this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2025
811 points (98.0% liked)

World News

45492 readers
4102 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, recently got the all-clear for a massive increase in investment after parliament voted to exempt defence spending from strict rules on debt.

The country's top general has told the BBC the cash boost is urgently needed because he believes Russian aggression won't stop at Ukraine.

"We are threatened by Russia. We are threatened by Putin. We have to do whatever is needed to deter that," Gen Carsten Breuer says. He warns that Nato should be braced for a possible attack in as little as four years.

"It's not about how much time I need, it's much more about how much time Putin gives us to be prepared," the defence chief says bluntly. "And the sooner we are prepared the better."

(page 3) 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] PumpkinSkink@lemmy.world -1 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Great powers rearming will not be good for anyone no matter what the context is around it. After Napoleon, European leaders were so afraid of war between great powers that they avoided it for 100 years. The moment they let their guard up we got WW1. The weapons do not make us safer. Don't think for a moment it can't happen again.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] archonet@lemy.lol 158 points 1 week ago (10 children)

for the first time, Germany possibly gets to be the "good guys" in a world war! Quite a turnaround.

[–] seeigel@feddit.org -1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Because Germany is on your side?

Careful that you don't draw the wrong conclusion.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 91 points 1 week ago (3 children)

With the Putin-loving, fascist AfD as the second strongest party in the country? We will see, but I do not have high hopes.

[–] archonet@lemy.lol 56 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I'd like to believe they'll kick the Nazis out of the bar before they reach the levers of true power, but I'm American and you see how well having that naive hope went for us.

Having said that, I imagine the Germans are at least slightly more cognizant of the risks involved than we are. Difference between "It can't happen here!" and "It has already happened here and it was bad."

[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 30 points 1 week ago

Having said that, I imagine the Germans are at least slightly more cognizant of the risks involved than we are.

Yeah one would think so, huh? But nope, right now nothing points to that. The last government declined to start the banning process against the AfD even tho the chances of success would have been really high. And that was a coalition of basically the labor party (as far as they think of themselves at least), the greens and some neo-lib shitheads. With the conservative government of right now? Lmao fat chance.

[–] Djehngo@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago (2 children)

So my understanding is that they are the second strongest, but still at around 20% the other German parties formed a coalition that froze Afd out of power. So they are still a threat in future elections, but they have limited impact on policy for now.

Is that correct or have I got the wrong idea?

[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 9 points 1 week ago

Mostly correct yes. The main danger lies in future elections.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] FatTony@lemmy.world 30 points 1 week ago (5 children)

I mean, were they really The Bad Guys™ in WW1?

[–] EddoWagt@feddit.nl 34 points 1 week ago

From what I understand about WW1, it was just a huge clusterfuck

[–] squishy@lemmy.zip 28 points 1 week ago

If they won they wouldn't be.

[–] wieson@feddit.org 24 points 1 week ago (2 children)

From my point of view, everyone was the Bad Guys in ww1.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Boxscape@lemmy.sdf.org 22 points 1 week ago (3 children)

for the first time, Germany possibly gets to be the "good guys" in a world war! Quite a turnaround.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] cm0002@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago

Germany on track for the greatest redemption arc of all time lmao

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 95 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Good article.

I appreciate that this was the photo the bbc chose to express German concern over US Russian relations;

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com -4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Liberal qanon loves the homophobic conspiracies.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 66 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I also see Putin as quite very

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago (2 children)
load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] TheBlackLounge@lemm.ee 9 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 week ago

very well could be.

I did not realize that graffiti was based on an actual photograph.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] LordWiggle@lemmy.world 82 points 1 week ago (22 children)

It feels a bit weird being on the German side for once, also their track record of succeeding isn't that great, but I love our neighbors and I fully support them.

I'm just, sad the world is falling into another world war while we also just could be more kind and forgiving towards each other. It would save a lot of lives and leads of pain and agony.

[–] realitista@lemm.ee 23 points 1 week ago (11 children)

Their success rate would have been a lot higher if they had known when to stop ;-). I think if the stated goal of defending Europe from Russia doesn't change that they have a very good chance of success given the numbers they are talking about.

load more comments (11 replies)
load more comments (20 replies)
[–] Phoenix3875@lemmy.world 53 points 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (5 children)

A bit concerning if an AfD take-over can't be completely ruled out.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 0 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The AfD may be hard right but I can't see any Germans getting in bed with Russia.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] rippersnapper@lemm.ee 16 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Yeah I’m a bit tired of bought out politicians dismantling a country from the inside.

Probably the biggest loophole that HAS to be fixed!

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (3 replies)
[–] Naevermix@lemmy.world 30 points 1 week ago (2 children)

This is not just about security, this is about safeguarding the last bastions of real democracy.

[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world 27 points 1 week ago (16 children)

I feel like this is a good idea but I also saw what Germany did to Brazil in that World Cup and there needs to be a plan for them going too far and hurting people just for living.

load more comments (16 replies)
[–] Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 19 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It took them four years to get the hint, but they got there in the end.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] MITM0@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Just don't draft people & you good. A drafted military never fights well

[–] Bashnagdul@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Maybe, but a drafted one fights better than one that doesn't exist.

[–] MITM0@lemmy.world -4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

How about you fight instead of dragging people to die in wars witbout their consent.

Oh wait, you rather sacrifice others.

Oh & there are more desertions in a drafted military

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments
view more: ‹ prev next ›