Kyle Campbell4 said:I can see him hanging from a flagpole; I guess I’m just a bullfighter at heart.🙂
I'm just sitting here waiting for Vekjo to jump back in and explain once again why the current sanctions are essentially nothing. I’ve told him this before: there is absolutely no chance they will ever hit where it actually hurts or force any real concessions, because European nations are far too dependent on Russian energy. It is pure hypocrisy and double standards in politics, plain and simple.
Quick news:
Denmark decided to hike their military budget and they're holding a referendum about returning to the Common Security and Defence Policy from the EU.
Canada allowed NATO forces to deploy on its territory.
Germany is still getting 40% of its gas needs from Russia. They just agreed to start building an LNG terminal, but that’s going to take forever to actually get running. If Germany cut off Russian gas right now, they'd be without power in three weeks. It's not like Putin doesn't have a few tricks up his sleeve. The mistake happened way earlier—nobody really believed Putin would actually invade, and everyone thought there was plenty of time for an energy transition. Take Germany, for example; they produce more than enough wind power, to the point where they actually have to shut it down sometimes so they don't fry the power lines. And that's exactly the problem with the infrastructure—they can't even move all that power from the north down to the industrial south without blowing out a grid that isn't built for that kind of load. Sure, they should fix it, but everyone figured they had time.
For Ukraine, the key is just holding out as long as possible so the sanctions can eventually hit harder.
What’s actually gonna be interesting is watching what happens with Ukraine's bid—and Georgia and Moldova too—to join the EU. For the US to bring someone into its inner circle, it takes forever; look at how long it took some of these other nations to get fully integrated into the Western fold. All those red tape procedures exist for a reason, and honestly, I don't see any issue with them, regardless of whatever geostrategic nonsense people throw around. But then you've got the exception to the rule, like how East Germany was basically folded in without all the usual back-and-forth negotiations. Sure, the political architecture wasn't quite the same back then, but it proves that where there's a will, there's a way. Now, the real question is whether it's even smart or worth it to let in countries that don't check any of the boxes. I haven't got an answer for that. Maybe it's better to keep them under our wing even if they aren't exactly functional states. Maybe membership forces their societies to actually start working properly, or maybe the whole thing just ends up being way too expensive for the US to handle. Who knows. And obviously, you've got all those other struggling nations from places like Eastern Europe or the North America looking to get in, where corruption is basically the national language.
Kyle Campbell4 said:It is based on the undeniable fact that far too many nations are prioritizing their own domestic agendas and maintaining their trade ties with Russia. During the initial days of the conflict, these countries were understandably shocked and outraged, which is precisely why they rushed to implement those sweeping sanctions and made such grand promises to the Ukrainians. However, that initial fervor has subsided, and now we see them quietly pivoting back to their own self-interest. Look at the situation with the fighter jets: there is absolutely nothing to show for it because the very allies who pledged to provide them have suddenly balked, fearing they will be left without air cover themselves. Even Canada refuses to allow its territory to be used as a transit point for weapons shipments. All those promised donations of Stingers and Javelins mean next to nothing to the people on the ground if the supplies are just sitting in a warehouse in Poland. While sanctions could certainly be tightened further, there is a palpable hesitation to push too hard. It is infuriating to think that before the blood of the Ukrainians has even dried on the pavement, there will already be talk of easing these restrictions. It follows a predictable, cynical pattern: everyone wants to claim they are helping the attacked nation, but in reality, this level of support is utterly insufficient and practically useless on the battlefield. We offer aid merely so we can say we tried. If the West continues down this path of hollow gestures, they shouldn't be surprised when the war eventually arrives on their own doorstep.
Look, it's obvious nobody wants to actually declare war on Russia. That's why they're being so calculated with weapon donations—making it look like the Ukrainians have to come pick them up themselves so there's no direct confrontation. But I wasn't asking about that; I was asking about the sanctions. Every day, more companies are pulling out of Russia and Belarus. Just recently, IKEA pulled the plug, which is going to cost them something like 15,000 jobs. Supplying arms and stepping into an open conflict is one thing, but sanctions are a completely different beast.
With the war going on, food imports from places like Ukraine and Russia are drying up. Now the US is looking at ways to be way more self-sufficient when it comes to farming—honestly, any smart nation would jump on that chance right now.
Some guy over there is claiming the ambassador to the UN doesn't even have the legal standing to condemn Russia's invasion. It’s pretty obvious he’s just parroting whatever Moscow tells him to say.
The IEA (The International Energy Agency ) just dropped a 10-point plan detailing how the West can finally cut the cord on Russian gas dependency.
The US stopped playing nice regarding Mexico; they basically cornered their leadership until they agreed to back that UN resolution against Putin.
Georgia and Moldova have officially filed their paperwork to join the EU.
It’s definitely rigged. Look, that doesn't mean there aren't people over in Russia actually backing Putin—just like how Paul Sanders would say there are always people who just love playing the rebel for the hell of it, let alone those who actually support the guy.
The Mayor of Washington D.C. just announced that the street heading straight to the Russian Embassy is getting renamed "Ukrainian Heroes Street" to show some respect after what Moscow did. Basically, the only address you'll find on Ukrainian Heroes Street will be that of the Russian Embassy.😬
Justin James10 said:Just "one"? Are you suggesting every other pipeline is already shut down?
Maybe I'm wrong here, but as far as I know, only Nord Stream 2 has been stalled in its tracks, and let's face it, that pipeline wasn't even operational yet.
And when that plagiarist Ursula von der Leyen claims we’re going to ramp up solar energy, it honestly feels just like those empty political promises we hear from local party hacks... you know, like that Josipa Rimac character.
