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Posted on 2/12/26 at 10:22 am to hawgfaninc
Benefits Russia. Increases access. Lowers costs. Benefits US. Gives us back the kill switch. Make it happen.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 10:23 am to The Egg
I think the long term issue which will prevent the U.S. and Russia from ever becoming/remaining close allies over time is that they’re too similar. They’re both large continental powers with vast barely habitable hinterlands whose primary exports are energy, raw materials, refined chemicals, large manufacturing goods (like cars), weapons, and food. The biggest difference is that the U.S. also has multiplier industries like Tech and entertainment which Russia cannot compete with. Even if the U.S. were to join Russia in sharing an economic space, they would remain direct competitors in Russia’s biggest industries. America produces higher quality, Russia lower prices, but the same slate of products across the board.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 10:24 am to kingbob
quote:
I can’t see how this wouldn’t be a massive coup for the U.S., but I don’t see why Russia would be willing to accept it. They would be essentially surrendering control of their financial system to their greatest geopolitical foe and economic competitor in exchange for some stability. I don’t see any way Russia could spin it as anything but a complete capitulation. While it would be immensely beneficial to the Russian people and economy, the optics would be drastic for the political class. This would be seen as a bigger defeat than WW1 or the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Bob,
This response interests me more than anything I've read today. Even on the Recruiting board about some undersized lineman.
Can we delve into each point? I'm 10% educated on brics.
But if helps the Russian citizens, is capitulation such a bad thing for them? Don't Russians know they are a political mess, but also know that they are culturally stable? Now that was a stretch for me to say, but they have some desire to have Western benefits.
WOuld it really be considered a bigger defeat than WW1?
I'd like to know more (this is not sarcasm, Russia is pretty interesting).
Posted on 2/12/26 at 10:26 am to hawgfaninc
"Trump is Putin's puppet" - MSM 
Posted on 2/12/26 at 10:33 am to kingbob
quote:
but I don’t see why Russia would be willing to accept it.
They probably have come to conclusion being under the influence of the US is better than being under the control of China. I would imagine we will be a gentler master. And given their current projections, those are the two most realistic outcomes. China was going to treat Russia like the Belgians treated Africa. They just wanted all of those resources.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 10:35 am to kingbob
The EU, UK and Canada are actively selling their countries out to Muslim hoards and Chinese influence. At some point shite is gonna go sideways and our traditional allies will no longer be counted on due to their other allegiances.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 10:42 am to dstone12
In many countries, the citizenry is often very different from the ruling class with completely different wants and needs and priorities. Historically, Russia has been ruled by a small ruling class of authoritarian nobles who lord over a massive rabble of diverse serfs with zero autonomy or freedom. This was necessary because Russia began essentially as a norse colony, where the viking elite ruled over a larger conquered native population. That dynamic increased 100 fold after the Mongols conquered them, essentially welding together thousands of ethnically diverse peoples into one authoritarian state. The later Russian Empire defaulted to cruelty to crush any semblance of autonomy or identity in its subjects to keep the many diverse peoples (many of whom were literally nomadic tribes) under control to Russify them.
Before WW1, the Russian Empire began to modernize, free the serfs, and start giving people rights. These reforms were actually massively successful, but Russia was simply too far behind the rest of Europe to catch up and avoid military defeat in WW1. This extra freedom gave the room needed for communists and revolutionaries. When Russia faces major geopolitical defeats, those revolutionaries and ethnic separatists rise up until they’re beaten back down or the old ruling class is replaced. This process allowed the bolsheviks to sweep the country and precipitate the collapse into Communism, where once again, the government owned everything, the serfs owned nothing and had no rights.
Communism continued this dynamic, and when Communism ended, democracy and capitalism didn’t flourish. Russia went into anarchy, then became ruled by organized crime, and then finally found stability as an oligarchy. Essentially, the government is run by the gangsters, each of whom are given a “private” industry where competition is essentially not allowed. The democratic institutions of modern Russia are as much a sham as they were under communism, and their capitalism is little different.
