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Smerdyakov posted:Even if it's being handled badly, does this seem like part of a long term plan/ambition to create a totally parallel banking and credit system, or is this just typical Kremlin improvised state-organized theft? Or is it both? It's more the former. The original goal was to prevent American payments companies from being able to shut off Russia in the event of sanctions (which, to be fair, makes sense). They want to do what UnionPay did in China - create a domestic monopoly. Funny enough, UnionPay and China just lost a lawsuit in the WTO and will have to open the market for competition.
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Jan 13, 2015 00:09
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 Now that I'm done joking about those pictures... In all seriousness, the woman was supposed to be here: http://www.russianpost.ru/rp/filials/ru/home/okrug4/ufps?parentid=21 Whatever the picture was, it was taken down. The earliest I can find the picture of the dude is on very recent VK page links, alongside the other two. In fact, I can only find it alongside the other two. The baby scaring dude is from a while ago: http://zubkoff.livejournal.com/2104272.html http://d-russia.ru/maksim-parshin-uxodit-s-posta-zamestitelya-generalnogo-direktora-fgup-pochta-rossii.html Fun trivia: My search for Кемеровской област on VK resulted in a heckuva lot of open randy gay sex discussion groups.
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Jan 13, 2015 01:30
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I've never worked for a tier 1 processor but I've been bumping around in payment processing and ecommerce for the last 10 years or so and that nationalisation programme is... well let's say ludicrously ambitious. It can take months just to set up a trusted inter-organization node and that's just hooking into the existing system, with very little work done in regards to signing authority, root accounts, transfer authority, etc. To spec out and completely implement a new system from scratch for March is completely сумасшедший. Who can issue cards? Are there capital requirements? Are there security requirements? Which network are they going to use?
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Jan 13, 2015 01:38
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Scaramouche posted:I've never worked for a tier 1 processor but I've been bumping around in payment processing and ecommerce for the last 10 years or so and that nationalisation programme is... well let's say ludicrously ambitious. It can take months just to set up a trusted inter-organization node and that's just hooking into the existing system, with very little work done in regards to signing authority, root accounts, transfer authority, etc. To spec out and completely implement a new system from scratch for March is completely сумасшедший. Who can issue cards? Are there capital requirements? Are there security requirements? Which network are they going to use? The answer is superior Russian Capitalism!
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Jan 13, 2015 01:40
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Scaramouche posted:I've never worked for a tier 1 processor but I've been bumping around in payment processing and ecommerce for the last 10 years or so and that nationalisation programme is... well let's say ludicrously ambitious. It can take months just to set up a trusted inter-organization node and that's just hooking into the existing system, with very little work done in regards to signing authority, root accounts, transfer authority, etc. To spec out and completely implement a new system from scratch for March is completely сумасшедший. Who can issue cards? Are there capital requirements? Are there security requirements? Which network are they going to use? If they're shooting just for something that supports a model like the old "kerCHUNK machine" model, whereby everything is really processed as paper, then it's still completely insane but a little less so. The "live" online authorization system in the US is built on decades-old code (in some cases) and my perception from working with some larger card processors in the US is that making sure the antique code keeps working is a significant part of the job. Coming up with a whole new system in a couple months makes healthcare.gov seem like a sophomore programming assignment. Then again I'd guess that expectations are intrinsically pretty low. What fraction of Russian commerce involves credit card payments? In the US I know it's pretty big but the US is kind-of an outlier based on some stuff I've seen. Do Russian banks have or participate in some sort of ACH mechanism? [edit] if the system doesn't work then it'll take no time for merchants to stop taking cards unless they're told they have to
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Jan 13, 2015 02:03
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx_CUXrw7K8 Donetsk getting pounded again.
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Jan 13, 2015 07:11
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 The president of Azerbaijan and twitter diplomacy. 
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Jan 13, 2015 10:24
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Fader Movitz posted:
I would think it would only increase considering that Azerbaijan's entire economy more or less relies on oil and gas, and those are mostly off shore fields. Azerbaijan is pretty much completely off the radar outside the Caucasus themselves, but there is actually a question of what will happen to it at this point if they tear through their reserves. The Azerbaijani Manat is pegged to the dollar, but it is unclear exactly what is going to happen to importers. Even if Manat is officially the same value it was in July 2014, who wants to be holding it? Even compared to Russia, their economy is entirely undiversified and they have few international allies.
