Looks like nothing about the US border.
The House might not bring it to a vote unless pressure increases on the Speaker somehow.
In related news, the House impeached the Homeland Security Secretary today over the border.
General Politics Three: But what is left/right?
- Thread starter Samson
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Looks like nothing about the US border.
The House might not bring it to a vote unless pressure increases on the Speaker somehow.
In related news, the House impeached the Homeland Security Secretary today over the border.
Core Imposter
Felon
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Did you tell those folks in DC cause I don't think they noticed.
Snowygerry
Deity
Hm - even without the US we would still want to be allied with the others, for us it is particularly important to cooperate with the neighbouring nations, France, Germany, UK and the Netherlands, Denmark.
Belgium is very small, modern artillery shoots straight across it, our F16 pilots can hardly complete their post take-off checks before they reach the border, only way to operate a military here is in some form of multinational alliance.
NATO's primary function is ofcourse to protect the trans-Atlantic trade routes and the Channel.
In more general terms - you either compete or cooperate, it is not practical to compete with all, so you ally with some to compete with others, in this manner you shape and control your surroundings which is ultimately beneficial to the individual.
Alliances have been formed since the beginning of history, it's a force multiplier, cowboys join a posse, criminals join a gang, nations join an alliance
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Snowygerry
Deity
Well yes, as above, if you mean the value to the US, I'm sure you don't need me to explain that...
Reps and Dems don't agree on anything else but they do agree that US leaving NATO would be a bad idea,
so if you're not leaving, and we're not leaving, I guess we're stuck with eachother
Trump's NATO comments might scare lawmakers but even Republicans voted to make it nearly impossible for him to leave the alliance
Trump or any future president would need a two-thirds vote from the Senate to withdraw from the major defense alliance.
www.businessinsider.com
You act like Nato has two countries, one of which is the US.
Besides, there is no Nato without the US, but certainly plenty of Natos where up to quite a few other countries leave. Even within current Nato the serious or even half-serious armies are few and far between.
Besides, there is no Nato without the US, but certainly plenty of Natos where up to quite a few other countries leave. Even within current Nato the serious or even half-serious armies are few and far between.
Snowygerry
Deity
Well that's your opinion, Lex asked for my perspective.
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On reflection, an open-ended commitment to buy endless over inflated weaponry from the US arms sector, scaled directly to economic growth, actually does sound a bit like the protection racket Trump seems to imagine.
List of countries with highest military expenditures - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
A nation like Switzerland, with full deployable militia spends, 0.8 of gnp according the table above.
NATO is an incredibly wasteful organisation, on account of the US' useless wars mostly, but also because we buy expensive US weapon systems like the F35 that are rarely delivered in time, and sufficient numbers.
Strictly for self-defence, we'd probably be better off without it.
Snowygerry
Deity
At moment the bottleneck is not the available funds, but production capacity, even if we ordered an extra 30 F35s or just a single patriot battery they wouldn't be available, worse we would compete with those that might actually need them, the Germans wanted to spend 100 billion iirc, they could only spend 3.
www.dw.com
What happened to the German military's €100 billion fund? – DW – 03/02/2023
A year ago, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to upgrade the Bundeswehr with a massive one-off fund. Critics say not much has happened since.
www.dw.com
Broken_Erika
Play with me.
Delhi: Farmers face tear gas trying to resume march to India capital
Indian police have used tear gas for a second day to stop farmers demanding minimum crop prices from marching on the capital Delhi.Mostly from Punjab state, the farmers are still 200km (125 miles) from Delhi at the Shambhu border in Haryana state.
The capital is ringed by razor wire, cement blocks and fencing on three sides to block their entry.
On Tuesday, Haryana police had fired tear gas after farmers began removing barricades on the way.
Later at night, farm leaders called a "ceasefire" and said they would resume their march in the morning.
Video footage on Wednesday morning showed thousands of riot police and paramilitary troops deployed along Delhi borders to keep the protesters away.
Farmers on the Shambhu border have been distributing protective eyewear to protesters as police deployed tear gas shells to stop their march.
Farm leaders there also held a press conference, alleging that plastic and rubber bullets had been used against them.
They also criticised the media coverage of the protests saying a perception was being created that farmers were "terrorists" or aligned with opposition parties.
"We have nothing to do with anyone else," farm leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told reporters. "Our demands have been the same from the very beginning."
Mr Pandher appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi "to give us a law for MSP".
