Jump to content
  • Sign up for free and receive a month's subscription

    You are viewing this page as a guest. That means you are either a member who has not logged in, or you have not yet registered with us. Signing up for an account only takes a minute and it means you will no longer see this annoying box! It will also allow you to get involved with our friendly(ish!) community and take part in the discussions on our forums. And because we're feeling generous, if you sign up for a free account we will give you a month's free trial access to our subscriber only content with no obligation to commit. Register an account and then send a private message to @dave u and he'll hook you up with a subscription.

Russia v Ukraine


Bjornebye
 Share

Recommended Posts

20 hours ago, Gnasher said:

 

 

All going great over here though. Both sky high inflation and fuel costs have not affected the richer people in Western society one iota.

 

 

I can personally assure you that this ruble rate is a complete fabrication.

I left a power of attorney for a friend to complete the paperwork on the sale of my flat when I left Russia a couple of years back. Then the pandemic happened and ... well, let's just say I have a huge pile of rubles sitting in a Russian bank account there, waiting for the day I can return and somehow figure out a way to get the money out to the West.

 

So, with the near-miraculous recovery of the ruble over the past month or so, I told my friend with the POA to go down to my bank and exchange the money into dollars for me, lock in the exchange rate, so to speak.

 

He just laughed. Banks aren't allowing anyone to transfer rubles into dollars, haven't for about a month, he says. You can find a grey-market broker to do it, cash-for-cash, if you're feeling risky, but you're going to get about 80 rub/$, worse than it was when the war started.

So yeah, 55 rubles to the dollar is a complete and total fiction. If it weren't, I'd be a slightly less poor man than I am right now.

  • Upvote 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Ne Moe Imya said:

I can personally assure you that this ruble rate is a complete fabrication.

I left a power of attorney for a friend to complete the paperwork on the sale of my flat when I left Russia a couple of years back. Then the pandemic happened and ... well, let's just say I have a huge pile of rubles sitting in a Russian bank account there, waiting for the day I can return and somehow figure out a way to get the money out to the West.

 

So, with the near-miraculous recovery of the ruble over the past month or so, I told my friend with the POA to go down to my bank and exchange the money into dollars for me, lock in the exchange rate, so to speak.

 

He just laughed. Banks aren't allowing anyone to transfer rubles into dollars, haven't for about a month, he says. You can find a grey-market broker to do it, cash-for-cash, if you're feeling risky, but you're going to get about 80 rub/$, worse than it was when the war started.

So yeah, 55 rubles to the dollar is a complete and total fiction. If it weren't, I'd be a slightly less poor man than I am right now.

 

I thought Putin was stopping money leaving the country for that reason, to keep the ruble strong? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Ne Moe Imya said:

I left a power of attorney for a friend to complete the paperwork on the sale of my flat when I left Russia a couple of years back. Then the pandemic happened and ... well, let's just say I have a huge pile of rubles sitting in a Russian bank account there, waiting for the day I can return and somehow figure out a way to get the money out to the West.

 

Bitcoin solves this.

 

(It's a crypto meme, I'll get my coat.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Ne Moe Imya said:

I can personally assure you that this ruble rate is a complete fabrication.

I left a power of attorney for a friend to complete the paperwork on the sale of my flat when I left Russia a couple of years back. Then the pandemic happened and ... well, let's just say I have a huge pile of rubles sitting in a Russian bank account there, waiting for the day I can return and somehow figure out a way to get the money out to the West.

 

So, with the near-miraculous recovery of the ruble over the past month or so, I told my friend with the POA to go down to my bank and exchange the money into dollars for me, lock in the exchange rate, so to speak.

 

He just laughed. Banks aren't allowing anyone to transfer rubles into dollars, haven't for about a month, he says. You can find a grey-market broker to do it, cash-for-cash, if you're feeling risky, but you're going to get about 80 rub/$, worse than it was when the war started.

So yeah, 55 rubles to the dollar is a complete and total fiction. If it weren't, I'd be a slightly less poor man than I am right now.

Have you considered buying some jewelry and gold and hiding it in upholstered chairs, let's say, 12 of them?

Tom C for today. He was surprised to hear they are pulling out of Severodonetsk.


https://medium.com/@x_TomCooper_x/ukraine-war-23-24-june-2022-49bba213305f



 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tom Cooper eating some humble pie (for an analyst at least, they are normally never wrong) over why was he surprised that Severodonetsk was lost. If you follow the situation on a daily basis, not too much to learn here. I would rather read an informed analysis of what is actually going on around Kherson.

 

https://medium.com/@x_TomCooper_x/ukraine-war-24-25-june-2022-cc0608ac270d

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Numero Veinticinco said:

Genuine question. How come you only post about trivial stuff that the EU or NATO countries do, but don't post about any of the horrible shit others countries, like Russia, does? 

