BRICS

[egb_hibs]

So much for isolation of Russia, as some pundits are pointing out.

Vlad is busy hosting the leaders of 36 member countries of BRICS in Russia right now, whose cumulative GDP is set to handsomely exceed the G7 by the end of the decade. They of course include the likes of India and China versus the various rich geriatrics that hang off the US in G7. What a wonderful wheeze this globalisation lark has been; the west has destroyed its workforces, polarised wealth and hand power and technology to those who reject its (increasingly deranged) liberalism, ie pretty much everyone else. Still, we have men in skirts on our side of the balance sheet.

The times they are a changin’.

Putin returns to world stage hosting 36 leaders at Brics summit in Russia

West infuriated as UN secretary general accepts invitation to meeting of countries including China, India and Iran

www.theguardian.com

 

[emerald green]

So much for isolation of Russia, as some pundits are pointing out.

Vlad is busy hosting the leaders of 36 member countries of BRICS in Russia right now, whose cumulative GDP is set to handsomely exceed the G7 by the end of the decade. They of course include the likes of India and China versus the various rich geriatrics that hang off the US in G7. What a wonderful wheeze this globalisation lark has been; the west has destroyed its workforces, polarised wealth and hand power and technology to those who reject its (increasingly deranged) liberalism, ie pretty much everyone else. Still, we have men in skirts on our side of the balance sheet.

The times they are a changin’.

Putin returns to world stage hosting 36 leaders at Brics summit in Russia

West infuriated as UN secretary general accepts invitation to meeting of countries including China, India and Iran

www.theguardian.com

Been keeping my eye on them. In a few short years they hope to change the trading currency from dollars to countries own currencies.
You think that the polarisation of wealth, immigration of workforces, power and technology will somehow not be the preserve of where it sits now?, I think your in for a disappointment. Ecuador will still be exporting its bananas to the world.

Luckily, Modi is a bit of a despot Ji Xiping and Putin are tryants, south africa is a basket case erdogan is a snake, Iran well...., greed and geopolitics will ensure its no a free ride.

International trade is vital for countries to grow their GDP. Everyone will still be doing much the same mate. It must really grate living in a democracy, relatively tyrant free. I think if you pissed off to some of the countries mentioned above, you might have a few corrections here and there on your view about the dastardly evil that is liberalism. Just a hunch.

BRICS may be a good thing for the worls. It may well reduce the US.... wonder what effect it will have with freedoms along the trading routes of the world.

 

[aggie]

...the Brics bloc already wields considerable economic clout. The group’s combined GDP, when adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), accounts for 35.6% of the global economy, surpassing the G7’s share of just over 30%. In terms of population, the disparity is even more striking: Brics nations are home to 45% of the world’s population, while the G7 accounts for less than 10%. With India, China, and Russia’s GDP expected to grow by approximately 4% this year, compared with 2% for Western economies, and with more countries set to join, the Brics have the wind of history in their sails.

@emerald green your post is so typical of you -- you're playing the man not the ball again. Nobody is disputing the relative merits of the "social regimes", so to speak.

But having worked in finance for 4 years (I've since quit) on an emerging markets team, your post is also typical of the complacency displayed by the west in general. Ecuador's bananas are patently not the issue at hand.

I've met with people at high levels (not a humblebrag, it was part of my job) in various other areas which absolutely should be of interest and concern to the west in general.

For example, if you speak to the chief execs of the "WITCH" companies in India (Wipro, Infosys, TCS, Cognizant, and HCL Technologies), you'd get a sense of just how much of the west's IT -- along with vast caches of data -- is outsourced there. The working conditions are like a modern version of Victorian mines: armies of highly-qualified Indian graduates, often incubated in these companies' own academies, doing IT gruntwork that's far beneath their capabilities for far less than any western body would countenance. That's a problem.

