AIBU?
To think this is the end of the West and Russia, China etc will end up more powerful?
worldeater · 06/09/2022 19:58
The West (Europe, UK, USA, Canada, Australasia) has economies based on debt and high house prices and are trillions in debt. Russia has actual energy and assets (oil, gas, precious metals) and since the sanctions has a very strong currency and lower goods prices (and no/low inflation) - not as the sanctions intended.
Russia can keep turning the screws on us because we print money as a solution to every crisis (which causes more inflation) but we can't print finite resources such as energy (which Russia has - we have it too but refuse to use - coal, natural gas, nuclear etc because of the green lobby).
I'm very worried that the West seems to have backed itself into a corner and is committing collective suicide and there seems to be little way out.
hobbledyhoy · 06/09/2022 20:04
I don't think Russia and China are as powerful as you think.
A third of China's economy relies on their property market which is now being propped up artificially by the govt, with people refusing to pay their mortgages and building companies being paid to finish off houses rather than go bust.
A lot of Russia's reserve cash was frozen if in Euro's or worthless in roubles.
We're all the mercy of each other and tend to face the same issues. Sometimes we're up and other times down.
The UK economy has been very badly mismanaged though imo and is suffering the shocks of Covid, Brexit and energy increases (which incidentally was riding anyway before Ukraine it's just convenient to use that as a smokescreen now)
TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 06/09/2022 20:24
No I definitely don’t think Russia is on course to become more powerful. They have managed to fuck that up quite fast.
China, well maybe but they have some internal difficulties to navigate first.
heldinadream · 06/09/2022 20:35
No society is as powerful as the climate which we have empowered to destroy us.
latetothefisting · 06/09/2022 20:48
agree with all the previous posters.
China have a huge issue coming up regarding their population/demographic crisis so will need to make some huge internal changes if they want to 'challenge' the West over the next few decades.
Our biggest enemy in the West is ourselves - we have got so used to having what are unimaginable luxuries to the majority of the world at the tips of our fingers that we won't put up with the slightest personal sacrifice for long term gain.
Plus, why should we continue to be more powerful? Why do we deserve it?
GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 06/09/2022 20:49
YABU
If anything it’s Russia that’s finished
GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 06/09/2022 20:50
Not saying West won’t have to make a lot of changes in many respects but not nearly as wholesale as Russia is going to have to change.
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