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Europe Threatens It May Halt Russian Vodka, Caviar Imports
European leaders will meet next week to discuss a three-tier plan to impose "costs" on Russia if today's Ukraine election is not deemed "free and fair." Reuters reports that the low-, medium-, and high-intensity scenarios that the always-so-smart EU leaders have created start with impose restrictions on imports of Russian luxury goods including diamonds, precious metals, furs, vodka and caviar. The sabre-rattlers then escalate up to the "stage three" measures against Putin with a complete ban on imports of oil and gas from Russia. In other words, in spite of German business damnation, EU leaders will commit economic suicide and stop importing gas just to teach Putin a lesson... well played...
As Reuters reports, EU leaders will hold their first detailed discussion next week of specific steps they can take against Russia if Ukraine's elections are not free and fair, including restrictions ranging from luxury goods imports to an oil and gas ban.
EU leaders will discuss a list of sanctions that combines elements from the low-intensity, medium-intensity and high-intensity categories, one diplomat said.
"A basket of concrete measures has already been prepared ... and it takes measures from all three scenarios, including sanctions in the financial, energy and arms sectors," said the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A two-page document setting out three scenarios - low-intensity, medium-intensity and high-intensity sanctions - was circulated to member states last month and will form a basis of discussion at a leaders' summit on May 27.
Under the first, low-intensity scenario, according to details from the document provided to Reuters, the EU would impose restrictions on imports of Russian luxury goods including diamonds, precious metals, furs, vodka and caviar.
In terms of exports, the EU could restrict the sale of fertilisers, chemicals, tyres and vessels to Russia, although components for the steel and nuclear industry would be excluded. There would also be restrictions on arms imports and exports.
The middle scenario laid out in the document includes restrictions on trade and investment related to financial services and on the free movement of capital, as well as an import ban on coal, restrictions on maritime and road transport and a pause in investment in the Russian energy sector.
At the toughest, high-intensity end of the scale, the EU is considering capital-market restrictions, a potential prohibition on new investment in Russia, the strict application of EU regulatory rules on any Russian assets held in EU companies, and ultimately a complete ban on imports of oil and gas from Russia.
Banning oil and gas would have a powerful impact on the economy. The EU imports around 30 percent of its energy needs from Russia at a total cost of about 130 billion euros in 2013, according to European Commission figures. Several countries are nearly entirely dependent on Russian energy.
The measures under consideration by the EU are what have been dubbed "stage three" sanctions, following asset freezes and travel bans on Russian and Ukrainian individuals - the first step - and restrictions on some companies.
But - as is usual in the European "Union" broad agreement is far off...
However, while the EU has repeatedly said it is prepared to move to stage three sanctions if Russia destabilises eastern Ukraine or interferes with presidential elections on May 25, there is no unanimous backing for such a move.
Some countries with close trade and energy ties with Russia, such as Italy, Greece and Germany, are worried about the potential impact on their economies of stricter sanctions, and others, such as Cyprus and Austria have close financial links.
Unless there is unanimous backing for stricter sanctions, the EU will not be able to move ahead - a hurdle that has been frustrating for the United States, which is keen for Europe to move further in imposing restrictions on Moscow.
Hardly a surprise that not everyone is so excited about EU leaders' sanctions plans...
Germany's Deutsche Bank said in a research note that Europe could afford to impose tough sanctions on Russia, but "The Ukraine crisis and further sanctions will not be inconsequential for the profile of the European recovery..."
EU member states remain highly concerned about the possible blowback from tough sanctions on Russia, and diplomats have said they do not want to provoke another economic crisis after years of debt turmoil.
That suggests that while sanctions will be a key topic at Tuesday's summit, reaching a unanimous position on further tough measures remains some way off and may never happen if Russia steps back and Sunday's elections in Ukraine are calm.
It seems Putin's words are more prophetic than ever...
"Everything in the world is interdependent and once you try to punish someone, in the end you will cut off your nose to spite your face."
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Good cop, Bad cop?
Vodka....wtf?
RIPS
Are they fucking nuts!?
More like:
Dumb cop, dumber cop.
Putin's dream
Incontinent Impotent Western Leadership Across the Board
More like Putin's reality, wouldn't you say.
Look, these types of article just highlight how navel-centric the leadership of the vast majority of the west has become.
DaddyO
I'm sure that China will suck up the furs, diamonds, precious metals and caviar as the EU manipulates the prices downward. No prob'em
Holy gold imports, Batman!
