The sanctions against Russia are having a negative impact on the lives of the people who belong to what one might call “Russia’s nascent middle class.” These are people who work for Western companies, have businesses, travel overseas, keep their money in the bank, have credit cards or maybe even investments, and consume at a steady pace.
The Western leaders project their feelings about the importance of the middle class onto Putin and conclude that the middle class’s suffering should be painful to Putin. In reality, however, the opposite is true.
Those Russians who have adapted to the capitalist system, who feel comfortable within it and who are hurt by the sanctions are Putin’s enemies. They are the ones who came out into the streets to protest the rigged elections of 2011-12. They constitute those 15% of population that doesn’t support Putin.
Putin will gain a lot from the dissident class becoming impoverished. In fact, the West is doing his work for him.
Such blunders will continue unless Western leaders overcome their dislike of academics and abandon their suspicious attitude towards the life of the intellect and begin consulting specialists with actual expertise in foreign cultures.Â
Clarissa's Blog 
They probably consult more academics than you realize. There is a certain type of academic who is well-connected with the government and shares many assumptions with people in government who find those assumptions convenient.
What you really want is for them to consult some academics who will think carefully,examine many possible sources of information, and give advice that is not always convenient.
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“What you really want is for them to consult some academics who will think carefully,examine many possible sources of information, and give advice that is not always convenient.”
– Exactly. đ
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Wait, I thought you supported sanctions on Russia. What alternative do you think would work better?
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Glad that I wasn’t imagining things!
“I just read that Obama finally signed the visa restrictions on the Russian officials who are involved in the invasion of Ukraine. And he also ordered that their foreign (stolen) assets should be frozen.
This is exactly what should be done. Obama has somebody very knowledgeable advising him on Russia, it seems. All these Americaphobes in the Russian government get very upset if they canât visit the country they hate so much on a regular basis.
Thank you, Mr. President!”
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That was in March. Back then, if the sanctions actually did happen – and in the format discussed in those posts – they might have been of some limited use. But today, Putin’s corrupt bandit daughter is still living in Netherlands. Deporting her, and every single relative of every single bandit, would be a great idea. Nobody is doing that, though, or even thinking in that direction.
These sanctions wouldn’t help Ukraine, of course. But they would make the air cleaner in the countries that would deport these freaks.
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“What alternative do you think would work better?”
– At this point, there is nothing the West can do. Latin America, India and China could do A LOT. But they don’t seem interested.
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“Deporting her, and every single relative of every single bandit, would be a great idea. Nobody is doing that, though, or even thinking in that direction.”
I would love that to happen. Putting the squeeze on these billionaires is a great idea. I just read, though, that perhaps that is something Putin would like. The bandits have taken all the money and invested it outside of Russia (London, NYC, football clubs, real estate in Manhattan, etc.). Having that option taken away, they would be forced to invest in Russia, which would be economically beneficial to the country.
“Latin America, India and China could do A LOT.”
That is interesting. Could you elaborate? I’ve read that all these economic sanctions could create an unholy nexus between Russia and China, make their ties stronger.
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The West believes that Putin should be heart-broken about being repelled by the West. However, it’s simply the West’s self-aggrandizement at play. Putin is glad the West is turning against Russia. He is placing his bets on the emerging world leaders, which are not in the West. He wants to align himself with the new crucial world players and that is, in the order of influence and importance, China, India, and – somewhat further away – Latin America. He is quite open about this, too.
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Yeah, I think that’s key. Western sanctions can only be threatening to smaller countries these days. Like Iran, for instance, where sanctions have completely destroyed the country. Wag your finger at Russia and China and they’ll laugh you out of the room.
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The ideology of “I will erase what is most like me in you.”
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That’s my sort of humor:
ĐĄĐľĐłĐžĐ´Đ˝Ń ŃŃоН ŃŃĐ°Đ˝ŃŃСŃкиК ŃŃŃ, Đ° СавŃŃĐ° ĐżŃодаН Đ ŃŃŃкиК ĐиŃ.
ĐĄĐľĐłĐžĐ´Đ˝Ń ŃŃ ĐśŃĐľŃŃ Ń Đ°ĐźĐžĐ˝, Đ° СавŃŃĐ° Ń ŃĐľĐąŃ ĐĐĐĐ!
http://marko19511.livejournal.com/1138169.html
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Đно Ń ĐžŃĐľŃŃŃ ĐżŃоСонŃОваŃŃ ŃĐ˛ĐžĐľĐźŃ ŃиŃĐ°ŃĐľĐťŃ Đ˝ĐžĐ˛ŃĐš (ŃŃавниŃоНŃнО) ОйŃĐľŃŃвоннО-пОНиŃиŃĐľŃкиК ŃĐ°ĐšŃ ĐĐĐĐĐ ĐĐ ĐĐĐŻ , на ПОК вСгНŃĐ´ воŃŃПа ŃиПпаŃиŃĐ˝ŃĐš. ĐгО ĐžŃнОваНа ĐłŃŃппа ĐśŃŃнаНиŃŃОв, пОкинŃвŃĐ°Ń ĐżĐžĐżŃĐťŃŃĐ˝ŃĐš нокОгда ŃĐ°ĐšŃ ĐĐĐ Đ ĐĐĄĐĐĐĐĐĐТ.net пОŃНо ŃОгО, как огО нОвŃĐš вНадоНоŃ, ПНадОПиННиаŃĐ´ĐľŃ Đ¸ кОŃоНок ĐŻĐ˝ŃкОвиŃĐ° ĐĄĐľŃгоК ĐŃŃŃонкО наŃĐ°Đť Đ°ĐşŃивнО вПоŃиваŃŃŃŃ Đ˛ ŃодакŃиОннŃŃ ĐżĐžĐťĐ¸ŃикŃ.
Đ ŃŃŃ Đ¸ пОвОд ĐżĐžĐťĐ´Ń ĐžĐ´ŃŃиК пОдвоŃĐ˝ŃĐťŃŃ – инŃĐľŃвŃŃ ŃĐ°ĐšŃŃ Đ´Đ°Đť иСвоŃŃĐ˝ŃĐš ŃĐžŃŃиКŃкиК ŃинанŃиŃŃ, Đ´Đ° ĐľŃĐľ Ń ŃаПиНиоК Đ Đ°ĐąĐ¸Đ˝ĐžĐ˛Đ¸Ń – Đ˝Ń ĐşĐ°Đş ŃŃŃ ĐąŃНО ĐżŃОКŃи ПиПО?
http://trim-c.livejournal.com/191502.html
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