urbanoid Posted January 3 Posted January 3 1 minute ago, Roman Alymov said: It depends, especially when it comes to raising children in safe envirionment. Belorussia is famous to be extremely law-obidient and safe place. In this respect they are not so much different from some people from Russian regions who mostly go "to conquer Moscow" looking for higher payment ( but for Belorussians Poland is often closer distance to go then Russia). There is no official data on how many citizens of Belorussia are working in Russia (as we are sort of union state and they do not need any registration) but estimated number is about 200k or even 400k if we believe Wiki Belarusians in Russia - Wikipedia Ok, so to maybe make things easier, Belarusian salaries? They're a joke compared to Polish minimum wage, let alone average one and I'd imagine it should be similar when compared to Moscow salaries.
Roman Alymov Posted January 3 Posted January 3 18 minutes ago, urbanoid said: Ok, so to maybe make things easier, Belarusian salaries? They're a joke compared to Polish minimum wage, let alone average one and I'd imagine it should be similar when compared to Moscow salaries. There is no sence to compare salaries without comparing expenses/prices. Almost everything is cheaper in Belorussia then in Russia (especially then in big cities of Russia). Also, some specific aspects are usually not noticed by outside observers: for example, Belorussia got no car industry of their own, so no protectionism, and as result Belorussians were mostly driving very good "fresh" second-hand cars from EU, while in Russia this cars were heavily taxated.
urbanoid Posted January 3 Posted January 3 3 minutes ago, Roman Alymov said: There is no sence to compare salaries without comparing expenses/prices. Almost everything is cheaper in Belorussia then in Russia (especially then in big cities of Russia). Also, some specific aspects are usually not noticed by outside observers: for example, Belorussia got no car industry of their own, so no protectionism, and as result Belorussians were mostly driving very good "fresh" second-hand cars from EU, while in Russia this cars were heavily taxated. Expenses are not particularly high here, Poland regularly scores very high in PPP - about the level of Japan. I think it was a year of two ago, I saw some video material by the Ukrainian that tried his luck in Norway, one of the conclusions was that if he and his wife took some minimum wage jobs in a small Polish town they'd end up with similar living standards and would have to endure a lot less 'legal bullshit'.
Roman Alymov Posted January 3 Posted January 3 10 minutes ago, urbanoid said: Expenses are not particularly high here, Poland regularly scores very high in PPP - about the level of Japan. I think it was a year of two ago, I saw some video material by the Ukrainian that tried his luck in Norway, one of the conclusions was that if he and his wife took some minimum wage jobs in a small Polish town they'd end up with similar living standards and would have to endure a lot less 'legal bullshit'. For comparison sake, BigMac* in Russia is about $1.8, while in Poland $3.59, Japan $2.83 ( https://countrycassette.com/big-mac-index-by-country/ ) * McDonald’s is officially not operating in Russia, but the network was bought our by local management and is operating with the same products (under changed names, for example BigMac is now BigHit)
urbanoid Posted January 3 Posted January 3 4 minutes ago, Roman Alymov said: For comparison sake, BigMac* in Russia is about $1.8, while in Poland $3.59, Japan $2.83 ( https://countrycassette.com/big-mac-index-by-country/ ) * McDonald’s is officially not operating in Russia, but the network was bought our by local management and is operating with the same products (under changed names, for example BigMac is now BigHit) Big Mac is a somewhat silly index tbh. And yes, fast food is generally quite expensive here, in many places you can have actual 2-course dinner, much healthier and more filling than a McD set for a similar price.
Roman Alymov Posted January 3 Posted January 3 Just now, urbanoid said: Big Mac is a somewhat silly index tbh. Yes, as almost any index is, as they by definition are simplifications of reality. PPP is also not perfect, as welll as GDP and so on.
Stefan Kotsch Posted January 4 Posted January 4 10 hours ago, Roman Alymov said: 14 hours ago, Stefan Kotsch said: An uprising would break out in Deutschland if the Bundeskanzler wanted to interfere in the mayors' affairs. There would be flak in the media. In good German language - a shit storm. Back in 1993, there was uprising in Moscow. It was supressed by tanks, with full support of West. A uprising in 1993 over interference in the mayor's affairs? By the citizens of Moscow and the press?
Stefan Kotsch Posted January 4 Posted January 4 And then the New Year's broadcast on Telekanal Svezda. You can't make this up. 😎 https://rutube.ru/video/f14ca2d7feb0878e0238c4db078ce54e/ from 04:49
Roman Alymov Posted January 4 Posted January 4 1 hour ago, Stefan Kotsch said: And then the New Year's broadcast on Telekanal Svezda. You can't make this up. 😎 https://rutube.ru/video/f14ca2d7feb0878e0238c4db078ce54e/ from 04:49 My congratulations, now you are not only reading comments on Russian regional forums, but also watching comedy programs!
