The optimistic picture of the future that Vitaly presents is of a successful fit between Russia the producer of the raw materials and China the manufacturer. Normally this is the third world/developed world model. Unfortunately for you,if you have ever spoken to anyone that has travelled around Africa (and elsewhere I've heard), China is all over the place doing public works and securing future supplies of materials (particularly rare ones). Russia will have tied itself to China but I sense that China is already having concerns about the tail wagging the dog. Russia will be a price taker not a price setter. China will be your master.

Russia could produce fine software engineers and try to compete with India but Vitaly's plan for mass pirating is going to limit their chances of selling to the huge market outside Russia and China. There are downsides to all illegal actions.

If Putin remains in power, he may well be wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity so Russia may become a pariah state with its citizens fighting over a diminishing cake. The poor cannot take much of a cut so the professional classes will have to take a large one. Start building the walls you are going to need.

You will also be pouring resources into trying to control and rebuild a very large country which hates you and the cost of that will be colossal.

Your separation from the cultural, scientific and sporting will take further joy from your lives. You will be building your own gigantic jail.

That is the nightmare alternative to Vitaly's optimistic scenario. I really hope it doesn't come to that.

Just stop the war now and remove the man responsible for it. European citizens do not yet see the Russian people as the enemy and perhaps we now can see and address the many problems you have. And, before you say it Vitaly, I know we are not perfect and we have a lot of problems of our own to sort out but war is not the answer.

Just to add, Ukraine post maidan is a coup state and nazism hub, with huge paramilitary nazist movement, thats been activelly spreading nazism and training nazist militants from arround the globe, fomenting nazist grip into third world countries. It's not this because putin said so, they themselves have been prolific using social media to boast about it for years long now.

All that sweet talking here about russia should be noble looks a lot more like fear of the water thats already rised up to everyone asses. EU and USA upper and middle class are really not worried of Ukraine people well being, or russian people standards of life, the same way they dont care about third world and dont give a fuck about nazists spreading into third world with Ukraine hand.

Hi Vitaly, Garroulous. After some thougbt I've decided to leave the forum. The new Russian Law leaves the possibility open that Vitaly could end up in jail if something I say is regarded as fake news and that is not a risk I want to take. I do try to tell the truth but I can get things wrong.

I too am from the working class (though I am better off now) and always see politics in terms of their/our interests so it's a great pity that, in political terms, I can't agree with much of what you write.

But Garroulous, I really am not an agent. (edit -I think you have accepted this) My real name is Stan Willis and I have a very average channel on youtube. In the unlikely event that you want to check out my saxophone playing, go back to the very first video 'Round Midnite'.

Anyway, maybe some happier time in the future, if I am still around, I will look in again. Thanks to Vitaly for all his hard work over the years. Goodbye for now.

@G3550D

Don't rush. Just be gentle and careful. War is war, after all.

With communities most people do same error as in marriage - they take it for granted, instead of nourishing it, supporting partners during hard times and keep the constant contact during good times.

This illusion of endless choice is just bad illusion, as it is made by ruling class that is just cloning various shit and selling you different kind of it as real alternatives.

@G3550D liked and subscribed. Don't take it to serious from my part ...life is miserable enough.

i hope peace comes soon.

@hardimpact So many people that I know hope for everything turns back 2019...it simply won't happenn

@Dark_Blue there is still some sanity to this world.

The Washington Post reports that the US and allies are preparing a Ukrainian government-in-exile led by Zelensky, as they are counting on a protracted "bloody" guerrilla war with Russia.

As usual, peace is very bad for US.

@Vitaliy

Sorry so many of my fellow Amnerikans take knee jerk reaction from their corporate overlords. Media here has War Fever, and it's bipartisan.

I asked my teenage daughter if Russia overturned an election using Nazis in Mexico and installed a hostile government, would the US like that? No, she said. And if that government threatened to set up nukes pointed at us, would we invade? She paused, then yes.

There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.

V. Lenin

The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) has suspended the operation of Russian refineries. This de facto means a ban on the import of gold bars of Russian origin.

Gold price is now tightly controlled. Same as all crypto scam.