Politics

[Vashper]

Vashper,
I really enjoy your perspective from "the other side". As with any controversy, if all parties involved are not included and allowed to express their thoughts, opinions and potential solutions, the resolution of the controversy cannot be resolved as is doomed to failure. I think the Russian people are a great and proud people! In this particular instance involving Ukraine, I don't understand Putin's thought process? Ukraine isn't a NATO member and has said (well, before now) they had no desire to become a member. And, why do many/most former USSR states believe they need to be a NATO member? Is the situation in Ukraine the answer? I don't know? Maybe they feel that history does tend to repeat itself?
CEH

It's just that simple. The heads of state have an easy choice: if you conduct the "right" policy, then you get all sorts of buns and gingerbread, and your state receives subsidies from the EU, in the amount of up to 1/3 of the budget. If you start to slightly (very slightly) contradict the "right" policy, then this assistance becomes conditional (the Hungarian and Polish prime ministers are now very unhappy with this). And if your policy is completely wrong (for example, you postulate that your country does not want to join NATO), then you personally and your country receive economic and political pressure, and you personally - God forbid - and a group of assassins. And Russia is a poor country, it cannot provide its neighbors with such a celebration of life. How did Russia oppress Latvia and Estonia? Nothing. They were privileged regions. But the USSR could not provide there the standard of living that they wanted to have. As for the lessons of history, everything is also simple here: up to certain limits, pressure on Russia is possible, but when this limit is exceeded, tanks and missiles are coming out of it.

 

[CoElkHunter]

History is painted with humans. Humans have the same nature. Nature functions on survival of the fittest. Ideologies sometimes can not be killed because at some point a coming generation will re adopt one that failed and apply their idea of a correction or missing ingredient then run the program again. Neo Nazi, white supremist, cartels etc. As Einstein was credited with saying, trying the same thing over and over expecting a different result.
An old school friend used to say that True Communism worked. The idea of everybody having everything in common works in theory.
In the Bible book of Acts that is how the Church started out. How many days later the human side emerged in the form of Ananias and Sapphira and continued throughout the rest of the New Testament via wolves in sheep's clothing. How many historically have tried to replicate Alexader the Great and conquer it all? Is this not true today? If not a current leader, then in a coming generation? What company doesn't want to control it all? America has antitrust laws but nobody to enforce them. Same thing no matter the level, object or goal.

True Communism worked, until those working with their "hammer and sickles" realized they were getting paid the same as their comrades sitting on their couches playing on their X Box or Playstation all day while getting free Government "stimulus" checks? Hmmm, kinda like what we're seeing in the US right now? It DOESN'T work in the long run as the "workers" quit working and like their comrades, start getting paid for doing NOTHING until their Government runs out of money.

 

[CoElkHunter]

It's just that simple. The heads of state have an easy choice: if you conduct the "right" policy, then you get all sorts of buns and gingerbread, and your state receives subsidies from the EU, in the amount of up to 1/3 of the budget. If you start to slightly (very slightly) contradict the "right" policy, then this assistance becomes conditional (the Hungarian and Polish prime ministers are now very unhappy with this). And if your policy is completely wrong (for example, you postulate that your country does not want to join NATO), then you personally and your country receive economic and political pressure, and you personally - God forbid - and a group of assassins. And Russia is a poor country, it cannot provide its neighbors with such a celebration of life. How did Russia oppress Latvia and Estonia? Nothing. They were privileged regions. But the USSR could not provide there the standard of living that they wanted to have. As for the lessons of history, everything is also simple here: up to certain limits, pressure on Russia is possible, but when this limit is exceeded, tanks and missiles are coming out of it.

"Russia is a poor country"? Why? Where are all the billions, maybe trillions, of rubles (probably dollars) going from the sale of massive amounts of oil and gas? Saudi Arabia is a hugely financially prosperous country from those sales. Russia is SECOND in worldwide oil and natural gas production. Russian people should be asking, "show me the money"!

 

[Wheels]

 

[lwaters]

With the Russian army all stuck in a small area. They could be easily taken out by Leon Musk.

 

[CoElkHunter]

With the Russian army all stuck in a small area. They could be easily taken out by Leon Musk.

Maybe from an errant launch of one of his Space X rockets (if it made it off the launch pad)! Ha! Ha! Ha!

 

[CJW]

"Russia is a poor country"? Why? Where are all the billions, maybe trillions, of rubles (probably dollars) going from the sale of massive amounts of oil and gas? Saudi Arabia is a hugely financially prosperous country from those sales. Russia is SECOND in worldwide oil and natural gas production. Russian people should be asking, "show me the money"!

