian refugees in Europe or world wide? 10 million?

[frank83628]

46 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Europe had rebuilt Gaza and Libanon how many times? How many Palestinian refugees in Europe or world wide? 10 million?

How about the US or Israel?

[TedG]

10 hours ago, frank83628 said:

No need, Russia moved to them!

The illegal invasion which is taking down Russia. 

[Lacessit]

Food inflation in Russia is 10%. A lot of shoplifting of butter.

 

The ruble is at 104 to the USD. It hit 115, before the central bank froze foreign currency transactions on November 28. Before Ukraine, it was 60 to the USD.

 

Bank interest rates on deposits are 21%. The home mortgage interest is 26-28%. Homes are unaffordable for the average Russian.

 

The Russian demographic is collapsing. Men who would be siring children are either migrating to avoid  the Ukraine meat grinder,  or are being sent there. Recent fatalities are more than 1000 men a day.

 

Worldwide, there are 102 men to every 100 women, on average. In Russia, there are only 87 men per 100 women.

 

The Russian education system broke down in the mid-eighties. Most technicians and engineers from before that era are retiring.

 

I don't know about doomed, but those kind of facts would resonate with any economist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[frank83628]

2 hours ago, TedG said:

The illegal invasion which is taking down Russia. 

I think you'll find Russia has taken the territory it wanted....

 

hey, what do you think of the US's new friendy terrorists in Syria, sorry I meant freedom fighters, all of a sudden the USA is pals with ISIS.

[saintdomingo]

On 12/13/2024 at 7:43 PM, swissie said:

Quote: "Gigantic loss of life and material.Economy slowly falling apart".
Proportionally higher in the Ukraine. Russian economy not falling apart.

Quote: "How much have they really gained"? = 1/4 of the Ukrainian territory so far.

 

Yes but other than that sissies how are they doing.?

[STALINGRAD]

Inflation is currently at 8.9%. Interest rates are 21%. The ruble is in a steady decline. Endless supply of Human Resources? The government pays couples to have children. Swissie Doomed? I’m not sure but the economy factually doesn’t look to hot.

[fasteddie]

18 hours ago, TedG said:

Then, they can move to Russia. 

They are in Russia 😊

[TedG]

2 hours ago, frank83628 said:

I think you'll find Russia has taken the territory it wanted....

 

hey, what do you think of the US's new friendy terrorists in Syria, sorry I meant freedom fighters, all of a sudden the USA is pals with ISIS.

The goal of the war was to turn Ukraine into a vassal state.   

[MicroB]

On 12/13/2024 at 3:13 PM, frank83628 said:

Those ethnics Russians in the east do

 

The idea they are all "ethnic Russians", or Rus, is a myth.

 

They are descendants of colonists. Like Germans in the Sudetenland and Poland. And cut from the same cloth it seems. The first waves came at the turn of the 20th Century, from the most impoverished parts of the Romanov Empire. In that Empire, Russians were top of the pile, so those colonists would have been less likely to have been Rus. Earlier, Catherine the Great settled Christians from the Ottoman Empire in the Donbas, which means Greeks, Syrians, Semites. Serbs were also brought in. But it was Soviet practices in the 50s and 60s that rubbed out any tribal memory. People were "encouraged" to speak Russian without an accent. donbas was a sparsely inhabited region. It was drilled into these later settlers that they were not Ukrainian nor Russian, simply "people of the Donbas". Those who are pro-Russian are feeling allegiances based on Soviet notions of citizenship.

 

I take it you would support Chinese annexation of Taiwan, Singapore, parts of Thailand, because they are "ethnic Chinese" and that justifies it.

 

Those in the East are descendants of mining colonists, and while Russian speaking, not all are "ethnically" Rus.

 

1991 Independance Referendum

 

A solid majority voted to send a solid FU to Moscow, even in Crimea,

 

18% identify as "ethnically Russian". But the reality is Stalin did not selectively bus in Russians, he bussed in Soviet citizens, many of whom have forgotten their heritage.

 

Putin has taken a cue from previous dictators. He has invented a history, like Himmler created the idea of a "Volk". Its about as fictious as Ivanhoe. And , like Hitler and Himmler, he has mislead a people, who are fearful of change, with some simple stories.

