Ukraine has been “informed” that it will be “attacked” by Russia on Feb 16(youtube.com)
youtube.com
Ukraine has been “informed” that it will be “attacked” by Russia on Feb 16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EljlP1pl7MQ
5 comments
Looks like a significant announcement but it really would be useful if there was an English translation of the whole speech.
So, the great army WAS TOLD when the attack would be, i.e. relies on the interested party's intelligence. That's not a strong army, that's a puppet mercenary.
A strong army forms alliances to share intelligence. This is diplomacy 101, something even Russia does.
A strong army won't trust what a demented president said especially when none of his people confirmed that. Maybe he confused the topic of the discussion - nothing new for Sleepy Joe!
Russia does not want to be encircled by foreign forces aka. NATO. I get that. The US wouldn't want that either. But Russia has not done much to assure its neighbours. Russia has invaded pretty much every one of its neighbours in the last hundred or so years; and so they have reason to seek the protection of NATO.
The US has lost a good deal of moral authority by its reckless invasion of Iraq for example. Now it asks Russia not to do the same thing.
The US has lost a good deal of moral authority by its reckless invasion of Iraq for example. Now it asks Russia not to do the same thing.
Russia biggest problem is that once they were a great nation. Now they are no longer but can't accept that. Since they have no way of keeping up with the others, all they can do is putting a spoke in the wheel of the others. If they hadn't been great or could accept that they are no longer, they could work their way up again for sure. Today they spend too much money on military and too little on development.
These exact same words could have been said about the USA also. I think all these big countries just become massively corrupt in the end.
No, they could not been said like this. No matter what opinion one has about USA, it is certainly not economically weak or dysfunctional.
Dysfunctional yes, and increasingly so. Economically weak no.
I wouldn't call debts of 30 trillion 'economically strong'.
Anybody can live well if they are happy using their credit card and never expecting to pay it back.
Anybody can live well if they are happy using their credit card and never expecting to pay it back.
At interest rate of ~1.5%. Is that what a credit card interest rate looks like?
Interest on debt looks like ~450B / yr, like 2.1% of our GDP to maintain the debt. Would you say someone who spends 2% of their income to maintain debt as someone in danger of collapse?
I agree we have way too much debt and need to consolidate it and practice fiscal responsibility. But fortunately the debt is insanely far within manageable status. Were that money used wisely (it isn't) on investing in infrastructure and research, the yield would be much higher than the interest.
Interest on debt looks like ~450B / yr, like 2.1% of our GDP to maintain the debt. Would you say someone who spends 2% of their income to maintain debt as someone in danger of collapse?
I agree we have way too much debt and need to consolidate it and practice fiscal responsibility. But fortunately the debt is insanely far within manageable status. Were that money used wisely (it isn't) on investing in infrastructure and research, the yield would be much higher than the interest.
Increase that interest rate just 1% to 2.5%.
Then the interest payments are the same number as the over-bloated defense budget: 750 billion a year.
So, the old question: Guns? Or butter?
An aside:
In my lifetime, the highest interest rate was roughly 20%. That would cause monetary collapse in the US today with an interest load of 6 trillion bucks a year.
Then the interest payments are the same number as the over-bloated defense budget: 750 billion a year.
So, the old question: Guns? Or butter?
An aside:
In my lifetime, the highest interest rate was roughly 20%. That would cause monetary collapse in the US today with an interest load of 6 trillion bucks a year.
I'm with you that debt could become a liability and it would be wise to balance the budget. On the other hand, ye old money printer can always just buy it out :/
On the other hand, ye old money printer can always just buy it out :/
Tell that to the folks in Zimbabwe. :D
Tell that to the folks in Zimbabwe. :D
> I wouldn't call debts of 30 trillion 'economically strong'.
> Anybody can live well if they are happy using their credit card and never expecting to pay it back.
You realise that countries do not retire, yes? And they have a goal of ensuring that their inflation is set between specific, low-but-positive bounds? This is what countries do and have done for centuries - they pay off the interest until the principle is eaten away by inflation. When you are functionally immortal this is an effective strategy.
We live in a period of historically low bond yields and interest rates. If a country has to effectively pay near zero interest, it is in their interests to loan as much as possible. So long as the debt load year-on-year is insignificant compared to the GDP, it is money for jam. The bond terms do not change just because domestic interest rates increase.
This is why you rarely hear non-partisan economists complain about debt load in the US. It's not a huge problem, especially compared with the degradation of secular institutions.
> Anybody can live well if they are happy using their credit card and never expecting to pay it back.
You realise that countries do not retire, yes? And they have a goal of ensuring that their inflation is set between specific, low-but-positive bounds? This is what countries do and have done for centuries - they pay off the interest until the principle is eaten away by inflation. When you are functionally immortal this is an effective strategy.
We live in a period of historically low bond yields and interest rates. If a country has to effectively pay near zero interest, it is in their interests to loan as much as possible. So long as the debt load year-on-year is insignificant compared to the GDP, it is money for jam. The bond terms do not change just because domestic interest rates increase.
This is why you rarely hear non-partisan economists complain about debt load in the US. It's not a huge problem, especially compared with the degradation of secular institutions.
So what happens if Russia doesn't invade Ukraine on Wednesday?
I don't expect to hear an announcement from Russia. Once I move my rook into position. I don't need to inform you that I will be checkmating you in 5 moves.
Well this is the "good outcome" IMO - Putin doesn't order an attack, and starts mocking NATO countries for spreading fear.
Bonus: next time he starts setting up an invasion, he gets to say, "Nah, I just enjoy moving tanks and troops around for no reason, like last time."
It's not so much him playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers, but that we're playing chess and he's playing Calvinball. The rest of us would really rather do something orderly, but since he's making up his own rules he wins and everyone else loses, no matter what -- and no matter what it costs.
It's not so much him playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers, but that we're playing chess and he's playing Calvinball. The rest of us would really rather do something orderly, but since he's making up his own rules he wins and everyone else loses, no matter what -- and no matter what it costs.
I can predict the Biden's gibberish: "We scared Putin, and he changed his plan." So, basically, you can make up any news and (try!) use it as a display of power. Well, all this assuming all people are idiots like yourself, of course!
I guess we will never know...
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"We do not encroach on others, but we will not give up our own. We have a wonderful army. Our guys have a unique combat experience and modern weapons.
This is an army many times stronger than eight years ago. We are told that February 16 will be the day of the attack.
We will make it the Day of Unity. The relevant decree has already been signed. On this day, we will hoist national flags, put on blue and yellow ribbons and show the world our unity.
We all want to live happily, and happiness loves the strong. We have never been able to give up and we are not going to learn that, ”
Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Ukrainians.