Or, if you speak to the Chinese semiconductor companies, it'll not be long before they catch up with the bleeding-edge "friendly" market leaders like the Taiwanese companies (eg TSMC) -- and that's assuming they don't just annex Taiwan. But in any case, for anything below bleeding-edge, they're already doing it cheaper than anyone else can -- and we're buying. And if you witness the Apple-backed attempts to repatriate some of TSMC's expertise to the US, with the real estate and labour costs alone a comical drag on profitability, then you'll realise how high and dry we are here too.

Just these two areas alone should be cause for deep, deep concern in the west. And that's before you even start on the manufacture of the cheap goods our populations are addicted to.

And what are they discussing at this summit. Well, among other things, how they might effectively de-dollarise. That doesn't mean a new currency like the Euro, rather a unit of account that would mean that the west could not use economic sanctions like they have against Russia. We might make the argument that this was the morally right thing to do -- and that's probably right -- but if we think that the BRIC nations and the rest will automatically be sitting there agreeing with us, you'd be very, very wrong. In fact, they are more likely to be thinking about a time to come whereby they will want to be wielding power independent of the dollar.

Whether these countries are led by despots is totally beside the point, and the west better fucking wise up, rapid. If it's not already too late.

 

[emerald green]

...the Brics bloc already wields considerable economic clout. The group’s combined GDP, when adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), accounts for 35.6% of the global economy, surpassing the G7’s share of just over 30%. In terms of population, the disparity is even more striking: Brics nations are home to 45% of the world’s population, while the G7 accounts for less than 10%. With India, China, and Russia’s GDP expected to grow by approximately 4% this year, compared with 2% for Western economies, and with more countries set to join, the Brics have the wind of history in their sails.

@emerald green your post is so typical of you -- you're playing the man not the ball again. Nobody is disputing the relative merits of the "social regimes", so to speak.

But having worked in finance for 4 years (I've since quit) on an emerging markets team, your post is also typical of the complacency displayed by the west in general. Ecuador's bananas are patently not the issue at hand.

I've met with people at high levels (not a humblebrag, it was part of my job) in various other areas which absolutely should be of interest and concern to the west in general.

For example, if you speak to the chief execs of the "WITCH" companies in India (Wipro, Infosys, TCS, Cognizant, and HCL Technologies), you'd get a sense of just how much of the west's IT -- along with vast caches of data -- is outsourced there. The working conditions are like a modern version of Victorian mines: armies of highly-qualified Indian graduates, often incubated in these companies' own academies, doing IT gruntwork that's far beneath their capabilities for far less than any western body would countenance. That's a problem.

Or, if you speak to the Chinese semiconductor companies, it'll not be long before they catch up with the bleeding-edge "friendly" market leaders like the Taiwanese companies (eg TSMC) -- and that's assuming they don't just annex Taiwan. But in any case, for anything below bleeding-edge, they're already doing it cheaper than anyone else can -- and we're buying. And if you witness the Apple-backed attempts to repatriate some of TSMC's expertise to the US, with the real estate and labour costs alone a comical drag on profitability, then you'll realise how high and dry we are here too.

Just these two areas alone should be cause for deep, deep concern in the west. And that's before you even start on the manufacture of the cheap goods our populations are addicted to.

And what are they discussing at this summit. Well, among other things, how they might effectively de-dollarise. That doesn't mean a new currency like the Euro, rather a unit of account that would mean that the west could not use economic sanctions like they have against Russia. We might make the argument that this was the morally right thing to do -- and that's probably right -- but if we think that the BRIC nations and the rest will automatically be sitting there agreeing with us, you'd be very, very wrong. In fact, they are more likely to be thinking about a time to come whereby they will want to be wielding power independent of the dollar.

Whether these countries are led by despots is totally beside the point, and the west better fucking wise up, rapid. If it's not already too late.

Hi Aggie. You mean typical of me in what way? That I try and engage with EGB? Calm yersel doon. What is it about my post thas grinding you?

Your didnt need to post anything about the combined GDP of the BRICS. I didnt query it in any way, and I was fully aware of it and knew, like egb that by the end of the decade its going to be much larger thean the combined gdp of the west.... but thanks tho'.

