Cyprus-Forum.com

[Londonrake]

The détente is down to the arrival of pan-dimensional beings from God knows where who are aiding the underprivileged with their technology. Russia has realised that they will go the way of the U.S. unless they behave themselves in the hope that said beings will treat them with respect, which is likely. I am merely reporting what I have witnessed, like the pan-dimensional beings I have no interest in aiding the psychopaths with technology that they would abuse.

All technological advances are because of them...
But please don't tell what they get in return

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wR8FL_2gwI

.

[Robin Hood]

LondonRake:

No, I am correct in the reasons for cutbacks in Russia. What's delusional is the inference that they're in some way a peace gesture. It's always pointless linking these things but you have only to look at the deterioration in Russia's economy over the past couple of years to see what's going on. To make the sweeping, dismissive comment that it's "seriously flawed" is a typical reaction from you when faced with the unpalatable. Push it away, move on.

Russia has a sovereign currency ...... it has the lowest government debt in Europe ........ It’s imports dropped 40% following the imposition of US sanctions...... it’s private (mainly Corporate) debt is one of the highest. It has a currency which is backed by an awful lot of gold. BTW: Their economy is recovering.

So, these sort of economies they do not need to be made on the grounds they cannot afford it .... if they need more money they can create it, just like the US does ..... out of thin air! This is where inflation comes from ...... more promissory notes (IOU’s) chasing each unit of wealth. As I understand it, the Rouble is not an international reserve currency as such, although it does have a similar function in the Russia/China/Iran/India financial block .... but Internationally it is not !

Russia also gets a lot of its income from its natural resources as well as from weapon sales to third party countries ......... just as the US/UK does but the Russian equipment's are cheaper. It is also just about the largest supplier of grain in the World, I believe the US relies a lot on Russian grain?

Income tax is 13% and like in Cyprus, very few of the ordinary Russians actually earn enough to pay income tax. Any imported goods are expensive and are mainly the reserve of the rich.

So, in short your “.......reasons for cutbacks in Russia.” are seriously flawed.

You have an odd, schoolboy-like view when it comes to the relative capabilities of the Russian Armed Forces, vice just about any other. I've watched you slogging it out with Paphitis for years. It always reminded me of those playground spats "My Dad's harder than your Dad".

The Russians design weapons systems on a 10 year cycle; whilst weapon A is in service, having been designed so that it can be continually upgraded, weapon B is in the construction, development and final testing stage, and weapon C is in the design and very early development stage. However, the US is still using weapons and systems designed and built in the 60’s...... their ICBM’s control systems for instance still uses ‘floppy discs’!

With a philosophy based on defence against US weapons rather than trying to match them, they keep cost low in comparison. Their aircraft particularly are also less sophisticated than the US equivalent but can take much more abuse and punishment and need much less maintenance. (most can take-off and land on a dirt strip ....... you can’t do that with the US equivalent, such as say the F-16/F-18) Everything is, as far as I know, including most raw materials, made in Russia!

There has never been an explanation from you or Paphitis, as to how a couple of SU-24’s managed to immobilise a state-of-the-art Aegis equipped US destroyer for 45 minutes in the Black Sea; nor how a Russian submarine managed to do a similar thing with a US aircraft carrier in the Channel and left it moored just off the Isla of White for some considerable time; nor why 10 US carriers were all in dock at the same time? You both just “.....Push(ed) it away, move(d) on.”

IMO: the Russians have demonstrated their ability to immobilise the US’s arsenal of offensive weaponry and the US is worried .... very worried as they have lost the edge. The Russians defensive weapons do not cost anything like that of the hardware the US has built up .... and it is now vulnerable .... as I explained to Paphitis many months ago. But like you he has the ‘schoolboy attitude’ that his side is vastly more powerful and capable than ‘Pootin's ’. Never underestimate your enemy! I would suggest that this is why the Russian defence budget is only around 10% of that of the US and only slightly more than the UK defence budget?

And of course my usually reasoned opinion, does not apply when it comes to your unwavering belief (as also frequently expressed by Paphis in almost every post) in the superior capability of the US and its allies, when compared to that of Russia? Even though the US has managed to win just two of their numerous illegal wars (Panama and Grenada) since the end of WWII.

