Русский корабль - иди нахуй

[Brisketexan 105456]

2 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

I wouldn’t read more into this other than that Ukraine is an exception because it’s the one he is talking about right now. The whole idea is fucking laughable because Russia currently has troops stationed without local government consent in Moldova and he had a whole fucking invasion in Georgia and is still there, too. 
 

Don’t parse Putin’s words and messaging too much when he’s announcing plans or justifying some horrible thing. Western observers do that way too much. 

Oh, I'm not attributing any truthfulness to his reassurances.  I'm just noting that the statement is clearly a reaction to something he sees and is aware of -- he has heightened anxiety in every central and eastern european country not named Hungary, and knows that their reaction is likely to run further into our embrace.

[sidis 9832]

2 hours ago, Snake Diggity said:

I am ignorant on this topic.  Why wouldn’t we just subsidize Germanys purchase of our NG until they get their nuclear generation capacity such that they don’t need Russia?  Seems like whatever the cost, it would be worth it to prevent WW3 and show Putin we will do what it takes to keep him in line.

 

2 hours ago, Trey3216 said:

Like I said earlier, they literally don't have the import terminal capacity to put the slightest dent in their NG needs right now, and it would take 3-5 years to even get close to getting there.  WE could send all the NG we can shake loose over there right now and it would be sitting on boats for months waiting to offload.  Not necessarily the safest thing in the world having a floating megaton NG bomb or 30 just trolloping around various ports.  

 

2 hours ago, KYHorn said:

Or if Germany doesn't have the terminals, perhaps France, UK, or Italy does and can transport it from there? No clue about this either, just wondering about the obvious solutions

 

2 hours ago, bolverk said:

Yeah, there are terminals in other countries. Rotterdam is the focus of the article I just posted above.

cross posting this from the russia thread. 

here is an overview of LNG regasification plants in "europe" for everyone to keep in mind as they discuss the topic of russian energy infrastructure holdup leverage over europe.

• 1 in belgium (zeebrugge which has lots of additional transportation services);
• 4 in france (montoir, fos tonkin, fos cavaou, and dunkirk all with lots of transportation services);
• 1 in greece (revithoussa);
• 3 in italy (with limited transport);
• 1 in lithuania (klaipeda with limited transport);
• 1 in malta;
• 1 in the netherlands (gate with lots of transportation services);
• 1 in poland (swinoujscie with limited transport);
• 1 in portugal (sines with limited transport);
• 7 in spain with varying transport capabilities; and
• 4 in turkey;
• 3 in the uk.

[Bevo 13602]

34 minutes ago, Parliament said:

She does now.  Recently moved from San Francisco. 

Sister, though, right?

[bernorange 8367]

1 hour ago, FartingMonk said:

We got rid of Gaddafi and Saddam by saying they were in pursuit of WMDs.  I say we pull the old trick out of the playbook and say we have credible evidence that Russia has WMDs.  They should have done it last night at the UN.

You know Russia has nukes and has had them for many, many years, right?  Nukes are WMDs.

[FartingMonk 3608]

29 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Oh, I'm not attributing any truthfulness to his reassurances.  I'm just noting that the statement is clearly a reaction to something he sees and is aware of -- he has heightened anxiety in every central and eastern european country not named Hungary, and knows that their reaction is likely to run further into our embrace.

The question remains why though.  Caged animal effect? Or is it 19D chess that even he doesn't know what his next move is.

[Parliament 14344]

13 minutes ago, sidis said:

 

 

 

cross posting this from the russia thread. 

here is an overview of LNG regasification plants in "europe" for everyone to keep in mind as they discuss the topic of russian energy infrastructure holdup leverage over europe.

• 1 in belgium (zeebrugge which has lots of additional transportation services);
• 4 in france (montoir, fos tonkin, fos cavaou, and dunkirk all with lots of transportation services);
• 1 in greece (revithoussa);
• 3 in italy (with limited transport);
• 1 in lithuania (klaipeda with limited transport);
• 1 in malta;
• 1 in the netherlands (gate with lots of transportation services);
• 1 in poland (swinoujscie with limited transport);
• 1 in portugal (sines with limited transport);
• 7 in spain with varying transport capabilities; and
• 4 in turkey;
• 3 in the uk.

What if we offered them coal? 

[JesusSweatDuck 17814]

2 minutes ago, bernorange said:

You know Russia has nukes and has had them for many, many years, right?  Nukes are WMDs.

