Spain’s leftist party “Together We, Ladies, Can” (seriously, it’s the name, look it up) is saying that the way to stop Putin is “through a dialogue.” I want to poke my eyes out to avoid seeing the Spanish language debased like that.
Remember when Spaniards were neither idiots nor pussies?
Looks like food problems are just around the corner.
// HUNGARY TO BAN ALL GRAIN EXPORTS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY -AGRICULTURE MINISTER
PS Retail chains were allowed to limit the sale of a number of socially important goods per person to combat speculators – the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. [ПС Торговым сетям разрешили ограничивать продажу ряда социально-значимых товаров в одни руки для борьбы со спекулянтами — Минпромторг РФ.]
If you are interested, there is a post here about Russian economy:
Эта статья написана в соавторстве с одним из лучших финансовых аналитиков Украины Vlad Ponomar.
Влад дает экономике России +- шесть месяцев.
🐍 Итак, петля анаконды.
The people who think they can sit it out because it’s a faraway conflict that has nothing to do with them are very dumb.
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// The people who think they can sit it out because it’s a faraway conflict that has nothing to do with them are very dumb.
I respectfully disagree. Before hearing from you about the extent of food exports from Russia and Ukraine, I hadn’t known about it myself and hadn’t seen this info anywhere on Western English speaking blogs.
Later the food aspect started appearing on Russian media, but still not on any of many blogs in English I follow. Don’t read English and American press, but my guess is they discuss morality, gas and oil, nuclear threats, but not one word about food.
Even you haven’t dedicated one post to it, explaining the issue in depth to American and EU audience. Would love to read it myself, in case there is more info you know about.
How are people supposed to know if their media fails them and other bloggers they read also don’t know about this? That’s why investigative journalism is necessary in our era too, despite (so far) free Internet in the global West.
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It’s OK to not know the details. The specific quantities of export / import goods, the complexities of the banking system.
But have people heard the word globalization? Do they know what it means? Have their been to the grocery store and noticed where their food comes from? What I’m serving for lunch today is made of ingredients from 7 different countries. All of the people, connections, logistics, companies that make my pot of soup happen are very interlinked.
These are not two remote tribes going to war. This is the largest country in the world going to war against the largest country in Europe.
We had a mega economic crisis globally when US bankers sold some junk mortgages in the US. What’s happening now is a little bit bigger than that.
We will all be paying for this in many different ways.
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// But have people heard the word globalization? Do they know what it means?
People hear that Russian third world economy = gas + oil.
People don’t know where Ukraine is on the map, but know it’s a FSU poor country with numerous economic problems.
Eastern Europe is behind Western Europe in many ways, so Americans may not think two extremely poor countries going to war is going to affect the entire world.
Btw, the world talks of Ukrainian refugees, but imagine millions of Arab refugees from the Middle East fighting to get into EU, if hunger comes to their already super poor countries.
[Monday, 16 August 2021] “Egypt had fewer unemployed in 2Q2021 — and fewer people in the workforce. The labor force participation rate — which looks at those between the ages of 15 and 64 — fell to 41.9% from 42.2% in 1Q2021. … Youth unemployment came in at 68.4%, up more than 8 percentage points from 60% in April-June last year.”
Btw, the uncomfortable conclusion is that everything possible should be made to help Russia continue selling its agricultural products to the rest of the world.
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Why is it an uncomfortable conclusion? All I want is for the Russians to go home and cultivate the fields instead of their dead bodies serving as fertilizer for Ukrainian fields.
But they have made s decision to do something else. It sucks for the world but the time to try to keep them civilized and peaceful was before.
Both Bush Jr and Obama dropped the ball in a huge way. It’s their mistakes we are paying for.
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What could Obama have done? Everybody says Putin is moved by domestic policy goals, regardless of other countries.
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The exact same invasion that’s happening today happened in 2014. But nobody noticed. Do you remember anything like the sanctions we are seeing today? In 2014, we begged “ban Russia from SWIFT!” It’s being done now but why not 8 years ago? Why?
Whoever is pulling Biden’s strings might be inept but nothing like Obama -level inept.
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Obama had a very soft and wimpy response to Putin/Russia when it invaded the Crimea in 2014.
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“heard the word globalization?”
I earlier mentioned probably supply chain disruptions in Poland (from Ukrainian drivers leaving) another crucial area of urban life that’s now being disrupted where I live is also now garbage removal… (for the same reason).
I hasten to add I’m not complaining and understand (and absolutely approve of )men returning to defend their country, but the first ripples are here and they’re only going to get bigger and spread farther.
The damage already done to the Russian economy (even if all sanctions were withdrawn tomorrow) will last decades (if not generations) and the unpleasant consequences will also spread beyond Russia.
Globalization means the system is only as strong as the weakest link and Russia is an incredibly weak link in the world with no political mechanisms for non-chaotic or non-violent transfer of power and a social system that prefers to deny reality rather than deal with it.
Exactly. I always wanted a prosperous, thriving, happy Russia because a poor, angry, miserable Russia. . . is what we are seeing today. But you can’t force people to be what they don’t want to be. Russians had every opportunity to choose peace and prosperity. But they didn’t.
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” wanted a prosperous, thriving, happy Russia ”
Can you imagine what an economic and cultural super power it could be if it just turned its efforts away from imperial conquest (and throwing the lives of so many young men away like old socks) and suppression and into more productive and/or creative pursuits?
Such a tragedy…
Exactly! I so hoped for that between 1991-2005. Russia had every potential for doing that then. Talented people, tons of natural resources, gigantic territory. In 30 years, there’s a lot that could have been done.
