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The arsenal is a cost center, not an asset. The military industry can't hold an economy up, much the opposite, actually. Unless they start selling weapons to

The arsenal is a cost center, not an asset. The military industry can't hold an economy up, much the opposite, actually. Unless they start selling weapons to China in larger numbers than any sane country would to their neighbors, I don't see the value.

monocasa 5y ago
It's an asset in that other countries either invading or dealing internally with civil wars get no fly zones instituted on them when they don't have nukes.
- munk-a 5y ago
  That's true - but how does that put bread on the table? (With the possible exception of invading other countries to steal their bread - which we can see isn't working out great for them right now).
  - monocasa 5y ago
    They have plenty of bread, they're a net exporter of food. They also have money, Europe is still paying for natural gas. They also have arms, they're the world's second largest arms dealer, only behind the US.
    - type0 5y ago
      > They have plenty of bread, they're a net exporter of food. Bread, soon that will be the only thing they will be able to eat. And as we speak they are destroying bread factories of Ukranian people. There goes a joke, the Russian finds Aladdin's Magic Lamp. The Genie comes out and says: you have only one wish, I'll grant anything and the Ukrainian gets double of the same wish. The Russian thinks, then says: poke my eye out.
      - monocasa 5y ago
        They have a self sufficient full food economy. They'll continue to have more than bread.
      - lodi 5y ago
        I always heard this joke with the punchline "beat me half to death."
  - kavalg 5y ago
    Or creating a walled garden that is safe to play in and then take the usual 30% "app store" premium. I am not suggesting this in the context of Russia here, but in general. A state that has the military power to impose order in places where it is scarce may create value. An example could be a peaceful middle east that produces more and some of that goes to the one who maintains peace and makes everybody abide by the rules.
- lallysingh 5y ago
  Yup, but that don't pay the bills.
  - monocasa 5y ago
    The EUR they're still getting for natural gas does though.
pm90 5y ago
They can sell to the world that the US won’t. Such as Iran, and other non western countries like India.

monocasa 5y ago

It's an asset in that other countries either invading or dealing internally with civil wars get no fly zones instituted on them when they don't have nukes.

munk-a 5y ago
That's true - but how does that put bread on the table? (With the possible exception of invading other countries to steal their bread - which we can see isn't working out great for them right now).
- monocasa 5y ago
  They have plenty of bread, they're a net exporter of food. They also have money, Europe is still paying for natural gas. They also have arms, they're the world's second largest arms dealer, only behind the US.
  - type0 5y ago
    > They have plenty of bread, they're a net exporter of food. Bread, soon that will be the only thing they will be able to eat. And as we speak they are destroying bread factories of Ukranian people. There goes a joke, the Russian finds Aladdin's Magic Lamp. The Genie comes out and says: you have only one wish, I'll grant anything and the Ukrainian gets double of the same wish. The Russian thinks, then says: poke my eye out.
    - monocasa 5y ago
      They have a self sufficient full food economy. They'll continue to have more than bread.
    - lodi 5y ago
      I always heard this joke with the punchline "beat me half to death."
- kavalg 5y ago
  Or creating a walled garden that is safe to play in and then take the usual 30% "app store" premium. I am not suggesting this in the context of Russia here, but in general. A state that has the military power to impose order in places where it is scarce may create value. An example could be a peaceful middle east that produces more and some of that goes to the one who maintains peace and makes everybody abide by the rules.
lallysingh 5y ago
Yup, but that don't pay the bills.
- monocasa 5y ago
  The EUR they're still getting for natural gas does though.

pm90 5y ago

They can sell to the world that the US won’t. Such as Iran, and other non western countries like India.