Have you seen some of the crud that is sold in the markets of China.
I'm of the opinion, the Chicoms will eat most anything.
As to the Chicoms picking up the slack, I'm sure they'll be happy to oblige every chance they get.
At this point it becomes a game of who can slap Obummer the hardest.
Anything coming out of the EU as grief is just pure gravy.
DaddyO
I'm sure the crud that is sold in US/European fast food joints is even worse. But of course it is nicely packaged and has sassy advertisement which makes it nice to swallow even if it is pink slime with ammonia/horse meat/rat meat (and the occasional condom in your big mac).
Keep voting, that's what they want. The longer you think your vote makes a difference, the longer they will keep raping your children and grandchildren's future.
European leaders will meet next week to discuss a three-tier plan to impose "costs" on Russia if today's Ukraine election is not deemed "free and fair."
Funny but I dont remember the Russians threating the Euros with sanctions over the Crimea elections. If you ask most europeans I am sure they will not want sanctions against Russia, but like in the USA, when are the people ever really represented.
I'm going to 'immolate' myself to teach Putin a lesson !!!
...wait a sec, let me rethink that.....
.
Good call.
Yep Knuckles and guess what - no infrastructure required unlike oil and gas...just load the trucks/aircraft and here comes the furs, diamonds, caviar...
Oh shit, RafterMan, I didn't think of that!
Oh, the black market in furs, gems, vodka...
The truckers and customs officers will make fortunes!
Inside every black cloud there's a pink lining... or sumptin' like that...
Please don't ban Russian Porn...please
Same thing as sanctions... only the poor get fucked.
here's a biz deal.
Import caviar from Moscow to South Africa. Put a different label on it. Reexport to EU. If they bitch or question it, yell Racist!
Western 'leadership' starts at the bottom, then works its way down.
Pure propaganda play. In this instance of the Ukraine, Russia has been as rational in its response as any other power would be were the tables turned. NATO is flat out lying on their motives and the causes on this one.
Not the caviar! What will we do without that slimy, salty shit?
If it weren't a "luxury" good, you couldn't give it away.
most Kaviar ends up in Brussels anyway. Do thet realize they are boycotting their own EU lunch packets?
Could we take up the slack in Mooch's school lunches?
It be fo' da' chillen'
"Hold it. Next man that makes a move,..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_JOGmXpe5I
Belgium's caviar money has been blown on 10 year treasury defense. Unless of course the fed has a swap in place to facilitate the purchase...
Ergo. Damn the sanctions - caviar, top shelf booze, weapons grade dope, a panoply of sex slaves for the demonic denizens of brussels, antwerp, and likely bruges.
Somehow your comment reminds me of Baudelaire's "Le chien et le flacon".
Keep eating those big macs!
Dumb cop, ideologically retarded cop. It is oil, gas, uranium and palladium they should be worried about.
Hey let's ban haircuts only to have them ban cancer treatment. Lol.
Vodka wins.
If the tribe is serious the Russo-Sino Corp will get an unwinding they will never forget.
In theory but in my view russia is in a better place to facilitate a religious experience than is the tribe. Ww3 notwithstanding where everyone gets their hair parted with a radioactive wind.
Jim Willie is right. Germany will switch sides when the time comes. They do too much business with Russia and China to keep going a long with this. Theyve also been the only ones doing anything about PM manipulation.
When the time comes theyll support the Brics a long with the Saudis and it ill be a big FU to the EU when they do it. The German people will only let themselves wither so much before they cut the cancer.
Hope you're right.
they'll switch sides when they find out that their stollen gold AINT EVER comin' back.....and they know where their energy is coming from.......without the energy the Germans have NOTHING
That is why the USA troops are there in Germany, to make sure the Germans dont switch sides. I mean the USA saw, when Soviets left the East Germans switched sides, the USA is making sure Germans can't switch sides again.
If the Germans help the BRIIICS (the two new I's are Iran and Indonesia) destroy the dollar how is America going to pay for those troops?
This is the part everyone keeps forgetting. If Russia and China do this they would cripple the military backing our currency because our entire monetary system would fall into chaos and these people could not be paid.
When the USSR fell they had to relinquish a lot of territory... I suspect it will be the same for the US.
Whatever economic debacle ensues, many millions of lives will be affected adversely in many nations, and all because our fucking u.s. neocon warmongering destabilizers targeted ukraine and commited 5 billion to turn that govt inside out because jewish oligarchs faced massive potential losses there. Consider the trillions in potential economic losses across the globe, worldwide geopolitical unrest, massive unemployment and potential starvation. It is not worth it and our leaders clearly demonstrate that they no longer have any humanity.
