Russia could default on its debt within days

[Litwin]

Russia could default on its debt within days

Russia has sent the clearest signal yet that it will soon default — the first time it will have failed to meet its foreign debt obligations since the Bolshevik revolution more than a century ago.

www.cnn.com

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So, who's going to shed a tear?

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I will say I'm starting to get a greater appreciation of the depth & ramifications of the sanctions levied.

DOWN DOWN DOWN ))) :lol: :thup:

FROM TODAY )))

 

[Gnosis]

The oligarchs do not have political power in Russia.

That's what an oligarch is.

 

[EMNofSeattle]

That's what an oligarch is.

Then you’re using the wrong words to describe “oligarchs” in Russia.

The people referred to as Oligarchs do not have real power in Russia

 

[Gnosis]

Then you’re using the wrong words to describe “oligarchs” in Russia.

The people referred to as Oligarchs do not have real power in Russia

Lol, I'm using the actual definition of the word. Check out the emphasis in the second definition. You're one of those Trumpy people who think words mean whatever you want them to mean in any given second and don't mean what they actually mean, aren't you? The lack of a common language between us (English would be a good start) prevents our productive communication.

noun

1. 1.
   a ruler in an oligarchy.
   
   
2. 2.
   (especially in Russia) a very rich business leader with a great deal of political influence.

 

[EMNofSeattle]

Lol, I'm using the actual definition of the word. Check out the emphasis in the second definition. You're one of those Trumpy people who think words mean whatever you want them to mean in any given second and don't mean what they actually mean, aren't you?

I am using the common term colloquially used. I didn’t create the terminology.

The lack of a common language between us (English would be a good start) prevents our productive communication.

Lol

noun

1. 1.
   a ruler in an oligarchy.
   
   
2. 2.
   (especially in Russia) a very rich business leader with a great deal of political influence.

The people in Russia commonly referred to as “oligarchs” have little to no real political influence.

 

[Lloyd Christmas]

I will say that when rightists say, "Biden ain't doin' nuttin'!" they need to be reminded that they don't know what Biden is or isn't doing.

Righties whine and are partisan hacks about everything. The same people who whine that Biden isn't doing anything were also the same hacks whining that Biden's was war mongering previously. Doesn't matter to these anti american traitors, they will complain no matter what biden does or doesn't do and will hypocritical change tunes in a heart beat if it serves their pathetic partisan trolling

 

[yankintx]

Yeah, as I stated in my OP, I'm getting a greater appreciation of the depth & impact of the sanctions.

What the West has done is detonated an atomic weapon at the Russian economy. It will be felt for years, Russia was already in an economic recession. Not sure what qualifies as an economic depression, but watch Russia over the next 6 months, we are about to find out.

 

[snakestretcher]

A new wave music group called "Club Adobe" was on tour in Russia back in 1991 when the revolution stranded them for a while.
But they got an idea, stick around and weather the storm and use some of their money to make further inroads.
So they BOUGHT an entire cassette tape manufacturing facility for peanuts, guaranteeing them a Russian distribution network.

So, what does a tape cassette manufacturing plant sell for in 1991 post-collapse Russia?
Try thirty thousand US dollars.

If Russia defaults, and defaults hard, somebody with some smarts would do well to buy the Sovtek vaccuum tube manufacturing plant at fire sale prices.
A lot of musicians depend upon Sovtek vacuum tubes these days. So do a lot of wealthy audiophiles who have a soft spot for vacuum tube sound.
I bet if the Ruble drops down to something like five hundred or a thousand to the dollar that tube manufacturing plant could be had for a hundred grand or even less.

View attachment 67380173

Sovtek are good, but I prefer Harma.

 

[Ahlevah]

Further, there are NATO nations that have Russian anti-missile / anti-aircraft systems, Greece and others, which could send those to the Ukraine without any loss to their security. Yet this 'out of the box' thinking simply escapes the present administration. One starts asking 'Why?'

Imagine if Biden had been president in the lead-up to WWII instead FDR. There never would have been a Flying Tigers, lest we upset Tojo. Probably no Truman Doctrine or NATO, either. No one will ever accuse Biden of being a statesman. He’s just another career politician worried about poll numbers, and a senile one at that.

 

[CaughtInThe]

 

[NuffSaid]

Imagine if Biden had been president in the lead-up to WWII instead FDR. There never would have been a Flying Tigers, lest we upset Tojo. Probably no Truman Doctrine or NATO, either. No one will ever accuse Biden of being a statesman. He’s just another career politician worried about poll numbers, and a senile one at that.

All the while the GOP and its leaders would be calling Hitler's move into Poland as "genius".

 

[Napoleon]

What are the specific repercussions of Russia defaulting on certain debts? Other than the creditor losing out on money, and Russia less likely to be loaned money going forward, does this change anything in the near term in a meaningful way?

The problem is that nobody knows. It could be nothing noteworthy or there could be a domino effect that plunges us into a global recession. It all depends on how much exposure systemically important financial institutions have and whether or not they’re engaged in the same nefarious doings they were with toxic assets in 2008.

 

[Chomsky]

What the West has done is detonated an atomic weapon at the Russian economy. It will be felt for years, Russia was already in an economic recession. Not sure what qualifies as an economic depression, but watch Russia over the next 6 months, we are about to find out.

Fair metaphor.

