It’s official: Sweden to join NATO. Hungary finally lets Sweden into the military alliance, dealing a blow to Russia.

Politico Europe ^ | February 26, 2024 | Stuart Lau

[SuperLuminal]

Another budding islamic nation joins the islamic-controlled nations of UK, Germany, and France as part of NATO...

What could possibly go wrong?

[Miami Rebel]

“Islamic-controlled”?

How many Chechen terrorists does Putin have on the frontlines killing, torturing, and raping Ukrainians?

[Trust me, they’re not Presbyterians.]

[Seruzawa]

You tell the Russians. The Ukraine will accept your enlistment. Have a nice journey.

[wildcard_redneck]

Of course constant attacks and provocations by America on nations around the world is going to drive the attacked nations into an alliance. Why do you think after helping Germany to dismember Poland that Russia was accepted as an ally in World War II? Why do we bring a bunch of Nazi scientist to America fight the Russians in Operation Paperclip? Great nations have interests, not allies and Russia’s interest is diametrically opposed to an Americas interest to dismember Russia.

Sorry that Russia is diametrically opposed to America’s plan to dismember it and enslave their peoples just as America did to the poor, suffering Ukrainians.

[lodi90]

That chart is why Putin magically declared Ukrainians & Belarusians to be Russian. Russian chauvinists have to steal other nations because they know they are facing a demographic death spiral.

[SuperLuminal]

Thankyou for reinforcing my point...

[rxh4n1]

“This isn’t what a rising super power looks like. Even before the war, Russia, with deaths far outstripping births, was net-losing one person every 30 seconds.”

Good. Then we won’t hear any more claims that Russia will attack the rest of Europe if they win in Ukraine. It can’t be both collapsing or a threat to conquer all of Europe.

[gleeaikin]

“...historic infiltration into Sweden’s politics via the far-left party (working with Russia) etc....”

Kind of like the infiltration into US politics that happened in 2015/16 blamed on Progozhin, or what we see here daily, especially on Ukraine or NATO threads. And I don’t plan to answer any negative comments, as it is late.

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

“Kind of like the infiltration into US politics that happened in 2015/16 blamed on Progozhin, or what we see here daily, especially on Ukraine or NATO threads. And I don’t plan to answer any negative comments, as it is late.”

Excellent comment, thank you!

[AdmSmith]

[Wallace T.]

Russia and China are both having serious demographic problems. However, the same is true for the Western democracies, America included. I believe the reproduction rate for native born American whites is 1.7. Native born American blacks are at 1.9.

Unlike Napoleon, Hitler, or Stalin, Putin does not have huge manpower reserves. All of Europe, except Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, and Serbia, are now NATO members. Putin would be suicidal if he tried invading the Baltic States, Poland, or Romania.

[Paul R.]

Most likely, Russia is not collapsing anytime soon, but following more a path like a chronic and sometimes violent alcoholic.

That said, the primary long term threat aside from China is not Russia: It is a Europe that arms heavily in response to Russia, but fractures without the US riding herd on the whole mess. All while the world descends into further chaos.

[USA-FRANCE]

Excellent. :)
When it comes to NATO, Putin is indeed the one who saved and revitalized it from the ground up. Sweden now joining in a few days is fantastic news.

[BroJoeK]

Angelino97: "We're about as strong as the Roman Empire was in 400 A.D.
Might look strong from the outside.
The military can still win some major battles.
But the internal rot is deep and total collapse is near."

redfreedom: "Your comments represent a valid fear."

Alter Kaker: "Uh huh.
Which is why the West dominates the world economically, militarily and culturally while Russia and China's populations continue to plummet."

Here's what most people forget about the old Roman Empire:

1. As late as 395 AD, Rome was one empire with one capital and one Emperor, named Theodosious I.
   The Roman Empire's 395 AD borders were roughly the same as they had been 300 years before and Roman legions guarding its borders are estimated to have included around 500,000 men in total, at least as many as ever.

2. It's unknown whether the Empire's population ever fully recovered from the Antonine Plague of 165 AD, which reduced it from around 75 million to perhaps just 50 million.
   Arguably, rebellions, civil wars and invasions kept the numbers relatively low.

   However, when unified as in 395 AD, the old empire was still fully capable of dealing with whatever issues arose.

3. In 395 AD, Theodosius I died, and the empire split in two again, this time permanently.
   The split went roughly 60% to the Eastern Empire in terms of population and economy, with 40% to the Western Empire.
   However, the problems with invasions and rebellions were at least 60% in the West and only 40% in the East.

4. One result was, the West could not for long hold its own militarily.
   The West also suffered from repeated failures of leadership and major treasons at the highest levels, which prevented every effort at recovery from succeeding.
   Most notably, as late as 460 AD, the Western Emperor Majorian had restored the west to over 2/3 of its old territories but was murdered in 461 after which the West rapidly collapsed.

5. So, if you are looking for historical lessons from the Old Roman Empire, here it is:
   Let us analogize the Western Empire with the USA today, and the Eastern Empire with Europe today.
   So long as they were united with strong leaders, then no power on earth could defeat them -- not barbarians, nor rebellions or even civil wars, the empire always recovered and regained anything lost.
   But once they split and became rivals, then the weaker West was relatively quickly destroyed, leaving even the much stronger Eastern Roman Empire too weak to withstand the anti-Christian forces arrayed against it.

   The split between East and West is what allowed barbarians to destroy the West by 476 AD and Muslims to destroy the Eastern Empire beginning after 600 AD

Of course, you may well argue that Rome was the ultimate archetypal "Evil Empire" and should have been destroyed.
Sure, maybe... but from whose perspective, exactly?

[JonPreston]

what the hell??

Please explain this, using many words and pictures.

thanks.

.@ChrisMurphyCT: "Ukraine is on the precipice of losing this war. ...This decision is in the hands of one man: Speaker Mike Johnson."

This "precipice" is the result of US proxy warriors backing a coup in Ukraine in 2014; undermining the ensuing Minsk peace process; sabotaging… pic.twitter.com/fXpKt9Atd7— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) February 29, 2024