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Jan 13, 2015 10:36
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emfive posted:If they're shooting just for something that supports a model like the old "kerCHUNK machine" model, whereby everything is really processed as paper, then it's still completely insane but a little less so. The "live" online authorization system in the US is built on decades-old code (in some cases) and my perception from working with some larger card processors in the US is that making sure the antique code keeps working is a significant part of the job. Coming up with a whole new system in a couple months makes healthcare.gov seem like a sophomore programming assignment. A few clarifications: 1) About 15-20% of all Russian personal consumption expenditure is on cards (US is about 45-50% IIRC). That's not huge, but cards are especially critical in important industry segments like travel and communications. 2) Russia has no consumer check-writing capability. Russian "ACH" also does not work very well and is not supported by all banks. Essentially, if it's not by card, it's cash. 3) In the same law that mandates the use of the NPCS processing switch, a mandate for merchant acceptance of the upcoming NPCS brand was also introduced. Government monopoly at its finest!
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Jan 13, 2015 11:41
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Russian officials officially demand France explain why they haven't delivered the Mistral ship they ordered. http://ria.ru/world/20150113/1042360149.html quote:Earlier, Russia sent a division of the Ministry of Defense of France, engaged in the supply of weapons abroad, the request to officially explain the reason for non-compliance agreement "Mistral". I get the impression the Russians are at the "strong letter to follow" point. An alleged Charlie Hebdo conspirator was arrested in Bulgaria yesterday. HUGE PUBES A PLUS fucked around with this message at 13:09 on Jan 13, 2015 |
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Jan 13, 2015 12:51
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The Control tower at Donetsk airport has collapsed.
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Jan 13, 2015 14:47
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We've cracked 66 rubles to the dollar, and it's steady at 65+. aw, man, that tower stood forever.
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Jan 13, 2015 15:22
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It seems that a checkpoint near Volnovaha was attacked. this  [Basically reports are now that it's a bus that was hit by shells which tried to go through the post when the attack started. It is stated that it was full of civilians. Number vary from 10 to 19.]And then it's this:  Rought translation: It's a statement/report that a checkpoint (near Volnovaha) was destroyed. 
VoltairePunk fucked around with this message at 15:54 on Jan 13, 2015 |
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Jan 13, 2015 15:43
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gently caress. gently caress gently caress gently caress gently caress gently caress. gently caress. 
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Jan 13, 2015 15:49
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Dusty Baker 2 posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx_CUXrw7K8 Just tuned in to watch a somewhat..imprecise barrage flash over 2/3's of the field of view of the camera.  edit: Grad rocket attacks, maybe? Neophyte fucked around with this message at 16:15 on Jan 13, 2015 |
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Jan 13, 2015 16:13
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Yeah I think Donetsk airport might have been wiped off the map. Edit: hard to say though since Ruptly has swapped feeds. The barrages might have missed. MothraAttack fucked around with this message at 16:37 on Jan 13, 2015 |
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Jan 13, 2015 16:22
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBLcYbmUJ3A
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Jan 13, 2015 18:03
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loving christ
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Jan 13, 2015 18:34
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Like fireworks, only gently caress. 
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Jan 13, 2015 18:50
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Just days after Russia sent two totally-aid-honest convoys at once, and idiots in comments on Swiss news websites are still going on about how it's EUSSRNATOWEST who's responsible for the bloodshed.
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Jan 13, 2015 19:19
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In Soviet Russia, ceasefire ends you.
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Jan 13, 2015 19:20
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Yeah, the notion that the ceasefire means anything beyond Ukraine won't go on the offensive is laughable. I guess they decided if they can't take the airport they'll pulverize it down to the foundations and beyond instead. The fighting around Donetsk airport will make a hell of a history when there's time to record it all.
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Jan 13, 2015 19:39
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I expect movies to be made about it.
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Jan 13, 2015 20:16
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Sergiu64 posted:I expect movies to be made about it. 
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Jan 13, 2015 20:18
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kalstrams posted:Last Die Hard will be one hell of a movie. Lol, Bruce Willis goes to Ukraine and dodges Grad strikes for 2 hours? Anyway, Ukrainian President's address on recent events: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg2M2zsXNvI BrownMoses, the Ukrainians are saying that the story with the Civilian Bus is very similar to the one with MH17 in that Separatists were bragging on Twitter that they destroyed a checkpoint that the bus was coming through and then promptly deleted the Twitter entries once they found out that a civilian bus was hit, do you think you'll do an investigation on this event as well? Sergiu64 fucked around with this message at 20:26 on Jan 13, 2015 |
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Jan 13, 2015 20:21
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"Russian Humanitarian Convoy" is one hell of a euphemism.
