Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Foreign Policy & News The long and winding road to Dumbass

I don't mind 'em so much. Not much I can do about it besides stomping my feet.

Maybe things won't be as bad as you think. That often turns out to be the case.

Maybe they'll be worse! Then you can come around and tell me you told me so.

That's how I feel about the partisan squabbling too. Fullness of time...

I was in the, Russia and Ukraine need to negotiate a peaceful settlement before fighting breaks out, camp. Still think that way but it’s a minority opinion.

Much like Iraq. SSDD.

I would consider the amount of blood spilled, lives lost since the war broke out and the grifting off of it evidence of things having gone worse.

Again, opinions vary.

Dutch greenhouse production shutting down, metal smelting halted, derivatives energy market blowing up are just a few of the things I’d put in the gotten worse column too.

A couple I’m friends with are going to Italy for a 2 week vacay in October. I asked if they were concerned about the economic situation going on. I don’t think it was even on their radar. Should be interesting to get their impressions when they get back.

This sound worse:

‘ Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo warned that Europe needs to act immediately to address the energy crisis or risk the kind of fundamental economic shutdown that the bloc would struggle to recover from.

“A few weeks like this and the European economy will just go into a full stop. Recovering from that is going to be much more complicated than intervening in gas markets today,” he said Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg News. “The risk of that is de-industrialization and severe risk of fundamental social unrest.”

De Croo said the European Union should impose a broad price cap on gas trading in the bloc without delay if it wants to save its industries from a shutdown.’

EU Economy Risks ‘Full Stop’ on Energy Crisis, Belgium Warns

No?

What about algae blooms and turds in drought starved rivers?

‘ Due to high energy costs, the so-called precipitating agents are also becoming scarce: iron or aluminum salts, which are urgently needed in sewage treatment plants. In some federal states, the environment ministers are already allowing limit values ??to be exceeded.
ADue to the energy crisis, sewage treatment plants nationwide lack the means to clean the wastewater – with possibly fatal consequences for rivers, reports the magazine “Spiegel”. Chemical companies can therefore currently hardly supply precipitants.’

Important chemicals for water purification could soon be missing in Germany

I’m not sure this qualifies as ‘worse’ but it sure don’t look like ‘better’. My frame of reference was before hostilities broke out in Ukraine. When Russia was insisting on a security framework for Europe that included them instead of the hostility being directed at them.

Before thousands had died in conflict and millions more displaced?

Guess ‘worse’ is subjective?

Worse depends on what you are expecting I guess.

There are billions and billions of people on the planet. I'm personally concerned about precisely one of them.

The rest, such as yourself and your globetrotting friends, are merely academic exercises.

I expect your friends will find the tourist hotspots intact and open to the public. They will find authentic food. They will find a modern and advanced rail system and a bustling economy. They will find vistas, villas and vineyards, ancient olive trees and folks who don't speak English. Pretty much all the normal stuff.

Just as an Italian would find here or a Chinaman would find in Moscow, just as you find when you go to downtown, smalltown, wherever you're at. Or when you go to the city.

Frankly, I wouldn't dream of burning thousands of gallons of fossil fuel to transport my sorry ass to Italy just so I could take in the sights, soak up the culture, and snap a few pics then burn thousands of gallons of fossil fuel to get home. Maybe a complete economic meltdown will put a stop to that kind of nonsense.

You seem to think factories temporarily shutting down is a major issue. That doomsday arrives when the smokestacks stop billowing clouds of foul industrial effluvium.

Maybe you're right. I reckon we'll see.

Worse could also apply to wether your being impacted or not, too.

Oh yeah, they’ll be desperate for any business in Italy, I’m guessing. It will be interesting to hear if there’s any shortages during there visit. Kinda hard to bake ciabatta when the energy prices are running wild.

The couple mentioned are solidly middle class, socially liberal economically conservative, etc etc. nice people all around but unwilling to go beyond the mainstream media narratives. Why should they? It’s not impacting them. That’s why I’ll be interested in their consumer tourist experience. Was it all it should have been or were there shortages.

I agree that air flight is very wasteful. Not that I haven’t used it and I’m guessing you have too? Ditto moving 5-600 pounds of human tissue down the freeway with 5 tons of steel, cast iron, rubber and glass because renting a room is undesirable. But hey! Keeps the economy going, amiright? Capitalist logic, no?

Ok. I think I understand your thinking. You have no concern If it doesn’t personally affect you.? Fine. I’d argue that it does and always has been. This country can’t have nice things but always has MIC money. S’funny how that works.

You seem to think the Europe’s manufacturing plants closing will be temporary. I’m not convinced. Frankly, this appears to be a major shift taking place in Europe. Some have argued it as a planned demolition. I wouldn’t go that far. Planning looks ad hoc at best. More like out of touch hubris and incompetence of a ruling class to me.

The jackals will carve up what’s left on the bone in Europe and what will remain if Ukraine, no doubt. Can’t imagine it a preferred outcome over a negotiated security framework for Russia and Europe.

Apparently a majority of voting Italians think that voting in fascism will cure their issues.

Italy's Far Right Heads for Clear Election Victory - Final Polls

Six years ago America did the same....and might do it again in 2024.

Seems like it usually creates more problems than it solves.

Don’t forget about Germany’s far right parties. Even Spain’s looks set to challenge the left in upcoming elections. People will move away from misery. The object is getting rid of the immiseration. Left-right doesn’t matter when you can’t put food on the table is my read of the political impacts coming.

You sound happy.

What? Like giving proxy armies with fascist battalions billions happy? Naw. I don’t swing that way.

Sorry to disappoint.