Most of the world neutral on Russia-Ukraine war

Discussion in 'Latest US & World News' started by Lil Mike, Mar 18, 2022.

  1. DEFinning

    DEFinning Well-Known Member Donor

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    While Western press bias-- largely related to the bias of we, their audience, writ large-- is certainly part of the reason why Ukraine gets more attention than other conflicts, it is not, however, a full explanation. There are objective reasons why this conflict has greater implications, than many others. First of all, the SCALE of this conflict, exceeds anything that has been seen, in a good number of years. Secondly, as someone else has already mentioned, the direct involvement of Russia, one of the world's two (some would say 3) Nuclear Superpowers, gives this conflict a greater significance than most. That the way this goes, will have implications regarding Russia's future actions, cannot be ignored. Thirdly, Ukraine's location makes it of great strategic importance, and has made it a fulcrum of past world conflicts.

    Just now getting attention, is a fourth reason that warrants a greater attention being focused on this war: Ukraine's role as a critical agricultural producer and exporter. They account for 10% of the world's wheat exports, the world's 5th largest supplier. Along with Russia, the top exporter, they account for 14% of the world's production, and 30% of its exports. Ukraine, alone, also accounts for 15% of corn exports, and 48% of the world's sunflower oil exports.

    What this means, in practical terms, is that
    the ramifications of this conflict include sharp spikes in food prices & limited supplies, having widely felt repercussions, including food shortages, in some areas.


    https://ihsmarkit.com/research-analysis/ukraine-agriculture-exports-what-is-at-stake.html#:~:text=Ukraine is one of the,countries in Asia and Africa.



    https://ocj.com/2022/03/ukraine-russia-and-crop-production/#:~:text=Russia and Ukraine account for,30% of global wheat exports.

    [Snip]
    Wheat

    Russia and Ukraine account for 14% of global wheat production from 2017 to 2021 and rank first and fifth, respectively. Both countries are prominent exporters, providing nearly 30% of global wheat exports. The EU, U.S., and Canada are also major producers and exporters of wheat. China and India are major wheat producers, but are net importers and provide relatively small shares of global wheat exports. Other countries with fairly large wheat export shares include Australia (8.4%), Argentina (6.6%), Kazakhstan (4.1%), and Turkey (3.4%).

    Corn

    The U.S. remains the dominant global producer (32%) and exporter (33%) for corn. Brazil (18.3%) and Argentina (20%) rank second and third in corn exports.
    Ukraine now ranks fourth, contributing over 15% of world corn exports. Russia ranks sixth with a 2.3% share of corn exports. Notably, Ukraine has been the dominant supplier of corn to China. A shift towards import of more U.S. corn to China began in 2020 following a poor Ukrainian crop...

    Barley

    While the EU holds the dominant production share and is the leading region for world barley exports, Russia and Ukraine account for about 19% of barley production and nearly 32% of barley exports. Australia, Canada, and Argentina are the other major contributors to world barley production and exports...

    ...Ukraine and Russia are the leading producers and exporters of sunflower oil which comprises a 9% production share and nearly a 2% export share for the world vegetable oil market. Nearly 60% of world sunflower oil production occurs in Ukraine and Russia, and the two countries account for over 75% of world exports.

    Implications

    The broad economic implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the resulting sanctions imposed on Russia by the international community, could include
    disruption of trade flows, greater inflationary pressures, and an increase in volatility across a wide range of global markets.

    The invasion is likely to impact the spring planting season for Ukrainian farmers, the magnitude of which will depend on the length and severity of the conflict...

    The inability for Ukrainian and Russian agricultural commodities to reach global markets may result in higher prices than would have otherwise occurred to the benefit of grain and oilseed producers in other major producing and exporting countries such as the U.S. However, the market disruptions stemming from the conflict and Russian sanctions will also result in major economic costs.
    Higher agricultural commodity prices will hurt net agricultural importers, particularly in developing parts of the world.

    [End]

    So if those developing parts of the world aren't paying much attention to this war, it doesn't say much for their News Establishments.
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2022
  2. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    I don't know what more is needed for our White Bread pals to accept that this is an East/West 'war'. Even if those additional nations (Mexico et al) aren't geographically in the East, they will be part of that coalition. Just as Australian/NZ are in the East, but siding with the West.
     
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  3. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    Well said.
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2022
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  4. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    Wow .. the oblivion is unreal.
     
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  5. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    They're in the denial up to the neck. It's truly shocking.

    Even hard to grasp that we're in the 21stC, at this point.
     
  6. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    They're watching and waiting. They know where the prize is going to go, and don't want to risk relations in the meantime.

    I don't think you've thought about what the weight of so many nations declaring themselves via silence, is going to mean in the washup. They don't need to be rich or powerful, they just to join the majority and the West is sunk. I mean it's sunk either way, but this way will be faster.
     
  7. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    And you couldn't blame them for thinking this is the reason:

    [​IMG]


    vs

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2022
  8. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    Hence my comment about the unreality of being in the 21stC. What happened to PROGRESS?
     
