Off-Topic / Pop A Cork - Wine [279]

Simce the inestimable Alien appears to like pairing good wine with good books:

The Pica Zabal is from the esteemed Rioja region of Spain and comes from its prized temperanillo grape. This bottle has a lush berry, particularly raspberry, aroma with an accompanying chocolate/mocha note. It assaults the tongue briefly then gives way to a gentle tannic grip.

Sophocles, well, what's to say. Undeniable genius. Oedipus Rex's theme of objectively right and wring acts is timeless. The question of justice. And so on. Classic.

Two soul enriching opus.

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News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


So when you say common army you mean no more french, german, spanish, polish, etc armies working together as a whole, but an EU army where a spaniard commands a german who operates hardware produced wherever in Europe kind of thing?

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


They are, and they've come a long way in accuracy.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

@Bratwurst Boy

If I understood the article correctly (translator was needed being I'm a dumb USian and all :) ), it seems Germany is serious about changing course. Seems sensible to me that in order to build up the Bundeswehr, you need to change the culture and way of thinking about and managing within it.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

@Bratwurst Boy
@Tacitus

Germany said it would dramatically increase its military spending last year. Is there any reports that it is following through with this or has it stalled?

Off-Topic / Pop A Cork - Wine [279]


You got it right. :)

The Vatican one is called "Reclaiming Vatican II - What it (really) said, what it means, and how it calls us to renew the church" written by a young priest Fr Blake Britton. It's basically about how the liberal and conservative reactionaries misunderstand the council. That V2 was neither liberal nor conservative, but an orthodoxy meant to sanctify today's world. IMO, it should be read in every Catholic school and seminary.

The other is Edith Stein's autobiography, Life in a Jewish Family 1891-1916. She couldn't finish it, as she was sent to Auschwitz.

The quality of the wine matched the quality of those books.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


I'd hope not. It wouldn't make sense.


*nods

Afterall NATO was created to keep America in, Russians out, and Germany down. Seems there needs to be some kind of re-calibration.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


As a Usian, I don't care if it's some kind of common European military or not, I just want to see a significant increase in the military potency of Euro members.

Poland seems to be serious in increasing its military strength, I hope it's the impetus for other Euros to follow.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


That could work.

One of the biggest problems would be instead of dealing with two military bureaucracies, you'd now have to deal with three. There'd be a lot of things getting ground up and bogged down in the jaws of bureaucrats.


Yeah...it could create an environment of mutual haranguing of each other to pump up military might. As an American, that sounds good to me.


I see you are singing in a very melodious voice tonight, BB. :)

Like you said in one of your post, China is on the horizon (Russia ain't squit compared to it and its modernized military and calculating pooitical and economic strategy).

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

@Bratwurst Boy

By common army do you mean an army being under the command of a single entity or do you mean something like a NATO where each country commands its own military but corrdinates under a common entity?

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]



I have no doubts of their capabilities. They could produce a very lethal force.. But, are they willing? I think they better start beefing up-which is pretty much what I've been saying throughout this thread. However, Germany must also be careful in not beefing up too big-there needs remain some sort of parity amongst the other EUians. In other words, Germany isn't the only Euro country that needs to beef up.

@jon357

But, I'm not sure removing US or UK installations out of continental Euro is beneficial to anyone in the West in the ling run. When us Usians, and I guess you UKians also, call for us to bacate, it's more frustration or offense than good strategic sense.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

@Tacitus

Less doesn't always mean worse. The question is more along the lines of potency and cost effectiveness of military might. What's more potent and cost effective, in general: carpet bombing or precision munitions?

It'd be interest to see where Polish military investment is being allocated.

But, yes, the US is smaller militarily now than during the cold war (at least, I think that's true).


You sound like Joker and JR. :D

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


Massively reduced may be an overstatement, nevertheless reducing is one thing, but reducing to aneroxic levels is completely different.

All of that is water under the bridge at this moment. What matters now is Europe beefing itself up so it can be responsible for the lion's share of its own security.


