Stock Market is the bottom in?

[Buckly]

We have to remember why is Ukraine not in NATO. Corruption in government, business, oil and gas, judiciary, even education. It hasn’t been addressed to any degree sufficient for Europe. UkrainIan’s and their government are not angels in that respect. other Countries including the US haven’t been really good at helping them root it out either. There was too much profit in the corruption. The World doesn’t like a bully such as Putin so yes they need to help but just like it seems they are not willing to go all in to help Ukraine at this point anyway. Germany, Italy and the US are all beholden to Russian Energy. Trump brought this to NATO’s full attention and even thought about leaving NATO because of it. The Government and people of Ukraine are really brave in their defense of their Country. Kind of an inspiration but, too many NATO countries are more beholden to Russia and that’s the bottom line. Will the World cut off Russia? I have no idea but that’s the only way this ends from the looks of it.

 

[Bill]

I’ve been quiet on this one. I have skin in this game. Adopted my son from Ukraine 20 years ago and made life long friends doing it. As I type this very good friends wife, daughter and young son are trying to get from Kiev to Poland. He and his son inlaw are staying.

Yes the government may be corrupt but just like here, the citizens are not like the government. Their trying to make the best life they can with what they have.

I’m pissed off beyond belief at the incompetence of NATO. Shut his pipe line down and freeze all assets is all it would take with no US GI touching the ground.

 

[OakSeeds]

Prayers for your friends; may God protect them and the brave folks in Ukraine.

The real hammer; hopes it happens.

EU Moves Toward Ousting Russia From SWIFT as Germany Shifts

www.bloomberg.com

Cutting Russia off from SWIFT a "matter of days" - euro zone central banker

A decision to cut Russia off from the global SWIFT payment system will be taken in a matter of days, the governor of a central bank within the euro zone told Reuters on Saturday.

www.reuters.com

Why the West is reluctant to deny Russian banks access to SWIFT

Despite its punitive appeal, disconnection from the global messaging system may not have the intended effect

www.economist.com

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I think we should sanction Russia to the max. It’s the boots on the ground I have a problem with. This is a European war, not a US war. Let them lead it, let them use their men to fight Russia. If they need us, we will back Europe, but we need not lead this war with our soldiers. If the US gets involved, chances of a nuclear war increases tenfolfld. If Europe is involved, and we aren’t, we are the deterrent if they go nuclear, Russia would know we would as well.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I honestly think Russia isn’t our biggest threat. I think China, North Korea, and Iran will start something with us before long. I think it will start with one of them bombing one of our ships.

 

[chummer]

I honestly think Russia isn’t our biggest threat. I think China, North Korea, and Iran will start something with us before long. I think it will start with one of them bombing one of our ships.

Don’t worry about Iran. Joe is giving them what they want so they will be our friend again.

 

[ghilliehunter]

I agree but it has happened. We just wasted 20 years in a freaking desert thIs seems a little more important. We have ways without sending in troops. Cut off his energy sales and his people will give him the Sadam treatment. In the meantime give them enough weaponry so he doesn’t have an army to withdrawal. Our Military is voluntary so they assume the risk when they join and thank God they do.

You stated the obvious. "We wasted 20 years in the desert". What wasn't said was we lost thousands of young men and wasted trillions of dollars. And we're worse off now than when we began. Instead of defending Ukraine's border, we should be defending our own. Right now, my son in law has been deployed to Eastern Europe. And yes, he joined voluntarily and assumed the risk, but I sure hate to see him get killed.
In 1985 I started training to kill Russian communists in the Marine Corps, so I get it. Sanctions fine, no troops.

 

[Buckly]

I don’t believe any Country is going to put troops into Ukraine. As we all know that could be WW3. . Are we just support for NATO troops at this point or do we actually have soldiers in the NATO units?

 

[hillrunner]

Watching the coverage from Ukraine my thoughts have changed. This is mass murder at this point. I think we need to take Putin out. He is killing women and children. We can’t hide behind if they are in NATO or not. With China watching if we don’t put and end to this shit now their won’t be a world left worth living in. These Ukrainians are one tough people, if only they had the 80 billion worth of weapons we left behind. We spent 20 years in Afghanistan and the second we left they folded like a cheap suite To a bunch of guys on camels. These guys are going toe to toe with the third largest army in the world. Nukes are also going to be in play the longer this goes on.

Nothing is more important than avoiding war with Russia. The 2 countries with 90% of the world's nukes. Every single person you know will be dead if nuclear war breaks out. Please don't let the same media that has lied to you about everything else for years convince you that we need to commit suicide in a war with Russia.

 

[chummer]

You stated the obvious. "We wasted 20 years in the desert". What wasn't said was we lost thousands of young men and wasted trillions of dollars. And we're worse off now than when we began. Instead of defending Ukraine's border, we should be defending our own. Right now, my son in law has been deployed to Eastern Europe. And yes, he joined voluntarily and assumed the risk, but I sure hate to see him get killed.
In 1985 I started training to kill Russian communists in the Marine Corps, so I get it. Sanctions fine, no troops.

