I’m actually kind of proud of my previous post.
I think, although I could be wrong, has strong reasoning behind it.

So, instead of actually trying to get back to creative writing, my mind is stuck on Russia. In particular, I keep thinking about the businesses that are suspending business during the Ukraine conflict. This is mostly brought about by the engine company which owns my hometown only shutting down their trading last week.

I’m guessing the engine company was hoping to fly under the radar. Why not? It worked for IBM during WWII.

Through a quick search, I found this webpage:

https://som.yale.edu/story/2022/over-400-companies-have-withdrawn-russia-some-remain

I guess it’s a running list of companies that have withdrawn business from Russia.

Okay. I’ve got to think about this.
Putin, not the Russian citizens, are causing the conflict with Ukriane. They’re just normal people living in a dictatorship trying to do the best they can. There are mothers, daughters, children, disabled, homeless…. all sorts of people who are trying to pull their lives back together after Covid restrictions.

And, as far as I’ve been able to tell, restrictions are still in place in some areas. Severe restrictions. I mean like only essential stores being open, masks, and gloves required. If I had to guess, I’d say that the American economy is actually better than Russia in that regard as the hobbling restrictions have been removed or weakened to the point where normal life can struggle to resume.

So, the closures of the 870+ McDonalds, Starbucks, Buger Kings, and other companies may not cripple the Russian economy as much as what legacy media would lead the public to believe. If these stores haven’t reopened from Covid or just started to, their closure or continued closure would be just more of the same.

Or, potentially, it could be a boon. In one article I read, McDonalds as well as some other companies are continuing to pay the employees although the place of business is shut down. It might be possible if some places didn’t pay employees under Covid but started when Russia invaded Ukraine. This might actually help some Russian citizens.

But, what actually is hurting here?
So what if Russians don’t have access to Whoppers, Starbucks lattes, and Big Macs? There are far more healthier food options available. If anything, it might drive Russians from west operated businesses and they could support local, small, and Russian operated businesses. I don’t see how that would be crippling their economy. Rather, it could certainly help strengthen Russian business.

McDonalds and other businesses of that type are simply hurting themselves as they are losing customers and sales while they are trying to recover from the Covid disruption as well.

Then, we have other businesses like Crocs, H&M, and Ikea. They have suspended shipments to Russia. But, that doesn’t stop their current inventory in stores from being sold. This is really just a stop-gap that may not impact these companies severely. They’re betting that the Ukraine confrontation is resolved before their inventory is depleted. I see the suspension of shipments more as an appeasement than a harmful action.

But, businesses like Catapiller and Cummings, could actually hurt These are the companies that help provide tools for intrastructer and construction. These could actually cause some damage.

On the upside, Pfizer has stopped clinical trials and shipping products. This could potentially mean that, along with the suspension of fast food, become some of the most healthiest people in the world. Go figure.

There is a sever restriction, however. Visa, Mastercard, and American Express has suspended their operations. This is where the real crunch comes in. If Russia is like America and most companies, funds from businesses are direct deposited. The use of physical money is on the decline. It’s great that McDonald employees are still being paid, but it doesn’t help if they don’t have access to those funds.

The Russian solution is simple, if not a little painful. Instead of relying on those companies, they can create their own version of it which the Russian government could control. It’s quite likely that other nations, such as China and Russian allies, could use that same sort of electronic bank.

That undermines the American dollar being the world’s currency.
America and all of those who remain with the American dollar as primary, would be severely weakened.

Again, these restrictions won’t harm Russia. American companies and their allies will be harmed. Business is global now. The old way of thinking doesn’t work.