The Kremlin is burning?

[Josh]

1 hour ago, Roman Alymov said:

People will hate places they have looted and where majority of population would be pleased to see them hanged on lampposts.

Open windows seem like the preferred method, and it does not seem like the people have any input into the matter. Or into any matters, really.

[Josh]

1 hour ago, Roman Alymov said:

Turkey, Cyprus, and the UAE do not have the degree of infrastructure created in Europoe to service stolen funds from around the globe, and provide comfort for their "owners" (at least for some time, untill they are out of money like Berezovsky).

Cyprus specializes in laundering Russian money, or at least it did pre war. And I have a hard time believing the UAE lacks access to any financial instruments an oligarch could ask for. Turkey I am less familiar with, but expect  money can still be moved around if you are willing to “slum it”.

[Josh]

1 hour ago, Roman Alymov said:

Tell this to miners and other workers who are mining all this assets from world's most hellish places (not to mention all generations of Russians who, on foot, raw boats and horses, have created the country from Baltics to Pacific this hellish places are part of). And now this assets are transported abroad for free (in exchange for printed "liquidity" that is mostly staying in Western bank accounts, only part of it transformed into luxury goods for elites). It is not like trade with China, that is at least providing useful things in exchange - for example, earthmoving equipment.

Presumably Putin is also on your list of oligarchs who sell Russian resources for personal financial gain in foreign countries?

[Roman Alymov]

5 minutes ago, Josh said:

Presumably Putin is also on your list of oligarchs who sell Russian resources for personal financial gain in foreign countries?

 Unfortunatelly you are not taking your time to follow my posts - othervise you would have not asked such a questions demonstrating your lack of understanding of how Russian system works. Let me direct you to my recent explanation

 

[Roman Alymov]

30 minutes ago, Josh said:

Open windows seem like the preferred method, and it does not seem like the people have any input into the matter. Or into any matters, really.

Open windows got nothing to do with it - as it is just side effect of infighting among corrupt business elite and officials who struggle to cover up their old "business deals" by removing "parthners" who know too much and may become part of investigations.

[Josh]

9 minutes ago, Roman Alymov said:

 Unfortunatelly you are not taking your time to follow my posts - othervise you would have not asked such a questions demonstrating your lack of understanding of how Russian system works. Let me direct you to my recent explanation

 

I am aware of your opinion.

 

”Putin has left almost no paper trail for his assets — mostly property — which are hidden behind complex financial schemes organized by his confidantes, according to a 2016 "Panama Papers" report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Among the luxuries that have been linked to Putin's friends and family, but never directly to him, are a $100 million mega-yacht and a Black Sea palace allegedly built for Putin's personal use.”
 

"Putin's visible watch collection is worth multiples of his official salary," Bill Browder, an investor in Russia who became a fierce critic of Putin, told CNN in 2018. "The wealth came as a result of extortion and massive theft from state funds. Browder testified before the US Senate in 2017 that he estimates the Russian leader's wealth to hover around $200 billion in assets, which would make him among the wealthiest people on the planet.”
 

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/02/28/business/vladimir-putin-wealth-sanctions

[Roman Alymov]

30 minutes ago, Josh said:

Cyprus specializes in laundering Russian money, or at least it did pre war. And I have a hard time believing the UAE lacks access to any financial instruments an oligarch could ask for. Turkey I am less familiar with, but expect  money can still be moved around if you are willing to “slum it”.

Again, you are mixing tools with final destination points.

[urbanoid]

1 minute ago, Roman Alymov said:

Again, you are mixing tools with final destination points.

Then again, having 'safe' money abroad in case things turn to shit locally should be a goal in itself, right?

[Roman Alymov]

4 minutes ago, Josh said:

I am aware of your opinion.

 

 

”Putin has left almost no paper trail for his assets — mostly property — which are hidden behind complex financial schemes organized by his confidantes, according to a 2016 "Panama Papers" report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Among the luxuries that have been linked to Putin's friends and family, but never directly to him, are a $100 million mega-yacht and a Black Sea palace allegedly built for Putin's personal use.”
 

 

"Putin's visible watch collection is worth multiples of his official salary," Bill Browder, an investor in Russia who became a fierce critic of Putin, told CNN in 2018. "The wealth came as a result of extortion and massive theft from state funds. Browder testified before the US Senate in 2017 that he estimates the Russian leader's wealth to hover around $200 billion in assets, which would make him among the wealthiest people on the planet.”
 

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/02/28/business/vladimir-putin-wealth-sanctions

What is the point of bringing it up? No doubt Putin-the-personality is integral part of pro-Western ruling elite of Russia (i hope you remember he was once appointed by "Yeltsin's family" with sole purpose of being the guarantor of their personal survival and assets). Putin is one of the most pro-Western politicians of Russia.

[Roman Alymov]

17 minutes ago, urbanoid said:

Then again, having 'safe' money abroad in case things turn to shit locally should be a goal in itself, right?

The point is not just having "safe" money, but having entire ecosystem of assets (with interest), safe luxury life for families, Western citizenship and education for children and grandchildren (in privileged Western univercities that will allow to move them later into chairman seats of big Russian companies/Gov institutions to "continue family business") etc. It is entire system of "new nobility" in Russia, where business and goverment/law enforcement are mixed into thje system that is standing by one foot in Russia and another one in safety of West.  Nom dount this system is well known and at least partly controlled by Western intelligence services, making Rus Gov effectively colonial administration.

