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Papas Fritas writes:
"James B. Stewart writes in the NYT that there's one major difference between now and the last time Russia invaded a neighbor (Czechoslovakia in 1968): Now Moscow has a stock market that provides a minute-by-minute referendum on Putin's military and diplomatic actions.
On Monday, the Russian stock market index (RTSI) fell more than 12 percent, in what a Russian official called panic selling and the ruble plunged on currency markets, forcing the Russian central bank to raise interest rates by one and a half percentage points to defend the currency. On Tuesday, as soon as Mr. Putin said he saw no need for further Russian military intervention, the Russian market rebounded by 6 percent. With tensions on the rise once more on Friday, the Russian market may again gyrate when it opens on Monday. Russia is far more exposed to market fluctuations than many countries, since the Russian government owns a majority stake in a number of the country's largest companies and many Russian companies and banks are fully integrated into the global financial system.
The old Soviet Union, in stark contrast, was all but impervious to foreign economic or business pressure, thanks in part to an ideological commitment to self-sufficiency. By contrast, today "Russia is too weak and vulnerable economically to go to war," says Anders Aslund. "The Kremlin's fundamental mistake has been to ignore its economic weakness and dependence on Europe." Almost half of Russia's exports go to Europe, and three-quarters of its total exports consist of oil and gas. The energy boom is over, and Europe can turn the tables on Russia after its prior gas supply cuts in 2006 and 2009 replacing this gas with liquefied natural gas, gas from Norway and shale gas.
If the European Union sanctioned Russia's gas supply to Europe, Russia would lose $100 billion or one-fifth of its export revenues, and the Russian economy would be in rampant crisis. Other penalties might include asset freezes and the billionaire Russian elite who are pretty much synonymous with Mr. Putin's friends and allies are the ones who are being severely affected by visa bans, which were imposed by President Obama on Thursday. "The recent events were completely irrational, angering the West for no reason," says one Russian economist. "This is what is most scary, especially for businesses. Instead of reforming the stagnating economy, Putin scared everybody for no reason and with no gain in sight. So it is hard to predict his next actions. But I think a real Cold War is unlikely.""
(Score: 1) by anubi on Sunday March 09 2014, @08:12AM
My take is that international bankers rule the world. These people are international, giving allegiance to no nation, but supporting the United States because we have both controllable politicians and the biggest guns.
The bankers need these guns to enforce their ownership claims on hard assets bought with dollars printed from thin air and loaned at interest. Its in their best interests to "work with" the people who operate the biggest guns.
The United States leads the world in the ability to build anything. We also lead the world in the ability to destroy it.
Would anyone take a banker seriously if he could not enforce his ownership of anything purchased with dollars he created out of thin air? Only by "working with" governments can the banker arrange for tax to be paid in their currency, thus mandating the acceptance of their printed scrip as something of value. Once in, they can now arrange stuff like "fractional banking" so that they can continue to extort usury on scrip which they print with no backing whatsoever. "Full faith of the US Government" my ass!.
This last financial thing we had about six years ago? Look it up! [stlouisfed.org]
It was deliberate!
The banks have been dropping the rates for years trying to get everyone in debt to pay back future dollars which they control the availability of. All they have to do is get people to sign on for loans, then throttle the money supply back ( just as they did ) then foreclose on that which they had printed money out of thin air for purchase. Year after year, merchants like to report year-over-year sales increases. Yes, the banks made it happen by flooding us with dollars, which are then readily sapped up by taxation authorities every time they change hands. We are now against the bottom stop. Zero. Have been for some time now.. and still we are in economic doldrums. We are now at the point that either Congress needs to start passing law rewarding creating employment and reducing rent-seeking behaviour, or we are going to find ourselves re-doing a French Revolution to get rid of the overwhelming load of Marie Antoinettes our Congress, via the tax law pouring from their pens, has created.
Every war I have ever heard of was a banker's war. Oh yes, some like to blame it on God, but the bottom line always drops to who has the "rights" to extort taxes/tithes from the sheep. Hitler, Al Capone, Goldman Sachs... they are all in it trying to get us to drink the kool-aid with their loans, then reel us in.
At any time, a FedHead can appear in front of a microphone and everyone who has drank the kool-aid by signing for one of their loans loses whatever he bought with that loan. Watch these guys.. same MO every time. Loans! Loans! Loans! Buy Now while Rates are Low!.. then they raise the rates ... money supply dries up .. no-one can buy your house for what you paid for it. You can't pay your bills! You lose your home - and all the equity you had. Rinse, lather, repeat when you think the people will trust you. Microphones work wonders for this, as a lot of people seem to think anything spoken through a microphone is the truth.
Incidentally, I wonder how the US would have taken it if the Chinese or Soviets decided to meddle in our Waco thing?
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]