Tag Archives: sanctions

07/21/23

The State of the Russian Economy

Russia invaded a peaceful Ukraine in February 2022 — seventeen months ago — and thereafter the West imposed broad economic sanctions on Russia. Putin, knowing he was going to invade Ukraine, prepared for the anticipated economic sanctions by stockpiling liquidity, but was caught off guard by the universality and depth of the West’s sanctions.

[It is now clear Putin made the decision to invade Ukraine more than a year before the actual date of the invasion based on actions he took in preparation for the invasion.]

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03/12/22

The Structural Disconnection Of Russia From The Civilized World

We are now in the third week of the Russo – Ukrainian War and the west has retaliated against the invading Russians with economic sanctions that are slowly, but surely, disconnecting the nation of Russia from the rest of the civilized world.

Russian tank fire hitting threatening apartment building in Mariupol. Who shoots at apartment buildings? War criminals.

Countries that make war on apartment buildings, kill babies, kill children, kill women and old folks are not civilized. This is medieval, Dark Ages siege behavior and we are cowards for tolerating it.

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02/26/22

Sanctions? You Want Some Bloody Sanctions?

Whilst Putin and his Russian army destroys Ukraine militarily — they will never scratch the essence of the indomitable patriotic spirit of Ukraine — the United States, NATO, and the European Union, with some other allies such as Australia, South Korea, and Japan, are authoring sanctions. Putin will not be dismayed or swayed by sanctions — particularly these sanctions.

Putin has stockpiled $700,000,000,000 in convertible currency reserves with which to weather the storm that Putin anticipates his timid opponents will fashion. He has done this with energy exports. This was premeditated and betrays the stark calculated plan to invade Ukraine.

He was always going to invade. It was baked in from Day One. This is what happens when America is poorly led.

It is time for some real sanctions, folks.

Observation: Look at Putin’s weasel face. It is thin in this picture. Look at him now. His face is fat and old. This pic is from less than two years ago. Something is going on with the shithead.

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05/16/18

Sanctions Work – ZTE

Sanctions, Big Red Car? How dreary for such a sunny, lovely day in the ATX, yawn! OK, Big Red Car tell me about how sanctions work. Maybe a real world example?

Dear reader, let us take up the case of Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment, known as ZTE. They are a maker of inexpensive smartphones and other telecom equipment in more than 160 countries and employ 75,000 workers.

ZTE is no small fry on the international scene. When the Chinese government wants to wiggle into bed with a country, they often provide loans as an economic development tool.  Those loans? What are they used for? To set up a nationwide cellular network built by … wait for it … ZTE!

ZTE is an important element of Chinese international policy.

The Chinese also see that a large company like ZTE can break the stranglehold that American tech companies have on China. It is a nationalistic undertaking.

But, ZTE ran afoul of American sanctions. How?

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