Guns, Butter Or Socks? Russia's Tough War Economy Choices - Silicon Curtain

Edition No191 | 17-07-2025 - Putin’s Economic Terminal Spiral — More Guns, No Butter, and Not Much of anything Else. This is what happens when you launch a war, alienate the civilized world, and try to run a dark-ages style empire on barrels of crude and a bunch of Telegram propagandists.

Let’s dig into the quiet implosion of the Russian economy – rampant inflation, falsified numbers, and a military-industrial complex so bloated it's eating the country alive.

Let’s start with the basics: Russia isn’t just in a war—it’s in a payment crisis. But unlike in the 1990s, the regime is denying it and trying to falsify economic figures to cover up the sale of the crisis. And unlike that 1990s, no one is coming to help in the West. Some presume that China and India will continue to support Russia, but those relationships are far shallower and more transactional than many assume. China will not be bailing out the Russian economy.
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DESCRIPTION:
Putin's Economic Terminal Spiral: The Imminent Collapse of Russia's Economy

This episode delves into the severe economic crisis facing Russia as a result of its ongoing war and isolation from the global community. It explores rampant inflation, falsified economic data, and a massive military-industrial complex that's consuming the country's resources. With a focus on ghost payments, the depletion of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, and the struggle to maintain civilian infrastructure, the video highlights the unsustainable financial bubble that Putin's regime has built. The episode also discusses the broader implications for Russia's future as Western sanctions bite harder and public discontent rises.
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to the Series
00:08 Putin's Economic Terminal Spiral
00:50 The Quiet Implosion of the Russian Economy
01:08 Russia's Payment Crisis
02:34 The Ministry of Lies and Deferred Liabilities
03:26 Military Spending and Civilian Struggles
04:15 Inflation and Budget Deficit
06:27 Western Sanctions and Import Substitution
08:22 The Desperate Gamble
08:46 Conclusion: The Looming Collapse