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Index » Radio Paradise/General » General Discussion » Trump Page: Previous  1, 2, 3 ... 919, 920, 921 ... 1129, 1130, 1131  Next
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islander

islander Avatar

Location: Seattle
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 10:34am

 black321 wrote:

now this is something to be paranoid about...if only for the cost it will entail. 

 
How about the cost of the wall? The cost of a deportation force (to remove productive members of our society)? Maybe Goldman Sachs will give some of their profits back to pay for it?
islander

islander Avatar

Location: Seattle
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 10:32am

 black321 wrote:
 
This was an isolated incident (one flight), pursuant to a judges order to remove a certain individual correct?  Paranoid?


 
I don't know.  The facts are pretty vague. If it was just one individual why the thorough scrutiny of ID's?  Why check everyone - men and women?  Why not look at the manifest and go to the seat of the person in question first (this is how I've seen individuals handled before - everyone stays put and the marshals come down the aisle). They apparently didn't find the person they were after either, which raises more questions - why not? why did they think they were on the plane (see manifest)? What information were they acting on? Where is this 'dangerous' person?


black321 wrote:
 Paranoid?


  
Maybe. I'll take observant for now. I'm not much for authoritarians, and I'm surprised at the number of people (allegedly strong people) who are willing to go under the boot. It concerns me and makes me not want to give up the little steps.  

black321

black321 Avatar

Location: An earth without maps
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 10:24am

 Red_Dragon wrote: 
now this is something to be paranoid about...if only for the cost it will entail. 
black321

black321 Avatar

Location: An earth without maps
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 10:12am

 islander wrote:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_movement_under_United_States_law

Why do you think it is okay for government agents to randomly molest citizens?

Here's the really disturbing part to me:

“When we were getting out there were two customs agents,” he told the news blog. “I don’t think they had a clipboard or a list. I think they were just looking at everybody’s ID. They did it really carefully. You could tell they weren’t just looking for a name. They read my entire ID and looked at me the entire time.”

This is not how we do things here. What happened to the small government Republicans? 


This was an isolated incident (one flight), pursuant to a judges order to remove a certain individual correct?  Paranoid?

LowPhreak

LowPhreak Avatar

Location: Divided Corporate States of Neo-Feudal Murikka, Inc.
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 10:08am

 sirdroseph wrote:
I have seen enough, at least I am sure he will not be re elected not that Democrats will offer anything better. We are doomed either way, I honestly think Ron Paul was our last chance of any hope. As long as there are only 2 parties, this is our life.

 
Agreed, except for some of Paul's anti-regulation ideas. He seems to think that letting corporations and businesses run amok without gov't oversight is the answer to our economic problems, when it's just what has gotten us into much of the mess we have now. We certainly know that they won't regulate themselves.

I do think however that one of his advisors, Bruce Fein, has often been accurate with his assessments of the Bush and Obama administrations - both highly unconstitutional and should have been impeached. If Obama had done something about the Neo-Cons when he first came in like he eluded to in his first campaign, instead of "let's look forward, not backward", things would likely have been much different now.

Take an hour and watch this, where Nader and Fein give it to the Harvard Law School brats, most of whom will go on to corporate and gov't law and cushy compensation because it's the easy way out.

The two-party oligarchy not letting other candidates into the final debates, people like Ralph Nader, Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel, Jill Stein, etc. is what keeps them from getting the higher percentages of votes they'd surely receive with wider and fairer exposure. But the R's and Ds were scared shitless back when Perot won 19% of the vote, that's why they'll never let something like it happen again.

We could say the same about American oligarchs (top U.S. incomes and corporations) as some claim about the Russian version, except I don't know why the same standards aren't used for the Americans. Oh I forgot...America is "exceptional". But it's not Russians that are usually ripping off this country, it's Americans who actually don't give a damn about nationalism or borders as long as there's a nickle to be drained.

The Russophobia has gone psychotic lately. Rational people should know better.


islander

islander Avatar

Location: Seattle
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 9:54am

 black321 wrote:

and this is important/objectionable because? 

 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_movement_under_United_States_law

Why do you think it is okay for government agents to randomly molest citizens?

