Senate The US Politics discussion

Germany imports ~40% of its crude oil from Russia (first source of imports), ~45% of its gas, and ~30% of its coal (Russia being their first import market in all three cases; source, and breakdowns by energy type). Coal could arguably be replaced. Gas and crude oil reserves are all sufficient enough to hold out for three winter months. Oil can be bought elsewhere if needs must, and a proper circuit can be established in that timeframe.

However, due to the nature of gas' delivery (being pipelined), it takes far longer to set up an alternative equivalent providing source that it would for reserves to run out. So there is, in fact, a degree of dependency of Germany on Russia for its energy, just not a catastrophic one. Said dependency goes both ways; Russia has a GDP equivalent to Italy, and cutting Germany off would take

Germany does have trade surplusses over the rest of the EU, but as to sovereign debt, the pertinent mechanisms of the European Stability Mechanism are a good deal more complex than "Germany is owed X by Y"...

The 2% mark has never been an unrealistic one. It happens to be meaningless for smaller countries, but the UK and France had no difficulty reaching it until recent years and the respective tightenings of their budgets (the UK still manage, France gave up for domestic concerns). In Germany's case, the legal implications are what say getting to those 2% is pointless - it's an army that isn't authorized to fight.

 

No, I'm not doing this. I'm not going to fix your idea. You don't get to devise grand plans and then have others patch it up for you just like that. For that, your grand plan needs to be attractive in some form. It needs to have something.
You do it. You walk through all the scenarios that could doom your plan. It's your plan, be critical of it. And only after that you should suggest it to others. Because any earlier, it's just a naieve plan and the only reason we should consider it is because someone here likes to dream big. And I'm not here to satisfy your whims.

So before you decide to break up a transatlantic alliance, look at the history and relationships of those countries. Look at it well. Look at what happens in general when alliances are broken up. Take the downside of your ideas seriously.

 

I feel like living in a sitcom

 

Really, you don't. Imagine spending 23.5 hours a day being inactive and the rest being mocked by a laugh box?

 

but they're happy for someone else to foot the bill . Are they serious about NATO or not ? Put your money where your mouth is .

 

Here I was wondering if he had been banned again...

 

Indeed. Russia invaded Ukraine, annexed Crimea, carried out a biological attack in the UK, meddled in the 2016 U.S. elections and are said to be gearing up to hack the 2018 midterm elections and the president of the United States blames...the United States for US/Russia tensions. Jesus Christ. The cherry on top is that Fox News and Trump's supporters will say, "Yeah so? What's the big deal" or they'll just ignore it.

 

Of course. It’s easier than thinking or—gasp!—actually doing something about it. Or acknowledging that their hero has likely been compromised by the Russians.

 

holdup, the treason press conference is beginning

 

Trump wants to spend $30 million on a military parade, $70 on a racist border wall, and is already wasting $1.5 trillion through tax cuts for the rich. And now, he wants to cut $7 billion from the Children’s Health Insurance Program to pay for it. Makes me sick.

 

oh there you go

Putin "no interference"

 

I know this has been asked before, but just how much worse is a rigged witch hunt than an unrigged witch hunt?

 

And if there's "Fake News" about a "Rigged Witch Hunt", then I guess it means there's news about actual witches.

 

let me see. Rigged would me he knows they are going to have something on him , that they make up he supposes. So i guess unrigged just means they are looking for no reason.

So expect they are going to find something

 

"Fix my idea"... ??

I'm the one saying the US leaving NATO wouldn't be the end of the world, if it happens. That some good could come out of any rash decision there by Trump, decreasing our military spending and cutting some of our overseas bases and withdrawing some of our troops. That to block Russia from going into European NATO space, we'd just need to keep alliances with Poland and the Baltics. This isn't a "grand plan," it's not a plan at all, it's not a "whim," and I'm not a politician. Don't project Trump onto me and take your issues with him out on me.

You're the one saying the US leaving NATO would lead to the collapse of Europe, that Americans are the only thing keeping Europeans powers from going to war with each other, saying the end of the US in NATO would be like the end of the Roman Empire and lead to new Dark Ages, potentially the Netherlands getting invaded again by someone else in Europe, disregarding that Europe has 2-3 nuclear powers and decades of integration to help keep the peace and that NATO wouldn't necessarily end, disregarding that the US would probably still help its friends if Europe actually faced an existential threat, etc.

I'm asking you to specify what exactly you're afraid of happening, trying to narrow it down in my last post to you, as usually happens in a rational discussion, since without detail it honestly sounds kind of doomer-ish crazy to me.

 

Trump is about as good at seeing interference as a WWE referee

 

Let's sum up. So far, Trump has:

1) Praised Putin
2) Praised Putin
3) Praised Putin

4) Mentioned yet again how soundly he beat Hillary Clinton

5) Blamed the Democrats for the Russia probe and the current state of affairs between our two countries, as well as yet again calling out the probe as a witch hunt

6) Blamed both our countries equally for the findings laid out in Mueller's indictment

7) Given Putin a pass for it all

I'm sitting here wondering right now what America's senior military leadership must be thinking, and whether or not the idea of a coup (covert of course, ie Trump suffers a fatal brain hemorrhage, which the Russians could teach him a thing or two about) has been or is being discussed.

Overall, this conference is more than surreal--it's President Trump negotiating the terms of America's surrender while couching it in the language of peace. Scary.

 

throwing the intelligence community under the bus in front of the enemy not cool. Trump is a KGB Agent no doubt about it.

 

The KGB do not exist anymore.

 

The pee tape is real.

 

Its a figure of speech its clear Trump has turned his back on the US and Is siding with the Russians how do you believe the word of Putin over your own Intelligence agency? Trump is handing over the keys to the US right over to Putin and as an American I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

And actually Putin is an ex KGB Agent.

Trump: just announced "US Russian relationship has changed 4 hours ago" I don't know about other Americans in here but this statement really scares me. Putin Russia they now own the US and Trump is his puppet Putin and his cronies gotta be snickering behind closed doors they controlled this meeting not Trump.

 

Trump once again took Putin's word over his own intelligence community. I know he's said it before but this really took my breath away.

"I have President Putin, he just said it's not Russia. I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be". Once again I'm not surprised but I'm shocked that this is happening and that people elected to office in part to protect this country are letting it happen. How in Christ's name can the average Trump voter defend this?

 

Oh and the KGB does exist the name just changed they don't call it the KGB Anymore Its the something Intelligence Agency or some stuff like that. Putin Is a Former KGB Agent.

 

Just a Question for anyone on here that sides with Russia are you Russian?

 

I’m half Russian and I most certainly do NOT side with Russia.