Don't blame me, I voted for the other guy. (Politics General)
MagpulPony 
Fuck Russia
As long as we are still on top, I don’t see how it’s over. We’re entering a new chapter of emerging technologies, space exploration, and military expansion. So it’s not exactly “over”.
I don’t agree with every war America has been in by any means, however, pretending like every other nation, or even a majority of other nations do anything for strictly charitable reasons is simply a fantasy. Every country has an agenda that serves its own gains. For the US, we have an unmatched military force, and we use that force to both directly and indirectly protect our allies and profit from it, whether it be by direct physical involvement or by simply selling our weapons to them. If it’s a service we provide, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be paid for it.
And to the last point, nuclear weapons will never be abolished for the simple fact that such an action can never be enforced. Major powers would always maintain a secret emergency arsenal and rogue nations like Iran or NK couldn’t be controlled or trusted in the first place.
I don’t agree with every war America has been in by any means, however, pretending like every other nation, or even a majority of other nations do anything for strictly charitable reasons is simply a fantasy. Every country has an agenda that serves its own gains. For the US, we have an unmatched military force, and we use that force to both directly and indirectly protect our allies and profit from it, whether it be by direct physical involvement or by simply selling our weapons to them. If it’s a service we provide, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be paid for it.
And to the last point, nuclear weapons will never be abolished for the simple fact that such an action can never be enforced. Major powers would always maintain a secret emergency arsenal and rogue nations like Iran or NK couldn’t be controlled or trusted in the first place.
MagpulPony
Fuck Russia
@Background Pony #DDAF
Our main goal is to maintain technological superiority. We can handle being outnumbered as long as we stay ahead in our weapons development and emerging tech.
Our main goal is to maintain technological superiority. We can handle being outnumbered as long as we stay ahead in our weapons development and emerging tech.
tehwatever 
@DarkObsidian
It is a total brain scrambler for sure.
Modern Democracy by its nature needs diversity to function, it has systems set in place to prevent oppressive majority from taking over, which means sometimes it sacrifices what the majority may decide to do in favor of diversity.
An extreme example would be if the majority wants to kill all minorities, they shouldn’t be allowed to do that because THEN, you would have only ONE party that says only ONE thing. Essentially by killing said minority you effectively eliminate democracy–you can’t use democracy to kill democracy! Modern democracy wouldn’t allow that.
HOWEVER, that means you will never have the laser focus and efficiency that a Hive Mind or a very strong totalitarian leader can bring.
Ppl ARE losing confidence in democracy, because they see too many cooks spoiling the broth. At times of crisis, some countries, like right now in Hungary in the Philippines, decide to do away with democracy and give emergency powers to one strong leader, who hopefully would be kind enough to relinquish said power once the crisis is over.
Omg this is literally this scene from from Star Wars
It is a total brain scrambler for sure.
Modern Democracy by its nature needs diversity to function, it has systems set in place to prevent oppressive majority from taking over, which means sometimes it sacrifices what the majority may decide to do in favor of diversity.
An extreme example would be if the majority wants to kill all minorities, they shouldn’t be allowed to do that because THEN, you would have only ONE party that says only ONE thing. Essentially by killing said minority you effectively eliminate democracy–you can’t use democracy to kill democracy! Modern democracy wouldn’t allow that.
HOWEVER, that means you will never have the laser focus and efficiency that a Hive Mind or a very strong totalitarian leader can bring.
Ppl ARE losing confidence in democracy, because they see too many cooks spoiling the broth. At times of crisis, some countries, like right now in Hungary in the Philippines, decide to do away with democracy and give emergency powers to one strong leader, who hopefully would be kind enough to relinquish said power once the crisis is over.
Omg this is literally this scene from from Star Wars
Dustcan 
Dogs
Many journalists pointed out the phrase was similar to the infamous white supremacist “14 words” slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”
“Tucker must be absolutely fuming that all 14 words wouldn’t fit,” CNN contributor Jeff Yang added.
Background Pony #DDAF
@MagpulPony
The tech gap narrows every day. China’s poured trillions into R&D into tech. They either steal and improve on western tech, invent their own or just buy western countries to monopolizs the private tech research sector. Plus, they send all their students to the top tech unis overseas to learn and bring the overseas tech knowledge back to china.