Youve gone into tech. I made a very general point about the polarisation of wealth, and that its not going to change anytime soon, again addressing one of egbs points that I doubt there will be much change around the globe for the average joe and governments. Whatever currency countries will deal in. Is that radge to you? Same can be said of your points on semi conductors. What changes from now? No more globilisation? No more liberalism? No more democracies? Its not a revelation that China will be selling to other nations. The US will still owe China (vurrently around the 800b mark). This gonna change much with BRICS? Countries will still be trading in debt to each other, that all changing?

FFS, you are really pulling me up on Ecuadors bananas? That was simply that the globilisation of the world will still churn. Everyone will still be exporting their goods etc folks will still be moving to where the jobs are, reducing the wages of the indigenous working populations and all that entails. Regardless of the dollar.

In what way am I complacent? Read my post again. You dont think I dont know the intentions of this block? The consequence of the rremoval Dollar as the world currency.

The tyrants point was to EGB, that whilst he revels in the death of Liberalism, the alternative isnae really the best and I ken who he'd rather be living under. Thats the point I was making to EGB, not a biggie. Relax.

But thanks for your post on tech and semi conductors Aggie. Oh, i could point out some typicals in relation to your recent posts, but I wont. So if you've got problems with me, or how I engage with egb,then either put me on ignore, or PM me for further discussions.

 

[aggie]

that whilst he revels in the death of Liberalism

Kinda my point. He demonstrably doesn't; yet you keep asserting he does. It's baffling.

Oh, i could point out some typicals in relation to your recent posts, but I wont.

By all means do! I'm not touchy around that; it's always useful to "see yersel as ithers see ye"!

So if you've got problems with me, or how I engage with egb,then either put me on ignore, or PM me for further discussions.

"Problems" is rather overstating things. We're just talking here. Aren't we?

 

[emerald green]

Kinda my point. He demonstrably doesn't; yet you keep asserting he does. It's baffling.

I do?. Can you point me to where iv ever posted that apart from just now to you?... and if thats "kinda your point" what are you blethering about semi conductors and tech for? No need to be baffled that i can see.

By all means do! I'm not touchy around that; it's always useful to "see yersel as ithers see ye"!

Quite. Would be more gentlemanly not to... happy to engage in that route if you insist.

"Problems" is rather overstating things. We're just talking here. Aren't we?

Oh youve got a wee bee in your bonnet about me recently, and have been taking me to task when I have been debating with M a few times. You dont have to jump to his defence all the time, he can handle himself. Hes a fabulous poster and one whos posts i look forward to reading, same as many other cooshedders. The shed died a death during his sabbatical (he spent the first part with Dave Chapelle in Africa before fucking off on a Kibbutz - if you look closely thats him with his bare back to us)

.. so aye, we are, i just meant that you shouldnae get in a tiz with me when engaging with EGB. Youre coming across like his wee lapdog mate

 

[Archie]

Hi archie. You mean typical of me in what way? That I try and engage with EGB? Calm yersel doon. What is it about my post thas grinding you?

Nothing! Wiznae me .

 

[emerald green]

Nothing! Wiznae me .

Apologies Arch....away tae edit!!

 

[egb_hibs]

...the Brics bloc already wields considerable economic clout. The group’s combined GDP, when adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), accounts for 35.6% of the global economy, surpassing the G7’s share of just over 30%. In terms of population, the disparity is even more striking: Brics nations are home to 45% of the world’s population, while the G7 accounts for less than 10%. With India, China, and Russia’s GDP expected to grow by approximately 4% this year, compared with 2% for Western economies, and with more countries set to join, the Brics have the wind of history in their sails.

@emerald green your post is so typical of you -- you're playing the man not the ball again. Nobody is disputing the relative merits of the "social regimes", so to speak.

But having worked in finance for 4 years (I've since quit) on an emerging markets team, your post is also typical of the complacency displayed by the west in general. Ecuador's bananas are patently not the issue at hand.

