You’ve all seen the scenes on television. Tens of thousands of Russian citizens taking to the streets, riskiing arrest, prosecution, prison time, and a loss of their jobs to protest Putin’s war against Ukraine.
But it’s about to get a whole lot worse for him.
Up until now, the protesters were ideologically motivated against Putin for an unjust war against a neighbor that they all wanted left alone. But not even counting the backlash of the US, EU sanctions against Putin and his oligarchs, the everyday Russian citizens are about to be exposed to a whole new level of personal pain.
Because, outside of the official government sanctions, a cavalcade of US companies are answering the cell, and ceasing operations in Russia. And those countries are a staple of everyday Russian life;
- Coca Cola is suspending operations in Russia, and locking down their supply. Sorry guys, things will have to go better without Coke
- Starbucks is no longer schlepping Joe in Russia, so Russians are going to have fo find somewhere else to go for their morning caffeine fix
- Nike has shuttered operations in Russia, so the Russian people are gonna have to go without really cool Air Jordan sneakers on their feet for a while
- McDonalds is no longer flipping burgers for hungry Russians. And in a truly egalitarian gesture to show Russians that it isn’t about them, even though they’ve shittered their stores they’re still paying the employees
- Visa, Mastercard, and American Express have all suspended their operations in Russia, which means that credit and debit cards won’t work anymore. As a result, Russians will have go queue up in long lines at banks to get bushel baskets of rubles that you can only wipe your ass with
- Shell Oil its suspended their operations in Russia, which means no ore motion lotion for Russian drivers from Shell gas stations
- Netflix has suspended their Russian operations, which means no more videos to keep your kids from driving you insane
- Putin has already shut off Facebook and Twitter from operating in Russia, depriving the Russian people of their two most popular social media sites
- Tik-Tok has suspended live streaming from Russian accounts to prevent the spread of Russia disinformation
Remember one thing. The US won the Cold War without firing a single shot due to information. Radio Free Europe, Air America, and other outlets spread the wonders of the west to Russians who were desperate for western goods, and a western lifestyle. And pressure from regular Russian citizens forced the Soviet Union to collapse.
This time is completely different, and yet exactly the same. Post Soviet Russia welcomed the American and western companies in, and they became a staple of Russian life. And in his misbegotten war, Putin took away the vast majority of western companies and services that everyday Russian citizens have come to rely on. And the sudden loss of all of those is going to engender far larger mass protests than Putin has seen so far. Come on Vlad! Don’t come between a man and his quarter pounder and cheese! Watch for the Russian protests to grow.
The list you mentioned is almost a paint by numbers portrayal of the Westernization of Russia and the need for immediate gratification that comes with it.
It makes me wonder how a new generation of post Soviet Russians will react for the first time in their lives to empty shelves and worthless currency, where meat is is rationed and only available one day a week, bread available for two hours a day and lines stretching for blocks to get them, if available at all, and if available when you finally get to your turn in line.
From what I understand Tik Tok is a Chinese owned company. Their boycott may be a signal that China and Xi is tiring of this whole disaster. Dreams of Taiwan being quickly overrun without interference fade quickly decades into the future.
I believe it was less a matter of citizens of the former U.S.S.R. wanting western goods and more a matter of the western world, the U.S. in particular, beggaring them in a “keeping up with the Jones'” contest but instead of cars and crap it was military hardware, weapons, nuke modernization, etc.
These companies pulling out of Russia are not exactly “necessary” for Russians (I admit I’m not sure about Shell Oil Co. tho’). Russians can do without that stuff. When they can no longer obtain bread, meat, you know, the basics, then we will have them by the short hairs.
I believe that I read yesterday thar Exxon has also finslly pulled out. It would be interesting if Tillerson had anything to do with that, or whether it was dedpite him.
Putigula has it coming.
I pity the fool who ever sanctions America. “….and then there was no end to the rage of Hunca-Munca and Tom Thumb.”
(W/thanks to Beatrix Potter)
Latest polls show support for the war increasing in Russia. Now at 70%.
Do you really think Russia cares about Nike shoes? Anybody can buy Chinese clones made in the same factory as real Nikes.
FB and Twitter being gone is a benefit. Who cares if these kings of manipulation and censorship are gone? I was censored on FB for saying they censor.
There’s nothing that can’t be got from China especially if Russ decides they won’t care if patents of Western firms don’t matter anymore.
Oh we can stop goods from entering and stop Russian exports from leaving but Who makes nat gas and oil? Russia. Who makes everything else? China. US is a hollowed out, ex-industrial country that makes weapons and wars of aggression.
Underestimating Putin is a mistake as is thinking he didn’t take reprisals into consideration.
Sanctions strengthen Russia as they will manufacture what is sanctioned or get it from China.
Azov Liberals may ignore the fascist leaders of Ukraine and their killing of 14,000 civilians in the break away regions. They may ignore the Nazi symbols and slogans. It’s there to see for anybody who takes the time to find out.
These same Azov Liberals are the same ones who cheered war crimes in Libya, Syria and the dozen other places that criminals of both parties decided people should die for corporate profit.