[FartingMonk 3608]

3 minutes ago, bernorange said:

You know Russia has nukes and has had them for many, many years, right?  Nukes are WMDs.

Sorry it was funnier in my head.  Listening to the US ambassador last night bumblefuck his way through his speech I was really hoping for the WMD speech

[Brisketexan 105456]

2 minutes ago, FartingMonk said:

The question remains why though.  Caged animal effect? Or is it 19D chess that even he doesn't know what his next move is.

Multiple reasons:

1 -- he actually wants to talk the Baltics down from the ledge.  Good luck with that, nobody believes you.

2 -- he needs to keep up appearances at home -- Russia is never the aggressor, we are the good guys, Ukraine made us do this, nobody else has.

3 -- he habitually spews propaganda out to the world -- truly as a matter of habit -- he tells the world "we're the good guys, we'd never attack anyone else.  We're defensive only."

And probably others.

[bolverk 29737]

35 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Oh, I'm not attributing any truthfulness to his reassurances.  I'm just noting that the statement is clearly a reaction to something he sees and is aware of -- he has heightened anxiety in every central and eastern european country not named Hungary, and knows that their reaction is likely to run further into our embrace.

Google a couple of key phrases and found this very short article from AFP as picked up by the Moscow Times. It seems he's trying to calm the nerves of all the other countries that used to be a part of the Soviet Union. Of course, the kicker are the last couple of lines.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/02/22/putin-says-he-does-not-plan-to-restore-empire-a76519

Someone mentioned Moldova above: I wonder what's going on with Russian separatists in Transnistria. It seems that I read something in the last few weeks about Moldova, which is primarily comprised of ethnic Romanians, trying to build stronger ties to Romania with some wanting reunification. They were split off by the Soviets.

[Captainant 27851]

2 minutes ago, Parliament said:

What if we offered them coal? 

Tbh that would make about as much sense as anything else Germany has been doing. Turn off operational nuclear plants in favor of natural gas for green reasons? Now pivot to coal to avoid fracked natural gas!

Galaxy brain move, I'm expecting it any day now at this point lol

[Pescado_Rojo 19441]

5 minutes ago, Parliament said:

What if we offered them coal? 

The beautiful cleaned coal. You see, they take the coal and they clean it first...

[Brisketexan 105456]

1 minute ago, Captainant said:

Tbh that would make about as much sense as anything else Germany has been doing. Turn off operational nuclear plants in favor of natural gas for green reasons? Now pivot to coal to avoid fracked natural gas!

Galaxy brain move, I'm expecting it any day now at this point lol

The Green party and their influence has led to an utterly ratfucked approach to energy by Germany.  They're still heavy on coal, in part because they are so anti-nuke.  Which from a climate perspective, is about the worst move you could make.  So, they also move to more gas.....from a country that has demonstrated a desire to hold them hostage with it.

I'm trying to think about a smart thing Germany has done with respect to energy in the past 20 years.  I'm coming up empty.

[FartingMonk 3608]

1 minute ago, Captainant said:

Tbh that would make about as much sense as anything else Germany has been doing. Turn off operational nuclear plants in favor of natural gas for green reasons? Now pivot to coal to avoid fracked natural gas!

Galaxy brain move, I'm expecting it any day now at this point lol

Yep German energy hubris brought them into this situation.  The whole cart before the horse transition is really coming back to bite them in the ass.  That's what happens when you cherry pick data.

[Shady Ray 1633]

4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

The Green party and their influence has led to an utterly ratfucked approach to energy by Germany.  They're still heavy on coal, in part because they are so anti-nuke.  Which from a climate perspective, is about the worst move you could make.  So, they also move to more gas.....from a country that has demonstrated a desire to hold them hostage with it.

I'm trying to think about a smart thing Germany has done with respect to energy in the past 20 years.  I'm coming up empty.

