World Politics

[Mark F]

Republished article by krugman explaining the effect of sanctions.

 

https://digbysblog.net/

 

"The sums involved are mind-boggling. Novokmet et al. estimate that in 2015 the hidden foreign wealth of rich Russians amounted to around 85 percent of Russia’s G.D.P. To give you some perspective, this is as if a U.S. president’s cronies had managed to hide $20 trillion in overseas accounts. Another paper co-written by Zucman found that in Russia, “the vast majority of wealth at the top is held offshore.” As far as I can tell, the overseas exposure of Russia’s elite has no precedent in history — and it creates a huge vulnerability that the West can exploit."

he mentions britain. 
uninformed opinion, wonder how much putin has stashed in Saudi Arabia. 

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by Mark F

[JCon]

58 minutes ago, Mark F said:

Republished article by krugman explaining the effect of sanctions.

 

https://digbysblog.net/

 

"The sums involved are mind-boggling. Novokmet et al. estimate that in 2015 the hidden foreign wealth of rich Russians amounted to around 85 percent of Russia’s G.D.P. To give you some perspective, this is as if a U.S. president’s cronies had managed to hide $20 trillion in overseas accounts. Another paper co-written by Zucman found that in Russia, “the vast majority of wealth at the top is held offshore.” As far as I can tell, the overseas exposure of Russia’s elite has no precedent in history — and it creates a huge vulnerability that the West can exploit."

he mentions britain. 
uninformed opinion, wonder how much putin has stashed in Saudi Arabia. 

 

Can exploit but won't. 

[Mark F]

8 minutes ago, JCon said:

Can exploit but won't. 

Well he discusses that..... 

 

"There are two uncomfortable facts here. First, a number of influential people, both in business and in politics, are deeply financially enmeshed with Russian kleptocrats. This is especially true in Britain. Second, it will be hard to go after laundered Russian money without making life harder for all money launderers, wherever they come from — and while Russian plutocrats may be the world champions in that sport, they’re hardly unique: Ultrawealthy people all over the world have money hidden in offshore accounts."

Deutsche bank executives losing a bit of sleep at the  moment.

Edited February 26, 2022 by Mark F

[Fatty Liver]

4 hours ago, JCon said:

The oligarchs basically live in Europe, with their families. You take away their money or access to it, and things suddenly become real for them. Right now, they just continue to play. 

They shouldn't just freeze the Russian elite's foreign assets, they should confiscate them and force them to live in Russia year round, That might make them reconsider supporting Putin. 

[JCon]

58 minutes ago, Fatty Liver said:

They shouldn't just freeze the Russian elite's foreign assets, they should confiscate them and force them to live in Russia year round, That might make them reconsider supporting Putin. 

They should confiscate and use it to fund the Ukraine!

[Wanna-B-Fanboy]

Raytheon gifts from allies making the difference...

 

 

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by wanna-b-fanboy

[iHeart]

either she is being super nice or super savage

 

 

[WildPath]

Venezuela Can Bring Putin to his Knees - Greg Palast

I’m sure Putin is laughing when he hears Biden list his new so-called “sanctions” which are as serious as canceling Putin‘s Walmart discount card.

It’s about the oil, Mr. Biden. The price of oil. The more Ukrainians Putin kills, the higher the price of oil.

Right now, Russian tanks have pushed the price of oil past $100 a barrel. That’s a windfall worth an additional half a billion dollars a day to Russia’s treasury. With 43% of Russia’s entire federal budget coming from oil and gas royalties, Putin doesn’t care if his oligarchs are barred from getting tickets to see Hamilton.

The doubling of energy prices over the next year would bring Putin a quarter trillion dollar windfall.

Want to stop Putin‘s tanks? Turn off his war windfall.

How? Unleash the largest reserve of oil on the planet:  Lift the cruel, crazy, unjustified embargo of Venezuela.

Venezuela is capable of pumping 2 million barrels of oil a day for export.  If Biden announces an end to the embargo, the price of oil will nosedive in 20 minutes.  However, the US and Europe have laid siege to Venezuela, stopping everything from food to supplies of parts to get its oil industry back up and running.

