The war in Ukraine has shifted thinking — both among politicians and the public — on the need to spend more on defense.
The European public and politicians are in agreement that EU countries should do more to increase weapons production.
That’s according to the results of the latest Eurobarometer poll, obtained in advance by POLITICO Playbook, and a draft of the EU’s Strategic Agenda seen by POLITICO.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago has dramatically shifted the rhetoric around defense spending, pushing it up the agenda across the bloc — often at the expense of other policy areas like tackling climate change.
As a pacifist, I fucking hate this timeline 😮💨
Sadly, pacifism only work if everybody agrees to it.
Not really. Defense is easier than offense at this point. And offense becomes a lot cheaper in a world where everyone is keeping the prices of weapons lower.
Don’t be an economist, be smart and look at data to see where it goes. America vs Afghanistan. Using a ten million dollar missile to take out a guy with a hundred dollar rifle. Or look at Russia unable to beat a country right on their border that they greatly outnumber.
War is expensive, offensive war more expensive. Everyone armed means arms cost less money. We don’t require that the entire world be pacifist to get peace just enough, just like we don’t need every single person to agree to not commit rape to enforce rape laws.
What do you actually think is causing Europe to build weapons?
Do you think they are planning a era of conquest? Or maybe they’ve got an aggressor on their border and they feel the need to defend themselves.
Which shouldn’t be too much to ask for since everyone agrees that war is awful. Just not hard enough not to constantly make up excuses for why it’s ok to keep murdering people.
That doesn’t appear to be the case in Ukraine.
You’re saying that the people of Ukraine are enjoying themselves right now? That’s not quite the impression I’m getting…
Putin you fuck. Putin doesn’t agree.
First of all, Putin isn’t in Ukraine, you fuck. He’s ordering people to murder on his behalf form a safe distance like the cowardly fascist he is.
Secondly, there’s other ways to deal with that sick bastard’s war than to indulge it all the way to WWIII. Turn the oligarchs against him and he’s not going to be in charge long.
Replace him with someone who isn’t a crazed expansionist who wants to be the tsar of pre-USSR Greater Russia and an end to the war is much more likely than the current tactic of just throwing lives and weapons at something that could go on for decades of needless slaughter at this rate.
Where is the war?
Are you really this obtuse in real life, or do you just play idiot on the internet?
Removed, civility.
The war is in Ukraine. The guy you’re talking about liking war isn’t.
That you can’t express yourself clearly doesn’t make ME an obtuse idiot. That you don’t understand it when I explain your mistake to you makes SOMEONE an idiot, though…
Anyways, it’s clear that you aren’t arguing in good faith and aren’t going to either, so I’m gonna stop wasting any more of my time on you. Have the day you deserve.
He’s saying not everyone is in agreement on being pacifist because if they were there wouldn’t be a war going on in Ukraine. I can’t believe that needs to be explained to you.
Climate crisis is out of control and Putin ends up dragging us all off to war and weapons production. Absolute worst timeline.
O man if you hate that don’t think about how WW I basically happened the way it did because everyone spent the previous few years building up their militaries “just in case.”
I get your feelings. An arms race often lead to, well, wars. 😔
However we also need to stand up to bullies.