US quietly urges more use of Russia fertilizer to ease food crisis • Hacker News Board

Re: US quietly urges more use of Russia fertilizer to ease food crisis

#41

Post by bgorman » Tue, Jun 14, 2022, 6:34 PM UTC

yks wrote: post #29

The West could've ended this war by now if they just went all in on sending howitzers, MLRS and other heavy equipment into Ukraine but they keep slow dripping it, or just doing nothing like Germany. The most powerful societies in the world history just twiddle their thumbs while negative consequences keep mounting.

The Biden administration's goal isn't to stop the war, it is to reset geopolitics by creating regime change in Russia. For this to happen the Ukraine conflict needs to be drawn out as long as possible, perhaps even with an insurgency in southern/eastern Ukraine.

Re: US quietly urges more use of Russia fertilizer to ease food crisis

#42

Post by tenpies » Tue, Jun 14, 2022, 6:34 PM UTC

nathanaldensr wrote: post #2

So "quiet" that Bloomberg's reporting on it? If you're a farmer, you're going to buy fertilizer from wherever and whomever unless prevented legally from doing so--and I, as a citizen of the US dependent on others growing this food on behalf of me, appreciate it.

You have to understand the utter diplomatic and geopolitical incompetence of the current US adminsitration.

You're talking about the same administration that literally admitted in the open to be executing cyber attacks on Russia[1]. The fact that they haven't made most of North America glow in the dark is an utter miracle.

And to make my point clear, the issue isn't that they're conducting cyber attacks - that's a given.

The issue is admitting it, in the open, to the news media. Everyone knows this is happening, but you don't say the quiet part out loud because it's an escalation against a nuclear power and gives them carte blanche to retaliate.

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[1] https://news.sky.com/story/us-military-hackers-conducting-of...

Re: US quietly urges more use of Russia fertilizer to ease food crisis

#43

Post by gretch » Tue, Jun 14, 2022, 6:35 PM UTC

yks wrote: post #29

The West could've ended this war by now if they just went all in on sending howitzers, MLRS and other heavy equipment into Ukraine but they keep slow dripping it, or just doing nothing like Germany. The most powerful societies in the world history just twiddle their thumbs while negative consequences keep mounting.

Yeah and Russia could have ended the war by now too by simply launching their nukes.

I think it's weird you don't think anyone involved in the problem has thought of your proposed solution, or that you don't think there's any potential negative effects from antagonizing an unhinged despot with his finger on the nuke.

Re: US quietly urges more use of Russia fertilizer to ease food crisis

#44

Post by wutbrodo » Tue, Jun 14, 2022, 6:35 PM UTC

nostromo wrote: post #27

The US government has completely lost the ability to act strategically. Biden is currently in Saudi Arabia begging for more oil production, meanwhile he's blocking measures to increase North American oil production. So, instead of fixing our own problem with inflation, we're asking one of the worst regimes on Earth for help and enriching Russia with higher prices simultaneously. Even if you support greener energy, li…

Are the supply shortages policy-induced? Or do you mean not by the Biden admin, but just the regulatory status quo (incl tariffs from the previous admin)?

Re: US quietly urges more use of Russia fertilizer to ease food crisis

#45

Post by legitster » Tue, Jun 14, 2022, 6:35 PM UTC

db1234 wrote: post #10

The hypocrisy needs to be called out. Just a few months back US put a lot of pressure on countries like India to not buy Russian oil but now it's ready to buy Russian fertilizers? US media played along with multiple reports on India buying oil when Europe was buying in much larger quantities. Countries like India should buy cheap oil from where ever they can since inflation due to high oil prices can kill people. I a…

The difference is that oil is a money maker for Russia, grains and fertilizer are not so much (and are likely subsidized as part of an effort to exert influence).

Russia has little problem withholding food resources as a way of forcing cooperation. If the US can actually get Russia to agree to play their best card in exchange for almost nothing, it could be an overall win.

Re: US quietly urges more use of Russia fertilizer to ease food crisis

#46

Post by delecti » Tue, Jun 14, 2022, 6:37 PM UTC

yks wrote: post #29

The West could've ended this war by now if they just went all in on sending howitzers, MLRS and other heavy equipment into Ukraine but they keep slow dripping it, or just doing nothing like Germany. The most powerful societies in the world history just twiddle their thumbs while negative consequences keep mounting.

They don't much care if Ukraine wins, they want Russia to lose as much as possible. If Ukraine wins too fast or effectively, there's a risk of Russia getting desperate and using nukes, but also there's a chance Russia will pull back before taking as many military losses as possible through a protracted conflict.

Re: US quietly urges more use of Russia fertilizer to ease food crisis

#47

Post by me551ah » Tue, Jun 14, 2022, 6:37 PM UTC

yks wrote: post #29

The West could've ended this war by now if they just went all in on sending howitzers, MLRS and other heavy equipment into Ukraine but they keep slow dripping it, or just doing nothing like Germany. The most powerful societies in the world history just twiddle their thumbs while negative consequences keep mounting.

The west could have ended the war by holding talks between Biden and Putin too.

Re: US quietly urges more use of Russia fertilizer to ease food crisis

#48

Post by gretch » Tue, Jun 14, 2022, 6:37 PM UTC

chinathrow wrote: post #36

yks wrote: post #29

The West could've ended this war by now if they just went all in on sending howitzers, MLRS and other heavy equipment into Ukraine but they keep slow dripping it, or just doing nothing like Germany. The most powerful societies in the world history just twiddle their thumbs while negative consequences keep mounting.

I really don't get it - the west must a) either know more about Russia and its plans than the public or b) are somewhat complicit in gaining from a long war.

The 2 aren't mutually exclusive but anyone who doesn't believe in A is pretty naive.

It's saying that we, keyboard warriors on a programming forum, are just as knowledgeable as e.g. Biden who has the full briefing and resources of the CIA

Re: US quietly urges more use of Russia fertilizer to ease food crisis

#49

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Jun 14, 2022, 6:37 PM UTC

88840-8855 wrote: post #18

tut-urut-utut wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And I, as an European, hate EU government for taking a self destructive way of introducing various sanctions that affect lives of the EU citizens in a very negative ways, without doing anything to help their proclaimed goals. At this point I am not sure if they are stupid, evil, corrupt or they just despise and hate their citizens. Or maybe all of that. You Americans are least have a pragmatic government that at leas…

The European response to the war is populist and, as you say, self-destructive. But economies and people can only suffer to a limited extent. EU will return to Realpolitik soon. Let's face it, the whole bashing of Russia as a "regional power" was idiotic and wrong on the same level as starting the Ukraine war and believing they would win it within a week. Edit: stop downvoting. How silly are you?

[deleted]

Re: US quietly urges more use of Russia fertilizer to ease food crisis

#50

Post by varjag » Tue, Jun 14, 2022, 6:37 PM UTC

gretch wrote: post #43

yks wrote: post #29

The West could've ended this war by now if they just went all in on sending howitzers, MLRS and other heavy equipment into Ukraine but they keep slow dripping it, or just doing nothing like Germany. The most powerful societies in the world history just twiddle their thumbs while negative consequences keep mounting.

Yeah and Russia could have ended the war by now too by simply launching their nukes. I think it's weird you don't think anyone involved in the problem has thought of your proposed solution, or that you don't think there's any potential negative effects from antagonizing an unhinged despot with his finger on the nuke.

Ah the classic "don't rattle Putin or nuclear war" defense.