Are you likening that to Russia hankering for Kiev without consulting them? — Paine
Stable borders are the pre-requisite of a democracy and they therefore cannot be established democratically. — unenlightened
If your Chez is actually attacked, and you choose to fight the attackers, that could reasonably be called self-defense. As a concept, that is not co-extensive with the question of boundaries, but neither are the ideas mutually exclusive of each. — Paine
The shared rule. — neomac
If we can't converge on such basic level, we remain unintelligible to each other. — neomac
The shared rule. — neomac
If we shared a rule we would have agreed on the first proposition. If there were some rule (which we agree on) that can be used to demonstrate the truth of a rational argument, such that it compels me to believe "you committed fallacy X", then it could have been used in the first place to compel me to believe your original proposition. I don't see why it suddenly becomes more compelling when used to argue for a fallacy. — Isaac
If we can't converge on such basic level, we remain unintelligible to each other. — neomac
Nonsense. I can vaguely understand people even talking to me in a foreign language. Most of our words are just fluff. We needn't agree on much. I determine most of my opinion about what you mean from my experience of people and assumptions about what kind of person you are and what you might likely be trying to say. You become a character in my story, playing a role I determine. You'll fit that role all the while it's not overwhelmed by evidence to the contrary because it's easier for me to predict your behaviour that way. It's just basic cognition. We're not powered by words and their meanings, we're powered by predictions, stories, expectations. — Isaac
What do you think is good about it?
It talks about Europe as a "muscular geopolitical protagonist", Germany as having to reinvent itself to arm itself and Ukraine against aggression, etc. A lot of war trumpeting. — Tzeentch
You called it a good article, that's why I asked.
To me it smells of the kind of war rhetoric that must've been prevalent before World War I, but if anything I share your worry. — Tzeentch
The US is just waiting for Russia to exhaust itself. Putin seems happy to allow the event to tear a new butthole for Russia, so I guess the wait will be extended. — frank
I think we all know the US is sending funds to Ukraine that could be used to fix our elderly infrastructure. No need to remind us. — frank
the Germans' servile attitude beyond shameful, and as indicative of the relationship between the US and Europe - one of vassalage [...] European political leaders are servants of the American agenda — Tzeentch
riddled with babbling bureaucracy thumb-twiddling impotence sitting-on-hands — Dec 7, 2022
NATO has also helped dull national attention to defense — Jan 13, 2023
lot of war trumpeting — Tzeentch
Invasion/attacks multipronged, like conventional (e.g. artillery), intimidation/terrorism-like (bombing throughout, building instability, insurgency), cultural (e.g. re-enculturation, suppression), political (e.g. narrative-hijacking, annexations by fakery, land grab, propaganda) — Jan 10, 2023
I’m unable to solve this problem despite all my connections and contacts. Those who interfere with us trying to win this war are absolutely, directly working for the enemy. — Prigozhin (Al Jazeera, Feb 20, 2023)
The chief of general staff and the defence minister give out orders left and right not only to not give ammunition to PMC Wagner, but also to not help it with air transport. There is just direct opposition going on, which is nothing less than an attempt to destroy Wagner. This can be equated to high treason. — Prigozhin (France 24, Feb 21, 2023)
They didn’t give us ammunition, and they still don't. It’s now 10 o'clock in the morning on 22 February. No steps have been taken to issue ammunition. What’s the problem? I will explain. I’m posting a photo below. This is one of the gathering places of the dead. These are the guys who died yesterday because of the so-called shell famine. There should have been five times fewer of them. — Prigozhin (Ukrainska Pravda, Feb 22, 2023)
So far, it's all on paper but, so we have been told, the principal documents have already been signed. I would like to thank all those who helped us do this. You saved hundreds, maybe thousands of lives of guys who are defending their homeland, gave them a chance to move on with their lives. — Prigozhin (Reuters, Feb 23, 2023)
By the way, I can think of some that would like the US going all isolation and NATO closing up shop. Can't tell if that's what you're suggesting here; is it? — jorndoe
Hmm Are you deliberately skipping who's doing the warring here, ... — jorndoe
By the way, I can think of some that would like the US going all isolation and NATO closing up shop. Can't tell if that's what you're suggesting here; is it? — jorndoe
If European leaders are incapable of serving European interests, NATO is a threat to European security. — Tzeentch
I remember reading that actually in Russia there's no legal stature for PMC's like Wagner to exist in Russia, which fits quite well to the dictators gameplay: even the existence of these groups is totally dependent on Putin.FYI, how things are done in Moscow, reported by different sources, Yevgeny Prigozhin complains about his mercs not getting enough ammo from the Russian army to kill Ukrainians: — jorndoe
:up:If European leaders are incapable of serving European interests, Europeans better be outside NATO. Feeling better now? — neomac
suspect that the Pentagon's stated aim, "to severely weaken Russia.", is the bigger culprit. — Manuel
expected but disgusting nonetheless. — Manuel
Are Finland and Sweden going to make it into NATO or not? — frank
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