Russia; pariah state watch

[existentialist]

I sometimes wonder if the writers of things like this:


experience the same mild sense of schadenfreude at the worthlessness of the rouble as I do reading it. I'm not saying it makes me a good person...

ETA: I can't let the rest of it go unremarked, though. She'll have to pay that fine in roubles, and for all I know, it's perhaps a pretty hefty fine. I imagine that more switched-on people than I have thought about the idea of crowdfunding it, but given the situation, that's got to be tricky.

But if there's some kind of defence organisation out there that can be supported, I'd certainly be glad to know where to send my money.

 

[Raheem]

Bet everyone who thought the whole world was sanctioning Russia feels stupid now.

 

[The39thStep]

I wonder, though, if we were to weight that information in terms of, say, GDP rather than mere geographical location and size, we might see a rather different picture?

Probably but what would the intention be ?

 

[existentialist]

Probably but what would the intention be ?

The intention of what?

I am assuming the point of that Twitter bloke posting the graph was to suggest that not all that much of the world was involved in the sanctioning of Russia.

Which might be true, if you're talking in geographical terms. But, surely, what really matters is what proportion of the global economy is now involved in sanctioning them? It doesn't really matter in the slightest how much land mass they occupy. Case in point - Australia, bigger in area than Europe and the UK, but I'll bet the size of its economy is nothing like that of UK/EU. Which makes the geographical representation rather specious, beyond giving a rough idea how many countries might be or not be sanctioning.

 

[Supine]

Probably but what would the intention be ?

To give a better example of what sanctions actually mean i guess.

 

[The39thStep]

To give a better example of what sanctions actually mean i guess.

Well that’s a better answer than the one above

 

[The39thStep]

The intention of what?

I am assuming the point of that Twitter bloke posting the graph was to suggest that not all that much of the world was involved in the sanctioning of Russia.

Which might be true, if you're talking in geographical terms. But, surely, what really matters is what proportion of the global economy is now involved in sanctioning them? It doesn't really matter in the slightest how much land mass they occupy. Case in point - Australia, bigger in area than Europe and the UK, but I'll bet the size of its economy is nothing like that of UK/EU. Which makes the geographical representation rather specious, beyond giving a rough idea how many countries might be or not be sanctioning.

Look I’m all for sanctions and I’m pleased that Portugal which is one of the poorer EU states , where I am, is taking action in that regards . I think Supine makes a sensible point . However the map does show that the sanctions aren’t world wide .

 

[existentialist]

Look I’m all for sanctions and I’m pleased that Portugal which is one of the poorer EU states , where I am, is taking action in that regards . I think Supine makes a sensible point . However the map does show that the sanctions aren’t world wide .

Is anyone suggesting that they are worldwide? I've not seen that suggestion made anywhere.

 

[The39thStep]

Is anyone suggesting that they are worldwide? I've not seen that suggestion made anywhere.

The impression that many here have , and my friends in the U.K. have , is that they are .

 

[existentialist]

The impression that many here have , and my friends in the U.K. have , is that they are .

Well, in that case, you will be doing a fine job presenting them with that map.

 

[frogwoman]

I sometimes wonder if the writers of things like this:

View attachment 314529
experience the same mild sense of schadenfreude at the worthlessness of the rouble as I do reading it. I'm not saying it makes me a good person...

ETA: I can't let the rest of it go unremarked, though. She'll have to pay that fine in roubles, and for all I know, it's perhaps a pretty hefty fine. I imagine that more switched-on people than I have thought about the idea of crowdfunding it, but given the situation, that's got to be tricky.

But if there's some kind of defence organisation out there that can be supported, I'd certainly be glad to know where to send my money.

Not really tbh, I see that sort of news with a sense of dread.

 

[The39thStep]

Well, in that case, you will be doing a fine job presenting them with that map.

Very good

 

[emanymton]

The intention of what?

I am assuming the point of that Twitter bloke posting the graph was to suggest that not all that much of the world was involved in the sanctioning of Russia.

Which might be true, if you're talking in geographical terms. But, surely, what really matters is what proportion of the global economy is now involved in sanctioning them? It doesn't really matter in the slightest how much land mass they occupy. Case in point - Australia, bigger in area than Europe and the UK, but I'll bet the size of its economy is nothing like that of UK/EU. Which makes the geographical representation rather specious, beyond giving a rough idea how many countries might be or not be sanctioning.

Not just economy but transaction flows tend to go through Europe and the US. If you are paying for something in USD it has to touch America at some point.

 

[CyberRose]

Not the 'whole' world, but the parts of the world where the money is...



