European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread - Page 1311

On February 22 2022 10:25 {CC}StealthBlue wrote:


Oh to be a fly on the wall in the Foreign Office of Germany. Tried to play both sides and not only did it not work out, you have pissed off NATO partners but the rest of Europe as well.

On February 22 2022 18:16 r00ty wrote:
It was always absolutely clear, that Ukraine could only expect symbolic help from Germany. I mean what did you guys expect? Us even sending a single soldier or military official is absolutely unthinkable without a UN mandate or a NATO defense case.
And no matter how this went and will end, Germany would have been and will be a loser. We seriously need to reduce our dependency on Russian gas and oil.
I'm an 80s child and bless my heart, supported the abolishment of nuclear power when i was still young and innocent. I started seing that as a mistake 10 years ago and i keep getting closer to just banging my head on the table about how stupid that was.

And no matter how this went and will end, Germany would have been and will be a loser.

On February 22 2022 21:49 r00ty wrote:


What did you expect? Germany being a bulwark for democracy and NATO membership for Ukraine? That was never going to happen. I don't support the actions of my government at the moment, i'm just being a realist, not even a single bullet will be sent. There's a multitude of reasons for that.

I may have a different perspective on our history and relationship with Russia and war in Europe though. My family already fought in Ukraine, people don't like to talk about that, you might still have heard about it. Imagine what happens, if Germans or even German weapons kill Russian citizens in Ukraine.

Pro western Ukrainians might be the Kurds of 2022. It's not the hill, the west is going to die on.

On February 22 2022 22:02 Erasme wrote:

I've stopped expecting anything but the worst coming out of Germany a long time ago
It's funny, I was heavily pro europe for a while, but now i find it harder and harder to justify that position. I just can't stomach Germany's blatant disregard for anyone's interests but their own

On February 22 2022 22:38 KlaCkoN wrote:


I am trying really hard to think of any action taken by France during the history of the European community that was for the sake of 'the community' rather than 'for the sake of France'. Any examples would be appreciated.
They can't even compromise on the pettiest of things, like CAP, or the dumb Strasbourg parliament circus. And at the same time they scream about "selfish Germans" because the Germans won't sacrifice their industrial competitiveness by halting energy imports from Russia. The hypocrisy stinks.

Like I even like Macron, and in the abstract I strongly approve of his rhetoric with respect to "Europe". And I guess that in some weird universe where the commission mattered I would have to vote for him over Merkel or some equivalent German. But in the end it is just rhetoric. When Macron or French people in general, say "European sovereignty" what they mean is "other people should pay us money to do stuff we want."

In the end it's why "Europe" as a political entity is so ephemeral right?, the German's aren't willing to sacrifice for a European good, the Poles aren't either, and the French most certainly aren't. So we are left with things that are obviously good for everyone and don't really require any sacrifice, like Airbus, or Horizon, or the single market. That will have to do.

For military protection we will continue to pay tribute to the American empire because their is no alternative. The Americans will continue to pretend to complain for dumb political reasons but their leaders are well aware that it's a great deal.

On February 22 2022 20:20 Kreuger wrote:
Looks like Nord Stream 2 is dead atm. Thats one good thing today atleast

Addressing lawmakers on Tuesday in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the first tranche of sanctions would target Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Bank.

The measures would also sanction three “very high net worth” individuals: Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg and Igor Rotenberg.

The individuals concerned will see their U.K. assets frozen and be banned from traveling to the country, Johnson said. All U.K. individuals and entities will also be barred from having dealings with them, he added.

On February 22 2022 23:42 {CC}StealthBlue wrote:


I'll believe it when I see sections of it being dismantled. Which we won't.

On February 23 2022 00:10 LegalLord wrote:

Feels like I've heard screaming of "geopolitical independence by way of renewables" for years now, but the result looks a lot more like buying solar panels from China, oil & gas from whoever will sell it, and purchases from sketchy countries of any and every rare earth metal needed to power the so-called green revolution (lithium, neodymium etc).

Want energy independence? Try coal and fracking. It's not a feel-good answer, but it's a better one than hoping for hurricane-level winds so that your country doesn't have to use fossil fuels today. A green solution that actually works will take a lot more planning than was put into any of this.

On February 22 2022 23:42 {CC}StealthBlue wrote:


I'll believe it when I see sections of it being dismantled. Which we won't.



Source

indeed, all we have now is 'halted certification'. Which is just a fancy way of saying 'we will wait for the current public perception to move on and then do it anyway'.

On February 23 2022 00:28 m4ini wrote:


Yeah no shit, it would be absolutely retarded to do so. The thing is built. It does make absolutely no difference whether or not it gets dismantled or just not certified, the effect objectively is the same other than some random not being satisfied for some reason. Do you even understand the difference between sanction and punishment?

What would be the point of dismantling it? If Putin rows back tomorrow, which he won't obviously - but lets assume, then there's nothing speaking against opening Nordstream, since we very much have on record that germany is willing to put a knot in it if Putin misbehaves - and isn't blackmailable like experts on reddit, and probably you too, explained.

Any news on the Superbowl?



No, what that means is that it's halted until the situation is resolved, one way or another. This isn't the US, or the UK for that matter.

Nordstream might come back, sure. For that, certain requirements need to be fulfilled.

How people genuinely with a straight face argue that Nordstream as a sanction needs to be gone entirely when the entire point of a sanction is that it's reversible in case the situation improves/resolves is absolutely ridiculous.

Yeah, they dismantle Nordstream tomorrow. What now, what incentive has Putin now to make good on things? Not that he would in the first place, not just yet - but it's shocking how stupid some people are here.

Also: lol at the UKs sanctions. All bluster, no balls - much like the US and the rest of europe. Big talk, tiny dicks.