European politics

[Goodspeed]

Same old

[Mr_Bramboy]

Same thing as the last 12 years. Means things are headed a good way. Coalition talks were basically a dick-swinging contest until the old coalition decided to just continue.

I hope the new coalition takes a tougher stance on migrants and poor people.

[princeofcarthage]

You heartless b word for boys wtf do you have against poor people and migrants.

[Sargsyan]

You heartless b word for boys wtf do you have against poor people and migrants.

They're poor and migrants

[princeofcarthage]

So what 80% of the world is poor

[Sargsyan]

Good point

[gibson]

Fuck poor people, just stop being poor lmao

[princeofcarthage]

I mean your country has literally pushed more than billions into poverty. Its not like most of them had a choice.

[duckzilla]

I mean your country has literally pushed more than billions into poverty. Its not like most of them had a choice.

That's new to me

[RefluxSemantic]

Its more neoliberal bullshit @scarm

[princeofcarthage]

I mean your country has literally pushed more than billions into poverty. Its not like most of them had a choice.

That's new to me

You are right. I got confused. I meant to say USA and not Tuvalu.

[pecelot]

yes mate, tell them!

[Sargsyan]

Fuck poor people, just stop being poor lmao

So obvious yet so hard for some to people to understand lol.

[Mr_Bramboy]

In a prosperous country such as The Netherlands, perhaps the wealthiest country in the world, there is no objective reason to be poor. Being poor is an unhealthy and dangerous choice. The poor are leeches and should be dealt with. They should be rehabilitated or forced into servitude before they have a chance to damage our beautiful society further.

[Dolan]

So apparently talks in Geneva between US and Russia ended without any resolution. Basically Putin's bluff failed, he didn't get anything.
Now we're waiting on Russia to do something stupid so that this can have the effect of pushing Europe to close ranks on security even more.
Meaning that in the end Putin will get exactly the opposite effect of what he was counting on. He will get a strengthened Europe and an even more isolated and sanctioned Russia.
Which will eventually lead to his fall from power.

[Mr_Bramboy]

The eventual fall from power is a bit optimistic since Putin has done nothing but destroy his political and oligarch opponents in the past decades. As long as the powerful and wealthy stay wealthy, who cares about an isolated Russia?

[Dolan]

Imo, Europe has the power to hasten Putin's fall, by looking for ways to stop using imported gas from Russia. This could take a while though, nothing can happen overnight.
The position that the new coalition in Germany has on this issue is not promising. They're way too appeasing and limp-wristed on Russia, because they're mostly left-wingers and ecologists.
These people will only read the situation correctly when they see troops crossing borders. Until then, they'll keep banging on with global peace, olive branches and other such crap that doesn't solve anything in relation to Russia.
They don't understand Russian mentality. Russians only respect violence, not talks and nice gestures.

[scarm]

Imo, Europe has the power to hasten Putin's fall, by looking for ways to stop using imported gas from Russia. This could take a while though, nothing can happen overnight.
The position that the new coalition in Germany has on this issue is not promising. They're way too appeasing and limp-wristed on Russia, because they're mostly left-wingers and ecologists.
These people will only read the situation correctly when they see troops crossing borders. Until then, they'll keep banging on with global peace, olive branches and other such crap that doesn't solve anything in relation to Russia.
They don't understand Russian mentality. Russians only respect violence, not talks and nice gestures.

Honestly dragging the "ecologists" into this wouldn't be entirely fair. There obviously are differing opinions on this within the Green party, but the Green foreign minister and other leading Greens are taking a much clearer and more "Realpolitik" stance on Russia specifically. It is just that the SPD with Scholz seems to try and absorb the issue into their space of competence and that the FDP (liberals) isn't really taking a stance on this.

