Comments by "Posthumanist" (@thornelderfin) on "TLDR News EU"
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@raze956 "self interest"? So you don't care about children being murdered, women raped and murdered, hundreds of thousands of people dead... you are "Not my problem, I have my own self-interests".
It's people who don't care only their own self-interest or their own ethnicity, race, country... that helped WWII to happen. When Hitler wanted to annex Czechoslovakia in 1938, France and UK threw it to Hitler as a sacrifice - in self-interest of peace. How did that work out for them? Also when France, Belgium, Netherlands and Norway got invaded and UK attacked, USA was milkwarm "Let Europeans fight their own war". How did that work out for them?
Do not ignore your neighbor being slaughtered, it's immoral and it will come for your too. So no, following only self-interest of your country is not morally acceptable, it is abhorent behavior.
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@UniDocs_Mahapushpa_Cyavana So you belive Russia has a say whether Slovaks can vote in a referendum to join EU and NATO or not. That Russia makes the decision about Slovakia, not people living here, because we are all idiots not able to make our own decisions about our own country. Same for Ukraine - if they want to join EU and NATO, you belive they are not really humans, so they don't have a right to make that decision, Russia has to make it. So by the same logic Slovakia makes the decision about who can and cannot be Russian president. This entire war is only because Slovakia was disrespected by Russians when they elected Vladimir Putin. Russians knew this will anger Slovakia, yet they did it anyway and now will be destroyed. ... See how your logic works, one country making decisions about another country instead of people living there. If Ukrainians want to join EU and NATO Russia has absolutely no say in that, same way if Russia wants to join CSTO or alliance with China, Ukraine has no say in that. Same thing. All humans are equal, so all countries must be equal as well, countries are just people.
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@Poctyk Alright, what you wrote now at least makes sense. Now the real world data:
GDP (PPP) per capita (I chose PPP to compare standard of living which influences someone's decision to move abroad / brain drain, not just GDP nominal, as higher wage is useless in a country that is extremely expensive to live in - PPP accounts for that)
Germany = $ 63,150 (World Bank, 2022, but IMF has very similar number)
Australia = $ 62,625 (World Bank, 2022, but IMF has similar number again)
I just run comparison of 30+ economy factors are Germany and Australia are remarkably similar in almost every aspect (per capita). Even very low uneployment rate.
Now average wages (no access to nominal ones):
Germany = $ 57,958
Australia = $ 63,864
In Australia, you earn a little bit more, but also life expenses are little bit higher, in the end you couldn't tell a difference on your personal finances living in one or another. Go and check the actual data.
GINI (income inequality index - important for wellbeing)
Germany = 29.7 (2017)
Australia = 34.3 (2018) (slightly worse)
Human Development Index (HDI)
Germany = 0.942
Australia = 0.951 (very slightly better)
You picked Germany as a representation of Europe/EU, not me.
You have some self-created image of Europe that is not based in facts and numbers. Europe is a mix of most developed and rich countries in the world (Switzerland, Luxembourg, Norway, Iceland) with developed, and several "on the way to be fully developed" (Central and Eastern). If Europe experiences slowdown in growth or even stagnation, it is still a very rich place with incredibly high standard of living. That's like saying that if US economy shrunk by -2% everyone would be starving and it would be a horrible place to live. No. Japan had 30 years of stagnation, and they are still incredibly powerful economy with very high standard of living.
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@hefywefy5331 I know you didn't mention Slovakia, but I will comment on it. 20 years ago Hungarian government was pushing the same agenda - that Hungarian native speakers in Slovakia are oppressed (same as Putin last year). When the truth was they were not oppressed at all. They live in the most fertile region of the country, they were not poor by any means, and were treated exactly as everyone else. But Hungarian government had a feeling they want to go back 100 years and rebuild Great Hungary. It just fueled our nationalists in Slovakia and they were getting more and more votes (only and only because of this). Then over the following decade Hungarian native speakers in Slovakia (10% of the population) united into one political party, got consistently 10% in every election and became part of the government, and pushed some small reforms like Hungarian schools and local government using Hungarian as an option and some road signs in Hungarian. All the tensions fell, and since then it is not even talked about anywhere. They were ALWAYS treated the same as everyone else in the country, and now they have special treatment with Hungarian language. They are doing really well financially and are happy where they are. Yet I read from time to time that Hungarians are oppressed here. How? I've been there many times, I've dated there, my extended family (not by blood) is from there, some of my friends are from there (all Hungarian native speakers), none of them ever complained to me, not once. So I am wondering if it's not similar in the other places you have named. How exactly are they oppressed there?
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@BladeTheWatcher I understand where you're coming from (official Russian numbers), but that is very inconsistent with what we see in reality. They claim to have 13000 tanks, yet we see absolute majority of them are derelict wrecks (satellite images, the cold storages are just large open fields / "tank parking lots") because they left it in the open for decades (not to mention those are T-62s (museum pieces) and T-72s (outdated)). In the end it's more like 3000 tanks that work and already desperately using T-62 on the battlefield. Similar with fighter jets. Claim to have 3000, we've seen barely 400 (most were already shot down). Same with soldiers - they claim 3 million soldiers (1 million active + 2 million reservists), yet they run out of soldiers at 0.2 million in Ukraine + some to defend borders, and had to mobilize 0.3 million and even those are no reservists, many of them have zero military training. Telegram is completely flooded with families of soldiers fundraising money so they can buy helmet and armor for their sons and husbands, because Russian army will give them a rifle (often rusty) and some uniform, that's all, everything else in their gear they have to buy themselves... so 3 million soldiers was a lie (like with the tanks and jets) and their ability to mobilize 25 million untrained soldiers is also a lie, because they don't have gear for even the existing ones. To understand that ALL NUMBERS out of Russia are fake, you would have to grow up under Russian occupation (like I did in the 1980s) and see it for yourself. If you don't lie to your superiors about stocks, successes and no problems, you will never be promoted, sometimes even punished. Our old saying from that era: "If you report a problem, you will become the problem". Do not overestimate Russia - their main weapon is fear. Do not let them control you through it.
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@Horizontal77 Thank you for putting it in numbered points, so I can address it individually, it's better this way.
1) And what do you think the rest of us wants nuclear war? Of course not. But we are not afraid to fight evil (that destroyed your country too) even in the face of danger. And same way we will not sacrifice Ukraine just because Russia has few nukes (they lie about everything, just look at their military), same way we would never sacrifice Hungary just because Russia has nukes (your country occupied my country for 900 years, still I would come and defend your country against an invasion). If you sacrifice one country because someone has nukes, then what about another country? and another? and then your country? and then all the other countries? we can just hand over keys to the world to Putin at that point. If Hitler had nukes, we would still fight against him.
(the moment Putin uses nukes he is dead, everyone he knows is dead, everything he ever built is dead and destroyed - he knows this, they all know it, they are not psychotic and suicidal, they are all billionaires ... also Peskov has a daughter in Europe, Lavrov has a daughter in London, Solovyov has 2 sonds in London and 2 daughters in the US and Putin has a mistress with all their children in Switzerland - you really think they will nuke their own children... they are just trying to intimidate you, because it works)
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@guavaguy4397 Because of massive differences in workplace safety, labor rights, not to speak of salaries. If China uses slave labor (Uyghurs) or near-slave labor in horrible work conditions, you don't want to "share manufacturing jobs" with them or compete with them on price of labor. It is impossible when you want to keep your workers well paid, SAFE and happy (vacations, maternity leave, sick leave, insurances). If you don't protect your market, China will undercut you with near-slave labor and destroy your entire industry, and then China can rise prices and build their country, because you will no longer exist to compete with them. I hope this explains it.
