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We have something called total national defense (kokonaismaanpuolustus in Finnish) it includes a lot of laws for both the military and the civil sector to protect the country and it's citizens against external threats.Am I right in thinking Finland has something pretty much written into law/constitution to maintain a certain level of readiness against the threat of Russia?
Kind of crazy how much stick Germany gets compared to France and Italy, that are barely mentioned. France in particular has an army stronger than Germany, and has given feck all to Ukraine, but no one criticizes them.The US doesn't need that to look tough. Its already contributed more than everyone else combined. Not that the contributions of other countries (especially Poland) aren't impressive given their respective GDPs, but in the end, its the cumulative effect of all nations that are going to make a difference.
Not weekly, it’s a first one in 21 day, 55 missiles par for their monthly production rate.So weekly missile attack again. You hope their stock pile is going to run out soon (again).
They are not likely to run out, perhaps on certain types. The question is more how many they are willing to use in Ukraine and let their stockpiles run low on the various types. They also have production capability, just not enough to replace what they are currently using, and their usage has slowed down. We should expect that to continue.So weekly missile attack again. You hope their stock pile is going to run out soon (again).
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No one truly knows but near the end* of the first wave of mobilization there have been a lot of mobilization sweeps in big cities including Moscow & St. Petersburg.As for mobilization from Russia, not a whole lot of people from Moscow or St Petersburg have been drafted, correct?
At some point, Putin will have round up people from the main cities too, curious to see the reactions then.
Seriously annoying "music"Tweet
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Terrible PR due to the reluctance of our chancellor. So at least part of that is self-inflicted and well deserved.Kind of crazy how much stick Germany gets compared to France and Italy, that are barely mentioned. France in particular has an army stronger than Germany, and has given feck all to Ukraine, but no one criticizes them.
France has a somewhat stronger army than Denmark or Latvia as well.Kind of crazy how much stick Germany gets compared to France and Italy, that are barely mentioned. France in particular has an army stronger than Germany, and has given feck all to Ukraine, but no one criticizes them.
Maybe not the best meme template to represent Germany. Because of literally Hitler.Terrible PR due to the reluctance of our chancellor. So at least part of that is self-inflicted and well deserved.
But a lotof it is what is always happening. Anti-German sentiments are the go-to option for some countries/parties in some countries whenever something in Europe goes wrong. As Germans we are used to (at least our government) being "literally Hitler" because it does (or doesn't) do something. Especially the Polish PiS is remarkable in that regard, but of course there are also people like our resident Greek economy victim @frostbite
Austria quietly whistling in a cornerMaybe not the best meme template to represent Germany. Because of literally Hitler.
Also memes are dumb.
“He always had crazy ideas. An incorrigible optimist,” Viktorova said. Nabiev probably “thought that he’d take a quick trip to Ukraine and earn some money.”
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/ukraine-crisis-russia-graves-wagner/One of the youngest, buried at the nearby Martanskaya cemetery, is Vadim Pushnya. He was just 25 years old when he died on Nov. 19. Pushnya was imprisoned in 2020 for burgling garages, a beer shop and a cement factory in his hometown of Goryachiy Klyuch, close to the Wagner chapel. The birthdate on Pushnya’s grave matches the date given on his social media accounts and in court records.
That man with the finger on the button would be terrifying.Tweet
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Terrible PR due to the reluctance of our chancellor. So at least part of that is self-inflicted and well deserved.
But a lotof it is what is always happening. Anti-German sentiments are the go-to option for some countries/parties in some countries whenever something in Europe goes wrong. As Germans we are used to (at least our government) being "literally Hitler" because it does (or doesn't) do something. Especially the Polish PiS is remarkable in that regard, but of course there are also people like our resident Greek economy victim @frostbite
We don't ask why, we know.Do the Germans really have to ask "why always me?"
History is important, do you agree?
