Free Republic

We might have celebrated too early. Looks like Spanberger can still win it unfortunately.

And our good honest friends at Cook had Luna’s CD13 as Solid Democrat.

Not true. At least in their last election forecast Cook rated FL-13 as "Leans Republican"

It would be an absolutely great pick-up, but I'm going to curb my optimism. This poll was conducted by MooreInformationGroup. Haven't heard about them before so I checked their web page. Their client list includes a long list of entirely Republican politicians and various organizations associated with Republican party. So we have to admit that their polls might be skewed toward Republicans.

Of course we shall see very soon.

Tell me when Russia is going to nationalize something on the grand scale, or manipulate markets by price caps, or fuel inflation by handing tons of free covid relief money.

Here you go:

2005 - Russia nationalizes Yukos - former oil giant whose ex-owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky fell foul of the Kremlin. International Aribtration Court later enters a verdict of 50 bln USD against Russia for for expropriating the assets of Yukos

2020 - Russia imposes price controls in response to rising prices on certain food items - Under the price control agreements, producers and sellers agree to markedly lower their prices of these items and keep them stable in the following months. In return, the government promises to provide support. Sugar producers will be granted low-interest loans to purchase sugar beets. Flour producers will receive subsidies for purchasing wheat, and bakers will receive support in flour procurement. Similar price control agreements between firms and the state have been used previously in Russia for other commodities deemed critical, particularly gasoline and fertilisers.

Just a few examples as I have no time to post more. Yes, majority of Western economies are plagued by activities of crypto socialists (or even open socialists) politicians by they ar are still thousand times more free market than Russia economy. And you really making a fool of yourself trying to convince anyone that's its the opposite.

Yes, I will take the word of that General if you take the word of this Ukrainian General. Deal? “Ukrainian general estimates Kiev’s losses at hundreds of thousands since Feb” https://tass.com/politics/1501881

We could take the word of this ex-general if not for the fact that they come from TASS - official press agency of Kremiln regime, and if not for the fact that he is currently under criminal investigation in Ukraine for his connection to the looting of Kyiv (Zhulyany) airport during its defense from invading Russian forces.

https://english.nv.ua/nation/state-bureau-of-investigation-shares-details-of-case-involving-retired-general-krivonos-50266414.html

Funny how someone who believes a third-world country with natural resources and nuclear weapons being run by ways of socialist centrally planned economy will fare better than free market economies accuses me of being Marxist!

Yeah. What was his name? Jimmy Durante, if I recall.

Walter Duranty of the New York Times, who received Pulitzer Prize for his reporting And what is even more shameful than awarding him the prize is the fact that in 2003 Pulitzer Prize committe refused to revoke the reward, after they claimed that"there was not clear and convincing evidence of deliberate deception, the relevant standard in this case."

Funny enough the same info source you quote shows Germny consumer price inflation to be 10% in September.

https://tradingeconomics.com/germany/inflation-cpi

Yet for some reason you choose to believe one of these data but not the other one.

And btw just to give you a simple economy lesson: creating a situation were producers inflation is vastly different than consumers inflation is actually quite easy and has been achieved many times. It's enough to introduce administrative control of consumer prices ar start subsidizing consumer prices. Actually Germany recently did just that by subsidizing train pasenger tickets to keep transportation costs low.

It is hard to argue with the person who lacks a slight idea of the subject, like you are. Yearly inflation is cumulative. It can be 22% in July, and 12% by December, due to compensatory deflation. Although I feel like explaining a rocket science to a janitor based on your previous comments. If you believe that the West might have 50% producer’s inflation and 8% consumer inflation then maybe you are a guy someone can sell a bridge to. Check out your expenses to start with. Are you sure the stuff you buy right now is only 8% more expensive compared to a year ago?

Annual inflation is cumulative both in Russia and in EU zone so this comment is irrelevant.

I don't need to believe that you can have 50% producers inflation and 8% consumer inflation simultanously cause you have not provided any proof that producers inflation in Germany is 50%.

And in the last sentence you seem to question validity of inflation data from official statistical institutions. Why? Because apparently you know better?

To sum it up instead of providing any proof of your nonsense claims you accuse me of lack of economic knowledge. Unfortunately it's you who knows nothing about what you talking about plus you simply refuse to acknowledge facts if they are not in line with your propaganda. No point for further discussion with you. I can only hope the info I provided is of some use to those who understand the subject.

Open source? That means nothing, or in other words you are unable to provide any reliable source for your claims. As for inflation, now you acknowledge double figure inflation in Russia, where you were claiming deflation in your previous post.

In addition to that the official consumer price index is considered to be half as low as ‘people’s’ inflation but in some cases this gap can be larger - thats according to experts of Opora Rosii - non-governmental organization that represents interests of small and medium-sized enterprises. That claim is indeed to a large extent confirmed by a survey of so called houshold observed inflation (again published by the Central Bank of Russia) which reported inflation of 20,5% in August and 22,2% in July.

And although you think it is going to be between 8-12% and lower than in Europe, Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov believes inflation will come in at 12-13% in 2022 (his press conference on August 29th), whereas at the same time ECB forecsts inflation in the Eurozone to average 8,1%. Somehow I believe ECB more than you.

Would you mind to provide any proof for your claims? Like the source of data for producers inflation in Germany? Or deflation in Russia?

