https://archive.is/wkAru

  • “I fully share your loathing of European freeloading,” Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, later replied. “It’s PATHETIC.”
  • Comment105@lemm.ee
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    2 days ago

    Sure.

    But militarily, Europe is quite pathetic for a rich 700 million population region.

    • stoy@lemmy.zip
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      2 days ago

      Pathetic in what way?

      We have the best tanks, the best artillery, the best attack subs, several really good military aircraft programs and more.

      The one thing we are lacking is quantity, and even then I wouldn’t call us pathetic in that area.

      Our military has for the last few decades been based against a resonable enemy, one who will calculate gains vs losses in a resonable manner and who then realize that working together is better than fighting.

      This world has now gone, with the war in Ukraine, it is clear that Russian leaders no longer can be expected to act with reason, and Europe is picking up the pace.

      Some may argue that it is too little too late, but you know, you can’t change the past, if we could act with hindsight of future events then we would be unstoppable.

      As a Swede, I am angry with my government for selling off defense resources for decades and dismantling our military, but we are working on sorting ourselves out.

      • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Sweden really should have put in a right of refusal clause to buy back SAAB from GM. At least you still have the airplane division.

        • stoy@lemmy.zip
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          2 days ago

          Ok, so you have nothing to counter my argument with.

          But lets get back to the question at hand, you claim that European militaries are pathetic, but offer no concrete argument to support that claim.

          Based on your comments in this thread, I can only assume that you are a troll, Russian asset, or Trump supporter.

          • anomnom
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            2 days ago

            Right. The Ukrainian army has been stalling or reversing the progress of the Russian army in a pretty significant way with European and American equipment and similar army sizes to those that other European countries could muster in a hurry.

        • asap@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          I believe the question was: “Pathetic in what way?”

          Please enlighten us.

    • wildbus8979
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      2 days ago

      Between France and the UK, the EU has more nuclear warheads than China, but you know, after a few dozens who’s really counting.