Comments by "Alan Friesen" (@alanfriesen9837) on "Could the EU save the Baltic nations from Russian military?" video.

If Finnish armies started showing up in Lithuania in this scenario, I think it's likely that Russia would attack Finland itself.
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@abraham2172 The EU has the same problems that the Holy Roman Empire had or that the American states had under the Articles of Confederation. If a United Europe formed up with a strong central government then they would be a superpower rivaling the United States and China. They would certainly surpass the power of Russia. But until they do, they will not be a superpower. Of course, many Europeans don't want to be a superpower. And Russia absolutely doesn't want them to become one.
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That's not the Second Korean War, that's World War Three.
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@errormatrix4159 So what if it wasn't a case of clear Russian aggression? What if one or more of the Baltic states poked the bear?
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@erikdekter2384 No I'm not. I don't think it's likely that one or more of the Baltic nations would antagonize Russia beyond passive-aggressive rhetoric, but if a nationalist government threatened the welfare of the ethnic Russians living within their state, I could see Russia considering that as provocation. And frankly, it would be.
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@vadfarkas14 About half of the Americans at the time of the revolution spoke German. I don't think language is that much of a barrier, but history…? Whether or not it ever comes to pass, Europe will be a superpower if they form a superstate. If they do not, then they will not. It's up to the people in Europe to decide whether they're willing to accept the costs in order to reap the benefits. I never said it was inevitable.
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@neolink8197 Actually there was a great deal of German immigration into the colonies and much of the interior was peopled by German speakers, particularly in Pennsylvania and what would later be Ohio. I was probably a little generous to suggest half of the population. I've been looking for numbers with limited success. I did come across one source that suggested that the vast majority of German speakers were first generation immigrants and that most colonists born in America had shifted to English. As to the Hessian mercenaries, they were a result of the same phenomenon that had so many Germans coming to America looking for a new future. Basically, with the destruction of the Holy Roman Empire in the Thirty-Years War (1618-1648) Germany was left in chaos with minor principalities, including the Electorate of Hesse-Kassel, trying to find their way in what was left of central Europe. Germany wouldn't be reunified until the North German Confederation was formed in 1867 and German speakers outside of Prussia, Austria and Bavaria were under severe pressure just to survive.
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@abraham2172 They're economically powerful enough to secure good trade terms. I don't know if that power is strong enough to shape policy in third countries. I may be selling them short. They might have the power, but not the focus of will because of their consensus-mandated structure.
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@abraham2172 It's a lot more likely to change if they consolidate their sovereignty into a central state. Sorry, I was just dreaming there.
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@timothylyons5686 World War Two started when the Japanese invaded Manchuria.
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@timothylyons5686 I was under the impression that the Germans were pretty candid about their history regarding the war and the years leading up to it. Am I mistaken?
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@timothylyons5686 That's interesting. Thanks for letting me know.
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You think Russia will switch sides in the middle of the war? I don't get the analogy.
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