I'd think from the POV of a unified Europe, that'd be much more terrifying than gratifying.

Off-Topic / Things we hate [371]

Duder, if ya don't talk about the totally meaningless poof, like tee shirts, every now and again, it's nothing but orcs, Putin, Biden , PiS, and trannies all day-ya'd go nuts.

And, that's what I hate: going nuts.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


But, the point is for the EU army to become a potent enough military to defend its own interest as well as to become an attractive partner for powerful armies such as GB and its smarter, richer, and stronger younger brother, USia.


That is a very good point. There must remain something of a parity amongst all members

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

Może...that and for the American arms producers to make gobs more money. Oh, and let's not forget the secondary purpose of weakening Russia to a third-rate shell of itself.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

@Bratwurst Boy

There's a problem, though, if Poland is the only EU nation that beefs up. For an EU army to work, all of Europe must beed up to some degree.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

@Bratwurst Boy

I like the sounds of all that. NATO can still exist under that makeup-just more balanced and no need for nuclear proliferation.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


Not only Brussels!

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

@Bratwurst Boy

I don't know about it looking to the US as its Savior.

The EU has interceded with Poland's domestic governance, so its not totally unreasonable for them to be a bit skeptical of the level of friendliness. I'm not saying its the right or wrong perception, but its not an entirely unreasonable perception.

Regardless, the point at hand is defense. And, Poland is not alone in Europe in that it looks to the US as its main defense support. As I see it, Poland is taking a pro-active stance in building up its military to defend its own interest-it is the Russian invasion of Ukraine that has precipitated this build-up. It seems its just following through with what it, as many other European countries, said it would do a year ago: beef up its military.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

@Bratwurst Boy

Assuming you are correct about the doubtfulness of America's friendship with Poland, it may be that Warsaw might be thinking, " America may be a doubtful friend, but at least they give the impression they arefriends, and they have a potent defense force, whereas our neighbor friends don't always treat us friendly and have an impotent defense force that relies on the doubtful friend's force to secure our territory." A kind of bet hedging.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

@Bratwurst Boy

Well, yeah, if it is building muscle simply to be a proxy army then there's some very serious problems attached to that. However, to serve as an effective deterrent, nothing should be withdrawn from the table...except, bullsh!t causes like Iraq-the pros most significantly outweigh the cons.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]



Or, could it simply mean Poland has decided that a more muscular military will serve as a deterrent to any possible foreign encroachment, as well as putting Poland in a better position within the EU-being the muscular rampart on the EU's eastern frontier is a bargaining chip that may reap dividends for Poland in Brussels.

Off-Topic / Things we hate [371]

Where is it located? Did you try any of the spirits?

We did n't have time to visit Mt Vernon. What did you think of it?

Off-Topic / Things we hate [371]

@Bobko

No kidding. :)

I knew there was a vineyard owned by Monticello that made its own wine, but not a distillery. How was it?

Off-Topic / Things we hate [371]


I bought it at the Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's plantation) gift shop. Talk about cool, Monticello is remarkably cool. If you ever travel to the US and are in Virginia, make sure you visit.


I wish. Age is not a tender foe. :)

Off-Topic / Things we hate [371]


It's flipping comfortable and relaxed.


Today, I am wearing such a shirt.

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Off-Topic / Things we hate [371]


:D


I prefer the 40's and 50's American style. I'd hate to wear a suit and tie everyday, but there was a certain elegance about the way American's dressed back then. As much as I like wearing jeans/shorts and tees, they can easily go the way of slobdom. Going to grocery anymore is to have one's aesthetic sense assaulted by the grotesque and tasteless.

I also like the classic Mediterranean style. I tell my wife I'm going to adopt that style. She just laughs.

Off-Topic / Things we hate [371]


Are you flirting with me, Lenka? Haha


I practice my barbarism in the North, although I am very fond of the beautiful rolling hills of the Bluegrass State.

Off-Topic / Things we hate [371]


{GASP}

*steadying myself from the blunt body shot of such a blasphemy