Here's the really disturbing part to me:

“When we were getting out there were two customs agents,” he told the news blog. “I don’t think they had a clipboard or a list. I think they were just looking at everybody’s ID. They did it really carefully. You could tell they weren’t just looking for a name. They read my entire ID and looked at me the entire time.”

This is not how we do things here. What happened to the small government Republicans? 
Lazy8

Lazy8 Avatar

Location: The Gallatin Valley of Montana
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 9:50am

 black321 wrote:
and this is important/objectionable because?  

Amendment 4.
black321

black321 Avatar

Location: An earth without maps
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 9:38am

 Red_Dragon wrote: 
and this is important/objectionable because? 


sirdroseph

sirdroseph Avatar

Location: Not here, I tell you wat
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 9:24am

I have seen enough, at least I am sure he will not be re elected not that Democrats will offer anything better. We are doomed either way, I honestly think Ron Paul was our last chance of any hope. As long as there are only 2 parties, this is our life.
Red_Dragon

Red_Dragon Avatar

Location: Dumbf*ckistan


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 9:21am

What the world needs now is more nuclear weapons.
Red_Dragon

Red_Dragon Avatar

Location: Dumbf*ckistan


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 9:10am

 ScottFromWyoming wrote:


 
{#Lol} oops, wrong end
ScottFromWyoming

ScottFromWyoming Avatar

Location: Powell
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 9:02am

 Red_Dragon wrote: 


Red_Dragon

Red_Dragon Avatar

Location: Dumbf*ckistan


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 8:59am

Welcome to the San Francisco; papers please.
black321

black321 Avatar

Location: An earth without maps
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 24, 2017 - 7:03am

 kurtster wrote:

I don't think this will be the case.  If as Trump states, the USA is the only or one of a couple of countries that has no border import tax, then why are we the only one and why is deciding to do so, wrong ?  Its just catching up with everyone else and leveling the field.  If we have to pay a tax on our goods coming in, then it should be a two way street, right ?  This is the point Trump had been making during his campaign, how we have the worst negotiators in the world when it comes to making trade deals.  Fair trade is a two way street.

That said, I do not want a VAT of any kind established in the USA.  Perhaps the threat of a border tax will get other countries to rescind their border tax on our goods coming into their country.  And it would be done through bilateral trade negotiations.  One on one negotiations with individual countries.  Things seem to be working well with Canada for example where we have a trade balance between the two countries and an estimated $2 billion a day in goods and services move back and forth between the two countries.

You think we can live forever with a $500 billion annual trade deficit with China ?  We pay tax going in there but they don't pay anything coming in here ?  We need to turn these things around.  We already are in a trade war and losing our collective arses the way things are set up.

Trump spoke of currency manipulation extensively during his campaign.  Currency manipulation is also a form of tariffs if you look at it closely.  China keeps the value of its currency down artificially in order to keep the prices of their exports down and the cost of imports high so that they do not compete with their domestic products.  The whole flippin world is walking all over the USA in terms of trade, with the exception of Canada.  This has to end.

And a side bar to all of this.  I know that automation is taking away manufacturing jobs more than anything else here.  That said, if we reinvest here and make our manufacturing state of the art, it will give us a 20 year edge over everyone else who upgraded in the last part of the 20th century and whose facilities are now wearing out and becoming less competitive.  These things run in cycles.  Its the USA's turn to reinvest, and even if we don't export a lot, our own domestic market is big enough to sustain itself with the bonus of keeping the dollars spent on goods here at home instead of being shipped overseas to enemies and competitors.  These dollars kept here at home will be re spent here on our own interests further advancing ourselves.  And not to the detriment of anyone overseas, since no one (not enough) buys our exports in the first place because they are so bloody expensive and taxed to death at the port of entry.

