Appleyard's Posts
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emmaodet:What you have been reading is propaganda. |
kushme:Recognition acknowledged. We can do nothing but spit facts. ![]() |
Babinski:At the bolded, are you honestly mistaking or deliberately misleading? What happen to the Russian-Belarusian land border? Or is Belarus no longer a European country? It takes just 8 hours 36 minutes to drive from Russia to Belarus. How about that? Or am I the one mistaking? |
[quote author=grandstar post=111653101] The sanctions placed on Russia are devastating. They are enough to crush any economy, even the USA. I seethe at Buhari's stupid policies that prevent me from spending more than $100 a month on my debit card. I can't also use PayPal. That is little me.This is funny at best. If the sanctions are so devastating as you claimed, why is Poland crying that the sanctions have failed? Besides, the face view of any sanction effect is how it reflects on a nation's national currency. Initially, the sanctions took their effects on the Russian economy in the first few weeks, with the Ruble falling so low to about 120 to one dollar. But today, it's back to pre-invasion value and even getting stronger. What does that tell you? Sanctions don't work against a nation the stature of Russia. You said it yourself that the sanctions are enough to cripple any economy, but they haven't. Rather, those who imposed it are the ones feeling the heat. This is because the nation concerned is one that transcend three continent, and is technologically advance, agriculturally self-sufficient and energy self-sufficient, and much more, geopolitically influential. As much as you would like to hate it, a nation like Russia cannot be crippled by sanctions. Period.Now, Russia has been barred from SWIFT! That means debit cards won't work. Engaging in international trade is now very hard. Also, most countries are terrified helping Russia break sanctions. They are extremely weary lest they the face the wrath of the US, EU, Japan, South Korea and even Taiwan.Not all Russian banks are excluded from SWIFT. In fact, they left some because the EU needs them to pay for its gas and oil. Moreover, Mastercard and VISA aren't the only ones operating in the country. And the moment they left, Chinese debit and credit card companies swiftly replaced them. The Russians and the Chinese have their own equivalent of the SWIFT system which any country dealing with them can use to bypass such restrictions. Plus there are many ways to workaround this restrictions. How do you think Venezuela, Iran, and the worst, North Korea have been getting money to fund their economy? Gone are the days when the world revolves around Uncle Sam and its lap dogs in Europe. Lmao. Please, list the nations that are terrified to do business with Russia because of what US might do to them. On the contrary, no one gives a fuvk about what Uncle Sam thinks or does. Turkey, a NATO and European country refused to imposed sanctions on Russia and is actively working with Russia on many projects. Hungary don't give a dime about what the US thinks or say. In fact, it has vowed to veto any attempt by the EU to ban Russian gas. Japan, South Korea, and a host of others that placed symbolic sanctions against Russia in the wake of the Ukraine brouhaha are still very much doing bigger business with Russia. India has so far purchased 13 million barrels of oil since the Ukraine war began. While the war and sanctions were flying left and right, nations are sealing deals with Russia. Pakistan President stormed the kremlin and sealed a multi billion dollar pipeline trade deal with Russia. Let's not even talk about China's $400 billion gas and pipeline project deal with Russia. Brazil have struck a mutual defense deal with Russia for the provision of nuclear submarines. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE stood symbolically with Russia by refusing to pick Biden's calls. In fact, all the gulf states simply turn their backs on the US and its quest to isolate Russia. You want to know why? The Saudis and other oil powers invited Russia to form an expanded group known as “OPEC+,” to control output and ensure a stable, profitable oil market. The group was created to counter the effect of America’s boom in shale production. The Gulf Arab states don’t want to jeopardize that arrangement over the war in Ukraine, and see Russia as an important “linchpin” for the oil producing coalition. Algeria has paid for the S-400 and awaiting delivery despite US sanction threat. In fact, at least 13 countries have expressed interest in buying a Russian missile system instead of platforms made by American companies, despite the potential for triggering U.S. sanctions. