Earlier quoted context omitted.
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Any ideas why blackouts are widespread in Ukraine but not throughout Russia?
Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
261–270 of 465 posts
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#262Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agreed. This is a rational response to the USA's protective umbrella being discarded, and the end of NATO. Europe became far too complacent, and the change is going to be quite uncomfortable at the very least. Again, this is a very rational response and I applaud the German government for being realistic.
You have a source for NATO ending, I’m sure?
Trump being re-elected was the death knell, let's be honest. We are on our own here now. The next few years will make or break us.
Our only hope is European Federalization, at the very least militarily. I believe we can do it. We must. We have no other choice.
As far as evidence, "generally waves hands around." See the Trump/Putin surrender proposal. Also, see: https://www.france24.com/en/video/20251206-us-threatens-with...
Just that threat of weakness from the US side is the end of traditional NATO.
US forces were what kept us together militarily. We MUST find the new path quickly.
I post this with a tears dropping from my eyes, genuinely.
No matter who is reelected in the USA in the future, the US-led post-war rules based order is over. Something new must take its place. It best be Democracy. We took it for granted all this time. This could its last chance.
Here is some interesting reading:
> The West’s Last Chance
> How to Build a New Global Order Before It’s Too Late
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/wests-last-chan...
- Alexander Stubb, President of Finland
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#263Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think a lot of young people look at all of the wars waged post-WWII and are rightfully opposed to fighting for their governments. Would you want to die for nothing in Vietnam? Probably not, and a lot of other people didn't want to as well. Some of them did anyway, and it was all for nothing. So please have some grace if today's kids have looked back at our miserable history and have decided that they'd rather not d…
Putin will happily take over your home, even if you thought Viet Nam was a waste.
You mean the home of a boomer that you have to continuously pay an ever-increasing share of your wages for so he can just sit there and live off your labor?
I don't think you'll find much sympathy for that class among the people this reform is targeting.
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#264Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm in the "recent" immigrants group. I qualify for citizenship since a few years, but this Wehrpflicht nonsense is why I haven't sent my application yet. I don't think that the social situation is as bad as you describe. I just think that people generally don't feel keen to put their life on the line for Germany.
I think if you want the benefits of living in a country then you should be willing to defend it. This attitude of entitlement without responsibility is exactly what gives migrants a bad name.
I'm not getting any benefits. I was raised and educated elsewhere. I have no access to most social services. I have no kids. I'm here to pay taxes and get the bare minimum back. The services I've been getting were really nothing to write home about.
Ever since I moved here, the law made it very clear that this was a transactional relationship. That cuts both ways.
I uphold German values in my everyday behaviour. Killing for Germany was never on the table.
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#265Earlier quoted context omitted.
The male surplus is a few tens of thousands, way to small to make up an army; and no, that is not the reason why men and not women go to war.
The reason for war has always been to kill off young men, since they are disposable fertility wise and an internal threat to current holders of power. This has been the case since the stone age and will be the case until the end of time.
That was the topic of T.H.E.M. by G.C. Edmonson (or so I remember -- I read the translation "Die A.N.D.E.R.E.N." many years ago).
Made for a good story, reality is a bit more complex methinks. There's after all a lot of money to be made with war.
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#266Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm in the "recent" immigrants group. I qualify for citizenship since a few years, but this Wehrpflicht nonsense is why I haven't sent my application yet. I don't think that the social situation is as bad as you describe. I just think that people generally don't feel keen to put their life on the line for Germany.
> I qualify for citizenship since a few years, but this Wehrpflicht nonsense is why I haven't sent my application yet. First world problems... You will always be able to object military service, it's not difficult at all and absolutely won't be any time soon. I have a hard time imagining you to be forced to do alternative service. In case of actual war, when mobilization becomes a reality, well... your origin country…
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Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#267Just build nukes if you are afraid of Russia then nuke them if they try to invade. Ukraine is not as smart and gave up its nukes in the early 90s, and is now in the middle of a war for the last couple years.
And what happens when Russia launches nukes in response?
They've been threatening Europe for years to not cross a line otherwise they'll nuke. Lines were crossed and nukes were not launched.
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#268Earlier quoted context omitted.
> We're all the same. Nothing has been shown more effective at tearing down prejudices than actual exposure and confrontation. History is full of counter-examples.
Under scientific scrutiny it is not, tho. Contact interventions are considered the most effective tool to reduce prejudices across domains. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_hypothesis https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014971892...
If you want to get an idea of what a war situation would do to a society like Germany just remember Covid.
A battle between humanity and a virus deeply deeply divided our society. If I remember correctly Germany or Austria were ready to put non vaccinated people in jails.
About every lines of division deepens.
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#269Earlier quoted context omitted.
Speaking of things people pretend not to exist, Russian historiography frames WWII as lasting from 1941 to 1945. The USSR conspired with the Nazis to divide Europe[1], invaded Poland from the east in cooperation with Germany[2], held a joint victory parade when Soviet and German forces met[3], murdered the Polish people in an industrial manner[4], and so forth. Later, it pretended that the war began only in 1941 and…
"Conspired with the nazis to divide Europe" - was pushed to reach an agreement with Germany by the other parties, Soviet Union did realize the danger of the nazi regime, and this was not the preferred course, even for Stalin's regime. "Used only sarcastically in Eastern Europe" You just forgot to add "after decades of antirussian propaganda". And still, there are people who don't think about it sarcastically at all,…
So now Soviet Union was "pushed" to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and to attack independent countries? I'm sure modern Russia was also "pushed" to attack Ukraine and Georgia?
There's no need for antirussian propaganda. The Russian actions speak for themselves, have always done so, and will continue to do so.
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#270Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lol, that's not an exhaustive characterization of "this generation". Most people are in neither group. Also, the AfD folks would be rather fighting for Russia, the leftist activists will conscientiously object, and recent immigrants are not allowed to serve. Very weird to mention "second gen immigrants", as if ethnostate-ish racial tension is a wider issue in Germany and they are not normal citizens. I see no differe…
> Also, the AfD folks would be rather fighting for Russia This is what I was suspecting a bit. But how did they get there? didn't the people from the former German Democratic Republic (where AfD is very strong and a lot of recruits are) broke the wall to liberate themselves from Russia and the USSR? What happened in the last decade that they would now swing back to Russia?
For context, it's important to keep in mind the population density in former DDR regions is very low. Young people often flee towards bigger liberal cities, as soon as possible. Pronounced in eastern Germany, the AfD is a national problem.
In short: Propaganda. Germany is a major target of Russian influence. The AfD itself is heavily funded by Russia. There is no "old love" situation, Russia isn't representing socialist ideals or anything. (Russia wasn't loved back then either, btw.) Quite frankly, AfD followers often are just misled and detached from reason (e.g. objectively voting against their own interests). If you talk to them they often entertain some really fucking wild ideas and conspiratorial thinking. Of all parties in Germany, AfD has probably the most successful social media campaign, especially on TikTok. Mind you, the AfD's "not our problem"/"do nothing" position is aiding Russia in Ukraine. It's easy to put a nationalist/antisemitic spin on it.
Now, the leftist party is another story. There you find a completely misguided "old love" base, which is dogmatically "pacifist" and anti-NATO. They really should check the values Russia represents these days...