Russia and the US are not going to war with each other. There are other fish to fry and other ways of making a point. Aren't they friends nowadays?

I agree, the consequences would be disastrous..... for everybody!

[GreekIslandGirl]

The truth about the hypocrite British bankers/politicians and why they tried to scare Russians off investing in Cyprus ...

(And, for RH who can make more sense of it than me! )

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ ... sian-money

[Pyrpolizer]

The détente is down to the arrival of pan-dimensional beings from God knows where who are aiding the underprivileged with their technology. Russia has realised that they will go the way of the U.S. unless they behave themselves in the hope that said beings will treat them with respect, which is likely. I am merely reporting what I have witnessed, like the pan-dimensional beings I have no interest in aiding the psychopaths with technology that they would abuse.

All technological advances are because of them...
But please don't tell what they get in return

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wR8FL_2gwI

.

I many times in this forum presented my view that the humans are nothing but an Army of Slaves.
Think about it.

[Get Real!]

I many times in this forum presented my view that the humans are nothing but an Army of Slaves.
Think about it.

yes I many spid english in forum bastourmades.

[Londonrake]

FAO Mr Robin Hood

Well , this of course is what you do. I refer to it as "bludgeoning", having borne witness to it so many times

You bury everything in ever decreasing, hair splitting and obfuscating detail until the person you're engaging with dies of exasperation and disappears. This, in your parlance, is referred to as "shooting them down". The reality though is anything but. I did LMFAO (as they tend to say around here) at your earlier comment about my having "fixed views" What's that word? In all of the people I have come across in 10 years of Forum activity you are without doubt the most intransigent I have ever had the pleasure to meet. I don't recall you changing or modifying any of your views on anything. Not one iota. Ever. In fact, I always thought you were quite proud of it.

Here we have an article cut n pasted from one of your favoured, rabidly anti-West websites. It's written by quite a young man who turns out to be Deputy Editor of a Moscow based news outlet "Russian Insider". Even a cursory glance at their output reveals two things. It's stuffed with virulently anti-West articles (mostly the USA) and supportive of Russian views, but then, as it operates from Moscow it really isn't likely to be anything else, is it? Unlike your other sites which mostly pour out their anti-West stuff whilst safely ensconced, free to operate unhindered and actually do OK for themselves, from the very place they so obviously despise. Well, come to think of it, that sums you up perfectly! You can't seem to appreciate the irony of such organisations producing material from that situation which is in support of countries where they would be jailed - or worse - for even attempting it. So, your earlier scathing taunt about Paphitis saying it was propaganda? Well, he would have been spot on I reckon.

The idea being inferred in the Op is that a large cut in the Russian defence budget is some sort of magnanimous peace gesture. That's total rubbish.

Despite your upbeat analysis the reality is that the Russian economy has been tanking (excuse the pun) since 2014. Principally due to a huge drop in the price of oil and Western sanctions.

Russia's overriding profit maker has been oil, which alone accounted for 68% of total exports. They ain't got an Apple, Intel, Google, Oracle, Boeing, GM, et al. A global glut of oil and the advent of fracking have severely depressed the price and the present outlook is that there will be little change in the foreseeable future. The combination of that and Western sanctions have seen Russian GDP and the international value of the Rouble drop precipitately.

Cuts to the defence budget reflect those realities. If people are inclined to believe it's a big olive branch being held out then they should go to bed early and wait for Santa and the Tooth fairy.

As far as your comments on the military aspects go. I know you are one for becoming an "expert" on such things, from behind your keyboard but perhaps Members will indulge me. I have (you know what's coming ) got over 30 years experience in the field, much of it relating to Soviet weapon systems. A small contemporary example. I was on the first crew to meet the Kuznetsov when it exited the Turkish straits in 1991 to head for the Northern Fleet at Severomorsk. We shadowed her all the way through the med and out into the Atlantic from Akrotiri, Sigonella and Gibraltar. Whilst you could no doubt blag convincingly after a few hours of tapping away I have probably forgotten more about that ship than you would (think you) know.

