4 ms·

Except the government fighting a war is getting taxes from those people that just want to engage in the economy to fund its war effort. Sanctions are not perfec

Except the government fighting a war is getting taxes from those people that just want to engage in the economy to fund its war effort. Sanctions are not perfect but they're a better tool than a shooting war.

usr1106 4y ago
Not only directly supporting the government by paying taxes, but also implicitly keeping the current dictator in power. I don't say everyone should be active opposition, it's dangerous in that morally rotten state with its criminal government. But there is a tipping poing when a dictator and his elite falls. Nobody thought the Soviet Union or the GDR would fall in 1989/90. But they did, at some point the lying just did not work anymore. As long as average peaceful people can make a good living this is much less likely to happen.
ShivShankaran 4y ago
- usr1106 4y ago
  While your comment style is a bit aggressive you have a point: Bush and Blair would belong into an international court for starting an attack war, just like Putin. My personal "sanctions" to the US are that I don't travel there anymore. I visited the country around 2 dozens times and I mostly liked it. But after 9/11 only twice and now not for nearly 12 years. 2 Bushs, homeland security, Manning/Assange/Snowden, and Trump gave me enough. Obama and Biden were too small sparks of hope in the 49% misery.
  - ShivShankaran 4y ago
    Biden is not a spark of hope. There is a reason Obama didn't endorse him quickly. Note that he wanted to start the Russian war when Russia invaded Crimea in 2014 as a VP but Obama had to personally intervene and veto the war because he knew instability in that region would blow up. Biden is nothing like Obama. He is an old timer who has zero mental cognitive ability beyond trying to save his son's investments in Ukraine. China is planning to drop USD with Gulf countries today. and the US power rests on USD. Future us will look upon Biden's era & foolishness as the death of American hegemony.
    - andsoitis 4y ago
      > beyond trying to save his son's investments in Ukraine The only thing I’m aware of is that Hunter was a non-executive director of Burisma, a private oil company, but that he resigned in 2019 during Biden’s election campaign and 3 years before the war. Anything more?
      - ShivShankaran 4y ago
        _kbh_ 4y ago
        Does it matter why the US is supporting Ukraine? its still the right thing to do, even if you do it for the wrong reason (which I don't think they are).
- EB-Barrington 4y ago
  Russia is committing to a genocidal war, this is why they have sanctions against them. They are literally state-sponsors of terrorism and they're funding privately operated terrorist groups. Rapes, murders, destruction of civilian infrastructure, it's all well documented.
  - ShivShankaran 4y ago
    - _kbh_ 4y ago
      [flagged]
    - EB-Barrington 4y ago
      [flagged]
      - EB-Barrington 4y ago
        [flagged]
        dang 4y ago
        We've banned this account for using HN primarily for political battle, and for posting flamewar comments and ignoring our request to stop. Regardless of how right you are or feel you are, or how bad others are or you feel they are, it's not ok to abuse HN like this. It does no good for anyone. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
    - EB-Barrington 4y ago
      [flagged]
      - ShivShankaran 4y ago
        https://www.ecchr.eu/en/publication/the-iraq-invasion-is-a-crime/ https://www.ecchr.eu/en/publication/the-iraq-invasion-is-a-c... https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/sep/16/iraq.iraq https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/sep/16/iraq.iraq "Iraq war was illegal and breached UN charter, says Annan" Even if George Bush went around US punching everyone in their face and telling them that all the wars were war crimes, Americans would accuse him of being a Kremlin apologist.
- giantrobot 4y ago
  Ah yes, the Whattabouts!
  - dang 4y ago
    Please don't. https://hn.algolia.com/?query=whataboutism%20by:dang&dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&&sort=byDate&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?query=whataboutism%20by:dang&dateRan...
xiphias2 4y ago
The more corrupt a government is, the less people are likely to justify paying taxes to them. Many Russians that get cryptocurrencies from other countries used it to buy plane tickets to fly away (or other means to get out of the country), and they are definately not want to pay taxes, but are contributing the brain drain that is likely happening right now.

