CHARLES HUGH SMITH ON THE NET EFFECT: RUSSIA’S LOSS OF MARKET (Smith is one of t

CHARLES HUGH SMITH ON THE NET EFFECT: RUSSIA’S LOSS OF MARKET

(Smith is one of the few analysts I look up to. He finds the demographic and economic reasons for everything.)

“The net effect will be the same as that of china’s strategic abuse of rare-earth metals, (and russias 2009 abuse of gas markets): rare earth metals are not rare or from china now, and the rest of the world has developed alternatives to Russian oil and gas.”

The world does not operate by empires any longer. It operates by economic cooperation and coordination.

I want a strong Russia. I’d love a new Russian empire. But only if it suppresses corruption as a means of ENTICING membership, rather than using VIOLENCE and DECEPTION as a means of forcing it.

(I’m telling you. Putin was f_king STUPID as hell. )

The only reason Russia is not as poor as Ukraine is oil and gas. An the producer just killed it’s market. Set us back 50 freaking years. What a moron. For nothing. FOr nothing at all. All he had to be was HONEST and say “hey, we got a lot here, and we’re not losing it” so please tolerate our strategic interests not being taken by NATO.”

Apologize profusely. But just say the truth. It would have been FINE. He’d have INCREASED his world political capital rather than ruining all he’s worked for.

At least he restored 10% of the value of the Ukrainian currency.