1. Much discussed Russian hot topic.....bringing their active duty military strength up from 1-million....to Putin's declared new goal of a 1.5-million military force.
First, it's a problem because the birth-rate within the country is lousy (1.5 births per each couple)....so the nation is on a decline.
Second, a fair number of young men have already left the country, and probably won't return.
Third, from the funding side.....the present 'claim' is that they budget around 66-billion dollars a year for the present military....which if you judge their GDP (from 2021) to be correct....it's around 4.3-percent (a heck of a lot). It's a false story because the Oligarch and officers were siphoning off anywhere from a third of the fund....to maybe half.
Fourth, add the burden that you aren't selling oil, coal or natural gas at the same rate....to Europe.
Finally....you are taking half-a-million young men out of the economical side of the country....so they won't be there to build bridges, pave streets, or take up normal commerce.
2. Just an odd factor....ever since that 9-Euro monthly ticket came around....there are traveling 'gangs' on trains and in stations....conducting a serious amount of pickpocketing. The cops suggest crime has gone up 50 to 70 percent.
3. News headlines suggest around nine-million Germans are presently 'sick' with something (flu is going around, and some weird sore throat problems). Locally, the city (Wiesbaden) has put out a 'alert'.....don't go to the local doctors/clinics unless it's really necessary....the system is currently over-taxed.
4. 'Throttling' your incoming electrical power to be a reality? N-24 had a piece this morning and talked about the consumption of power with E-cars being added to the grid, and heating pumps being the 'norm' in the future. The idea is that the grid is a lot more fragile than people anticipated.
Reaction by the car industry in Germany....really hyped-up for E-cars? Negative....it doesn't help to sell their cars.
5. Some weird incident with ticket-audit people within the Frankfurt subway. Approached some guy...apparently no ticket, so they were going to take the normal handling routine. Guy reacted by pulling out a knife....waving it around, and cutting the two audit guys. They called the Polizei. At the next stop (Gateway Gardens...out toward the Airport)....police boarded, and encountered the guy. He was still in an aggressive attitude....they ended firing a round into his leg....putting him on the ground.
As I 'preach'....you just have to always be vigilant. There's always a nutcase in the mix.
2 comments:
I'm not sure of the exact stats, but I remember hearing that many russian males don't make adulthood without health issues. And those are probably also the health issues that would preclude them from military service. It's really a paper tiger with a few nukes.
I worked with an American who did a Russian studies course (1 x semester) in St Petersburg around the late 1990s. One day, he got into a discussion over the six months. Mind you....this was a university environment...he figured 25 nights a month ended in the dorm or pub, with a minimum of four shots of vodka with his fellow Russian students (male and female).
Last year, Putin thought alcoholism was so bad, that he was drafting a law for drinking age to be brought up to 21 (was 18). I should note, this is still in draft form...yet to pass.
So on the studies side....(2021 study)...it's figured 36-percent of male Russian adults are alcoholics, and around 6-percent are female.
Part of the problem in this war....lot of these older guys arrived (not the Feb conscripts)....who were alcoholics and unable to take/carry out orders.
This also takes things to another level....bad livers and ill health by early 50s. Look at pictures of the generals....they all show signs of ill health.
Correct on paper-tiger status/with nukes.
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