Stop choking Venezuela’s economy and starving the Venezuelan people, who are no enemies of America, who invaded no one, and the price of oil will collapse.

The Biden administration continues to prosecute Donald Trump‘s mad embargo of Venezuela.  The embargo was triggered by Venezuela‘s insistence on taking back control of its oil industry—and, Heaven forbid, taxing Exxon.

The excuse I hear from Republicans and Democrats alike is that Venezuela is not a democratic state. As opposed to Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Qatar and Russia? It’s fascinating to me that European Union blockades oil from Venezuela but continues to take oil from Russia.

We are paying the price of Trump‘s policy, now Biden’s, at the pump and Ukrainians are paying in Odessa.

When I was a BBC reporter covering Venezuela, I got to know its people and their presidents, including Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro, as well as the opposition. Maybe Biden doesn’t like Maduro, and Exxon and BP certainly do not like Maduro, but he is the elected president. And I can tell you that while Maduro is not popular anymore because of the suffering imposed by the embargo, he was democratically elected.

And that’s more than can be said for the so-called “President“  that the US and Europe have recognized, Juan Guaido, who never even ran for president. Guaido is a rich white guy who has lived in Washington for years. The Venezuelan people, whatever they feel about Maduro, are not going to go back to white “Spaniard“ control of their mestizo nation.

So let’s make a deal: We recognize the elected government in Venezuela and Putin recognizes the elected government of Ukraine.

And if Putin doesn’t like that deal, we still recognize Venezuela, and unleash their oil, without doubt the greatest weapon on this battlefield.

Yes, the Germans have agreed (for this week at least) to cancel Nord Stream 2, the new gas pipeline from Russia.  But that’s one more cruel joke in which the Ukrainians are the punchline, ignoring Nord Stream 1. Germany continues to take Russian oil and Nord Stream gas, sending Putin nearly $1 billion a day.  This is the commercial equivalent of the Hitler-Stalin pact.

The US and UK governments have seized Venezuela’s oil revenues (and even its gold reserves), leaving its people to starve.  Yet, we are not holding back payments to Putin.

The fact that Germany has, by reports, vetoed banning Russia from the SWIFT international payments system is a clear indication that German industrialists are more than happy to send cash to Putin as long as the carbon keeps coming.

End the strangulation of Venezuela and tankers full of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) from the South American nation could cut Putin’s pipeline noose from around Europe’s neck.

So there’s your choice, President Biden: Is maintaining Trump’s embargo of Venezuela so important that you will continue to let Germany fund this invasion?

[Mark H.]

^^ Meanwhile in Canada - we spend three weeks parking trucks to supposedly protest vaccine mandates

That is just - mind numbingly privileged

 

 

[iHeart]

20 minutes ago, WildPath said:

Venezuela Can Bring Putin to his Knees - Greg Palast

I’m sure Putin is laughing when he hears Biden list his new so-called “sanctions” which are as serious as canceling Putin‘s Walmart discount card.

It’s about the oil, Mr. Biden. The price of oil. The more Ukrainians Putin kills, the higher the price of oil.

Right now, Russian tanks have pushed the price of oil past $100 a barrel. That’s a windfall worth an additional half a billion dollars a day to Russia’s treasury. With 43% of Russia’s entire federal budget coming from oil and gas royalties, Putin doesn’t care if his oligarchs are barred from getting tickets to see Hamilton.

The doubling of energy prices over the next year would bring Putin a quarter trillion dollar windfall.

Want to stop Putin‘s tanks? Turn off his war windfall.

How? Unleash the largest reserve of oil on the planet:  Lift the cruel, crazy, unjustified embargo of Venezuela.

Venezuela is capable of pumping 2 million barrels of oil a day for export.  If Biden announces an end to the embargo, the price of oil will nosedive in 20 minutes.  However, the US and Europe have laid siege to Venezuela, stopping everything from food to supplies of parts to get its oil industry back up and running.

Stop choking Venezuela’s economy and starving the Venezuelan people, who are no enemies of America, who invaded no one, and the price of oil will collapse.