Cause again contrary to your fantasies official data published by the Central Bank of Russia reports annual inflation in Russia at 14,3% in August 2022 and 15,1% in July.

According to Russia official Federal State Statistics Service Russia GDP shrank by 4,4% during 2nd quarter of 2022. During the same period of time GDP of European Union has grown by 0,8% (according to Eurostat).

Those are hard facts, not some forecasts. So yeah, Russia is doing far worse than the West, even if you believe their official data.

This is about the Russian economic outlook.

Good point. So to add some info relevant to the topic. Russia international monetary reserves have decreased by about 100 bln USD since their invasion of Ukraine in February (from 643 bln USD on February 18th to 540 bln USD on September 30th). They decreased by about 25 bln USD during the month of Spetember, so the pace of Russia losing its reserves is definitely increasing.

All this data comes from the official internet service of the Central Bank of Russia: http://www.cbr.ru/eng/hd_base/mrrf/mrrf_7d/.

So much for Russia supposed ability to replace lost revenues from the West with export to China and India. And it is going to get worse. If the world economy really slips into recession, what happens then? One of the first consequences of recession is sharp decline in demand for basic raw materials.

So if Russia really tries to ignite global recession that's purely suicidal move - they will be hit hardest. For once their economy is already in deep recession (we can debate whether Russia GDP will contract by 5, 7 or 10% this year but even the smallest number is very bad - and much worse than in Western Economies) and if recession really hits European Union or US, Russia wll be hit even harder.

The only battle that matters in the war presently is being fought in Bakhmut. And, the Ukrainians, as is the case in any real battle, are getting their asses kicked. The battles Ukrainians "win" are the ones over ghost towns and rural areas the Russians have pulled out from. And, they end up losing thousands of men in the process. Alexander Mercouris: Russia Big Advance in Bakhmut, Biden Nuclear Armageddon, Putin Hails Russian Industrial Recovery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNuEh5EDjJk

Cranked and Kazan never fail to amuse me with their choice of sources of information.

Now the source is: Alexander Mercouris - former English barrister who was dibarred in 2012 after disciplinary tribunal found he'd brought the profession into disrepute. The guy found new job by making himself "an expert" in all things Russian, and in particlar has became a regular guest on Sputnik TV - Russian state-owned foreign language TV channel, that was banned from EU airwaves following the invasion of Ukraine for spreading Kremlin propaganda. Yeah this guy is credible source indeed.

Funny how both cranked and Kazan apparently believe noone will check their sources.

Disprove or refute these, as well. ‘In Ukraine’s South, Fierce Fighting and Deadly Costs’ https://archive.ph/MtHyd#selection-383.0-383.52 ‘Wounded Ukrainian soldiers reveal steep toll of Kherson offensive’ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/07/ukraine-kherson-offensive-casualties-ammunition/ ‘Ukrainian general estimates Kiev’s losses at hundreds of thousands since Feb’ https://tass.com/politics/1501881 “Ukraine war veterans on how Kiev plundered US aid, wasted soldiers, endangered civilians, and lost the war” https://thegrayzone.com/2022/08/18/ukraine-veterans-us-aid-soldiers-war/ “A Ukrainian’s Letter from the Front https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94RYVNg9bfA

Says all about your sources of information: an article published by TASS - official state information agency of Russia, a film on youtube published by Russian based guy working for Russian state-owned english language Russia Today tv channel (main channel for international propaganda of Kremlin regime) and and another article published by some conspiracy teorist web page, which is desribed as: "a publication known for misleading reporting in the service of authoritarian states, including spreading of Pro-Russian propaganda during the Russian invasion of Ukraine".

Already provided. Please keep up.

A story told by a single, wounded, ordinary soldier participating in one battle of the war as a proof of generalized description of the war tendencies. I have no more question.

Btw the article you qute never mentions Lughanks or Donetsk militia being able to inflict such losses, but it clearly states that Ukrainians telling the story were fresh recruits with no previous military experience and that they were fighting top Russia military units. So mush for your "proof".

Russians still have a metric ton of tanks left, Ukraine does not. Fact.

Modern tank weighs about 50 - 60 tons. So a metric ton of tanks left is not that much, single tank engine weighs about 1 ton. I can believe Russians have that much left.

Wanna disprove that the Russians and Donbass militia have 5:1 kill ratios, if not higher, against Ukrainian forces, as well?

No need to disprove it until you provide any proof of your fantasies.

For now I may as well claim that Ukrainians are killing Russians at the 10:1 rate. Oh well, why not 100:1 rate.

Otherwise why would these invincible superhuman Russian forces need to call up 300.000 reservists. To replenish theses 6000 that they only lost according to you?

Just to clarify things, as the title of the article is misleading. Russia was not expelled from ICAO. It only failed to be reelected to the governing body of the organization, as it failed to get enough votes in its favour. Rather understandably - if you invade neighbouring country and murder its citizen you don’t make many friends. Plus with Russia being currently banned from most of the international airspace ICAO will probably be better served with countries actually involved in International Civil Aviation being present on its board of governors.

Davydov also reports that 1.5 Russian uniforms existed only on paper - the warehouse they were supposed to be in was empty ... so much for the new conscripts uniforms and winter clothing. Suxs to be a conscript in Orcland.

1,5 uniform missing wouldn't be that bad. But it's 1,5 million uniforms, as was supposedly discovered by a member of Russian parliament.