No problem, the first thing invaders do is to extract and sell natural resources. See USA and Iraq oil.
Extract wheat in Ukraine in… February. Sure
You are assuming that they won’t stay.
Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking
331–340 of 452 posts
Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking
#332Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking
#333Earlier quoted context omitted.
That makes sense. Most of China's military policy seems to be economic. They make cheap subs for defense. US buys really expensive subs so they can attack. They spend some money their military and all the countries around them spend more money on their military. The other countries get poorer since military investment returns nothing so they have to borrow from China for critical infrastructure.
Not really, it is well alleged that CCP has a lot of military spending off the books. So the % figure of GDP we see might be higher. Also, China's posturing is not just defensive but has an offensive side as well, as seen by the naval bases it has been trying to build across the world, even in Africa.
China has 1 small Navy base in Africa. China is a long way away from having a blue water navy. There is a lot of fear mongering in the US from Admirals that want a bigger Navy. China has never conducted a Naval operation.
As of today, Beijing has just one overseas military base in Djibouti – a country which also hosts American, French, Italian and Japanese military bases, some of which also host British, German and Spanish troops. https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2020/08/31/chinas-overseas-milita...
Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking
#334Some Russian products that you would like to avoid: * Yandex * Lukoil * WinRAR * Kaspersky * Lada * Russian Standard Original Vodka * Stoli Vodka * Baltika * Lukoil * Gazprom * Kamaz * Masha and the Bear * Kalashnikov * Stolichnaya * Ural motorcycles * VK
* Nord Stream 2
Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking
#335I've found the reason (I think) 90% of the world's semiconductor-grade neon production is concentrated in one country. Per this German government whitepaper about the noble gas industry: the USSR massively overinvested in neon capacity in the 1980's, in order to build space-based excimer laser weapons. Ukraine's extant plants date (probably) to the 1980's; they're responsible for a global oversupply that's persisted…
Do we have national strategic reserves of such resources? I know we have a lot, here is a short list:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Strategic_reserves_of...
Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking
#336Earlier quoted context omitted.
If Ukraine becomes a NATO member, Russia won’t be able to defend it’s border from a conventional attack. By looking at a map, this is quite evident.
If Ukraine is annexed by Russia, the defense of the Baltics becomes much more difficult, as Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania then become susceptible to Russian attack. (Moldova too but they're not in NATO) In the graph of adjacent nations, Ukraine has a high betweenness centrality https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Ranking-of-centrality-va...
+1 for the use of betweenness centrality
Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking
#337Earlier quoted context omitted.
Exactly, and that might be a good thing. I don't have the answer to that question but it sure seems to me like our current system ruins lives and the environment to enrich the few who are willing to step on everyone else. Doesn't seem ideal to put it lightly
I do not see how you can judge others for being “bigger assholes” if you do not have an answer for what better choices they should have made. > Business are still run by people. Nobody was forced to see someone else doing something shitty and then say "well I just need to be a bigger asshole than that guy! Must be okay 'cause it's not illegal"
Paying people more than the minimum wage and not outsourcing just to save money (which some argue is just another form of imperialism)
I think that would be a good start
Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking
#338First Crimea. Then Hong Kong. Then Afghanistan. Now Ukraine. Next Taiwan.
You left out Kosovo.
Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking
#339Earlier quoted context omitted.
Putin is very rational and predictive. The nuclear option is not relevant. He moved troops to the borders, waited for a response. And this response was what he expected to be: just sanctions. This gave him the "ok" to invade. Sending troops would be a clear signal. Costly, but you can also see it as a good exercise.
> Putin is very rational and predictive. To be honest this war does make me doubt my assption that Putin is very rational and predictive. What is the rationale behind such a full-scale invasion? I don't see benefits that outweight the costs. I am happy to hear them, if they are any.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/lavrov-rus... "Their intentions are different from ours too. Putin’s goal is not a flourishing, peaceful, prosperous Russia, but a Russia where he remains in charge. Lavrov’s goal is to maintain his position in the murky world of the Russian elite and, of course, to keep his money. What we mean by “interests” and what they mean by “interests” are not the same. When they listen to our diplomats, they don’t hear anything that really threatens their position, their power, their personal fortunes."
He's psychopath-rational.
Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking
#340Earlier quoted context omitted.
I do not see how you can judge others for being “bigger assholes” if you do not have an answer for what better choices they should have made. > Business are still run by people. Nobody was forced to see someone else doing something shitty and then say "well I just need to be a bigger asshole than that guy! Must be okay 'cause it's not illegal"
Paying people more than the minimum wage and not outsourcing just to save money (which some argue is just another form of imperialism) I think that would be a good start
And then what? Go out of business because people prefer to shop at H&M and Old Navy due to their lower prices?
The blame here lies solely on society and the politicians it elects. There is no other solution where individual business owners can be expected to take on societal problems.