Edit: This is from 2009...

 

[Supine]

Nice map!

On both of them China is the obvious missing country when it comes to sanctions.

 

[weepiper]

This is interesting

Move to grant freedom of Edinburgh to Ukrainian President Zelensky

He would be bestowed the honour in recognition of their 'leadership and heroism',

news.stv.tv

The headline is just a symbolic thing really but if you read further on you'll see that the motion also calls for quite strong practical measures:



Moved by the council leader and his deputy so not some crackpot thing that stands no chance of passing.

Passed unanimously today.

Unanimous support for Ukraine as Council agrees Freedom of the City

Councillors agree to jointly grant the Freedom of the City to the President of Ukraine and Mayor of Kyiv

www.edinburgh.gov.uk

 

[The39thStep]

Guardian, this you?

Nick Paton Walsh: How I learned to love Vlad

President Putin is far from being everyone's ideal head of state. But, says Nick Paton Walsh, returning home after four years as the Guardian's Moscow correspondent, he has to be credited with saving Russia from collapse.

www.theguardian.com

 

[Raheem]

Guardian, this you?

Nick Paton Walsh: How I learned to love Vlad

President Putin is far from being everyone's ideal head of state. But, says Nick Paton Walsh, returning home after four years as the Guardian's Moscow correspondent, he has to be credited with saving Russia from collapse.

www.theguardian.com

"Try to focus on the economic miracle, rather than the murder and so on..."

 

[The39thStep]

"Try to focus on the economic miracle, rather than the murder and so on..."

Good retail section though

 

[Raheem]

Good retail section though

I only buy it for the morally bankrupt guidance on world affairs.

 

[teqniq]

I originally posted about this on one of the Ukraine threads, however today I came across this short thread which leads me to believe it's not connected to the war. The first executive 'slit his wrists' 30/01/2022, so prior to hostilities. In any event though the whole thing looks to be really unsavoury:

 

[Pickman's model]

I originally posted about this on one of the Ukraine threads, however today I came across this short thread which leads me to believe it's not connected to the war. The first executive 'slit his wrists' 30/01/2022, so prior to hostilities. In any event though the whole thing looks to be really unsavoury:

i think it's really weird but not sure where you get unsavoury from, which for me has connotations of sexual misconduct or moral turpitude

 

[teqniq]

i think it's really weird but not sure where you get unsavoury from, which for me has connotations of sexual misconduct or moral turpitude

It's just the first turn of phrase that sprang to my mind is all. I could have equally used weird, dodgy or suspicious.

 

[frogwoman]

Yeah, that's dodgy as fuck.

 

[Rimbaud]

Pure speculation - but could these people have possibly "been suicided" for, say, trying to organise opposition to Putin or plotting a coup? There are surely quite a few oligarchs unhappy with Putin right now.

 

[Supine]

The Navalny documentary was really good on bbc2 tonight.

Includes Belincat on the investigation, and navalny phoning some of the kill team they identified as being sent to poison him. Eye opening.

 

[Ming]

Well the rhetoric from the West has hardened, attacks on logistical sites in Russia and the escalation continues. The one i heard recently was the UN will move peace keepers into Ukraine’s North and West. This frees up Ukraines own troops to reinforce the South and Eastern fronts. And secures supply lines.

Pentagon chief’s Russia remarks show shift in US’s declared aims in Ukraine

Defense secretary Lloyd Austin said he ‘wants to see Russia weakened’ – a sign Washington now defines its goals differently

www.theguardian.com

 

[Raheem]

Well the rhetoric from the West has hardened, attacks on logistical sites in Russia and the escalation continues. The one i heard recently was the UN will move peace keepers into Ukraine’s North and West. This frees up Ukraines own troops to reinforce the South and Eastern fronts. And secures supply lines.

Pentagon chief’s Russia remarks show shift in US’s declared aims in Ukraine

Defense secretary Lloyd Austin said he ‘wants to see Russia weakened’ – a sign Washington now defines its goals differently

www.theguardian.com

Russia would surely be able to veto a UN peacekeeping force in Ukraine (?)

 

[Ming]

Russia would surely be able to veto a UN peacekeeping force in Ukraine (?)

Well they are a permanent member so i suppose so. But I suppose that can change as it’s increasingly isolated. I’m taking that assumption because of the change in aims to ‘keep Russia permanently weakened‘. I’m not an expert but if an internationally legal way could be found to do that it’d be a potential solution. Problem is it’d become a war were NATO is providing logistical support with the Ukrainian troops actually doing the fighting In the South/East.

 

[frogwoman]

We've also got this