Roman Alymov Posted January 4 Posted January 4 10 hours ago, Stefan Kotsch said: A uprising in 1993 over interference in the mayor's affairs? By the citizens of Moscow and the press? Uprising of 1993 was public anger crisis on top of parliament /Gov crisis.
ink Posted January 9 Posted January 9 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/09/european-imports-of-liquefied-natural-gas-from-russia-at-record-levels I'm no expert, but isn't LNG much more expensive than pipeline-delivered natural gas?
mandeb48 Posted January 9 Posted January 9 yes, but the increase is marginal beyond the sensationalism of the title
ink Posted January 9 Posted January 9 15 minutes ago, mandeb48 said: yes, but the increase is marginal beyond the sensationalism of the title Yeah, you're not wrong. It is a pretty unimpressive increase.
glenn239 Posted January 9 Posted January 9 1 hour ago, ink said: I'm no expert, but isn't LNG much more expensive than pipeline-delivered natural gas? Just ask Chat GPT - "how much more expensive is Europe's LNG supply than the Russian natural gas they are no longer recieving?" The cost difference between Europe’s LNG (liquefied natural gas) supplies and the Russian natural gas that Europe used to receive via pipelines has been significant, especially in the aftermath of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The price of LNG is typically higher than pipeline gas, especially under current market conditions, for several reasons: 1. Supply and Demand LNG is traded on global markets, and Europe is competing with other regions like Asia (China, Japan, South Korea) for limited supply. Prices for LNG fluctuate based on global demand, making it more expensive than the more stable and regionally-priced pipeline gas. Russian gas, which was previously delivered via pipelines such as Nord Stream, was typically cheaper for Europe due to long-term contracts and the lack of transportation costs compared to LNG, which needs to be liquefied, transported by ships, and regasified. 2. Price Differentials Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, natural gas prices in Europe were typically in the $200 to $300 per thousand cubic meters (Mcm), largely due to the long-term contracts and lower costs associated with pipeline infrastructure. Post-2022, European gas prices surged dramatically, especially as it transitioned to LNG. In late 2022 and early 2023, LNG prices rose to $1,000 to $2,000 per Mcm during high-demand periods, representing up to 3 to 6 times the cost of Russian pipeline gas. As of mid-2023, prices had come down from those peaks but still remained about 2 to 3 times higher than the cost of the Russian pipeline gas Europe previously enjoyed. 3. Additional Costs for LNG LNG comes with extra costs not associated with pipeline gas: Liquefaction and regasification: The process of converting natural gas to LNG and back into gas is energy-intensive and adds to the cost. Shipping and infrastructure: LNG must be transported by specialized vessels, which incurs additional costs compared to the relatively simpler pipeline transport. 4. Energy Security vs. Price Despite the higher costs, European countries prioritized energy security by diversifying away from Russian natural gas. This has led to increased LNG imports, even at a premium, due to the need for reliable and non-Russian energy sources, particularly after the Nord Stream pipelines were sabotaged in late 2022. Summary of the Price Gap: Pre-2022: Russian pipeline gas was typically cheaper by a factor of 2 to 4 compared to LNG. 2022-2023: LNG prices surged by 3 to 6 times the price of Russian pipeline gas, due to supply shortages, competition with Asia, and higher demand in Europe. Current (2024-2025): LNG remains 2 to 3 times more expensive than Russian gas was before the war. These differences reflect both the global nature of LNG pricing and the higher operational costs of transporting and processing LNG compared to pipeline gas.
ink Posted January 9 Posted January 9 2 hours ago, glenn239 said: Just ask Chat GPT I'm reliably informed by the IT monkeys at work that it hallucinates quite a bit, so I've become mistrustful of the "info" it provides.
glenn239 Posted January 9 Posted January 9 1 hour ago, ink said: I'm reliably informed by the IT monkeys at work that it hallucinates quite a bit, so I've become mistrustful of the "info" it provides. I'd be willing to bet that the hallucination problem is considerably worse on Tanknet than it is with Chat.
ink Posted January 9 Posted January 9 4 hours ago, glenn239 said: I'd be willing to bet that the hallucination problem is considerably worse on Tanknet than it is with Chat. 😄 good one!
