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Study Mediterranean/Black Sea history from around 800 to 1800, or you could narrow it down to 1000-1500. But 1850-1853 was important too.
So you are saying that Russia has the right to invade and occupy Ukraine in 2016 because the City of Venice said it was OK to invade back in the year 800? What??
There wasn't even a Russia or Ukraine in the year 800.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bale002
It may be more important for Europe and the US to focus on their own shrinking middle class.
U.S. economic growth is very strong right now, and the only reason there is a shrinking U.S. middle class is because many middle class households are becoming upper class. U.S. income/wealth growth is extremely strong at present.
The European economy is somewhat weaker but still 100x better than that of Russia. Even a poor Eastern European country has much better economic prospects than Russia. Slovakia looks like Switzerland compared to Russia.
So you are saying that Russia has the right to invade and occupy Ukraine in 2016 because the City of Venice said it was OK to invade back in the year 800? What??
There wasn't even a Russia or Ukraine in the year 800.
U.S. economic growth is very strong right now, and the only reason there is a shrinking U.S. middle class is because many middle class households are becoming upper class. U.S. income/wealth growth is extremely strong at present.
The European economy is somewhat weaker but still 100x better than that of Russia. Even a poor Eastern European country has much better economic prospects than Russia. Slovakia looks like Switzerland compared to Russia.
Troll alert)))
"One chart every middle class American needs to see
The 2015 Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS)Global Wealth Report is now in its sixth year of examining and analyzing wealth across the world in order to get a better understanding of wealth creation, consumption, saving, and asset allocation. Every year Credit Suisse picks a specific wealth topic to focus on, and in 2015 it was the middle class.
Having the largest GDP of any other country, it's not surprising to find that the middle class in the U.S. also has the highest total wealth in U.S. dollars at $16.85 trillion. The next-closest are Japan, China, and the U.K. at $9.72 trillion, $7.34 trillion, and $6.19 trillion, respectively.
Now here's where things get interesting...
Credit Suisse also looked at what percentage of wealth the middle-class comprised within a country. Of the 21 countries individually examined, here were the results:"
"No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. As a percentage of total country wealth, the U.S. middle class accounted for the lowest share of wealth among developed countries, such as Germany and France, as well as emerging markets like China, India, and Brazil."
Russian people don't want to risk and they know that everything can dissapear in one moment. So they prefer something more relible. Houses, apartments, cars, gold, currency.
Russian would buy an apartment and lease it.
We saved money fo several years without purpose. They just saved by themselves. Without any intention. Because we didn't spent all of what we earned. We traveled twice a year in Europe.
Then we sold one apartment and now we are building our own house.
That's why I was trying to explain to you that Russian "middle class" doesn't really fit into the definition of Western "middle class."
The representatives of some OTHER nations are investing in your market and get the dividends.
But Russian "middle class" invests only in its "houses and cars." And only top upper crust in Russia invests elsewhere, because THEY and only THEY have means for that.
Right, because obviously I'm a "troll" if I cite official economic data from the UN, World Bank, IMF and other sources that shows that the U.S. has among the highest rates of growth of any developed nation on the planet.
Of course, if your only knowledge comes from the Kremlin, reality is VERY different!
Quote:
Originally Posted by erasure
"No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. As a percentage of total country wealth, the U.S. middle class accounted for the lowest share of wealth among developed countries, such as Germany and France, as well as emerging markets like China, India, and Brazil."
You didn't read the report.
Again, the U.S. has a lower share of middle class wealth than other developed countries, because it has more rich people. You are basically saying that it's a bad thing to have a richer country than a poorer country.
Median household income in the U.S. is higher than almost any other country on the planet. Median, not mean. The very middle is higher in the U.S. than almost anywhere. You are claiming that this is a terrible thing, and that the U.S. would be better off if there was less wealth.
Of course, no need to worry about this in Russia. Russia is so poor that it's the economic equivalent of Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Turkey and the like. And, unlike those countries, the Russian country is shrinking, not growing. Russian families grow poorer by the day, thanks to Putin's idiotic foreign adventures.