I've met with people at high levels (not a humblebrag, it was part of my job) in various other areas which absolutely should be of interest and concern to the west in general.

For example, if you speak to the chief execs of the "WITCH" companies in India (Wipro, Infosys, TCS, Cognizant, and HCL Technologies), you'd get a sense of just how much of the west's IT -- along with vast caches of data -- is outsourced there. The working conditions are like a modern version of Victorian mines: armies of highly-qualified Indian graduates, often incubated in these companies' own academies, doing IT gruntwork that's far beneath their capabilities for far less than any western body would countenance. That's a problem.

Or, if you speak to the Chinese semiconductor companies, it'll not be long before they catch up with the bleeding-edge "friendly" market leaders like the Taiwanese companies (eg TSMC) -- and that's assuming they don't just annex Taiwan. But in any case, for anything below bleeding-edge, they're already doing it cheaper than anyone else can -- and we're buying. And if you witness the Apple-backed attempts to repatriate some of TSMC's expertise to the US, with the real estate and labour costs alone a comical drag on profitability, then you'll realise how high and dry we are here too.

Just these two areas alone should be cause for deep, deep concern in the west. And that's before you even start on the manufacture of the cheap goods our populations are addicted to.

And what are they discussing at this summit. Well, among other things, how they might effectively de-dollarise. That doesn't mean a new currency like the Euro, rather a unit of account that would mean that the west could not use economic sanctions like they have against Russia. We might make the argument that this was the morally right thing to do -- and that's probably right -- but if we think that the BRIC nations and the rest will automatically be sitting there agreeing with us, you'd be very, very wrong. In fact, they are more likely to be thinking about a time to come whereby they will want to be wielding power independent of the dollar.

Whether these countries are led by despots is totally beside the point, and the west better fucking wise up, rapid. If it's not already too late.

As you know Aggie it's not just IT but BPO. Many well kent names are now utterly locked into these guys. 10 or 20 years down the line renegotiations might be interesting I suspect.

I've met with the board of one of those you name and it scared the shit out of me. They're playing 50 year, nations building games. The western putzes looking for a one off cashback boost to next q results are just fuckin fodder.

Some of these places were interviewing a million graduates a year - few would have read intersectionality theory I would specualte - and processing 30k joiners and leavers a month.

We are busy giving them the knowledge that manufacturers have done with tech.

Who laughs last...

 

[egb_hibs]

@emerald green

After 20 odd years off fretting about the death of the western liberal society, it seems I have been promoted from being nuts to celebrating it. I don't know if that's progress but it does suggest to me that there is at least a growing awareness of the potential problem.

I do find it ironic though.

 

[aggie]

Youre coming across like his wee lapdog mate

Whatever. Just irks me to see folk grossly misrepresented.

 

[emerald green]

@emerald green

After 20 odd years off fretting about the death of the western liberal society, it seems I have been promoted from being nuts to celebrating it. I don't know if that's progress but it does suggest to me that there is at least a growing awareness of the potential problem.

I do find it ironic though.

At least you get irony mate

(joking Aggie)

 

[emerald green]

Whatever. Just irks me to see folk grossly misrepresented.

Grossly? relax.

 

[aggie]

As you know Aggie it's not just IT but BPO. Many well kent names are now utterly locked into these guys. 10 or 20 years down the line renegotiations might be interesting I suspect.

I've met with the board of one of those you name and it scared the shit out of me. They're playing 50 year, nations building games. The western putzes looking for a one off cashback boost to next q results are just fuckin fodder.

Indeed. I sometimes wonder if it's because they sound Indian, that folk in the west seem to be like "ach, it's still the third world, eh?"

Politics and business are very joined up, they are all very much on the same page. They talk about using the general inflated valuations of late to embark on a massive capital cycle across all infrastructure and business sectors. These are serious people, thinking very, very big.

I honestly don't know how and when it plays out, but I certainly don't think it's a given that the west is still in the global driving seat in, say, 30yrs.