 

 

[MicroB]

7 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Food inflation in Russia is 10%. A lot of shoplifting of butter.

 

The ruble is at 104 to the USD. It hit 115, before the central bank froze foreign currency transactions on November 28. Before Ukraine, it was 60 to the USD.

 

Bank interest rates on deposits are 21%. The home mortgage interest is 26-28%. Homes are unaffordable for the average Russian.

 

The Russian demographic is collapsing. Men who would be siring children are either migrating to avoid  the Ukraine meat grinder,  or are being sent there. Recent fatalities are more than 1000 men a day.

 

Worldwide, there are 102 men to every 100 women, on average. In Russia, there are only 87 men per 100 women.

 

The Russian education system broke down in the mid-eighties. Most technicians and engineers from before that era are retiring.

 

I don't know about doomed, but those kind of facts would resonate with any economist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Russian healthcare is crippled. Before Putin's War of Aggression, about 90% of medicines and 80% of medical equipment was imported. Firstly, healthcare is mostly not subject to sanction. The exception is certain dual use equipment blocked by the US State Department, which means replacement medical lasers.

 

But sanctions, and increased cost of shipping, means the availability of medicines has decreased.

 

Early on, Putin put a challenge to Russian industry to backfill the supply gaps. They have failed to do so.

 

On the one level, medicine inflation is quite modest; prices are up 4% in 2024. But Russian government healthcare procurement has declined. And the availability of medicines has fallen by about 10%. Before the war, most Russians used private medicine, mostly paid out of pocket. It was a growing industry, because State healthcare was so lousy (one of the memorable disasters of Russia's Pandemic, was when they decided to daisy chain ICU patients to save on ventilators. A leak incinerated the ward). When the war started, Putin prioritized the state for medical supplies. The private sector was all but dead.

 

The decline in the availability of medicines but only a modest inflationary impact means that there has been increased imports of cheap generics, probably from India and China, and a much narrower range.

 

Hospitals in the regions bordering Ukraine have been ordered to form combat brigades; essentiallt doctors and nurses are being co-opted as field medics, with a concomitant decline in the availability of medical services to citizens.

 

Headway, a Russian Analytics company, has noted the biggest cuts in the Federal budget are in purchase of medicines to treat severe illnesses. ie. mortality rates from cancer and heart disease, will tick up. There is a 20% decline in these medicines. DSM believes the healthcare budget has been stripped to pay for increased armament spending.

 

I recall that before the Aggression, Siemens had won the contract to overhaul the switchgear of the Russian Rail network. The network is still largely a decrepit Soviet era system. That work all stopped. Siemens won the contract because Russian companies were incapable of fulfilling the requirement.

 

Russian army reserves, and most of the armament factories, thanks to WW2, are in the Far East. The Rail Network is absolutely critical to the integrity of Russia.  It takes 6 days by train to get from Moscow to Vladivostok, and a brutal 118  hours to drive there. The road isn't mile up mile of shiney highway, but mostly potholed single lane, sometimes without a tarmac surface. In winter, the road is impassable. If the rail system fails, the Far East becomes cut off from Moscow. Obviously this affects the movements of goods and peoples, but it also affects the integrity of the Russian Federation.

 

Then headlines like this:

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-trains-derailment-mystery-1925131

 

Its not the work of Ukrainian special forces. Its indicative of a rail network under pressure.

[thaibeachlovers]

8 hours ago, frank83628 said:

I think you'll find Russia has taken the territory it wanted....

 

hey, what do you think of the US's new friendy terrorists in Syria, sorry I meant freedom fighters, all of a sudden the USA is pals with ISIS.

It might take a while, but eventually, IMO, some people are going to perhaps think it was better when the former dictator was keeping the country sort of under control. Now it's all under the equivalent, IMO, of the Taliban.

 

People should be careful of what they wish for, or whom they support.

 

PS The US supported the "freedom fighters" in Afghanistan, the Russians left and we got 9 11 and stupid security checks when we fly.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, MicroB said:

I take it you would support Chinese annexation of Taiwan, Singapore, parts of Thailand, because they are "ethnic Chinese" and that justifies it.