 

Why do you so often pop up to try and distract from things that show up the EU and NATO? Can't stand our own hypocrisy?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's the original article. 

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-split-over-fertiliser-plants-poorer-nations-food-crisis-bites-2022-06-20/

Quote

 

LUXEMBOURG, June 20 (Reuters) - The European Union is divided on how to help poorer nations fight a growing food crisis and address shortages of fertilisers caused by the war in Ukraine, with some fearing a plan to invest in plants in Africa would clash with EU green goals.

 

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted a global food crisis and fears of worse to come because of a drop in grain exports from Ukraine and a spike in prices of chemical fertilisers, of which Russia and Belarus are major producers.

 

The EU has for weeks tried to help its poorer neighbours in Africa and the Middle East to weather the crisis by offering them fresh funds, while trying to convince them EU sanctions against Moscow and Minsk are not to be blamed for the food emergency.

 

At a summit of EU leaders later this week, the EU was planning a new initiative that would structurally decrease poorer nations' reliance on Russian fertilisers by helping them develop their own fertiliser plants.

 

But at a meeting with EU envoys last week, the EU Commission explicitly opposed the text, warning that supporting fertiliser production in developing nations would be inconsistent with the EU energy and environment policies, officials said.

 

The production of chemical fertilisers has a big impact on the environment and requires large amounts of energy. However they are crucially effective in boosting agriculture output.

 

Draft conclusions of the June 23-24 summit, seen by Reuters, urge the EU executive commission to devise a plan "to support the development of fertiliser manufacturing capacity and alternatives in developing countries".

 

The text, dated June 15 and prepared by the aides of European Council President Charles Michel, is to be discussed and likely tweaked at a meeting of EU ambassadors late on Monday, officials said.

 

The Commission urged governments to change the text and refer only to a plan to promote alternatives to fertilisers or a more efficient use of fertilisers, officials said. The Commission had no immediate comment on the matter.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

 

From 2:55 to 4:25 here is one way of answering I suppose.

 

 

Chomsky is an internationally recognised intellectual and critic. It's perfectly acceptable for him to defend not mentioning every crisis everywhere and focusing on his own country's issues. But we aren't in the EU. You posted some fucking ridiculous, half arsed nonsense tweet, which pulled from an article and misrepresented what was said, and you do this because... you somehow feel like you're an internal dissident? Okay, you do you. You're posting weird shit on a football forum, I think the intelligentsia will forgive you for having a slightly more balanced view of a country you're not part of. I think they'll understand on this one. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

 

Why do you so often pop up to try and distract from things that show up the EU and NATO? Can't stand our own hypocrisy?

What's hypocritical in the article? How does it show anybody up? I'm not talking about the bizarre interpretation in the tweet, I'm talking about the actual article. You've known me a while, you know I've spent many thousands of posts on here criticising countries for their actions in wars and in geopolitics. I've long been a detractor of US and British foreign policy. Don't try to make out as if I'm trying to detract from some green emissions target nonsense. It's you who should answer why you're not concerned with the actions of Russia, but chose instead to bang on about fucking fertilizer. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Numero Veinticinco said:

What's hypocritical in the article? How does it show anybody up? I'm not talking about the bizarre interpretation in the tweet, I'm talking about the actual article. You've known me a while, you know I've spent many thousands of posts on here criticising countries for their actions in wars and in geopolitics. I've long been a detractor of US and British foreign policy. Don't try to make out as if I'm trying to detract from some green emissions target nonsense. It's you who should answer why you're not concerned with the actions of Russia, but chose instead to bang on about fucking fertilizer. 

 

4 minutes ago, Numero Veinticinco said:

Chomsky is an internationally recognised intellectual and critic. It's perfectly acceptable for him to defend not mentioning every crisis everywhere and focusing on his own country's issues. But we aren't in the EU. You posted some fucking ridiculous, half arsed nonsense tweet, which pulled from an article and misrepresented what was said, and you do this because... you somehow feel like you're an internal dissident? Okay, you do you. You're posting weird shit on a football forum, I think the intelligentsia will forgive you for having a slightly more balanced view of a country you're not part of. I think they'll understand on this one. 

 

Yeah it's "weird shit" and "trivial stuff" because it focuses on our side and how fucking stupid they're being or have been. All eyes on Putin, have no concerns about the UK, US, EU and NATO.

 

Here's someone else banging on about "fucking fertilizer."

 

Senegalese President Macky Sall, who is the current chair of the African Union, granted an interview to FRANCE 24 and RFI in Paris. He discussed his meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin last week in Sochi, which focused on the issue of grain supplies stuck in Ukrainian ports. Sall said he stressed to Putin that Africa is suffering from the war in Ukraine, as it already faces a shortage of grain and fertiliser. He warned of a possible "famine" on the continent if African farmers have insufficient fertiliser for their crops.