China’s thought super long term about the age of tech and they’ve prepared. While the west has tossed endless money at business interests, wars and increasingly outsizes gov’t budgets, china’s been going all in on moderninsing itself technologically. Give it 30 years. They’ll have the best computers, the best hackers to cyberattack, the best future battlefield weapons and the best surveilance state to monitor it all. Its creepy, offputting and it seems like its the most likely path we’re headed down.
The tech gap narrows every day. China’s poured trillions into R&D into tech. They either steal and improve on western tech, invent their own or just buy western countries to monopolizs the private tech research sector. Plus, they send all their students to the top tech unis overseas to learn and bring the overseas tech knowledge back to china.
China’s thought super long term about the age of tech and they’ve prepared. While the west has tossed endless money at business interests, wars and increasingly outsizes gov’t budgets, china’s been going all in on moderninsing itself technologically. Give it 30 years. They’ll have the best computers, the best hackers to cyberattack, the best future battlefield weapons and the best surveilance state to monitor it all. Its creepy, offputting and it seems like its the most likely path we’re headed down.
Background Pony #DDAF
@Dustcan
Tucker said a bad thing.
But also, I am tired of how petty and tabloidish cnn’s become. American journalism has become a discrace.
Tucker said a bad thing.
But also, I am tired of how petty and tabloidish cnn’s become. American journalism has become a discrace.
silbasa
@Background Pony #DDAF
Culturally similar people go best together. Turkey belongs in the middle east, not Europe imo. In short the west needs to stand up for itself. We need to go back 5 steps. And find ourselves again. Shed the PC politics that are hamstringing us. Or we get swept away by the flood.
Culturally similar people go best together. Turkey belongs in the middle east, not Europe imo. In short the west needs to stand up for itself. We need to go back 5 steps. And find ourselves again. Shed the PC politics that are hamstringing us. Or we get swept away by the flood.
Background Pony #DDAF
@MagpulPony
How the heck did democratic voters chose him as their nominee? At least with Trump, the base believes in his policies. Biden ran thenmost issue free campaign I’ve ever seem, has a terrible history on race, war and the middle class, seems to be pretty distant on policy from where most left leaning voters seem to be moving towards and still, democratic voters picked him. Even with the party’s finger on the scale for Biden, I’m surprised at the base’s willingness to go with him over, not just Bernie, but so many other better candidates.
How the heck did democratic voters chose him as their nominee? At least with Trump, the base believes in his policies. Biden ran thenmost issue free campaign I’ve ever seem, has a terrible history on race, war and the middle class, seems to be pretty distant on policy from where most left leaning voters seem to be moving towards and still, democratic voters picked him. Even with the party’s finger on the scale for Biden, I’m surprised at the base’s willingness to go with him over, not just Bernie, but so many other better candidates.
Background Pony #DDAF
@silbasa
West is done dude. Decades of lackluster centrist governance killed any cohesion and international advantage we had and p*ssed it away for big business interests and a perpetual military economy.
West is done dude. Decades of lackluster centrist governance killed any cohesion and international advantage we had and p*ssed it away for big business interests and a perpetual military economy.
MagpulPony
Fuck Russia
@Background Pony #DDAF
I’m sure China thinks so. Truth is though, they haven’t improved any Western weaponry that they’ve stolen, they don’t have the expertise to do so. We’ve understood China’s game for quite some time now, and have used it to our advantage strategically. In a nation like the USA, where all of our top weapons such as stealth aircraft, guidance systems, engines, radars, carriers, etc, is all home grown, we have the advantage of lesser nations like China being forced to copy and steal.
Now this presents a unique opportunity for the US. You think that every time China steals certain US secrets, it’s by accident? Not quite. Think of the B-2 Spirit. The only Stealth Bomber platform in the world. We built that in the late 1980s and China has been trying to get their hands on the details surrounding it for decades, yet only recently did they finally do it. And they used this information they stole to spend billions of dollars reverse engineering the B-2. Only for the US to reveal less than a year later that we have the B-21 Raider now, and that the B-2 is essentially obsolete. Meaing China wasted billions of dollars building a stolen US plane that we now consider outdated and already have a advanced replacement for. Something we likely plannned.
China’s tech being based on our own works in our advantage in other ways too, but one of the main things our government does is allow certain things to be stolen regarding US tech that is close enough to the real thing to be believable, but altered just enough that China’s copies contain flaws and exploits that we can use to our own advantage. Afterall, we know how to kill our own tech. There’s much more to it, but you get the idea.
