Posted on 07/24/2023 6:11:12 AM PDT by ganeemead
Because they are members of a social caste that has a very poor idea of the real world. Their policies and values are defined by approval of their group, without reference to anything else.
“Ever been on a freighter?”
LOL, but that’s my point - the arms-carrying freighters, also called “grain ships” by the Neocons, now have to turn around and find alternate means for their shipments, some of which likely were never designed to be shipped on trains (such as undersea drones).
Fertilizer prices have spiked upwards in the US and all over the world.
If the world is hundry, why should Dutch farmers who produce much of the world supply, be thrown off their land and shut down? The west is lying about this.
And I have taken Amtrak quite a lot. I was a regular rider of the Capitol Corridor, Richmond to Sacramento, the San Joaquin Limited to Bakersfield, and the Coast Starlight, Oakland-LA.
The Coast Starlight particularly was regularly delayed by freight trains as they have right of way over Amtrak. Not a practical choice, but good for the views. On most routes Amtrak trains run on sufferance. The freights rule.
EU sanctions exemptions have been carved out for Russian food and fertilizer.
The Kremlin claim is that the sanctions on oligarchs and one bank, block ammonia and fertilizer export. Basically it’s a blackmail argument: lift the sanctions on our spivvy racketeers or we’ll cry a fabricated butthurt and pretend we can’t export.
It’s more bovine excrement from Muscovy, unfortunately not the kind that can be used as fertilizer.
Undersea drones used so far are two tons tops. If they are made elsewhere than Ukraine they probably go by truck.
Fascinating to see the birth of this silliness in real time.
Ok, I did it once outside of the NE, enough for me!
Call it what you want, the FACT is that no more are coming, at least by ship.
The spike in fertiliser prices began in Oct 2021, reached a plateau in Jan 2022, and its been falling, by almost half, in the first six months of 2023. It hasnt spiked recently. As of last week it was back at the 5-year average.
This makes it very difficult to make the argument that sanctions are reducing supply.
Sanctions on oligarchs and one bank?!? The West has sanctioned the entire Russian economy. It is an unprovoked attempt to destroy Russia. As I said, the leaders of the African nations the fertilizers and food is destined for will tell us next week who’s up to their eyeballs in BS around here. I’ll try to remember to get back to you then.
You realize the Ukes blew up the ammonia pipeline, right?
So there went the fertilizer production part of the deal
” of grain stores being zapped less than half a mile from the wrong side of the NATO border.”
But I thought nobody had a right to worry about what was happening on he border right across from them?
BTW. I would like to understand the pathological British hate for Russia. It has nothing to do with the USSR because they have been hostile to them since the 1850s. It isn’t over freedom because Brits have no more measurable freedom than a modern Russian. The hate has spanned across monarchy, communism, and modern freedom. It has spanned across the British Empire great game days, to today where Brits are nothing but a financialization center that has no empire or industry.
Brits have an odd hatred for Russia that seems unaffected by governments, or circumstances.
Large cargo ships move 50 average trainloads of cargo. Saying you can replace cargo ships with trains is like saying you can replace a freight train with a fleet of semi trucks.
Russia is supposed to sit back and take the abuse of the West’s banking cartel? The same banks that are stepping on our throats in the West with their noxious debanking schemes? You must be one of those idiots that are happy with banks, refusing to lend money to gun manufacturers in the US.l in an attempt to strip away out 2nd Amendment rights.
Neocons in lowest form of life on this planet.
You can replace each with the other, if necessary and the situation allows. The western allies for instance famously replaced the shattered French railroad system with the “Red Ball Express”. .
The problem gets complicated by circumstances, like loading and unloading ships.
Euro aid normally goes by rail or road all the way. US aid goes to Dutch, German or Polish ports. Sometimes for high value or urgent stuff by air to Poland, and, I understand, sometimes direct to Ukraine. Ukraine does have working airfields.
“Russia is supposed to sit back and take the abuse of the West’s banking cartel?”
Finance is a weapon, and it always has been.
“the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must”
Use of the word “gangster” is soooo Soviet.
It puts Africa in jeopardy. China will come to Africa’s aid. China needs to colonize Africa for its resources.
This is how Putin repays Xi for his help.
Exactly. So quit your whining when Russia strikes back and kinetically blows the sh!t out of the Ukrainian’s port facilities. The world is a two-way street.
But there doesnt seem to be a fertiliser problem, going by prices...
China is a net importer of fertilisers, not much, but net negative.
Or you might consider that what you are hearing from Russia is propaganda, and what you are hearing in your mind are...voices...
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