usr1106 4y ago

Not only directly supporting the government by paying taxes, but also implicitly keeping the current dictator in power. I don't say everyone should be active opposition, it's dangerous in that morally rotten state with its criminal government. But there is a tipping poing when a dictator and his elite falls. Nobody thought the Soviet Union or the GDR would fall in 1989/90. But they did, at some point the lying just did not work anymore. As long as average peaceful people can make a good living this is much less likely to happen.

ShivShankaran 4y ago

usr1106 4y ago
While your comment style is a bit aggressive you have a point: Bush and Blair would belong into an international court for starting an attack war, just like Putin. My personal "sanctions" to the US are that I don't travel there anymore. I visited the country around 2 dozens times and I mostly liked it. But after 9/11 only twice and now not for nearly 12 years. 2 Bushs, homeland security, Manning/Assange/Snowden, and Trump gave me enough. Obama and Biden were too small sparks of hope in the 49% misery.
- ShivShankaran 4y ago
  Biden is not a spark of hope. There is a reason Obama didn't endorse him quickly. Note that he wanted to start the Russian war when Russia invaded Crimea in 2014 as a VP but Obama had to personally intervene and veto the war because he knew instability in that region would blow up. Biden is nothing like Obama. He is an old timer who has zero mental cognitive ability beyond trying to save his son's investments in Ukraine. China is planning to drop USD with Gulf countries today. and the US power rests on USD. Future us will look upon Biden's era & foolishness as the death of American hegemony.
  - andsoitis 4y ago
    > beyond trying to save his son's investments in Ukraine The only thing I’m aware of is that Hunter was a non-executive director of Burisma, a private oil company, but that he resigned in 2019 during Biden’s election campaign and 3 years before the war. Anything more?
    - ShivShankaran 4y ago
      - _kbh_ 4y ago
        Does it matter why the US is supporting Ukraine? its still the right thing to do, even if you do it for the wrong reason (which I don't think they are).
EB-Barrington 4y ago
Russia is committing to a genocidal war, this is why they have sanctions against them. They are literally state-sponsors of terrorism and they're funding privately operated terrorist groups. Rapes, murders, destruction of civilian infrastructure, it's all well documented.
- ShivShankaran 4y ago
  - _kbh_ 4y ago
    [flagged]
  - EB-Barrington 4y ago
    [flagged]
    - EB-Barrington 4y ago
      [flagged]
      - dang 4y ago
        We've banned this account for using HN primarily for political battle, and for posting flamewar comments and ignoring our request to stop. Regardless of how right you are or feel you are, or how bad others are or you feel they are, it's not ok to abuse HN like this. It does no good for anyone. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - EB-Barrington 4y ago
    [flagged]
    - ShivShankaran 4y ago
      https://www.ecchr.eu/en/publication/the-iraq-invasion-is-a-crime/ https://www.ecchr.eu/en/publication/the-iraq-invasion-is-a-c... https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/sep/16/iraq.iraq https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/sep/16/iraq.iraq "Iraq war was illegal and breached UN charter, says Annan" Even if George Bush went around US punching everyone in their face and telling them that all the wars were war crimes, Americans would accuse him of being a Kremlin apologist.
giantrobot 4y ago
Ah yes, the Whattabouts!
- dang 4y ago
  Please don't. https://hn.algolia.com/?query=whataboutism%20by:dang&dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&&sort=byDate&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?query=whataboutism%20by:dang&dateRan...

xiphias2 4y ago

The more corrupt a government is, the less people are likely to justify paying taxes to them. Many Russians that get cryptocurrencies from other countries used it to buy plane tickets to fly away (or other means to get out of the country), and they are definately not want to pay taxes, but are contributing the brain drain that is likely happening right now.