deddog said:
black_ice said:
LostInLA07 said:
That's already happening. O&G is their last source of outside cash but the impact to everyday Russians from the current sanctions will be substantial, particularly in the cities where many of their citizens are accustomed to daily interaction with western people, products and tech.
The iPhone they are currently holding is likely the last one they will ever have. Most of their apps don't work anymore. Eventually the russian stock market will have to reopen and anyone with capital in that market is going to take crushing losses that they will likely never recover from.
Frankly, the biggest risk here is that we inadvertently re-create a post WW1 Germany and end up with a population in Russia that hates us because of the sanctions imposed by the west. They'll kick out Putin but who knows what the sentiment will be when they are figuring out who the replacement will be. It could be another militaristic nationalist who rallies a desperate and humiliated population.
Very interesting points.
Nothing unites a nation like being invaded or attacked by an external adversary.
See Ukraine.
Soon, we will see Russia unite behind Putin.
That will be interesting to see. Some differences:
1) Economic sanctions suck, but aren't murder
2) We can lift them after the occupation. We are basically saying, "yeah, you be you, but go do that over there. We want nothing to do with you right now"
Iran has been able to hobble along for years with this kind of isolation, but, the people really haven't tasted capitalism yet.
If the entire people of Russia start chanting "death to America" in the streets, I agree we have a real problem. But, I don't think economic sanctions during the Uke occupation gets them there.