Live data from Hacker News

Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

bbc.com

381–390 of 465 posts

Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

#381

Europe in general, most countries, are being shaken awake from a long slumber by a number of recent and current events.

The threat was always there but Western side of the continent tricked itself into this narration that normal relations with Russia can be established. While countries who were trapped in Warsaw Pact/Eastern Bloc for nearly a half of the previous century knew already that you can never trust Russians.

Some of Central-Eastern politicians were warning the rest of the continent but they were ridiculed, portrayed as populists or blinded Russian-haters, and "only" full-scale invasion of Ukraine was needed so Western countries would finally understand that imperialistic aspirations of Moscow never went dormant.

Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

#382

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody would take seriously the characterization of Europe being under a NATO 'occupation'. That said, for the first half of my life, much of Europe was under a literal occupation by Russia. As a reminder: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Wall

If you are doubting these statements of mine, how about you look up the great evils the American govt has inflicted unto Americans themselves? I'd start with MKULTRA, the Kent State massacre and go through COINTELPRO files. Then you will slowly be able to move on to US-led election frauds in Europe, and NATO-funded nazi death squads in Switzerland.

Those examples are so tame that it would be absurd to continue. Wikipedia has plenty of information on the USSR - its gulags, war crimes, repression, etc.

Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

#383

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Congratulations, USSR, young people have forgotten you entirely! /s That said, it is still insultingly wrong to blame even America and the USSR together for starting 'all wars on the planet' since WWII. To quote the great historians Chris Hughes and Roland Orzabal: "everybody wants to rule the world"

Honestly, even intra commie wars were also triggered by the US Empire, and for these, Soviets were extraordinary foolish, I will give you that. But I stand my ground; behind the vast majority of wars since WW2, there is the American architect.

We'll have to agree to disagree. Cheers.

Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

#384

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm also aware of NATO expansion This is the Russian way of putting it. Guess what, NATO doesn't "expand". Each and every NATO member had to apply for membership themselves, after a national decision to do so. Any guesses why all Russian neighbours want to be NATO members?

Keep on ignoring Western intelligence influence on color revolutions and political instability at your own peril. I'm out.

Of course you're "out" when an inconvenient question lands in your lap.

I'll ask you again.

For how long has NATO been on russia's border?

I know you've seen this comment. I know you've downvoted it and ignored it because it's at odds with your sympathy towards terrorists.

And all this from a guy who has never actually even been to russia.

palm_penetrating_forehead.gif

Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

#385
post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These arguments always try to imply that both sides are equally bad, which is not the case (by far).

> These arguments always try to imply that both sides are equally bad, which is not the case (by far). You have actually no way of knowing the truth

I do.

When I was sitting in my home in Odesa, Ukraine, on February 23rd, 2022, one side was saying that the russians were going to invade, and the other side claimed that this was Western russophobic hysteria.

Do you remember what happened next? Do you? Tell us. What happened? Was there an invasion? Was there a war? Were there drones and tanks and missiles and rapes and tortures and hundreds of thousands of people dead and cities razed and millions displaced?

Who could possible know these things!?

HuuRR DuuURrR YoU HaVe aCtUaAllyt no WaY oF kNoWiNg ThE TrUtH DuyrrRR

Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

#386

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bit hard to paint Portugal, Spain, France, and Britain as Russia's neighbours. All enthusiastic NATO members.

You may have to read my comment again, I was not reinventing geography.

I didn't say you were. I live in a NATO member myself which is nowhere near Russia and yet keeps baiting Russia and using it as an easy scapegoat for its issues... Now and then it's true. Thankfully I haven't been accused of being a Russian bot for a while. :)

Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

#387

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Soviet Union rather than Russia. Subtle distinction, but tens of millions of Soviets were not Russian.

Technically true, but 'Russia' works fine, in practice.

Not just technically true, but the reality for vast areas such as the Ukraine and Kazakhstan etc which existed even then. There were numerous cities such as Vilnius or Dushanbe where most of the population did not speak Russian as a first or even native language or consider themselves Russian. It's like when people watch/read "Hunt for Red October" and call Captain Ramius a Russian... He isn't one, and it's a pretty key plot point that he isn't one, hence he defects.

Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

#388

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are doubting these statements of mine, how about you look up the great evils the American govt has inflicted unto Americans themselves? I'd start with MKULTRA, the Kent State massacre and go through COINTELPRO files. Then you will slowly be able to move on to US-led election frauds in Europe, and NATO-funded nazi death squads in Switzerland.

Those examples are so tame that it would be absurd to continue. Wikipedia has plenty of information on the USSR - its gulags, war crimes, repression, etc.

Oh yes, ofc, I have forgotten the 100mio who died of Communism. My bad! Funnily enough, the millions of soldiers who fought for it against nazism are counted as part of the death-by-communism. Same for the aborted babies, or the pedo and fascist filth who were rightfully imprisonned. Basically, everyone who dies under communism dies because of it, right? Unlike those who die under fascism, or of malnutrition, or of cold because they are unhoused by the West, those dont count towards death-by-capitalism, obviously.

Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

#389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Technically true, but 'Russia' works fine, in practice.

Not just technically true, but the reality for vast areas such as the Ukraine and Kazakhstan etc which existed even then. There were numerous cities such as Vilnius or Dushanbe where most of the population did not speak Russian as a first or even native language or consider themselves Russian. It's like when people watch/read "Hunt for Red October" and call Captain Ramius a Russian... He isn't one, and it's a pretty…

I don't know what to tell you. We used 'Russians' and Soviets interchangeably during the Cold War, even if it was technically inaccurate.

I'm not sure if anyone remembers the song 'Russians' by Sting anymore, but that's a good example.

This is like someone correcting me for saying 'an LP' instead of 'a vinyl' despite my being an analog native :)

Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

#390
post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If I remember correctly Germany or Austria were ready to put non vaccinated people in jails. Citation needed! I'm from Germany and followed the COVID rules real close. Please do not talk shit.

Sure https://www.fwp.at/en/news/blog/austrias-covid-vaccine-manda... > In Austria, people are to be obliged to be vaccinated against the Coronavirus from 1 February 2022. This measure includes a mandatory booster vaccination for people who have already been vaccinated. Compulsory vaccination is nothing new in Austria, as the Federal Act on Smallpox Vaccination of 30 June 1948 was accompanied by a measure that sanctio…

The mandate was never implemented, because it was deemed a disproportional measure at the time. So what's your point? And how is this possibly relevant for the issue at hand?

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19-Impfpflicht_in_%C3%96...

Post reply on HN