P.S. Today first deputy head of Moscow sunway was arrested following recieving the bribe Арестован первый замначальника Московского метрополитена

Edited October 24, 2024 by Roman Alymov

[Josh]

If the entire Russian government is just a de facto western colony, where did the invade of Ukraine come from? What was there to gain that could not have been much more easily accomplished by annexation of the D/LPR? Who authorized the invasion plan, knowing it would greatly antagonize the west and threaten their investments?

Edited October 24, 2024 by Josh

[Roman Alymov]

44 minutes ago, Josh said:

If the entire Russian government is just a de facto western colony, where did the invade of Ukraine come from? What was there to gain that could not have been much more easily accomplished by annexation of the D/LPR? Who authorized the invasion plan, knowing it would greatly antagonize the west and threaten their investments?

I'm sorry but it is sort of boredom to explain again and again obvious reality. Russian Gov (aka Western comprador colonial administration) were trying to gain better negotiation positions as they were balancing between West (arrogant and incompetent) politicians and public opinion in Russia hating them. When after years of betrail of Novorossia they were faced with prospect of "color revolution" in Russia that would be unavoidable after pro-Ukrainians crashing Donbass with support of West, they decided that it would be nice to remove Kiev Gov and go back to negotiations in stronger position. Not surprisingly, they have failed.

   Please read my old post on that 

 

[Josh]

That is a rather fascinating perspective, however much I disagree.

[JWB]

9 hours ago, Roman Alymov said:

Tell this to miners and other workers who are mining all this assets from world's most hellish places ........

Why should I. Those workers should form a union and go on strike.

[Josh]

1 hour ago, JWB said:

Why should I. Those workers should form a union and go on strike.

Clearly those miners are pro war anyway, since they really are not all to say otherwise.

[Roman Alymov]

4 hours ago, JWB said:

Why should I. 

It was you who said "That money isn't even Russian." - isn't it logical to ask Russians opinion? But you definitely not in "should" position - as you are not in Russia (may be even on another continent - no idea where you are calling from), so the best you could do is ask your Gov not to mess with Russia far away, to stay on safe side.

4 hours ago, JWB said:

 Those workers should form a union and go on strike.

Union of Russian workers going on strike is called tank division. That is exactly why Rus Gov is so badly trying to avoid mobilization: armed mobilized working class mixed with ideologically motivated Novorossia militia volunteers (who, with all their ideological diversity  - from Monarchists to Communists - are all anti-Capitalist) is the deadly mix for the economical/political system of modern Russia.

[Roman Alymov]

P.S. Yesterday both former and acting Deputy Ministers of Energy were arrested - reportedly, they have stolen part of budget that was supposed to be used to close old/uneffective coal mines Замминистра энергетики подозревают в крупном хищении

 

[JWB]

8 hours ago, Roman Alymov said:

........... strike is called tank division. .....

"Strike" means all the workers refuse to do their jobs unless pay increases or conditions improve or both. 

https://laborlaw.ph/strike-by-the-union-or-workers/

[JWB]

What is Russia's true inflation rate?

 

[DB]

If it's true that Russia is planning to spend >40% of GDP on military and security, then that approaches the levels reached in the UK for both world wars.

it's interesting how expensive a Small Military Operation can become.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Im hearing that the reason why the Russian economy appears to be florishing is that increasingly its military expenditure that is keeping the bubble inflated. Which of course for those of us that remember the 70's and 80's, this really isnt a great plan for the future. But im sure that Putin has a solution for all that...

[Roman Alymov]

2 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

Im hearing that the reason why the Russian economy appears to be florishing is that increasingly its military expenditure that is keeping the bubble inflated. Which of course for those of us that remember the 70's and 80's, this really isnt a great plan for the future. But im sure that Putin has a solution for all that...

   The interesting part here is you acknowleging "the Russian economy appears to be florishing". Re "keeping the bubble inflated" - well, comparing with USA printing another USD trillioon each 100 days, Russian Gov spendings are very modest.....

[Josh]

3 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

Im hearing that the reason why the Russian economy appears to be florishing is that increasingly its military expenditure that is keeping the bubble inflated. Which of course for those of us that remember the 70's and 80's, this really isnt a great plan for the future. But im sure that Putin has a solution for all that...

“flourish” seems a little strong. It has a relatively high GDP and extremely low unemployment rate, for sure, but that is to be expected with what is effectively a wartime economy. The government is spending a huge amount of money to pay soldiers, workers, and buy weapons. The downside is all the other non defense spending, non defense industries, and foreign cash reserves/liquidity. I expect there to be a cash crisis long before there is an equipment shortage, assuming the war continues for a couple years.

The long term damage to running your economy this way for years is likely pretty bad; I imagine there are plenty of British examples of such this post WWII.

[JWB]

Top Putin propogandist left fighting for his life after mysterious crash involving all-terrain vehicle leaves him with 'traumatic brain injury and broken neck'

https://x.com/MailOnline/status/1850562253071712534

 

[Josh]

4 minutes ago, JWB said:

Top Putin propogandist left fighting for his life after mysterious crash involving all-terrain vehicle leaves him with 'traumatic brain injury and broken neck'

https://x.com/MailOnline/status/1850562253071712534

 

Hardly seems mysterious…