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Jan 13, 2015 20:32
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sparatuvs posted:The Control tower at Donetsk airport has collapsed. The local construction industry is sure to respond favorably to this brilliant stimulus plan. 
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Jan 13, 2015 20:36
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Smerdyakov posted:The local construction industry is sure to respond favorably to this brilliant stimulus plan. The parable of the broken airport.
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Jan 13, 2015 20:44
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They propably do, there is an angle on some intra DNR killings that some dudes started reconstruction work, got good at it, and didnt need others "protection" because they got guns. Now said dudes apperantly disappeared from the public view at least. In General though, I would suppose that "direct" "cleaning" of "no longer diserable elements" will remain the exception. Sending them to die against Kyiv will be the easier and thus more common option for the new authorities. In general, the authorities (whoever exactly they are) have been quite active in drastically sidelining the anti Oligarch aspects of the seperatists during the ceasefire.
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Jan 13, 2015 20:45
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Actually, I've been wondering about the general state of Ukrainian state finances. Nearly every week I've been hearing stories about the Government going broke but it just never seems to happen for some reason 
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Jan 13, 2015 20:48
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Friendly Tumour posted:Actually, I've been wondering about the general state of Ukrainian state finances. Nearly every week I've been hearing stories about the Government going broke but it just never seems to happen for some reason Well, the rampant inflation the Ukrainian Hrivna is experiencing suggests that they're printing money like there's no tomorrow. Plus all the loans they're getting. Meanwhile report on the Airport from a Ukrainian source on FB: "We fought them off. It's impossible to know what's going to be happening in an hour. Or what's going to be happening tomorrow. But for now, we fought them off. According to some sources, help has arrived. According to others, it was not significant. But the result is currently this: Russian artillery-men are continuing to go crazy, but burned out remnants of Russian soldiers are littering the killing ground around our defense positions. The numbers being named are different (according to Radio interceptions) - from 50 to 250 regular Russian soldiers are dead. That's only in the vicinity of the airport. The numbers for the whole area of ATO is not available yet. There are promises of a "hot" night to come. Some of the territory is in fact lost. I don't know why the HQ is lying about that. It's lost. But this is nothing compared to what our warriors had to endure today. Tomorrow, fresh forces will be in the area of the Airport. Tomorrow, war will resume. But today, it seems, we have fought them off. They'll eat dirt instead of getting the airport! -Cyborgs... More details on the battle will be available tomorrow morning on LIGA.net." Sergiu64 fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Jan 13, 2015 |
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Jan 13, 2015 20:59
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Friendly Tumour posted:Actually, I've been wondering about the general state of Ukrainian state finances. Nearly every week I've been hearing stories about the Government going broke but it just never seems to happen for some reason It's being kept afloat by Western loans. One good thing is that Russia doesn't have any serious leverages aside from the war, the gas deal has been signed and they can't threaten Ukraine with freezing. They've been making noise about some old 3 billion loan and wanting to 'call it in' prematurely just to gently caress with the Ukrainians. This is after Putin forgives billions of foreign debt left and right to brotherly nations like Cuba, North Korea, Ethiopia, Libya...
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Jan 13, 2015 21:24
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Somaen posted:It's being kept afloat by Western loans. One good thing is that Russia doesn't have any serious leverages aside from the war, the gas deal has been signed and they can't threaten Ukraine with freezing. They've been making noise about some old 3 billion loan and wanting to 'call it in' prematurely just to gently caress with the Ukrainians. This is after Putin forgives billions of foreign debt left and right to brotherly nations like Cuba, North Korea, Ethiopia, Libya... They do have a reason to call it prematurely: there is some sort of debt to GDP ratio clause that may be applicable. Of course Ukraine could reasonably claim multiple billions of damages from Russian aggression.... but since there are still economic links (including for gas, but not limited to them), they can't.... except maybe doing the Yukos lawsuit thing.