Guess who just got elected president in ukraine? Poroshenko, top dog oligarch, father of the orange revolution, jewish billionaire and western puppet. I'm claiming first dibs on dropping the guillotine blade on Nuland, Rumsfeld, Feinstein, geithner and other enemies of the state if ever such opportunitiy arises and becomes legal and sanctioned by 'the people'.
lulz
european recovery, lulz
They should give up the "Nuland cookies" first.
They also may want to kick out the CIA, NSA and DC US bases.
Who gives a shit about lame ass moves like this...
Russia-China gas deal could ignite a shift in global trading | via @Telegraph http://fw.to/wIKHipR
I’m referring to the $400bn deal struck between Moscow and Beijing
The unipolar model of the world is over,” declared Vladimir Putin last week.
The global picture has completely changed
If Russia and China now decide to drop dollar energy pricing totally, America’s reserve currency status could unravel fast, seriously undermining the US Treasury market and causing a world of pain for the West. This won’t happen tomorrow or next year. It’s unlikely even by 2020. But by announcing this deal, Russia and China turned the screw half a twist more.
Believe it or not, that Sino-Russian gas deal was mentioned a time or two on Zero Hedge.
Gee great but I was on it first IDIOT !
As I was saying....Europe doesn’t want Russian sanctions – St. Pete forum delegates to RT http://rt.com/business/161312-petersburg-economic-forum-sanctions/#.U4KH...
What were you trying to say puppet? Even using the statements of others your still missing the point.
The take away here should be despite the sanctions that have already been applied against Russia, without any measurable success, the vulnerable EU officials clearly have no answer for the Russian move in the Ukraine and have no choice but to continue with these empty threats. While that is obvious, more interestingly is this implies there is some substantial positioning at stake.
It would be ignorant to believe that Russia hasn't planned for nearly this exact scenario, and I'm sure they are also prepared for the next move. With full out war out of the question for the time being and Russia having the upper hand it will be interesting to see if the west/EU will be force to escalate the situation or stand down. My opinion is the vote will go in favour of the Russian position, and then we shall see where the chips lay.
One thing is certain those boys are back on their heels now.
The assumption that QE to infinity can last for another 5-10 years"..I think is mighty iffy.
Um how big is the Russian fur trade outside of Russia? I mean come on...
Are you talking about Russian mail order brides?
I hear the next great thing along those lines will be NATO mail order brides.
Um nope, actual fur, as in mink, what you are referring to is the white slave trade, which is big in tel aviv, or so I've read.
Listen up!
A bud of mine just got back from Croatia and says the women's legs there are silky smooth ... because they don't shave 'em
Not as silky as that Eurovision winner. I hear his/her legs are even silkier than his five o clock shadow is.
Ready, Fire, Aim!
BTChez
What a bunch of maroons.--Bugs Bunny
Old Vlad the Impaler should just tell the Yurps that the next round of sanctions they enact will immediately be met by an immediate cessation of oil and gas supplies.
Either they are reliable trading partners or they are tools of the Empire.
Maybe the very low voting recorded for right-wing neo nazi Ukrainian Nationalists is now going to make them all very nervous.They were all used as literal suckers to overthrow the last socialist government.Now that a confirmed moderate is in place you can expect the U.S. CIA to get rid of most of the neo nazi leadership. Now that they are of no use to the neo-cons in Washington any longer they serve no purpose other than to be "off'd" in order to make Ukraine look good for further financing and money flows.A lot of those nazi types will be getting double crossed and whacked in mysterious deaths.
Don't feed your dogs anything made in China. Especially the Jerky treats.
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/05/19/toxic-jerky-treats-linked-to-mo...
trade war....trade war....trade war
As bitch Nuland said, f&ck the EU and the EU can F*ck itself to death for all Russia cares.
Belgiim takes about 70% of Russia's diamond exports (3.8 billion last year).
Thousands are employed in Belgium in the diamond biz - gems to abrasives. Why would Belgium screw up its raw material supply just to help the US give Valdimir a little spank?
Belgium is also more reliant on Russian energy imports than Germany.
WOW!
Belgium buys everything!
70% Russian diamonds and now it's the third largest creditor of the US by buying all those treasury bonds!
With a population of 11.1 milion people, they must be all dressed with US treasuries and ornamented with diamonds!
Good. That leaves more vodka for the russians!