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@matehorvath8296 So you say no political party said they want to abolish any part of the social system (which is true) and also that austerity measures actually mean abolisihing social system (which is just your feeling, there is no evidence of that at all). So if you don't like austerity measures, then what is your solution to the global financial crisis that is increasing in magnitude all over the world (capitalism goes in cycles and it was about time for a fall, like 2008, COVID pandemic also didn't help). What is your solution to lower income into government budget? If not austerity in time of low income, then what? How are we going to get the money? Just borrow more and more money and end up like Greece? Taxing companies even more so they leave Slovakia? I would also love to have my healthcare free, education free and pension (I don't even hope), but something has to be cut somewhere, reasonably. It's a matter of survival of our economy. We also need to increase income into government budget (by attracting more companies, not chasing them away with high taxes). It's not as simple as Fico promising to give unlimited money to everyone. He cannot magically conjure money out of nowhere. He was prime minister for 17 years, so everything you see around yourself is mostly his doing.
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@MrTaxiRob Russia doesn't want Ukraine as some go-between them and the EU. Many Russians have their very identity tied to the greatness of their country in the times of Soviet Union. They will kill millions to get that feeling back, they will even sacrifice themselves just to get that feeling back. They need it, without it they are nothing. That's why they don't care about the endless torture chambers, rape, children, flattening cities - but the moment they started to lose and be humiliated, they are talking about replacing Putin and are questioning whether is not too weak to be their leader. They don't want cooperation with the EU, they want their COLONIES back to rebuild their empire. (in history very similar conditions led to raise of Nazis after WWI ... seems like people in large empires don't like the feeling when they are suddenly small and insignificant when they lose all their colonies) Russia still has colonies, entire Asian part and Caucasus. Without all those colonies (with native Asian people with their own ethnicity, language, culture, history, religion) Russia would be completely useless. More than half of Russian state budget is from sale of oil, gas, coal and diamonds stolen from these colonies and wealth goes only to Moscow and Petersburg. Russia needs to be completely de-colonized and these independent republics in Asia should get all the revenue from oil, gas, coal and diamonds. Europe de-colonized 60 years ago. Russia didn't.
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@sunoolee9467 Russia brought us more than 40 years of occupation and destroyed economy (First Czechoslovak Republic was one of the fastest rising and most politically stable countries in the region, if it followed another 50 years Czechoslovakia would be much much better off than after 40+ years of communism and total destruction of economy (and private property, let's not forget) ). In contrast EU membership brought so much prosperity (higher GDP, highet HDI, lower GINI, better standard of living index). I lived through all of that - Russian occupation, the 1990s and then then 20 years of EU, so I can definitely compare. We had nothing in 1980s, now we have so much more (and invaluable freedom). So somehow supporting Russia because some current government is pro-Western is borderline insane. We would be worse off without the EU and much much better off if Russia never existed. (Fico is also pro-Western politician that made Slovakia adopt EUR currency, also voted for weapons for Ukraine when he was prime minister ... but being the complete opportunist he is he turned 180° because he sees voter potential in it, and it worked, it got him 20% of potential votes)
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@ArcherHD Alright, that was a decent answer (from 3 days ago), thank you.
You said: "That doesnt mean austrians wouldnt stand up against a tyrant they just do it different to what you or your nation would do."
-- But now is the time. This is our Hitler moment (except Putin is 10% as competent on the battlefield as Hitler, so not that much of a threat, but his ambitions are exactly the same). This is was Central and Eastern Europeans have been trying to tell you for 3 months - that similarities with Hitler and annexation of Czechoslovakia are absolutely striking... and the west is sleeping... AGAIN.
You can see all the Central and Eastern European countries fighting like hell for Ukraine - ask yourself why is that? Why all of them? Do they know something I don't? They are the ones having direct experience with Russia, occupation and Russian mentality. They have unique insight what are true motives of Russia. Ukraine doesn't have to explain anything to Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Moldova... they all understand instantly what's going on. Western Europe doesn't have this experience and understanding of Russia (and I don't blame you), so they are still half-asleep. But it's time to wake up and see Putin for the "Hitler level ambition" that it is. No peace with Russia (same as no peace with Hitler). Russia will only re-arm, consolidate their military, remove crippling corruption, and invade again (exactly as Hitler did). Russia needs to be absolutely and completely defeated (like Hitler), otherwise they will NEVER stop. They fight for their lost EMPIRE, and they will never stop - they rather die than to live like an insignificant country. They have very different priorities than you and I. That's why it's very difficult for the west to understand. It's not about crude oil, gas, wheat, NATO, and most certainly not about minorities. It's 100% about rebuilding an empire (just like Hitler).
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@Smile Guy I understand your experience in the US and EU, and your opinion on their future, however I am not so pessimistic about the inevitable demise of the US within our lifetimes. I have lived between Europe, Africa and Asia, and I can tell you there are very serious problems everywhere, not just EU and USA. China is NOT going to be the next dominant superpower. China has fatal flaws in their very core system that prevent them growing larger than they are now and being able to manage it. I assume I don't even have to mention the absolute derelict of an empire that is Russia. ... And on the contrary to the wedge that you see between France and USA - those are just petty things that disappear the moment things get serious. Exactly as it happened when Russia invaded Ukraine - instantly all of EU (almost) got polarized and more unified then I've seen in my life. Also alliance between EU and USA got instantly stronger, because of the external threat and necessity for allies. Even internal problems between for example Poland and EU Comission got sorted in a matter of 3 months. In peace time we all fight each other politically and economically, but when situation gets serious, we stick together as a strong alliance. (and don't forget Japan, Korea and Taiwan - those are also very good allies with similar values that we have ... and of course CA, AU, NZ)
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@georgesdelatour You: "I’m not sure “values” used to matter so much to keep societies together. The starting point was that you recognised someone else as one of your own in a more primal way. Even if he was a Marxist and you were a conservative Catholic, there was some shared history, some shared social memory which preceded the values. It’s the absence of this more primal form of belonging which requires people to talk up “values”."
-- I understand exactly what you are saying, I just think this is primitive tribalistic and obsolete. I think "our blood against their blood" / "our tribe against their tribe" was source of insane amount of wars in human history. Am I supposed to prefer other Slavs just because they are same ethnicity? Because I don't. I don't even care about my "country" - to me it's too primitive and tribalistic. We will absolutely inevitably colonize entire solar system, and later expand beyond it. One day this entire planet will become so insignificantly small and irrelevant that we won't have just one government as a whole planet but we will have to bundle up entire solar system to make a meaningful unit. And instead of focusing on our future we are constantly being tribal and primitive. I know we cannot possibly have planetary government over entire Earth today, it will take a few hundred years for humanity to mature enough to be able to do that, but the direction is absolutely unavoidable. We started as packs, then tribes, then settlements, villages, towns, city-states, kingdoms, large kindgdoms, states/countries, unions, alliances ... and this direction is absolutely inevitable - we will unite into a single entity. But right now we are not mature enough to do it, so we must divide according to our values (real ones), not by our blood/tribe, that is a step backwards.
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@georgesdelatour You: "Since you want societies based on political agreement, and you want there to be ultimately just one planet-wide society, that means you expect that all political disagreement to melt away when everyone else realises that your own opinions are absolutely perfect!"
-- I understand why you think that. It is a logical conclusion to what I wrote. Yes, I want societies based on values (little bit different than political opinion/orientation, for example liberalism is a base value, yet people under it can have very different opinions on drugs, sex, gambling - but if they have the same value of liberalism, they will let other people do in their private life as they see fit. I know this is overly optimistic example, but it was just for demonstration). And yes, I do expect that planet wide government will also mean most of humanity will have similar base values. But this will take hundreds of years. This is absolutely impossible in the world we have today.
You: "when everyone else realises that your own opinions are absolutely perfect!"