1. When Germany invades a country and this results in the death of over 10% of the population from starvation and execution, people will remember it for a long time. Don't you agree?
2. When Germany refuses to help a smaller country that asks for help, because "they have corruption" and gives morality lessons making their position even worse than it was before, while at the same time, Germany makes a shitload of money with Putin (the uncorrupted!)... people will remember it for a long time. Don't you agree?
And I am talking about Ukraine. Or about Greece.
3. When Germany is telling everyone that they are the supreme moral pacifists and that's the reason they don't spend money for the defense sector of the EU and they don't want to send tanks to Ukraine, but at the same time they make a lot of money from arms exports and they are the largest producer of tanks in Europe... people will question the German motives or call them hypocrites. Don't you agree?
Do the Germans really have to ask "why always me?"
I admit I lack knowledge of Russian politics, but it seems like a stretch that he would be a threat to Putin. He is an awful human being and the head of an awful organization that is power hungry and brutal in achieving his ends, but a threat to Putin's power?Tweet
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Not to disrespect Italy, but everyone already knew that their military is in a very poor state. However, I agree with you about France deserving more stick because they are disgracefully bad in the amount of military aid sent, especially when their military industrial complex currently has a hard time finding clients compared to other big weapons sellers.Kind of crazy how much stick Germany gets compared to France and Italy, that are barely mentioned. France in particular has an army stronger than Germany, and has given feck all to Ukraine, but no one criticizes them.
I won't get much into this because it's not the right thread, but since you're getting some stick, I thought why not.History is important, do you agree?
1. When Germany invades a country and this results in the death of over 10% of the population from starvation and execution, people will remember it for a long time. Don't you agree?
2. When Germany refuses to help a smaller country that asks for help, because "they have corruption" and gives morality lessons making their position even worse than it was before, while at the same time, Germany makes a shitload of money with Putin (the uncorrupted!)... people will remember it for a long time. Don't you agree?
And I am talking about Ukraine. Or about Greece.
3. When Germany is telling everyone that they are the supreme moral pacifists and that's the reason they don't spend money for the defense sector of the EU and they don't want to send tanks to Ukraine, but at the same time they make a lot of money from arms exports and they are the largest producer of tanks in Europe... people will question the German motives or call them hypocrites. Don't you agree?
Do the Germans really have to ask "why always me?"
That magazine is Dutch, but you are right that the issue was seen similar in Germany. And I guess no German has an issue if you see those measures taken at the time as a mistake (even in Germany the opinion was quite split if that was the right or wrong thing to do at the time and history has taught us it was likely wrong).I won't get much into this because it's not the right thread, but since you're getting some stick, I thought why not.
The feelings in Portugal regarding Germany are very similar on the part of many people. Sure, portugal had (and still has) problems with corruption, but the troika, led by merkel, germany and the imf, imposed a brutal austerity on the country, the situation got much worse than it was before. And years later, the conclusion was that most of those austerity measures were a mistake, the imf admitted so, they were not necessary and just made things worse for millions of people already economically vulnerable. People who haven't recovered to this day and had their lives ruined forever. These people exist now, they're not notes in history books.
There are plenty of articles explaining how the austerity imposed in southern european countries was effectively a bailout of german banks. How the euro benefits germany far more than portugal for example. How it was the german government that advised the portuguese government to take some measures they later identified as causes to the request for help on our part. Many things that there's no reason for the average german to care about but that have a deep impact on the people who are on the wrong end of the stick.
Adding to this, the clear xenophobia in some german/dutch/northern european publications at the time (I remember well the magazine covers), implying portuguese only want to party and drink and not work because we are lazy, compared to the hard working northern europeans. This was just the first that come up on google, not even sure if it's german but there were many similar ones:
Probably the average german (or folks not in southern europe) doesn't understand the impact their decisions had in countries like portugal or greece and why that makes it so hard to believe germany actually cares for the common good and their decisions are viewed with suspicion. It's easy to discard this as some basic anti-german historical feeling, when in fact, it's about very recent stuff from which many folks are still suffering.
