this post was submitted on 12 May 2025

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Russia advanced their economy tremendously during the war (media.piefed.social)

submitted 23 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.

And the sanctions make the numbers bigger. Russia needs to spend more to get the same, which means they're getting less for the same amount of money, sweat, genius and hopes.

And that's a win.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 16 minutes ago

No it's not. It's cut from the opposite end of Russian society to the optimal one.

Russian "elite" is very useful for all of the world's other elites. It's spending money on things not a thief never would. It's giving politicians who want to be mafia bosses sort of a starting capital, or an edge they need. It's playing them against each other.

These sanctions are designed to impede Russia at wars, but preserve its "elite", so that the money stream wouldn't dry out.

The proper sanctions would be to catch every Russian official's kids currently in European countries and in USA, and start sending fingers by mail to their parents. Fear not, they most likely all have a few (or more) murders on their non-existent conscience, so they are fair game. Oh, FFS, some of those officials are in "hostile" countries too. Some of Putin's children are. They have different second names, but identifying them is a rookie job.

That's if you want to stop the war and destroy the criminal regime.

Sanctions are directed against Russia, but not against the Russian regime.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

tankies celebrating an oligarchy's economy

[–] [email protected] 23 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Ah yes, the "strong" Russian economy lol

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 hours ago

Just a reminder to everyone that doesn't get the context, Canada has a bigger economy than Russia.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Their opinion is circling the drain in the same way the russian economy is.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Even if you tried you could not convince me those are not russian trolls spreading propaganda for pay.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

They could be down the chain and have just been brainwashed by the kremlin bots too. Working away for free.

But yeah. No election? Few mArX-LeNiN bots around.

BTW what's next, nazi-democracy?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

I wouldn't be surprised if they started promoting "Nazi-democracy"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 41 minutes ago

Imagine if you will. Dugin, the main thought leader at Kremlin, came up with The Fourth Political Theory.

Liberalism, Communism, Fascism: The Best Hits edition.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 22 hours ago

So really everyone should be sanctioning Russia, for their own good.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Of course this person is full of shit, but there's a grain of truth in what they're saying since Russia didn't suffer from the sanctions nearly as much as expected. I don't mean to legitimize tankie talking points, but sanctions against have been a failure as far according to their stated goals and will likely continue to be if I'm not grossly misunderstanding the situation.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

Sanctions arent a magical stop when not everyone follows them, Russia still trades with China, India and some others. Europe is still buying their gas. This has avoided a worst-case scenario for them but their limited buyers know this and can get more from Russia for cheaper. Gazprom stock is down 20% over 5y. The point isnt to kill them just weaken. Sanctions are a large reason behind Russian inflation which as of March 2025 was at 10.3% yoy. Theyre why protests still happen even in Moscow despite the fear. Hell a couple years ago now their main finance minister tried to resign because of the sanctions and war effects on the long-term economic outlook in Russia.

Usually high inflation is a driver of domestic upset at those in power. Biden had a couple months around 9% despite a yoy of around 5% and he got skewered for it. Sanctions have also allowed the capture and sale of some oligarch assets to help fund Ukraines defense. Economic collapse driven by sanctions is not immediate but a long-term effect, there are months-years of signs such as inflation before it comes crashing down.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 minutes ago

Usually high inflation is a driver of domestic upset at those in power.

"Domestic upset" - Russia is a prison society. Those upset think it's the elite's right to humiliate them. Or are afraid. Or can't sacrifice their life and their relatives', because they know most people won't.

And now the poorest and the dumbest men have either died or got war experience.

Anyway, all I personally want is for oil and gas money stream to dry out completely. That will make all of the world's politics healthier. Despite Russian economy stagnating for many years, you don't realize how much harm that money has done to the world in those years.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

It's normal for a war economy to "grow". When a government is buying all the tanks, guns and bullets it can, that's absolutely amazing for the economy as a whole. Government spending increases generally drive growth (never mind that this just drives debt up and can send your country into a spiral)

Inflation, usually as a result from the former, also makes numbers go up. And if you ~~intentionally undercount~~ accidentally underestimate inflation, it goes up even more! You can always increase interest to keep up (if you dont have massive debt from the former).

You reduce exports of cheap raw materials and start using them yourself to make expensive war materials that look great on your books (but which don't actually make your country any money, unlike the raw materials).

Getting more soldiers is great for employment numbers, and industry will also need more people. Governments competing with industry drives wages up (and government reserves down).

War generally requires new infrastructure, which is great for countries that have neglected it for decades (unfortunately getting bombed tends to make said improvements rather short term, and only to places nobody wants to go).

So as long as you're not collapsing under debt (and if you can steal from private citizens, you can keep going for a bit) and your civilian industry hasn't quite collapsed yet (Russians excel at suffering) and you haven't undergone population collapse (15 and 70 make for great soldiers, right?) your economy looks great to anyone not looking too closely.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

All of your points are great, but if you looked beyond monetary value, many industries that used to produce things that increase the welfare of your citizens are now used to wage war.

A weird but well known example in history was sewing machine companies that switched to producing automatic weapons in times of war. Their profits might have increased, but the people couldn't buy new sewing machines. So while on paper the country's GDP might be bigger, more people are wearing rags because they can't access better clothes, making them de facto poorer.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 53 minutes ago

All of your points are great, but if you looked beyond monetary value, many industries that used to produce things that increase the welfare of your citizens are now used to wage war.

Exactly! that's the entire point. On page 2 of the summary it looks great on paper, but if you actually start looking at the reports, you're going to see it's actually getting worse and worse.

I love your example, and it's a great way to show the difference between spending and investing. Buying a an expensive gun is spending money looks good right now but it doesn't DO anything. Buying a cheap sewing machine is investing, maybe not much, but over time you'll add value to the entire economy.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 19 hours ago

Wow, finally got past the bot and found a human. Unless they've started telling the bots to add in random typos to throw us off the scent.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 19 hours ago

100k USD rocket is the same thing a studio apartment in mid sized city?

I am sure Ivan loves the rocket more too, gives him pride. Fuck having a place to live

[–] [email protected] 8 points 22 hours ago

I can't tell if they call them "rulers" over their specific disdain for Europe or if they call them "rulers" because that's what they think a leader is supposed to be.