I’m sure China thinks so. Truth is though, they haven’t improved any Western weaponry that they’ve stolen, they don’t have the expertise to do so. We’ve understood China’s game for quite some time now, and have used it to our advantage strategically. In a nation like the USA, where all of our top weapons such as stealth aircraft, guidance systems, engines, radars, carriers, etc, is all home grown, we have the advantage of lesser nations like China being forced to copy and steal.
Now this presents a unique opportunity for the US. You think that every time China steals certain US secrets, it’s by accident? Not quite. Think of the B-2 Spirit. The only Stealth Bomber platform in the world. We built that in the late 1980s and China has been trying to get their hands on the details surrounding it for decades, yet only recently did they finally do it. And they used this information they stole to spend billions of dollars reverse engineering the B-2. Only for the US to reveal less than a year later that we have the B-21 Raider now, and that the B-2 is essentially obsolete. Meaing China wasted billions of dollars building a stolen US plane that we now consider outdated and already have a advanced replacement for. Something we likely plannned.
China’s tech being based on our own works in our advantage in other ways too, but one of the main things our government does is allow certain things to be stolen regarding US tech that is close enough to the real thing to be believable, but altered just enough that China’s copies contain flaws and exploits that we can use to our own advantage. Afterall, we know how to kill our own tech. There’s much more to it, but you get the idea.
Background Pony #DDAF
@MagpulPony
I don’t think it’ll stay that way for long. There was a military study done that found that China would win if they got into a war with us today. Even if their military hardware isn’t the best, they outnumber us by a large margin. Our tech advantage keeps us competitive but, as long as china keeps improving faster than us, the tech advantage shrinks and their numbers advantage means more.
I don’t think it’ll stay that way for long. There was a military study done that found that China would win if they got into a war with us today. Even if their military hardware isn’t the best, they outnumber us by a large margin. Our tech advantage keeps us competitive but, as long as china keeps improving faster than us, the tech advantage shrinks and their numbers advantage means more.
MagpulPony
Fuck Russia
@Background Pony #DDAF
That’s the thing though, our tech advantage shrinks on paper, but truthfully, the USAs actual position technologically is unknown. Think of Russia and the INF treaty. We knew they were in violation and working on a new generation of nuclear delivery system. On the outside, it appeared the US was at an immense technological disadvantage. ..until we revealed that we’ve had a new generation intermediate range nuclear delivery system of our own already in the testing phase that not even our own allies knew about, which took Russia by surprise and flipped the imbalance of nuclear power to the US. We never reveal our top weapons, and it’s one of the reasons we remain in power.
That’s the thing though, our tech advantage shrinks on paper, but truthfully, the USAs actual position technologically is unknown. Think of Russia and the INF treaty. We knew they were in violation and working on a new generation of nuclear delivery system. On the outside, it appeared the US was at an immense technological disadvantage. ..until we revealed that we’ve had a new generation intermediate range nuclear delivery system of our own already in the testing phase that not even our own allies knew about, which took Russia by surprise and flipped the imbalance of nuclear power to the US. We never reveal our top weapons, and it’s one of the reasons we remain in power.
tehwatever
Culturally similar
What are you doing???! What is the West?
Catalonia wants out of Spain, so is it not Spanish now? But Spain is part of Europe is Catalonia not Europe now? Is it still part of the west? Brexit happened? what now? Is it part of the west?
IS MEXICO WEST? It’s all the way over there in the west, it’s people speak SPANISH (western language) and it’s a majority catholic (middle-eastern religion??) and it has white ppl living in it too.
Is ISRAEL WEST?
Some people say The West is actually a blanket term referring to “developed countries with high living standard including Japan and South Korea and Australia which is btw ALL THE WAY OVER THERE” so what is it??
OmGG this is too arbitrary!
Catalonia wants out of Spain, so is it not Spanish now? But Spain is part of Europe is Catalonia not Europe now? Is it still part of the west? Brexit happened? what now? Is it part of the west?
IS MEXICO WEST? It’s all the way over there in the west, it’s people speak SPANISH (western language) and it’s a majority catholic (middle-eastern religion??) and it has white ppl living in it too.
Is ISRAEL WEST?
Some people say The West is actually a blanket term referring to “developed countries with high living standard including Japan and South Korea and Australia which is btw ALL THE WAY OVER THERE” so what is it??
