5 ms·

For a country with financial difficulties, it sure is taking some odd steps. Write-off North Korea's debt, now cancel out million/billion dollar sales to the U.

For a country with financial difficulties, it sure is taking some odd steps. Write-off North Korea's debt, now cancel out million/billion dollar sales to the U.S. for rockets. I guess they don't want us to build any more fighter jets before NATO attacks. ;)

bigdubs 12y ago
Rocket engines != jet engines. But yeah, this is not sound fiscal planning on Russia's part.
- trhway 12y ago
  >But yeah, this is not sound fiscal planning on Russia's part. "sound fiscal plans" have never been endemic to Russia. anyway, it was easily predicted :) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7649064 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7649064
jqm 12y ago
Maybe they feel they might need the rocket engines in their inventory at some point. I think some rocket components were produced in Ukraine, not sure if that applies to this. So maybe they don't want a limited supply diminished.
- seizethecheese 12y ago
  > I think some rocket components were produced in Ukraine If true, this is a significant wrinkle in the story.
  - trhway 12y ago
    It is Yuzhmash in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine (still, Putin is working on the issue). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzhnoye_Design_Bureau http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzhnoye_Design_Bureau (search for Antares :)
mladenkovacevic 12y ago
As someone said jet engines != rocket engines. But who do you think NATO should attack next with a wink and a smile? Ah yes, whoever dares to challenge the petrodollar, right? If that's the case then taking away their rockets is a good step for humanity.
- happyscrappy 12y ago
  Fine astroturf comrade.
  - mladenkovacevic 12y ago
    Are you mistaking my honest opinion for paid astroturfing? Or do you feel that your own world view is so righteous that anything else must be a fallacy?
    - happyscrappy 12y ago
      Do you actually believe this conflict has something to do with petrodollars? Ukrainians want a better life, they see others with that life. I know we are all supposed to be afraid of Russia but please. A cornered squirrel is dangerous but it is still a squirrel.
      - mladenkovacevic 12y ago
        This is a classic argument for promoting Western intervention. "Don't be a monster, people just want a better life!". And somehow this argument gets translated into Captain America coming over and scorching the earth until nothing's left. My hopes for making you just a little more cynical about these things are low, but please try and open your eyes. What is the first thing that happens in every country that gets "freedomed" by the NATO. The oil fields get secured, the installed regime continues selling oil in US dollars at agreeable prices, and the society descends into chaos... but the oil fields are secure. Do you disagree that Ukraine is a polarized country and that the Euromaidan does not speak for the whole country?
pavlov 12y ago
The Russian state is not in financial difficulties. The oil and natural gas industries are reliable ruble generators, having been effectively resocialized in Putin's era. Russia has paid off its foreign debt completely. The regime won't feel the effect of Western economic pressure any time soon. The Russian economy is much worse off, however. Competitiveness and industrial development have been neglected by the regime that's happy to siphon off profits from unrefined natural exports. Quality of life is not improving, corruption is rife as ever, wages and pensions can go unpaid. Lately the government seems to be trying to shift blame onto foreigners and deviants, and so increasing numbers of Caucasian immigrant workers and homosexuals are getting beat up or murdered. Medvedev talked the talk on much-needed economic development, but turns out he was just a puppet. There doesn't seem to be much hope for change in the near future.
eshvk 12y ago
> NATO attacks. ;) I am not sure NATO is going to attack a country with ICBMs and active nuclear warheads over Ukraine which is not part of the alliance.

bigdubs 12y ago

Rocket engines != jet engines. But yeah, this is not sound fiscal planning on Russia's part.

trhway 12y ago
>But yeah, this is not sound fiscal planning on Russia's part. "sound fiscal plans" have never been endemic to Russia. anyway, it was easily predicted :) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7649064 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7649064

jqm 12y ago

Maybe they feel they might need the rocket engines in their inventory at some point. I think some rocket components were produced in Ukraine, not sure if that applies to this. So maybe they don't want a limited supply diminished.

seizethecheese 12y ago
> I think some rocket components were produced in Ukraine If true, this is a significant wrinkle in the story.
- trhway 12y ago
  It is Yuzhmash in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine (still, Putin is working on the issue). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzhnoye_Design_Bureau http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzhnoye_Design_Bureau (search for Antares :)

mladenkovacevic 12y ago

As someone said jet engines != rocket engines. But who do you think NATO should attack next with a wink and a smile? Ah yes, whoever dares to challenge the petrodollar, right? If that's the case then taking away their rockets is a good step for humanity.

happyscrappy 12y ago
Fine astroturf comrade.
- mladenkovacevic 12y ago
  Are you mistaking my honest opinion for paid astroturfing? Or do you feel that your own world view is so righteous that anything else must be a fallacy?
  - happyscrappy 12y ago
    Do you actually believe this conflict has something to do with petrodollars? Ukrainians want a better life, they see others with that life. I know we are all supposed to be afraid of Russia but please. A cornered squirrel is dangerous but it is still a squirrel.
    - mladenkovacevic 12y ago
      This is a classic argument for promoting Western intervention. "Don't be a monster, people just want a better life!". And somehow this argument gets translated into Captain America coming over and scorching the earth until nothing's left. My hopes for making you just a little more cynical about these things are low, but please try and open your eyes. What is the first thing that happens in every country that gets "freedomed" by the NATO. The oil fields get secured, the installed regime continues selling oil in US dollars at agreeable prices, and the society descends into chaos... but the oil fields are secure. Do you disagree that Ukraine is a polarized country and that the Euromaidan does not speak for the whole country?

pavlov 12y ago

The Russian state is not in financial difficulties. The oil and natural gas industries are reliable ruble generators, having been effectively resocialized in Putin's era. Russia has paid off its foreign debt completely. The regime won't feel the effect of Western economic pressure any time soon. The Russian economy is much worse off, however. Competitiveness and industrial development have been neglected by the regime that's happy to siphon off profits from unrefined natural exports. Quality of life is not improving, corruption is rife as ever, wages and pensions can go unpaid. Lately the government seems to be trying to shift blame onto foreigners and deviants, and so increasing numbers of Caucasian immigrant workers and homosexuals are getting beat up or murdered. Medvedev talked the talk on much-needed economic development, but turns out he was just a puppet. There doesn't seem to be much hope for change in the near future.

eshvk 12y ago

> NATO attacks. ;) I am not sure NATO is going to attack a country with ICBMs and active nuclear warheads over Ukraine which is not part of the alliance.