 

 
First, the reason we have a trade gap is because its cheaper for manufacturers to make stuff abroad because of cheaper labor and less stringent regulations (easier to pollute, less benefits...), and not because of any tax policy.  Any foreign VATs , including China's, are not specific to US goods, but any good bought/sold in that country.  Clearly this isn't the issue for why we have a trade gap.
So here's the theory on the border tax.  Tax import revenue at 20%, and exclude any domestic or export revenue by US companies.  This will hopefully shrink the trade gap, but why?  Won't competing countries smack a similar tax on our exports into their country (see trade war)?    And what of the cost to our retailers/imports?  Consumption is two thirds of our GDP, so retail is pretty important.  If we assume their margin is 30%-40%, that 20% tax translates to a 10%-15% increase in cost for the average basket of foreign goods (assuming its passed on to the consumer)...which hits just about every category from food to drugs to apparel to sporting goods to electronics...How is Joe six pack going to absorb that hit, without reducing the # of TVs he buys this year?  Clearly, GDP growth will take a hit as consumption slows (maybe Trump is good for the environment??)  Then there is the theory that if we increase exports (why would this happen by taxing imports?), we close the trade gap and the $ should appreciate and thereby offset the tax on imports (stronger $ means those foreign goods are less costly).  First, see my prior point about competing trade taxes.  Then there is the question, does application follow theory?  Most likely not. The last few years our trade gap has widened, meaning the $ should have fell, yet it has grown.  But why?  It appears the $ value is more tied to the demand for US financial securities than US trade. and then why the would world suddenly have a high demand for US goods.  So to summarize, a tax on imports makes goods more expensive for US consumer, which slows consumption/GDP growth, and likely leads to fewer jobs, but maybe helps the environment as the US glutton slows down its consumption (obviously not what trump is going for).

Finally on the manufacturing jobs...US really want a bunch of jobs putting together widgets?  Probably just create more demand from folks south of the border.  This isnt where we need to focus on investing in our future. 


islander

islander Avatar

Location: Seattle
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 23, 2017 - 10:04pm

 NoEnzLefttoSplit wrote:

I honestly don't know how to communicate with you. It's like you live on an entirely different planet. 

Global GDP has risen ginormously in recent years. F'ing billions have been lifted out of poverty. And you call this oppressive?  
Central banking cartel??  They can hardly get their own business straight. They are tinkering with a machine no one really can predict. This doesn't make them a cartel. Most central banks are struggling to steer between recession and inflation, with varying degrees of failure.

Russia does have a low level of public debt... along with a whole host of other developing nations. Its per capital GDP is only 26k, rank 52. 
Putin is a 19th century tsar living in the 21st century. His country will never flourish while a bunch of oligarchs cream all the profits and invest them in questionable schemes overseas.

Russia a threat?  I don't think so. Putin possibly, like any crazy demagogue. But Russia per se?  No. They belong in Europe. They just haven't realised it yet. If they got rid of their dictator, installed modern institutions and business practices they could be a flourishing developing economy. Can't see it happening under the current leadership.  

 
I'm completely with you. I can't understand Kurtster's worldview without seriously heavy doses of cynicism. My last company was funded by Russian Oligarch. I never met the guy, but did deal with his henchmen uh... managers.  If this guy was an indication of the general archetype, I don't think we have a lot to worry about unless there is a nickle on the ground, then they will knock you out of the way to grab it.
kcar

kcar Avatar



Posted: Feb 23, 2017 - 7:37pm

 kurtster wrote:

I don't think this will be the case.  If as Trump states, the USA is the only or one of a couple of countries that has no border import tax, then why are we the only one and why is deciding to do so, wrong ?  Its just catching up with everyone else and leveling the field.  If we have to pay a tax on our goods coming in, then it should be a two way street, right ?  This is the point Trump had been making during his campaign, how we have the worst negotiators in the world when it comes to making trade deals.  Fair trade is a two way street.

That said, I do not want a VAT of any kind established in the USA.  Perhaps the threat of a border tax will get other countries to rescind their border tax on our goods coming into their country.  And it would be done through bilateral trade negotiations.  One on one negotiations with individual countries.  Things seem to be working well with Canada for example where we have a trade balance between the two countries and an estimated $2 billion a day in goods and services move back and forth between the two countries.

You think we can live forever with a $500 billion annual trade deficit with China ?  We pay tax going in there but they don't pay anything coming in here ?  We need to turn these things around.  We already are in a trade war and losing our collective arses the way things are set up.

Trump spoke of currency manipulation extensively during his campaign.  Currency manipulation is also a form of tariffs if you look at it closely.  China keeps the value of its currency down artificially in order to keep the prices of their exports down and the cost of imports high so that they do not compete with their domestic products.  The whole flippin world is walking all over the USA in terms of trade, with the exception of Canada.  This has to end.

