Russian banks went down en masse, the spread of foreign currencies was larger than the official numbers, and people were queuing outside the banks to withdraw money.
Of course, the Russian narrative is that this will hurt the west more than it will hurt Russia...
Huh? In what world?
> the Russian narrative
Dont say such things after saying stuff like you just did above. You people live in such a delusional false reality propagated by your establishment that its worse than 2003. Ukraine is 'winning' despite losing, Russia is sinking despite becoming the 4th largest economy and having major increase in real wages, US economy is 'doing fine' even as the number and size of the sunken US banks eclipse 2008.
1) Everyone I personally knew in Russia has left, and every international collaboration in science I have seen seems to have ended.
2) People I know who are full time online teachers report that Chinese have virtually overnight lost their spot as the most numerous students, replaced by hordes of Russians seeking to emigrate.
3) Indisputable military points of clarity from global news are that Russia failed to capture Ukraine's capital after planning and attempting to do so, lost much of its Black Sea fleet, and suffered from a brief internal military uprising.
4) Russia's petro-diplomacy clearly backfired: the entire world has pivoted away from fossil fuels and the IEA just announced peak oil will occur this decade.
I think any summary version of reality that includes Russia 'winning' at this stage is probably more stage-managed than the alternatives. Yes, they can grind people to death more than the Ukraine because of their larger population. No, that doesn't mean they 'win'. Both Russia and Ukraine will suffer long term macro-demographic structural issues from this war, however it ends. The people of Ukraine have greatly suffered. The Chinese will suffer too, because this aids Xi Jinping's narrative of resisting the west during a period in which he is asserting authoritarian nationalism and increasing financial, economic and cultural controls.
Few people are making money. Certainly not Russia.
Everyone I know in my home country which has absolutely no relation with any of these has also left. The 99.9% of the population have not. Your personal circle and the specific demographics you belong to do not constitute statistics.
> 3) Indisputable military points of clarity from global news are that Russia failed to capture Ukraine's capital after planning and attempting to do so
Angloamerican and satellite media outlets are not 'global', not to mention that all the 'experts' that they rely on are full of sh_t just like how they were back in 2003. Their sole job is to sell this war so that US and satellite taxpayer money can be channeled back to US defense corporations via Ukraine. The result is that Raytheon et al are posting record profits.
> 4) Russia's petro-diplomacy clearly backfired: the entire world
You people say these delirious things. 80% of the world has increased its business relations with Russia instead of decreasing it. India even told a bipartisan British parliamentary delegation to sod off when they went to India to lecture them about how they should cut their relations with Russia. Here's 'the entire world':
https://www.politico.eu/article/west-more-united-also-isolat...
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/02/23/world/russia-...
Even NYT admits that the West is isolated and 'the world' is literally with Russia. But you people contradict your own establishment mouthpieces.
Here in Europe we are still buying Russian oil and gas, even more than before, EXCEPT THROUGH INDIA, GABON and other intermediaries. Gabon, a tiny African country, increased its merchant marine to 100 ships in a few months just to sell Russian oil and gas to Europe. Europe's exports to Russia cratered, but its exports to Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and various neighboring countries skyrocketed with the EXACT percentage with which its exports to Russia cratered. Go figure. Everything is the same as before in Europe related to Russia, and yet imports are more expensive because it goes through intermediaries.
> the entire world has pivoted away from fossil fuels
Another self-propagated delirium that is the product of too much Angloamerican media consumption. Hasnt happened.
> I think any summary version of reality that includes Russia 'winning' at this stage
The summary version of the reality in which Russia is winning is this reality.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/27/opinion/ukraine-military-...
"Ukraine Doesn’t Need All Its Territory to Defeat Putin"
Your establishment has gone from "Ukraine will get to Moscow in 3 months" to "Ukraine doesn't need its territory to win". They are making 'perception management' to manage you people as if you were idiots. And they seem to be succeeding too.