-- Hahaha, … ok, this made me laugh. No, I don't think my opinions are absolutely perfect. I believe lack of self-reflection is cognitive cancer. I have been wrong so many times about such important things that I wouldn't even trust myself anymore. I also understand that many of the big questions do not have just one correct answer (for example which economic system is the best, or which method of government is the best). So I do expect people to have mostly unified base values hundreds of years in the future, but they won't be the same ones as mine (except the very fundamental moral values which are obvious to everyone).
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@pukiface You: "And our history is also different. we were a colony, or we were invaded many times and for a long time by foreign powers."
-- Really? I am from Slovakia. Hungary invaded us 1000 years ago and we were completely occupied and absorbed for 900 years, most of that time by Hungary. No hard feelings, all the people of pure evil who did it are already dead... you personally didn't do it or anyone from today's Hungary... but I wouldn't exactly go to history of Hungary to fish for arguments. Slovakia was almost obliterated from existence, especially 140 years ago with forced Hungarization. It is a miracle we survived as a nation and thanks to Hungary losing WWI.
-- I also do not want to see anything like Soviet Union again, because I still remember it well. That is what would happen if Russia was allowed to rebuild their empire (exactly what Russians are trying to do right now... fortunately they are too weak to do it). European Union is voluntary - that's a huge difference. If you don't like it, you can quit and nobody will invade you (like Hungary in 1956 (horrible), us in 1968 and Poland in 1980... you just don't leave the Russian puppet state, you get invaded by Russia and put in place). When France left NATO - they just shook hands and that was it, no trouble. When UK left EU, they just shook hands (after endless negotionation because UK wanted to have EU market advantages but not the disadvantages and EU wouldn't have it, but no invasions, no assassinations, not even military threats). If you don't want to be in another union (this time voluntary, where you actually have a representation, although proportional to your population), then you can leave and nobody from EU will give you trouble. You can even negotiate a deal like the UK or just join EEA instead. It's all your choice. This is a huge difference compared to Soviet Union. If I thought EU is destroying my country, I would demonstrate from morning to evening every day until my country leaves the EU, or if majority of people in my country were against me I would just leave the country (same way I would leave my country when majority here decides to leave EU/NATO... I will respect democracy, but I am not going to stay and live here). I know you wish for EU to be a different type of political union, but majority of EU citizens want it this way, so you either persuade them to change their mind, accept it as it is... or leave.
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@pukiface You: "You don't believe this either, do you, that Hungary occupied Slovakia for 900 years"
-- I wrote that 1000 years ago Hungary invaded my country, occupied and annexed it. It was actually 1100 years ago when Hungary was formed (895) and conquered all of Great Moravia (our last free state until more than 1000 years later). There was just Hungary and Poland, with nothing in between. "the nation's military power allowed the Hungarians to conduct successful fierce campaigns and raids, from Constantinople to as far as today's Spain.[57] The Hungarians defeated three major East Frankish imperial armies between 907 and 910."
-- Then for a few decades Poland invaded Hungary and took all of current day Slovakia (by force of course) until Hungary re-conquered it back around year 1030.
-- Then Hungary held current day Slovakia for entire 11th century, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, most of Hungary gets conquered by Ottoman Empire so current day Slovakia becomes more than half of Hungary - last stronghold against the Ottomans. Just look at the historical maps and all the contemporary sources. Then at the end of 17th century Hungary regains most of its former imperial colonial territory back from Ottoman empire. (and don't tell me "we were ruled by the Austrians" as those were same families - The Habsburgs and current day Slovakia was constantly under Budapest, not Vienna).
-- So entire 16th, 17th, 18th centuries, still under Hungary. Then 19th century Austrian empire, until 1868 formally Austria-Hungary and drastic Hungarization of Slovak population begins, our language was almost extinguished. And then 20th century, we are finally liberated together with Czechs and given freedom in Czechoslovakia after more than 1000 years of occupation (of which Hungary and Austria-Hungary were more than 900 years).
-- Check any Wikipedia page, any historic maps or any video with historic map timelapses.
-- What do they teach you in history class? That great Hungarian Empire was the victim constantly being oppressed by everyone and invaded? That everyone had colonial empire except you? (no, you had colonial empire too, and Slovakia was at the receiving end of it) And no, we are not Hungarians, we are different ethnicity (West Slavs) with different culture and completely different language - a free separate nation.
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@christopherstein2024 The countries you have named are not export economies. Germany is. And if you haven't noticed, when UK left the EU, they realized how it would break their economy, so they negotiated to have same access to free EU market as before, when they were part of the EU, and in return they had to accept same rules for EU citizens to move to UK and work there without restrictions. That's why UK economy didn't fall down much more, because they left the political part of the EU, but very much stayed in the economic part of the EU (EEA). Same with Norway (oil rich country) that is in the EEA and Iceland (EEA). Leaving EEA is the part that will hurt German economy, not leaving the political part of the EU (although that too, but to a lesser degree than EEA). And if you are proposing to stay in EEA (which means you will also have to agree to free migration from EU countries and open labor market, same as UK), just leaving the EU political part... then Germany would have all the obligations of an EU member state (like UK does today), but would lose right to vote in Brussels and influence the EU laws and regulations (like UK lost it). How does that make any sense? You just lose the right to vote, but still have all the obligations.
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@dr.c0a585 I was born under Russian occupation (with Russian tanks and everything) and grew up in it (quarter of my family was killed by Russians and the rest was sent to labor camp for 3 years, they also sucked dry our economy and sent everything to Moscow… people got arrested by KGB and disappeared all the time, leaving the country was prohibited, you got shot at the border, even children). When finally Soviet Union collapsed and we were set free. Our politicians were begging endlessly for 10 years to be let into NATO (to not be invaded and occupied by Russia again). If it was some USA colonial expansion, they would force us in, instead they didn't want to let us in. We had to work our asses to fulfill all the conditions. Finally, 20 years ago, we were allowed to do it, we had a public vote (I know, I was there! I voted for it), and we joined EU and NATO. Now tell me, who are you or who is Russia to tell me what to do and not to do with my country? Are we a sovereign country or not? If you think Russia has a say in what happens in my country then I have a say what happens in Russia, or you are just another imperialist colonizer who believes there are colonizer superpowers and every other country is subservient trash. If all people are equal, then all countries must be equal. This is our country and only we make decisions about what to do with it. Russia's jurisdiction ends with their borders. PERIOD.
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@ravenguard1495 Russia told us it has 13000 tanks (3000 works, the rest are rust buckets in their tank parks, as evidenced by satellite images), they told us they have 3000 fighter jets and bombers... 400 functional, rest are rust buckets in cold storage (again, as evidenced by satellite images). Russia said they have 1 million soldiers +2 million professional reservists and 25 million trained conscripts. Now after sending 200k to Ukraine they already have nothing and had to move border guards from many regions, deployed forces from Syria, Armenia, Ossetia, Abkhazia, take Syrian mercenaries, prisoners and even then they had to do extremely unpopular mobilization of 300k conscripts of whom many have no training whatsoever and Telegram is flooded with their families fundraising to buy them helmets, armor, medkits, shovels and sometimes even uniforms. Russia doesn't have 1 million soldiers or 2 million reservists - it was a lie. Russia cannot mobilize 25 million men, because they are not trained and Russia doesn't have gear for 0.3 million, what they want to do with 25 million? It was a lie to intimidate Russia's enemies. Same as Russia doesn't have 13000 tanks, a lie to intimidate enemies. Russia doesn't have 3000 fighter and bomber jets, again a lie to intimidate enemies. My point? Russia doesn't have 6000 nukes - it's a lie to intimidate enemies. Russian nuclear weapons are in exactly the same state as the rest of their military (derelict rust buckets, budget stolen, the rest doesn't work because maintenance is extremely expensive and fissile material has to be replaced every 10 years). It's all a lie to intimidate Russia's enemies (and I have to admit it's working really really well).
