President Biden: State of the Union 2022 / 03 / 01

[sear]

"Germany and France are not being seen as "close to the rest of Europe", which will see changes in the Future." W #20

I have a similar problem with it W #20.
Static analysis is so much easier. But of course you are right, today's European politics, during the global pandemic, with War in Ukraine is a churn. I can't accuse Germany of being ideologically sympathetic with Russia's military conquest aspirations. I hope Germany has learned its lesson on that, for now. But I fully understand Germany's plight, having consented to do business with Russia in good faith, helping to stimulate Russia's economy after the Cold War by buying Gazprom etc.
So now Germany suffers the consequence.
It would be a disaster at least in the short term to the German economy to simply try to get by without Russian energy. And in a nation where national elections are held, slamming the domestic economy like that would soon put the party in power out of power, potentially as bad as the energy crisis that would cause it. That's more or less how Hitler came to power.

I share with you the following W #20 not because I think you don't know, for between us two it is you that has so bravely taken the lead. But at my ripe young age of 67 I find in my lifetime I've done about all the worrying I'm willing to do.
If the 15th is Good Friday it's still the 14th here. So Good Thursday to you W. rah rah

 

[Wolf]

But at my ripe young age of 67 I find in my lifetime I've done about all the worrying I'm willing to do. Sear
That statement made me smile. We have know each other for some years. Now you "youngsters" (I have passed 83yrs. a short time ago) and can "I quote" "Seen things you people would not believe". Now it does seem as though in many ways "the people of this good Earth" have not learnt from the past, as in Hitler/Stalin, and now Putin.

 

[sear]

Alright W #22
We both know there's no shade of lipstick we can slap on this pig to make it look pretty. Instead let's consider what may be worthy of the most severe alarm.
There's big fuss made of trying to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. And I can't deny, a nuclear arms race in the Middle East is to say the least, sub-optimal. BUT !!
It seems North Korea not only already has nuclear weapons. North Korea is developing the delivery systems, missiles, to deploy those nukes.

That scenario seems as close to a bull in a china shop as any that comes to mind. grim
Perhaps if we're (you & I) lucky we'll both have expired of natural causes painlessly in our sleep before Kim Jong Un or his successor goes Putin with them.

 

[Wolf]

North Korea is developing the delivery systems, missiles, to deploy those nukes. Sear
First why would we think that North Korea could in any way "influence the West". What it can be doing is simply acting as a "off shoot" of either Russia or China, just to stir the Western pot when needed.
There's big fuss made of trying to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. And I can't deny, a nuclear arms race in the Middle East is to say the least, sub-optimal. Sear
But again Iran is only acting as a "Agent provocateur" it wants to be seen as "Powerful" but the "Strings" that make it dance are held by------------

 

[sear]

"First why would we think that North Korea could in any way "influence the West". What it can be doing is simply acting as a "off shoot" of either Russia or China, just to stir the Western pot when needed." W #24

I'm trying to think of in all history a longer U.S. military over seas deployment than the DMZ.
Either way, NK is already influencing the U.S. & West.
I gather North Korean artillery could flatten Seoul if KJU decided it might be fun. That situation will become no less dire when NK can nuke DC or London without leaving Pyongyang.

"But again Iran is only acting as a "Agent provocateur" it wants to be seen as "Powerful" but the "Strings" that make it dance are held by------------" W #24

That addresses motive.
It's the consequence that concerns me. We don't need no steenkin' nuclear arms race in the Middle East. M.A.D. only works when both sides want to survive. But the number of people in the Middle East that perform suicide murders should call to our attention: nukes without a reliable M.A.D. policy might doom the human race.