> The Chinese will suffer too, because this aids Xi Jinping's narrative of resisting the west during a period in which he is asserting authoritarian nationalism and increasing financial, economic and cultural controls.
Nobody needs to 'resist' 'the West'. Its bankrupt. Its capitalist class started to eat the societies alive by trying to profit from housing, healthcare, education and even basic foodstuffs as they exhausted the means to exploit other countries. Dollar lost its place as the foreign exchange currency and unused dollars are now flowing back to the US, causing inflation. 99% of Americans are estimated to be going to be never own a house whereas 80% of 30 year olds and 90% of 40 year olds own their houses in China, which they paid with their own money.
'The West' is so in knee-deep sh*t that this is what's happening there:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AmerExit/
You people are delusional and speak delirious. This is how it must have been in the late stages of Roman empire as it was nearing its end: Delusion and denial.
Nationalism is an infantile disease. The measles of mankind. - Einstein
It seems somehow fitting in today's scenario that Einstein fled Europe for the US, and turned down being PM of Israel with insightful comment.
Chiefly your arguments about abstention from votes are totally logical: the countries who abstained are largely neighbors or economic vassals of China and Russia who do not want to poke the proverbial bear.
Ask the Chinese how their real estate market is going, and it is certain they will tell you it was an effective ponzi scheme which has burst and the government crony real estate firms ate all their savings. That money went overseas. Masking cronyism with a drum of nationalism is populist politics 101.
Russia was a great cultural and economic center at one time, but that time has long passed. Recently, IMHO it has been primarily a proxy, mafiaesque jurisdiction for globalized resource market extraction operations. As I look about my house I notice zero Russian inventions, products, or brands, save some postcards from 1900 and a jar of pickled winter food. I hope everyone on all sides can pass this difficult time and lead peaceful and fulfilling lives without nationalism.
That's what you did with "Most of the people I know".
The rest are literal references from actual Angloamerican establishments. You are literally contradicting what NYT, Reuters et al bluntly say. Take it up with them and tell them that they are wrong.
> I myself hold three citizenships and am part slavic, raised irreligious and to hold America in a very dim light.
Doesnt mean anything. You talk like an American nationalist who is devoid of the understanding of the reality outside.
> Nationalism is an infantile disease. The measles of mankind. - Einstein
Another irrelevant phrase, hard to understand what the hell does it have to do with the actual point.
> Chiefly your arguments about abstention from votes are totally logical: the countries who abstained are largely neighbors or economic vassals of China and Russia who do not want to poke the proverbial bear.
Its not about 'votes'. All of those countries increased their TRADE with Russia. Needless to say neither Brazil, nor Chile nor Malaysia nor Indonesia has anything to fear about Russia. The argument is unintelligible.
Its also hypocritical: When US satellites vote how the US wants, its 'democratic', but when other countries vote according to their already declared, clear diplomatic stances, its 'for fear'.
> Ask the Chinese how their real estate market is going
80% of 30 year olds and 90% year of 40 year olds own their houses, and they paid it with their own money. That's how it is going. Its going bad only in the publications of the Economist, WSJ and NYT because they want China to open up its real estate market so that American investment funds can fck the Chinese by buying up entire neighborhoods then jacking up prices to profit - like how they did to Americans:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/homes-for-sale-affordable-housi...
99% of Americans will never buy a house in their lifetime.
This is a great example of how delirious you people became by feeding on the lies and bullsht of your media. The Economist incessantly lies about China, you people eat it line and sinker and blabber about "China's real estate market" even as 99% of you will never buy a house. You get your own real estate market in order first. Sheeshhh...
> As I look about my house I notice zero Russian inventions, products, or brands, save some postcards
Yeah. Your house, in your self-induced ignorance and delirium with all the disconnectedness from the rest of the world, does make a statement about actual countries and geopolitics. Like the 'China real estate market' delirium. The country where 99% of the people will never own a house are yammering about the real estate market of another country and denigrating it. That seals the discussion. Well done.
I will leave you people to dabble in your drivel.