This is the most important comment I have heard this week — Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk:

“500 million Europeans are asking 300 million Americans to defend them against 140 million Russians […] Europe, if there is something we lack today, it is not economic or demographic power, but the belief that we are truly a global force.”

I think Tusk hits the bullseye here. Those 140 million Russians are already fully occupied by fighting Ukraine, and our leaders act like we are Liechtenstein.

@randahl

Also, lingering trauma from EW II, perhaps, where Ameticam troops did swoop in and rescue many.

If Europeans are behaving like trauma victims with unresolved fear, might be helpful to help them re-learn to fight back.

@randahl I think what we are lacking is a sense of unity.

There is still way too much nationalism and protection in the heads of most Europeans and most European politicians.

Especially the far right-idiots fail to understand that we need a strong united Europe not a bunch of little countries fighting each other. Now more than ever.

@randahl

@randahl It's now or never.

@randahl
That's a totally useless comparison of the Polish PM.

It doesn't matter how many people a country or Union has, the only thing that matters in the 'Age of the Bullies' is the actual military power.
And Europe - like it or not - is a dwarf in this regard compared to the USA.

@randahl

It really is pathetic. We could have helped Ukraine to end the war already. But, it's not too late if we act now: urgently boost military production in European countries and invest massively on defence at home and in Ukraine.

Russians losing. Let's get it through the line and help Ukraine defeat them this year.

@randahl Spot on.

@randahl The difference between the EU and and the US is that not every US state decides which part of the whole is worth defending on which ground and at which cost. At least in that regard, they have unity. Europe does not. Any attempt of evolving the EU into something more that a purely economic union has thus far failed spectacularly, because feudal lords prefer to squabble amongst one another.

@randahl #jesuisLiechtenstein ?

@randahl it's not 140 millions Russian though. It's a handful of oligarch, and the soldiers who do what they're told to do.

@randahl one way to muscle up is to start issuing ITAR right back at the US.

The US doesn't make all of its own weapons, and relies on Europe for a bunch of weapon components. Maybe Europe gets to start saying where the US gets to use or transfer weapons with European components.

That was kind of handwaved away while the US was a friendly ally and global hegemon. But if things are going to be fraught and transactional....

@randahl if we finally manage to create more solidarity, a closer together EU, with a common army and other EU.common setups to help with crisis and catastrophes, then this separation between EU and USA might even have a good and lasting silver lining.

@energisch_ @randahl separation is generally not a good thing in my opinion.

the more we are united the better.

main reason why the EU military cooperation never came further was that most countries didn’t want to upset NATO, and we generally is very happy with NATO.

but right now it looks like NATO is dying 😢
and all because of the orange man.

sad times indeed 😢

@randahl from minute 1 I called out this fact. #letsmakeeuropethegreatest

@randahl

Exactly, and allow themselves being bullied by a megalomaniac demented idiot…

Hope the wakeup call is there now.

@flashfox @randahl
Right until someone is attacking.

@TheDailyBurble @randahl Correct me if I'm wrong, but: Someone is attacking for the last three years, Europe is still squabbling

@randahl

I don't know how to re-post this over to here, so I'll just repeat:

There's real "Iraq War Energy" on the front page of the Post this morning.

The attitude towards the importance of other countries;

"Zelensky doesn't hold the cards" == "The support of every other country combined is as nothing compared to the USA."

And "...not a smart strategy" was very Iraq-War editorial. Nothing about ILLEGAL or IMMORAL, just "bad strategy".

It's like calling the Mafia a "bad life strategy".

@RoyBrander @randahl Haven't you heard? Moral considerations are "woke".

@randahl @northernlights I think the trauma of the US joining WW2 so late and only when Pearl Harbour forced their hand (as opposed to joining the fight against fascism on principle) - together with the permanent jingoism of the simplistic ‘we saved your ass’ line makes many in Europe, with any sense of history, feel deeply sceptical about US involvement. It’s deeply disrespectful to those who did fight in WW2 as well - US and others.

Europe needs to wake up now

@JimmyB @randahl @northernlights Yeah, we like to think we stood up and fought for the world against fascism but the truth is that Americans did NOT want to be involved in yet another European conflict and wouldn't support Roosevelt's desire to join the fight. He had to stick to humanitarian aid only (presidents hadn't yet decided they could just wage war without declaring it).

We also didn't give any fucks about Jews. We told them to fuck off and go back to Germany. I hope we didn't know.

@northernlights @crazyeddie @randahl yeah - there is so much ignorance - in Europe and the US about what actually happened leading up to and during WW2. But a lot of pub bores get off on the ‘we saved your ass’ line (the Brits about the French too of course) when a) clearly that’s simplistic and b) the individuals pushing this line typically couldn’t save a squirrel

@JimmyB @randahl @northernlights

WW2 was fought and won by the USSR.

