Thoughts on the State of Europe

[at46]

A country with GDP of Spain or NYC. (Space Cat)[/i]
Wow, thanks, I had no idea.I genuinely would have put Russia yes far behind US/China/EU, but I would have thought they would be more towards Germany or Japan sized economy, given the higher population. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c ... _(nominal)

There's a world of difference between nominal GDP and Purchasing Power Parity GDP. Russia is the world's sixth largest economy according to this much more relevant metric. Spain is 16th. http://databank.worldbank.org/data/download/GDP_PPP.pdf

[Space Cat]

GDP PPP is a size-of-the-country metric but even there it's below Germany and closer to Brazil or Indonesia. For GDP PPP per capita it's around the 50th place.

[at46]

GDP PPP is a size-of-the-country metric but even there it's below Germany and closer to Brazil or Indonesia. For GDP PPP per capita it's around the 50th place.

Russia's economy is the sixth largest in the world and it's military is the second biggest and strongest in the world. What more is there to know? Maybe that it's also in a full-fledged military alliance with the world's first largest economy and third biggest and strongest military?
http://www.businessinsider.com/these-ar ... -russia-19

[bert.douglas]

GDP PPP is a size-of-the-country metric but even there it's below Germany and closer to Brazil or Indonesia. For GDP PPP per capita it's around the 50th place.

Russia's economy is the sixth largest in the world and it's military is the second biggest and strongest in the world. What more is there to know? Maybe that it's also in a full-fledged military alliance with the world's first largest economy and third biggest and strongest military?
http://www.businessinsider.com/these-ar ... -russia-19

It seems overly simplistic to compare military strength by just counting airplanes.
What are the capabilities of these planes? Are there sufficient spare parts and technicians to keep them in sustained operation?

[Space Cat]

it's military is the second biggest and strongest in the world.

:D :D :D
FYI: we have draft back there, every single male knows that the army is huge but it's an outdated disaster with some good parts that show off for the media.

Maybe that it's also in a full-fledged military alliance with the world's first largest economy and third biggest and strongest military?

Alliance? Wishful thinking of the Russian regime that they love to repeat in propaganda. Chinese economy depends on the exports to the US.

I think I've already posted it some time ago, Russians are masters of this ancient trick:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potemkin_village

You'll see it in 10-15 years when there are no more resources to paint the facade. Let's just wait instead of arguing now.

[Britkid]

I think it's fair to say that Russia is powerfully military - just the sheer number of nuclear weapons alone - but I am less convinced on economy. I think the GDP rather than PPP metric is more relevant to how a country exerts its strength internationally. PPP ranking you posted is an odd mix of local purchasing power combined with overall population, I don't see how it's that relevant to the questions of Russia's power or strength in the international arena.

[frozen-north]

Big Macs are cheaper in the Russian Federation?

The Big Mac Index is published by The Economist as an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity (PPP) between two currencies and provides a test of the extent to which market exchange rates result in goods costing the same in different countries. It "seeks to make exchange-rate theory a bit more digestible".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mac_Index

The Big Mac index is a lighthearted guide to whether currencies are at their “correct” level. It is based on the theory of purchasing-power parity, the notion that global exchange rates should eventually adjust to make the price of identical baskets of tradable goods the same in each country. Our basket contains just one thing, a Big Mac hamburger.

https://www.economist.com/blogs/graphic ... ly-chart-7

[bobserb]

it's military is the second biggest and strongest in the world.

FYI: we have draft back there, every single male knows that the army is huge but it's an outdated disaster with some good parts that show off for the media.

Maybe that it's also in a full-fledged military alliance with the world's first largest economy and third biggest and strongest military?

Alliance? Wishful thinking of the Russian regime that they love to repeat in propaganda. Chinese economy depends on the exports to the US.

I think I've already posted it some time ago, Russians are masters of this ancient trick:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potemkin_village

You'll see it in 10-15 years when there are no more resources to paint the facade. Let's just wait instead of arguing now.

You watch too much CNN.Russia has unlimited resources.The only country in the world that would be easily self sufficient.Sure, if another drunk like Yelcin comes to power, Russia would maybe fall apart .

[Space Cat]

You watch too much CNN.Russia has unlimited resources.The only country in the world that would be easily self sufficient.Sure, if another drunk like Yelcin comes to power, Russia would maybe fall apart .

Ok, ok, now please go and live in this self-sufficient wonderland.

[HybridAmbassador]

Putin is engaging in helping out North Korea to keep its development of missile ready nuke miniaturizing technology along the US reaching rocket;s too. Where China is camouflaging that they too are putting the squeeze on NK aids fearing repercussion from the US. It seems they just made a deal to pipe down enough oil into NK...

PRC nor Russia federation wants NK to go away and permitting US led South Korea to neighbour China and Russia. They desperately needing a buffer zone as North Korea..But US defense secretary, Mattis just announced..http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -bomb.html

[britinchile]

Mattis just announced..http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -bomb.html

Just announced on the 4th of September?

[at46]

I think the GDP rather than PPP metric is more relevant to how a country exerts its strength internationally. PPP ranking you posted is an odd mix of local purchasing power combined with overall population, I don't see how it's that relevant to the questions of Russia's power or strength in the international arena.

I'm sorry but you've got three things totally mixed up here. If a radiologist in Toronto makes 440,000 Canadian dollars per annum and a radiologist in Moscow 24 thousand US dollars, it means that the Canadian GDP increases by the 440,000 CAD while Russia's GDP increases by 24 thousand US dollars. But does it also mean that the Canadian radiologist is 18 times better than the Russian one? Or that Canada has 18 times stronger economy and 18 times greater international standing than Russia?