Anecdotes don't prove something. What they do is disprove a sweeping statement. You can't use an anecdote to prove all immigrants work hard. You can use an anecdote to disprove a statement that they don't.
Some people seem to take the principle of an anecdote not being able to prove a general case and misapply it to thinking it has no value. What it achieves, is to challenge statements that over-reach and to illustrate that there is uncertainty in the general case.
Genuine question and not being inflammatory, if we weren't so strongly aligned with the US what interest would Russia have in us?
Russia would still be interested in courting us as a trade and diplomatic partner. We import oil, they produce it. We are still (for now) a significant player in the world financial markets. Also, we have both a veto and a vote at the UN Security Council. We also have a significant voice in the English speaking world. Imagine the popularisation of Russian viewpoints in the USA if the UK news sources were aligned with Russian interests instead of USA.
Exponentially? They'll just whack 10-15% on top of their prices, people will still pay. If Apple wanted more market share they'd just release cheaper phones, they want to remain a premium brand though to maintain their high end image.
You don't understand how capitalism or corporations work. If Apple were able to charge 10-15% more without loss of sales, they would. You cannot simultaneously argue that Apple is greedy and would simply up prices to compensate for higher corporation tax and also that they would not raise prices now if they were able. Corporations such as Apple have enormous marketing departments, very well-funded, who spend a lot of time working out where best on the Supply-Demand curve they should pitch their tent.
It's like her brain has ceased to function, she's just repeating the question and adding "in very clear" instead of "strong and stable"
I actually feel sorry for May. I think the UK is in a bad situation and I think she believes she can't acknowledge this without committing electoral suicide. Look at Amber Rudd getting cut to pieces on the debate by responding to Corbyn's comments about welfare for the disabled with caveats about "those who most need it". Entertain the hypothesis that there actually
isn't enough for everyone. In such a case Amber Rudd's mild comment about selectivity is correct, but she gets almost booed by the audience for saying it. Whereas the party not in power - Corbyn, is free to say "everything will be better with us". Theresa May is caught between saying nothing and saying "Christmas is cancelled", I think. Knowing the latter to be disastrous, she prevaricates.