Go ahead and cheer the policies that supported the Nazis in Ukraine and are resulting in more poverty here, higher prices for nearly everything. I already know they don’t care if innocent people die. The history is there. The war crimes by Washington is proof.
It’s a war provoked by Washington to keep NS2 from pumping Russian gas to the EU, among other things.
Netflix? Cummon. You really think they care about not getting the junk Netflix offers? I can see it now: Panic in the Kremlin because Netflix left. Thinking of giving up because no more 2nd rate media from Netflix.
All these companies will never be allowed back in. So much for cutting off your nose.
If not for Putin, Russia would have been divided up between the cannibals of international corporatism by now just like the US and it’s workers have been eaten.
Uh,huh. The US caused all this by not agreeing to refuse Ukraine entry into NATO like Putin wanted. A perfectly reasonable request. Before I go back to watching Tucker Carlson whine about how everyone is saying Carlson said he was rooting for Russia when clearly he did not -and despite how many times the videos of Carlson saying those exact words are played, I’ll insist he didn’t say that. But now, I’m going back to RT tv. See you there Rabbit.
If you take your ques from Tucker Carlson then I have to assume you’re not fully informed. I myself, vet everything
BTW, a wise man knows that sometimes your enemies are right. If Tucker is against the war in Ukraine then he’s right…this time. I wouldn’t know because I don’t follow him.
If war mongering is now a Dem thing (and when wasn’t it?) you and Hillary should join the Azov Battalion and stand up for your convictions. Based on the war propaganda that is so common in the corporate media.
Dude, you seem to have a fixation on the Azov thing. Makes me wonder about a common conservative (especially Trump, and his Russian pals too) reflex of engaging in projection. Leaving that aside a lot of Russians (and collaborators) and Russian money was left behind when Ukraine threw out the Putin installed puppet government there. Corruption before and continued corruption is how Zelensky came to be elected in the first place, and the actual reason why Ukraine didn’t become part of NATO long ago. Oh, in case you forgot Paul fucking Manafort worked for Russia to install and prop up that puppet government of which I speak. And also specifically to derail sentiment in Ukraine for doing what needed to be done to become part of NATO, and at the same time get NATO to back off. He took active part via his work with the Party of Regions to organize a large protest of NATO troops (Specifically UNITED STATES Navy and Marine) to literally attack of couple of buses carrying troops to a spot where planning of joint naval exercises was to be held. Some of the injuries sustained by our troops during that attack were serious but thankfully none of our service members were killed. Manafort and everyone in the GOP who paid attention to and especially tried to cover for him can kiss my ass. THAT is the kind of person your precious Tucker Carlson has cheerleaded. Tucker wouldn’t be jack shit if he hadn’t been born to great wealth. But as Dan Rather (who got burned by his own maxim) said “the camera doesn’t blink.”
If you think Russia is so solid, even great then do what conservatives spent the entire fucking Cold War told anyone to the left of Reagan to do – go and live there. America – Love It Or Leave It was a popular as hell catchphrase with Republicans for most of my life (I’m mid sixties) so if YOU think THEY are justified in having started this war, and that they are going to be just fine having cut themselves off from everyone of note (that can help them with access to markets and money) but China why don’t YOU pick up and go to that “workers paradise?” We have our problems to be sure, with conservatives fighting like hell to return this country to the Lochner Era where the Robber Barrons actually ruled. Perhaps you want to make this country better. If so good for you. But your accusations that WE are war criminals and that Russia (or the old USSR Putin has tried to recreate) is righteous isn’t just bullshit. It’s flat out lies and pretty goddamned offensive to boot.
One last thing that I’ve said elsewhere but will say here. Sure, China is standing by to bail Russia out but that’s more theory than reality. Putin and his inner circle might be assholes (there’s actually no doubt they truly are) but the amount of help they would need from China to make up for what they have lost will require turning over control of Russia to China. I for one don’t think they will ever go that far. They are better off taking their chances with not being prosecuted for war crimes and negotiating a comfortable retirement than becoming China Dolls instead of Russian ones.
I didn’t vote for Trump and I thought he was a creep. One thing though, he has a lot less innocent blood on his hands from illegal wars then Obama, Hillary and Biden.
Perhaps the difference between me and you: I don’t vote for war criminals like Biden. I don’t parrot corporate propaganda.
U are a joke. He has destroyed countless children at the border breaking the asylum laws. He knowingly set loose a deadly pandemic on all of us that has killed conservatively 1 million people. Stick ur evil hypocrisy & psuedo knowledge up ur evil ass.
My bet is he didn’t ever put on a uniform, swear an oath to the constitution, or put his ass on the line. Just like his trust fund babies, Trump, Carlson, & the loud mouth bitch from Ga.
Probably a good time to mention that the legitimate Ukrainian government was overthrown just before an election, just after Yanukovych declined to take Ukraine into NATO. The US payed 5 billion to accomplish the coup.
Now who would say that the US would never overthrow a democracy?