Russia the Long Term Loser? Look in the Mirror to find the Short Term Loser!
Just fueled up yesterday at the pump and noticed the prices are skyrocketing. Meanwhile the Russians have lots of gas and oil and are making bank and rolling in the cash from energy sales. This war is boosting the income that Russia receives from its oil and gas. Look in the mirror and figure out who is being sanctioned at the gas pump and grocery store. Tucker: You are about to get a lot poorer. Fox News host reacts to Biden banning Russian oil and natural gas imports on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight. ' #FoxNews #Tucker Biden's Latest Attack on the Middle Class. A youtube video dated March 8, 2022 well worth watching as it accurately describes who is getting screwed with these sanctions. Got a mirror handy? Visited the gas station for a fillup lately?
[QUOTE=Jmsuttr;2706037]Whether one is discussing the situation in Eastern Ukraine, or the Israeli-Palestinian strife, or that of Turkey against the ethnic Kurds, it's not possible to make an objective analysis if one has already accepted the preferred narrative of one of the parties in the conflict.
Here's a pretty comprehensive look at the issues, and competing Ukraine vs Russia narratives, authored by a German organization:
[URL]https://www.swp-berlin.org/10.18449/2019RP05[/URL]
Reading, or even skimming, through the report, it's quite evident how far apart the narratives of each of the sides are. One can certainly set the starting point of the timeline at 2014, and one can certainly argue that the Minsk Accords are an equitable solution. But intellectual honesty and integrity requires pointing out that such a view is in substantial agreement with the pro-Russia narrative, and is dismissive of the Ukrainian position.
As I've posted numerous times, I'm not interested in defending pre-invasion Ukraine. I frankly don't care what provocations, real or imagined, Russia was enduring. As the bigger and more powerful country, they had a range of options by which they could have responded. Marching in with an army, and lobbing bombs and missiles at civilians, is unacceptable by any moral standard.
Russia is unequivocally the aggressor, and Putin bears sole responsibility. With those facts fixed firmly in mind, my hope is for the most humiliating possible defeat for Russia. And my second hope is that Russia's own people see to a Mussolini-like denouement for Little Vlad.
As for which country ends up paying for its leader's stupidity, there's a compelling argument to be made that Russia will come out the long-term loser.[/QUOTE]
Pedro M: Mosquito anti-racism advocate! No bug bites, no peace!
[QUOTE=PedroMorales;2706202]You made a racist statement about mosquitoes and Africans. I corrected you. All you can do in your little Habara factory is hurl insults. From a point of view of ignorance.
"Russian orcs" more racism.
Go and beat up some Christians or Muslims, you pig.
Meanwhile, the Russian military roll on to victory.[/QUOTE]This is great stuff! What other mottos do you chant? Is "Give me your juicy arm or give me death" one of them?
Please tell us, do you support ALL mosquito rights? What about trans and same-sex mosquitoes? Or do you only advocate for cishet, gender-normative mosquitoes? And what about genetically modified mosquitoes? You know, the ones designed to mate but not procreate? What's your position on them?
The questions above, and others, are important in determining whether you're consistent in your defense of mosquito rights. For example, do you condemn Russians who kill mosquitoes? And what about West Africans who, while appreciative of mosquitoes troubling the colonialists, still hate them when it comes to their own blood being sucked?
So many questions! Wait, do you also do slugs? It occurs to me that the slug is another candidate for a universally hated organism. Do you defend the rights of slugs against racist gardeners who sprinkle salt on them, or who spread diatomaceous earth on the ground to slice up their slimy underbellies? That underrepresented invertebrate is clamoring for your attention and support!
Oh, and as far as the term "orc" is concerned, it describes any Russian invader in Ukraine, irrespective of race or ethnicity. If you were REALLY concerned about racism, you'd be condemning the white ethnic Russians of Moscow and St. Petersburg, who sit back in relative comfort while they send their racial and ethnic Central Asian minorities to fight and die. Putin's ideal of Russian purity doesn't include those people, so it's perfectly acceptable for them to be used as cannon fodder.
One more important question: Did you have to study to become this stupid, or were you born this way?
Observing the tides vs obsessing over individual waves
[QUOTE=Travv;2706148]Just fueled up yesterday at the pump and noticed the prices are skyrocketing. Meanwhile the Russians have lots of gas and oil and are making bank and rolling in the cash from energy sales. This war is boosting the income that Russia receives from its oil and gas. Look in the mirror and figure out who is being sanctioned at the gas pump and grocery store. Tucker: You are about to get a lot poorer. Fox News host reacts to Biden banning Russian oil and natural gas imports on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight. ' #FoxNews #Tucker Biden's Latest Attack on the Middle Class. A youtube video dated March 8, 2022 well worth watching as it accurately describes who is getting screwed with these sanctions. Got a mirror handy? Visited the gas station for a fillup lately?[/QUOTE]Short-term (wave):
Russia gets an income boost because of higher energy prices.