  9. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    Yes, that's what the Western media wants you to think. Well done.

    The Soves know what they're doing, and who they're doing it with.
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2022
  10. Iranian Monitor

    Iranian Monitor Well-Known Member

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    The Western media has little to do with what I think. I laid down on day 1 of this conflict a position I have held for a long time about what Russia need to do strategically and tactically. That is not what Russia has done.

    Putin, like most pro Russia posters, have been playing for the wrong crowd continuing to look for crumbs on the margins; missed the opportunity to develop a genuine alliance with the one (and may be only) country not hopelessly entangled and compromised by its integration into the American led global economic system but which (with only Russia's nuclear umbrella on its side) have the means to expose America/NATO's weak flanks to checkmate the hegemonic empire; and followed a course tactically (land invasion of hostile territory) that wasn't wise and a recipe for disaster even if carried out more effectively.

    In the midst all this, there also no coherent ideology from Russia either, not geopolitically, politically, economically. Just a bunch of misguided tactical points, many of whom clash with one another.
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2022
  11. crank

    crank Well-Known Member

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    Damn him, for not doing what you wanted him to do.
     
  12. Aleksander Ulyanov

    Aleksander Ulyanov Well-Known Member

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    So?
    That's how the Greeks became known, they were such good mercenaries that they made big bucks being hired out by all the other Empires. That's why the Spartans were so repressive. It wasn't that they were these tough fascists so much as the whole idea of Sparta was just to produce good soldiers who were worth 10x what most others were. Spartans had hard lives but they made good money. (Eventually this didn't work. The Spartans would just take the money and surrender anyway.)
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2022
  13. Aleksander Ulyanov

    Aleksander Ulyanov Well-Known Member

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    I know, world leaders really should read PF more, it would make things SOO much simpler.
     
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  14. Thedimon

    Thedimon Well-Known Member

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    I agree with you. I was just pointing out your quote where you said if you don’t want wars we shouldn’t have nation states.
    War is part of human nature and as long as groups of people compete for limited resources we will always have wars. The war in Ukraine is a classic land dispute war, where Ukraine is being the victim and Russia the aggressor.
     
  15. Iranian Monitor

    Iranian Monitor Well-Known Member

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    My point there is that the position I took before and now isn't reflective of what any of the media has been saying.
     
  16. Iranian Monitor

    Iranian Monitor Well-Known Member

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    Yes and no. War is the part of human nature which results from the lack of balance of power. And it is a part of human nature that can be domesticated by (....long story ...)
     
  17. zoom_copter66

    zoom_copter66 Well-Known Member

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    The West is "sunk".....seems I've heard that numerous times. I know it's wishful thinking for some.


    What prize you talking about BTW?
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2022
  18. Durandal

    Durandal Well-Known Member Donor

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    I've been hearing about how the US is sunk for, oh, about 15 years now. Started when I found the Pravda forum.
     
  19. Bill Carson

    Bill Carson Banned

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    That's so far from the truth it's hilarious. The war ain't got a damn thing to do with real estate.
     
  20. Durandal

    Durandal Well-Known Member Donor

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    No, he is exactly right. Putler wanted Ukraine under his control. Still does.
     
  21. DEFinning

    DEFinning Well-Known Member Donor

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    So you would expect our media, if it was good, to offer Putin speculative strategies, on how to defeat the U.S.?
     
  22. Iranian Monitor

    Iranian Monitor Well-Known Member

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    "expect" wouldn't be the right term... my real hope and vision for America is still influenced greatly by the best of America's ideals, but none of that will be if America insists on being global empire....empires do what empires do and a lot of it is propaganda masking suppression and oppression of others...I like America to indeed be that "shining city on the hill", with a federal government with limited enumerated powers; a laboratory of 50 states engaged in free trade and commerce with sufficient rights to have different systems that would still be consistent with its overriding principles , united in common defense of a true experiment in self-government, founded on the belief that all people are indeed meant (if not created whole cloth) to be "equal" (before the law, without discrimination on account of things which they did not choose) with certain "inalienable rights" such as "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", with a government instituted to protect those rights but not empowered or moved to deny them from others....
     
  23. Aleksander Ulyanov

    Aleksander Ulyanov Well-Known Member

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    Bullshit. Ukraine is Russia's natural breadbasket, two countries that fit together geographically, economically and culturally, They shouldn't any more fight than should the USA and Texas

    War is part of INDIVIDUAL human nature, yes. That's why humanity barely survived for over a million years when we were fully as smart as we are now but only took over the world in the last 10 millenia when we figured out how much better we got along in groups. Once we take the logical next stop and form one big group we'll probably colonize the galaxy but we may never do it as long as conservatives keep being our experts on human nature.
     
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  24. zoom_copter66

    zoom_copter66 Well-Known Member

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    Yup...I vaguely remember that Pravda forum....and the claims US was finished back then yet.:)
     
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  25. zoom_copter66

    zoom_copter66 Well-Known Member

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    Oh...you know what the TRUTH is ...carski?

    Did Vladolf tell you personally?
     
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