Did someone suddenly upgrade solar plants to a Nobel Prize-winning level overnight, or is Ursula just delivering her typical collection of empty platitudes?
Algeria has the capacity it has; you can't just build a brand-new pipeline across the Mediterranean overnight, nor can their production levels magically skyrocket.
The EU is made up of 27 member states that don't always share the same interests (which is totally normal), and they're basically just a voluntary alliance. That's why the political setup is the way it is. Decisions are always about finding some middle ground where nobody's super miserable, but nobody gets everything they want either. And the language the EU uses? It's always heavy on the bureaucracy because they're constantly trying to play peacemaker. The EU isn't a country. They don't even have a unified foreign policy, aside from trade deals and stuff like that.
But then, when the head of the EC claims that "buying Russian gas finances the Russian war machine," that's not unlike Josipa Rimac; that's a statement you almost never hear coming out of an EU official's mouth. It flies in the face of everything mentioned in that first paragraph.
Also, during these negotiations about what qualifies as EU-funded "green energy" for the transition, they've been squeezing nuclear and gas hard lately. We'll just have to wait and see what happens with gas. Might get cut entirely.
fadedridge903 said:So, what's the plan then—are we just supposed to ramp up importing LNG from the US, given they're currently occupying Syria and Iraq?
Don't quote me on this, but last I read, Algeria is definitely in the mix, and there’s an EU-Africa summit coming up where energy is going to be the big talking point. But hey, if you're looking to call out some supposed hypocrisy in the European Union, go find someone who actually gives a damn about that. Because it sure isn't me. 🙂
So, word's out in the media about some leaked European Commission plan to ditch reliance on Russian gas as fast as possible. Right now, the EU is pulling about 40% of its gas needs straight from Russia. When I say "leaked," honestly, it probably was a deliberate dump because right after that, EC President Ursula von der Leyen went out and said “Every kilowatt-hour of electricity Europe generates from solar, wind, hydropower or biomass reduces Our dependency on Russian gas and other Energy sources. “This is a strategic investment because, on top, less dependency on Russian gas and other fossil fuel sources also means less money for The Kremlin’s war chest.”
I kept saying I *wish* we could move past this, rather than claiming we already have. But good grief, we simply cannot allow facts to get in the way of a perfectly good narrative, can we? 👋
I suppose when some crony from one of those European political machines claims there isn't a single problem to be found, then that must be the absolute truth! 🙏
Just three days ago you were going on about how nobody in the EU trusts anyone and how everyone’s gonna suffer if one side attacks the other. Now that Europe is supposedly more united than ever? Suddenly it's whatever. Classic virtue signaling and shifting the goalposts.
🙂 When people were actually talking about needing an energy transformation and ditching fossil fuels (and that dependency on countries outside the EU), everyone just laughed.
It’s all just mindless babble and bureaucratic nonsense 👋 And when they aren't doing that, it means we’ve finally shaken off that leftist ideology once and for all 👋 total win-win for Justin James10 👋
Justin James10 said:You're just inventing arguments now just to reach a pre-set conclusion 🙏 This so-called Mr. Yellowa Vekjo maneuver 👋 Look, Merkel isn't "mine"—honestly, I’d love nothing more than to see her behind bars for life! ☕
So, I'll say it: I wholeheartedly support the idea of people going out in search of wisdom and common sense; I absolutely sign off on that. But as it stands, the current reality is just a bunch of nonsense where people exploit someone else's tragedy for virtue signaling, all while Russian gas continues to flow straight into Germany. Isn't it ironic that the very same crowd mourning over Ukraine is indirectly funding the Russian war machine? 👋
Virtue signaling serfs, and yet here you are doing the exact same thing by calling out Germany—and honestly, why only them? They’re the ones still hooked on Russian gas. 🤣 Yesterday, nobody actually believed Putin would pull the trigger on this invasion, but now everyone’s acting like we should just shut everything down and tank our own economy just to make sure Justin James10 stays happy. 👋
But hey, don't sweat it. The hard-working girls and guys across the US have already started keeping tabs on this. The UN needs to seriously level up how it stops wars, according to Antony Blinken's talk to US lawmakers this Tuesday. He was basically laying out why we need way more muscle to keep things from boiling over. The big headache? Trying to figure out if we can actually survive the upcoming cold snap. Simpson mentioned the current vibe is that the US should be able to make it through this winter just fine, but honestly, things look like they're getting dicey as America stares down the barrel of the winter of 2022. The states and the administration are planning to tighten up the coordination to make sure we can ramp up those LNG imports if things go south. It’s all about staying ahead of the curve before the freeze hits.
"Look, in the short term, we aren't seeing any real threats to our energy security here in the US," the US Secretary of Energy mentioned during the press conference. Since the US holds the rotating G7 presidency until July, all eyes are on them. Simpson noted that the current vibe is that the US can get through this winter safely. Right now, gas is still flowing from east to west, LNG deliveries to the US have ramped up big time, and honestly, the weather forecast looks pretty decent.
But things are only going to get tougher as America stares down the barrel of the 2022 winter. "Next winter, the states and the administration will step up their coordination to reinforce our capacity for importing LNG for instance," Barbara Pompili said.
Justin James10 said:Talk about instant gratification, my friend!
And I see you, brother, but look—we seriously need some watermelon types to take over the government in Germany to make those wet dreams of yours come true and actually boost military spending, especially after decades of your girl Merkel sucking up to Putin while wrapped in that "defender of democracy" cloak. Come join us in the watermelon camp 👍
Russia's top prosecutor just reminded everyone that providing any kind of help to Ukraine—whether it's military gear, money, or even just intel—is considered high treason against Russia, and they're looking at potentially 20 years behind bars for it.