@JimmyB @northernlights @randahl We did end up being pretty darn important once we finally did join in. I think our pride there is warranted and, until we squandered it, the appreciation and camaraderie our countries developed was really great and the US played a huge part in it.

But what we're asking for now is so beneath the pale I don't think that matters anymore. It's us who have squandered the blood we sacrificed.

@crazyeddie

“We did end up being pretty darn important once we finally did join in”

Sure. But that’s not really my point. In fact it’s sort of the counter point.

“I think our pride there is warranted”

I think that pride allows USians to not face who they really were - and are. I can say this coz it’s so true of us Brits too. Anyway. Here we are… more fascists to fight incl, again, a load of home grown ones

@northernlights @randahl

@JimmyB @northernlights @randahl A lot of history is cut out of public schools in the US. We get the happy happy glad glad version that paints us as heroes of Democracy. Anything else is gutted out or glossed over. And yeah, we don't know ourselves at all and will fight very hard to keep from learning.

@randahl

WHO:

>an alarming number of people continue to face food insecurity and malnutrition as global hunger levels have plateaued for three consecutive years, with between 713 and 757 million people undernourished in 2023—approximately 152 million more than in 2019 when considering the mid-range (733 million)<

>>and our leaders act like we are Liechtenstein.

Just sayin'.

@Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl

No, although Russia lost many civilians and soldiers.

Be careful that your anti-American attitude does not mean you lose track of reality.

@crazyeddie @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights I think the USA was still reeling from the great depression and our government pretty much going broke funding our WW I military bills. Lessons learned from that is why we did better after WW II and help Europe recover as it helped us to recover too.

Better minds/wordsmiths cover this much more elegantly then I.

@randahl Liechtenstein's army was probably the only one that came back from all its wars with more soldiers than it went.

@randahl Alternatively the issue is not simply numbers of people or economic power, it’s might be military and strategic power.

@randahl Yes, it is time for Europe to grow confidence again. We have lived in the shadow of the US for way to long.

@randahl @bert_hubert well, almost everybody had to learn how to get groceries, organise the fridge and find work when they finally moved out of the parents home and emancipated themselves. But it wasn‘t necessarily easy.

@randahl This. Nukes are the only thing that makes sense to me on why we give the Russian “government” any oxygen. The real trick will be if someone can glue together the 500 MM Europeans into a coalition strong enough to go without the US government.

@randahl it is a super bulls eye, very true

@randahl Mr. Tusk is framing argument with population to confront Russia. It's the danger of
conventional war turning into nuclear. That's why U.S. nuclear deterrent is paramount in supporting Ukraine.

@Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights WW2 was NOT fought and won by the USSR. It was fought and won with American industry *first and foremost* and with Soviet blood (with significant resources supplied by the US). By far the most effective Soviets were Ukrainians.

@samueljohnson @Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights

WW2 was won with Soviet soldiers, American industry, and British intelligence. (And also Congolese uranium, but nobody cares about Africa for some reason)

@burnoutqueen @Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights British intelligence did not "win the war". At best it shortened the war in Europe. It also relied heavily on work done by Polish mathematicians and cryptographers before the war. Significant, yes. Decisive, hardly.

@burnoutqueen @samueljohnson @Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights More Ukrainian soldiers died fighting the Nazis in WW2 than US, French and English put together.

@mok0 @samueljohnson @Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights

Ukrainians fought as part of the Red Army, and it was a constituent republic of the USSR.

@samueljohnson @burnoutqueen @Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights you're talking about cryptology. Radar was equally or more important, especially in the earlier stages of the war. Entirely British inventions drove it

@cliffordheath @burnoutqueen @Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights The most decisive factors were US industry and Soviet manpower. Hitler's stupidity arguably 3rd.

@burnoutqueen @mok0 @samueljohnson @Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights

The 1940s Churchill famines of Bengal fed the war effort.

@randahl It's time for Europe (EU) getting ONE country.
European Föderation. Countries now will get Staates then.
This ist what Trump fears.

@randahl America is not the country that fought WWII. And Europe is now more united, perhaps with the exception of Hungary. Europe has the industry and technology, perhaps it also has the will now, knowing that it must stand on its own, along with Canada. It can no longer depend on the formerly United States.
But even though he has divided the US into a shambles via Trump, Putin has failed. NATO will stand, even without the US.

@randahl one good thing that might come out of all of this is the US leaving Europe altogether. Their troops are present there as much to enforce European obedience as to deter the Russians.

