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Cake day: June 27th, 2023

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  • I cannot exaggerate to you that this 100% fulfils the negative perceptions of European governments that American isolationists have. The article says they cut Ukraine funding to fund social programs. The right-wing narrative in America is that needing to have the huge military is why we have a weak social safety net (not true btw, med4all for example would save Uncle Sam money) which is framed as “we pay for European social programs.” But here’s a government… literally cutting military spending in the middle of aiding a real war that could be highly consequential to the country in question to fund social programs.

    How is an American supposed to argue in favor of funding the defense of Europe when the richest country in Europe doesn’t want to fund the defense of Europe? If Germany gets to decide to go for “Germany first,” how long until “Britain first?” “France first?” “Italy first?” Will Ukraine funding just be a hot potato that everyone will claim is important but nobody actually wants to do?

    When European countries started raising military spending in response to a threat, it weakened American isolationist arguments. But this strengthens them. I hope no other European countries pull this shit.














  • As far as I can see, the communist (the left-right political spectrum is a dumb model) message to America is “some of you may die, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.” And I understand why they feel this way, but they should not expect us to accept death without even using the meager power over it that most of us do have.