 

https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-interview/20220610-africa-already-has-shortage-of-grain-and-fertiliser-au-head-sall-warns

 

And if you recall, the EU are also banging on about "fucking fertilizer" so I'm going to guess it's an issue.

 

And if you look here you might see a few others banging on about "fucking fertilizer" too. It's almost like it's a problem!

 

russia fertilizer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

 

There you go! It's all been planned, leading to this moment. This is the fertilizer page of the thread.

 

I don't think it is all that insignificant, however, as a bit of a conspiracies buff, how come it never crossed your mind it may not be about Nato at all, but about Russia's desire to corner the market on fertilizer, wheat, sunflower oil, what they need for computer chips, on top of natural gas and oil, and Ukrainian military complex which used to be a crucial element in Russia's weapons exports (rockets, precision missiles) and Russia is one of the leading weapons exporter in the world (they apparently top the table from time to time, depending on big contracts).

 

And all this and more gets achieved if they occupy or destroy Ukraine, which can be allowed to survive only as Russia's client state. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

 

 

Yeah it's "weird shit" and "trivial stuff" because it focuses on our side and how fucking stupid they're being or have been. All eyes on Putin, have no concerns about the UK, US, EU and NATO.

 

Here's someone else banging on about "fucking fertilizer."

 

 

 

 

https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-interview/20220610-africa-already-has-shortage-of-grain-and-fertiliser-au-head-sall-warns

 

And if you recall, the EU are also banging on about "fucking fertilizer" so I'm going to guess it's an issue.

 

And if you look here you might see a few others banging on about "fucking fertilizer" too. It's almost like it's a problem!

 

russia fertilizer

But it’s not ‘our side’. I have nothing to do with it nor does the country I’m from. It’s the EU. It’s not ‘our side’.

 

What I asked is why you chose to post about this, in the Russia Ukraine thread, but you don’t post anything you read about Russia’s horrific atrocities. 
 

But if you read the actual article instead of the tweet you chose to link, about the union you’re desperately attempting to paint as the bad guys, they’re the ones trying to help Africa. Your linked tweet chose to pick up the line about ‘some’ voicing concerns over the environment targets. The article says that the EU, the bad guys that are being ‘shown up’ as ‘hypocrites’, according to you, are actually the ones helping and sending funds. Sure, some are voicing concerns about the environment, which when making a plan to help you should try to voice all sorts of concerns as part of the Socratic method. So what the actual issue here, that some have said something? That’s what’s trivial. Not a word about the country who have caused this issue. 

 

You have to take the minority, controversial, conspiratorial angle point n every subject. It’s almost as if you have a need to be one of the few special ones in the know when everybody else is really clueless. But there’s no rigour in what you post mate, it’s just you finding something, anything that can have a pop at the West, whilst keeping deathly quiet about Russia. Up to you I guess. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, SasaS said:

 

I don't think it is all that insignificant, however, as a bit of a conspiracies buff, how come it never crossed your mind it may not be about Nato at all, but about Russia's desire to corner the market on fertilizer, wheat, sunflower oil, what they need for computer chips, on top of natural gas and oil, and Ukrainian military complex which used to be a crucial element in Russia's weapons exports (rockets, precision missiles) and Russia is one of the leading weapons exporter in the world (they apparently top the table from time to time, depending on big contracts).

 

And all this and more gets achieved if they occupy or destroy Ukraine, which can be allowed to survive only as Russia's client state. 

 

26 minutes ago, Numero Veinticinco said:

But it’s not ‘our side’. I have nothing to do with it nor does the country I’m from. It’s the EU. It’s not ‘our side’.

 

What I asked is why you chose to post about this, in the Russia Ukraine thread, but you don’t post anything you read about Russia’s horrific atrocities. 
 

But if you read the actual article instead of the tweet you chose to link, about the union you’re desperately attempting to paint as the bad guys, they’re the ones trying to help Africa. Your linked tweet chose to pick up the line about ‘some’ voicing concerns over the environment targets. The article says that the EU, the bad guys that are being ‘shown up’ as ‘hypocrites’, according to you, are actually the ones helping and sending funds. Sure, some are voicing concerns about the environment, which when making a plan to help you should try to voice all sorts of concerns as part of the Socratic method. So what the actual issue here, that some have said something? That’s what’s trivial. Not a word about the country who have caused this issue. 

 

You have to take the minority, controversial, conspiratorial angle point n every subject. It’s almost as if you have a need to be one of the few special ones in the know when everybody else is really clueless. But there’s no rigour in what you post mate, it’s just you finding something, anything that can have a pop at the West, whilst keeping deathly quiet about Russia. Up to you I guess. 

 

I'm sure Putin has all types of ideas on how he can manipulate things, I'm not saying he isn't trying to do that. And yes when it comes to Russia vs Ukraine I kind of see it that "our side" is the NATO one that includes the EU, as opposed to other countries.