Given what's happened since the Soviet Union fell you will find that not an awful lot of their equipment inventory has changed if you look at the resource count. So, I think your punchy take on it is ............................... seriously flawed.

It's not about "superiority" but hard-headed common sense (do the math) as opposed to some sort of hero-worship on your part.

As far as the development of what would clearly be war-winning weapons systems by the Russians goes? I find it both a funny, comic book idea and also wonder why having developed such world beating equipment they would openly use it in some sort of ridiculous cowboy, boasting exercise. Don't you find that a little odd?

Even if true though - we still have Kryptonite of course.







RUSSIAN ECONOMIC FIGURES

.........................2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Population (million) 143 143 144 144 144
GDP per capita (USD) 13,192 14,28 15,340 15,390 8,181
GDP (USD bn) 1,886 2,048 2,204 2,212 1,176
Consumption (annual variation in %) 6.8 7.4 4.4 1.5 -9.6
Investment (annual variation in %) 10.2 6.0 0.9 -2.6 -7.6
Industrial Production (annual variation in %) 5.1 3.4 0.4 1.6 -3.4
Retail Sales (annual variation in %) 6.9 6.5 3.9 2.7 -9.7
Unemployment Rate 6.6 5.5 5.5 5.2 5.6
Fiscal Balance (% of GDP) 0.8 0.0 -0.7 -0.6 -2.8
Public Debt (% of GDP) 9.5 10.5 11.4 13.2 13.6
Money (annual variation in %) 22.3 11.9 14.6 2.3 11.5
Inflation Rate (CPI, annual variation in %, eop) 6.1 6.5 6.5 11.4 12.9
Inflation Rate (CPI, annual variation in %) 8.4 5.1 6.8 7.8 15.5
Inflation (PPI, annual variation in %) 12.0 5.1 3.7 5.9 10.7
Policy Interest Rate (%) 5.25 5.50 5.50 17.00 11.00
Stock Market (annual variation in %) -21.9 10.5 -5.5 -45.2 -4.3
Exchange Rate (vs USD) 32.02 30.48 32.73 56.26 72.88
Exchange Rate (vs USD, aop) 29.67 30.36 30.03 35.24 68.73
Current Account (% of GDP) 5.2 3.5 1.5 2.7 5.9
Current Account Balance (USD bn) 98.8 71.3 34.1 59.5 69.6
Trade Balance (USD billion) 197 192 181 190 149
Exports (USD billion) 515 527 522 498 341
Imports (USD billion) 319 336 341 308 193
Exports (annual variation in %) 31.3 2.3 -1.1 -4.6 -31.5
Imports (annual variation in %) 29.7 5.4 1.6 -9.7 -37.4
International Reserves (USD) 499 538 510 385 368
External Debt (% of GDP) 28.9 31.1 33.1 27.1 43.9

Less imports = people eating Quark instead of Camembert - throughout the entire consumer range of products.

The US exported 25 million tons of grain in 2016. It's imports from the entire World were 3.5 million tons

I don't want to provide a platform excuse for another "debt" and "money creation" post but have the gut feeling that printing huge amounts of Roubles would have the effect of turning it into international toilet paper.

Then there's another Paphitis taunt. Ahhh, the good ole days - ehh? Ohh, how much you so obviously miss him.

[Robin Hood]

Well , this of course is what you do. I refer to it as "bludgeoning", having borne witness to it so many times.

Squeak .... squeak ..... same old squeaking hinge mentality. Another string of ad hominem comments in spite of your previous warning ..... who are you trying to impress?

No, not 'bludgeoning' it's called explaining your point of view rather than just spouting an opinion without explanation as to how you came to that view.

I don't recall you changing or modifying any of your views on anything. Not one iota. Ever.

Why should I change my views to suit you ..... the best way to do that is to prove me wrong ...... and that you have never done. You will note that unlike you when I express simply my own opinion that I cannot support ..... I say so, as I did in this instance.

You are full of your own self importance .... give you something to answer and you fail ...... Ukraine/Russia and International Law for instance. (You should read through the 'Truth about Ukraine thread' it has a lot of the facts in it you just ignore as it is the antithesis of your opinion!)

