Stefan Posted January 25, 2022 Report Share Posted January 25, 2022 There are Blacks who do live in Russia. In fact, many Blacks have been born there. However, I am more concerned with how a war in Ukraine may alter the lives of Blacks living and working in Eastern Europe. One thing that is certain - natural gas supplies and prices will definitely change. The Central Africa Republic, Madagascar and Egypt have all confirmed the ongoing construction of Russian military bases. And Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has confirmed that Russia has a logistics center in Eritrea. I don't know if any Ukraine war may affect these relationships or construction projects. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nels Posted January 25, 2022 Report Share Posted January 25, 2022 1 hour ago, Stefan said: There are Blacks who do live in Russia. In fact, many Blacks have been born there. However, I am more concerned with how a war in Ukraine may alter the lives of Blacks living and working in Eastern Europe. One thing that is certain - natural gas supplies and prices will definitely change. The Central Africa Republic, Madagascar and Egypt have all confirmed the ongoing construction of Russian military bases. And Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has confirmed that Russia has a logistics center in Eritrea. I don't know if any Ukraine war may affect these relationships or construction projects. It would appear that one has to look more closely at who's actually running the White House, before any truly valid assertions can be made about how blacks in Russia will or may be impacted. The concern you state may well be a very valid one, however, unless that concern gets more than lip service from the political elite, we may all be waiting for a very long time to get a fairly decent answer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted January 25, 2022 Report Share Posted January 25, 2022 IMO, a Russian invasion of Ukraine will not adversely affect blacks in that region or anywhere else. Russian President Vlady Putin is gangster. He doesn't want the US building strategic alliances in that region. Too close for comfort. That’s why he invaded Crimea in 2014. Putin sees the US as weak. Troop build up around Ukraine is his way of saber rattling. He's hedging bets that Russia might face sanctions if it invades Ukraine but the US nor its allies wants any real smoke. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted January 25, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2022 3 hours ago, nels said: It would appear that one has to look more closely at who's actually running the White House, before any truly valid assertions can be made about how blacks in Russia will or may be impacted. The concern you state may well be a very valid one, however, unless that concern gets more than lip service from the political elite, we may all be waiting for a very long time to get a fairly decent answer. Nels, you need to take a long nap. Do you really think Vladimir Putin cares who is the White House? You really don't understand RealPolitik at all. You simply live to attack your fellow Blacks and Democrats. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nels Posted January 26, 2022 Report Share Posted January 26, 2022 20 hours ago, Stefan said: You simply live to attack your fellow Blacks and Democrats. I live for any challenge, and the color of your skin makes absolutely no difference to me, whatsoever. I understand politics at a level that you could not possibly grasp or imagine. I'll leave it at that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted January 26, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2022 You do not live for any challenge. You think your fellow Blacks are beneath you. But I am one who is not. As I said before, you know little about global relations and world politics. But prattle on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted January 26, 2022 Report Share Posted January 26, 2022 In recent news, the US sees a Russian invasion of Ukraine as imminent. But, hold the phone, the Ukrainians see a Russian invasion as dangerous but not imminent. As the late, great Aretha Franklin once sang, "who's zoomin' who". if we've learned anything from the Russian invasion of Crimea, the end result will be the same. The US and NATO will hit Russia with soft sanctions. Nothing detrimental to their existence. Smoke. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted January 26, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2022 @Prof D, Normally, I would agree with you. But any conflict has a potential for spiraling out of control. Not to mention upending the markets, which is always a driver of White angst. Personally, I could care less about how this affects rich, White folks. But I am truly concerned that what even a temporary halt in natural gas shipments from Russia to Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline system could result in. Not just higher prices at pumps. But in heating bills. And this is what scares me. With so many Blacks and Latinos in the U.S. homeless thanks to skyrocketing rents and home prices, higher heating costs will likely lead to surcharges on rents across the U.S. and elsewhere. This is going to really hurt the poor, the just-making-it and those trying save to improve their situations. And I am not certain that Germany wants to go along with any sanctions plan. Berlin has already frowned on the transfer of howitzers from Estonia to Ukraine. I don't know if you are aware that Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst is accusing Joe Biden of appeasement on Ukraine. But this is not a fight the U.S. should shed the blood of its military in. This is Europe's problem. And the die was cast for this foolishness soon after Mikhail Gorbachev was overthrown in a 1991 coup and replaced by the drunk Boris Yeltsin. While Russia was its weakest in a century, googly-eyed diplomats and politicians saw a chance to stick it to the old Soviet Union by vacuuming up former Warsaw Pact nations into NATO. As if they never expected Russia to regroup, re-arm and return to its dream of European domination. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted January 26, 2022 Report Share Posted January 26, 2022 @Stefan, your concern is valid as it relates to the market stability and natural gas production. IMO, it would be disingenuous to use fallout from a Ukrainian invasion as an excuse to jack up heating and fuel prices domestically or internationally. The world has enough natural gas in reserve to maintain current levels for several years. In fact, I believe we've been overpaying for several decades. Unfortunately, the middle class and poor have been satiated with just enough material consumption to keep them from protesting rising prices, food shortages and anything else that would make life better. As a result, the global elite get to sit around playing games with real lives. Always watch their hands and follow the money. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted January 26, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2022 Prof D, You are right. