tiny lemmy 

Now Europe Knows What Trump’s Team Calls It Behind Its Back: ‘Pathetic’

c/europe · u/schizoidman@lemm.ee · 251 points

Open external link

https://archive.is/wkAru

  • “I fully share your loathing of European freeloading,” Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, later replied. “It’s PATHETIC.”

Comments

u/anomnom@sh.itjust.works · 2 points

Right. The Ukrainian army has been stalling or reversing the progress of the Russian army in a pretty significant way with European and American equipment and similar army sizes to those that other European countries could muster in a hurry.

u/stoy@lemmy.zip · 9 points

Ok, so you have nothing to counter my argument with.

But lets get back to the question at hand, you claim that European militaries are pathetic, but offer no concrete argument to support that claim.

Based on your comments in this thread, I can only assume that you are a troll, Russian asset, or Trump supporter.

u/asap@lemmy.world · 8 points

I believe the question was: "Pathetic in what way?"

Please enlighten us.

u/AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world · 1 points

Sweden really should have put in a right of refusal clause to buy back SAAB from GM. At least you still have the airplane division.

u/stoy@lemmy.zip · 24 points

Pathetic in what way?

We have the best tanks, the best artillery, the best attack subs, several really good military aircraft programs and more.

The one thing we are lacking is quantity, and even then I wouldn't call us pathetic in that area.

Our military has for the last few decades been based against a resonable enemy, one who will calculate gains vs losses in a resonable manner and who then realize that working together is better than fighting.

This world has now gone, with the war in Ukraine, it is clear that Russian leaders no longer can be expected to act with reason, and Europe is picking up the pace.

Some may argue that it is too little too late, but you know, you can't change the past, if we could act with hindsight of future events then we would be unstoppable.

As a Swede, I am angry with my government for selling off defense resources for decades and dismantling our military, but we are working on sorting ourselves out.

u/wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works · 20 points

Between France and the UK, the EU has more nuclear warheads than China, but you know, after a few dozens who's really counting.

u/Comment105@lemm.ee · -24 points

Sure.

But militarily, Europe is quite pathetic for a rich 700 million population region.

u/MummifiedClient5000@feddit.dk · 5 points

Article...5 days old.... Article 5. Wait, I know this one:

Which is the only country that has ever invoked NATO's article 5?

u/Skua@kbin.earth · 7 points

Depends on what you count as "under control" I guess? No ships have been captured or sunk since last June, so in that regard yes. On the other hand, civilian ships were still getting hit by things a couple of times a month.

Either way, though, the EU has the _capacity_ to shoot into Yemen and isn't doing so. I would argue that regardless of ethics, it's not actually a helpful thing to do. The Saudis bombed Yemen for about a decade, and if that had achieved anything then we wouldn't be in the current situation.

u/Skua@kbin.earth · 9 points

The EU has had ships in the Red Sea for this reason for a year already, they're just keeping to shooting down missiles and drones instead of flinging missiles into Yemen

u/rumschlumpel@feddit.org · 10 points

Many european 'leaders' seem pretty fond of them, actually. Orban, Meloni, Merz ... even Finland's Stubb recently visited Trump to play a nice round of golf.

u/stoy@lemmy.zip · 50 points

Being called pathetic by a bunch of thinskinned crybabies isn't an insult...

u/rtxn@lemmy.world · 42 points

That opinion carries the same weight as a gas station crackhead calling me a dick for not lending him a hundred.

u/mfuga@feddit.dk · 18 points

They probably also believe in US exceptionalism 😆🎊

u/Quill7513@slrpnk.net · 18 points

in fairness trump and vance have also done this to their face, so at least the messaging is consistent

u/Wanpieserino@lemm.ee · 11 points

I thought they were just selling a story. But he actually believes it. So he's actually a fucking moron.

Amazing

u/DmMacniel@feddit.org · 11 points

Was it even an issue that needed to be resolved by force? Did we European asked them to do that for us? Should they say thank you for being so over reaching?

u/hornedfiend@sopuli.xyz · 6 points

A couple of toddlers won the not-so-popular vote and now their egostistical egos are showing. nothing but baby talk and they need to be put in their place by their european grandmas.