Yambo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:40 am
Mmmm, for quite a long time after 1945 the rest of Europe and the US didn't want Germany spending a lot of money on their military.
+ they have had '000s of Allied troops 'in-house', including the BAOR etc. Germany is a bit of a special case really but they do need to open the € taps on defence spending.
FWIW I don't think UvdL is a good choice, but we only have the scuttlebutt from the Telegraph to suggest she's in the frame. It IS interesting to speculate why Biden might favour her but primarily in the context of the USA/NATO/CSDP balance of power in Europe (and beyond). eg the USA might prefer all the NATO muscle to be on call should they wish to, for example, occupy Afghanistan. They can't do that with the CSDP. I wonder where UvdL stands on the CSDP? I'd have to dig a bit on that one. I'll have a guess that she/Germany are keener on NATO and France, for example, is a bit more leaning towards the CSDP.
Doubt is not a pleasant condition.
But certainty is an absurd one.
Voltaire
Count Steer wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 9:17 am
+ they have had '000s of Allied troops 'in-house', including the BAOR etc.
Yes, I was one of them for about 15 years plus two years in Berlin (not part of BAOR).
It was interesting to see the changes over the period from 1969 - 1990, the increasing influence of the Green Party, the calls for training areas to be given back, the attitude of some of the German population etc.
One of the arguments about training areas was to improve things for wildlife when in reality the training areas had abundant wildlife which was probably safer and better protected than in other areas.
Potter wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 6:42 amhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66223747 - The mother of an airman who died after climbing into a commercial bin has spoken of her anger that more was not being done to stop similar tragedies.
A bloke from the RAF Regiment climbs into a bin pissed up and gets crushed and dumped into landfill.
His mum blames the bin company for not putting locks on the bins.
Grief is a funny thing and as a parent I feel for the woman, but how far does society need to go to protect people from themselves?
Seems to me to be the modern way, millions of people are mildly inconvenienced in trivial ways frequently because of one person's stupidity.
My F-I-L spent many years in the 'environmental waste industry', i.e. he was in charge of the binmen who collected rubbish in Bromley. Much as he welcomed sensible advances in working practices, one thing he laughed at was the procedure he was meant to implement, whereby the bulk bins to be collected had to be banged on the side with an accompanying cry of 'Is anybody in here?! This bin is about to be emptied!!' or some such bollocks.
Yambo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:40 am
Mmmm, for quite a long time after 1945 the rest of Europe and the US didn't want Germany spending a lot of money on their military.
+ they have had '000s of Allied troops 'in-house', including the BAOR etc. Germany is a bit of a special case really but they do need to open the € taps on defence spending.
FWIW I don't think UvdL is a good choice, but we only have the scuttlebutt from the Telegraph to suggest she's in the frame. It IS interesting to speculate why Biden might favour her but primarily in the context of the USA/NATO/CSDP balance of power in Europe (and beyond). eg the USA might prefer all the NATO muscle to be on call should they wish to, for example, occupy Afghanistan. They can't do that with the CSDP. I wonder where UvdL stands on the CSDP? I'd have to dig a bit on that one. I'll have a guess that she/Germany are keener on NATO and France, for example, is a bit more leaning towards the CSDP.
Perhaps even he realises that UvdL is pretty incompetent at most things she has done ( and was not of the EU leader list until Merkel shoe horned her in). That alone will put the balance of control back into the USAs hands.
Or maybe Biden just identifies with others of his same calibre ?
Mr Moofo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 11:32 am
Perhaps even he realises that UvdL is pretty incompetent at most things she has done ( and was not of the EU leader list until Merkel shoe horned her in). That alone will put the balance of control back into the USAs hands.
Or maybe Biden just identifies with others of his same calibre ?
I suppose I should have said 'the USA' rather than Biden - I always assume he goes with what his advisers tell him. (They must brick themselves every time he goes off message).
I can see why the USA would want a weak Sec Gen. I'm sure they'd like as much control over as big a European force as they can get. As a Merkin once said 'The first World War was fought in Europe, the second World War was fought in Europe and the third World War damn well will be'. (China permitting).
They'd be better with a powerful proxy one that was onside with their aims though.
Doubt is not a pleasant condition.
But certainty is an absurd one.
Voltaire
WW 3 will unfortunately be fought between the USA and China. Not sure how Europe will feature - other than the starting ground. But that is way more likely to be the South China Sea or Taiwan
Mr Moofo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 2:03 pm
WW 3 will unfortunately be fought between the USA and China. Not sure how Europe will feature - other than the starting ground. But that is way more likely to be the South China Sea or Taiwan
Mr Moofo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 11:32 am
Perhaps even he realises that UvdL is pretty incompetent at most things she has done ( and was not of the EU leader list until Merkel shoe horned her in). That alone will put the balance of control back into the USAs hands.
Or maybe Biden just identifies with others of his same calibre ?
I suppose I should have said 'the USA' rather than Biden - I always assume he goes with what his advisers tell him. (They must brick themselves every time he goes off message).
I can see why the USA would want a weak Sec Gen. I'm sure they'd like as much control over as big a European force as they can get. As a Merkin once said 'The first World War was fought in Europe, the second World War was fought in Europe and the third World War damn well will be'. (China permitting).
They'd be better with a powerful proxy one that was onside with their aims though.
I'm not sure how having a British sec general would be better mind, we've been the US's bitch for so long I think its ingrained.
I've just read that because Starmer's latest flip flopping u turn on the two child benefit cap, some of his own MP's are now calling him "Sir Kid Starver".
Potter wrote: ↑Tue Jul 18, 2023 6:42 amhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-66223747 - The mother of an airman who died after climbing into a commercial bin has spoken of her anger that more was not being done to stop similar tragedies.
A bloke from the RAF Regiment climbs into a bin pissed up and gets crushed and dumped into landfill.
His mum blames the bin company for not putting locks on the bins.
Grief is a funny thing and as a parent I feel for the woman, but how far does society need to go to protect people from themselves?
Is he in line for a Darwin Award? Seems to me the human race dodged a bullet if he hadn't bred yet.
Rocket Ron has been awarded an Honorary Master’s Degree this week at the University of Derby in recognition of his career and commitment to rider tuition.
KungFooBob wrote: ↑Wed Jul 19, 2023 7:28 pm
Rocket Ron has been awarded an Honorary Master’s Degree this week at the University of Derby in recognition of his career and commitment to rider tuition.
Not sure he ever passed his bike test. Remember he was stopped by plod a few times with no licence.
KungFooBob wrote: ↑Wed Jul 19, 2023 7:28 pm
Rocket Ron has been awarded an Honorary Master’s Degree this week at the University of Derby in recognition of his career and commitment to rider tuition.
Not sure he ever passed his bike test. Remember he was stopped by plod a few times with no licence.
I think it related to his track based training, I can't imagine him doing CBT's
