Russia - US | Ukraine “peace negotiations”

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“… The problem is not just that economic normalization and sanctions relief are some of the most coveted items on the Kremlin’s wishlist, behind only the annihilation of Ukrainian nationhood. Nor is it that sanctions relief and a return to business as usual would only give Moscow the breathing space to rearm and try for Ukraine again, thus intensifying the security burden on a NATO and a Europe that has, in the space of less than two weeks, had to learn to live without a U.S. security umbrella that had been happily unfurled for 75 years.

One big issue is that a U.S. pledge to restore economic relations means a relief in sanctions, just when the United States and the West had finally managed to get Russia to a place where the curbs on energy exports, tech imports, and other money movements were finally paying dividends. Leverage, as Euclid elucidated centuries ago, means not losing sight of the sharp end of the stick.

That aside, the notion of Russia’s economy as an “investment prospect” is itself dubious. This is a place with 21 percent interest rates, inflation that is higher than what hurt former President Joe Biden, and labor and supply chain problems that would vex nimble economies, let alone sclerotic ones.

Couple that with the absolute lack of rule of law—Russia is a place where investments are placeholders, not assets; those who find themselves in favor with the Kremlin end up in resorts such as Sochi, while those who don’t end up in Siberia—and you can see why U.S. businesses have cold feet. That did not dissuade Rubio or Witkoff from dangling economic concessions, but then, this is a new, and seemingly naive, administration.

“Russia is a great first date. They show up looking like a million bucks, and then, of course, they lure you in, hand you to the tough guys and bureaucrats, and then work you over,” said Craig Kennedy, a former investment banker in Russia who is now at Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies.

Western companies—from automakers, to IT firms, to fast-food restaurants—have fled Russia for the most part since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, though some, such as Air Serbia, have stayed.

The costs for Russia are huge, while the costs for Western firms of either leaving or staying are even higher: Western firms had to either pay extortionate “exit fees” in the form of taxes on their way out or face the threat of reprisals if they come back.

This is not the commodity-fueled, early 2000s Russian economy with a laptop and lap dance for everyone. …”
 
nycfan said:
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This is how the right wing media operates now. For 20 years Fox News took a single nugget of fact, absent context and mitigating details, twisted it with mischief and malice to pluck emotional strings in its viewers. The network of unvetted malign social media accounts (not necessarily even people) has rendered the nugget of fact a vestigial organ. It’s an endless fountain of manufactured rage.
 
nycfan said:


“… The problem is not just that economic normalization and sanctions relief are some of the most coveted items on the Kremlin’s wishlist, behind only the annihilation of Ukrainian nationhood. Nor is it that sanctions relief and a return to business as usual would only give Moscow the breathing space to rearm and try for Ukraine again, thus intensifying the security burden on a NATO and a Europe that has, in the space of less than two weeks, had to learn to live without a U.S. security umbrella that had been happily unfurled for 75 years.

One big issue is that a U.S. pledge to restore economic relations means a relief in sanctions, just when the United States and the West had finally managed to get Russia to a place where the curbs on energy exports, tech imports, and other money movements were finally paying dividends. Leverage, as Euclid elucidated centuries ago, means not losing sight of the sharp end of the stick.

That aside, the notion of Russia’s economy as an “investment prospect” is itself dubious. This is a place with 21 percent interest rates, inflation that is higher than what hurt former President Joe Biden, and labor and supply chain problems that would vex nimble economies, let alone sclerotic ones.

Couple that with the absolute lack of rule of law—Russia is a place where investments are placeholders, not assets; those who find themselves in favor with the Kremlin end up in resorts such as Sochi, while those who don’t end up in Siberia—and you can see why U.S. businesses have cold feet. That did not dissuade Rubio or Witkoff from dangling economic concessions, but then, this is a new, and seemingly naive, administration.

“Russia is a great first date. They show up looking like a million bucks, and then, of course, they lure you in, hand you to the tough guys and bureaucrats, and then work you over,” said Craig Kennedy, a former investment banker in Russia who is now at Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies.

Western companies—from automakers, to IT firms, to fast-food restaurants—have fled Russia for the most part since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, though some, such as Air Serbia, have stayed.

The costs for Russia are huge, while the costs for Western firms of either leaving or staying are even higher: Western firms had to either pay extortionate “exit fees” in the form of taxes on their way out or face the threat of reprisals if they come back.

This is not the commodity-fueled, early 2000s Russian economy with a laptop and lap dance for everyone. …”
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The upside is that Putin's bitch pleases his master.
 
BlooVooDoo said:
This is how the right wing media operates now. For 20 years Fox News took a single nugget of fact, absent context and mitigating details, twisted it with mischief and malice to pluck emotional strings in its viewers. The network of unvetted malign social media accounts (not necessarily even people) has rendered the nugget of fact a vestigial organ. It’s an endless fountain of manufactured rage.
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It would have been much shorter to say, "They lie and then they repeat the lie until the brainwashed believe it."
 
Silence Dogood said:
Why do I get the feeling if Trump was "tough" with Putin and some sort of military action was used, Trump would be labeled a warmonger? The left will complain just to complain.
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"What if a bomb blew up over his head?"

Trump's obvious fear of Putin is obvious. Putin has the goods on Trump. Plus Trump is an asset.

This isn't a left vs. right (traditional) issue. Trump was a long-time Democrat and HRC supporter. But he's racist, narcissistic, vindictive. He airs and keeps grievances longer than a Sicilian mobster. More racist than Archie Bunker (both from OG Queens) He saw opportunies to get back at Obama. Then to take advantage of a growing Tea Party, alt-white wing of the GOP, the next generation of Nixon's Dixiecrats leveraged in the Southern Strategy.

The Tea Party began as a Ron Paul inspired libertarian movement. But then a half white Obama entered the WHITE house...and the Tea Party became racist and more nihilistic. Bannon's alt-right descendants are even more nihlistic and simply enjoy watching the country burn...then reserve what's left for whites only.

Trump is a combination of grifter, conman, narcissist, nihilist. Trump also has major daddy, granddaddy, and self-destructive issues.

The problem is that the Dems have really had no viable NATIONAL LEADERSHIP since 2016. None. Kamala attempted to fill the void, but was disarmed by her own (really Biden's) campaign...plus the hurricane disinformation firehose.. No Obama. No Clinton. No JFK or RFK, Sr.

This is REALITY vs. Whatever Trump makes up for Transactional Reasons.

Because there is no Democratic Leadership and Trump's D-list Apprentice Character seemed real to the MAGA masses.

...they drink the sand because they don't know the difference.

oh, and I am/was a Reagan Republican. I Know the Difference!

 
BlooVooDoo said:
This is how the right wing media operates now. For 20 years Fox News took a single nugget of fact, absent context and mitigating details, twisted it with mischief and malice to pluck emotional strings in its viewers. The network of unvetted malign social media accounts (not necessarily even people) has rendered the nugget of fact a vestigial organ. It’s an endless fountain of manufactured rage.
Click to expand...
What makes Trump different from previous Republicans is that he consumes this media. He doesn’t know it’s garbage and mindlessly amplifies it. It creates a feedback loop of idiocy.
 
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