OmGG this is too arbitrary!
DarkObsidian 
Smiling Panzerfuchs 2.0
@Background Pony #DDAF
Well, first of all, thank you for your contribution, because I appreciate it when comments are longer than two or three lines. And I think that you are quite right about some serious issues here. But I don’t really share your opinion. At least as far as your skepticism is concerned.
First of all, I do not believe that China manages to capture the (at least European) youth for itself, because many of the previous protests before the Corona period were aimed at China and its attempt to enslave us through the further advancing networking. So the problem here is, how are we going to deal with digital content in the future, what technologies are allowed, and how far can we allow the Chinese to tolerate their surveillance apparatus outside their own country? The answer would be to offer an alternative to the low-cost Huawei products, but that would also mean a willingness on the part of Western industry. First of all, a nationwide awareness must be created, which also takes the elderly into account in our society. As long as we do not enlighten beyond the age limits, as long as we remain passive, we will of course give the left and the right ammunition to divide the population.
I admit that I also see the upcoming election in the United States as more than critical. It’s a choice between two evils. Here, of course, I don’t want to upset my American friends. But it is a fact that I am critical of the American system as a system of paternalism. In fact, I believe that the Americans were better at teaching us democracy than they ever did at home. And for that I am extremely grateful. As strange as that sounds now.
As far as Europe is concerned, I can reassure you that as much as the extremists have talked about themselves in recent years, they are still a minority. And even European nationalists have not yet been able to reach a common consensus. I do not want to talk about other states here, but at least Germany will be oriented towards further years in the middle, although the political alliances may change. Personally, I hope for an alliance between the Conservatives and the Greens, but here too I would like to testify on behalf of my German Conservative colleagues that there is a clear awareness of European responsibility on both sides. Of course, we know about opponents like LePen and Salvini, but they also benefit above all from the economic crisis in their countries. If the current German push for economic aid comes true, the situation will change for the better.
For historical reasons alone, I do not see any fraternization between China and Russia, even if they vote together against everything in the UN Security Council. I see this as more of a clear reason for reforming the United Nations concept. The post-war model has to be replaced by a palarmentary system, instead of allowing the victorious powers to continue their constant veto. But to believe that China and Russia have something in common misconstrues the situation that these two superpowers compete more with each other than it would be possible to bind them to themselves economically. At the very least, I have not seen anything else in this regard, given their separate actions against the rest of the world.
And, yes, I agree with you. The political atmosphere is toxic. That is why I also say that it is necessary to unite under a common banner, instead of believing that acting alone brings something more these days. However, I believe that this can only be achieved by a strong European presence, a fact to which most European politicians are not yet prepared. As long as Europe wants to be weak, we will choose a ruler who will show us strength and dominate us. It’s almost sexual. Europe has become so devoting (slave) that, without foreign superiors (master), we cannot make fun of how bad everyone else is. Since the loss of our monarchist ruler after the end of the First World War, we Europeans have only been willing bootlickers. Instead of remembering that we would be much stronger together. Strong enough to stop the three insane superpowers (USA, China, Russia) from doing what they used to do. Dipolmatically. I’m sorry. No offense. ;-)
Well, first of all, thank you for your contribution, because I appreciate it when comments are longer than two or three lines. And I think that you are quite right about some serious issues here. But I don’t really share your opinion. At least as far as your skepticism is concerned.
First of all, I do not believe that China manages to capture the (at least European) youth for itself, because many of the previous protests before the Corona period were aimed at China and its attempt to enslave us through the further advancing networking. So the problem here is, how are we going to deal with digital content in the future, what technologies are allowed, and how far can we allow the Chinese to tolerate their surveillance apparatus outside their own country? The answer would be to offer an alternative to the low-cost Huawei products, but that would also mean a willingness on the part of Western industry. First of all, a nationwide awareness must be created, which also takes the elderly into account in our society. As long as we do not enlighten beyond the age limits, as long as we remain passive, we will of course give the left and the right ammunition to divide the population.
I admit that I also see the upcoming election in the United States as more than critical. It’s a choice between two evils. Here, of course, I don’t want to upset my American friends. But it is a fact that I am critical of the American system as a system of paternalism. In fact, I believe that the Americans were better at teaching us democracy than they ever did at home. And for that I am extremely grateful. As strange as that sounds now.