Singapore Chinese are not ethnic to the country. They were brought in by the British, and there is also a large Indian and Malay population. China has no realistic relationship to it.

[Walker88]

On 12/13/2024 at 3:13 PM, frank83628 said:

Those ethnics Russians in the east do

 

So if I understand the 47 Doctrine, which is capitulation before combat, if and when Mexico decides to reclaim its ancient and long historical sovereignty over southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, 47 will just let them have it. No bloodshed and wasted resources. Certainly the ethnic Hispanic people in those States likely prefer to be under Hispanic and Latin leadership, not some white guy from Queens. Maybe give south Florida, including Mar-a-Lago (that name certainly doesn't sound Caucasian), to Cuba, too. Hispanic people are the majority in south Florida anyway.

 

And the bonus is maybe Mexico will then build a wall and even pay for it.

 

Oh, and since I'll be running my business in Thailand, it makes no difference to me and my life.

[Hummin]

26 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

 

So if I understand the 47 Doctrine, which is capitulation before combat, if and when Mexico decides to reclaim its ancient and long historical sovereignty over southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, 47 will just let them have it. No bloodshed and wasted resources. Certainly the ethnic Hispanic people in those States likely prefer to be under Hispanic and Latin leadership, not some white guy from Queens. Maybe give south Florida, including Mar-a-Lago (that name certainly doesn't sound Caucasian), to Cuba, too. Hispanic people are the majority in south Florida anyway.

 

And the bonus is maybe Mexico will then build a wall and even pay for it.

 

Oh, and since I'll be running my business in Thailand, it makes no difference to me and my life.

 

Exactly, and after all, it is the land of Native Americans, and every other american is just emigrants, 

[MicroB]

Constantine's round up of Russian news, Week 50, 2024.  eg potato shortages

 

https://www.youtube.com/live/-AokQS-qUkc?si=boZOtq7Ckru2Ip0m

[MicroB]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Singapore Chinese are not ethnic to the country. They were brought in by the British, and there is also a large Indian and Malay population. China has no realistic relationship to it.

 

I know. A Yankee doesn't need to lecture me about my history.

 

You also should acknowledge that there are non-Han minorities on Taiwan, but curiously, you "forgot" to acknowledge that, implying you are a CCP supporter. and well as a Putin fanboi.

 

How do you think Russians ended up living in the Donbas. I just told you......

[Hummin]

3 minutes ago, MicroB said:

 

I know. A Yankee doesn't need to lecture me about my history.

 

T=You also should acknowledge that there are non-Han minorities onj Taiwan, but curiously, you "forgot" to acknowledge that, implying you are a CCP supporter. and well as a Putin fanboi.

 

How do you think Russians ended up living in the Donbas. I just told you......

According to government figures, over 95% of Taiwan's population of 23.4 million consists of Han Taiwanese, while 2.3% are Austronesian Taiwanese indigenous peoples. The Han are often divided into three subgroups: the Hoklo, the Hakka, and waishengren (or "mainlanders").[11][12] Although the concept of the "four great ethnic groups" was alleged to be the deliberate attempt by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to defuse ethnic tensions, this concept has become a dominant frame of reference for dealing with Taiwanese ethnic and national issues.[13]

 

Source Wikipedia

[MicroB]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It might take a while, but eventually, IMO, some people are going to perhaps think it was better when the former dictator was keeping the country sort of under control. Now it's all under the equivalent, IMO, of the Taliban.

 

People should be careful of what they wish for, or whom they support.

 

PS The US supported the "freedom fighters" in Afghanistan, the Russians left and we got 9 11 and stupid security checks when we fly.

 

No surprise you say this. You probably also support CCP efforts to suppress minorities with the same quisling justification.

 

Plus you've deliberately ignored 1989 to 2001 to continue your effort to support the policies of Russia and the Soviet Union and to denigrate the West. You know what happened during that perod.

 

Assad is a murderous bastard, but there are people in the West that admire that trait.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, MicroB said:

You probably also support CCP efforts to suppress minorities with the same quisling justification.

While I have no idea what on earth you are wobbling on about, I'll take it as a compliment that you have such a negative opinion of me. I wouldn't want someone like you to approve of my words.