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Morocco, Egypt, Vietnam, and Iraq have all discussed buying the S-400 missile system from Russia. Many countries in Africa, Asia and South America and doing business with Russia. No one cares about what Uncle Sam wants or thinks; the world has long gone beyond that. If the pain on the EU or USA is 10,that of Russia is like a 100. The Russian economy has practically collapsed. Iran and Venezuelans are not living like kings. The Venezuelan economy is in complete shambles, actually caused by chronic mismanagement and not really the sanctions.Stop feeding yourself with lies. The Russian economy has not collapse. Rather, its has proved so resilient as evident in the Rouble swift rise. Venezuela do not have to live like kings to thrive as a nation. How many nations are living like kings in the world yet are thriving? If Venezuela and its economy has really collapsed, I see no reason why they shouldn't jump at the opportunity of mending ties with the US and having some of its sanctions lifted when Biden recently sent a high-level team to Caracas to seek their help in their frantic bid to replace Russian oil. But alas, Venezuela gave them the middle finger because it hardly needs them anymore. Russia, China, Iran, Cuba and Turkey have been helping Venezuela to circumvent the sanctions as such that Maduro was bold enough to tell the US officials to go to hell. Iran isn't an economic paradise. Their economy isn't doing well at all. There is huge brain drain. There's a massive drug addiction problem which is symptomic of feelings economic hopelessness many Iranians face.No one is saying Iran is an economic paradise. But this is the 21st century, the world has become a global village highly interconnected. So gone are the days when some 'holier than thou' sinful states can wake up and cripple a nation with sanctions. Sanctions still bite, but they have their limits. Moreover, more state actors are increasingly focusing on pursuing their core security and economic interest first rather than pleasing the oversize foreign policy ego of a holier than thou nation. Instead of Sanctions to cripple Iran as the west envisaged, it unfortunately makes it self-sufficient in many areas. It became so technologically advanced that it was able to develop its own 'missile city' and was bold and precise enough to target and hit US military bases in Iraq without a single retaliation. It was able to spend billions to prop its ally in Syria in spite of such crucial sanctions. That's certainly not a nation with a collapse economy. Sanctions are overrated. Self sufficiency does not make you rich. It actually does the opposite. International trade is what makes countries wealthy. The more self reliant you are, the poorer you actually are.Lmao. If you are not self-sufficient in a particular area, how would you have something to trade internationally in that area? On the contrary, self-sufficiency is the precursor to becoming wealthy. You can't trade what you don't have. Wages have collapsed in Russia and people are losing jobs. Forget all the rosy picture you're painting. They are in for a very hard time.Companies in Europe are laying off workers right now, and many of the key EU states are already drawing from their financial reserves and paying subsidies on rising cost of commodities which has exceeded wages purchasing ability. Sanctions are a two edged sword. Stop painting a fairytale picture like it's only in Russia it's happening. People are already protesting in European cities. Why is the EU and USA hard on Russian energy exports you may ask? Because Putin has long used it as a weapon and their fed up of it. That's why they made the first move. To a good extent, it's counterproductive but Russia is really feeling the pain. The EU may have to backtrack a bit.Nonsense! Every country use what it has politically and economically as leverage. In fact, no one does it better than the US and EU. Unless you want us to believe that sanctions are not political and economic leverage. I am sure the average Russian would love to kick Putin out but the tyrant is going nowhere. Just like in Iran, Venezuela and Iraq under Saddam, the tyrant will hold on to power through the barrel of a gun. Russians are a hardy bunch and will have no choice but to suck it up.Really? Sorry to disappoint you, Putin's popularity rating just reached a new high, and even one of the most russophobicly bias and famous western media paper couldn't help taking note: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/31/world/europe/putin-approval-rating-russia.html Currently, no leader in the west enjoyed such nor has ever reached such approval rating of 83 percent . According to you and the west, Putin is a tyrant, meaning about 88 million Russians have tyrant-loving gene. . The thing is, the people love their 'tyrant' same way the Hungarian people love their 'thug' prime minister. Sadly, sleeping Joe's approval rating is a meager 34 percent. ![]() Pathetic. ![]() |
BKayy:The guy is just an emotional Ukrainian propagandist who think Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia has ''completely isolated'' a country the size of Russia. I wanted to help him see something but decided against it because he is always too pompous to accept his errors. On the contrary, it is Russia that has the capability to cut off the three Baltic states from the rest of Europe.The guy is very funny. |