 

[Ahlevah]

All the while the GOP and its leaders would be calling Hitler's move into Poland as "genius".

… as Biden throws pillows and blankets at German panzers while telling the Jews he’ll have his State Department continue to work with U.S. “partners” to get them out.

 

[Chomsky]

I like one version of his cat better than the other.
There's cat people present so say no more...

 

[RAMOSS]

I must admit, it took awhile for me appreciate what he's doing.

And I'm coming to see the sanctions and alignment of NATO and EU against Putin will accomplish more over the coming years, than any Ukraine military conflict could.

Just as with the U.S.S.R., this is the type of economic pain that can break-up a nation.

It also is not physically cornering Putin, who is a mad man enough to say 'screw it' and push the button (although his advisors might kill him if he tried)

 

[Ahlevah]

What the West has done is detonated an atomic weapon at the Russian economy. It will be felt for years, Russia was already in an economic recession. Not sure what qualifies as an economic depression, but watch Russia over the next 6 months, we are about to find out.

Looks like the atomic weapon was a dud. Putin is still bombing, shelling, and rocketing civilians. And I’ll bet he’ll still be doing it a year from now, assuming he hasn’t subdued the country by pummeling it back to the Stone Age by then. He and the hardliners who support him are in this for the long haul, and, like other totalitarian leaders, sanctions will have little to no effect on his behavior.

 

[Chomsky]

I hope that has a meaningful impact, but I'm not sure it will. None would give Russia a loan anyway.

In any event, it would seem that as Russia is now a poor and under-developed nation China might want invest in a belt and road initiative, that way when Russia's economy collapses they can pickup lots of property a collateral, and demand cheap oil and bases for China.

I have little doubt China is going to scoop up Russian assets in heartbeat.

The only question is, 'what will Russia demand in return?'.

 

[Ahlevah]

It also is not physically cornering Putin, who is a mad man enough to say 'screw it' and push the button (although his advisors might kill him if he tried)

Why use the button? The power comes from threatening to use it, just as our nuclear deterrent comes from the promise to turn Russia into a glass pile if one nuke flies in our direction.

 

[NuffSaid]

… as Biden throws pillows and blankets at German panzers while telling the Jews he’ll have his State Department continue to work with U.S. “partners” to get them out.

Ah, it makes sense now.

Working with AM Radio snipets.

"By March 2015, the US had committed more than $120 million in security assistance for Ukraine and had pledged an additional $75 million worth of equipment including UAVs, counter-mortar radars, night vision devices and medical supplies, according to the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency."

I like Biden's approach to working with allies (as we did in WWI and WW2) to do what was right. This rogue "go it alone" attitude left us in Iraq and Afghanistan for 20 years.

If it were up to the GOP, we'd send missiles and bombs to help Russia and supply Russia with all the money they need to defeat Ukraine.

 

[Chomsky]

There's a difference between moving fighter jets from Poland to Ukraine and committing US ground forces against Russians in Ukraine, don't you think?

Yet Biden is too timid to even consider that.

Further, there are NATO nations that have Russian anti-missile / anti-aircraft systems, Greece and others, which could send those to the Ukraine without any loss to their security. Yet this 'out of the box' thinking simply escapes the present administration.

It's obviously not a matter of 'escapes their thinking'; they're aware of the possibilities. But, they refuse to take those avenues.

One starts asking 'Why?'

That is the $64K question.

I initially was pretty harsh on what I was was Biden's timid response. As he cranked up the sanctions intensity, and I saw NATO's unity strongly coalesce, and especially now that I am beginning to see the depth & ramifications of the sanction, I'm ameliorating my criticisms somewhat.

It's not just Biden that nixed the plane transfer publicly, but also Poland and NATO have come-out adamantly against it. Are they all feckless? Perhaps. Or, they may no more than us. Time will tell.

 

[Chomsky]

Look at what I was replying to with the post you quoted.
And try to remember that It's up to each country how they respond. What Greece does or doesn't do has nothing to do with Biden. If Canada or Britain decided to send aid to Ukraine it would have nothing to do with Biden.

The bolded is important to N.B.

NATO has an emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation. It's been lt public that NATO leadership will stress the charter mandate, that each country can militarily act alone, but if one is attacked they all will come to unified defense.

When one reflects upon this for a moment, we can see this is a very serious, powerful, and yes - even dangerous commitment! It is a helluva' message to Putin.

 

[RAMOSS]

I think the shame is that everyday Russians will have to break in order for the sanctions to matter. Putin would rather starve his citizens to death than quit his psychopathic rampage.

Russia has a history of assassination, although it has been the opposition leaders. I don't think that if Putin's advisors thought they were physically threatened to not do that to Putin.

 

[RAMOSS]

Why use the button? The power comes from threatening to use it, just as our nuclear deterrent comes from the promise to turn Russia into a glass pile if one nuke flies in our direction.

If he feels corners and there is no way out for him

 

[Ahlevah]

If he feels corners and there is no way out for him

Putin helped form current Russian military doctrine, which envisions the limited use of nuclear weapons against a superior conventional force as a means of “de-escalation,” if one can believe that. But if we let him define our response based on a nuclear threat then a lot more Ukrainians are going to die, and we can count on Putin not stopping with Ukraine. It’s as simple as that. Feeling cornered because you can’t redraw the world map to your liking should be a non-starter for freedom-loving nations.