[Sargsyan]

This wouldn't have happened if Martin Schulz was the chancellor tbh imo ngl

[Dolan]

Imo, Europe has the power to hasten Putin's fall, by looking for ways to stop using imported gas from Russia. This could take a while though, nothing can happen overnight.
The position that the new coalition in Germany has on this issue is not promising. They're way too appeasing and limp-wristed on Russia, because they're mostly left-wingers and ecologists.
These people will only read the situation correctly when they see troops crossing borders. Until then, they'll keep banging on with global peace, olive branches and other such crap that doesn't solve anything in relation to Russia.
They don't understand Russian mentality. Russians only respect violence, not talks and nice gestures.

Honestly dragging the "ecologists" into this wouldn't be entirely fair. There obviously are differing opinions on this within the Green party, but the Green foreign minister and other leading Greens are taking a much clearer and more "Realpolitik" stance on Russia specifically. It is just that the SPD with Scholz seems to try and absorb the issue into their space of competence and that the FDP (liberals) isn't really taking a stance on this.

I had the impression that Annalena Baerbock changed her stance from last year, but I might have misremembered. Checking now, it seems she still stands by that position, which is the right position.
https://www.politico.eu/article/baerboc ... -stream-2/

Then the SPD is the problem. They need to wake up to the real world and realise nice gestures and words won't impress Russia. Russia would only get the message once it sees its revenue from selling gas drop and Europe arming itself.

[princeofcarthage]

Unless and until Poland is invaded there is nothing for Europe to worry. Everything east of Poland should just be left to Russian sphere of influence including Baltic states, Ukraine and Romania as well.

[scarm]

lol

[...]

Bottom line is, the main implication of Russia taking a large chunk of Ukraine that should worry everyone is that that would mean that invasions and annexions become en vogue again, when we managed to severely limit those in the post war world order for the most part. It would be a major unsettling of how we understand and perceive international relations.

to maybe elobrate a bit further: the baltic states are, to my understanding, generally very concerned about all of this (maybe @harcha can say sth about that). They are the most eastern members of the EU, and are a territory that Russia could be very keen to re-add to its territory, not only to reconnect its exclave of kaliningrad, but also to establish control over the Baltic Sea. They feel like they could be next after Ukraine, considering Lukaschenko is essentially a "vassal" of Putin at the moment. If the EU and Nato fail to awnser the Russian threat in the case of Ukraine, who's to vouch for their security? That also would have sever implication for the stability of the EU itself, considering that some of the more eastern countries like Poland and the Visegrad 4 in general are already distancing themselves a bit in many regards, which would only be reeinforced if they felt like the EU doesn't help their security. On the surface it might just be about Ukraine, an isolated state, but really it would have major geopolitical implications for the rest of europe should Russia invade and be able to take yet another chunk of foreign soil.

[...]

[Dolan]

The US moved its nukes from Turkey to Romania, after relations with Turkey have worsened and in the wake of the coup attempt when the US airbase wasn't allowed to launch any flights.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/global ... o-romania/

So right now US nukes are installed in Romania and pointed at Russia.

[duckzilla]

Unless and until Poland is invaded there is nothing for Europe to worry. Everything east of Poland should just be left to Russian sphere of influence including Baltic states, Ukraine and Romania as well.

Unless and until Pakistan conquers Bhubaneswar Bharat has nothing to worry. Everything North, East, South, and West of it should just be left to the historically justified Muslim sphere of influence. May modern India share the fate of Vijayanagara.

[scarm]

Unless and until Poland is invaded there is nothing for Europe to worry. Everything east of Poland should just be left to Russian sphere of influence including Baltic states, Ukraine and Romania as well.

Unless and until Pakistan conquers Bhubaneswar Bharat has nothing to worry. Everything North, East, South, and West of it should just be left to the historically justified Muslim sphere of influence. My modern India share the fate of Vijayanagara.

Anyone willing to pretend to be the heir of Timur and reinstate the Timurid Empire? Will have to add northern India though.

Thinking about it, Austria, Croatia and Venetia should be part of the Bavarian Sphere of Influence once again. I want direct access to the Mediterranean AND actual beer and brezels.