grandstar:At least, you made sense and argue maturely unlike some of the kids we have in here that argue from a point of emotions. Now, let's get this straight. Russia did not put anyone at Putin's mercy. Rather, it's the EU beurocrats that is putting themselves at the mercy of Russian exports. There is a reason why the EU is divided when it comes to banning Russian oil and gas. Not only would they be committing economic and political suicides, the fact is, there is no good alternative to Russian oil and gas, and weaning themselves off Russian gas is not just feasible at least for the next 5 years for the major European economies. If that's the consequences they want to damn, well, no one is holding them; they can proceed. Moreover, if the EU nations stop buying Russian oil and gas today, of course, Russia export reserves will be squeezed, but it will also drive oil prices higher, as global supply constricts without Russian oil. The price of a barrel of oil went past $110 weeks ago even as the EU debated its moves. Analysts have warned that prices could touch $200; even more dramatically, Russia has warned of $300 oil if the EU halts oil and gas imports. According to European Central Bank estimates, a 10% gas shortfall will trigger a 0.7% contraction in GDP. A total ban on Russian energy is likely to shove the EU into recession, Rishi Sunak, the UK’s chancellor of the exchequer, warned last week. And the effects will spread, Sunak said; the UK economy would take nearly a $100 billion hit, or about 3% of its GDP. So, Europe will be the one to suffer more. The reason is obvious: you cannot replace 'cheap' oil and gas. Russia isn't really desperately looking for buyers for its oil. Lmao. The US, Canada and Australia aside, the EU is just 27 nations, out of the 44 countries in Europe, and not all of them subscribed to banning Russian oil, e.g, Turkey and Hungary. The remaining 17 countries don't care from who they buy their oil. Plus, there is southeast Asia market, with the ever oil and gas hungry Chinese market waiting to soak up every drop even at a fair discount. Who wouldn't bounce at the opportunity to get cheap oil? This was how Venezuela and Iran circumvented the western ban on their oil. The Chinese and Indian market alone would dwarf any shortfall an outright EU ban on Russian oil might bring. We saw this playbook in 2021, when Chinese buyers gorged on cheap oil from Iran and Venezuela, taking the most from the U.S.-sanctioned regimes in three years. Observed imports were 324 million barrels that year, a rise of 53%, according to data and analytics firm Kpler. In fact, since the start of the Ukrainian war, India have already purchased 13 millions barrels of Russian Ural oil. On agriculture, Russia is the number one producer of wheat in the world while Ukraine ranks 5th. Russia ranks 6th in global corn production while Ukraine ranks 5th. On Barley production, Russia ranks 2nd after the EU with Ukraine a distant behind. Ukraine and Russian leads in Sunflower production. So, as you can see, Russia is also a major force to reckon with on global agricultural scale. A country that is technologically advance, mostly self-sufficient in healthcare needs, produces its own foods, and is completely energy self-sufficient, can never be intimidated by sectional sanctions nor can it be ever isolated as some dimwits would want you to believe. Why? Because it's a global player and many other parts of the world needs it inputs to thrive. |
chronique:Exactly. |
AldrichAmes:You have said it all. In saner climes, someone like Zelensky should be prosecuted for treason against the diverse people of Ukraine. I believe they have something on him, or like someone pointed out, he is acting like someone that has bipolar disorder. The way he would say I want to negotiate today, then ask for weapons tomorrow is enough to believe that. This man could have made Ukraine neutral from the very beginning, and Ukrainians would have been living in peace now. But no, he didn't. Rather, he chose to massage the US and NATO ploy to have bases installed in Ukraine which could have completely undermine Russia's security and nuclear deterrence, giving the US a first-strike advantage and preventable retaliatory strikes over Russia, which is so plausible considering the huge size and length of the border and airspace Ukraine shares with Russia. As for the Russian endgame, I think the two separatists regions of Donetsk and Luhansk are forever gone from Ukraine. They will become independent, no doubt. If Odessa is added to that, it means Ukraine would be completely cut off from sea, including the black sea. It would become a landlock country with a landlock army, one that will certainly pose no threat to Russia anymore for many years to come. The Russian phase two will tell where this will end. |
Cptflint:The funny thing is that there is nothing anyone can do about this anymore. They have exhausted all their options. That more than 10,000 car drive March in Germany recently sent shivers down the government spine. Plus the Viktor Orban's landslide electoral victory in Hungary just shows that a country like Russia cannot be isolated, and that not everyone are zombified by the west painting of Russia over the Ukraine war. This is one reality they will have to reckon with. |
seunny4lif:Ordinary cucumber has vanished from UK stores, while UK, Spain, Germany and French government have started paying billions of money to subsidize energy prices, yet other commodities prices are skyrocketing. In fact, food prices are expected to hit 50% this coming week. The US have quietly lift a ban on Russian fertilizer because they couldn't find alternatives. Meanwhile, the Ruble keep soaring driving Poland to cry out in disbelief that the initial sanctions have failed to achieve their aims. Uncle Sam was forced to release oil from their reserve in a bid to cushion the rising cost of oil, gas and commodity cost in the states. The most funny of the day is Germany considering expropriating Gazprom because it is irreplaceable in the German economy. . The Germans just confessed that Russian gas is irreplaceable in their economy, something we have known all along. ![]() Reality is a bad bitch that ditches out confessions like a crash-landing witch. ![]() |
