patrick.net

CaptainShuddup says

Russia is Europe's largest importer in value of animals, meat, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, according to the European Union.

Not to mention construction and a host of specialty medical, laboratory, and industrial tools and equipment. Germany in particular.

Merkel's coalition, mostly business and industry, is getting increasingly worried about their major trade partner. Italy also - and Italy cannot afford any shocks right now. They haven't had two or more quarters of consecutive growth since 2011.

Sanctions will be gone by October.

Oh Puttie Pooh is looking smarter by the minute, what with not squandering trillions of dollars on the Ritz accommodations for the pretentious Eurotrash and those judgmental American fools. For an Olympic village that no matter how grand he made or didn't made it, the socialmedia would have found something to make a mockery and meme out of.

I'll tell you how this will play out. Ukraine will end up winning and Russia will back off. The Ukraine will be brought into the Euro Union, and Austerity will be imposed with in the second to third year. Then all hell will break lose when the obvious majority of Ukraine says "Fuck this!" and then go crawling back to Russia begging them to take them back. Europe will have the title to the country free and clear and any conflict to the contrary will be dealt with WWIII.

thunderlips11 says

Sanctions will be gone by October.

What if Russia invades the Ukraine in September?

For the person that disliked this post, let it be said. That every conflict in the world right now at this minute, there is not a living ex president alive today, that has not dealt with every one of them, and have managed to keep a lid on them, through statesmanship and diplomacy. If not of their own, at least by the intelligent choices they made in appointing the right people to handle it.

You're in the Spin zone GO!

This is why Reagan was a hero and Obama is a zero.

FortWayne says

This is why Reagan was a hero and Obama is a zero.

Reagan was a hero because the right wing propagandists needed to invent a hero.

The truth is that Reagan was at the right place at the right time. THe economy was going to boom when interest rates came down from the stratusphere no matter what. Add to that his record breaking deficit spending, and how could you not have the mother of all economic booms.

He was a no good son of a bitch in Papa Shuddups household.
He did handle foreign policy pretty well in retrospect though.

Reagan was born for the world stage though. He sung their song, the wold leaders loved him and he loved hosting them. You get the feeling Obama makes the rounds to countries where his office dictates that his presence to help contribute solutions to global crisis, because he has to, and it's part of his job. Let me get this shit over with... He goes in with little vested interest. Compared to the enthusiasm he has when he goes on trips that are only goodwill tours to countries like France and Kenya where he's practically like Frances Black Jerry Lewis.

Reagan had a flair for TV and I'll admit that as a figure head image he was great. But he certainly was not the reason that inflation ended, or that interest rates were finally allowed to drop. His only contribution to the improved economy was massive deficit spending.

The dimbulb talking puppets want to say it's because he lowered taxes. No, that just determind how much of the huge spending done at the time was deficit spending. There was so much downward pressure on interest rates (as inflation was over) that there was not going to be an significant interest rate penalty for for deficit spending.

Talk about your media products ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU-IBF8nwSY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwahxXNDrrI

rooemoore says

thunderlips11 says

Sanctions will be gone by October.

What if Russia invades the Ukraine in September?

Same situation. Putin's got

http://www.nm6DO_7px1I

... literally.

More Sanctions can't happen, because Germany and the EU would be on energy (especially cooking and heating) life support as well as losing Russian customers without Nat Gas. Russia finances purchases from Europe via Gas exports.

The only beneficiary of an all-out Russian invasion of Ukraine would be the Neocon/Neoliberal Element in the US, and of course Ukie Oligarchs.

* An EU forced to spend more on the military means less competition in technology, banking, infrastructure (esp renewables) and business development for the US.
* The Euro is not the world reserve currency, so to keep current levels of investment up while expanding military spending, the EU would have to risk inflation and/or high-interest rates to float enough bonds to support both Guns and Butter. This will weaken the Euro and make life better for Citigroup and BofA.
* Now that the GWOT has petered out except for the occasional Drone Strike and Wahabi Rebel funding, another enemy is needed to justify the F-35 boondoggle and increasingly sky high levels of MIC spending (and domestic spying).

* Oh, and to blame Russian intervention for the outcome in the Ukraine this fall of months of mobilization, new taxes, and finally IMF Loan requirement Austerity., which will result in unemployment increases with education, health, pension, wages etc. slashed to the bone.

It's up to Merkel. Stay leader of Europe and push forward with renewables and a high-tech economy, or let the US 1% browbeat and con the EU into a new Cold War (see bullet #1).

marcus says

THe economy was going to boom when interest rates came down from the stratusphere no matter what.