You have no counter argument so you try to belittle the messenger. You have one view ...... yours! You have no answers, all you have is your opinion which is as far biased as you consider mine to be but the other extreme. Now it appears you have become an expert on International finance and the military? Your talents seem to be limitless.

I couldn't really give a toss about what you think ............ you are too far brainwashed to have a rational or reasoned view.

[Londonrake]

Ohh dear, you've gone and lost it.

Nothing more to say about my last post then? I wonder why? No, I understand. It's pretty conclusive and - it is close to your bedtime.

I've had no warnings about "ad hominem" comments. As far as you're concerned I thought I was being quite restrained.

Moreover, on one of my first posts I quoted a whole page of yours against Paphitis. That was just a selection of the best ones, mind. I suppose they don't count though. Since, you haven't exactly been restrained in speaking your mind to me.

I'm not trying to impress anybody. I'm bludgeon proof though.

I don't expect you to change or modify your views for me. The fact is though that you don't do it for absolutely anybody.

I got unwell and fatigued (sick and tired) with the International Law thread, simply because I established my point on the first page. After which you kept dragging it off to the USA. As you do with quite a lot of your posts. Particularly when answering relevant questions at hand gets awkward.

Nobody can prove you wrong because you are never, ever wrong about anything. Get it?

If I'm full of my own self importance what are you? Pliable? Sympathetic and considerate of other's views? Willing to compromise? None of that's ever happened, as far as I can recall.

I don't recollect expressing any views on what happened/is happening in Ukraine (?) Only in your hypocritical attitude to the subject of the law wrt there and Syria. Again, repeated attempts to drag if off to the USA.

I do have counter arguments. I've been posting them in this thread. You're not really interested though.

I don't belittle the messenger. Only highlight where you are being obsessively prejudiced and on some occasions delusionally paranoid. A world where the likes of Russia/Iran/China/N Korea are beacons of hope. Fighting for justice, light and freedom. Whereas the evil West is riddled with tyranny and a dictatorship of the shadowy, super-rich elite who covertly manipulate our lives from the darkness of privilege. Absolutely mental. Classic stuff. You would normally have to pay good money to see it.

I don't care if you don't care what I think.

Actually, the bulk of my previous post was on the OP and pretty "reasoned" I would say. You took us off to this place. As you always do when somebody stands up to you and the going gets a bit tricky. You don't address it because .................. well, people can decide why for themselves.

An expert on international finance? Oh no, I wouldn't dare go near it. You're "The Man" in that field. Military matters? Well, I would think 31 years service and over 3500 hours flying on combat aircraft give me some authority on them. Clearly, you don't agree. Apparently though, you can become an expert on anything just by "researching" it on the internet. Like you became the indisputable wizard on banking and money creation, without ever even working in the field. Unless of course, it's a subject that you yourself have personal experience in. That's an entirely different matter. Watch how fast you slap those impudent ignoramuses down and put them in their place. What's that word? Ohh, coming up.

Brainwashed? Another word like hypocrite that you use. No real basis in fact and - well - pretty hypocritcal if you ask me.

You can keep pointing arrows at heads till the cows come home. As my Mum used to say.

[Robin Hood]

The truth about the hypocrite British bankers/politicians and why they tried to scare Russians off investing in Cyprus ...

(And, for RH who can make more sense of it than me! )

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ ... sian-money

Once you ignore the usual 'Fake News', the unsupported assertion in MSM that the Russian government and no doubt, by association, Putin was obviously involved, then it sounds very likely to be true.

There is little difference between The Mafia and the Banks they are both criminal organisations. The Mafia goes for robbing the 1% but tend to realise that they need some sort of support from the 99%. The Bankers ARE the 1% and are intent on robbing the 99% of their wealth for their own financial benefit. If you consider THE real Robin Hood, he robbed the rich and gave it to the poor ...... the Sheriff of Nottingham was rich and he robbed the poor to increase his own wealth! Nothing has changed.

