[Hyman Roth]

Putin learned well from RINOS and Democrats.

[desertsolitaire]

Perhaps we will gain some insight into if the oligarchs run Putin or Putin runs them, no? But I think he is an oligarch there too so there’s that. Maybe Russia is seeing a drop in oil/gas income as war expenses slog onward. Geopolitics aside, I would like to see young men stop dying in this thing that didn’t have to happen and shouldn’t have.

[Brian Griffin]

From my suggested negotiating framework [as posted quite a number of weeks ago]:

Step 1, Terms Written Up: Days 1-14

The Russians should be asked to type up a complete long-term peace proposal.

The Ukrainians should be asked to type up a complete long-term peace proposal.

******

In Putin’s dream world, every Russian demand would be incorporated in the final deal, which would be made public.

There’s no legitimate reason for secrecy.

******

Once all the demands of both sides are known, our State Department could write up a proposal that Putin might accept, which could be offered up to Putin if Ukraine agrees. If Ukraine doesn’t want to work with the US via such a proposal or a reasonable modification thereof, Zelensky can be told to sell war bonds.

[Navy Patriot]

Putin prepares to tax Russia’s rich as war chest runs dry

In other news, the US has changed tax policy very recently, and is the largest unsecured debtor that the world has ever seen.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

Good morning, MoneyHoney,

Nice to have some news of nations seeking more revenues. To flesh out the picture:

‘Zucman tax’: Push to tax the super-rich could make or break France’s next government France 24, 13 September 2025

Business and wealthy bear brunt of £40bn tax increases in UK Budget Financial Times, 30 October 2024

Spain plans 100% tax for homes bought by non-EU residents BBC, 14 January 2025

Retirees face 100% property tax when buying homes in France, Greece, and Portugal after Spain sets 'significant precedent' GB News, 10 February 2025

Germany is embarking on an almighty borrowing binge The Economist, 26 January 2025

Poland plans to increase corporate income tax for banks Reuters, 21 August 2025

Ukraine's parliament approves 'historic' tax hike Kyiv Independent, 10 October 2024

It sure looks like many, many governments are looking under the sofa cushions for money. More money. Seems we're all doing it these days.

[Jumper]

The west is experiencing a wave of recessions. The pivot to crypto by Trump is an attempt to restore American pre-eminence around the world. Trump has become a modern day Pirate raiding the Currency Reserves of Allies for investment in the USA, but the Korean disaster of hauling off 400 workers setting up a factory destroyed his USD currency reserves grab. Korea has had a belly full of the US in the past 17 months. Biden essentially formented a Coup in Korea when the last president declared Martial Law in order to send weapons to Ukraine.

Merry Old England, France and the German Reich stag in Berlin are all running out of money.

The US is in terrible position. If we had not borrowed 7x our declared debt form the rest of the world, they would dump us and our fiat.

Russia does not have to worry about a recession or much of financial problem as they are running over 4% GDP, even with a 5% loss of oil revenue as Ukrainian attacks take place - Brics is the moment that US Sanctions failed. The world changed on 17 September forever and Brics has broken the EUropean Colonial hold still in effect via the IMF.

Anyone who actually believes Russia is in financial trouble really needs to acknowledge their own western country is broke and headed for recession. Ukraine is lost.

Everyone talks about the one US Coup in 2012, but no one remembers the US Coup of 2008 in Ukraine. Somewhere Bush and Obama are responsible for this war that the West once gone Woke lost.

[Sequoyah101]

Tax success DISPROPORTIONATELY? If he does that then he can make Russia just like the US in taxation. What a concept!

Next he could move on to taxing away a lifetime of wealth accumulation with inheritance taxes just like the US.

[Libloather]

Isn’t that Zoltron’s plan?