dagblog - Comments for "Vladimir Putin, Superhero"

Kiss of death: Dennis Rodman:

artappraiser — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 05:44:12 +0000

Kiss of death: Dennis Rodman: Vladimir Putin Is "Actually Cool"

" ... It does not matter who

Beetlejuice — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 16:56:34 +0000

In reply to Now for something completely

" ... It does not matter who takes the place of the centre of evil in American propaganda, the USSR’s old place as the main adversary. It could be Iran, as a country seeking to acquire nuclear technology, China, as the world’s biggest economy, or Russia, as a nuclear superpower ... "

Putin, Sochi, 24 Oct 2014

The conservatives just can't let go of Russia as the focus of their ire.

Putin may have to put his

ocean-kat — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 09:11:06 +0000

In reply to One has to wonder how much

Putin may have to put his shirt back on and hang the cape up in the closet because the Russian Rouble is headed straight for the crapper.

by moat on Sat, 11/08/2014 - 7:13pm

One has to wonder how much effect this possibility had on its sudden collapse:

Considering how ga-ga russians seem to be over Putin's bare chest we have to assume the possibility that he may have to put his shirt back on would have a significant effect on the rouble.

Gross debt doesn't tell us

ocean-kat — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 08:49:36 +0000

In reply to I was having coffee with a

Gross debt doesn't tell us anything. Small countries a with fraction of our population could carry significantly less gross debt while carrying a larger debt in relation to its population and GDP. Most industrialized nations are carrying about the same level of debt as a percentage of GDP as the US, some more. While the US has by far the highest gross debt many countries carry higher debt per capita and as a percentage of GDP. Even Germany, the rumored most austere and fiscally responsible nation, is carrying about the same level of debt as the US per capita and more as a percentage of GDP. Most economists I've read seem to think debt as a percentage of GDP as the most relevant number. Considering how many countries carry nearly the same or more debt than the US it doesn't seem to have much to do with the dollar being used as a reserve currency.

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

Economics is not a subject I've studied in depth and I admit that this level of debt in so many countries seems untenable and unstable. But the economies of many countries seem to have functioned just fine at this level of debt and most economists don't think its a major problem requiring immediate or drastic action. Since I'm not an economist generally I tend to trust the assessment of those who have studied the subject in depth.

Resentment of the dominance

EmmaZahn — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 08:17:11 +0000

In reply to I was having coffee with a

Resentment of the dominance of the U$D as the world's reserve currency is not a new issue. Many hoped the Euro would become an alternate and there are always rulers like Gaddafi was who would rather be paid in gold for their natural resources. But the thing about competing currencies is that there will always be one that is the most preferred for a variety of reasons. That is what makes it the reserve currency not some decree or mandate. Not that those do not go a long way toward giving a currency credibility.

Why is the US in trouble with a debt of 17 trillion? Would you be in trouble if you were in debt for one year's income? Would it be a problem for you if you exchanged ious with a friend or acquaintance who changes his mind and wants to swap back? The debt that China holds is denominated in U$ Dollars. They bought the debt with U$ Dollars. When it matures, they will be paid back in dollars.U$ Dollars. If they want their money back before maturity then they can sell it for whatever currency they want but the US is not obliged to buy it back before it matures.

Not that there aren't some money wargames happening. Just not the ones you may think.

Has The Bank Of Japan Started Another Round Of Central Bank Wargames? http://onforb.es/1xKeUcA

I was having coffee with a

Resistance — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 04:33:49 +0000

In reply to One has to wonder how much

I was having coffee with a friend last week, and he was saying there is a lot of things going on in the currency market. Financial warfare is going on.

Confusing stuff , Something about the US and it's allies supporting the US petrodollar?, forcing the middle east one direction affecting terrorism support; with China and Russia? into another direction. Divvying up spheres of influence?

There was talk about some nations trying to destabilize America, by not having the US dollar as the Reserve currency, and this would hurt the US. Instead a basket of currencies backed by assets such as Gold etc.

The US is in trouble with a debt of 17 trillion.

Nations want to control their own destiny by using their own currency. Not beholden to foreign manipulation and control.

Lets hope China doesn't call our indebtedness past due.

One has to wonder how much

EmmaZahn — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 04:11:50 +0000

In reply to Putin may have to put his

One has to wonder how much effect this possibility had on its sudden collapse:

Russia may ban circulation of US dollar
[ 05 November 2014 14:46 ]

The State Duma has been submitted a relevant bill

Moscow. Farid Akbarov – APA. Russia may ban the circulation of the United States dollar.

The State Duma has already been submitted a relevant bill banning and terminating the circulation of USD in Russia, APA’s Moscow correspondent reports.

If the bill is approved, Russian citizens will have to close their dollar accounts in Russian banks within a year and exchange their dollars in cash to Russian ruble or other countries’ currencies.

Otherwise their accounts will be frozen and cash dollars levied by police, customs, tax, border, and migration services confiscated.

After the law enters into force, it will be impossible to obtain cash dollar in Russia. The ban or termination of the US dollar will not apply to the exchange operations carried out by Russian Central Bank, the Russian government, ministries of foreign affairs and defense, the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Federal Security Service.

h/t FT Alphaville IK

Putin may have to put his

moat — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 02:13:16 +0000

In reply to Vladimir Putin, Superhero

Putin may have to put his shirt back on and hang the cape up in the closet because the Russian Rouble is headed straight for the crapper.

I will say again in a

A Guy Called LULU — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 18:39:36 +0000

In reply to I do not say that at all to

I will say again in a slightly different way, I was not attempting to quarrel with you. In this case I was using the word 'argument' with its less common usage meaning a reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong. I was merely asking you to present your arguments in support of your assertions, but I was not rejecting what you said. I tried to make that clear at the very beginning.
If I read those old books will I learn how or if the methods used by totalitarian governments to gain the support of their populace is different than the methods used in freer societies? That was my main question and yes, it was a bit rhetorical but so what? That is a legitimate conversational device when ideas are being bandied about, isn't it? Why be so stingy with your accumulated knowledge of why things are as they are when you are so free with your assertions of how things are?
I can't say why you believe whatever you do but I am sorry that you see my attempt to set a reasonable tone to that discussion as a lie.

I do not say that at all to

artappraiser — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 18:12:20 +0000

In reply to I would be quite interested

I do not say that at all to argue

Why don't I believe you on that?

I'm not interested in arguing about it nor am I interested in teaching on it beyond my first comment on this thread.

If you want to learn more on topic, I recommend the following books by this guy:

Nazi Culture: Intellectual, Cultural and Social Life in the Third Reich, edited by G.L. Mosse, 1966

Masses and Man: Nationalist and Fascist Perceptions of Reality, 1980.

Yes, they are old books. Because what's going on here, this is old stuff, no longer disputed in cultural history circles, just considered the basics on totalitarianism now, we moved on to more the more complex ways of doing similar (and Putin hasn't.)