As far as Europe is concerned, I can reassure you that as much as the extremists have talked about themselves in recent years, they are still a minority. And even European nationalists have not yet been able to reach a common consensus. I do not want to talk about other states here, but at least Germany will be oriented towards further years in the middle, although the political alliances may change. Personally, I hope for an alliance between the Conservatives and the Greens, but here too I would like to testify on behalf of my German Conservative colleagues that there is a clear awareness of European responsibility on both sides. Of course, we know about opponents like LePen and Salvini, but they also benefit above all from the economic crisis in their countries. If the current German push for economic aid comes true, the situation will change for the better.
For historical reasons alone, I do not see any fraternization between China and Russia, even if they vote together against everything in the UN Security Council. I see this as more of a clear reason for reforming the United Nations concept. The post-war model has to be replaced by a palarmentary system, instead of allowing the victorious powers to continue their constant veto. But to believe that China and Russia have something in common misconstrues the situation that these two superpowers compete more with each other than it would be possible to bind them to themselves economically. At the very least, I have not seen anything else in this regard, given their separate actions against the rest of the world.
And, yes, I agree with you. The political atmosphere is toxic. That is why I also say that it is necessary to unite under a common banner, instead of believing that acting alone brings something more these days. However, I believe that this can only be achieved by a strong European presence, a fact to which most European politicians are not yet prepared. As long as Europe wants to be weak, we will choose a ruler who will show us strength and dominate us. It’s almost sexual. Europe has become so devoting (slave) that, without foreign superiors (master), we cannot make fun of how bad everyone else is. Since the loss of our monarchist ruler after the end of the First World War, we Europeans have only been willing bootlickers. Instead of remembering that we would be much stronger together. Strong enough to stop the three insane superpowers (USA, China, Russia) from doing what they used to do. Dipolmatically. I’m sorry. No offense. ;-)
Background Pony #DDAF
@MagpulPony
Our defense budget is pretty huge
But, I think that has to be considerably offset by the military finding that we’d lose a war with china just because the military study has access to all the military secrets and doesn’t have access to China’s military secrets.
Moreso, the future of war is cyber. Whatever battlefield advantage we have is belies the sheer cyberwarfare infrststructure they’ve established. China and a number of its allies have good ones. China, russia, N. Korea all have apparently really high level cyberwarfare systems developed.
Our defense budget is pretty huge
But, I think that has to be considerably offset by the military finding that we’d lose a war with china just because the military study has access to all the military secrets and doesn’t have access to China’s military secrets.
Moreso, the future of war is cyber. Whatever battlefield advantage we have is belies the sheer cyberwarfare infrststructure they’ve established. China and a number of its allies have good ones. China, russia, N. Korea all have apparently really high level cyberwarfare systems developed.
MagpulPony
Fuck Russia
@Background Pony #DDAF
Those studies do not include secret/undisclosed US assets in their simulations, nor do they include actual or exact US strategy for security reasons. One of the reasons top military officials paint dire warnings about certain things is for the simple fact that it encourages budget increases for DoD.
As for Cyber, much of that falls under what many call the “black sector” of US R&D. We see the tip as civilians, but the actual level of our top cyber assets is classified.
Those studies do not include secret/undisclosed US assets in their simulations, nor do they include actual or exact US strategy for security reasons. One of the reasons top military officials paint dire warnings about certain things is for the simple fact that it encourages budget increases for DoD.
As for Cyber, much of that falls under what many call the “black sector” of US R&D. We see the tip as civilians, but the actual level of our top cyber assets is classified.
tehwatever
@silbasa
so you don’t include Canada the UK and Australia and anybody who wants out of Europe, then. Ah, ok. That’s cool.
so you don’t include Canada the UK and Australia and anybody who wants out of Europe, then. Ah, ok. That’s cool.
DarkObsidian
Smiling Panzerfuchs 2.0
The US and China are two rabid dogs fighting over the same bone while the Russian wolfdog waits until one is weak enough. Time to bring a German Shepherd into play. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t help it… it’s not really meant seriously, even though I can’t resist a certain cynicism. But the parable was so beautiful. ;-D
Latecomer
@DarkObsidian
Who in 1950 or so could have thought that 70 years later a German rise to power might be one of the most hopeful options?
Who in 1950 or so could have thought that 70 years later a German rise to power might be one of the most hopeful options?
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