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Apparently millions of East Germans speak Russian and identify with Russia culturally.
The article is rather long. It’s behind a paywall but may be readable. I think the G&M allows 3 articles to be read each month before enforcing the paywall.
I couldn't read it. Too bad.
My own take is, sometimes it just doesn't matter what some of the electorate thinks. "The electorate" seemed to think that depending on Russian energy was a harmless decision and German bureaucrats rolled their eyes in derision when American leaders suggested it was a mistake. The Germans had it their way, Europe followed and now they pay the price.
You're a Canadian, I believe. Does it really matter to leaders in Ottawa what the people of Regina think of their Covid policies? The fact the millions of East Germans identify with Russia should not make a whit of difference. When Russia took military weapons across the border into Ukraine they were wrong and the world responded accordingly. People are free to chant pro-Russian slogans as much as they wish. Their chanting should not influence foreign policy.
At any rate, Germany is leading the way to develop alternative energy sources like LNG regasification. So the die is cast in that decision.
Putin's aim is to run out the clock. He probably knows full well that people will tire of supporting war against Russia and is hoping to generate enough "peacemakers" to enable him to walk away with a net gain in the war. His chances of pulling it off now, though, are near zero. The sanctions and boycotts will go on for years.
Speaking of Boycotts: Nokia and Ericsson have each shut down operations in Russia has of Dec 31. They could stay if they wanted, and did stay for a while, but their departure is now complete. Together, they operate about 50% of Russia's telecom. Presumably, as unmaintained systems fail, Russia will revert to the technology of the 1990's. Moscow and Saint Petersburg may be able to maintain a cell system, but the rural areas will not.
Telecom and transportation are being strangled in Russia.
Germanies Scholtz is dragging his feet on giving Poland the green light for them to give Leopard tanks to Ukraine..he's waiting on Biden to give him the green light..wth?..escalation be damned..give Ukraine the tools they need to outright defeat Russia..
Tanks will help but they won't defeat Russia. Ukraine needs to strike fear in the heart of the enemy by attacking Russia itself. They have done it with drones albeit on a very small scale. They have to destroy Russian energy infrastructures and manufacturing bases and make the Russian population suffers. Destroy all the hospitals too so that wounded Russian soldiers can not be treated. This is what the Russians have been doing to Ukraine. So it is only natural and reasonable that Ukraine does the same to them.
I couldn't read it. Too bad.
My own take is, sometimes it just doesn't matter what some of the electorate thinks. "The electorate" seemed to think that depending on Russian energy was a harmless decision and German bureaucrats rolled their eyes in derision when American leaders suggested it was a mistake. The Germans had it their way, Europe followed and now they pay the price.
You're a Canadian, I believe. Does it really matter to leaders in Ottawa what the people of Regina think of their Covid policies? The fact the millions of East Germans identify with Russia should not make a whit of difference. When Russia took military weapons across the border into Ukraine they were wrong and the world responded accordingly. People are free to chant pro-Russian slogans as much as they wish. Their chanting should not influence foreign policy.
I don’t know enough about German politics and the economic power of different areas of Germany to really comment. However, Olaf Scholz’s party, the SPD, is in a coalition agreement with Alliance 90/The Greens and the FDP. I assume that the coalition breaking down would not be good news.
Yes, I’m in Canada. COVID policies are not a good example as such policies are decided by the various provincial governments. The federal government is only involved when borders are crossed. Also, unlike in East Germany, there is no anti-western or anti-NATO feelings in Canada that I’ve ever heard of.
Quote:
At any rate, Germany is leading the way to develop alternative energy sources like LNG regasification. So the die is cast in that decision.
The big financial gamble in Germany is on green hydrogen and the country is doing a lot of work in this area. It will be exciting if it pays off. Germany is hoping hydrogen production will be cost effective by 2030. i imagine a lot of their heavy industry could run on hydrogen, replacing gas and oil.
I.............The big financial gamble in Germany is on green hydrogen and the country is doing a lot of work in this area. It will be exciting if it pays off. Germany is hoping hydrogen production will be cost effective by 2030. i imagine a lot of their heavy industry could run on hydrogen, replacing gas and oil.
Germany actually may be able to pull that off. It would be one of the ramifications of the Ukraine war that would benefit us all.
I don’t know enough about German politics and the economic power of different areas of Germany to really comment. However, Olaf Scholz’s party, the SPD, is in a coalition agreement with Alliance 90/The Greens and the FDP. I assume that the coalition breaking down would not be good news.
Yes, I’m in Canada. COVID policies are not a good example as such policies are decided by the various provincial governments. The federal government is only involved when borders are crossed. Also, unlike in East Germany, there is no anti-western or anti-NATO feelings in Canada that I’ve ever heard of.
The big financial gamble in Germany is on green hydrogen and the country is doing a lot of work in this area. It will be exciting if it pays off. Germany is hoping hydrogen production will be cost effective by 2030. i imagine a lot of their heavy industry could run on hydrogen, replacing gas and oil.
The strange thing is that the former "East Germans" should be the ones
leary of Russia as they were under the Soviet jackboot for decades...
so them being on Russia's side and anti-NATO seems weird to me.
Tanks will help but they won't defeat Russia. Ukraine needs to strike fear in the heart of the enemy by attacking Russia itself. They have done it with drones albeit on a very small scale. They have to destroy Russian energy infrastructures and manufacturing bases and make the Russian population suffers. Destroy all the hospitals too so that wounded Russian soldiers can not be treated. This is what the Russians have been doing to Ukraine. So it is only natural and reasonable that Ukraine does the same to them.
"Russia's Ministry of Defense spokesman Igor Konashenkov says Russia has already destroyed 4 Bradley Fighting Vehicles in Ukraine. Which is indeed remarkable in that none have been delivered yet."
They've also destroyed more HIMARS systems than have been delivered. I guess they're just that good.
They've also destroyed more HIMARS systems than have been delivered. I guess they're just that good.
One of those destroyed HIMARS blasted a bunch of Russian mercenaries to their reward in hell today in Soledar. The video looks like they had built themselves a barracks or maybe a command post. Anyway, kaboom.
That’s called the Hitler fallacy. Logic, you might want to study it.
The classic if you aren’t with us, then you are against us?
Meanwhile; the US took over Ukraine with a coup, bombed Yugoslavia splitting that nation, basically owns Romania and Bulgaria and used Kosovo to run drugs. So the US now wants to own the Middle East, Balkans and Eastern Europe - yet here you are defending it. LOL!
Oh lookie, a new member of Putin's Posse. Or an old member whose account got suspended?
Apparently millions of East Germans speak Russian and identify with Russia culturally.
I find the numbers in that article rather suspect. Sure, Russian was taught in the GDR and was part of a well-rounded Party member's education. I suspect millions can speak Russian, after a fashion - but it's not as if it's spoken in a lot of German citizen's homes.
Russian immigrants - and there's a fair lot of those - may speak Russian as a first language. But the largest percentage of those live in the West, because a good chunk of immigration happened before 1989, and they came to what was then West Germany.
A lot people who grew up in the GDR will have memories of the Soviet says, and while they don't want them back, some do feel that they were steamrollered to become West Germans - with little consideration for their preferences. And of course, a lot of people who enjoyed a high status by party membership and whatnot found themselves on the out.
It seems like a bunch of people with grievances.
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