I have been trying to get my head around 'Crypto' currency like BitCoin because that is the way the monetary system will eventually go. It is complex but it appears to make payments person-to-person without the need for a bank to do the trading. It cannot be directly regulated by government as there is no central depository, it’s all distributed, it is anonymous and there is no paper trail. Both Banks and Governments are trying to take it over (or take it down) ........ from the banks aspect it could virtually wipe them out unless they can control it ..... which they are desperately trying to do.

I watched this video on how it all started and how it works, (The server is down at the moment I will post the link when it is up and running again) much of it went straight over my head but then so did explanations of the monetary and banking system to start with! They have jailed several of the inventors of these crypto systems for assisting money laundering but, funnily enough, no bankers have ever been jailed for doing the same ..... no doubt this incident in The Guardian will be the treated in the same way.

[Robin Hood]

LR: will Ignore your usual attempts at character assassination and personal criticism which is your inevitable unpleasant response. You are not worth the effort.

Original post: The Russians fund their defence budget in the same way the US and the UK do, as already explained.

They exchange IOU’s (Bonds) with the central bank who then fund it directly or indirectly through commercial banks. The relative value of the rouble is irrelevant as the money is spent internally. If The State wants more .... then they borrow more. I can’t put it any simpler than that. So your claim to know that they cut the budget because ‘They can’t afford to fund their defence’ is only your opinion and as such is bull sh*t. If you can’t understand that then you ain’t as clever as you think you are.

Ukraine: Once again .......... two threads have explained this in detail and you still ignore the basic facts.

The US were at least complicit if not the actual instigator of a coup.(Proven fact): the US had planned fo this over 10 years and to the tune of $5bn (Proven fact): a US supported coup deposed the elected President and Government (Proven fact); the imposed fascist government was recognised by the US immediately and by its allies, even though it was illegal (Proven fact): the illegal Fascist dominated government immediately set out on a policy of genocide against the ethnic Russian peoples in the East (Proven fact): the illegal government swore to cancel the Russian's Crimean (Sevastopol) tenancy agreement with the elected government (Proven fact): the illegal Ukraine government threatened to destroy Crimea’s autonomy (Proven fact): the Russians had a legal right for 25,000 troops in Crimea, they did not invade (Proven fact).

The people of Crimea, as an autonomous State with their own government, voted to separate from the Ukraine, now run by an illegal fascist government. (Proven fact): they then had a referendum overseen by EU observers in which they voted overwhelmingly to exercise their right to self determination and asked the Russians to annex the peninsular and return it to Mother Russia. (Proven fact). That got up the US’s nose! Once again Russia’s actions thwarted their intensions.

Just a few points to demonstrate that you cannot discuss Russia’s so called breach of International Law in Ukraine (a Law you have failed to even identify) without taking into account the numerous breaches of the same International Laws by the US. Without the US’s criminality, the events that have destroyed Ukraine and killed thousands, would never have come about! (That’s called common sense arrived at by taking into account all the available facts.)

As for Russian military technology ...... I am no expert ...... but they did something to that destroyer and carrier that is clearly evident, the US even released the videos of the destroyer incident ..... but have never explained how! Thus, an assumption on my part ...... the Russians could well have something the US is fearful of?

Well, I would think 31 years service and over 3500 hours flying on combat aircraft give me some authority on them.

I spent more hours than that travelling on Southern Region trains ..... but it does not make me an expert on railways!

In my very limited world of 40 years of designing, installing and commissioning control systems for various chemical plants, refineries and oil/gas projects all over Europe and the ME ......... in my book you were the equivalent of a Process Operator.

Brainwashed? Another word like hypocrite that you use. No real basis in fact and - well - pretty hypocritical if you ask me.

You admitted it yourself many moons ago when you declared the military could not function if everyone had their own principals and opinions to take into account and I agreed with you! How do you get them all to do what the ‘management’ need them to do ....... BRAINWASHING! That is how all fanatics are convinced to do what they do, no matter how unpleasant that may be. Fanatics don't question or reason, they do as they are told! As for ‘hypocrisy’ ? You are a classic example of hypocrisy in action!

Here are a few more arrows for you ......