Category Russian Food Prices Significantly lower than American
Russian Schools Preparing Children for War
Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Sep 8, 2023 by Martin Armstrong
Numerous schools reopened this week after the summer break. Unlike US schools that are aiming to eliminate gender in textbooks, children in Russia will have a few new additions to their curriculum to prepare the youth for the ongoing war. After all, the older children must prepare and be aware of the war that they may one day fight and die in. Children will learn why Russia invaded Ukraine in “Special Military Operation” class and will be educated on “Crimean reunification with Russia.” Putin’s aid, Vladimir Medinsky, oversaw the new updated history books that praise Russian defense or heroism vs. aggression.
The older children will learn “Basics of Life Safety,” intended as a basic military training course. Older teens will learn how to handle grenades, uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) operations, and the proper use of Kalashnikov rifles. Students will also learn basic military first aid, determining how to save the lives of their fellow classmates who could one day be dying before their eyes. Veterans of the ongoing war in Ukraine will visit classrooms to deliver firsthand accounts. “The new curriculum serves three objectives: to indoctrinate students with the Kremlin rationale for the ‘Special Military Operation’, instil students with a martial mindset, and reduce training timelines for onwards mobilisation and deployment,” the UK Ministry of Defence reported via a post on X.
Russians do not have the soft mindset of the West, and parents do not sugarcoat the harsh realities of life to their children. One parent told France 24 in regards to the new curriculum, “There are reasons for concerns… You just need to be prepared for anything and not be afraid.” We have seen military indoctrination in schools throughout history. Everyone likes to point to the Hitler Youth program as an example, but there are countless instances of this occurring. Various countries currently require the youth to serve in the military after schooling. However, the sudden change in curriculum shows that Russia is prepared for a lengthy battle. The nation wants to preserve its version of the historical events unfolding before our eyes. It is sad to know that the incoming class of students will one day be a deployed group of soldiers fighting a senseless war.
Russian Lives Matter
Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Aug 29, 2023 by Martin Armstrong
The most influential aspect of Black Lives Matter is its name choice. Of course, black lives matter, but the messaging behind the movement itself was pure corruption and controlled civil unrest by the left. It was seen as racist to say that ALL lives matter because the focus was only on Black Americans. Then the police tried to use the term Blue Lives Matter, fueling the animosity. The phrase has caught on, and a Danish director has come under fire for saying “Russian lives matter.”
Lars von Trier risks cancellation after commenting on a social media post featuring Denmark’s latest donation to Ukraine of extremely lethal F-16 fighter jets. “Russian lives matter also!” he stated on the Instagram post. He said his post was for Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Putin, and not least Mrs. Frederiksen (who yesterday, like someone head over heels in love, posed in the cockpit of one of the scariest killing machines of our time, grinning from ear to ear). “Russian lives matter also! Best regards, Lars.”
Ukrainian media outlets turned the post into a story of hatred. Oleksiy Danilov, the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, even weighed in on the situation: “The choice between the executioner and the victim becomes a tragedy when the artist chooses the side of the executioner. Ukraine doesn’t live in abstraction, but in a cruel reality in which Russians are murderers. A simple piece of advice for a famous director: imagine that it is a Russian missile that is flying into his city every day, that his father or mother was killed, his grandson was taken to Russia, and that a Russian looter raped his wife before burning down his house. In this case, the abstraction of hypocritical ‘humanism’ takes on completely different features – real, not fictional life.”
This is how wars are waged as the enemy must be dehumanized. As Danilov said, the reality Ukraine wants to portray is a “cruel reality in which Russians are murderers.” So every single person, old and young, in a large country is a ruthless murderer? This is akin to how the terrorist groups in Afghanistan painted all Americans as bloodthirsty killers. It is the same story repeated throughout history – villainize the enemy and cheer his last breath. Human nature is the same wherever you go. Fact: the majority of Russians simply want peace and are not Prigozhin clones plotting on Ukraine’s downfall.
“I was just stating the obvious: that all lives in this world matter! A forgotten phrase it seems, from a time when pacifism was a virtue,” the filmmaker replied, later mentioning he had no idea the trouble his comments would cause. But sure, cheer the image of the F-16 jet designed for mass murder of fellow human beings.
Stunningly Low Prices – A Visit to an Average Russian Supermarket
Posted originally on the CTH on August 17, 2023 | Sundance
I wouldn’t normally write a post like this, but WE ARE NOT going to find this level of ground reporting anywhere in U.S. media. As you might be aware, I have been doing extensive research on the Russian economy specifically with the outcome of western sanctions.
In his video a Youtuber I follow visited a local supermarket, similar to a WalMart Super Center to share information for his USA followers.
Dima Dear, a remarkably nice young man, lives in St Petersburg, Russia (formerly Leningrad), and he shares various experiences with his audience at their request. There is a lot of U.S interest as people following his story are starting to realize life in Russia is not what western media portray.
If you are familiar with USA grocery prices, what Dima shares in this ground report is stunning from a U.S. perspective. If you watch this livestream, keep in mind that 100 rubles equals $1.00. 350 rubles is $3.50. Additionally for weighted products 1kg equals 2.2 lbs. So generally speaking, if something is 100 rubles/kg it is $1 for two pounds.
Example from the video:
•Lean ground beef at 329 rubles/kg is less than $1.65/lb.
•Bacon at 250 rubles/kg is less than $1.25/lb.
•20 eggs are 139 rubles or $1.39.
•Boneless skinless chicken breast $4 for 4lbs.
•Typical Bagged salad mixes .79¢ each. etc.
The wild part is that in Russia they are getting worried these prices are too high.
The average rent for a nicely furnished 2-bedroom modern apartment in St Pete Russia is around $500/month. Something akin to downtown Manhattan. Including rent, utilities, food, transportation, personal items and purchases, a Russian citizen can live very comfortably, remarkably comfortably, on an income of around $1,200 to $1,500/month. In downtown St Pete which is considered a more expensive place to live.
Put that into a USA middle-class perspective and evaluate the impact of western sanctions against the average Russian cost of living.
100 rubles = $1.00
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Centinel2012 