In the old days it was said that a russian cares not who rules him. As long as he has a bottle of vodka to suck and some form of domestic animal life to fuck, he would gladly shit and piss his life away. THAT was his politics. Its nice to see they've evolved.
Being that its the 100 year anniversary of ww1, i suppose its appropriate to see the return of world conflict and rise of nationalism and imperialism around the globe. Sustainability is no longer the first consideration, its survivability.
If you want to hurt the Russians you should stop selling them European cars. Tell them it's GM or nothing.
The joke being that Russians actually LIKE GM... Yukons are quite the thing to have where the gas is so cheap.
OMG...this could mean SOBER EUROPEANS!!!
What Bullshit is this!
With no gas, no economy how can Europe think of importing Caviar & Vodka anyway.
Of course this applies to the poor first. The rich will anyway have their channels/access to what they want.
They will ban it between mouthfulls of vodka and caviar- LOL
To be paid for with the fees collected by laundrying drug cartel money.
I hope all this talk of Trade war results in the resignations of those in the West who try to implement them. It's time the people said Enough is Enough.
Anyone with an iota of common sense understands that the US is the cause of all the problems.
If at all sanctions- Europe should have sanctions against America for the harm done to it.
I don't especial;y like Russian vodka and I am not a big fan of fish eggs but I will definitely allocate $500/month to buying these products online through invulnerable sources if the idiots in the EU and DC think they can pull a fast one.
I'm thinking of a Caviar Pizza/ Russian Vodka dinner at our local VFD to pay the guys back for all the good work they do.
cheaper stuff for China, India.
Come to think of it, India is crucial. If India join Russia and China, the game is over for the west and US dollars.
These vewy vewy tough sanctions will strike Tewwor in the hearts of those wascally Wussians.
Never mind about the sale of those start-of-the art Fwench warships still going ahead. Or the lack of any bans on Wussian money in the City of London. Pure oversight, and not important, don't you wuwwy my fwiends.
These vewy vewy tough sactions. Tewwifying!
Awesome Bonny Fwank, dood.
Poor bankers where do they find now the daily caviar from!
Considering that beluga caviar is already banned for import into the US (Cuban cigars, anyone?) by the USFWS, I assume they'll be getting it from all the "usual suspects" they have been for so long.
Bankers can get all the caviar they want from Switzerland. I hear that country has a "small" banking industry and isn't part of the EU or its regulations.
The EU leaders are not the European Union. What I mean is, the EU leaders are bought and paid for neo-cons. The Washington global neo-con movement has done much work to make sure the leaders in Europe are extensions of US foreign policy. The business and social elements that make up European main street, is not nearly as invested in this American neo-con agenda. Big money has been poured into EU leaders and big paying jobs for themselves and family members are lavished by corporate America and NGO's, centered in Washington. These are really bribes to keep the leaders in lock step with Washington's dollar and military hegemony advances. Leades do what Washington tells them, but Europeans are far less willing to be America's foot soldiers.
These EU sanctions are written in Washington and handed to the so called EU leaders to follow. If these extreme sanctions go all the way, then the EU will suffer millions of job losses. Germany alone has over 300,000 direct high paying jobs that export their product to Russia. European car makers have huge markets in Russia, French and German. Other nations in the EU have large mutual trade with Russia. I forget, something over 400 billion dollars a year, while the US trade is around 40 billion, if I remember right.
So for every 1 dollar of economic pain the US takes, the EU gets it ten times over.
Ukraine was an independent nation that self destructed with help from nazis and neo-con America. Now Washington wants a new cold war and is using it's bought and paid for EU leaders to carry this war out. But the EU is who will suffer. Germany will be hardest hit. And for what? Just because America is mad that their coup did not deliver all of Ukraine up as an American military base?
EU leaders are puppets. Maybe today's elections are sending a message that AMerica's stupid puppets are idiots. America wants to shut down EU and Russian trade and social cooperation. SOmething that has been growing and growing. The US can't stand to see this, better to foment war in Ukraine as a wedge issue. The all important goal in Washington is to stop and then reverse all economic and social ties between Russia and Europe. Nearly a half trillion in mutal trade must be stopped. The social mixing of Russians and Europeans must end. Many Russians live and travel and work in the EU. More and more EU workers are seeking jobs in the vast Russian development projects, like oil and gas development and minerals and manufacturing. All this Washington wants to end. Europe are fools if they let the war mongers and neo-con fool them into a cold war, in which all costs are paid by Europe and all the gain go to Washington DC.
great informative post
but I think Russia and China may be pushing for the same thing
a push push contest, I wonder if there is little surprise coming
could be a game changer, for the money changers
I am beginning to think they are looking to wound the big dog
Plus... Is this more or less accurate?