Well, Annalena just this month installed the head of Greenpeace as a verrrry senior official within her Foreign Ministry. I guess some people would say that's pretty fuckin' smart, pal. Because if anyone knows how to run the climate policy for the fourth biggest economy in the world, its Greenpeace. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/09/germany-appoints-jennifer-morgan-ex-greenpeace-chief-climate-envoy

 

Edited February 22, 2022 by Shady Ray

[immamac 43221]

2 minutes ago, Shady Ray said:

Well, Annalena just this month installed the head of Greenpeace as a verrrry senior official within her Foreign Ministry. I guess some people would say that's pretty fuckin' smart, pal. Because if anyone knows how to run the climate policy for the fourth biggest economy in the world, its Greenpeace. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/09/germany-appoints-jennifer-morgan-ex-greenpeace-chief-climate-envoy

 

Is this sarcasm? Hard to tell. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19165]

1 minute ago, immamac said:

Is this sarcasm? Hard to tell. 

I would go with, yes.  Greenpeace knows how to chain themselves to the front doors of energy companies.  Not much else beyond that though.

[Brisketexan 105456]

2 minutes ago, Shady Ray said:

Well, Annalena just this month installed the head of Greenpeace as a verrrry senior official within her Foreign Ministry. I guess some people would say that's pretty fuckin' smart, pal. Because if anyone knows how to run the climate policy for the fourth biggest economy in the world, its Greenpeace. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/09/germany-appoints-jennifer-morgan-ex-greenpeace-chief-climate-envoy

 

I think that Annalena could benefit from a lengthy summit with Brisketexan to discuss matters of energy policy and geopolitics, so that I could help her craft a better and more forward-thinking strategy.  Perhaps we could hold it at a nice mountain cabin in the Alps.  A place with a nice fireplace and a hot tub.  I think we could accomplish a great deal.

Here's a photo of her saying "why not?  I think that's a great idea!"

[Shady Ray 1633]

1 minute ago, immamac said:

Is this sarcasm? Hard to tell. 

Sorry. Yeah, it is. It was an insane move. I mean, I am all for environmental protection, but this is a bit much given Germany's tenuous position re, ya know, keeping our lights on.

 

And no /CR re Greenpeace. 

[Parliament 14344]

14 minutes ago, Captainant said:

Tbh that would make about as much sense as anything else Germany has been doing. Turn off operational nuclear plants in favor of natural gas for green reasons? Now pivot to coal to avoid fracked natural gas!

Galaxy brain move, I'm expecting it any day now at this point lol

I was joking.  Kinda like I'm joking when I say we could load the coal in DC3's and fly it straight to Berlin.

[FartingMonk 3608]

8 minutes ago, Shady Ray said:

Well, Annalena just this month installed the head of Greenpeace as a verrrry senior official within her Foreign Ministry. I guess some people would say that's pretty fuckin' smart, pal. Because if anyone knows how to run the climate policy for the fourth biggest economy in the world, its Greenpeace. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/09/germany-appoints-jennifer-morgan-ex-greenpeace-chief-climate-envoy

 

Greenpeace has actually toned it down quite a bit in the last 10-15 years.  They have become an advocate of nuclear power.  The problem though with green peace they like to promote unicorn farts as a viable source of energy.  With Green Peace being their advocate nuclear power begins to sound more like unicorn farts to me every day.

[ABSR 5325]

5 minutes ago, Parliament said:

I was joking.  Kinda like I'm joking when I say we could load the coal in DC3's and fly it straight to Berlin.

The Berlin Coal Lift!

[Bevo 13602]

3 minutes ago, Parliament said:

I was joking.  Kinda like I'm joking when I say we could load the coal in DC3's and fly it straight to Berlin.

Ehh, their range is only 1,500miles so we would have to stop in Bermuda and getting to the Azores from there could be problematic.

[Captainant 27851]

3 minutes ago, Parliament said:

I was joking.  Kinda like I'm joking when I say we could load the coal in DC3's and fly it straight to Berlin.

I know you were joking, I was too, but it was a useful analogy for turning off nukes for NG plants in the name of green energy lol. About the same level of stupid and shortsighted

but yeah to your point, the logistics of a modern Berlin airlift don't exactly work out like they would have 80 years ago lol

[MillerEP 30501]

Just in time for the invasion, my father is also divorcing my Ukrainian stepmother after 10 years. So win-win for the anti-Ukrainian crowd I guess

[FartingMonk 3608]

4 minutes ago, Captainant said:

I know you were joking, I was too, but it was a useful analogy for turning off nukes for NG plants in the name of green energy lol. About the same level of stupid and shortsighted

but yeah to your point, the logistics of a modern Berlin airlift don't exactly work out like they would have 80 years ago lol

If the government isn't going to step up and keep the people of Germany from freezing then I say we do our part.  Hear me out.  Grass roots campaign.  We will call it BurntFarts.  Fart in a jar and ship it to Germany.  For only a fart a day you can help poor Sven study engineering without him freezing at night.  And don't forget about little Matthias who just wants a heated indoor field when he is practicing soccer.