Anyway, just my 2 cents on this
Italy’s military is not great but it is better than Poland’s, Latvia’s or Estonia’s. So it is disgraceful from them.Not to disrespect Italy, but everyone already knew that their military is in a very poor state. However, I agree with you about France deserving more stick because they are disgracefully bad in the amount of military aid sent, especially when their military industrial complex currently has a hard time finding clients compared to other big weapons sellers.
You're also seen as the de facto leader of Europe, so the other countries expect you set an example. Never mind events of the distant past, everybody remembers Schroder getting into bed with Russia and nobody really liked Merkel either. From the Italian persepctive Europe has always seen Germany as a bit aloof and not to be totally trusted.Terrible PR due to the reluctance of our chancellor. So at least part of that is self-inflicted and well deserved.
But a lotof it is what is always happening. Anti-German sentiments are the go-to option for some countries/parties in some countries whenever something in Europe goes wrong. As Germans we are used to (at least our government) being "literally Hitler" because it does (or doesn't) do something. Especially the Polish PiS is remarkable in that regard, but of course there are also people like our resident Greek economy victim @frostbite
Aren't the French very quiet on what they're providing Ukraine? I could be wrong but I recall reading that.Kind of crazy how much stick Germany gets compared to France and Italy, that are barely mentioned. France in particular has an army stronger than Germany, and has given feck all to Ukraine, but no one criticizes them.
I suspect that when eventually some kind of ceasefire-peace deal happens, Macron will want to be front right and centre selling himself as an honest broker. He's so into himself.Aren't the French very quiet on what they're providing Ukraine? I could be wrong but I recall reading that.
I won't get much into this because it's not the right thread, but since you're getting some stick, I thought why not.
The feelings in Portugal regarding Germany are very similar on the part of many people. Sure, portugal had (and still has) problems with corruption, but the troika, led by merkel, germany and the imf, imposed a brutal austerity on the country, the situation got much worse than it was before. And years later, the conclusion was that most of those austerity measures were a mistake, the imf admitted so, they were not necessary and just made things worse for millions of people already economically vulnerable. People who haven't recovered to this day and had their lives ruined forever. These people exist now, they're not notes in history books.
There are plenty of articles explaining how the austerity imposed in southern european countries was effectively a bailout of german banks. How the euro benefits germany far more than portugal for example. How it was the german government that advised the portuguese government to take some measures they later identified as causes to the request for help on our part. Many things that there's no reason for the average german to care about but that have a deep impact on the people who are on the wrong end of the stick.
Adding to this, the clear xenophobia in some german/dutch/northern european publications at the time (I remember well the magazine covers), implying portuguese only want to party and drink and not work because we are lazy, compared to the hard working northern europeans. This was just the first that come up on google, not even sure if it's german but there were many similar ones:
Probably the average german (or folks not in southern europe) doesn't understand the impact their decisions had in countries like portugal or greece and why that makes it so hard to believe germany actually cares for the common good and their decisions are viewed with suspicion. It's easy to discard this as some basic anti-german historical feeling, when in fact, it's about very recent stuff from which many folks are still suffering.
Anyway, just my 2 cents on this
"Russia launched 70 missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, 47 of which were intercepted" - CNN.UA defense brought down about 47 out of 55 missiles sent from the orcs.
Speaker of AF said 59 actually. I don't know where 55 or 70 comes from, since everyone actually quote his words."Russia launched 70 missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, 47 of which were intercepted" - CNN.
"Russia launched 70 missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, 47 of which were intercepted, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its daily operational update on Facebook.Speaker of AF said 59 actually. I don't know where 55 or 70 comes from, since everyone actually quote his words.
Everywhere I've seen report it is saying 55 tbf, including CNN.Yeah, heard it in some news on the radio while working, might have heard wrong.