And a side bar to all of this.  I know that automation is taking away manufacturing jobs more than anything else here.  That said, if we reinvest here and make our manufacturing state of the art, it will give us a 20 year edge over everyone else who upgraded in the last part of the 20th century and whose facilities are now wearing out and becoming less competitive.  These things run in cycles.  Its the USA's turn to reinvest, and even if we don't export a lot, our own domestic market is big enough to sustain itself with the bonus of keeping the dollars spent on goods here at home instead of being shipped overseas to enemies and competitors.  These dollars kept here at home will be re spent here on our own interests further advancing ourselves.  And not to the detriment of anyone overseas, since no one (not enough) buys our exports in the first place because they are so bloody expensive and taxed to death at the port of entry.

 

 

"If as Trump states, the USA is the only or one of a couple of countries that has no border import tax, then why are we the only one and why is deciding to do so, wrong ?"
Because this kind of border-adjustment tax could have very large, far-reaching and backfiring consequences.


A Tax Overhaul Would Be Great in Theory. Here’s Why It’s So Hard in Practice.


...


The tax has a feature called “border adjustment,” under which exports are not taxed but imports are. That, at first glance, may seem to penalize companies that import goods, like retailers, and subsidize those that export, like makers of jumbo jets. But economists believe the change in the tax code would lead to shifts in the currency markets that offset those moves, namely to a sharp rise in the value of the dollar compared with other currencies.

...
 
A 25 percent rise in the value of the dollar, the most widely used currency on the planet, would have enormous consequences. Supporters think the dollar will rise that much if the plan is enacted — indeed, it must happen, to avoid sticking Americans with much higher prices for imported consumer goods.

But according to calculations by Michael J. Graetz, a Columbia law professor, a currency shift of that scale implies that Americans who hold foreign assets would lose $6.1 trillion, and foreign holders of assets in the United States would gain as much as $8.1 trillion. Meanwhile, because the dollar is the world’s benchmark currency, many businesses and governments outside the United States borrow in it, especially in emerging-market countries where confidence in the domestic currency is low.

 That means that a steep run-up in the value of the dollar generally makes those debts more onerous, and causes big trouble for countries including China, South Korea and Turkey. Consider that the Asian financial crisis in 1998, the Latin American crisis in 2001 and an emerging markets slump in 2015 all had their roots in debt problems and a spike in the dollar.

What’s more, global markets in oil and other commodities are priced in dollars, so a dollar spike could unleash hard-to-predict reactions from commodity producers. Oil would become much more expensive, and oil price shocks have helped set off recessions in the not-too-distant past.

Perhaps the most irony-rich consequence of such a tax overhaul — which would, presumably, be signed by President Trump — would be the damage to the tourism and education sectors in the United States. These businesses would have a serious problem, unlike conventional exporters — companies that ship things overseas, say.

For the exporters, the disadvantages caused by a run-up in the dollar would just cancel out the advantage received from changes in the tax system. But businesses that are not exporting anything across the border would suffer from the damage of a more expensive dollar without receiving advantages from border adjustment.

As Stan Veuger of the American Enterprise Institute has noted, that applies to any organization that serves a large number of foreign customers within the United States’ borders. Think of, say, a Trump international hotel, or amusement parks like Disney World, or any American university that bolsters its finances with foreign enrollment at full-price tuition.

All of these sectors would see their prices rise because of the dollar run-up, without any countervailing tax benefit. 


An example of how it could damage the retail  fashion industry in the US:

Trump’s Unfashionable Tax Idea



...We employ about 30 people directly, and dozens more indirectly as freelancers and sales representatives. Entrepreneurs like us should be ecstatic over the pro-business rhetoric coming out of the White House and Congress. But we’re not, because they are considering unfair tax-code changes that, if put in place, could hurt businesses like ours — and millions of American consumers.

The proposal in question is the border adjustment tax...

...

A border adjustment tax would “adjust” our tax bill by no longer allowing deductions on imports.