[Shady Ray 1633]

If the government isn't going to step up and keep the people of Germany from freezing then I say we do our part.  Hear me out.  Grass roots campaign.  We will call it BurntFarts.  Fart in a jar and ship it to Germany.  For only a fart a day you can help poor Sven study engineering without him freezing at night.  And don't forget about little Matthias who just wants a heated indoor field when he is practicing soccer.

Username checks out.

[Da Fino 2785]

2 hours ago, MoJames said:

So what happened in the past 24 hours?

Russia moved troops // Germany said no to pipeline // USA said sanctions // Italy blew up a volcano

 

What else?

We had a funeral for a bird. 

[hersh95 92]

33 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

I think that Annalena could benefit from a lengthy summit with Brisketexan to discuss matters of energy policy and geopolitics, so that I could help her craft a better and more forward-thinking strategy.  Perhaps we could hold it at a nice mountain cabin in the Alps.  A place with a nice fireplace and a hot tub.  I think we could accomplish a great deal.

Here's a photo of her saying "why not?  I think that's a great idea!"

Any clue what her limit is on schnitzengruben?

 

[Parliament 14344]

President Biden is about to talk.  Please let's keep the CR out.  Let's not ruin this thread:

 

[Nicole44 22079]

4 minutes ago, hersh95 said:

Any clue what her limit is on schnitzengruben?

 

If it’s anything like my limit…no wonder I’ve been in too many hot tubs in the Alps I can’t even recall them.

[Captainant 27851]

7 minutes ago, Parliament said:

President Biden is about to talk.  Please let's keep the CR out.  Let's not ruin this thread:

 

Hah the WaPo stream has a pundit doing a John Madden impression drawing all over a map discussing strategic positioning of forces. Thanks for the heads up of a US statement

[Captainant 27851]

President Biden delivering remarks right now. Announcing sanctions and response "far beyond what we implemented in 2014" with a commitment to escalate as Russia does in their "invasion of Ukraine"

Edited February 22, 2022 by Captainant

[TexasEd 8077]

These sanctions are the reason Putin met with Xi.  He can finance his debt with China going forward.

The message about Ukraine being a part of Russia is the same language China uses about Taiwan being a part of China.

Russia must be in a bad way to willingly take actions to become a vassal of China.

[The Dog 44168]

2 minutes ago, TexasEd said:

These sanctions are the reason Putin met with Xi.  He can finance his debt with China going forward.

The message about Ukraine being a part of Russia is the same language China uses about Taiwan being a part of China.

Russia must be in a bad way to willingly take actions to become a vassal of China.

China is NOT happy at all about this.

[Ghost of LL 15545]

4 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

Russia seems like a great example of a failing (failed?) developed country. Weren't they highly educated and had top notch science & tech research even into the 80s? Their fall into a criminal state has led their talented young people to get the hell out of Dodge.

 

Not really.  The Soviet Union's purported technological and industrial prowess that lasted from 1945 to about 1980 was the result of three things: (1) industrial espionage, (2) material and intellectual property given to them during the War under Lend-Lease, and (3) shit they stole from occupied Eastern Europe under the broad heading of "reparations" after the war.  So once the stuff they got as part of (2) and (3) started to go obsolete and/or break down from wear and lack of spare parts, you didn't see Soviet technical capability really advance.

You still saw shit from industrial espionage--I see you, TU-144--but nothing that could really keep the state functional.

4 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

NSIAP, it is rare that multilateral diplomacy produces anything of eloquence and thoughtfulness on any side.  The Kenyan rep on the UNSC gave a short and insightful evisceration of Putin’s claims about Ukraine and hopefully will get people in the non-aligned bloc thinking of the implications of all this to not just the post-Cold War, but post-colonial order. 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2022/feb/22/kenyas-enoy-to-un-cites-colonial-past-as-he-condemns-russian-move-into-ukraine-video

That was a real compelling speech.  I agree with you that I am often skeptical of the UNSC.  But there are times when words do move the needle, and I think that might have been one of them.