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Jan 13, 2015 21:40
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Sergiu64 posted:Lol, Bruce Willis goes to Ukraine and dodges Grad strikes for 2 hours? Not gonna lie, the auto-caption for English for this video is loving hilarious.
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Jan 13, 2015 21:48
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drat it's a good thing we managed to more or less talk our family into sending us most all their savings when this conflict first started brewing. They were worried about the bank transfer fees reducing their savings. Now it's all sitting safe in Canada making a solid 6-7% interest. They're going to come out way ahead in the end, if there's a ukraine left of course. Also a lot of ex-soviet citizens seem really against investments of any sort. You squirrel your money in a lovely bank or literally just keep it under your bed or in a safe but sticking it in a really basic mutual fund is just crazy risky and should never be done. BUT if your cousin comes to you saying he has a hot tip and will double your money in a year you absolutely give all he asks for.
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Jan 13, 2015 21:51
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Baronjutter posted:Also a lot of ex-soviet citizens seem really against investments of any sort. You squirrel your money in a lovely bank or literally just keep it under your bed or in a safe but sticking it in a really basic mutual fund is just crazy risky and should never be done. BUT if your cousin comes to you saying he has a hot tip and will double your money in a year you absolutely give all he asks for. That mentality makes a lot of sense as a product of living in the soviet era, when abstract, general investment programs were worthless, but people around you were making huge amounts of money based on illicit insider deals.
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Jan 13, 2015 22:02
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The other reason was/is that personal investment wasnt exactly encouraged in the Soviet period. What happened to the "NEP-Men" (when the Soviets moved away from war communism post civil war) is also still remembered. Later under Yelzin, you got looted outright, and under Putin you propably have to pay into a protection racket unless you are (currently) well connected. While "Protection racket" is still better then "outright looting" or "enjoy the Gulag", it isnt exactly conductive to reinvestment. There is also a game theory thing: Money you reinvest is money you do not have available if a competitor makes a move at you and you really need a lot of bribe money/lawyer money/hitman money right loving now. As this is known by the "players" of those game, being seen as reinvesting can actually make you more of a target since some competing group may think "Ah, he is investing, so we propably have more bribe money available then he does, lets move against him!".
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Jan 13, 2015 22:12
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Sergiu64 posted:Well, the rampant inflation the Ukrainian Hrivna is experiencing suggests that they're printing money like there's no tomorrow. Plus all the loans they're getting. When you read what's happening in the second part of your post, "printing money like there's no tomorrow" might be right. An over-inflated Hryvnia beats no more Hryvnia. If Russia's lost 50-250 regulars that's quite a bloody nose. Knowing the full casualty count for the battle of Donetsk would probably be quite shocking, but Russia's heavily invested in hiding those numbers. I presume they're still doing the "deny soldiers died in Ukraine, no benefits to next of kin, claim it was training accident" thing which is a huge gently caress you to Russia's own soldiers and people.
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Jan 13, 2015 23:34
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To be fair, I recall reading about Duma passing some law to help families of soldiers who die in "training accidents", though I am kinda vague on details.
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Jan 13, 2015 23:49
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Friendly Tumour posted:Actually, I've been wondering about the general state of Ukrainian state finances. Nearly every week I've been hearing stories about the Government going broke but it just never seems to happen for some reason They have been getting support from the IMF, so usually they run out of general financing, the IMF extends another line of credit and this has happened. The more key issue is their currency reserves which have steadily decline in the past year, right now there are theorized to be from 6-9 B, which is minimal. I think the difference is that while they may have been running out of the financing in the short-term earlier, while right now it is more of a question of their ultimate long-term sustainability. Russia can call in a 3 billion dollar loan if it wants within the next month if Ukrainian sovereignty debt reaches over 60%, which is seen as a redline for a country like Ukraine because of it is very poor credit rating. Ukraine may simply work the math to just get barely under 60% (according to them) and Russia will object, and therefore it may go back and worth for a while. If the EU/IMF come in with full backing then Ukraine may be able to weather it, if they don't Ukraine is going to be in quite a corner. Also, Ukraine is going to be burning off the rest of their currency reserves probably some time in Spring at the current rate (therefore you may have true hyperinflation if that happens). Soros' point is that in part the EU needs to seriously put in a lot of funding to bail Ukraine out with that as a possibility or otherwise the IMF does it but with far harsher terms which may not be enough for Ukraine.
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Jan 13, 2015 23:51
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