Putin is worth a reported $200 billion.

 

[MooseIsLoose]

AH is the best forum i have ever visited, kind and helpful people and then you peak at the politics tread. It is a downer. Please shut it down.

 

[Vashper]

"Russia is a poor country"? Why? Where are all the billions, maybe trillions, of rubles (probably dollars) going from the sale of massive amounts of oil and gas? Saudi Arabia is a hugely financially prosperous country from those sales. Russia is SECOND in worldwide oil and natural gas production. Russian people should be asking, "show me the money"!

You see, in addition to the volume of output of any product, there is still such a thing as costs. There are 100 thousand oil wells in Russia, and several thousand in Saudi Arabia, and their average productivity is a hundred times more than in Russia. And the Russian ones are located in Western Siberia, in places where every sneeze of a driller costs much more than on the shores of the Persian Gulf. Accordingly, the profit, as the difference between output and costs, is much lower. This has been known since the time of Adam Smith - there are places where production is cheap, and there are places where it is expensive.
Plus another subjective factor: Russia somehow uses the Western banking system, and you can't get richer than your banker, this is the law.

 

[Vashper]

With the Russian army all stuck in a small area. They could be easily taken out by Leon Musk.

Yes, his rockets often and very devastatingly explode.

 

[Vashper]

AH is the best forum i have ever visited, kind and helpful people and then you peak at the politics tread. It is a downer. Please shut it down.

I don't think you should be so upset. This section here is so specific. In other sections, the price of error is very high, for example, if you advise incorrectly about reloading, or shooting at dangerous game. And here you can write whatever you want, it doesn't affect anything.

 

[CoElkHunter]

AH is the best forum i have ever visited, kind and helpful people and then you peak at the politics tread. It is a downer. Please shut it down.

I think your right. And the thread “on a lighter note” makes fun of people and idiots and should be banned too! What about the “firearms and ammo” thread? Anybody with a Weatherby or shoots a .243 or .35 Whelen like Townsend @Bob Nelson 35 Whelen are brow beatened into oblivion like a red headed step child! Cruel AH bastards!

 

[Pheroze]

A great interview that peeks around the wall of mainstream dialogue

As an aside, I think it is very important to support these innovative journalists. It just may save reporting for another generation.

The Expendables

A conversation about the class divide with Canadian economist and author Jeff Rubin

tarahenley.substack.com

 

[lwaters]

Yes, his rockets often and very devastatingly explode.

Him and Bezos flying around in outer space not sure it's a great deal.

 

[jeanes]

P

AH is the best forum i have ever visited, kind and helpful people and then you peak at the politics tread. It is a downer. Please shut it down.

Perhaps the answer is for you not to "peek" at this thread.

 

[Pheroze]

AH is the best forum i have ever visited, kind and helpful people and then you peak at the politics tread. It is a downer. Please shut it down.

Honestly, if you follow this thread you will often see incredible insight from people who have "been there, done that". It can be a real lesson and well worth watching out for.

 

[Newboomer]

Honestly, if you follow this thread you will often see incredible insight from people who have "been there, done that". It can be a real lesson and well worth watching out for.

Read and learn. The world does not revolve around guns, ammo, and hunting. There are many other aspects that affect our passion for this. The world economy and political climate have a definite bearing on our activities as hunters and shooters. It may not be too obvious on the surface but when one delves a little deeper and reads between the lines it opens up a whole new meaning.

The members on AH who write these articles live in all corners of our planet and have a vested interest in what affects our freedom to hunt, shoot, buy and sell guns, etc. At the whim of some despot, our ability to enter that country is terminated, our hunts stymied, their economy hurt, their people disrupted. The whims of activists affect our ability to bring home the fruits of our hunts. Consider the less than brilliant acts of politicians. Think about how many people worldwide are affected.

So you see everything is interconnected. No one facet controls the whole. Without all the gears meshing, the wheel would not turn and nothing would would be accomplished. Read and absorb the wisdom of those who write the articles.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

It has begun... Explosions (air strikes) are being reported in Kiev.

 

[nztimb]

AH is the best forum i have ever visited, kind and helpful people and then you peak at the politics tread. It is a downer. Please shut it down.

Then dont look at the politics thread. 6 posts in and you want things done your way. That dosent bode well fo your participation on the forum This thread has been going a long time with (mostly) insightfull input from a great many people from a great many countries so we see others perspectives. You might just learn from that if you stay.

 

[Wheels]