...Let’s look at how this would play out for a typical fashion designer in New York City. Her 20-employee company has $10 million in annual sales; her cost of goods sold is $4 million; and expenses like payroll and rent are $5 million. That leaves her company with a tidy pretax profit of $1 million, which is then subject to federal, state and local taxes. But with the border adjustment, her company’s imports will now be subject to tax — assuming she imports 100 percent of her goods, that would raise her tax base from $1 million to $5 million, even though she isn’t making any more money. Based on the proposal, her tax bill would in all likelihood exceed her profits.

Our fashion designer has three options. She can shut her doors — and I know many people in the industry who, already skating on thin profit margins, probably will. She can start buying domestically — an option for some, but again, domestic supply chains in textiles and other sectors are spotty and expensive.

Her third option is to pass on the cost to consumers, and that’s what most businesses will probably do. These wouldn’t be small increases; in many industries, imported goods are one of the biggest expenses. If the tax passes, consumers will have to get used to paying a whole lot more for shoes and shirts.

...

Supporters of a border adjustment tax say it levels the playing field for exporters. By allowing profits from foreign sales to be excluded from income taxes, the tax is a countermeasure, they argue, to the value-added taxes that American manufacturers face in other countries. But that’s a fundamental misunderstanding of how a V.A.T. works — it’s a consumption tax on all goods consumed within a country, charged to domestic manufacturers and importers alike. It does not pick winners and losers, or put import-reliant companies at a disadvantage.

The tax’s proponents also argue that encouraging domestic consumption — which, put differently, means sending fewer dollars overseas — would drive up the value of the dollar, making imports cheaper and offsetting the higher tax bill. If it were only that easy. Many factors other than trade affect the value of our currency, including interest rate differentials and expectations, geopolitical concerns and domestic policies. A stronger dollar might help a little, but as a business owner, I wouldn’t bet on it.

 

 

Also, check out this article, which touches on the havoc a border-adjustment tax could have on various types of companies, including auto manufacturers, with complex international supply chains. 
Counting the Winners and Losers From an Import-Based Tax

 





kurtster

kurtster Avatar

Location: where fear is not a virtue
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 23, 2017 - 6:48pm

 black321 wrote:

globalization is oppressive as you say, exploits societies and labor with less rigorous regulations (lowest $ cost)...yet, I would argue in the long run, these societies eventually grow up (perhaps unionize), and develop a middle class (middle class part is even happening in China).  Attempting to turn off this spigot and start some type of trade war will not be productive for anyone...any trade tax would be a very risky experiment for the US consumer.  It's not the best system, but the best one we got.  But US/Euro companies could do a better job at self policeing their sources, and the conditions these local folks operate under. 

Russian govt is pretty well off (saw a recent estimate of Putins wealth in hundreds of billions), but not its people. 

 
I don't think this will be the case.  If as Trump states, the USA is the only or one of a couple of countries that has no border import tax, then why are we the only one and why is deciding to do so, wrong ?  Its just catching up with everyone else and leveling the field.  If we have to pay a tax on our goods coming in, then it should be a two way street, right ?  This is the point Trump had been making during his campaign, how we have the worst negotiators in the world when it comes to making trade deals.  Fair trade is a two way street.

That said, I do not want a VAT of any kind established in the USA.  Perhaps the threat of a border tax will get other countries to rescind their border tax on our goods coming into their country.  And it would be done through bilateral trade negotiations.  One on one negotiations with individual countries.  Things seem to be working well with Canada for example where we have a trade balance between the two countries and an estimated $2 billion a day in goods and services move back and forth between the two countries.

You think we can live forever with a $500 billion annual trade deficit with China ?  We pay tax going in there but they don't pay anything coming in here ?  We need to turn these things around.  We already are in a trade war and losing our collective arses the way things are set up.

Trump spoke of currency manipulation extensively during his campaign.  Currency manipulation is also a form of tariffs if you look at it closely.  China keeps the value of its currency down artificially in order to keep the prices of their exports down and the cost of imports high so that they do not compete with their domestic products.  The whole flippin world is walking all over the USA in terms of trade, with the exception of Canada.  This has to end.

