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Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking

reuters.com

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Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking

#371

Post by eru »

k0k0r0 wrote: post #256
blobbers wrote: post #229

While the trade implications of this war are being consider, let's think of the lives of our fellow hackers. These are people who along side us develop the software of the world. They're not necessarily soldiers, they're just regular people and right now there are missiles flying at their homes, tanks in their streets. Surely there is a way we can help the people.

Yeah, anyone an idea? There is outages of the internet and mobile communications in some areas? For example is there anything one can do forom here about that?

In general, if you want to help, have a look at https://www.givewell.org/ and just pick any one of their top charities.

(Yes, their top charities don't necessarily have anything to do with whatever cause is currently in the news. They go by 'greatest improvement in human lives per buck' regardless of where those people are.)

Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking

#372

Post by eru »

contingencies wrote: post #323
jcadam wrote: post #48

I'm more concerned about Ukraine's wheat exports, personally. Likely to become a critical issue much more quickly than neon gas.

Well given the UN FAO already reported massive world food price growth driven by agricultural commodities, and the US, UK, Europe and China have all reported massive food price growth, this isn't going to help. The winners will be the large-scale agricultural commodities trading houses such as Cargill. They see this stuff coming and hedge appropriately before it happens.

If they hedge before it happens, they don't benefit from the rise: the hedging locks in the prices.

Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking

#373

Post by eru »

Borrible wrote: post #345
londons_explore wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wheat is pretty easy to ship, and globally is usually 'overproduced' due to farm subsidies. People won't be going hungry just because one countries production stopped.

Yes, but who will have the money to buy your 'overproduction', for what will he buy it and how will it be 'pretty easily' shipped? https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/05/20/food-price-spikes-and-s... https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2021/12/bread-prices-ri... https://www.skuld.com/topics/cargo/solid-bulk/agricultural-c... Filter the chart to 'All' to have a wider scope. On it and things as a whole: https://www.marketw…

Eh, if food really gets scarce, we can just eat less meat. Ie switch to more efficient means of producing food fairly quickly.

People like eating meat, so there will be protests etc, but it's not threatening famine.

> In the olden times some considered it a good measure to secure food production by subsidies. You know, hungry people get restless. If that is your intent or you don't have to face the consequences, it's fine. But for the most part to keep the masses fed is a basic measure.

Which 'olden times' are you talking about? When and where?

Direct subsidies for growing food are probably one of the least efficient ways for that goal.

Just imagine what would happen without the subsidies: the agricultural land in question wouldn't just leave the country. Mostly people just grow different things with and without subsidies.

Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking

#374

Post by eru »

ridiculous_leke wrote: post #360
k0k0r0 wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

As per him, Ukraine should be in Russia's domain due to the shared history/culture. And he's okay to pay any price for it. A side benefit for him is that he will be added to the long array of Russian leaders (Peter, Catherine, Lenin, Stalin., etc.) who are remembered for taking decisive actions(good and bad) for the Russian nation. The "NATO Problem" is probably just a ruse to rile up support for his amibitions.

> As per him, Ukraine should be in Russia's domain due to the shared history/culture.

Well, by that logic Russia should give back Königsberg and eastern Poland..

Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking

#375

Post by thelittleone »

eru wrote: post #362
samstave wrote: post #335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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...

Those government-run reserves always seem a bit silly to me. There's nothing special about the reserving business that normal private sector companies can't do. (Especially if you abolish anti price gouging laws.)

wouldn't strategic reserves (government controlled) provide security and control assurances that the private sector could not provide?

Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking

#376

Post by eru »

cjbgkagh wrote: post #276
k0k0r0 wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

CIA Director Bill Burns predicted exactly this back in 2008 when George Bush declared Ukraine would eventually join NATO.

I guess they should have either made Ukraine join almost immediately, or never announced anything?

Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking

#377

Post by eru »

fosk wrote: post #277
k0k0r0 wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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.

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 becomes Russian, then Russia will border NATO members, too. (Because Ukraine borders NATO members.)

Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking

#378

Post by eru »

jopsen wrote: post #324
fosk wrote: post #277

Earlier 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.

Russia is a tiny economy compared to NATO. With modern logistics, I don't buy the geographic argument. To be this is just Putin playing cards the rest of the civilized world have decided you can't play.

Russia's economy is smaller than even Italy's.

Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking

#379

Post by eru »

lastofthemojito wrote: post #149
pirate787 wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The United States has all kinds of tariff and other subsidies for key industries. Foreign airlines and shipping companies are literally blocked from providing domestic US services. (That's also why all major US cruise ships touch a foreign port in their journey). Steel and autos and much of agriculture are also heavily protected. These are all anti-consumer and bad public policy.

> That's also why all major US cruise ships touch a foreign port in their journey In a pedantic sense, major US cruise ships don't need to touch a foreign port in their journey. The catch being there is only one major US cruise ship - The Pride of America, which generally does Hawaiian cruises: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_of_America The other major cruise ships you see operating in the US are actually foreign…

I think it's mostly about avoiding the Jones act?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant_Marine_Act_of_1920

That's why there's basically no ocean shipping from American ports to American ports.

Re: Ukraine is a major producer of neon gas, critical for lasers used in chipmaking

#380

Post by eru »

mym1990 wrote: post #37
roughly wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But we saved some money by shuttering all our factories and outsourcing everything, so, who's to say what the right answer was. (/s)

"We saved some money" is how economics works in price competitive markets. This is a result of many players doing what keeps each one competitive, but without collaborating on what the large scale effects are down the road.

Regulation begets regulation.

Anti-price gouging regulation makes it harder for companies to benefit from disaster preparedness.

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