John360comng:Most Ukrainians don't give a dime about NATO. They just want to live their lives in peace. It's Zelensky and his Nazi nationalists that were playing to the gallery to satisfy US and NATO policies that has created this mess for Ukrainians. Before this war, Ukrainians don't even need Visa or cross border passports to enter Russia. There is hardly any Ukrainian that doesn't speak Russian. It's politicians that caused this mess. |
IgOga:So.many people here on Nairaland simply do not understand reality. |
ivolt:Sarcastic falsehood. |
Difrent:I sometimes wonder why someone would happily sacrifice the peace, economy and security of his country just to please US foreign policy. Something tells me they had something on him. |
Padipadi:The fact that Orban stood against using his country as a weapon shipment to the war in Ukraine yet his people still gave him a resounding victory, just shows that the Hungarian society sees beyond the facade of so-called western liberal DeMoncrazy. If putting your country's economic and security interest first is what makes a leader evil, the Hungarian people just told you they love this kind of evil. So stop swallowing Panadol for another man's headache. |
I didn't expect less from the people for a leader who decide to stand for the interest of his people first as against selling their long term security and economic interest to massive the oversize ego of the US led EU zombie Bloc. I duff my hat for this courageous leader, a Christian to the core, a realist who never betrayed his people, unlike the Ukrainian comedian who is painstakingly doing everything possible to destroy Ukraine while his western puppet masters and their Lamestream media covens hails him as a hero. Pathetic. |
santos247:Not much of mineral resources? No country in Europe is as rich as Russia in mineral resources. Only a few countries in the world tops or compete with Russia in terms of mineral resources. For instance, Russia has the biggest mining industry in the world. How you could conveniently type they don't have much mineral resources is misleading. Or were you genuinely wrong? |
VirileNelly2420:Don't blame him, so many kids in here are greatly misinformed. They actually think sanctions can end a nation. |
MouthofdGods:And how does that absolute control brings gas to Germany? Will nationalizing Gazprom automatically turns and allow the gas taps to keep flowing from Russia? I suspect this move is about the German-Russian discussion on the new gas payment demanded by Russia. Putin has given them a grace of one week to allow the Ruble system to come online for easy purchase or Rubles. |
In other words, Blinken is saying "we will never allow this war to end so soon. Ukraine must be decimated and Zelensky has no say on how the peace talks should go, or when should peace return to his country." The term "we are strengthening his hand" could mean, "We have reminded him that should he not play by our books, the $1.9 billion loot in his offshore account (money even bigger than the reach of the best comedian in the world), his corruption case will soon pop up and he would be replaced easily." Now we can see why Zelensky will say one thing and do another. He is clearly not in control. Zelensky Don enter one chance. |
VictorUSA:No. Not from the media. This is where common sense guided by logical reasoning comes in. Now I want you to think critically. If Iraq actually has weapons of mass destruction (weapons capable of killing thousands at a go) do you think the US and British would have dare to invade Iraq so confidently? Don't you think a 'mad man' like Saddam wouldn't have hesitated twice to use such weapons on the invading forces the moment they landed on its soil? Think bro. Let's even assume for once that the US 'honestly' believed that Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, don't you think it is sheer recklessness on their part to put boots on the ground knowing that they could be incinerated by the enemy's weapon of mass destruction?. The above are just logical possibility tidbits you can ponder to deduct the truth depending on what you believe from your answers. Now, other facts that led to my conclusion proving that Iraq never had such weapons. UN weapon inspectors went in there and comb every sites that such weapons could possibly have been hidden, they found NOTHING. Other evidence where provided, still nothing. The UN concluded that Iraq had no such weapons. Yet, the US disregarded the UN report and still proceeded to bomb and destroy Iraq, Killing more than 500,000 civilians. Yet, they couldn't turn up any weapon of mass destruction after the war. Till today, we have not seen any Iraq weapons of mass destruction. So our logical and common sense conclusion was proved right. Iraq never had such weapons. The only weapon of mass destruction Iraq ever had was selling oil without the US Dollar. And we know this because the first thing the invading forces did after bombing Iraq to shred was to turn the Saddam's oil financial arrangement back to the previous Dollar format it was before Saddam changed it. The Financial Times even carried this news back then. It was never about any stupid weapons; it was about the oil without Dollar scheme Saddam was using which was a very dangerous precedent that other middle Eastern countries could have copied, meaning the compete death of the petrol dollar. |