For the ruling class to accept that their system has utterly failed, that they must surrender to America, the entire ruling class of Russia would see an existential threat. The mafia cartels, who rely on government to maintain their monopolies, would either have to coup the government to prevent competition or face being destroyed economically by competitors. With the “palace” in turmoil as loyalists and reformers coup, purge, and counter-coup one another, separatist groups all across Russia from Dagestan to Siberia will start revolting and demanding independence. Caucasians, Turkik peoples in the steppe, Asiatic peoples in Siberia will all start demanding autonomy and taking up arms from coup forces that failed or corrupt members of the armed forces.
As for why the cartels in Russia cannot compete: they don’t have the population numbers of India or China to compete on quantity. They don’t have the advanced innovative technology sectors to compete on efficiency, quality, or added value. Their only real competitive advantage lies in proximity to European markets. It’s much easier to pipeline gas to Europe from the caucuses than to ship it from the Middle East or the Americas. It’s much more convenient to ship products from St. Petersburg or by rail from Moscow to Germany than it is to ship them from China through the straits of Malacca and Suez Canal. Russia’s corrupt oligarch class cannot compete with western free enterprise at scale and they know that.
As a result, whoever wins the coup contest in Moscow will inevitably need to centralize power sufficient to put down all of the revolts, thus requiring them to curtail rights, buy off strongmen/warlords to rally support, and recreate the exact same dynamic as before only with a different person in charge.
For one nation to use another nation’s currency is to surrender one’s monetary policy to another power. Monetary policy allows nations to print money to facilitate borrowing and make exports more competitive, or to tighten the money supply to make imports more affordable and improve asset prices. More money can act as a stimulus to shorten economic contractions and speed up recoveries. Slowing money can help keep economic expansions from building dangerous bubbles. Another nation dollarizing means that they’re subject to American monetary policy which is based on American economic cycles. They lack the ability to control printing to manage economic cycles or facilitate borrowing. They trade control for stability, and that control is VERY important.
The bear is always a bear. It has bear habits. It does bear things. It may occasionally be made to ride a unicycle or balance a ball on its nose for a time, but it will always default back to bear eventually.
Before WW1, the Russian Empire began to modernize, free the serfs, and start giving people rights. These reforms were actually massively successful, but Russia was simply too far behind the rest of Europe to catch up and avoid military defeat in WW1. This extra freedom gave the room needed for communists and revolutionaries. When Russia faces major geopolitical defeats, those revolutionaries and ethnic separatists rise up until they’re beaten back down or the old ruling class is replaced. This process allowed the bolsheviks to sweep the country and precipitate the collapse into Communism, where once again, the government owned everything, the serfs owned nothing and had no rights.
Communism continued this dynamic, and when Communism ended, democracy and capitalism didn’t flourish. Russia went into anarchy, then became ruled by organized crime, and then finally found stability as an oligarchy. Essentially, the government is run by the gangsters, each of whom are given a “private” industry where competition is essentially not allowed. The democratic institutions of modern Russia are as much a sham as they were under communism, and their capitalism is little different.
For the ruling class to accept that their system has utterly failed, that they must surrender to America, the entire ruling class of Russia would see an existential threat. The mafia cartels, who rely on government to maintain their monopolies, would either have to coup the government to prevent competition or face being destroyed economically by competitors. With the “palace” in turmoil as loyalists and reformers coup, purge, and counter-coup one another, separatist groups all across Russia from Dagestan to Siberia will start revolting and demanding independence. Caucasians, Turkik peoples in the steppe, Asiatic peoples in Siberia will all start demanding autonomy and taking up arms from coup forces that failed or corrupt members of the armed forces.
As for why the cartels in Russia cannot compete: they don’t have the population numbers of India or China to compete on quantity. They don’t have the advanced innovative technology sectors to compete on efficiency, quality, or added value. Their only real competitive advantage lies in proximity to European markets. It’s much easier to pipeline gas to Europe from the caucuses than to ship it from the Middle East or the Americas. It’s much more convenient to ship products from St. Petersburg or by rail from Moscow to Germany than it is to ship them from China through the straits of Malacca and Suez Canal. Russia’s corrupt oligarch class cannot compete with western free enterprise at scale and they know that.
As a result, whoever wins the coup contest in Moscow will inevitably need to centralize power sufficient to put down all of the revolts, thus requiring them to curtail rights, buy off strongmen/warlords to rally support, and recreate the exact same dynamic as before only with a different person in charge.