The Biden administration continues to prosecute Donald Trump‘s mad embargo of Venezuela.  The embargo was triggered by Venezuela‘s insistence on taking back control of its oil industry—and, Heaven forbid, taxing Exxon.

The excuse I hear from Republicans and Democrats alike is that Venezuela is not a democratic state. As opposed to Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Qatar and Russia? It’s fascinating to me that European Union blockades oil from Venezuela but continues to take oil from Russia.

We are paying the price of Trump‘s policy, now Biden’s, at the pump and Ukrainians are paying in Odessa.

When I was a BBC reporter covering Venezuela, I got to know its people and their presidents, including Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro, as well as the opposition. Maybe Biden doesn’t like Maduro, and Exxon and BP certainly do not like Maduro, but he is the elected president. And I can tell you that while Maduro is not popular anymore because of the suffering imposed by the embargo, he was democratically elected.

And that’s more than can be said for the so-called “President“  that the US and Europe have recognized, Juan Guaido, who never even ran for president. Guaido is a rich white guy who has lived in Washington for years. The Venezuelan people, whatever they feel about Maduro, are not going to go back to white “Spaniard“ control of their mestizo nation.

So let’s make a deal: We recognize the elected government in Venezuela and Putin recognizes the elected government of Ukraine.

And if Putin doesn’t like that deal, we still recognize Venezuela, and unleash their oil, without doubt the greatest weapon on this battlefield.

Yes, the Germans have agreed (for this week at least) to cancel Nord Stream 2, the new gas pipeline from Russia.  But that’s one more cruel joke in which the Ukrainians are the punchline, ignoring Nord Stream 1. Germany continues to take Russian oil and Nord Stream gas, sending Putin nearly $1 billion a day.  This is the commercial equivalent of the Hitler-Stalin pact.

The US and UK governments have seized Venezuela’s oil revenues (and even its gold reserves), leaving its people to starve.  Yet, we are not holding back payments to Putin.

The fact that Germany has, by reports, vetoed banning Russia from the SWIFT international payments system is a clear indication that German industrialists are more than happy to send cash to Putin as long as the carbon keeps coming.

End the strangulation of Venezuela and tankers full of LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) from the South American nation could cut Putin’s pipeline noose from around Europe’s neck.

So there’s your choice, President Biden: Is maintaining Trump’s embargo of Venezuela so important that you will continue to let Germany fund this invasion?

oh joy it sounds like the Iraq war all over again (which IIRC Putin pulled Russia out of)

[HardCoreBlue]

41 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

^^ Meanwhile in Canada - we spend three weeks parking trucks to supposedly protest vaccine mandates

That is just - mind numbingly privileged

 

 

Privileged?! You’re being way too kind. I’m hoping with what is going on in Ukraine that the majority of Canadians who have always known this is THE stupidest dumbest thing they’ve seen will run out of patience and be way more vocal and drown out these extremely dumb uncaring it’s all about my rights knuckledraggers. They should be shamed and banished to the kids table until they demonstrate they belong back at the adults table. On behalf of Canada I apologize to any Ukraine Bomber Jet fans on this site for this extremely embarrassing knuckle dragging behaviour we’ve witnessed for the last two years when the pandemic hit full force. I’m ashamed.

[bustamente]

2 hours ago, HardCoreBlue said:

Privileged?! You’re being way too kind. I’m hoping with what is going on in Ukraine that the majority of Canadians who have always known this is THE stupidest dumbest thing they’ve seen will run out of patience and be way more vocal and drown out these extremely dumb uncaring it’s all about my rights knuckledraggers. They should be shamed and banished to the kids table until they demonstrate they belong back at the adults table. On behalf of Canada I apologize to any Ukraine Bomber Jet fans on this site for this extremely embarrassing knuckle dragging behaviour we’ve witnessed for the last two years when the pandemic hit full force. I’m ashamed.

Imagine being conscripted to fight for your country, fleeing for your life, sheltering in a under ground in a subway system with hardly any food with young children these tools would be hiding in their parents basements wondering why their skip order is taking so long, So tough a life of having to wear and mask or getting a pin prick so that people taking care of others in the hospitals and aren't overwhelmed. Self serving waste of space imbeciles the whole lot of them.