Minimum support price (MSP) is a guaranteed price that allows farmers to sell most of their produce at government-controlled wholesale markets, or mandis. The farmers are also demanding that the government fulfil its promise of doubling their income.
Farm leaders say at least a dozen farmers have been detained by the police since Tuesday, the day the protest march began after two rounds of talks between farm unions and federal ministers failed to break the deadlock.
More than 200 unions are participating in the march and the farmers aim to reach the capital after crossing the state of Haryana.
On Tuesday, images from the city of Ambala, 200km north of the capital, showed thick clouds of tear gas. At the Shambhu border, clashes broke out between police and protesters as they tried to press past the barricades. Police dropped tear gas on the crowd using drones.
Several protesters were injured in the police action. Security personnel also suffered injuries from stones pelted at them by the protesters.
Traffic jams and disruptions were reported across Delhi as authorities diverted routes and blocked roads.
Earlier, Mr Pandher told ANI news agency that there were approximately 10,000 people at the Shambhu border. Calling the attack on the farmers "shameful", he said, "we are farmers and labourers of the country and we do not want any fight".
Farmers form an influential voting bloc in India and analysts say the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be keen not to alienate them. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third consecutive term in power in general elections this year.
"Our objective is that the government listens to our demands," Mr Pandher had said ahead of the march.
In 2020, protesting farmers had hunkered down for months, blocking national highways that connect the capital to its neighbouring states. Their year-long protest, seen as one of the biggest challenges to Mr Modi's government, forced the authorities to rollback controversial agriculture reforms.
The protesters have received some support from the Punjab and Haryana High Court which has said that as citizens of the country, the farmers had the "right to move freely".
India's opposition leaders have also extended support to them and condemned the government's attempt to stop them from reaching Delhi.
Congress party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday that they would enact a law to guarantee minimum price for the farmers if the party was voted to power in the elections.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-68271364
One US general thinks that Trump dislikes NATO simply because he hates obligations. He even calls him a "mafia-type" in the article.
Snowygerry
Deity
People seem to forget he lost the election, who gives a flying f. what he likes, let's see him win an election first for a change
Farm Boy
I hope you dance
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Wonder what greases production capacity. We'd need less if we didn't pledge our sons for everywhere. Especially nonreciprocal pledges. Like I said, if it won't be paid for in easy times under weird half-promises then it definitely won't be honored when it's hard and costs kids.At moment the bottleneck is not the available funds, but production capacity, even if we ordered an extra 30 F35s or just a single patriot battery they wouldn't be available, worse we would compete with those that might actually need them, the Germans wanted to spend 100 billion iirc, they could only spend 3.
What happened to the German military's €100 billion fund? – DW – 03/02/2023
A year ago, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised to upgrade the Bundeswehr with a massive one-off fund. Critics say not much has happened since.
The markets have been cruddy.
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Tasmanian election called a year early, for March 23. This is mostly notable because if Labor win, it will eliminate the last Liberal Party government in the country, leaving nine Labor governments federally and in the states and territories. That'll mean the mayor of Brisbane is then pretty much their most powerful elected government member.
The trigger was, loosely, members quitting the government over a controversial plan to build a new stadium in order to meet prerequisites to get Tasmania granted a professional football team.
The trigger was, loosely, members quitting the government over a controversial plan to build a new stadium in order to meet prerequisites to get Tasmania granted a professional football team.
Snowygerry
Deity
Well for sure throwing money at our army will not increase your production capability, much wiser is investing in our own production, which might as well be in the US.
Belgian government approves strategic partnership with FN Herstal - European Security & Defence
On 10 November 2023 the Belgian government approved a long-term strategic partnership with Belgian defence manufacturer FN Herstal.
euro-sd.com
Snowygerry
Deity
It has to be flexible as well, foreign affairs are always unpredictable :
bulgarianmilitary.com
Brazil refused, so Belgium to produce Leopard 1A5 ammunition
The Belgian government, through its local KNDS branch company, was given the task of manufacturing 105 mm tank ammunition for the Leopard 1 from Ukraine.
bulgarianmilitary.com
Snowygerry
Deity
Well scale is not our forte here, small is beautiful, scale is for the Germans they are plenty
Lexicus
Deity
@Farm Boy curious to hear your thoughts on this interview
jacobin.com
How the Ruling Class Became Vulgar
Old-money WASPs once ruled America with an air of clannish exclusivity. Then the economic crises of the 1970s upended their world, opening the corporate floodgates to new-money barbarians — and replacing elite social norms with wanton money lust.
jacobin.com
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