Stefan Kotsch Posted January 13 Posted January 13 Quite interesting to read: Russia’s Hidden War Debt Moscow has been stealthily funding much of its war costs with risky, off-budget financing overlooked by the West. That funding is now under pressure, offering new leverage to Ukraine and its allies. 11.01.2025 ... By late 2024, the Kremlin had become aware of the systemic credit risks unleashed by its off-budget defense funding scheme. This has created a dilemma that is likely to weigh on Moscow’s war calculus: the longer it relies on this scheme, the greater the risk a disruptive credit event occurs that undermines its image of financial resilience and weakens its negotiating leverage. Moscow’s emerging financing dilemma offers unexpected negotiating leverage to Ukraine and its allies. There are two key measures that well-informed negotiators can take to exploit Moscow’s growing financial vulnerability. ... https://navigatingrussia.substack.com/p/russias-hidden-war-debt
glenn239 Posted January 13 Posted January 13 4 hours ago, Stefan Kotsch said: Quite interesting to read: Russia’s Hidden War Debt Moscow has been stealthily funding much of its war costs with risky, off-budget financing overlooked by the West. That funding is now under pressure, offering new leverage to Ukraine and its allies. The Russian debt to GDP ratio is very low.
Stuart Galbraith Posted January 14 Posted January 14 Yes, because Russian GDP is very low presumably. The Eastern Border did an interesting program on the Russian economy recently. Basically, Russia is seemingly nearly broke, and they havent noticed it yet. https://theeasternborder.lv/podcast/war-in-ukraine-episode-260/
Roman Alymov Posted January 14 Posted January 14 20 minutes ago, Stuart Galbraith said: Yes, because Russian GDP is very low presumably. Please excuse me for advise to re-visit yout math on how having smaller number at the bottom of the ratio is decreasing, noit increasing, the ratio. Re volumes Russia was classified as a high-income country Russia Ranks as World’s No.4 Biggest Economy Based on Purchasing Power Parity As we see, Russian GDP is do very low compared to first-rank economies like China, US and India - but Russia is relatively small country in terms of population (2/3 of Pakistan, for example), so for its size economic performance is relatively good. Our problem is not economy, but comprador pro-Western elite.
Stuart Galbraith Posted January 14 Posted January 14 And yet Russia is apparently a military superpower that can invade a nation of 40 million people and annex it without consequence. You see the problem here right? You boast how you are but this tiny little nation, we are dwarfed by India and the US, but still boast the swagger of the USSR. It just doesnt add up. Anyway, the sums seemingly are not adding up, which is no surprise, because Putin hasnt seriously listened to an economist since the early 2000's.
Roman Alymov Posted January 14 Posted January 14 2 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said: And yet Russia is apparently a military superpower that can invade a nation of 40 million people and annex it without consequence. You see the problem here right? You boast how you are but this tiny little nation, we are dwarfed by India and the US, but still boast the swagger of the USSR. It just doesnt add up. I wonder where you are taking this "Russia strong" rhetoric. Russia is devided nation (RF is only part of Russia), separated along artificial borders and controlled by people appointed directly of with conscent of West, de-facto colonial comprador administration. Luckily, greed, arrogance and incompetence of West have cornered even this pro-Western elite (note i am not separating here "Russian" and "Ukraininan" elites, as de-facto it is the same class of peopole linked by numerous links - from economic to family ones, and all subordinated to real owners of their London palaces) into having no other way then follow piblic demand to start actions that are de-facto war for independence, but also civil war inside Russia. 2 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said: Anyway, the sums seemingly are not adding up, which is no surprise, because Putin hasnt seriously listened to an economist since the early 2000's. Not sure whom Putin have or have not listened to, but even in current colonial status RF is doing more or less good. So it is reasonable to you to ask your political lidership how it is possible that even their puppets in Russia are doing better in economic management then your Gov do in metropoly.
Stefan Kotsch Posted January 14 Posted January 14 7 hours ago, Roman Alymov said: Our [Russian] problem is not economy, but comprador pro-Western elite. What can you say about that? There is no basis for a meaningful discussion here. This is as absurd as an 'Pioneers Afternoon' at the Soviet children's organization 'Lenin Pioneers'.
Stefan Kotsch Posted January 14 Posted January 14 This is of the same level: The Kherson [!] region is ready to receive refugees from California, which was badly damaged by forest fires. This was explained by the head of the Russian region, Vladimir Saldo, to TASS. ... Saldo also announced the conditions under which refugees would receive accommodation in the region he leads. Therefore, those who took part in the hostilities on the side of Ukraine or supported them financially and in other ways will not be allowed to enter the Kherson region. ... https://lenta.ru/news/2025/01/13/saldo-zayavil-o-gotovnosti-prinyat-bezhentsev-iz-kalifornii-pri-odnom-uslovii/ Boy oh boy - what kind of stuff are these people smoking? 😵💫
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