For one nation to use another nation’s currency is to surrender one’s monetary policy to another power. Monetary policy allows nations to print money to facilitate borrowing and make exports more competitive, or to tighten the money supply to make imports more affordable and improve asset prices. More money can act as a stimulus to shorten economic contractions and speed up recoveries. Slowing money can help keep economic expansions from building dangerous bubbles. Another nation dollarizing means that they’re subject to American monetary policy which is based on American economic cycles. They lack the ability to control printing to manage economic cycles or facilitate borrowing. They trade control for stability, and that control is VERY important.
The bear is always a bear. It has bear habits. It does bear things. It may occasionally be made to ride a unicycle or balance a ball on its nose for a time, but it will always default back to bear eventually.
This post was edited on 2/12/26 at 11:36 am
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:02 am to hawgfaninc
They pretty much have to as the ruble is virtually useless with no trading value on the open market. There is virtually no reserve of rubles out there and since oil and gas is predominantly valued on the dollar, it would make sense.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:05 am to AlterEd
quote:
This is Bad, Here is Why.
-Democrats and Media Probably
Easy......Putin OWN'S OMB.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:14 am to hawgfaninc
We need to team up with our White brothers and sisters there. Deep state made Russia the boogie man long ago and denied normalized ties with them when they were more than willing after the Soviet Union fell. We told them NO.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:17 am to jcaz
quote:
The U.S. should have not been enemies with the Russians after collapse of the USSR, we could be great partners.
potential would be limitless. it makes me sad we are always at each other's throats.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:20 am to hawgfaninc
If Trump can some how patch up US/Russia relations, relations that were destroyed by Obama and Biden.....that would be one of his greatest geopolitical accomplishments. 
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:26 am to 1999
There was actually a moment in the late 90’s-early 2000’s when it seemed like Russia would be integrated into the EU. This was when Putin was out back in power by the oligarchs to stop it from happening, resulting in the democratic backsliding and interventions in Georgia that ended all talks of Russia joining the EU or NATO. I predict something similar will happen today if the proposals to move towards dollarization are seriously pursued by Russian leadership. Those leaders will be replaced because the corrupt oligarchs would see dollarization as a threat to their power. They would rather have all of a $1000 pie than 1% of a billion dollar pie.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:29 am to hawgfaninc
I dont think many on this board realize how big a deal that would be.
We MUST maintain reserve currency status until we stabilize our fiscal spending and debt or we will have the worst economic collapse in American history.
We MUST maintain reserve currency status until we stabilize our fiscal spending and debt or we will have the worst economic collapse in American history.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:31 am to hawgfaninc
quote:
Russia looking to move back to the US dollar
OMFG! I knew Blumpf was in Putin's back pocket! Now it's confirmed!!
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:34 am to kingbob
quote:
I don’t see why Russia would be willing to accept it. They would be essentially surrendering control of their financial system to their greatest geopolitical foe
Oh no, no, no! China is, by far, Russia’s biggest foe. The US is sorta challenging the right of Russia to add to its territory. China is currently governing more Russian territory than all of Ukraine, and it is trying to manipulate control of as much more. They are already publishing maps with Vladivostok renamed into some Chinese gibberish.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:41 am to Penrod
China isn’t Russia’s geopolitical foe. China is an a-hole friend. China is like a customer that makes up such a big share of repeat business for a company that it starts considering acquiring their supplier.
Russia currently makes a good deal of money supplying China with cheap minerals, fuel, and food. However, Russia recognizes that when the opportunity strikes, China will likely attempt to use their massive population advantage to seize large swaths of Siberia from Russia so they could simply take rather than buy.
America is Russia’s foe because we need absolutely nothing from Russia and compete with them on the world market to provide almost the exact same slate of goods they do.
Russia currently makes a good deal of money supplying China with cheap minerals, fuel, and food. However, Russia recognizes that when the opportunity strikes, China will likely attempt to use their massive population advantage to seize large swaths of Siberia from Russia so they could simply take rather than buy.
America is Russia’s foe because we need absolutely nothing from Russia and compete with them on the world market to provide almost the exact same slate of goods they do.
This post was edited on 2/12/26 at 11:43 am
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:42 am to hawgfaninc
This would be huge, Trump is alreadt by far the greatest president in U.S. History. I dont know what else you could say.
Posted on 2/12/26 at 11:52 am to hawgfaninc
Did we just get India to stop buying oil from Russia? How does that play into all this?
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