 

[egb_hibs]

Been keeping my eye on them. In a few short years they hope to change the trading currency from dollars to countries own currencies.
You think that the polarisation of wealth, immigration of workforces, power and technology will somehow not be the preserve of where it sits now?, I think your in for a disappointment. Ecuador will still be exporting its bananas to the world.

Luckily, Modi is a bit of a despot Ji Xiping and Putin are tryants, south africa is a basket case erdogan is a snake, Iran well...., greed and geopolitics will ensure its no a free ride.

International trade is vital for countries to grow their GDP. Everyone will still be doing much the same mate. It must really grate living in a democracy, relatively tyrant free. I think if you pissed off to some of the countries mentioned above, you might have a few corrections here and there on your view about the dastardly evil that is liberalism. Just a hunch.

BRICS may be a good thing for the worls. It may well reduce the US.... wonder what effect it will have with freedoms along the trading routes of the world.

Right EGers, some more thoughts.

I'll ignore the nonsense directed at me; I am the one who wishes I could save what we had and, unable to do anything useful to that end, am left chirping away at what is giving it away, including complacency such as your own.

International trade you say? What do you imagine we will have to offer in the medium term? Manufacturing and then servicing operations have been given away. Technology knowhow has been given away. Once the boomers hoard is spent away on retirement cruises, what remaining cards do you reckon we have to play?

We have no scale. We have little and diminishing expertise. We have hostile political conditions.

What we have - or the Yanks anyway- is innovation. The rest are shit at that. But that is dropping off steeply as populations age, and like I say - Yanks anyway, not sclerotic europe.

I'll leave it to a finance guy like Aggie to expand on things, but if the dollar is no longer the worlds currency, America is then able to go bust. That will have to change its attitudes, possibly including maintaining its doddery and expiring ancestors.

The world will be completely different if BRICS set the agenda. In what form who can say for sure, but it will likely mean further decline in western living standards. Who knows - perhaps we will have to sign up to the values China or India to earn their investment in setting up call centres here, rather than the vice versa that we have long enjoyed.

At this point we probably need to distinguish the US and the rest. They'll be OK for the foreseeable. They're big enough to be self sustaining. They're not decrepit - though unless they can reverse the tides of the last 10-15 years they'll get there eventually.

But Europe? Lol

 

[Ryan69]

What the media forget to tell you....Rest of the World are increasingly not giving a shit what UK,Europe,and US think.
They are sick of being held to ransom...so are working together for their countries benefits.

Say what you want about Putin...but he's a smart guy.
He took Russia from the Soviet fallout to one of the best run countries in the world.
Modern cities,low crime,looking after it's own citizens first.

What have all the puppets running supposed
democracy done in the time???

Just wait till the Dollar goes pop...then people may wake up.

There is a reason Gold,Silver,Platinum are all going through the roof.
Nobody trusts the dollar,Euro,Pound...and their beloved printing machines.

I've stated on here several times....protect yourself with precious metals.

But typical usual idiots....make out all is well cause British Paedophille Corporation and Sly News tell you so.

 

[Archie]

Right EGers, some more thoughts.

I'll ignore the nonsense directed at me; I am the one who wishes I could save what we had and, unable to do anything useful to that end, am left chirping away at what is giving it away, including complacency such as your own.

International trade you say? What do you imagine we will have to offer in the medium term? Manufacturing and then servicing operations have been given away. Technology knowhow has been given away. Once the boomers hoard is spent away retirement cruises, what remaining cards do you reckon we have to play?

We have no scale. We have little and diminishing expertise. We have hostile political conditions.

What we have - or the Yanks anyway- is innovation. The rest are shit at that. But that is dropping off steeply as populations age, and like I say - Yanks anyway, not sclerotic europe.

I'll leave it to a finance guy like Aggie to expand on things, but if the dollar is no longer the worlds currency, America is then able to go bust. That will have to change its attitudes, possibly including maintaining its doddery and expiring ancestors.

