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

World News

45282 readers
3592 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."

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] TylerBourbon@lemmy.world 68 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't see this as Germany leaving history in the past, but being smart to protect their future so the that the lessons of the past mean something.

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 1 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

Germans are on track to elect the AfD. Do you think them having a 500 Billion dollar army is a good plan?

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago

What choice do we have? I would focus on improving everything for the regulars and copy the Finnish reserve system.

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 94 points 2 days ago (11 children)

Germany, Italy, and Japan go to war against Russia and the US. Only this time the former group is the Good Guys.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Go back to WW1 and you'll have a hard time pointing to good guys. Even WW2 was heavily sketch. The US was halfway in bed with the Nazis under Hoover and only at odds with Japan because it was encroaching on the British opium trade through Hong Kong and Shanghai.

These wars were, at their hearts, the end consequences of a century of industrial imperialism. The good guys were in Latin America and North Africa and the South Pacific, fighting for their independence and sovereignty.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 4 points 19 hours ago

Lieutenant George: The war started because of the vile Hun and his villainous empire-building.

Captain Blackadder: George, the British Empire at present covers a quarter of the globe, while the German Empire consists of a small sausage factory in Tanganiki. I hardly think that we can be entirely absolved of blame on the imperialistic front.

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

You’re taking my shitpost comment way too seriously.

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

It's the Terminator 2: Judgement Day of wars.

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 37 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Pearl Harbour 2 is gonna be sick

[–] Dozzi92@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

Starring Cuba Gooding Junior Jr.

[–] 3laws@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Italy has a grotesque far right wave RN, they are not the good guys still. Japan is not progressive enough compared to Germany, but I can believe Germany is far removed from being as much as a bad guy compared to the USA & Russia today.

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I do not want the Italians and Hungarians on my flanks.

[–] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Japan has never really reckoned with its past. They were just pacified.

I judge the country as a whole for this, since they keep electing politicians who continue to do very little to reckon with their past.

I feel a lot could be gained by apologising to the people and nations for the past, and nothing lost, other than nationalistic pride, bring forced into self reflection, and being genuinely sorry on behalf of the country.

People who think they shouldn't apologise because it wasn't them personally are stupid, frankly, and standing in the way of reducing tensions.

Will it fix everything in the region? No. Will it take some of the steam out of the war machine? Probably.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (7 replies)
[–] archonet@lemy.lol 159 points 2 days ago (15 children)

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

[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 91 points 2 days ago (5 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 55 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days 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 2 days 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.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] FatTony@lemmy.world 30 points 2 days ago (5 children)

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

[–] EddoWagt@feddit.nl 34 points 2 days ago

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

[–] squishy@lemmy.zip 28 points 2 days ago

If they won they wouldn't be.

[–] wieson@feddit.org 24 points 2 days 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)
load more comments (13 replies)
[–] LordWiggle@lemmy.world 82 points 2 days ago (16 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.

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

We are not the same Germany, with exception to the Prussian military discipline that is buried deep within us. Thanks to morons in DC and Moscow, they are forcing to break the pacifistic dam that we were force to build post WW II.

[–] Beetschnapps@lemmy.world 35 points 2 days ago (2 children)

None of this would have been necessary if it wasn’t for republicans.

[–] LordWiggle@lemmy.world 31 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Not just republicans. Democrats in the US are right wing too. The entire country is fucked up, the reps just speed up the process exponentially. But don't forget the most immigrants who have been thrown out was during Obama and Biden. Biden supported Israel too, with loads of weapons.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] redwattlebird@lemmings.world 5 points 1 day ago

If only American OPSEC was clean.

[–] LittleBorat3@lemmy.world 20 points 2 days ago (1 children)

So yes forgiving and all that. Here are the steps: 1 Putin removes his troops from the occupied territories 2 he apologizes 3 maybe someone forgives him.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] realitista@lemm.ee 23 points 2 days 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 (12 replies)
[–] FuckFascism@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago

Misleading title ass click bait type shit.

[–] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 95 points 2 days ago (8 children)

Good article.

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

[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 66 points 2 days ago (4 children)

I also see Putin as quite very

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (7 replies)
[–] Phoenix3875@lemmy.world 53 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (8 children)

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

load more comments (8 replies)
[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world -2 points 19 hours ago

Germant repeats history. More news at 11.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 0 points 19 hours ago

I foresee a non-zero chance that this could backfire and their new ever-expanding military budget gets used on smaller weaker nations and then as an excuse to divert funding away from services that people actually rely on.

[–] kandoh@reddthat.com 17 points 2 days ago (3 children)

What the hell is with the Germans and austerity? They've been holding their own country back for over 15 years

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

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

load more comments (3 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›