Russia invades Ukraine

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

China and Russia would be extremely strange bedfellows at this time. Maybe 30 years ago, but I don't see any alliance between Russia and China working. Can you explain why you see this as this being beneficial to each nation, beyond "you're not the US"?

They've been recently getting closer together but I honestly can't see China as being willing to go into international pariah status by wholeheartedly backing Putin. They might give some quiet support but, unless things escalate significantly, I can't imagine China joining Russia militarily. Even under Xi, China is pretty pragmatic in foreign policy and wouldn't squander their own economic and foreign policy progress for the good of Russia.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

How do we know the next lunatic won’t be worse?

I guess at this point I'll take door #2

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

How do we know the next lunatic won’t be worse?

I guess we don't, but besides Lukashenko and Vucic, no one likes Putin.

I'll take my chances.

[Krovikan]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

Someone needs to assassinate Putin before he starts a nuclear holocaust

Depends if the Deadman system actually exists, where my assets have been put in place and is not just rumor with instructions to bike the world if Putin is assassinated.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Slava

Or the sanctions push Russia into deeper alliance with China and the fall of the US continues, with the DragonBear now a much larger player. I'm not entirely sure that the US emerges from this as a "winner" though.

The guiding impulse of Putin’s regime is to (re)establish Russia as a Great Power that can throw its weight around and not take any #### from anyone. It’s all about pride and power.

I don’t see why China would treat Russia as an equal, or why Russia’s leadership would acquiesce to their country being a junior partner that provides raw material to their Chinese masters.

[you&me]

Originally Posted by Robbob

When I googled it I got 32k as the median income. 1.2M seems high.

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Your source is likely reporting the monthly wage, not annual.

Here's where I got the 1.2M rubles annual figure:

https://biz30.timedoctor.com/average-salary-in-russia/

Prior to the recent devaluation, 1.2mm rubles would have been approximately $15,000US, which seems like what I'd expect for the median income in Russia

[you&me]

Originally Posted by Krovikan

Depends if the Deadman system actually exists, where my assets have been put in place and is not just rumor with instructions to bike the world if Putin is assassinated.

That's not how my understanding of the "dead hand" system works... It's more of an automated retaliation mechanism to a nuclear strike not something that occurs just because of something like Putin being assasinated.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by you&me

Prior to the recent devaluation, 1.2mm rubles would have been approximately $15,000US, which seems like what I'd expect for the median income in Russia

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Your source is likely reporting the monthly wage, not annual.

Here's where I got the 1.2M rubles annual figure:

https://biz30.timedoctor.com/average-salary-in-russia/

Here's a more broad index.

https://www.nationmaster.com/country...lary/After-tax

Russia is 95th in the world in disposable income with an average of $686.14 per month, compared to US (13th) with $3,258.85 and Canada (25th) with $2,773.50 - all in 2014 US dollars.

Purchasing power is another problem.

https://www.nationmaster.com/country...rchasing-power

Prior to this, the Russian purchasing power was 87th in the world, at 35.93, meaning they can by 64% less products for what they earn. Conversely, the United States is 2nd (128.73) and Canada is 10th (101.96), both having greater than average purchasing power.

Those are not great numbers for a country wanting to try and toss their weight around.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I don’t see why China would treat Russia as an equal,

They wouldn't. They already don't. Because they aren't equals. They're not even close to equals.

or why Russia’s leadership would acquiesce to their country being a junior partner that provides raw material to their Chinese masters.

Because the alternative is to continue to be at the mercy of economic sanctions from Europe. Of course, Europe is kind of helping this along - I'm all for the Germans building LNG terminals, but if they reduce their reliance on Russia they reduce Russia's connection to them, and the natural alternative is to look Eastward.

[burn_this_city]

Russia has 145M people and a smaller economy than Canada. They are basically the guy with no money who buys a BMW and pretends to be rich. They aren't a world player outside of oil and gas, minerals, and weapons. The elites have robbed the country of it's prosperity that they blow on property and toys in the nice parts of Europe. China can't replace the West with Russia and come out whole.

[puckedoff]

What an awful situation for Ukrainian and Russians alike. I never cease to be amazed by how brainwashed people can become by propaganda.

[Krovikan]

Times of India with a savage opening to their article! Well worth the read, also gives some insight into the sheer 180 policy changes that have taken place because of the war.

Within days, Russian President Vladimir Putin has achieved what remained out of the grasp of the European Union for many decades — to jointly buy and send weapons to a war zone — and restored something that was broken for years — trans-Atlantic unity.

For years, Putin could sit back and relish in unseemly scenes of Western disunity — ranging from the Britain's Brexit move out of the EU in 2016, Hungary's long-standing antipathy towards its EU headquarters and, equally, the rift created by former President Donald Trump that has far from fully healed under Joe Biden.

“And just as Vladimir Putin thought that he would destroy European unity, exactly the opposite thing has happened,” European Council President Charles

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/89904914.cms

[peter12]

I am just absolutely floored by the spirit of the Ukrainian people.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

They wouldn't. They already don't. Because they aren't equals. They're not even close to equals.

Because the alternative is to continue to be at the mercy of economic sanctions from Europe. Of course, Europe is kind of helping this along - I'm all for the Germans building LNG terminals, but if they reduce their reliance on Russia they reduce Russia's connection to them, and the natural alternative is to look Eastward.

Which is what really pisses Putin off frankly, Moa and China were junior partners to the USSR since the end of world war 2, reliant on Russia for everything, tanks, planes, guns, cars etc, it's not just that Russia is broke since the fall of communism, its that its junior partner from those times is taking over the world, Putin is the failed older brother living in his parents basement who's kid brother has a great job a trophy wife and drives a Merc

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by puckedoff

What an awful situation for Ukrainian and Russians alike. I never cease to be amazed by how brainwashed people can become by propaganda.

Exhibit: U.S., Trump presidency

[Krovikan]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Russia has 145M people and a smaller economy than Canada. They are basically the guy with no money who buys a BMW and pretends to be rich. They aren't a world player outside of oil and gas, minerals, and weapons. The elites have robbed the country of it's prosperity that they blow on property and toys in the nice parts of Europe. China can't replace the West with Russia and come out whole.

To be fair Canada well hits above its population weight class in terms of economic size, and Russia is only 11th in terms of world GDP.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Krovikan

To be fair Canada well hits above its population weight class in terms of economic size, and Russia is only 11th in terms of world GDP.

Nobody is in a mood to be fair to Russia.

[Trojan97]

Originally Posted by peter12

I am just absolutely floored by the spirit of the Ukrainian people.

I've wanted to post similar sentiment about a dozen times since this began. Absolutely incredible. Having access to realtime videos makes a big difference but I just cannot get over how incredible the response of the people has been and continues to be. Just awe inspiring.

[Krovikan]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Nobody is in a mood to be fair to Russia.

I was more making a humble brag about how great Canada was, sorry, I'll be more obvious next time, and add a #### Putin at the end to make sure it's clear in the future.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Krovikan

I was more making a humble brag about how great Canada was, sorry, I'll be more obvious next time, and add a #### Putin at the end to make sure it's clear in the future.

I was partially tongue in cheek

#### Putin indeed