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@spacextsl7446 I have to correct you. It wasn't US invasion of Iraq (2003) under false pretense of WMDs, it was just US SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION of Iraqi Freedom to save minorities from opporession and also biolabs, dirty bomb, weaponized mosquitoes. (see how idiotic Russian justification for invasion of Ukraine sounds) Of course Iraq was an invasion under false pretense of WMDs and Ukraine is a Russian invasion under false pretenses (10+ different versions from biolabs, to minorities, to nazis, to mosquitoes, to NATO birds, to nuclear missiles in Ukraine, to dirty bomb, to Satanism - all of these pushed by official Russian state TV and Russian diplomats in the UN). Now you see Russia for what it truly is, just another colonial imperial "power" (too weak to be one, but wants to be one).
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@spacextsl7446 In your mind NATO invaded Iraq. But if you spent 10 seconds fact checking your own arguments (or if you are old enough that you were there when it happened, like me), you would know that NATO are 30 countries and Iraq was invaded only by 4 (USA, UK, AU, PL). 26 NATO countries did NOT invade Iraq. NATO is defense only military alliance and no country in NATO is bound to invade anywhere, only to defend when invaded. Individual NATO countries can go around the world and do whatever they want (like the US does), but that doesn't make it a NATO war. Again, Iraq was invaded only by USA, UK, Australia and Poland, nobody else.
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@GoodnKind Russia does not believe NATO will invade Russia. They already moved most soldiers guarding borders with NATO to Ukraine. Russia also uses their very expensive S-300 anti-air missiles rigged to ground-to-ground mode on Ukraine (stupidly inaccurate, it hits within 500 meter radius, because it was not made for ground-to-ground combat, it's anti-air missile). NATO has 22000 military airplanes, if you were Russia and thought NATO will invade you, you would keep every single anti-air missile you have, not waste it. It's very very expensive and you will need absurd amounts of them. Russia KNOWS that NATO will not invade. If NATO wanted to invade Russia Europe wouldn't reduce their military budgets every year (that's the opposite of preparing for war) and if NATO wanted to invade Russia they would have done it on 24. February right after Russia invaded Ukraine - becuase it's the most perfect exucuse for NATO to invade Russia ("We have to invade Russia to protect Ukraine against their evil invasion"). Most of the world would be behind NATO if they did it. ... and they didn't, they didn't invade Russia and there is no mobilization or preparation for war in NATO countries and Russia knows this. So no, Russia is NOT keeping reserves of weapons in case NATO invades. Russia is using absolutely everything they have and even begging from North Korea and Iran, because Russia has to win this war, if they lose it, Russia will break apart. Winning Ukraine is existential for them (I can explain internal Russian politics to you if you want, but it will be a long post).
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@johnboddie6826 Let's be realistic. Putin doesn't even have enough power to sustain the existing conflict on smaller part of the poorest country in Europe (Ukraine). His military is exhausted, low on ammo (asking North Korea, Iran and Syria for ammo), had no drones (had to beg from Iran), low on weapons, uniforms, helmets (begged Turkey and Belarus for weapons) and low of soldiers (recruiting mercenaris from Syria and Libya, now forcibly conscripting 300k Russians - they wouldn't do this if they didn't have to). New conscripts have no uniforms (1.5 million uniforms got stolen), no helmets, no boots, no medkits, no survival gear, nothing. How can they possibly even dream of invading NATO. NATO spends 24x more on military than Russia (and I am not even counting any corruption into this). They wouldn't even get to the border.
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@Silver_Prussian Ok, let me put it this way. I've been to Saratov (and around), and I have friends from Yakutsk and Khabarovsk. Why the hell are there dirt roads outside of city, no running water, many people in villages have no sewage system. Those regions produce all the wealth of Russia in diamons, metals, coal, gas, oil ... and all that goest to Moscow and Petersburg. All the money should stay there in Asia, not go to Moscow. Then of course Moscow and Petersburg look rich, becase they are colonialist imperialist powers. Asian part of Russia is the colony. So if you compare standard of living, compare forgotten villages far away, not just capital cities.
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@Silver_Prussian But that's exactly what I was saying. You say that the east is not important as 75% of Russians live in the west side of Russia - but all your money comes from the east - from oil, gas, diamonds, metals - most of it is extracted in the east, but you steal the money to Moscow and Petersburg. That oil and gas belongs to the local people that live there, not to Moscow. That is exactly why it is a colony. Like when Belgium conquers Congo (same as Russia conquers Siberia) and then locals have to mine expensive metals, but all the money goes to Belgium, not to Congo - Cogno is just a colony to be exploited. Exactly the same with Siberia and Far East - you just exploit their oil, gas, metals, but all the money is stolen by Moscow. ALL the money from oil, gas and metals has to stay with local people, ZERO should go to Moscow and Petersburg. Belgium, UK, France, Spain, Portugal - they all gave up their colonies. They no longer have any. Russia never gave up their colonies - still COLONIAL IMPERIAL country.
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@joshuacampbell1625 Russia has absolutely nothing to offer to the world, but most people here who support Russia don't do it because they love Russia (they couldn't care less). It's usually people unsuccessful in life, with lots of personal debts (executions/repo) and overall this european social-capitalism doesn't work for them. They need to blame someone for it - so they blame the government, they blame migrants (there are none in Slovakia, they still blame them), they blame gays, they blame Jews, they blame EU, they blame USA, and the system itself. EU and USA represent "the system" in the world today, and life of these people is miserable under this system, so they want to destroy it. Russia is pretending to do just that, so they support Russia. Not because of Russian greatness, but because of absolute hate for the West... because of their miserable personal lives. They would rather see the world burn than to look at the mirror of personal self-reflection.
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@emperorofwends8875 You: "I disagree whit the "foreign interference" statement becose my father is one of the most anti-US people I know and even he didnt say the US influenced our election"
-- Well, that depends whether CNN was pushing through Prima something that came from the US government, or whether it was just genuinely stance of Prima as a television (most media have self-imposed bias, which is ok, they are human, but it is not ok when it comes from outside - investors, foreign influence, or when it's deliberately manipulative (I know, this is very difficult to define, it's a thin blurry line). I have no idea what Prima did, so it is difficult for me to comment. However I stand by the principle, I don't want any foreign power to manipulate public opinion in my both home countries of Slovakia and Czech Republic. Currently it is Russia in ridiculous amounts (we have video from our SIS (like Czech BIS) that shows editor in chief of biggest "alternative news" server talking to Russian "diplomat" (some Russian on diplomatic visa that works at Russian embassy), and they are literally talking about him being paid for propaganda, and who else from the politicians can he convert (this is TREASON) and he even got paid for it on the spot. I know it looks like from a bad movie, but it was proven to be real multiple times and police + courts already arrested the guy and deported the Russian diplomat. Russia is really waging a hybrid warfare (of course they are, you would do the same in their position - they invest tiny amount of money and get massive results inside the EU countries, why wouldn't they do it... they did it during cold war era too). Our role is to stop it... at which we failed horribly.
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@BJ-zd2or That is very beautiful, but also incredibly naive. We all would love to live without any military at all (wasted 2% of our GDP). But the world is not made out of unicorns. What you see in Bucha and Mariupol can be your town tomorrow. Then you will have no power to stop them, because you were a pacifist. If you think nobody will come and rape you because you are a pacifist or because you didn't "provoke" (you provoke just by your very existence and being rich), then you would be unfortunately wrong. It's horrible, but we HAVE TO build our militaries to defend our women, children, people, nurseries, schools, hospitals, everything.
