This article is about Germany rapidly increasing defence spending, and also the fact that they’re considering conscription. I also found this interesting:
A recent YouGov poll showed that 79% of Germans still see Vladimir Putin as “very” or “quite” dangerous to European peace and security. Now 74% said the same for Donald Trump.
Thoughts?
What does prevent your stuff from getting stolen all the time? Your ability to lock your door and a state-operated police and judical system that oversees the adherence to laws or the sign over your open door that everyone can come in an take your stuff unpunished?
What does prevent an agressive neighbour with no regards to laws from invading you? The ability to defend yourself making an attempt too costly or your active work on being as helpless as possible and appeasing the aggressor?
Yes a state judical system, but not you holding your neightbor at gunpoint, but that is basically what militarism is advocationg for on an international level.
If you will you contradicted your 2nd part of your post with the first one.
No, there isn’t a contradiction in the argument. There is one in reality: There is no independent authority (police force/judical system) making countries accountable for breaking the law. We tried to build up something comparable on the judical side of things but those still lack the ability to enforce their rulings.
So it boils down to “fortifying your door” and being able to defend it against the few people really determined to tear it down.
so you say there is no way to prevent ww3?
Now you are pretending to be dumb, aren’t you?
Being able to properly defend yourself so an aggressor will not risk attacking in the first place will prevent a war.
Showing how helpless you are and asking an aggressor nicely to respect that and not invade you will not.
It actually is that easy.
just following your metapher, someone trying to break in is already ww3
And hoping that it doesn’t happen just because you have some more tanks is just an unproven naive hope.
And thinking that “look I’m helpless, please don’t kill me and take my stuff, because I was nice and made it easier for you” is something else than naive hope?
nope
that’s the part where the existential dread sets in: Currently I only see a downwards spiral and absolutly idealessness on everyone how to stop it.