[Mark H.]

2 hours ago, HardCoreBlue said:

Privileged?! You’re being way too kind. I’m hoping with what is going on in Ukraine that the majority of Canadians who have always known this is THE stupidest dumbest thing they’ve seen will run out of patience and be way more vocal and drown out these extremely dumb uncaring it’s all about my rights knuckledraggers. They should be shamed and banished to the kids table until they demonstrate they belong back at the adults table. On behalf of Canada I apologize to any Ukraine Bomber Jet fans on this site for this extremely embarrassing knuckle dragging behaviour we’ve witnessed for the last two years when the pandemic hit full force. I’m ashamed.

Sure. I can't imagine a similar protest bring allowed or tolerated in Russia or Ukraine. Thus, they were priveleged. I did say it was mind numbing. 

[bustamente]

If true that's a lot of body bags that no one in Russia will see as the state media will not report that news or show battle ground footage.

 

 

Edited February 27, 2022 by bustamente

[HardCoreBlue]

17 hours ago, Mark F said:

Well he discusses that..... 

 

"There are two uncomfortable facts here. First, a number of influential people, both in business and in politics, are deeply financially enmeshed with Russian kleptocrats. This is especially true in Britain. Second, it will be hard to go after laundered Russian money without making life harder for all money launderers, wherever they come from — and while Russian plutocrats may be the world champions in that sport, they’re hardly unique: Ultrawealthy people all over the world have money hidden in offshore accounts."

Deutsche bank executives losing a bit of sleep at the  moment.

In an ideal world, regardless of nationality, they would be all exposed, thrown in the brig, all assets seized and all their trust fund kids wealth gutted. Ahhhhhhh

[HardCoreBlue]

32 minutes ago, Mark H. said:

Sure. I can't imagine a similar protest bring allowed or tolerated in Russia or Ukraine. Thus, they were priveleged. I did say it was mind numbing. 

Yup I wasn't ripping on you, I really wasn't.

Just really really reallllly frustrated with some of my fellow human beings and how they're hard wired in their inability/refusal to understand that individual freedoms and rights can come together with their individual responsibilities for the collective good.

This particular issue of taking care of yourself and blending that with your responsibility to others outside your inner circle, basically humanity is not a look at it from both sides. The how can be different but the what is non-negotiable.

Either you suck or you don't suck. 

The people who say I respect all sides here and respect people's rights to choose whatever they want to do on this particular issue are actually imho closet suckers that portray themselves to others as not sucking as a human being.

[bustamente]

The world needs to keep sending their versions of stingers and javelins to the Ukrainians these people are savage and giving the Russians more than Putin thought they could.

[Goalie]

Ukraine is like Mike Tyson in his prime. 

Just destroying 

Go Ukraine Go 

[Tracker]

1 hour ago, bustamente said:

The world needs to keep sending their versions of stingers and javelins to the Ukrainians these people are savage and giving the Russians more than Putin thought they could.

Germany is sending war materiel to Ukraine, and is no longer opposing locking Russia out of the SWIFT banking system, and European teams are refusing to play Russian teams. Every bit counts.

[bustamente]

1 minute ago, Tracker said:

Germany is sending war materiel to Ukraine, and is no longer opposing locking Russia out of the SWIFT banking system, and European teams are refusing to play Russian teams. Every bit counts.

F1 has cancelled their Grand Prix race and some countries are shutting down their air space to Aeroflot, still flying into Canada though

[Mark H.]

Just now, bustamente said:

still flying into Canada though

We'll hear a speech about that...soon.

[Tracker]

Just now, bustamente said:

F1 has cancelled their Grand Prix race and some countries are shutting down their air space to Aeroflot, still flying into Canada though

Two Dutch flights to Russia were turned around in midflight today and returned to their airports of departure.

[bustamente]

 

[Tracker]

[Tracker]

28 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Germany is sending war materiel to Ukraine, and is no longer opposing locking Russia out of the SWIFT banking system, and European teams are refusing to play Russian teams. Every bit counts.