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@detectiverubs5830 If you think you can resolve this brutal genocide with Russia in some peace talks then you do not understand Russia and you do not understand violence. Pacifists are noble people, but will die first in the face of true violence. You have to understand the sheer brutality and unbreakable intent of destruction of an entire country, culture, ethnicity. Watch Russian state TV daily, you will see what are the plans for Ukraine - they don't hide it. " "Ukraine" and "Ukrainian" cannot be allowed to exist" Any peace talks will lead to Russia just rearm their failing military and invade again 5-10 years from now, with much more capable army. Ukraine knows this. Eastern Europe knows this. We don't need this explained to us, we have lived through Russian occuppation, we understand their mentality and values. If you are a pacifist, they will just abuse you and consider you untermensch, because you are too weak to be allowed to survive - you disgust them. However if you strike really hard at them cause great pain and wounds (with military), they will start to respect you. This is how it has always been in Russia historically, and this is how it still is there. This is also how it works in nature, so it's no mystery or abnormal behavior.
Peace deal with Russia is not possible. Russia must be destroyed on the battlefield, otherwise you are not even an equal partner in their eyes. All peace talks are just a (clumsy) deception. Same as you would not have peace talks with Hitler. You know he will come back with even bigger army and finish what he started. There is no way to make peace with Hitler, he must be destroyed. Same with Putin and today's Russia.
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@katarinab6728 Vacsinu dospeleho zivota som prezil v roznych krajinach v Afrike, Azii a Europe. Vsade som sa citil ako doma, a nikdy mi nechybala ziadna ina krajina, ani Slovensko. Ludia co ziju cely zivot tu si sami sebe nahovaraju, aki sme vynimocni a uzasni (len aby sa dobre citili sami zo seba) ... ale sme len obycajna krajina, ako vacsina ostatnych normalnych krajin. Nic mi tu nebude chybat, tak ako mi nechyba ziadna ina krajina, vsade bolo dobre. Urcite mi na stare kolena nebude chybat Slovensko, nech skoncim kdekolvek.
A co sa tyka respektovania hlasov ostatnych - my nie sme ti co sa snazili vyvalit branu prezidentskeho palaca (pred rokom), my respektujeme to, ze volby su slobodne a poctive, len sa nam nepaci vysledok, tak odideme prec. To je 100% demokraticke. Ja ti tvoj hlas neberiem.
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@Smile Guy You said: "First point if the notion of voluntary membership. I Didn't vote to join, does that mean I'm exempt"
-- By this logic, you did not even vote for most of the laws of your country, yet you are not exempt at all. Every single person in your country under age of 18 didn't vote for any of the laws and treaties that apply to them (and they can go to jail for). That's how the whole world works. You didn't even get a vote in which country you will be born, to which parents, to what race, nothing. So you were born into EU, like everything else you have been born into. You can leave (personally), or you can vote for your country to leave the EU (EU is not Russia, EU let's anyone leave who wants to - like UK did, and nobody sanctioned them or attacked them, no ruined diplomatic relationships).
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@Smile Guy If you hate America (USA) from the depts of your guts as it seems... ok, there are reasons for that. But what other alliances are available to us (in Europe)? I was born into Russian occupation and grew up in it, during cold war. I can guarantee you that Russia and China are much worse than the USA (high bar, but they managed to surpass it). And if you want super strong Europe without alliances, then that is a dream (and first we would have to completely unify into United States of Europe, and I have a feeling that's the last thing you want). We need allies. And those are USA, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, Korea, Taiwan... hopefully India.
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@Smile Guy I understand your concern with the detached administrators making rules about things that do not affect them or they don't even understand. But you would have to have a "village kingdom" (a micro-state) to avoid that. Because it goes from family, house, neighborhood, village, town, city, province, region, state, federation / union, planetary government, galactic government - it's just a matter of scale (and you can increase the granularity of the steps as you want). There is nothing fundamentaly different between Copenhagen, Denmark and EU, just a difference in scale. All of Human history is going from smallest of tribes to villages, to towns, to cities, to microstates, to larger kingdoms, states, federations, unions ... it is absolutely inevitable we will end in a planetary government as one united Earth. It may take a few hundred years, but it is unavoidable.
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@katalinkozak9869 Would you care to elaborate how you meant it? Because Russia is irrelevant country with small economy (comparable to that of Spain) and we didn't give a shit about them till they started landwars in Europe AGAIN. So EU has nothing to do with Russia. But we have moral values - this is the important part. 30x smaller country have been invaded by an empire. Russia has 500 000 soldiers inside Ukraine. Ukraine has 0 soldiers inside Russia. We can do olympic level mental gymnastics to try to pin it on anyone else, but it is simple as sthat - much much larger empire invaded much much smaller country, killed more than 200 000 people there and started annexing its territory. This has happened only 5000x before in human history - it's an absolute classic - war of conquest. And of course they have excuses about biolabs (same us WMDs in Iraq) and dirty bomb, Nazis, NATO weaponized mosquitoes, Satanists, Zelensky is a drug addict and 50 other excuses why they had to invade. You know, Hitler also had excuses - like "legitimate security concerns" that Czechoslovakia can bomb Berlin and oppressed very large German minority in Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. Where have I heard these excuses before... on 24.2.2022. If Hungary cannot make up its mind in this absolutely obvious case of imperial conquest, then you do not share same moral values as us, and it is better if you leave our private club (EU). EU is built on common values, if you don't have them, it wouldn't work. You can make your own EU at home with Serbia and Russia or whoever you want. We won't invade you (we are not Russia), we won't harrass you, we just don't want you in our private club if you have very different values than us - that is only logical.
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@georgesdelatour Interesting point of view. I have very different understanding of EU. Absolute majority of countries in the EU have same fundamental values - uncompromising democracy, freedom but with limits on extremism, secularism (complete separation of religions and state power), and some above-average level of liberal tolerance, combination of socialism and capitalism (all EU countries have universal healthcare, free education, retirement, maternity, very strong labor protection and super strong customer protection... but everything else is capitalism - a balance), goals of protecting the environment, and some level of humanism (as an ideal value that we struggle to achieve, often not succeeding). So I belive EU is built on all these values and absolute majority of EU countries have these. If some country doesn't have them and don't want to, why should we (EU) force that country to change? No, but that country should not have joined the EU in the first place - it's obviously incompatible with our "private club" (here we view EU in a different way). I also believe in an European superstate (just like USA is a superstate of 50 states), but I don't believe in forcing Hungary to change - I believe if they have different values they should not be integrated into the superstate. They can exist solo, or make similar union with other states that have same values as them. I don't want to bomb Hungary (despite Hungary occupying and enslaving my country for 900 years, ...what was, will stay in the past, now we work for the future), I just don't want them as a "spoiler agent" in our superstate. They can do their own thing over there. Multiple European countries are not in the EU and they exist, they didn't implode. UK even left the EU and nothing serious happened to them. Hungary can do it too.
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@georgesdelatour Why would you think that Germany is buying compliance from us smaller countries? Why would they need to do that? We joined EU willingly (I was there 20 years ago, I voted for it) and we are happy in the EU not just because of subsidies (it's nice, but it's just a fraction of our budget), mostly because of the political stability (EU will not allow our local idiot politicians to go out of line), economic stability (again, our local politcians cannot abuse the National Bank to print money whenever they want because of EUR), open borders inside EU (amazing!) and freedom of movement (I have lived in many countries on 3 different continents, many of them inside EU and it's nice that I don't need ANY paperwork at all, just move there, find job, rent apartment, as if I was local), incredible customer protection from the EU comission and environmental protection (I have lived in many developing countries, and I can really appreciate medicine that is not poison and 2 years warranty where in many countries you have nothing, and many other protections), labor protection laws (but we had good ones already, but might serve other countries), and also the feeling of being one large family - EU citizens. We do not need to be "bought" by Germany to appreciate all these advantages.
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@georgesdelatour You: "First, values everywhere are becoming more polarised and irreconcilable."
-- I see a very strong culprit here - TV that grifts on this polarization, Social Media algorithms that promote echo chambers (you know it, you get offered the kind of things you clicked on, and soon you only see one side of the story to the extreme), and third culprit are grifter politicians - populists who abuse this polzarization to get votes and polarize people even more in the process. ... Do I know what should be done to stop this? No.