The world will be completely different if BRICS set the agenda. In what form who can say for sure, but it will likely mean further decline in western living standards.

At this point we probably need to distinguish the US and the rest. They'll be OK for the foreseeable. They're big enough to be self sustaining. They're not decrepit - though unless they can reverse the tides of the last 10-15 years they'll get there eventually.

But Europe? Lol

One observation. BRICS is not a union of equals. Right now it's an opportunistic anti West alliance (ish). But the idea that China and India are comparable to South Africa, Iran and Russia doesn't stand up to scrutiny. In addition, I think we are a long way off them building a self sustaining internal market. So there is more symbiosis between BRICS and the West than at a superficial glance.

Is it important - yes. Is it the future? Maybe

 

[egb_hibs]

One observation. BRICS is not a union of equals. Right now it's an opportunistic anti West alliance (ish). But the idea that China and India are comparable to South Africa, Iran and Russia doesn't stand up to scrutiny. In addition, I think we are a long way off them building a self sustaining internal market. So there is more symbiosis between BRICS and the West than at a superficial glance.

Is it important - yes. Is it the future? Maybe

Oh for sure. But then nor are the G7.

A bunch of shitty little planets orbiting stars at the centre of each.

 

[aggie]

One observation. BRICS is not a union of equals. Right now it's an opportunistic anti West alliance (ish). But the idea that China and India are comparable to South Africa, Iran and Russia doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

Oh, 100%, I wouldn't dispute that either. I certainly wouldn't make those comparisons, either.

An observation too, while we're just spitballing the subject.

You know that thing whereby smaller startups are considered more "agile", able to break stuff, and thus innovate better and faster? It's not a direct analogy, but in veeeery broad terms, there's a reasonably cogent argument to be made that when it comes to asserting any "new world order" (too grandiose a term right now, but bear with me), then the powerhouses that are India and China are not bound by the same rules as the US and Europe are, around things like workers' rights for example, nor the same totally fucked model of welfare and pension provision, etc.

When you look at it dispassionately, in terms of resources and manpower, they are superior by orders of magnitude. Add to that the fact that we have steadily been transferring the spoils of the west's R&D, and it almost becomes a case of "why wouldn't they replace us?"

 

[egb_hibs]

Oh, 100%, I wouldn't dispute that either. I certainly wouldn't make those comparisons, either.

An observation too, while we're just spitballing the subject.

You know that thing whereby smaller startups are considered more "agile", able to break stuff, and thus innovate better and faster? It's not a direct analogy, but in veeeery broad terms, there's a reasonably cogent argument to be made that when it comes to asserting any "new world order" (too grandiose a term right now, but bear with me), then the powerhouses that are India and China are not bound by the same rules as the US and Europe are, around things like workers' rights for example, nor the same totally fucked model of welfare and pension provision, etc.

When you look at it dispassionately, in terms of resources and manpower, they are superior by orders of magnitude. Add to that the fact that we have steadily been transferring the spoils of the west's R&D, and it almost becomes a case of "why wouldn't they replace us?"

Yup and by the time their increasing wealth erodes Labour competitiveness their scale will be unassailable.

Maybe it's easier to grasp when you've seen it up close but it won't be ignorable by anyone much longer.

Incidentally you talked about their salt mine conditions. True but those workers are also far wealthier relative to their surroundings than those they replaced.

And in the twilight days of british corporate IT (rip) those conditions were substantially replicated - I mean that's what happens when labour is competing on price.

It will come in time to many more industries that aren't location tied.

 

[Archie]

Oh, 100%, I wouldn't dispute that either. I certainly wouldn't make those comparisons, either.

An observation too, while we're just spitballing the subject.

You know that thing whereby smaller startups are considered more "agile", able to break stuff, and thus innovate better and faster? It's not a direct analogy, but in veeeery broad terms, there's a reasonably cogent argument to be made that when it comes to asserting any "new world order" (too grandiose a term right now, but bear with me), then the powerhouses that are India and China are not bound by the same rules as the US and Europe are, around things like workers' rights for example, nor the same totally fucked model of welfare and pension provision, etc.