Right, because obviously I'm a "troll" if I cite official economic data from the UN, World Bank, IMF and other sources that shows that the U.S. has among the highest rates of growth of any developed nation on the planet.
Of course, if your only knowledge comes from the Kremlin, reality is VERY different!
You didn't read the report.
Again, the U.S. has a lower share of middle class wealth than other developed countries, because it has more rich people. You are basically saying that it's a bad thing to have a richer country than a poorer country.
Median household income in the U.S. is higher than almost any other country on the planet. Median, not mean. The very middle is higher in the U.S. than almost anywhere. You are claiming that this is a terrible thing, and that the U.S. would be better off if there was less wealth.
Of course, no need to worry about this in Russia. Russia is so poor that it's the economic equivalent of Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Turkey and the like. And, unlike those countries, the Russian country is shrinking, not growing. Russian families grow poorer by the day, thanks to Putin's idiotic foreign adventures.
What I am saying is it's a bad thing to have a country where the "middle class" is disintegrating, and the gap between the rich and poor keeps on growing with alarming speed.
And no, Kremlin didn't tell me that. Because Russia itself is a warped mirror of American society. Remember, capitalist version was brought to Russia in the nineties not from France, Scandinavian countries or Germany. It has been brought from the US and sold as "the most successful model."
What I am saying is it's a bad thing to have a country where the "middle class" is disintegrating, and the gap between the rich and poor keeps on growing with alarming speed.
The middle class in the U.S. is shrinking because incomes are rising. You are saying it would be better if the U.S. would be poorer, so there would be a bigger middle class.
Again, the U.S. has among the highest MEDIAN incomes on the planet. This means that the very MIDDLE of the income spectrum is higher than almost anywhere. During good economies, the middle class shrinks faster than during bad economies, because households rise from the middle class definition to the upper class definition.
The lower class % in the U.S. has barely changed in 40 years. The only changes over time are between middle class and upper class %. In bad economies the % middle class grows (because incomes decline) and in good economies the % middle class declines (because incomes grow). The U.S. has a gigantic professional class and an economy now even bigger than the entire EU. When times are good, professional salaries grow, and the middle class household cohort declines.
Quote:
Originally Posted by erasure
And no, Kremlin didn't tell me that. Because Russia itself is a warped mirror of American society. Remember, capitalist version was brought to Russia in the nineties not from France, Scandinavian countries or Germany. It has been brought from the US and sold as "the most successful model."
Too bad Russia abandoned the Western capitalist model, which resulted in huge wealth gains, and decided to go back in time to Stalin. Russia wanted a poor, angry dictatorship, and they got it.
So what is wrong with the interseption? Why did you put it here?
No, nothing wrong was done either by Russia or Finland. IDK who leaked the radio intercept, but why the need to fly with spy planes dangerously close to our capital?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maksim_Frolov
It may look like a provocation just for people who are very far from military affairs. This is a normal flight, which is hundreds per year. This makes Russia, Finland, Sweden, NATO. This is a standard work.
It would be a normal flight if the Russians would tell in advance the flight plan. The Russians often fly over the Baltic with the transponders off, which is not allowed. For example if Sweden flies with military planes close to the Finnish border, they tell us in advance with what and why they fly. The Russians don't. And sometimes they violate our airspace just to test our defences. I understand why, but it's still illegal and is a clear provocation.
I'm middle class American and in just the last 5 years I have seen many of my fellow Americans fall. I see thousands of people in the Seattle area living under bridges and on the street, far more than I have ever seen before in my life. I've studied history and social science my whole life and read 100s of books on the subject and America is headed for a new middle ages. An elite wealthy aristocracy and a much larger population of serfs.
At least in Russia people have means to make ends meet without ending up in servitude unlike most Americans. I've seen the poor of Russia and most of them were better off than most Americans forced onto the street. I know the middle class of Russia (there is one) is doing much better than here.
I'm not sure how they do it but Russians are a very innovative, bold, indefatigable people. I personally know several rags to riches tales myself.
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What??
Because Russia itself is a warped mirror of American society. Remember, capitalist version was brought to Russia in the nineties not from France, Scandinavian countries or Germany. It has been brought from the US and sold as "the most successful model."