And a side bar to all of this.  I know that automation is taking away manufacturing jobs more than anything else here.  That said, if we reinvest here and make our manufacturing state of the art, it will give us a 20 year edge over everyone else who upgraded in the last part of the 20th century and whose facilities are now wearing out and becoming less competitive.  These things run in cycles.  Its the USA's turn to reinvest, and even if we don't export a lot, our own domestic market is big enough to sustain itself with the bonus of keeping the dollars spent on goods here at home instead of being shipped overseas to enemies and competitors.  These dollars kept here at home will be re spent here on our own interests further advancing ourselves.  And not to the detriment of anyone overseas, since no one (not enough) buys our exports in the first place because they are so bloody expensive and taxed to death at the port of entry.

 
LowPhreak

LowPhreak Avatar

Location: Divided Corporate States of Neo-Feudal Murikka, Inc.
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 23, 2017 - 1:59pm

There is a joke that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, two old Communist Party members come across each other on the street...

Boris: "Hi Nikolai. Everything the Party told us about Communism turned out to be lies."

Nikolai: "Oh yes...but unfortunately everything the Party told us about the evils of Capitalism turned out to be true..."

black321

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Location: An earth without maps
Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 23, 2017 - 1:25pm

 kurtster wrote:

The oligarchs need globalization.  The Central Banking system needs globalization.  Globalization as it is presently established is oppressive and caters to the lowest common denominator rather than finding ways to raise it.

Russia is under pressure to fall into line with the big global central banking cartel and take on debt it doesn't need.  Its debt is currently 17% of GDP, while ours is over 100%.  Russia also has one of the largest physical reserves of gold in the world.  They can stand on their own two feet rather well.  You seriously underestimate Russia.

Putin recently stated that Russian military equipment has finally been battle tested and is up to snuff.  That is one big advantage the USA used to have.  We were constantly using ours in live fire circumstances.  Syria was Putin's long wanted live equipment test more than anything else.  

Again, I believe that you seriously underestimate Russia and its capabilities, needs and desires. 

 
globalization is oppressive as you say, exploits societies and labor with less rigorous regulations (lowest $ cost)...yet, I would argue in the long run, these societies eventually grow up (perhaps unionize), and develop a middle class (middle class part is even happening in China).  Attempting to turn off this spigot and start some type of trade war will not be productive for anyone...any trade tax would be a very risky experiment for the US consumer.  It's not the best system, but the best one we got.  But US/Euro companies could do a better job at self policeing their sources, and the conditions these local folks operate under. 

Russian govt is pretty well off (saw a recent estimate of Putins wealth in hundreds of billions), but not its people. 
NoEnzLefttoSplit

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Gender: Male


Posted: Feb 23, 2017 - 1:24pm

 kurtster wrote:

The oligarchs need globalization.  The Central Banking system needs globalization.  Globalization as it is presently established is oppressive and caters to the lowest common denominator rather than finding ways to raise it.

Russia is under pressure to fall into line with the big global central banking cartel and take on debt it doesn't need.  Its debt is currently 17% of GDP, while ours is over 100%.  Russia also has one of the largest physical reserves of gold in the world.  They can stand on their own two feet rather well.  You seriously underestimate Russia.

Putin recently stated that Russian military equipment has finally been battle tested and is up to snuff.  That is one big advantage the USA used to have.  We were constantly using ours in live fire circumstances.  Syria was Putin's long wanted live equipment test more than anything else.  

Again, I believe that you seriously underestimate Russia and its capabilities, needs and desires. 

 
I honestly don't know how to communicate with you. It's like you live on an entirely different planet. 

Global GDP has risen ginormously in recent years. F'ing billions have been lifted out of poverty. And you call this oppressive?  
Central banking cartel??  They can hardly get their own business straight. They are tinkering with a machine no one really can predict. This doesn't make them a cartel. Most central banks are struggling to steer between recession and inflation, with varying degrees of failure.

Russia does have a low level of public debt... along with a whole host of other developing nations. Its per capita GDP is only 26k, rank 52. 
Putin is a 19th century tsar living in the 21st century. His country will never flourish while a bunch of oligarchs cream all the profits and invest them in questionable schemes overseas.

Russia a threat?  I don't think so. Putin possibly, like any crazy demagogue. But Russia per se?  No. They belong in Europe. They just haven't realised it yet. If they got rid of their dictator, installed modern institutions and business practices they could be a flourishing developing economy. Can't see it happening under the current leadership.  


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