[thaibeachlovers]

6 minutes ago, MicroB said:

Assad is a murderous bastard, but there are people in the West that admire that trait.

US governments apparently like "murderous bastards", given their support of Saddam while he was their boy against Iran, and the dirty tricks to get Pinochet installed. A few more as well if I could be bothered to think about it more.

 

[Gweiloman]

17 minutes ago, MicroB said:

 

I know. A Yankee doesn't need to lecture me about my history.

 

Presumably you’re Singaporean then?

 

11 minutes ago, MicroB said:

 

No surprise you say this. You probably also support CCP efforts to suppress minorities with the same quisling justification.

 

Can you give some examples? Or are they similar to what LKY used to do? (I’m a fan of LKY, just so you know)

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

US governments apparently like "murderous bastards", given their support of Saddam while he was their boy against Iran, and the dirty tricks to get Pinochet installed. A few more as well if I could be bothered to think about it more.

 

If you choose side, make sure you are on the right side, because the right side might spare you for your opinions, while the wrong side, will execute you! It is as simple as that

[thaibeachlovers]

18 minutes ago, MicroB said:

 

I know. A Yankee doesn't need to lecture me about my history.

 

You also should acknowledge that there are non-Han minorities on Taiwan, but curiously, you "forgot" to acknowledge that, implying you are a CCP supporter. and well as a Putin fanboi.

 

How do you think Russians ended up living in the Donbas. I just told you......

I'm not a Yank, I don't know enough about Taiwan to comment, you have zero proof I'm a Putin fanboy, and I don't care who lives in the Donbass. I only want NATO to stop the proxy war that is killing so many conscripts for nothing.

 

A Yankee doesn't need to lecture me about my history.

You are Singaporean?

 

I lived there many years. It's my favourite country on Earth, but too expensive for me to visit now.

[thaibeachlovers]

6 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

Or are they similar to what LKY used to do? (I’m a fan of LKY, just so you know)

I don't recall LKY suppressing anyone. He made them all do national service together to make them see other races as no different to themselves- it worked. While I never saw a race riot I lived there during that time.

 

I'm also a fan of LKY. He turned a British military base into a thriving country, and tolerated none of the BS that blights the west today. When a cop there said to stop, one did or got shot. No messing about.

 

He did go a bit far with suppressing the "fun side of life" and the place got a bit too sterile. I loved hanging out in Bugis street till dawn, but it's apparently just shops and restaurants now.

[thaibeachlovers]

13 minutes ago, Hummin said:

If you choose side, make sure you are on the right side, because the right side might spare you for your opinions, while the wrong side, will execute you! It is as simple as that

True, but I didn't choose my side. I was born into it.

[Hummin]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

True, but I didn't choose my side. I was born into it.

So tell me what your first choice would have been, if you had one? 

 

I wouldn't change a thing, I would still be a Norwegian, living in Norway who gave me all the opportunities I could have to do whatever I wanted in life! 

 

I'm grateful for my upbringing, my culture and also for the freedom we have experienced, and the freedom didn't come for free. So many forget the freedom we have today, came from post ww2, and what we had experienced and who we allied with. There is no easy way to be the leading force in the world, and unfortunately, it takes a toll on those who oppose us. 

 

Again, if it wasn't us, it would have been them, I trust me, Stalin wouldn't have made Norway or the west to what it has been, and it is today. Unfortunate, there is powers, who want the change the structure we had and have for now, and we will see, we will learn a new world maybe

[Gweiloman]

41 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I don't recall LKY suppressing anyone. He made them all do national service together to make them see other races as no different to themselves- it worked. While I never saw a race riot I lived there during that time.

 

I'm also a fan of LKY. He turned a British military base into a thriving country, and tolerated none of the BS that blights the west today. When a cop there said to stop, one did or got shot. No messing about.

 

He did go a bit far with suppressing the "fun side of life" and the place got a bit too sterile. I loved hanging out in Bugis street till dawn, but it's apparently just shops and restaurants now.

Exactly. I don’t recall the CPC suppressing any minority groups either.

 

I lived and worked in Singapore for about 4 years in the early 90’s. Was given PR status without the need to do military service. 4 years CPF savings was almost enough for me to buy my house in one of the home counties outright. Those were good times.