I said we have ways other than troops. I’m fine if I never see our troops deployed again. I had many family members in WW2 and Vietnam so I also get it. I agree with everything else you said. Unfortunately with this president our border will remain wide open and he wasted months watching Putin prepare for this invasion and did nothing until he started blowing up kids.

 

[Bszweda]

Ukraine shouldn't have ever gave up their nukes. Though they probably were a puppet state of Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union. If they were serious about putting sanctions on Russia they would've removed them from SWIFT and have all the nato/ willing countries ISP's block Russia subnets. Even that I consider cancel culture politics. NATO is a bureaucratic dysfunctional mess. What is a given is the supposedly most powerful EU country Germany is Russias bitch. All they had to do was let Ukraine and join NATO, and Russia never would've attacked them.

 

[b116757]

Anyone with half a brain in foreign policy would of seen this coming so one can only assume this was part of Brandon’s plan all along.

 

[chummer]

Anyone with half a brain in foreign policy would of seen this coming so one can only assume this was part of Brandon’s plan all along.

I don’t think it was part of his plan. He is to stupid to have a plan. His ineptness is certainly part of Putin’s plan.

 

[BuckSutherland]

To me it looks like things are going horribly wrong for Russia in Ukraine. Lord willing the Ukrainians drive the bastards out or to the negotiating table very quickly. The optics of this are absolutely atrocious for Russia. I am guessing right now China is having second thoughts about an open incursion to Taiwan. I'm gonna be watching for China to distance themselves from Russia in the coming days. If China starts backpedalling away from Russia I'd say that's bullish for markets and signal a quicker end to the fighting. China can just continue slipping their hand up the backside of Taiwan's skirt and control things from the sideline.

Deep state is gonna have to resort to another bio weapon instead of this real war.

 

[IkemanTx]

To me it looks like things are going horribly wrong for Russia in Ukraine. Lord willing the Ukrainians drive the bastards out or to the negotiating table very quickly. The optics of this are absolutely atrocious for Russia. I am guessing right now China is having second thoughts about an open incursion to Taiwan. I'm gonna be watching for China to distance themselves from Russia in the coming days. If China starts backpedalling away from Russia I'd say that's bullish for markets and signal a quicker end to the fighting. China can just continue slipping their hand up the backside of Taiwan's skirt and control things from the sideline.

Deep state is gonna have to resort to another bio weapon instead of this real war.

I doubt that anything is going different than planned.

As consistent as the media is with their coverage of this, I don’t believe it for one minute. I wouldn’t put it past Putin to make this look like a cluster just to give NATO some false confidence for a move he has planned later on. That man is an insanely cunning strategist. I assure you he is more competent than the current media reports.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Buckly]

Exactly what I believe, even though I really know nothing about military strategy but, in this day and age it seems like Russia would have enough firepower to not even have many boots on the ground and just do it all from the air or subs. It all seems too lackadaisical. Possibly slow on purpose just to try and goad Countries to make a strike on Russia . Baiting them in So to speak. Making the World mad so he can go out in a blaze. Could also be the reason he has only used about half the troops amassed… just in case there is a strike on Russia he needs to be able to move troops around. Even all the experts admit they have no idea what’s going on in Putins mind. Who knows if he’s even on straight thinking mode. This might end up with him being overthrown by his own forces. Just never know. In the mean time a lot of people are having a really rough go.

 

[b116757]

Hey maybe Brandon will drop off a plane load of cash on the tarmac in Moscow that’s right of Obummers play book.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I think to an extent Putin is trying to play by the rules, and not just bomb cities full of civilians. And with the Ukraine civilians taking up arms it can make slow go of things. He has the firepower to take Ukraine off the map, but knows he will be finished pilitically if he does.

We learned fighting in the dessert it wasn’t as easy as we thought it would be. When the military hides with civilians and civilians take up arms, it won’t be quick unless you just wipe out the entire country.

He will also learn as we did, you are damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. Woman and children will be armed, but if you kill them, the media blasts it all over and you lose any support you had. If you don’t kill the woman and children, you can’t take your eye off them, or they will kill you.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I do have a problem with all witch hunts that are only for political gain. I think Clinton was a very good president and his impeachment was stupid. I despise how the government spends my tax money on both sides of the isle.

Agreed. If we all spent as much time trying to solve problems as infighting, we'd be a better country. Wasting $$$ for political points is a guilt of both sides - and it's still a waste. How many bridges could have been built with the money wasted on questionable "investigations" ??

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Apologies, gentlemen, for getting previously sidetracked off the thread topic. I had our computer in for servicing for a few days, so this is my first chance to apologize for the tangent.

As for markets - I hope this Russian invasion thing gets cleared up by world cooperation - so all of us can HOPEFULLY stay on track with our financial plans. Too many GOOD people worldwide have worked hard to save & invest for their futures to have 1 madman ruin it all. Markets don't like uncertainty.