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, it is estimated that the planet has at least 52 years before humanity depletes the current global reserves of natural gas, assuming annual consumption remains at present levels. But during the 1973 OPEC oil embargo, I distinctly recall NYC landlords demanding and then receiving approval for a special fuel surcharge to be added to monthly rents to offset supposed higher heating fuel costs. I, and many others, had to pay that damn surcharge. Many folks simply do not understand the underlying greed that rules the real estate rental world. It is the same type of avarice that is causing inflation and rising prices on foodstuffs and essential household items throughout the country. It is not so much a shortage of food and household goods as it is panic buying, price gouging and corporate greed that is to blame for rising food and consumer good prices. A steep rise in heating gas will have little to do with being disingenuous. Because the increase will definitely be tied directly to any war and explained as quite necessary by pundits, paid industry spokesman and complete liars. But in the end, greed will be main culprit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted January 26, 2022 Report Share Posted January 26, 2022 49 minutes ago, Stefan said: But in the end, greed will be main culprit. The Wu-Tang Clan said it best..."cash rules everything around me..." I'm just as guilty of stopping at the gas pump, looking at the ridiculous price and filling up my truck. Same goes for the prices I see in the grocery store. I just shake my head and spend the money. A few months ago, when there was a cyber attack on the computer system controlling the east coast gas pipeline, the media told us the disruption would lead to a price increase at the pump and fuel shortages. Nevermind that before computers existed, we knew how to get gas from one place to another just fine. On cue, panic buying made it happen. When the pandemic started, there was a run on food, toilet paper, bottled water, Lysol, bleach, cleaning supplies, masks, etc. I've never known Americans to be so hungry or sh8tty or clean in my half century on the planet. Panic buying. Now, we have supply shortages and empty shelves and price gouging. Rinse and repeat. So, I wouldn't be surprised if they used a Ukrainian invasion to jack up prices on natural gas and everything else. They aren't doing it out of necessity. It's only because they can get away with it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardmurray Posted January 27, 2022 Report Share Posted January 27, 2022 I don't know, each black individual or community has a different financial or cultural connection to any war. Black people who live in ukraine , if war starts, will have some serious choices to make. In all earnest, black people ... or nonblacks who live in ukraine if they can take a small holiday away, need to for a little while. Black people throughout humanity vary in financial potency/cultural definition/labor... all of these things are factors. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nels Posted January 27, 2022 Report Share Posted January 27, 2022 On 1/25/2022 at 8:59 PM, Stefan said: As I said before, you know little about global relations and world politics. The sound of a small mind. Truth Triggers The Left | Common Sense Triggers Mental Midgets | Harmony Triggers Trolls Now we all know what triggers you, and you'll never be able to insult your way out of that deep hole that you're still digging. With springtime approaching, Home Depot has got a great sale on new shovels. You might want to check it out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniellegfny Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 Russia invaded years ago. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nels Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 On 1/25/2022 at 12:34 AM, Stefan said: You simply live to attack your fellow Blacks and Democrats. As I said before, I'm and equal opportunity commender and offender. The fact that people are black and Democrats means absolutely nothing / zilch to me. Whether you're black, white, brown, Democrat, Republican, Independent, Green Party, etc., if you don't, can't or won't think, perform or deliver, you will be called out. No one gets a pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted January 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2022 On 1/27/2022 at 3:50 PM, nels said: The sound of a small mind. Truth Triggers The Left | Common Sense Triggers Mental Midgets | Harmony Triggers Trolls Now we all know what triggers you, and you'll never be able to insult your way out of that deep hole that you're still digging. With springtime approaching, Home Depot has got a great sale on new shovels. You might want to check it out. Come meet a poster named Nels In Trump-is-my-God land he dwells He loves to put down The Black and the Brown With each untruth his chest swells richardmurray and daniellefgny, I am discussing a current event. Which has little bearing on Russia's dalliances in Crimea years ago. What Russia is threatening is a full scale invasion and this will affect oil and natural markets. Go back and read the thread starter. I account for individuals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nels Posted February 1, 2022 Report Share Posted February 1, 2022 On 1/30/2022 at 12:24 PM, Stefan said: What Russia is threatening is a full scale invasion and this will affect oil and natural markets. The Three Rules of Social Engagement Rule No. 1) Don't debate with the irrational. Rule No. 2) Don't break Rule No. 1. Rule No. 3) Don't explain why you broke Rule No. 2. When you figure out what Russia's really doing, then lets us all know. But then again, it all depends on where YOU get your information from, and how you connect the dots. IMO, Crimea is not Russia's long game; (all of) Eastern Europe is, including the former (core) Soviet Bloc. Why? Russia is trying to strategically out play, out flank and cancel out China's One Belt, One Road ("OBOR") initiative, which is currently geared more toward Indonesian connectivity / Indonesian Economic Development, with potential exponential expansion capabilities in underdeveloped nations, most notably - sub-Saharan Africa, so far. Not only is geographic realignment one of Russia's key goals, but so are the precious metals markets; "These highly-liquid metals can be turned into fiat paper virtually anywhere in the world."; highly leverageable. Controlling a greater share of the precious metals market(s) (both directly and indirectly) tends to make it easier to manage holdings (e.g., assets, reserves, etc.) against wild, unpredictable and speculative swings in oil, natural gas, and other highly monetizable, but trade-volatile sectors. Additionally, after seeing what the U.S. was able to accomplish in the fracking segment, Russia may well be focused on seeking out future fracking interests to compete globally, should the U.S. return to a strong fracking posture that could again depress global oil prices that threaten Russian's Siberian oil footprint. As of today, "The end of Russia's Siberian oil era is still a long way off". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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