The economy boomed not because interest rates came down but because the stratospheric interest rates finally choked off the raging inflation that the 70's are always going to remembered for more than anything else, even the energy crises. Inflation was double digit every month in 1974 and part of 1975. It moderated slightly '76-'78, then took off like a bottle rocket again in 1979 and the sky was the limit. At the time, it was believed not to be controllable and most people just factored raging inflation into their purchasing decisions. It took the Dow from 1968 to 1980 to regain its losses from the traumas of the 70's, then the 1980-82 recession caused it to drop to the 700's before it once again began a strong climb back in 1983 as inflation was finally brought under control after nearly 13 years.

1979 9.3 9.9 10.1 10.5 10.9 10.9 11.3 11.8 12.2 12.1 12.6 13.3 11.3
1980 13.914.2 14.8 14.7 14.4 14.4 13.1 12.9 12.6 12.8 12.6 12.5 13.5
1981 11.811.4 10.5 10.0 9.8 9.6 10.8 10.8 11.0 10.1 9.6 8.9 10.3
1982 8.4 7.6 6.8 6.5 6.7 7.1 6.4 5.9 5.0 5.1 4.6 3.8 6.2
1983 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.9 3.5 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.9 3.3 3.8 3.2

P N Dr Lo R says

The economy boomed not because interest rates came down but because the stratospheric interest rates finally choked off the raging inflation that the 70's are always going to remembered for more than anything else, even the energy crises.

yes, but the level that interest rates were taken to, to kill inflation, deeply hindered business.

And after inflation was killed, by having interest rates so high, interest rates could come down.

And yes, decreasing interest rates is very good for business ! businesses get to refinince any debt that was taken on at the high rates. THat's free money right there. A lot of businesses thrive on debt for things like inventory and all types of business leverage such as capital investment.

So of course decreasing interest rates are ridiculously good for business. THE COST OF CAPITAL is dropping. This is equivalent to all major assets that businesses invest in getting cheaper. Can you say construction ?

Are you kidding me ????

By the way, Volker, the fed chairman that engineered all of this, was a Carter appointee, and the ratcheting up of interest rates to kill inflation started while Carter was still in office. But that was the painful part, that led to a recession at the beginning of Reagans term. But it was nothing that Reagan did, that ended it.

Low Interest is a sign of an oversaturated capital market : Too much money chasing too few opportunities. Since there is so much competition to lend money, borrowers can borrow at a low rate. It also increases home prices.

Low interest rates are horrible for municipalities, localities, public organizations, well run conservative companies, and especially Retirees on Fixed Incomes.

I am custodian of my parent's money, and I'll be damned if the only place I can get a 4% or greater return without being in the stock market is shit like Emerging Markets Bond Fund. Maybe I've been out of the loop for too long, but Emerging Market Bonds aren't in the same league as Treasuries, CDs, or AAA Corporate Bonds for risk, last I heard.

marcus says

FortWayne says

This is why Reagan was a hero and Obama is a zero.

Reagan was a hero because the right wing propagandists needed to invent a hero.

- and Mondale was preparing to negotiate the Hostage release and engage Russia to take down the wall. It was going to happen no matter who would have one.

The truth is that Reagan was at the right place at the right time. THe economy was going to boom when interest rates came down from the stratusphere no matter what. Add to that his record breaking deficit spending, and how could you not have the mother of all economic booms.

This is damning.....Damning evidence...

CaptainShuddup says

For the person that disliked this post, let it be said. That every conflict in the world right now at this minute, there is not a living ex president alive today, that has not dealt with every one of them, and have managed to keep a lid on them, through statesmanship and diplomacy. If not of their own, at least by the intelligent choices they made in appointing the right people to handle it.

Thats because Romney is from the north, obama is from the south.

bgamall4 says

For one thing, Romney was far more willing to engage Russia in a cold war than Obama ever was.

marcus says

But it was nothing that Reagan did, that ended it.

I'm aware of that, but so what? One of the more significant things that Reagan did that was a boon to the 80's, was to lift the remaining allocation and price controls on petroleum on January 28, 1981--the cause of the so-called "shortages" which resulted in the dreadful gas lines throughout the 70's, because when you regulate the price of a commodity you automatically get shortages. The prices immediately rose, for about a week, then settled back for the remainder of the decade before they collapsed entirely to $10 a barrel in 1986, devastating the economies of both Houston and Dallas, but a boon to the rest of the country. Can you imagine the effect it would have on our economy if the current price of gasoline reverted back to around $1.75 a gallon as it was in 2008 and interest rates on risk-free CD's was about 5% or 5.25%? The extra money in everyones' pockets and the additional spending power of retirees, would probably revive what has been a stagnant economy for the better part of six years. If a retiree had only $100,000, a CD at 6% would provide them with an extra $500 a month, most of which would be spent and some of it taxed.