When you look at it dispassionately, in terms of resources and manpower, they are superior by orders of magnitude. Add to that the fact that we have steadily been transferring the spoils of the west's R&D, and it almost becomes a case of "why wouldn't they replace us?"

I thinks that's right. And there's evidence that there has been a switch over the last forty years from West R and D and China/India labour to the reverse. But that wasn't my main point - it was the coherence of BRICS as an alliance.

 

[Archie]

Oh for sure. But then nor are the G7.

A bunch of shitty little planets orbiting stars at the centre of each.

Don't overdo it!

 

[egb_hibs]

I thinks that's right. And there's evidence that there has been a switch over the last forty years from West R and D and China/India labour to the reverse. But that wasn't my main point - it was the coherence of BRICS as an alliance.

America innovates, Asia replicates, Europe regulates, as some wag had it.

Not sure that Asia is yet innovating much outside improvements to manufacturing techniques. But that is going to be enough I'd think.

 

[egb_hibs]

Don't overdo it!

Not far off it tbh. G7 is nowt without the US and BRICS without China and India (maybe Brazil).

Yes there's more proper flotsam and jetsam in BRICS but they also contain a lot of natural resources / raw materials

 

[aggie]

And to my above point, the purported western net zero revolution where Europe is trundling around in EVs, requires really quite a lot of weird and wonderful commodities -- cobalt, lithium, and so on -- not just for the cars themselves, but also the infrastructure. I don't think folk fully appreciate, for example, the sheer amount of copper that would be required for an adequate charging network to even exist. And as I've also seen first hand, the Chinese are considerably less choosy and squeamish about where it's dug out of the ground, by whom, and in what conditions. That's not an insignificant advantage, either.

 

[egb_hibs]

And to my above point, the purported western net zero revolution where Europe is trundling around in EVs, requires really quite a lot of weird and wonderful commodities -- cobalt, lithium, and so on -- not just for the cars themselves, but also the infrastructure. I don't think folk fully appreciate, for example, the sheer amount of copper that would be required for an adequate charging network to even exist. And as I've also seen first hand, the Chinese are considerably less choosy and squeamish about where it's dug out of the ground, by whom, and in what conditions. That's not an insignificant advantage, either.

Hence Chinese neo colonialism in africa for example. No fucks given.

Anyway, word magick will preserve us for a while, as we outsource emissions to the givers of no fucks and call it virtue. As we outsource baby making to the developing world and training of doctors and...

 

[cleanyman]

Apart from losing things like Instagram and having to use a vpn and of course Yandex, sanctions have had very little impact on your average Russian on the street.

Place is still spotless and life is continuing as normal. Brics is in the sports capital of Russia (should go see e ice hockey there by the way) but this is just a show of solidarity they’ll be agreeing on absolutely hee haw. Iran and the Saudis can’t stand each other and its even worse with India and China

 

[egb_hibs]

Apart from losing things like Instagram and having to use a vpn and of course Yandex, sanctions have had very little impact on your average Russian on the street.

Place is still spotless and life is continuing as normal. Brics is in the sports capital of Russia (should go see e ice hockey there by the way) but this is just a show of solidarity they’ll be agreeing on absolutely hee haw. Iran and the Saudis can’t stand each other and its even worse with India and China

Good point. All that really holds them together is hatred of liberal dominance. But that might be enough to sink liberal dominance.

 

[Smurf]

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[egb_hibs]

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How anyone can be confused that fascism is anything other than an outgrowth of socialism will always baffle me.

There’s a living, breathing, example.

What a pissant little Mussolini he is.

 

[egb_hibs]

 

[cleanyman]

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That was quite amusing. He’s unrelenting is oor George.

 

[Smurf]

That was quite amusing. He’s unrelenting is oor George.

I think he's a bad egg but at times he makes a pertinent point. And I thought his one of a Russian journalist in Westminster was one.... Nonetheless he's an apologist for all things Russia.