You: "Second, I think liberalism is dying. The new, “woke” left is proudly anti-liberal, proudly hostile to free speech, to “the marketplace of ideas”, to the idea they should even debate their political opponents. The new populist right is currently more liberal, more pro-free speech, but only because they’re currently the group most often being censored. Once they win power, will they still value it?"
-- I actually agree with all this. It's the shoehorn theory that extreme left and extreme right are very similar and use similar methods and sometimes even have similar goal just with few extreme differences (coming from opposite sides). I think horrible disease of many people (mostly extreme left and extreme right) is this unstoppable urge to tell other people how to live their personal lives.
Me personally, I have heterodox views that are somewhere around center (at least I hope), but I believe in non-extreme liberalism (in the true meaning of the word, same as you described above - don't force other people how to live their life except in rare cases when harm to a non-consenting person is being done (like child abuse for example). So what you wrote about the EU: "Thierry Breton seems to want Chinese level censorship of social media within the EU. His Digital Services Act represents infinitised contempt for the free speech legacy of Erasmus, Voltaire, Zola, Havel. How European! It feels as if we’re heading for a post-liberal world, I’m afraid." ... this comes as a surprise to me. I will have to look into it.
You: "My worst nightmare for the EU is that it will wind up ruled by a dysfunctional, inefficient, semi-woke version of the Chinese social credit system."
-- That indeed sounds like a nightmare, but solution is not to disband it (two steps back) but instead fight inside the EU and reform it. This is my objection to the UK leaving the EU. They were the strongest/2nd strgongest economy and a political powerhouse that connects USA to EU... instead of fighting for reformation of Brussels from position of power... they just run away. Now we are left to fight alone.
Difference between UK and HU is that UK has the values I listed above, in HU Viktor Orban/FIDESZ has 50% of votes, seems like half of Hungarians or more really do want what Orban is doing. Maybe majority of people in Hungary really do have different values than us.
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@pukiface You: "By the way, do you really think that the EU is not a colony of the USA"
-- If it was colony of the USA Viktor Orban would not be alive anymore and absolutely not the Prime Minister - USA would not allow it (that's what being a colony means, you have no say about your own politics, laws or freedom and all your resources go to the colonizers... just ask Africans, they will explain it to you). My country has 50+ political parties that are constantly dying and new are being formed every election cycle and I can vote for any of them and nobody in my country has even a feeling that the elections are being rigged, just that all the other voters are stupid. I am old enough to have spent first part of my life under Russian occupation with tanks and everything with people deisappearing, no elections, no freedom, unable to leave the country (you get shot at the border, it was not allowed) and our resources went to Moscow. That's what being a colony means. Whatever influece USA has here is laughable compared to that. I also remember voting to join EU and NATO, 20 years ago, and there was no media campaign, CIA didn't mind control me, we just all voted, without any interference from the USA. I know, I was there.
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@NisiCaloponis You: "EU was a voluntary organisation which constructed by the aim big xountries oppressing little countries no more"
-- You are just a child who doesn't remember how we Visegrad countries had to BEG the West for 10 years straight to be even allowed to be considered to join the EU. Just look at how incredibly difficult it is for Moldova, Georgia, Montenegro and even Serbia or Turkey to get in (those last two are never going to happen, still they keep trying). We had to fight an incredibly long and hard fight to get in. We had to change so many laws, improve our economy so much, reduce corruption. I remember it like it was yesterday, the endless struggle. And it helped us in the end. Life here is incomparably better now than it was before (1990s) and even that was incomparably better then 1980s when we were occupied by Moscow. Then when we all joined the EU together with Hungary, the flow of EU funds helped us rebuild the infrastructure, the agriculture, technology, education grants, cultural grants. Hungary is the greatest recipient of EU money per capita. Without EU you would end up like Serbia (their GDP per capita is only 50% of Hungary). You are still getting most money from the EU per head out of all other EU countries and yet you are incredibly ungrateful and constantly attacking it and sabotaging it. You know what. Get out!
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@pukiface You: "They don't give money because of our stance on illegal immigration and child protection."
-- No, illegal immigration is by definiton legal, and you are by far not the only one in the EU who is against uncontrolled migration. Almost half the EU is fighting against that and we are not getting sanctioned / unfunded. Also if by "child protection" you mean persecuting gays and trans people then yes, that bothers the EU, because we respect human rights. Nobody wants you to promote these disorders, but persecuting those people is a red line, they are human beings exactly like you and its none of your business what they do in private life. This is done in theocratic and backwards countries. ... But the true reason for EU trying to unfund Hungary is that Viktor Orban is controlling a lot of media outlets (massively anti-democratic) and supressing the opposition (obivously anti-democratic). Same way EU is objecting to Polish laws that would give government ability to retired judges (in all democracies judicial branch of government has to be absolutely separate and independent from executive branch and legislative branch - 100.00% independent judges are one of the founding pillars of democracy). I am not saying Hungary is some dictatorship, of course not, but Viktor Orban is slowly trying to erode the democracy in Hungary (this is exactly how authoritarian regimes begin to happen in a democratic society). EU cannot have any member that is not fully democratic (again, Hungary is democratic, but the changes are going in the anti-democratic direction slowly), that's why Turkey will never be an EU member (they are already a semi-authoritarian crippled democracy). Does that mean Hungary should not exist? Of course not. It is your country, you can do absolutely whatever you want with it and even oppress gay people or have a dictatorship if you want. But you have to choose between being a part of EU with same values (human rights, full democracy where politicians cannot own multiple media outlets), or not being a part of EU and doing whatever the f*ck you want. Your choice.
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@opticteadrop Very similar situation here in Slovakia. "Alternative news" websites (the ones that peddle all conspiracy theories) are now pushing very strong anti-EU and anti-west propaganda, and unfortunately it's working, we already have 50% of the population being converted to anti-west in less than a decade. Our security services have been tracing Russian "diplomats" and recorded a secret video in a park between Russian low-level diplomat (a spy) and editor in chief of the largest "alternative news" server in the country. It was a meeting in the park (it's so silly, like in the spy movies, but it has been verified since by multiple sources), where the Russian "diplomat" is giving him instructions, whom to convert from the politicians (the editor even proposes to convert one very anti-Russian principled politician that is obviously incorruptible, but the Russian handler stops him and tells him to not go anywhere near him, stay low, at least he was not as stupid as the editor). Russia is channeling money into our politics and conspiracy theory webs (extremely popular here, people are stupid). We had several people arrested for treason and all the Russian spies expelled from the country, but it's not enough. This has been going on for more than 10 years and 50% of the population is already converted. We have elections next month and it looks disastrous. If we turn against the EU and the west, I will leave the country again and never come back. Beware of Russian money going into Poland and buying politicians and journalists. It's a very real danger.
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@karankapoor2701 Yes I can. Woman is a human being with XX chromosome. Are you satisfied? I am a centrist and I still vote Progressive Slovakia. Because gay and trans people don't live rent-free in my head and I don't fall asleep thinking about them like you. I see much more serious problems with the world like WAR, totalitarian dictatorships (Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Syria), income inequality, technology, climatic changes, financial crisis, and all other ADULT mature problems that cause deaths and suffering int he world. But you go ahead and keep thinking gay and trans people non-stop as the world's biggest problem. So immature.