Sadr:Ah common now... we should help one another to know truth. The reason we need each other is because what some of us consider as reality is nothing but false reality. For example, a false flag like the 9/11 attack is a reality but a false reality. Unfortunately, some people finds it so hard to differentiate both. Logical and deductive reasoning always come to the rescue but not everyone is blessed with that. On the other hand though, you may just be right. Because even when you prove to some of them that this is why A went to slap B, they will still chose to remain in their ignorance because to them, as long as A has slapped B, A is the sinner and B is the saint notwithstanding that B was the one that actually provoked A to slap B. This is the ignorance we have to deal with on so many threads on Nairaland. Is painful. |
chronique:That Visa part is always annoying. It just tells you that so many black people can no longer think for themselves. In fact, they're not even independent in their mind. And that's the reason Africa has the current crop of bad and visionless leaders it has today; that inferiority psychotic complex. Is disheartening I swear. But each time they come up with that Visa line or the 'if you so much love Russia or country B, then relocate there and live', I just tell them "Comments like this is the reason Bob Marley cried 'Emancipate yourself from mental slavery'". Once you give them that reply, most times, they will never bother you again. Cause you just hit the truth right on the nerve. ![]() |
seunny4lif:Desperate times calls for desperate measures. Venezuela has given the US the middle finger. The funny aspect of it all is that no one is picking Biden's calls in the Middle East. You need to see how the Israeli Prime Minister was looking at Blinken as the US man was trying to undo the regime change stupendous call Biden made in Poland. It was so funny that I burst out laughing. ![]() Biden's foreign policy is a disaster so far. |
Drenimarcus:Wait until the one week grace period Putin gave them to get their act together to buy Ruble expired. It's then you will see real protest. The average European cannot tolerate suffering for 48hrs. By the time Putin turns off the gas taps, you will see real protest, unless the keep subsiding the rising prices, but for now long? |
seunny4lif:A whole 10 Russian oil tankers |
seunny4lif:The way the EU nations are allowing the US to fuvk them up is beyond pathetic. Even Putin sometime ago was forced to ask rhetorically "what did the US have on EU leaders?" Because their actions in blindly supporting the US foreign policy while hurting themselves economically doesn't make sense at all. Just imagine, the US have quietly lift the ban on Russian fertilizer because it's a key component for their farmers who threatened to invade Washington with tractors. But it's goading the EU to cut off Russian oil and gas even though it's crucial to their economy and competitive advantage in productivity and price/market share. And sadly, the sheepies in the EU are saying 'yes sir'. Who does that? ![]() |
Drenimarcus:Most Nigerians are controlled to take sides via the fake life they see on Hollywood couple with MSM lies. Most of them don't even know that as a black man, you are more likely to be killed in the US than anywhere else in the world. |
pacino26:Spot on! The loop broadcast is part of the brainwashing and mind control initiative. I remember one German journalist sometime ago said that majority of the MSM outlets you have out there are on the payroll of the CIA. They attempted bribing him also but he refused and barely escaped with his life. I think he is dead now, because then he was sick. Malcom X once said that the greatest weapon in the hand of the enemy is propanganda. Just imagine how some of these same MSM covens helped to hammer home the greatest lie of the century that Iraq had weapons of Mass Destruction. Till date, some people still chose them as their main source of news. It tells you how leather the brainwashing has become. |
chronique:Talk about double standards. Here you have it: Palestinians/Yemenis/Iraqis women and children making Molotov cocktails, western MSM tagged them TERRORISTS. Ukrainian women and men made Molotov cocktails to ambush Russian tanks and armored vehicles, western MSM called them HEROES. Anyone still relying on MSM as it's ultimate source of news is already subjected to mind control. Because that is what they represented. |
VictorUSA:The truth lies in the reality of the moment in tadem with logical reasoning. Never allow anyone to reason for you. Reason without bias and your mind will lead you to the truth. |
Drenimarcus:So many people on Nairaland only reason with emotions and unable to think for themselves. How could any sane person expect that a country like Russia can be isolated and has no friends? This is a country with 11 different time zones, with a great history and one of the greatest nations to grace the earth....because it has some few geopolitical disagreement with some few nations in Europe, some Nigerians think it is already isolated. |
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If you are not self-sufficient in a particular area, how would you have something to trade internationally in that area?
No country in Europe is as rich as Russia in mineral resources. Only a few countries in the world tops or compete with Russia in terms of mineral resources. For instance, Russia has the biggest mining industry in the world. How you could conveniently type they don't have much mineral resources is misleading. Or were you genuinely wrong?
BTW. Saw protests in Britain regarding gas prices.