Off Topic WW3 How Close?

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The bit they leave out is that this is largely by American design. It suited them to project their power into a somewhat demilitarised continent.

That's fair, practically thinking Europe does need to make itself militarily capable again, this will require a lot of money, perhaps redirecting funds from areas of our governments which are less necessity and more idealistic.
 
That's fair, practically thinking Europe does need to make itself militarily capable again, this will require a lot of money, perhaps redirecting funds from areas of our governments which are less necessity and more idealistic.
Might get Reeves off a tricky hook?
 
Complicated issue and us mere mortals are not aware of the intangibles and dare say realities at play here.

from the outside looking in the US and Russia are trying to bring an end to the conflict which is a good thing whilst the democratic us administration previously and europes current leaders seem to want to perpetuate.

Europe through their own hubris and dare say arrogance have become so reliant on the US through said hubris but also in addition to peddling and aligning to American foreign policy. One only has to look at Germany as the case and point, industrial power house which is now a ruin of once what was, exchanging Russian supplied energy for more expensive American supplied energy, who ultimately do those two topics benefit? It ain’t ordinary Germans.
 
Complicated issue and us mere mortals are not aware of the intangibles and dare say realities at play here.

from the outside looking in the US and Russia are trying to bring an end to the conflict which is a good thing whilst the democratic us administration previously and europes current leaders seem to want to perpetuate.

Europe through their own hubris and dare say arrogance have become so reliant on the US through said hubris but also in addition to peddling and aligning to American foreign policy. One only has to look at Germany as the case and point, industrial power house which is now a ruin of once what was, exchanging Russian supplied energy for more expensive American supplied energy, who ultimately do those two topics benefit? It ain’t ordinary Germans.
Good points, but unfortunately us mere mortals were given a Brexit vote. In today's climate we all spout as if we are experts, but don't seem to want to lie on the bed we have made...

Any excuse...

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Good points, but unfortunately us mere mortals were given a Brexit vote. In today's climate we all spout as if we are experts, but don't seem to want to lie on the bed we have made...

Any excuse...

You must log in or register to see media

Interesting that some are taking this tone now. Not saying it's wrong but maybe democracy is really on the ropes? Perhaps just an elite group or individual can make the important decisions for us?
 
Interesting that some are taking this tone now. Not saying it's wrong but maybe democracy is really on the ropes? Perhaps just an elite group or individual can make the important decisions for us?
I believe Trump has shuck the tree so much, lots of us have fallen out, and can now smell the roses...
 
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There's little point in relitigating brexit on this thread. However, it is very much linked. These sorts of scenarios are part of why it was such a terrible decision to leave the EU. Isolation and separation from our closest trading partner and most similar allies. The gradual dawning on people that UK is far less crucial to the world (both on trade and militarily) than they thought. The future world that will be defined by competition between big behemoths - in which smaller fish will be made irrelevant. All of this was clear at the time. People may not have liked the EU but it was surprising how many failed to realise that this was a choice between a disappointing thing and a MUCH worse scenario.

That sentence knocked me back a bit there mate, you’ve nailed it.

We were a proud and important big fish in a medium sized pond …

… new we’re a little flounder flapping around the shore gasping for air.

We just don’t know which pond to choose and no one seems too keen for us to share their water.
 
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Complicated issue and us mere mortals are not aware of the intangibles and dare say realities at play here.

from the outside looking in the US and Russia are trying to bring an end to the conflict which is a good thing whilst the democratic us administration previously and europes current leaders seem to want to perpetuate.

Europe through their own hubris and dare say arrogance have become so reliant on the US through said hubris but also in addition to peddling and aligning to American foreign policy. One only has to look at Germany as the case and point, industrial power house which is now a ruin of once what was, exchanging Russian supplied energy for more expensive American supplied energy, who ultimately do those two topics benefit? It ain’t ordinary Germans.
That's an interesting way to read things, mind. An alternative would be to say that a newly hostile US is partnering with an aggressor to carve up another country's sovereign territory in an effort to gain control of rare earth materials via a method that will be more palatable at home than trying to invade your next door neighbour. Just have to hope that this version of the US doesn't decide that the future depends on our natural resources I guess.
 
That sentence knocked me back a bit there mate, you’ve nailed it.

We were a proud and important big fish in a medium sized pond …

… new we’re a little flounder flapping around the shore gasping for air.

We just don’t know which pond to choose and no one seems too keen for us to share their water.
At the time it was met with cries of 'doing Britain down'. In reality it was just being clear-eyed about what we are.
 
So now the White House Security Advisor is saying they are unhappy with the "unacceptable insults" aimed towards Trump by Zelensky this week.

Yet they are fine with the blatant lies spouted by Trump about Zelensky being a dictator who refuses to have an election. I really can't fathom how anyone can believe a thing that comes out of that walking tangerine's mouth.

And now America want access to Ukraines mineral deposits for helping them in the first place, I have absolutely no doubt that those talks with Russia involved access to Ukraine's mineral deposits too. Is it really a coincidence that they have the largest Lithium deposits in Europe and 20% of the worlds total Graphite deposits all while Musk is whispering in Trump's ear?

Trump and Putin are just 2 sides of the same coin.
 
This quote from a book written in 1869 but used by Goebbels in making Germans believe in anything the state wanted them to believe..

The phrase "tell lies often enough and people will believe as the truth" essentially describes the concept of the "illusory truth effect" in psychology, which means that repeated exposure to a statement, even if it's false, can make people more likely to believe it as true; this idea is often attributed to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, who is said to have used the strategy of the "Big Lie" by repeating large-scale falsehoods frequently to manipulate public opinion

Hmmm....Remind you of anything across the pond... Its exactly what he is doing
 
This quote from a book written in 1869 but used by Goebbels in making Germans believe in anything the state wanted them to believe..

The phrase "tell lies often enough and people will believe as the truth" essentially describes the concept of the "illusory truth effect" in psychology, which means that repeated exposure to a statement, even if it's false, can make people more likely to believe it as true; this idea is often attributed to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, who is said to have used the strategy of the "Big Lie" by repeating large-scale falsehoods frequently to manipulate public opinion

Hmmm....Remind you of anything across the pond... Its exactly what he is doing
We've been seeing it a lot since the financial crash of 2008. At the risk of bringing my political leaning into it, Cameron and the Tories did it by frequently talking along the lines of we always look to protect those that are disadvantaged / less well-off. They said it so many times that it was almost believable. Really got on my nerves! Brexit and then Trump followed on the back of this, using the same methods and taking advantage of the resulting groundswell of discontent.
 
Trapped between an "idiot electorate who will vote for Farage and Brexit 1000 times" or a dictator. All snuggly like.
It will be interesting what happens between now and the next election in the UK. If enough young disaffected people turn to the far right ( much like in the States) then Farage could spring a surprise. Not saying he will do enough to win power, but could overtake the Tories and eat into Labour vote percentage. Politicians of both parties need to wake up to the spread of far right wing influence spreading through Europe and it WILL hit the UK soon. Dangerous times