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@Lt_Rik I have no idea about the German left and open borders (I really don't know anything about that, I am just answering because you asked). And I too did find some reasonable points in the AfD program, like stopping ILLEGAL immigration (however you absolutely need legal immigration because all our populations are shrinking in developed countries - that is a massive threat to economy and stability, there is no other solution, that being said I fully agree that illegal immigration is by the very definition illegal and absolutely dangerous for the country, you need to background check every single person you invite to your "house"/country), it's a privilege, not a right. Also some REASONABLE reform of the EU regulations. I've lived in many developing countries for many years, and while I loved the people and the place very much, I saw what no regulations lead to - poison in the water, poison in the ground, poison in the air, poison in the food. So I agree with some things if done in moderation... BUT, if part of your (AfD) plan is to deport people based on race/ethnicity, or to wreck German economy by abandoning EURo and the EU and NATO (massive consequences), or to support a murderous dictatorship of Russia because of money. Then I cannot possibly support such a political party, not matter how good rest of their program might be, even if it was all gold and diamonds. Moral values come first.
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@viktorgr1222 Viktor, that is extremely unlikely it was deliberate attack by Ukrainians. They are winning the war, getting beack territory, getting serious weapons, vehicles and financnes from the west, millions of their women and children are in the west and Poland has been their strongest ally possible... and they would just throw everything out of the window by risking losing EVERYTHING if the west found out (which is extremely likely west would find out, as they did right now in a matter of hours). And all that for a very small chance of NATO joining? Ukraine is already winning, it would be extremely idiotic to risk losing all your allies, world reputation, even approval of your own citizens. This is ridiculous. Whether it was from Russia or Ukraine, it was 100% an accident. Deliberate attack doesn't make any sense at all neither from Russia nor Ukraine.
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@brunokagawa6287 You pretend like USA has the power to force or manipulate Ukrainians to fight. If USA had that power they would have forced/manipulated Afghanis to fight against the Taliban. But in reality USA doesn't have that power, because nobody does. Even Zelensky can shout orders all day long, if soldiers don't want to fight, they will not fight, and if they want to fight, they will fight even without any orders (as it happened in 2014). Ukrainians themselves decided they want to fight for their women, children and their land. If your entire cities are getting destroyed, your women, children raped and murdered, entire families obliterated with artillery, then you don't need anyone to persuade you to fight - you go and kill every single one of those responsible or die trying. This has nothing to do with USA or NATO, no matter how much you dream about it.
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@iAdam43 You: "Because the wage/price ratio is amazing in Poland"
-- Interesting. I just checked worlddata purchase power index (exactly what you are referring to). Poland is 35th (which is not bad out of 200 countries), Czechia is 34th (purchasing power was great in Prague when I lived there, so I guess it's same in Poland). There are several countries with better ratio of salaries to prices - UK, ES, Korea, Zealand, Italy, Japan, Canada, France, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, USA, Norway... But yes, of the middle-income countries Poland is not bad. Numbeo ranks it slightly better than Slovakia.
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@iAdam43 You: "they are not going to be fooled and deceived by the European Union like other Eastern countries"
-- If you hate EU so much, why don't you move out of it completely? (I did it twice, and I don't even hate it ... If I hated it, I would not be able to stay here)
You: "Poland is a highly right-wing and conservative country"
-- What do you mean "right-wing"? Poland has free healthcare (socialist), free education (socialist), strong labor rights, maternity leave, vacation, all socialist and government paid pension system (completely socialist). Poland is centrist, same as most EU countries, if not all. They are just conservative, but not right-wing, there is no right-wing in Europe.
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@iAdam43 You: "Poland is against immigrants and against "progressive liberal values" "
-- Most countries are against illegal immigrants and for legal immigrants (from everywhere). Poland and Slovakia have none of illegal or legal. It is a very serious problem, but it's not in Slovakia or Poland. Don't allow yourself to be scared to death by something that doesn't even exist here (migrants don't even want to be here, they hate it here, they want to go to Germany, Italy, Farance or Sweden, they don't want to go to Slovakia or Poland).
Regarding "progressive liberal values", that's true. If you are more aligned in your personal values with Polish people than good for you, you will be much happier there.
You: "I already understand Polish most of the time"
-- Interesting. I don't understand them most of the time. They speak so fast, like a machine gun.
You: "Poles are a wonderful people who respect traditions"
-- I hate traditions and constant focus ont he past (I try to focus on the future). But if you like history and traditions, then Poland is definitely better country for you.
You: "All countries should be more like Poland."
-- I wouldn't try to change all other countries. Other people have very different values and priorities than you. It's best if everyone finds a country where they feel the best. Seems like for you it's Poland.
I have lived in many different countries on 3 continents and I have never seen a country that has only positives. So expect there are some negatives to Poland that you don't know about now. But overall, it can still be better and maybe you will be happier over there. I myself am going back to Africa.
Thanks for the explanation, I was curious why Poland. Good luck on your journey!
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@Tovalokodonc"The Slavic tribes settled in the territory of present-day Slovakia in the fifth century. Western Slovakia was the centre of Samo's empire in the seventh century. A Slavic state known as the Principality of Nitra arose in the eighth century and its ruler Pribina had the first known Christian church of the territory of present-day Slovakia consecrated by 828. Together with neighbouring Moravia, the principality formed the core of the Great Moravian Empire from 833. The high point of this Slavonic empire came with the arrival of Saints Cyril and Methodius in 863, during the reign of Duke Rastislav, and the territorial expansion under King Svätopluk I."
"In 880, Pope John VIII set up an independent ecclesiastical province in Great Moravia with Archbishop Methodius as its head. He also named the German cleric Wiching the Bishop of Nitra."
"In the meantime, the semi-nomadic Magyar tribes, possibly having suffered defeat from the similarly nomadic Pechenegs, left their territories east of the Carpathian Mountains,[30] invaded the Carpathian Basin and started to occupy the territory gradually around 896. Their armies' advance may have been promoted by continuous wars among the countries of the region whose rulers still hired them occasionally to intervene in their struggles."
"In three battles (4–5 July and 9 August 907) near Bratislava, the Magyars routed Bavarian armies. Some historians put this year as the date of the break-up of the Great Moravian Empire, due to the Hungarian conquest; other historians take the date a little bit earlier (to 902)."
"Following the disintegration of the Great Moravian Empire at the turn of the tenth century, the Hungarians annexed the territory comprising modern Slovakia. After their defeat on the river Lech, the Hungarians abandoned their nomadic ways and settled in the centre of the Carpathian valley, slowly adopting Christianity and began to build a new state—the Hungarian kingdom."
That was the last time Slovakia was free until 1918, more than 1000 years later. This is absolutely fundamental history with endless stream of evidence (including that coming from Hungary itself).
So now you have two choices, either you feel smarter than all the historians in the world, and then better have evidence for your claims. Or you dispute that Slovakia is even a nation (with SLAVIC language, completely different than Hungarian, not even the same category, and Slavic culture). It has been 1000 years of occupation (not saying Hungary was the only one doing this at that time, just stating facts). First world war finally broke the Hungarian empire forever and all the countries under it (with vastly different languages and cultures) were finally free. Now you can either constantly live in the past and dream about your magnificent empire that lasted 1 milennia, stuck mentally in the past. Or you can forget about all of that and build your future as a 21st century modern Hungary. It's your choice.
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@emperorofwends8875 You: "Russian propaganda is focused on Russia not looking weak"
-- You mean reports from Russian Ministry of Defense, then yes. But the real Russian propaganda in the West is not about Russia looking good or praising it. The real manipulation is about polarizing westerners about everything (left-right, liberal-conservative, gay, immigrants, racism, everything). They often post on both sides of the argument to start the flame and make people even more radical. Their goal is not to make Russia look good, their goal is to destroy trust in western government, democracy as a system, western media, and trust in each other, create divison. They know they can't make people love Russia, but they can make them question everything and everyone and not trust anything they hear - this creates chaos, division and weakness - that's all they need. ... You might be interested in one presentation from "Yuri Bezmenov" - he is a defector from Russian KGB. He gave an interview about what are the methods of KGB (in 1950s and 1960s), you might like it, it's surprisingly good and clever. You will find it on YouTube, just search for "Yuri Bezmenov", he says similar things in all the videos so just click any one you want.
