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.”

  • TylerBourbon@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    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
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      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
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    2 days ago

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

  • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    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.

      • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        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.

        • MehBlah@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          I call them the Republicrats and get attacked as being a centrist. That is the perversion of this situation is that I don’t think either part of our one party system give two shits about me. The only thing about the democrat faction is they are not trying to put people in real cages. Just trap them in wage slavery.

          • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            Right… As if incarceration didn’t increase during dems terms. As if there weren’t crimes against humanity in prisons and detention centers thanks to dems.

            • MehBlah@lemmy.world
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              2 days ago

              Its been increasing no matter who has been in office as long as I have been alive. Its never gone down. So your point to me is meaningless.

              • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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                2 days ago

                It actually went down during Trumps first term. That fucking idiot even failed in the thing he wanted most.

    • Gammelfisch@lemmy.world
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      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.

    • LittleBorat3@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      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.

      • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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        Well yeah, but what I wished was that he wouldn’t have invaded in the first place, no totalitarian rulers, no people declaring wars as a dick measuring contest. No Putin in the first place. Putin will never give up and apologize, but hopefully he dies and his replacement would retreat, apologize and help Ukraine fix their country. But the chance of that happening is little to none, the next in line is probably just as bad as Putler.

    • njm1314@lemmy.world
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      I mean the track record is pretty good as long as you don’t just stop at the 20th century.

      • Lord Wiggle@lemmy.world
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        There were no world wars pre 20th century. But yeah, Germany, Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation were pretty successful pre 20th century.

  • Naevermix@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

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

  • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
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    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
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    3 days ago

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

      • ZeroOne@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        How about you fight instead of dragging people to die in wars witbout their consent.

        Oh wait, you rather sacrifice others.

        Oh & there are more desertions in a drafted military

        • Bashnagdul@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          Don’t mistake me for saying drafting and war is good. Just that a drafted army fights better than a non existent one.

  • ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    I feel like this is a good idea but I also saw what Germany did to Brazil in that World Cup and there needs to be a plan for them going too far and hurting people just for living.

  • PumpkinSkink@lemmy.world
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    Great powers rearming will not be good for anyone no matter what the context is around it. After Napoleon, European leaders were so afraid of war between great powers that they avoided it for 100 years. The moment they let their guard up we got WW1. The weapons do not make us safer. Don’t think for a moment it can’t happen again.

    • ynthrepic@lemmy.world
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      Neither does passivism though. If everyone around you is losing your mind, you either give up your freedom and very possibly your life, or you fight.

      The only reason no other great power has needed a fully prepared military is because of US leadership. That can’t be trusted now, so here we are.