What I find particularly annoying is that the official narrative in Russia is that of constant demographic panic. We are dying out! they say. And in the meantime, they are doing everything to get thousands of these young Russian boys who haven’t had a chance to do anything in life slaughtered.
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Absolutely! I read the old newspapers from right before Lenin stepped in and screwed everything up. It was a great time. There was hope, there was a willingness to move towards democracy. But then …
Thank you for commenting. I really enjoy your breadth of knowledge.
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I understand why Western media focuses on photos of bombed cities, discussions about the nuclear threat Russia is posing and the news of even Germany cutting its dependence on Russian gas.
It sells, it looks like the three most important angles.
The current Western narrative talks about Ukrainian David fighting for democracy against Russian Goliath threatening the entire Europe and even the entire world.
It is a powerful narrative about values and morality, which has already moved Westerners to pressure their governments to help Ukraine, yes.
However, a cynical part of me thinks showing Western consumers how their food prices will be affected by Russian war is also important, even if less click baiting. Why not turn to people’s selfish interests in addition to their higher impulses?
Wait, if we talk of food produced in Russia, doesn’t it stress Western and world’s reliance on Russia precisely when they decided to apply crippling economic sanctions and cut Russia from the rest of the world?
I am worried that food problems in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries around us will lead to political turmoil and threaten Israeli security.
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I am forced to repeat this every single day of my life but it’s true: I have not watched one second of “Western media” coverage of the war. I don’t read it, I don’t access it in any way. I have no idea what they are doing or why.
What I do know is I’m trying to bring to this small corner of the internet direct updates from exactly when things are happening on the ground. I also try to provide background knowledge. It’s the best I can do. What all those CNN’s and Co are doing hasn’t been interesting to me since early 2020.
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Well, South African miners definitely aren’t sitting it out.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/europe-returns-to-south-africa-for-coal-after-russia-sanctions-1.1732472
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Does anybody here know whether U.S. agriculture is preparing to react to new developments and produce more food?
I am so happy Israel views its agriculture as a national security issue, but we’ll still suffer from inflation and skyrocketing food prices.
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The good news on the food side is that the EU is keeping its food production artificially low. They have gigantic capacities they aren’t utilizing. It’s the EU issue more than the US.
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Of course, once the EU steps in, Russia won’t be able to get back to where it was in terms of production even if it decides to. That will make Russians angrier and more likely to invade. It’s a vicious circle.
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// Russia won’t be able to get back to where it was in terms of production even if it decides to
Neither would Ukraine …
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A good sign : “State Duma deputy of the 7th convocation Andrey Baryshev was the first of the officials to change his shoes and said out loud that Putin should be immediately impeached and then tried as a war criminal.” [Депутат госдумы 7 созыва Андрей Барышев первым из чиновников переобулся и вслух сказал что Путину необходимо немедленно объявить импимчент, а потом судить его как военного преступника.]
Yesterday I tried to watch Latynina’s interview with Christo Grozev and summarize it here. It was 2 hours long and I didn’t make this huge effort. Happy to find a short summary of 28 main points here:
Расшифровка интервью Христо Грозева (Bellingcat) Юлии Латыниной.
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I read the text. Most of it sounds true. Some points I can’t confirm or deny because it’s not something I’m interested in (like the reactions of the Russian elites.) But yes, it’s all pretty much how it is.
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// Why is it an uncomfortable conclusion? All I want is for the Russians to go home and cultivate the fields
If we need Russia to sell its produce to prevent hunger right now, this year 2022, we are done.
West is incapable of imposing strong sanctions while helping Russia sell anything, even food.
From latest news:
“Russian terminals, boycotted by large container lines and transshipment hubs, stop receiving export products to avoid overstocking.
Chemical companies, which have experienced export difficulties since the beginning of March due to the refusal of the largest container carriers to work with Russian cargo, received a recommendation from the government to suspend shipments abroad.”
From
А теперь о том, чего покушать
(из Коммерсанта).
https://nomen-nescio.livejournal.com/2641104.html
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// With what, sticks and stones?
Said people re Germany after WW1…
Also, who will give reconstruction money to Ukraine? Russia? Ukraine wants to demand reparations from them, but I do not think Russia will give something, let alone enough to turn Ukraine into a prosperous country.
If Russia started moving into the right direction, it could be a good policy to give them reconstruction money too, under certain conditions and closely following its use.
If even Hamas gets reconstruction money after each operation in Gaza, why not Russia?
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“Russia …give them reconstruction money”
Terrible idea. Never try to help a narcissist.
It will perceived as aggression, on another board I shared my sympathy about young Russian men being sent to futile death (cause it is tragic and unnecessary) to a Russian and was met with blind fury in return….
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“Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is currently meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss the Ukraine crisis, his spokesperson said Saturday.
Israel has offered to mediate in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, though officials have previously played down expectations of a breakthrough.
Bennett’s meeting with Putin makes him the first Western leader to meet with the Russian leaders since Moscow invade Ukraine ten days ago.
…
the trip was coordinated with both the White House and Kyiv — to with which Jerusalem sent 100 tons of humanitarian equipment earlier this week.”
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My Jewish father says he never wants to hear anything about Israel ever again, and I don’t blame him. I’m sorry to say this because I know how you feel but please understand how we feel.
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A fear of mine is that we don’t want Russia to suffer such economic catastrophe that it is like a repeat of Germany in the 1930s where a really crazy Russian nationalist political party and a really crazy type of person who makes Putin look reasonable comes into power and starts WWIII. Although luckily Russia, unlike Germany, already is strong on the natural resources front (as a major goal of Hitler was to invade the Soviet Union for natural resources and land).
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A conservative literary critic and college professor
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