4 hours ago, dieucla98 said:

 

Any clue on what kind of aircraft we're dealing with here? Obviously a very suspect flight path, I'm guessing military but which military?

https://www.flightradar24.com/SPRAM/2ae75151

Edit: Super high, super slow - must be a drone?

At that altitude and speed, it's definitely an RQ-4 Global Hawk.

1 hour ago, bolverk said:

Google a couple of key phrases and found this very short article from AFP as picked up by the Moscow Times. It seems he's trying to calm the nerves of all the other countries that used to be a part of the Soviet Union. Of course, the kicker are the last couple of lines.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/02/22/putin-says-he-does-not-plan-to-restore-empire-a76519

Someone mentioned Moldova above: I wonder what's going on with Russian separatists in Transnistria. It seems that I read something in the last few weeks about Moldova, which is primarily comprised of ethnic Romanians, trying to build stronger ties to Romania with some wanting reunification. They were split off by the Soviets.

Yeah--I've been wondering about Moldova for a long time.  It just seems obvious to me that they're in a pick-your-poison situation--do they want to be annexed by Russia, or do they want to petition for unification with Romania.  It seems like it ought to be a no-brainer.

[Trey3216 15378]

57 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

I think that Annalena could benefit from a lengthy summit with Brisketexan to discuss matters of energy policy and geopolinips, so that I could help her craft a better and more forward-thinking strategy.  Perhaps we could hold it at a nice mountain cabin in the Alps.  A place with a nice fireplace and a hot tub.  I think we could accomplish a great deal.

Here's a photo of her saying "why not?  I think that's a great idea!"

FIFY

[Nicole44 22079]

15 minutes ago, Captainant said:

President Biden delivering remarks right now. Announcing sanctions and response "far beyond what we implemented in 2014" with a commitment to escalate as Russia does in their "invasion of Ukraine"

Can we shut off their pipeline? 

[Captainant 27851]

1 minute ago, Nicole44 said:

Can we shut off their pipeline? 

Not our choice to make - German sovereignty and all that

[FartingMonk 3608]

11 minutes ago, TexasEd said:

These sanctions are the reason Putin met with Xi.  He can finance his debt with China going forward.

The message about Ukraine being a part of Russia is the same language China uses about Taiwan being a part of China.

Russia must be in a bad way to willingly take actions to become a vassal of China.

Russia has no debt.  This talk about Russia being a vassal to China is pretty crazy.  Where are you guys coming up with this shit from?

[FartingMonk 3608]

3 minutes ago, Nicole44 said:

Can we shut off their pipeline? 

Like with a well placed air strike? 

 

[Parliament 14344]

4 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Not really.  The Soviet Union's purported technological and industrial prowess that lasted from 1945 to about 1980 was the result of three things: (1) industrial espionage, (2) material and intellectual property given to them during the War under Lend-Lease, and (3) shit they stole from occupied Eastern Europe under the broad heading of "reparations" after the war.  So once the stuff they got as part of (2) and (3) started to go obsolete and/or break down from wear and lack of spare parts, you didn't see Soviet technical capability really advance.

You still saw shit from industrial espionage--I see you, TU-144--but nothing that could really keep the state functional.

 

Russia stole the Massey Ferguson combine from us too.  Aholes!

Sometime in the 1970's, we launched a new satellite capable of getting images that estimate farm crop output.  We calculated they could barely feed themselves.  Think about that.  A nation with millions of acres of rich farmland (especially their Ukrainian holdings) that struggled to produce enough.  Also this tidbit:

 The Soviet Union's agricultural output throughout the 1970s fluctuated significantly, with growth ranging between -5.3 and 16.1 percent, before narrowing in the 1980s to a range of 6.2 and -2.3 percent. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the state controlled approximately 97 percent of arable land. However, the sector's inefficiency meant that roughly a quarter of all agricultural output came from the three percent of farmland that was privately owned. Agricultural inefficiency was a persistent problem throughout the Soviet Union's history. Food shortages or famines were relatively common, despite the Soviet Union's size, the abundance of arable land, and the disproportionate amount invested by the state into this sector.

Our version of Free Market Capitalism is flawed, no doubt.  But we produce plenty of food for ourselves.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1237004/change-in-agricultural-output-in-ussr-cold-war/#:~:text=The Soviet Union's agricultural output,97 percent of arable land.

