Their nuclear missiles program with Chinese /Pakistan is more than enough to stop any aggression (Israel ,Iran etc). How ever Low oil price is good for US foreign net lender . Saudi ,China and Japan own an estimated 4 trillion $. If the US economy in good shape they are more likely to appreciate it more than you think since they are getting their money back. For Russia, an average citizen will benefit , Moscow is by far one of the most expensive places to live.the commodity prices will fall down faster than currency inflation rate. By the way, some lives In An old era , where communism v. Capitalism did exist . Modern day China is far more capitalist than today USA .
I seriously doubt the average Russian citizen will benefit. No one is arguing China isn't capitalist.
No kidding. No poor people never benefit when their currency collapses - it just doesn't work that way. Besides, oil is maintaining its price in rubles (they are both dropping like a rock in US dollars) - so the local Russian isn't even getting cheaper energy prices.
It's hilarious being accused of being in a bubble from you. You sound like you've been preserved from the 1960's and recently thawed. But it took you until page 3 to mention Fox News. Good job.
Putin struck a defiant note against America and the European Union, saying that sanctions slapped against Russia after it seized the Black Sea region of Crimea in March were part of a historical campaign to weaken Russia. He accused the West of trying to infringe on Russia's sovereignty, adding that the Ukrainian crisis was just a pretext for Western action. "Sometimes I think, maybe they'll let the bear eat berries and honey in the forest, maybe they will leave it in peace," said Putin, referring to Russia's famed symbol. "They will not. Because they will always try to put him on a chain, and as soon as they succeed in doing so they tear out his fangs and his claws." He said by fangs and claws he meant Russia's nuclear weapons, adding that the West wants to weaken Russia to win control over its rich natural resources. "Once they've taken out his claws and his fangs, then the bear is no longer necessary. He'll become a stuffed animal," he said. "The issue is not Crimea, the issue is that we are protecting our sovereignty and our right to exist."
Putin is copying post 9/11 bush with his nationalistic terminology and Crimea / Eastern European invasion. But he's a villain because he completely disregards human rights in his own country, let alone outside of it , and then scapegoats the rest of the world for his own undoing. Merica doesn't have that luxury.
There's no way Putin will back down right now, it doesn't benefit him or Russia at all. Giving back Crimea and ending the Donbass crisis will not cause a rebound in oil prices.
Agree, I think Putin will hunker down, let his people suffer and hope to weather this out for a couple of years. I think he will continue his incremental harassment where he can, especially Eastern Ukraine and the former Soviet Republics. All those borders will probably get testy.