US MILITARY INSTALLATIONS IN EUROPE
ARMY INSTALLATIONS
USAG Ansbach
- Garrison Illesheim, Illesheim
USAG Bamberg
USAG Benelux
- USAG Brussels
- Garrison Chievres
- USAG Schinnen
- Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization
USAG Grafenwoehr
- USAG Hohenfels
- USAG Garmisch
- 7th Army JMTC
USAG Heidelberg
- USAG Darmstadt
- USAG Mannheim
- USAG Kaiserslautern
- U.S. Army Europe
USAG Schweinfurt
USAG Stuttgart
- U.S. European Command
- U.S. Africa Command
- U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe
- Special Operations Command Europe
USAG Vicenza
- USAG Livorno
USAG Wiesbaden
- USAG Baumholder
- USAG Hessen
- USAG Giessen
- Hanau Community
AIR FORCE INSTALLATIONS
- U.S. Air Force Europe
- Aviano Air Base, Italy - Aviano and Ghedi
- Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
- Lajes Field, Portugal
- Patch Barracks, Germany
- RAF Alconbury, England
- RAF Croughton, England
- RAF Lakenheath, England
- RAF Mildenhall, England
- Ramstein Air Base, Germany - Ramstein, Sembach, Kapaun, and Einsiedlerhof
- Spangdahlem Air Base and Bitburg Annex, Germany
NAVAL INSTALLATIONS
- U.S. Naval Forces Europe (6th Fleet)
- Gaeta, Italy
- La Maddalena, Italy
- Naples, Italy
- Rota, Spain
- Sigonella, Italy
- Souda Bay, Greece
One could say Western Europe is... Occupied?
From an active-duty force of 1.4 million soldiers, the US has deployed some 350,000 troops to at least 130 foreign countries around the world. Some are at Cold War-era installations, but many are in or near combat zones in the Middle East. At more than 750 bases internationally, private contractors and third-country nationals also form a large percentage of the staff, in addition to military reservists and civilian employees of the Pentagon.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2012/04/2012417131242767298.html
I'm a bit surprised with the comments.
While I agree on the potential severity of damage from an EU / Russian trade war AND the known propensity for warmongering by our own neocons, the problem is that Putin knows it too, He knows what he's doing.
As I understand it, many Europeans see Putin as the Next Stalin or Hitler, conquering one small country at a time....Georgia, Ukraine....who's next?
Does anyone see the point, disagree with Putin's tactics?
If so, who has idea's on what to do about it aside embargo's?
I'm not stating opinion here, it's just a question.
Russia has never threatened beyond their historical sphere of influence. This is in my opinion ,fearmongering by NATO et al. Georgia and Ukraine are historically Russian, complete with Russian speaking people.i think most Europeans know this, plus very few get their news and opinions from American main stream media....also this is not the Soviet Union, it is also not Nazi Germany no matter what the US state dept. would have you believe.
I could add to your point by stating that the majority of Crimeans want to go back to Russia.
That would be like Texas, if, in 20, 30 years it were a majority of Mexican immigrants and Mexcio decided to take Texas.
Mexico could correctly argue that a majority of Texas citizens wanted it, but is it right?...wasn't Texas originally a part of Mexico too?
Well we are talking recent history, not distant relationships, and it could be argued that the reconquista is already happening:}
Recency isn't relevant, once Ukraine was a sovereign domain, that was it.
Anyway, I don't have the answer...it just strikes me odd that almost nobody has commented negatively on Putin.
I get a haunting feeling, kind of like an AAII investor sentiment report when everyone's extremely bullish.
Similar to reactions when Hitler invaded Switzerland, it seemed like no big deal at the time.
Is Putin the next Stalin or Hitler?..I don't know, but I'm struck odd by the fact that no one else is asking.
go to corbetreport.com and listen to Mr. Bron on Rwanda genocide.
then come back and ask your question again. maybe it will not be the same question then.
Exactly when did Hitler invade Switzerland? Was that before or after JFK spoke to the good people of Hamburg and told them, "Ich bin ein Hamburger" ?
Ok, technically it wasn't an "invasion" for the fact that the Swiss didn't fight back, it was a planned annexation, which actually makes it more consistent to the current Crimean problem, and the passiveness I referenced above.