Long-term (tide):
Russia's customer base is negatively impacted because countries are in the process of switching to other suppliers in order to avoid being victimized by Russia's weaponized energy policies. And the western technology needed to keep Russia's energy industry in operation is being withheld, and is unlikely to return for years, if not decades. Which means that breakdowns and bottlenecks are increasingly in store.
Also, there's certainly an argument to be made that the US has made itself more vulnerable as it's moved away from energy independence. One doesn't have to be a supporter of the former administration to recognize that US energy policy has substantially changed. In fact, critics of the current administration have observed that advocates of "green energy" are using the present situation to advance their agenda. What's that phrase again? Oh yes, "Never let a crisis go to waste," IIRC.
I don't watch Tucker, so I can't say for sure, but I imagine that, in his criticism of Biden, at some point he must have mentioned the shift in energy policy, right? And, if that's the case, any discussion of sanctions-related (oil, gasoline, and gas) price increases that doesn't ALSO mention the effects of policy changes is flawed and intellectually dishonest. A balanced argument would explore the notion that, if US energy resources were being maximally exploited, it's quite possible we'd have enough to take care of our own needs and also a surplus to support our allies and world markets.
So, while this topic may make for a compelling TV program and YouTube video, like so many "clickbait" issues, it's really an argument that doesn't hold up to scrutiny.
P.S. I've made several posts addressing Russia's inability, due to sanctions on goods and services, to use their income effectively. And I've also posted references to sources that show the drastic decrease of imports into Russia, even from supposedly friendly countries. Again, the tide is more important than the waves.
Russia is committing genocide. What kind of deal is possible?
[QUOTE=DramaFree11;2706344]They need to find a solution to end this, both sides need to compromise. Nobody is winning. Maybe this is what Putin wants, destroying worlds economies, mean while he keeps selling gas. Ukraine is in a no win situation, they need a solution, fast. This part of life, you do not always, get what you want. Take the best deal, live to fight another day. Make a Ukraine a great country, eliminate the corruption, that had been plaguing this county for years. You guys conveniently forgot this.
Yes, I do feel bad for the people, but I have no compassion for either government. Yes, Putin is to blame, but Ukraine government are no saints, far from it. Sorry this is the truth.[/QUOTE]Russia's aggression in Ukraine has been labeled genocide by many countries. If you'd like specifics, here's a detailed list:
[URL]https://www.justsecurity.org/81564/compilation-of-countries-statements-calling-Russian-actions-in-Ukraine-genocide/[/URL]
What you conveniently forget, and others who suggest there's a "deal" that allows Ukraine to "fight another day," is Russia's extensive record of elimination a list statements against Ukraine.
[URL]https://www.justsecurity.org/81789/russias-eliminationist-rhetoric-against-Ukraine-a-collection/[/URL]
So, if someone is trying to kill you, by what logic do you have a duty to stop defending yourself? Is it fine with you if those who could help refuse because you're not a saint? Or should we just shout "just work things out and stop" at you and your assailant (who is much more powerful and will annihilate you the moment you stop resisting)?
So, whether you agree or not, there's a clear consensus among many countries that Ukraine is fighting for its very survival against a genocidal aggressor. And, when someone is trying to kill you, every day you stay alive is a win.
FWIW, if there's any justice in the world, the aggressor will be the one who ends up being destroyed, removing them forever from being a future threat.
Did you respond to the wrong post?
[QUOTE=Paulie97;2706588]We were far from "energy independent" under Trump though petroleum imports decreased by about 20% over his entire tenure. In 2020 we became a "net exporter" and we still are. None of that though makes us immune to global markets, while blaming Biden for current gas prices in the face of worldwide inflation is silly and politically motivated. Not to mention the fact that you'd consider taking Tucker Carlson seriously is cause for concern. Even his lawyer publicly laughs at people that believe him. LOL.
[URL]https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-energyindependence-explainer/fact-check-which-factors-determine-u-s-energy-independence-idUSL2N2VQ2ZV[/URL]
[URL]https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/31/fact-sheet-president-bidens-plan-to-respond-to-putins-price-hike-at-the-pump/[/URL]
P.S. For those that like roll down the road with a lot of machinery, giant pickups and SUVs, well the chickens have come home to roost. Unless you seriously need those kinds of vehicles for work or to transport large families, I have no sympathy when you pay $5 for a gallon of gas.[/QUOTE]Because:
1. I'm not the poster who uses, or advocates using, Tucker Carlson as a source. In fact, I specifically noted that I don't watch him.
2. At no point did I stake out a personal position on US energy policy. What I did, however, is delineate the parameters of an argument that could be made. In other words, my point was to show that simplistic pseudo-conclusions are a flawed way to look at things. The reason why I used the phrases "there's certainly an argument to be made," and "a balanced argument would explore," is because much about that topic is open to debate. I don't have a settled opinion because I haven't thoroughly researched the matter. If you have, good for you.
Right now, the policies I'm most interested in are those that directly assist Ukraine in resisting Russian aggression. I have no time or patience for those who whine about high fuel prices while civilians are being killed by Russian orcs. Pretty much everything else, IMO, is tangential noise.
