Earlier quoted context omitted.
The point is that it's not newsworthy. None of this is.
What would be newsworthy then?
The price of fish.
Visa, Mastercard block Russian financial institutions after sanctions
71–80 of 201 posts
Re: Visa, Mastercard block Russian financial institutions after sanctions
#72Just talked about this today with a few of my Russian friends.
This only prompts Putin ratings to grow.
It frustrates the opposition (30% of Russians).
But it also makes the supporters hate the west even more.
So if all these sanctions are there to frustrate people to create a coup and a revolution - its currently working in the opposite direction.
EDIT: I don't mean it as something that I wish, just stating an opinion from locals I have spoken with.
Re: Visa, Mastercard block Russian financial institutions after sanctions
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
I thought he was cold and calculating until he attacked Ukraine. This looks downright ham-handed and heedless compared to the maneuvering of the decades leading up to now. He's made a damned fool of himself, if you ask me.
It looks stupid to me too. Which is precisely why I think there's information I'm missing. Like, I've seen arguments that the whole "Ukraine joining NATO" justification is just a pretext. But if that's just a pretext, what's the actual reason? I haven't seen a good answer yet. I honestly don't think we'll know the true story for decades.
Technically, cuba working with the soviets caused USA to propose a LOT of sanctions against them (that are still there), and also planed a false-flag attack on US soil to get a 'reason' to attack cuba - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Northwoods ..so ukraine joining nato is not that much different.
What putin is doing now is something along the Kosovo playbook... someone has interest in some area somewhere (us in kosovo, putin in donbas/lugansk), they help the separatists, the main country fights back, and then they start war (bombing in case of yugoslavia, this now in case of ukraine), to get what they want. Putin also mentioned weapons of mass destruction in ukraine ("the iraq playbook" USA used), but the theory didn't get a lot of traction.
Also, it's just the beginning of the war, so you can expect the propaganda machines to work 24/7 on both sides, so what the truth is, will probably never be know and will be rewritten by the winners and CNN.
Re: Visa, Mastercard block Russian financial institutions after sanctions
#74Just talked about this today with a few of my Russian friends. This only prompts Putin ratings to grow. It frustrates the opposition (30% of Russians). But it also makes the supporters hate the west even more. So if all these sanctions are there to frustrate people to create a coup and a revolution - its currently working in the opposite direction. EDIT: I don't mean it as something that I wish, just stating an opini…
Going by history sanctions do tend to entrench authoritarian rulers. I still think there isn't any choice. He used the "Nuclear" word and now I think Europe's policy will be containment for a very long time.
Edit: added "be"
Re: Visa, Mastercard block Russian financial institutions after sanctions
#75sigh Fifty years ago, the dollar had value because America was the one-stop-shop for everything. Cars, electronics, appliances, all of it. Nowadays, that's China. China makes everything, or the parts to make everything, and increasingly to a higher standard than can be produced in the US. Go watch Project Farm and think on those results. The dollar has value now because it functions as a medium of exchange. That's it…
SWIFT is a Belgian corporation that is not tied to a specific currency. Kicking them out of SWIFT has nothing to do with USD hegimony. China and Russia do have a competing system, it's used by China and Russia. Moreover, Russias currency and market have been in a downfall for a month, not a week - that its actions _have_ long term consequences is exactly the point. Now, please remember, there's a whole planet out the…
>China and Russia do have a competing system, it's used by China and Russia.
Don't both of them have competing SWIFT systems that don't talk to each other?
Re: Visa, Mastercard block Russian financial institutions after sanctions
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
It looks stupid to me too. Which is precisely why I think there's information I'm missing. Like, I've seen arguments that the whole "Ukraine joining NATO" justification is just a pretext. But if that's just a pretext, what's the actual reason? I haven't seen a good answer yet. I honestly don't think we'll know the true story for decades.
Google translate this: https://web.archive.org/web/20220226224717/https://ria.ru/20... It was auto published on 26 on ria and bunch of other sites and than purged. It explains everything
"Can't translate this." - typically useful error message from Google.
Re: Visa, Mastercard block Russian financial institutions after sanctions
#77great. this is why india is furiously pushing for "rupay" card system that they ingenuously developed rather than just lapping up whatever visa/mastercard offer. they can do 30/50% less fees than incumbent visa/MC and still operate in the ecosystem because all local gateways and tech stack has been built to incorporate Rupay card system same as visa/MC. the end result is, suppose tomorrow USA orders visa to quit indi…
No post body was provided.
Re: Visa, Mastercard block Russian financial institutions after sanctions
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don’t get comments like these. Does Putin strike you as an overly emotional guy who gets frustrated easily? My take is that he is cold and calculating. Not one I’d take lightly.
I just read an article that US intelligence is getting reports that Putin is having outbursts and not acting like his usual calculating self. Given his age, it's certainly within the realm of possibility that he is suffering from cognitive decline.
https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/frustrated-putin-may-...
>Western intelligence agencies have good visibility into Putin right now and are closely watching his moves for any significant behavioral changes, several current and former officials said. Four U.S. officials said there is no intelligence saying he is mentally unstable, but they said he has displayed a different pattern of behavior from in the past.
>The U.S. has solid intelligence that Putin is frustrated and directing unusual bursts of anger at people in his inner circle over the state of the military campaign and the worldwide condemnation of his actions, one former and two current U.S. officials briefed on the intelligence said.
>That is unusual, they say, because Putin, a former intelligence officer, usually keeps his emotions in check.
Re: Visa, Mastercard block Russian financial institutions after sanctions
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
It looks stupid to me too. Which is precisely why I think there's information I'm missing. Like, I've seen arguments that the whole "Ukraine joining NATO" justification is just a pretext. But if that's just a pretext, what's the actual reason? I haven't seen a good answer yet. I honestly don't think we'll know the true story for decades.
Technically, cuba working with the soviets caused USA to propose a LOT of sanctions against them (that are still there), and also planed a false-flag attack on US soil to get a 'reason' to attack cuba - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Northwoods ..so ukraine joining nato is not that much different. What putin is doing now is something along the Kosovo playbook... someone has interest in some area somewhere (u…
> .so ukraine joining nato is not that much different
Yeah it is, the Baltics are already in NATO. Ukraine joining would not significantly change the balance of power in the region.
Cuba on the other hand was far more significant because the Soviet Union did not otherwise have assets so close to the US.
Also the US never invaded Cuba in the way Russia invaded Ukraine. Their actions were more comparable to Russian support of DPR and LPR.
Re: Visa, Mastercard block Russian financial institutions after sanctions
#80Expect Russia to retaliate against MasterCard. If this is your sole credit card you might want to look for alternatives in case their computers go down.
What would be the alternative? Cash or Crypto?
Russia created its own system similar to Visa/MasterCard after the first round of sanctions in 2014