[Trey3216 15378]

4 minutes ago, FartingMonk said:

Russia has no debt.  This talk about Russia being a vassal to China is pretty crazy.  Where are you guys coming up with this shit from?

They also have about 150 people controlling all the wealth.  

[FartingMonk 3608]

5 minutes ago, Parliament said:

Russia stole the Massey Ferguson combine from us too.  Aholes!

Sometime in the 1970's, we launched a new satellite capable of getting images that estimate farm crop output.  We calculated they could barely feed themselves.  Think about that.  A nation with millions of acres of rich farmland (especially their Ukrainian holdings) that struggled to produce enough.  Also this tidbit:

 The Soviet Union's agricultural output throughout the 1970s fluctuated significantly, with growth ranging between -5.3 and 16.1 percent, before narrowing in the 1980s to a range of 6.2 and -2.3 percent. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the state controlled approximately 97 percent of arable land. However, the sector's inefficiency meant that roughly a quarter of all agricultural output came from the three percent of farmland that was privately owned. Agricultural inefficiency was a persistent problem throughout the Soviet Union's history. Food shortages or famines were relatively common, despite the Soviet Union's size, the abundance of arable land, and the disproportionate amount invested by the state into this sector.

Our version of Free Market Capitalism is flawed, no doubt.  But we produce plenty of food for ourselves.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1237004/change-in-agricultural-output-in-ussr-cold-war/#:~:text=The Soviet Union's agricultural output,97 percent of arable land.

Yeah, that seems to be a problem when you let communists do things.  Instead of letting the farmers who had farmed the land for 100s of years do the farming.  They have dudes come in with absolute no knowledge they just impose a new doctrine.  Once said doctrine gets imposed do you tell your boss it's not working?  Nope you just do as they say.  Happened with China.  Happened with Venezuela.  Happened all over southeast Asia.  

[Bevo 13602]

54 minutes ago, MillerEP said:

Just in time for the invasion, my father is also divorcing my Ukrainian stepmother after 10 years. So win-win for the anti-Ukrainian crowd I guess

I'm a mutt but part Russian or possibly Ukranian. My peeps were herded to a small town or perhaps they were herded and had to create their small town. In any case, I have a large 1960 atlas and the town isn't on the map. So, who knows. When they came to America, they did not use their own passport and went by those assumed names for the rest of their lives. Their kids did the same.

[StruggleBus 3922]

46 minutes ago, Parliament said:

President Biden is about to talk.  Please let's keep the CR out.  Let's not ruin this thread:

 

Dear Russia: Stop it!

[Parliament 14344]

So long as he can get everyone on board with sanctions, it's a good plan.

[DDD Dad 14358]

1 hour ago, ABSR said:

The Berlin Coal Lift!

Operation Dumbshit drop.

[Bevo 13602]

2 minutes ago, FartingMonk said:

Yeah, that seems to be a problem when you let communists do things.  Instead of letting the farmers who had farmed the land for 100s of years do the farming.

That's where the word Potemkin village came from. The story goes (which is more fable) Potemkin set up "mobile villages" on the banks of the Dneiper River to impress Catherine II. As soon as the barge carrying the Empress and ambassadors arrived, Potemkin's men, dressed as peasants, would populate the village. Once the barge left, the village was disassembled, then rebuilt downstream overnight. It represents fake villages and is used as a term to describe Russia during the Cold War. From the outside, everything looked great but upon closer inspection it was all bullshit.

[TexasEd 8077]

1 minute ago, Bevo said:

That's where the word Potemkin village came from. The story goes (which is more fable) Potemkin set up "mobile villages" on the banks of the Dneiper River to impress Catherine II. As soon as the barge carrying the Empress and ambassadors arrived, Potemkin's men, dressed as peasants, would populate the village. Once the barge left, the village was disassembled, then rebuilt downstream overnight. It represents fake villages and is used as a term to describe Russia during the Cold War. From the outside, everything looked great but upon closer inspection it was all bullshit.

I went on a tour of the USSR back in 1987 and they took us by a Convent that was not on the tour so I walked across the street and through a gap in a wall along the street to keep you from seeing the slum that was all around it.  My tour guide quickly corralled me and said I wasn't allowed to go down that street.  I also went to the markets around red square and slipped off on my own to take subways around town and found some other places like that.  You could find similar places in US cities but the tourists are strongly discouraged from going to them in Russia.  Maybe it was for my own protection but seemed more serious than that.