Again, I'm not opining here, only taking concensus.
Operation Tannenbaum -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Tannenbaum#German_plans_for_Nazi_...
many europeans see Putin as Hitler?
by no means.
99% see him as a standard polititian, even slightly better, then merkel and by big numbers better, than Hussein Kenya Obanana. At least in my austro-hungarian-czech-slovak enivornment.
Got a link to this EU poll?
Vodka huh.. More desperate Central Planning failures. The more you continue to fuck up, the bigger your adolescent pimple grows. Endure your agenda fucksticks, the global community will catch on quicker.
finland, czech rep. slovakia, bulgaria, hungary, all import their fuel for a-power plants from Rusia.
some countries, like Cz, H, Sk, Bg, produce at least 40% of energy from a-powerplants.
I want to see those sanctions work. I mean fine for the people, they can go and make holidays in the Mediterranean for the duration of the sanctions. for example in Greece. They will contribute to the Greek VAT income....this would be hoidays till Christmas. Not bad.
This makes for interesting thought.
Considering the effects of Muslim extremists on motivating the US to become energy independant, I wonder what this means for Nukes, or alternatives in the EU.
fcukin idiots...
give me some all time highs!
European leaders need to book in those psychiatric evaluations as they seem intent on self harming.
In a deep Russian accent... IDIOTS!!!
Look, all you Russian Ukrainian supporters here are playing checkers while the world plays chess. Look at the tone of your comments. All Rah-Rah-Rah Russia is strong everyone else is weak... People don't like that.
By playing into your prejudices, you in turn were played... big time.
You have no support. You are like fish in a barrel. I know the echo may be nice but once the spectators get hungry... you know what is next.
Go find your place in the world and contribute to the betterment of mankind. Lay off the stupid bigoted chatter and maybe the learned ones who used to ply this website would come back.
There's rust on your irony.
You know many will say... Suck it up buttercup.
The Russian Ukrainians need to show leadership. The world will not respect their leadership if they don't fall in line. The Russian Ukrainian leadership looks like Nazis. The big question is "Will they act like Nazis?"
The Russian Ukrainians need to show the world they are Ukrainians and work to fix their country.
Not looking to get into personal jabs either way, especially not for a country & ideology that's thousands of miles away, that's the question I'm asking.
While Putin might be a snazzy dresser, a charismatic fella, why isn't anyone at least questioning why he's trying to reunite the U.S.S.R.?
I think he is the head of Mafia Inc. Any talk about reuniting the USSR is simply window-dressing for the home team. You know, "Nobility" and "Dignity" while you screw the little guy. Obama is a strawman for Mafia Inc.
If you look at that part of the world, warlords have plundered for thousands of years. It is in their DNA to take the levers of power for personal benefit. Once all this Ukraine stuff settles out, Russians should be looking at the $50 Billion stolen as a result of the Olympics. Though the Olympics are synomous with theft, the numbers the Russians put up are extraordinary.
Remember, I said I take no side here.
That said, to the other side of the argument, although we view a cold war as negative, there's no denying that the space & arms race spawned immense technological breakthroughs.
Ironically, the Cold War yielded no major (battle) casualties, in retrospect, we have GPS , cell phones, computers, the internet...etc, all spawned more or less via motivation to defend against, or out-do the U.S.S.R.
I won't debate whether or not these things couldn't happen on their own, but fear is a big motivator, ideological unification is powerful (think WW2's effect on the industrial revolution, "Rosie the Riveter" etc)
After Reagan's "Tear down that wall", Al Qaeda was the biggest threat we had, and by comparison, they're puny.
Is that the counter-argument, that maybe Putin could remove social complacency, induce competition?
Again, I'm asking, not telling.
Tell me about your thoughts on this article:
http://www.ibtimes.com/vladimir-putin-scores-six-goals-amateur-hockey-ga...
It may be that the ony adversary worthy of his skill is Kim Jong Il, 38 under par in golf, a 300 bowling....
These guys are incredible, superhuman.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/sports/remembering-kim-jong-ils-ventur...
Maybe Kim can pose for us, shirtless, on a horse!
What it boils down to is character and values.
I think any person of any culture can interpret the character and values of Putin. That being said, once you know what motivates him, you can game him. His only response will be violence. He cannot get into a battle of wits with his opponent.
I predict a cold winter for Europe. Those shmarmy cocksuckers will be back wearing baby sealskin coats and searching for a charismatic strongman to lead them. Fucking Socialists. Let them drink Stella!