Will Russian ruble collapse trigger a military coup against Vladimir Putin?

IBT ^ | 16 Dec 14 | Gianluca Mezzofiore

[elhombrelibre]

Russia's shock-and-awe raise of interest rates from 10.5 to 17% has put the legitimacy and viability of president Vladimir Putin under serious strain, with the real danger of a military coup as the worst case scenario, according to a leading Kremlinologist.

The central bank's desperate attempt to shore up support for the ruble, which has plummeted 50% on the year against the dollar, is unlikely to work beyond the short term. Russia's economy needs lower interest rates to boost growth, but its companies need higher interest rates to support the ruble.

The 17% rates are likely to send Russia's spluttering economy into a deep slump if the oil price remains depressed. Indeed intensifying the agony for Russia, for the first time since May 2009, the price of Brent crude oil has fallen below $59 a barrel as a result of waning demand and increased supplies.

Because of that, ordinary Russians will suffer unimaginable mounting financial pressure, hitting wages, credit cards payments and mortgages.

[Captainpaintball]

I am SHOCKED he hasn’t done something to us first, if you do not count the North Korea hackathon as Russia/China by proxy, and the first (test) step in an upcoming long line of “death by a thousand cuts” kind of thing.

[Grzegorz 246]

“...has put the legitimacy and viability of president Vladimir Putin under serious strain, with the real danger of a military coup as the worst case scenario, according to a leading Kremlinologist.”

Still far from that. Besides that would be nothing good, the outcome could be worse than Putinism and any chaos in a country with thousands of nukes would be dangerous...

The best scenario is to watch their economy being slowly grilled and about ~18 months from now it should be clear for Russian elites and many average Ivans that not only the guy is a damn idiot but the whole strategy of playing global superpower was foolish...

[gleeaikin]

Remember that nationalist idiot last decade?

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

This is too hopeful. Either way, it would make no difference. His government is controlled by the FSB/KGB. If they string him up, he’ll just be replaced by the next head of the FSB or someone considered to be a useful replacement/figurehead.

[Caipirabob]

Will Russian ruble collapse trigger a military coup against Vladimir Putin?

If socialists took over the Russian healthcare system, made accessing proper medical treatment and medicine nearly impossible for the deathly ill and then forced part of the population to pay for the insurance of the other half of the population that is unwilling to work, would that trigger a coup?

[arthurus]

I am not convinced that the Sony hack was North Korean. I think it is just as likely that it was NSA and we are going edgewise into a censorship regime, first the media and entertainment.

[free from tyranny]

How about asking the question...... will the Obama regime be removed by a military coup?
Or are Americans and our decaying sense of patriotism, justice, ideals.....etc.
Just rotting in swamps of our cultural decay.
If that is so....we deserve everything that is coming our way. Too bad for the moral, the kind, andvthe ethical ones amongst us.

[Flick Lives]

I see what you did there. Sly. Very sly. ;-)

[EBH]

The Sony hack was just a warning...

They are ready to take down the grid.

[Bigg Red]

They are ready to take down the grid.

***
Yep.

[AU72]

Putin has been escalating the provocations. Now he needs to do something to spike oil prices to survive.

[Colinsky]

They are ready to take down the grid.

There was an attack on a San Jose power station a couple of years ago that was barely noticed in the media. Six men with AK-47s shot ten large transformers at the Metcalf Transmission Substation in the middle of the night.

It happened the same day as the Boston Marathon bombing so it wasn't noticed except locally, where authorities dismissed it as vandalism. Investigation revealed it was a highly organized attack.

http://tinyurl.com/kbqek9o

[ansel12]

not only the guy is a damn idiot but the whole strategy of playing global superpower was foolish...

True, he is trying to play at a level that he doesn't fit on, it is bizarre.

[gleeaikin]

If I am not mistaken, socialists took over the Russian health care system a long time ago, and it is now in crisis. I Googled Russian Healthcare System Today, and there are many articles there decrying the current situation. Have fun reading a few.
https://www.google.com/search?num=50&newwindow=1&safe=off&site=&source=hp&q=russian+healthcare+system+today&oq=Russian+health+care&gs_l=hp.1.1.0j0i10j0l8.6042.18611.0.24095.20.17.0.3.3.0.641.2714.0j14j5-1.15.0.msedr...0...1c.1.60.hp..3.17.2100.0.DEchismV6TA

[Billthedrill]

Anything's possible, but I'm inclined to doubt it. For one thing, what point would a coup serve? Can the military conjure up a different economy?

If it continues long enough, though, we could see a popular movement (or one masquerading as one) promising to return prosperity if its leaders are given enough power. The Germans know all about that, but the Russians learned it first.