@randahl Don't forget. The USA has always placed themselves in the leading position.

"European countries needn't develop nuclear weapons. We will provide the nuclear umbrella and will be central command."
Selling rocket systems that need their GPS systems.

Together with the hope/ believe in many (western) countries that Russia had become member of the international community and no longer the enemy has made us complacent.
The wake-up call is there, but getting our baring is not easy.

@randahl

The Simple Math ?
The History of 2 World Wars ?
Is this:
Threats happen, when a Bully has the power of the Atomic Bomb his population numbers don't matter?
So 140 million is enough
500 million?
Better get the Bomb
MAD is a concept that worked for 75 yrs
America under Trump the Sociopathic Pal to Putin/Russia is a game Changer
Get The Bomb
You may not like me saying it ?
But that is the course that has been set
The Freedom & Balance in the World/Planet depends on managing HELL'sDEVILS!

@randahl the 21st Century is in the nuclear age. In the nuclear age the size of one’s population does not define survivability.

To treat a conflict between nuclear powers in 2025 as if it is merely an echo of world wars from the last century is to mischaracterize the realities of now in vital ways.

"I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." - likely falsely attributed to Albert Einstein

@randahl
I guess it's not just about number of people but military equipment . People can't just fight against tanks, artillery, planes ...etc..
Unfortunately Europe will have to direct more resources towards this rather than more productive choices

@Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights It was fought and won by both. Without US material support the USSR fails. Without the USSR casualties, Germany stymies Normandy and kicks the allies off the continent and our of Africa.

@randahl Honestly this is the biggest issue with Europe. We (the US) can look at our top line defense spending and clearly see that it's unsustainable. Meanwhile we can peer over to a more wealthy Europe who spends less on defense and see that their armies are lackluster at best.

Bulk up. Take the decision to knock Russia down a peg out of our hands.

@randahl Europe will have to learn how to unite before that happens. It has a long history of being individual countries, so it's not as easy as it sounds.

@samueljohnson @cliffordheath @burnoutqueen @Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights

WW2 was three quarters of a century ago. Europe is now united but in a way Hitler or Stalin never imagined. As the US continues to tear itself apart internally Europe is coalescing into a democratic stronghold.

@randahl here's the original source of this quip I think:
https://xcancel.com/justkotekmeme/status/1890734857514328554

@davidaugust I am not seeing nuclear weapons making much of a difference for Russia in Ukraine, no matter the constant sabre rattling.

@randahl
The problem that despite being in the EU is that we still are thinking and very often if not most often act like separate, national states remains and that is our weak point!

We need to become a European Nation.

@randahl war is never about winning. War is always about losing lives. Who's talking about a win with millions of lives lost? Insane.

@Grovewest @samueljohnson @cliffordheath @burnoutqueen @Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights

I always have a laugh reading people argue about “who won ww2.”

https://theconversation.com/who-won-the-war-we-did-says-everyone-121767

@RaffKarva @Grovewest @cliffordheath @burnoutqueen @Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights Ggod article, but it's not a laughing matter. We see now, again, the consequences of the conceits national exceptionalism.

When I lived in the US I encountered "We should just nuke'em" attitudes (when people were asked about what the US should do about Poland during Solidarity period).

Why?

Trumpian ignorance and a Putinesque feeling of impunity & superiority. Evident in Brexiters too.

@RaffKarva @Grovewest @cliffordheath @burnoutqueen @Wouter_Pieterse @JimmyB @randahl @northernlights FWIW the best scholar of actual critical success factors in WWII (overwhelmingly logistics) is Philips O'Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies at St Andrew's University.

@samueljohnson

There is something deeply dystopian about folks who weren't born, taking some nationalistic credit for winning a war which they had nothing to do with, and to which the contribution of the forebears is controversial...

@RaffKarva @Grovewest @cliffordheath @burnoutqueen @Wouter_Pieterse @randahl @northernlights

@JimmyB @RaffKarva @Grovewest @cliffordheath @burnoutqueen @Wouter_Pieterse @randahl @northernlights The bigger issue, surely, is the delusions of impunity by citizens of historic imperial powers informed by misunderstanding of the past.

Citizens of smaller countries that have been subjected to domination by their larger neighbours generally don't suffer these.

@samueljohnson

Yes: we have a real issue with this stupidity.

To wildly misquote someone or other...

British patriotism is the art of believing that because you were born in Peckham, you are superior to Mozart.

We get fed this BS in our tabloids day after day. Murdoch and Lord Rothermere are guily of a lot here.

But overly long historic memories is not just the preserve of the colonialists.

@RaffKarva @Grovewest @cliffordheath @burnoutqueen @Wouter_Pieterse @randahl @northernlights