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@emperorofwends8875 You: "Ukranian propaganda is focused on looking like Ukraine is wining (so that they can get more equpment from NATO)"
-- Well, yes and no. Objectively speaking (means both sides confirmed this) Russia has been just losing territory for 15 months straight - all they conquered in Kyiv region lost, everything in Chernihiv region lost, Sumy region lost, Kharkiv region lost, Kherson region 50% lost, Kherson city lost. Just non-stop losses (confirmed by Russian side, so it's not a speculation) and then Wagner (not even Russian military) conquered Bakhmut, 56. largest city in Ukraine, irrelevant (yeah, then you can ask why did Ukraine defend it so ferociously... because they are stupid, they didn't want political loss and Russians wanted political win, and 20000 Russians died for it minimum (confirmed by Prigozhin) and unknown number of Ukrainians (7000+ minimum). So 15 months only losses of territory and no gains - so you can say Russia is losing, technically it's true. Is Russia going to collapse tomorrow? No. This is a very long war of attrition - industry and economy is going to win this war, not military maneuvers, and it will take years (unless something unexpected like Prigozhin's coup happens, then it may end sooner, but who knows, in Russia anything is possible). Then again Ukrainians are having heavy losses, a lot more than people think. I know it from the two Ukrainian mothers that live here (with 4 kids), I know it from my best friend and from many Ukrainians I know personally. Almost everyone has lost someone from extended family or friends. Also foreign fighters fighting for Ukraine confirm this - heavy losses (don't get me wrong, Russia also has such heavy losses, but Ukraine does too). So I know this is not some glorious easy win for the Ukraine. This is bloody brutal trench war of attrition - just like First World War, but with drones. But one side is defending their homes and their very own families, they are home, the other side is in a foreign country trying to take it (as we've seen by annexing 4 Ukrainian regions 1 year ago - so much for "we don't want Ukrainian land", same lie as "We will not invade Ukraine, it's just western hysteria and CIA psychological operation").
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@ccc_the_painful_truth UN Security Council is useless. It didn't prevent this war at all, because Russia can veto anything, China can veto anything, USA can veto resolutions when they invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. And all people are supposed to be equal, so all countries are equal (countries are just people), yet USA, Russia, China, UK and France are somehow more equal and have permanent seat and veto rights, when other LESS EQUAL countries don't have that. It's a pathetic attempt at major empires looking good and "democratic" when they pass resolutions against small countries, yet no resolution will ever be passed against them (permanent veto power). Is this the mechanism how to prevent war? To let large empires do whatever they want and then punish all the small countries who don't have veto power? Amazing. If UN Security Council was in existence in 1938, the would have NOT stopped the second world war from starting. Germany would veto everything. Useless.
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@mybestsongs2055 You very obviously don't watch Russian state TV. I do, every week. Russia is non-stop talking about invading Estonia, Latvia, Lithuaina (which means NATO, which means Slovakia will have to send everything to defend them, because we promised, gave them our word and signed it - our word means something and when we promise military alliance to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, we WILL defend them). Also 3x per year Russian state TV mentions nuking Slovakia (I know, it's nothing compared to Poland and France and the UK, but still - we are obviously military target for Russia and what they consider as their sphere of influence = ex-colony). So this is what is a threat to Slovakia if Ukraine loses the war.
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@Argonhubert I understand how it might seem like this from your point of view, so let me explain. The cost of university is transferred to the whole society, but it is much much cheaper to begin with. Our universities don't make any money, they are not supposed to, it's not supposed to be a profit making business, it's a public service. They have maximum job safety (professors) and are respected, because they are on a mission to better our society. Same with our doctors. These professions are not supposed to be a path to get rich, we do not even want professors and teachers who are in it for the money. So then hospitals and universities are not making any profits at all, so the cost of university education or healthcare is low (compared to US it's 20x lower) and so then it can be moved to the society as a whole, because it's not that much. You are doing exactly this in the US, but with the military budget - you transfer it to the society as a whole... and the police, fire department, roads, transportation, energy infrastructure, and many other things. I absolutely believe it is a good idea to pay taxes now to pay for all the education of young people, so they can do whatever profession they actually want to do and then reap the benefits 20 years from now when we have healthy and educated middle class to support my retirement (government funded, from them to me ... see they will pay it back, it's just spread over the whole population).
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@Argonhubert Regarding the lower salaries. It's not just university degrees, you have higher salaries in the US than in the poor and middle parts of EU (there are parts of Europe that are richer than the US, but not majority). Compared to my country, you get much higher salary and pay less taxes. But your cost of living and expenses are also much much higher. Your mortgage is higher (mine is 0.5% interest), rent, groceries, and all services and goods (because you have to pay those high salaries of the workers producing it, of course), so far it makes sense, higher salaries, higher cost of living, it evens out nicely. But then a lot of people have to pay off massive student loans that are the size of mortgage, and then you have to save money for retirement, and most dreaded thing - if you have serious health problems, you can go bankrupt very fast. I've been fighting with cancer for the past 15 years, has been very complicated. In the US, I would be already dead because I couldn't afford it even with my above average salary. What about children that get cancer or some other horrible illness? Are they going to die because they were born to the "wrong" parents? Or will they be saved but start their life with a crippling debt of millions of dollars that most of them will never be able to repay? I have a feeling US system is set up for millionaires and people somehow don't realize that 99.99% of population will never be millionaires, but somehow a lot of poor people in the US tolerate it because they think their situation is just temporary and they will be rich soon. It's like the rich dangle a carrot infront of them so they do not rebel. Do I see it in a wrong way? Is there something I don't understand about the US?
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@xt7519 Thank you for your opinion. I would like to explain why we (EU) relied on you (USA) for protection. Just look at our history. We've been killing each other for 2500 years non-stop. We caused both world wars and brutalized the entire planet (colonization). Do not think for a moment we cannot build a brutal military. But new generations here thought we can finally leave all this behind, and after the fall of Soviet Union and freedom for all those European countries occupied and colonized by Russia, we really thought this time it will be different. We all unified under European Union and it really really looked that we would finally stop killing each other (and everyone else) and can start just building our economies and quality of life. I grew up during the cold war on the occupied side of Europe. I remember the constant dread of nuclear war. I cannot express how hopeful I was about permanent peace and cooperation in Europe all the way till 2022 (I was blind to Russia invading Ukraine in 2014, like an old fool, I didn't see it because I didn't want to see it). Now Russia came back from the dead to bring back Hitler's and Stalin's imperial ambitions and we are back to square one. The "peace dividend" that we were taking for decades is suddenly gone. Now we have to waste untold hundreds of billions if not trillions on useless military. From civilizational point of view, these are completely wasted resources and people's time. Yet we are forced to do it. ... So you see, it wasn't specifically that we would be like parasites latched on USA, it was just we thought no one would ever dare to attack us... which was wrong as we can see now. And China is preparing to invade Taiwan and you (USA) will want our support. This will be 10x bigger problem than Russia (China is 10x the population, 10x the economy of Russia, so it will be 10x the problem for the rest of the world, way more serious situation than Russia). The world is heading to a dark place... yet AGAIN.
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@bubena8255 I do look down only on people who have no human values and not even basic compassion (like people who during COVID didn't care who is going to die in agonizing pain as long as their personal comfort is not disturbed, or people who don't care about death and suffering in Ukraine, because it is not happening to him or her personally, but other than that, I respect every decent human even if he or she has completely opposite political values than me, I am actually glad we all don't think the same, because we could be all wrong, diversity in political views is important). People are not leaving Slovakia because of different politicial views (that was always here and it is in every country), but because of the democratic backsliding. Slovakia just made first few steps away from balanced democracy and many of us do not like this direction, however, we respect that these people have been democratically elected, so revolution or demostrations would be against all that democracy stands for... so what else is for us to do, only to leave and never come back.
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