• DacoTaco@lemmy.world
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      30 days ago

      Even if it isnt russians this time, theyve been probing around in brussels. Drones over military bases, ddos of one of the bigger isp’s in belgium this week etc etc. I think, personally, something is hanging above our heads but im also sure belgium and eu have their hands full with how to handle the situation. Its like defusing a bomb lol

      • myrmidex@belgae.social
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        30 days ago

        Hands so full the Belgian prime minister had to fly to Egypt for the opening of the new museum.

  • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    And yet the Europeans are too cowardly to launch sabotage programs against the russians without US backing.

    That being said, respect to Poland and the Baltic nations for taking a sober understanding of what the russians are like.

    Merkel and Schroeder are some of the biggest enabler of russian genocidal imperialism in recent years.

    • 20cello@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Reacting to those 5yo provocative actions may lead to a war that no European wants. Not sure it’s just cowardice though, economical interests might have a role in the decision-making process.

      • tomiant@piefed.social
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        1 month ago

        Agreed. In fact the money and opportunism lies at the heart of tons of European problems. As long as we let our societies be guided by a profit motive instead of what we actually want and cherish and aspire to, things will only continue to devolve into chaos.

      • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        And appeasing them has not led to war?

        If they make small incursions into the Baltic nations, would you also support appeasement and enabling such actions?

        The reason I ask is that I have close friends living in the central EU and they’ve definitely mentioned the presence of an attitude of cowardice among certain people “let them have the Baltics, they probably won’t get to us”.

        What are those economic interests? What is the number? What is it as a percentage of annual EU GDP?

        • tomiant@piefed.social
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          1 month ago

          I think those are more emergent properties of many separate individual interests looking out only for themselves. I’d say “because money” is a big one in explaining why the working class is often less revolutionary than they are scared and pacified. Nobody wants to fight a war. Except Russia.

          • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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            1 month ago

            I don’t disagree (look at Schroeder, he is still walking free), but my point stands, the number is a tiny percentage of EU GDP.

            Even the costs saving of using russian gas were something along the lines of 0.2% of EU GDP (and thats ignoring the cost of the caustic effect that the russians have had on democracy and governance in EU).

        • 20cello@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          I’m not supporting anyone, I don’t know what’s the best way to deal with Russia, what i know is that if any European country decides to retaliate, that would be enough material for russian propaganda to legitimate further acts of war. But I may be wrong :)

          • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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            1 month ago

            That’s fair.

            enough material for russian propaganda to legitimate further acts of war.

            You should watch some russian propaganda. They already show “news” pieces about how their nukes can reach London and other European cities. That ship has sailed.

        • WanderingThoughts@europe.pub
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          1 month ago

          Exactly. It’s the classic salami slice method. Push a bit more, and if nothing happens go a bit further. They’ll keep doing that until they’re standing in Brussels or there is a serious reaction and pushback.

          • tomiant@piefed.social
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            1 month ago

            Have you seen Nightcrawler with Jake Gyllenhaal? There is a scene when he first starts out filming, and he shoots a scene, and a cop tells him to step back, and in a split second you can see in his eyes, “and what if I don’t?”. And he doesn’t move, and the cops goes for him, so he sprints away.

            That’s this.

            “How far can I push this? What are the consequences? If there aren’t any, I’ll keep doing it.”

    • tomiant@piefed.social
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      1 month ago

      And yet the Europeans are too cowardly

      As a European, I concur. Though I am quite sure there is a lot going on behind the scenes that we’re not privy to. For all her faults, I miss Angela Merkel. She was a galvanizing power of the EU, she wouldn’t have none of this shit.

      edit: upon further review, I have a more tempered attitude towards Merkel’s legacy. Getting involved with Russian gas was such a magnificently stupid idea from the start, I remember back then even thinking, what the shit, we are going to let European energy be dictated by the whims of Putin? That doesn’t sound like a great plan. But money…

      • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        Of course there is support by EU of Ukrainian strikes against Russia.

        But EU is not directly targeting russia even though russia is directly targeting the EU (including drone attacks and airspace violations).

        The EU can’t even arrest Timchenko who is a citizen of Finland.

        Not to mention basic counter-intelligencence programs such as a review of all russian citizen and permanent residents (e.g. benefiting form the putin regime, but also evidence of support for genocidal imperialism on social media) in Europe.

        Thank god Merkel wasn’t the Chancellor when the russians launched the full scale invasion. For Ukraine, she would have been far worse than Trump. She would have sold us out for extermination by the russians (don’t forget Bucha and the massive kill list and internment program that was planned by the russians following “victory in three days”).

        Even in retirement she is working for the russians:

        Ex-German chancellor Merkel blames Poland and Baltic States for war in Ukraine (Oct 2025)

        I hope she ends up in a russian interment camp. But that is unfortunately unlikely to happen. I will settle for her getting Alzheimer’s (I don’t say that lightly, close family member had it, it’s a nightmare).

        • tomiant@piefed.social
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          1 month ago

          Not to mention basic counter-intelligencence programs such as a review of all russian citizen and permanent residents

          This is a big one, I have never heard anyone speak of it. In spite of Russian operatives being caught red handed on sovereign European soil time and again. Just imagine, in the days of the iron curtain and the KGB, when they sent spies and agents to infiltrate the highest level of governments all over the world back then. And today? Why, they can just waltz straight across any border with impunity, they must be laughing at the intelligence defence of Europe. Of course, democracy is kind of predicated upon openness and cooperation, it’s a strength, not a weakness, until the fascists come and break up the party.

          edit: upon reading the article, I must say that the assertion that she blames the Baltic states is overstated. She was proposing a strategy for dealing with Russia before the invasion that was shot down by the Baltics.

          • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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            1 month ago

            I used to live in russia (this was before they invaded Georgia). I have former friends who I know are supporters of russian genocidal imperialism (that’s why they became former friends), you can most probably still find the evidence for this on their social media.

            That being said, based on chatting with another friend who uses FB, they are bit more careful these days and tend to go with more implicit public statements of support “I hope there will be peace soon and I can visit Moscow via a direct flight from London”.

            • tomiant@piefed.social
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              1 month ago

              Yeah everyone is on board with fascist imperialism until it starts interfering with their vacation plans.