4 ms·

Hot take that might derail but honestly the EU would at this point be the better super power. I'm not sure how that can happen at this point or even if a strong

Hot take that might derail but honestly the EU would at this point be the better super power. I'm not sure how that can happen at this point or even if a stronger EU would be good for the member states but it would be hell of a better thing for the world.

ethanbond 4y ago
Yeah I tend to agree minus the question of whether it could be the superpower. There’s an argument to be made that the EU was able to build the society that it has largely because of NATO (read: US) protection. IMO the Ukraine response has been pretty clear validation of this. The US has dumped far more resources into Ukraine than the EU has despite, obviously, the land army being zero threat to the US and existentially threatening to EU countries.
- squarefoot 4y ago
  Most of the EU depends on Russian oil, gas and wheat; we're slowly building independence from Russia, but it takes time. In the meantime, sanctions are slowly consuming Russia's economy and their ability to pump resources into their military; but they require time as well.
hollywood_court 4y ago
I agree. The US has regressed too much and there are many amongst us that wish to see it regress further. We have no place telling anyone else in the world how to live or how to govern. We can’t even educate or provide healthcare to our own. We’d rather throw people in prison than provide them with the basics required to be successful. The outlook becomes even worse when you look at our treatment of women and minorities.
belter 4y ago
The EU as a super power, would prioritize the dangers of Greek unpacked Olive oil and Cookie consent Modal windows...
- weard_beard 4y ago
  All search results would be blurred to protect children except for a new UK provider using an esoteric loophole called, “the double Dover”
- Bakary 4y ago
  Defending peaceful commerce, high-quality food ingredients, and privacy doesn't seem so bad.
- noobermin 4y ago
  vs. other frivolous things that are hot topics in the US, like whether it's divisive to call an ideology that lead an assault on its capitol dangerous? I'll take the olive oil
mindslight 4y ago
The EU has had the chance to step up to defend Ukraine with military aid, but seems to be hamstrung by entrenched interests in its nuclear powers, and a lack of desire to act outside the shadow of the US. I've been first in line to criticize the US military over the past few decades, including for its sheer size that makes it ripe for abuse (eg invasion of Iraq), but genocidal-resurgent Russia has shown that history hasn't ended quite yet.
- ptr 4y ago
  https://www.statista.com/chart/27331/countries-committing-the-most-of-their-gdp-to-ukraine-aid/ https://www.statista.com/chart/27331/countries-committing-th... Plenty of EU countries there.
  - mindslight 4y ago
    I apologize for having phrased my comment such that it implies European countries are not contributing. The Baltics, Poland, and Norway [0] are contributing outsized amounts to Ukraine. Russia's (most recent) invasion hits close to home for them, and it shows. Your chart actually illustrates what I was trying to say, which is that some of the largest EU countries, namely Germany, France, and Italy, have been hesitant to act on a larger scale that would possibly put them in the crosshairs of Russian retaliation. France, being the only sovereign nuclear power remaining in the EU, is particularly important. Having its largest countries be more willing to flex military power would let the EU act outside the shadow of the US and be considered a superpower in its own right. [0] News to me, albeit unsurprising.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

ethanbond 4y ago

Yeah I tend to agree minus the question of whether it could be the superpower. There’s an argument to be made that the EU was able to build the society that it has largely because of NATO (read: US) protection. IMO the Ukraine response has been pretty clear validation of this. The US has dumped far more resources into Ukraine than the EU has despite, obviously, the land army being zero threat to the US and existentially threatening to EU countries.

squarefoot 4y ago
Most of the EU depends on Russian oil, gas and wheat; we're slowly building independence from Russia, but it takes time. In the meantime, sanctions are slowly consuming Russia's economy and their ability to pump resources into their military; but they require time as well.

hollywood_court 4y ago

I agree. The US has regressed too much and there are many amongst us that wish to see it regress further. We have no place telling anyone else in the world how to live or how to govern. We can’t even educate or provide healthcare to our own. We’d rather throw people in prison than provide them with the basics required to be successful. The outlook becomes even worse when you look at our treatment of women and minorities.

belter 4y ago

The EU as a super power, would prioritize the dangers of Greek unpacked Olive oil and Cookie consent Modal windows...

weard_beard 4y ago
All search results would be blurred to protect children except for a new UK provider using an esoteric loophole called, “the double Dover”
Bakary 4y ago
Defending peaceful commerce, high-quality food ingredients, and privacy doesn't seem so bad.
noobermin 4y ago
vs. other frivolous things that are hot topics in the US, like whether it's divisive to call an ideology that lead an assault on its capitol dangerous? I'll take the olive oil

mindslight 4y ago

The EU has had the chance to step up to defend Ukraine with military aid, but seems to be hamstrung by entrenched interests in its nuclear powers, and a lack of desire to act outside the shadow of the US. I've been first in line to criticize the US military over the past few decades, including for its sheer size that makes it ripe for abuse (eg invasion of Iraq), but genocidal-resurgent Russia has shown that history hasn't ended quite yet.

ptr 4y ago
https://www.statista.com/chart/27331/countries-committing-the-most-of-their-gdp-to-ukraine-aid/ https://www.statista.com/chart/27331/countries-committing-th... Plenty of EU countries there.
- mindslight 4y ago
  I apologize for having phrased my comment such that it implies European countries are not contributing. The Baltics, Poland, and Norway [0] are contributing outsized amounts to Ukraine. Russia's (most recent) invasion hits close to home for them, and it shows. Your chart actually illustrates what I was trying to say, which is that some of the largest EU countries, namely Germany, France, and Italy, have been hesitant to act on a larger scale that would possibly put them in the crosshairs of Russian retaliation. France, being the only sovereign nuclear power remaining in the EU, is particularly important. Having its largest countries be more willing to flex military power would let the EU act outside the shadow of the US and be considered a superpower in its own right. [0] News to me, albeit unsurprising.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]