Higher energy prices have paid much (if not all) of Russia's Ukraine war costs. Sanctions on Russia were really just sanctions on Western Europe, which has been forced to deindistrialize die to higher energy costs. The smartest people predicted this would happen before the sanctions took effect. Russia's GDP is rising and investment in Russia is surging. Russia's national debt is low. The US is on the path to bankruptcy. chengator forgets that I'm the won who told him Ukraine's "Breadbasket of Europe" and rich mineral and energy deposits were going to Russia because of this war. Maybe the US shouldn't have been arming Ukraine while they shelled civilians in Donetsk for years and years. Of course none of the Too Hot war hawks even knew this was happening. The Democrats wanted war to help them in the 2022 midterms. What Putin wanted to avoid wa:
Trump says it’ll be different this time around. But who knows ? First time around he promised to drain the swamp, then proceeded to hire fromthe swamp.
That's cute, and yes, most people know that, but it is also irrelevant to this discussion. The U.S. needs to collect taxes from both businesses and individuals. If you collect too much taxes from corporations, they have too little capital to invest in maintaining and growing the business, and the corporations will eventually be unable to compete internationally. When that happens, the lower people on the corporate ladder start losing their jobs. If you collect too little, then you either have to increase the tax rate on individuals, or cut federal spending dramatically (including entitlements), or borrow heavily from future generations (causing inflation). Also, when you collect too little, most corporations will simply pay their executives a lot more. Either way, if you don't get the balance right, the middle class gets screwed: either they don't have a job, or they have to deal with inflation or higher taxes. The other positive for collecting taxes from corporations is that they are less likely to cheat on taxes than individuals in the U.S. system. It is also easier (in theory) to focus resources on policing a small number of organizations with a lot to lose if they get caught cheating, than a huge number of people who can more easily hide in the crowd.
Businesses don't pay taxes. Only people pay taxes. Tax the people directly. The correct corporate tax is zero.
Of course we knew that there was violence in Ukraine prior to 2022. We also knew the violence was minor compared to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and it was something that any nation would do when confronted with a foreign-backed insurrection. YOU are the one who didn't know that Russia (Putin) initiated and orchestrated the violence. Probably because the Kremlin told you to believe this. We also already knew that Russia would get Ukraine's farmland and mineral/energy assets if they won the war. You've only been on the forum a month or two, and you act like everything you say is news. Read the entire Ukraine War thread before you run off your mouth. Russia hasn't made a tremendous amount on oil sales. Oil prices are up BECAUSE Russia is not shipping nearly as much oil as it used to, due to sanctions. Less sales = less profits. The rest of Russia's economy has been hurt by having large numbers of working age men either wearing a uniform or evacuating the country. (Russia just announced another forced conscription drive, and raised the age up to 30.) Russia's economy has also been hurt by foreign companies leaving Russia in droves. If Russia's economy was doing so well, why is the inflation rate about 7.5%? Why are old women complaining about the price of eggs? Why are people freezing to death in the winter? There is no evidence that democrats wanted or needed war to help them in the mid-terms. Typically, a foreign war only helps the president get re-elected, not Congress. And it only helps the president get re-elected if U.S. troops are in the battle, which they are not. (I assume you know that, right?) Mid-terms are about domestic issues: the economy, taxes, immigration, etc. And no, I am not a war hawk by any means. Ukraine did not start this war, but they need to win it. Russia needs to be defeated for any solid chance at world peace, and any chance of the U.S. reducing federal spending. I'm just a responsible person who wants to do the right thing.
Well, if you believe the Kremlin, you should be willing to believe Trump. (BTW, Trump IS the swamp, only more disgusting.)
He would accomplish all of that in his first day in office. On day 2, he will solve climate change. On day 3, he will balance the budget. On day 4, he will get rid of all of the mercury in the oceans. On day 5, he will stop cows from belching. On day 6, he will get rid of homelessness. On day 7, he will rest except for maybe grabbing a few women’s crotches.
I don’t want Russia controlling the world’s breakfasts. I love breakfast, and I don’t want anyone telling me what to eat.
Trump's plan to end the war in Ukraine is to cut off aid and let Russia win. I can't believe there isn't anyone on this planet that doesn't know this.
Patience grasshopper. If Trump wins, we are going to have a million pay turnstiles on the Southern border. You might still be able to swim across the Rio Grande, but you better be carrying a boatload of quarters with you if you think that you are actually going to be able to get into our country.
France and England will step up if we exit the conflict, and France wants to put itself on the world stage as a military power. We can give them their shot so we don't get spread too thin over too many different conflicts. We need to focus our resources on China.
Sending military aid to Ukraine IS focusing our resources on China. It's called "sending them a message." And, no, France and England cannot send hundreds of tanks from warehouses, and they cannot match the artillery production of the U.S., especially now that the U.S. is well on its way to a six-fold increase from 2022. Get one conflict right (preferably, the one that's on-going), and the rest will fall in line. China will look at the wreckage of Russia and say, "No, I don't believe we want any part of that." Fail to stay in the game in Ukraine, and China may well say, "The U.S. will give up after a few months. They have no long-term planning ability, and their courage starts failing before long. We can beat them if we outlast them. We're smarter than they are, and we are not cowards like they are." BTW, the U.K. only has 213 Challenger tanks, compared to the U.S.'s 10,000 Abrams tanks (half of which are in warehouses). France has more tanks (222) than the Brits, but have been unwilling to part with them so far. The U.S. has over 20 times as many modern tanks as these two countries combined (we have over ten times as many sitting in warehouses as they have period).
China's strategy is to have their allies start as many global conflicts as possible to spread our military assets thin across the globe. Our military supply chains cannot replace some of the assets we are sending over to Ukraine in a timely manner. Europe will step up, and they have needed to for quite some time. Putting Western troops on the ground in Ukraine is not 'ruled out' in the future, French leader says Macron switches from dove to hawk on Russia's invasion of Ukraine What’s behind Macron’s ‘hardened stance’ on the Russia-Ukraine war?
https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/latinos-for-trump-founder-taco-trucks-marco-gutierrez-227667 This was a 2016 prediction that was made that unfortunately never came to pass.