 

In this case the EU seem ok with several European countries firing up coal plants and putting the "EU green goals" to one side for the time being. But when it comes to Africa having concerns about food production, shortages, famine and want to produce their own fertilizer that's different. In that case it's time to care about "EU green goals."

 

I apply a similar thing here to what I did in the Trump thread too. If you check back to that I rarely posted. Why? Because half of the forum posted about it regularly, it ran for hundreds and hundreds of pages. Plenty of attention was focused on it. I didn't feel the need to add to it because it was already well covered. Same with Russia, there's people all over the place going on about Putin and Russia, there has been for most of the last decade and it's currently on steroids because Russia/Putin are invading Ukraine. So maybe I don't feel a huge need to constantly bang on about Putin when it's been done by so many people 24 hours every fucking day.

 

When it comes to our side though, well yeah, things get a little quieter there. Maybe that's because if the Western public had all of the details about our involvement in Ukraine since 2014, support for weapons shipments and sanctions would drop instantly and those going on about how Ukraine shouldn't negotiate but keep fighting instead as we supply them weapons would be in a serious minority.

 

I think support for Biden and Nuland staying in their current positions would drop instantly too. Which could be great, seeing as the pair of them are a fucking menace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

 

 

I'm sure Putin has all types of ideas on how he can manipulate things, I'm not saying he isn't trying to do that. And yes when it comes to Russia vs Ukraine I kind of see it that "our side" is the NATO one that includes the EU, as opposed to other countries.

 

In this case the EU seem ok with several European countries firing up coal plants and putting the "EU green goals" to one side for the time being. But when it comes to Africa having concerns about food production, shortages, famine and want to produce their own fertilizer that's different. In that case it's time to care about "EU green goals."

 

I apply a similar thing here to what I did in the Trump thread too. If you check back to that I rarely posted. Why? Because half of the forum posted about it regularly, it ran for hundreds and hundreds of pages. Plenty of attention was focused on it. I didn't feel the need to add to it because it was already well covered. Same with Russia, there's people all over the place going on about Putin and Russia, there has been for most of the last decade and it's currently on steroids because Russia/Putin are invading Ukraine. So maybe I don't feel a huge need to constantly bang on about Putin when it's been done by so many people 24 hours every fucking day.

 

When it comes to our side though, well yeah, things get a little quieter there. Maybe that's because if the Western public had all of the details about our involvement in Ukraine since 2014, support for weapons shipments and sanctions would drop instantly and those going on about how Ukraine shouldn't negotiate but keep fighting instead as we supply them weapons would be in a serious minority.

 

I think support for Biden and Nuland staying in their current positions would drop instantly too. Which could be great, seeing as the pair of them are a fucking menace.

Again, negotiate about what? What is on the table from Russia?

And if you are Ukraine and don't want to be Russia's political and economic colony, where would you turn for support?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, SasaS said:

Again, negotiate about what? What is on the table from Russia?

And if you are Ukraine and don't want to be Russia's political and economic colony, where would you turn for support?

 

Zelensky himself said that this can only end with negotiations, maybe you should ask him?

 

I don't know what's on the table from Russia, maybe negotiations will help to find out.

 

Ukraine can and should turn to anyone they want for support if they don't want to be Russia's political and economic colony.

 

All I'm concerned about is that this war ends peacefully and ask quickly as possible, same as I have been since it started. "Our side" has an assortment of some of the most stupid fucking leaders I've ever known and I'd prefer it if they weren't part of a war against Russia with all of these arms shipments. It regularly has the chance to escalate and it's not good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

 

Zelensky himself said that this can only end with negotiations, maybe you should ask him?

 

I don't know what's on the table from Russia, maybe negotiations will help to find out.

 

Ukraine can and should turn to anyone they want for support if they don't want to be Russia's political and economic colony.

 

All I'm concerned about is that this war ends peacefully and ask quickly as possible, same as I have been since it started. "Our side" has an assortment of some of the most stupid fucking leaders I've ever known and I'd prefer it if they weren't part of a war against Russia with all of these arms shipments. It regularly has the chance to escalate and it's not good.

Ah, we will just go round in circles again. They negotiated and said it is pointless, which I agree, because Russia does not acknowledge the basic reality it is an aggressor and negotiations only serve to give them legitimacy as an "opposing side" pretending to be genuinely searching for solution to something they are the entire cause of.

 

Without arms shipments, Ukraine would have to either capitulate or escalate themselves into creating a disaster that would take the entire region with them in cloud of radiation or something similar. The more weapons are sent there, the closer the day when the war ends in negotiations. There are no negotiations if one side has a clear upper hand, in particular if this is the side that initiated the conflict.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share


×
×
  • Create New...