Russian Economic Collapse

[Syrum]

With the recent economic collapse of the Russian federation I'm afraid the whole region will destabilize, since the ruble did drop 20% in one day. Now, my countries economy isn't to great to start with considering oil is the backbone, and since America became the one of top producers (Fracking) it damaged Russia's backbone. Now, many Americans see this as good because of Russian aggression, but in fact it is very bad. Russia protects all of Europe from terrorism, it's a buffer zone (Chechnya). Now, yes. My country has been... Over aggression to some, but that's a different subject. Now, if Russia went into a full collapse, what would Russia look like? A lot like 1998 (Lowest point in Russia's history as of current.) What would happen? A lot more Islamic Extremist, all of Eastern Europe would destabilize, since Russia holds together a large majority of it with the CSTO (The Collective Security Treaty Organization), which is like NATO. Members Include, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. Now, Russia holds it together, and Russia has the largest military force in Eastern Europe. If a collapse does happen, is it really good for the USA? What do thinks?

[Stronk Serb]

Divide et impera, divide and conquer- Gaius Julius Caesar. The US interests are narrow-minded so it will come to bite them in the ass after some time. It did with Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and now the recent ISIS.

[cami]

It's not good to any country IMO. Russia is a major economic power after all.

[Vlerchan]

Russia isn't about to have an economic collapse though. It's having economic difficulties but it's not in collapse territory yet.

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I feel I should add that the CSTO is made up primarily up Central Asian states. Belarus is the only Eastern European besides Russia in the CSTO. It's NATO that Eastern and South-Eastern Europe have largely move to align itself with. Here's a map to demonstrate.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Map_of_NATO_countries.png

The idea that the CSTO is acting as a buffer to creeping Islamic extremism is absurd to say the least anyway.

[phuckphace]

I was told the falling fuel prices at the pump (now $1.91/gal and still falling fast, down from ~$3.40 barely a year ago in my state) are due to artificial machinations on the part of the US to undercut Russia and wreck their economy. I'd think that increased supply (fracking) wouldn't explain the dramatic drop in prices so suddenly, or was fracking only perfected last week?

something tells me it'll be back up to the $3 - 4 range in a few months to a year.

[Vlerchan]

Lots of factors are causing oil prices to drop.
The amount of oil being drilled is increasing - shale boom and Libyan war coming to a close among things (https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YFrcRXUYFvLdS8iZSQAVJ9zdTmY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/assets.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2332936/iaee4.0.png).The amount of oil that can be stored at a single time is increasing due to advances in technology.Demand for oil in Europe and Asia and the US is weakening.
Of course this is why OPEC exists. It's members need (https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KybusSX4ZXPobZUVV018zXMSy-M=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/assets.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2332958/160934_5_.0.jpg) high oil prices to maintain their finances. But then OPEC sort of didn't come to an agreement. Saudi Arabia which is basically a major swing state as far as OPEC are concerned aren't allowing OPEC to shore up prices. For multiple possible reasons.
It hurts Iran who support Syria among other things.It hurts Russia who support Syria.Its hurts fledging American and Canadian oil industries - i.e. it's striking at future competition - which helps to maintain a Western dependency on Saudi ArabiaIt maintains their market share. Last time Saudi Arabia bought into something like this all they did is lose market share.
It could be any single one (or all) of these reasons for Saudi Arabia to act on their own. US pressuring (or whatever) Saudi Arabia into lowering oil prices to hurt Russia is something I've only seen being peddled by the European Russophile Right (I'm going to christen them the ERR). That seems unlikely to me: sanctions have the same effect and it's hurting the US too.

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Lots of the finance groups are projecting rising oil prices next year.

[phuckphace]

Lots of factors are causing oil prices to drop.

thanks for posting. I suspected that it had to be a combination of things. not a russophile either, just so we're clear.

[Vlerchan]

not a russophile either, just so we're clear.
Out of interest though what do you actually think of Putin?

I would have thought you'd find someone like him at least somewhat appealing as a leader?

[phuckphace]

Out of interest though what do you actually think of Putin?

I would have thought you'd find someone like him at least somewhat appealing as a leader?

Putin is a capitalist stooge who is at least as corrupt as the US-Israel conspirators whom he despises. I find the entire Russian far-right to be particularly delusional on this end: they haven't yet found a problem that couldn't be reflexively blamed on Jews and/or NATO (of course you'd probably argue that paranoid antisemitism is a common undercurrent in all far-right parties, but to me the Russian variant seems the loudest, shrillest and most hypocritical.) the homoerotic personality cult around Putin is also funny.

I'd say that given that apocalyptic bloodbath they had not too long ago that Russians are in much more danger from themselves than any Jew, literal or figurative.