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[TD1]

A meme that one day, in the twelves bays of Toady, sons of former migrants and sons of former Fortress-folk will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a meme that one day even the thread of Europol, a thread sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

[smjjames]

It is a bit rich to hear a Brit complaining about anybody else's bid at "world hegemony".

Furthermore, the article you quote explicitly supports the notion that EuroCorps (or whatever they're calling it) is intended to fill the gap left by a very plausible US (and UK?) withdrawal from NATO, not so they can bring Merkelism to the world at the barrel of a gun.

This isn't a new idea. And not surprisingly, it last gained traction and prominence during the Bush years, when the US started making all sorts of unilateral foreign policy moves. If the US can elect a rational government who doesn't want to tear up the norms of the international system (which would mean neither Trump nor Sanders), the push for a European unified military would fall apart.

I didn't get the sense that Sanders is isolationist in any way, the Dem debates didn't go that much into foriegn policy. Sanders did want to look into the trade deals, but that doesn't mean he's isolationist. They probably will more this time since Trumps foriegn policy is part of the discussion no matter what.

Why would that bother me? 
I'm not a nationalist. Hell, I'd like to see us taken down a few pegs, cause I think being #1 for the last 70 years or so has done some rather bad things to our national psyche.

I wouldn't expect it to bother you, I'd expect it to illustrate the intent of the EU ;P
I will agree with you on the latter point for sure. Being at the top of the mountain is a bleak and lonely place to stay for any length of time, being super relevant brings significant downsides with it. If however the US should decide to let the world slip into a multipolar one unchallenged, I should hope it is done consciously in an organised manner, much in the same way that the Obama administration attempted to reduce US overextension by withdrawing from Europe and redeploying those units to Pacific Asia; the difference between an orderly reassessment of life, and a complete and total nervous breakdown, is a useful analogy to keep in mind. No one wants to see the USA have a Suez Crisis moment where one day they're on top of the world and the next day, the house of cards collapses - a gradual consolidation would be rather less traumatic for everyone really ;p

The problem with the Suez Canal crisis example is that the US doesn't have a buttload of colonies to lose. Yes, we still have a bunch of island territories, but that's nothing compared to what Britain lost

Also with all the doom and gloom it's worth saying I believe it'll be a strange world where the USA still isn't #1 for this century still, at least. More that in relative terms, the USA will go from a world without rivals to a world with several, and "international" will no longer be synonymous with "American"

Yeah, it's a result of the developing world catching up and becoming Great Powers in their own right. Brazil looked set on the trajectory and then it got tripped up in it's own mess.

[Loud Whispers]

The problem with the Suez Canal crisis example is that the US doesn't have a buttload of colonies to lose. Yes, we still have a bunch of island territories, but that's nothing compared to what Britain lost

Nah it's not perfect but it's appropriate. The British Empire at its peak political extent was its weakest iteration, post-Trafalgar, the British had informal Empire over 3/4s of the world with the obligation to merely defend its metropole & a handful of strategic posts. Post-Great War, the British lost its trade dominance with that 3/4s of the world to gain dominion over 1/4s, which meant that the British had to defend a quarter of the world against the USA, Italy, France, Germany, Russia & Japan, whilst having even less resources with which to do so. USA is likewise suffering the effects of overextension, pissing away money in Afghanistan & Iraq all the whilst Russia, China and the EU start memeing the USA

Yeah, it's a result of the developing world catching up and becoming Great Powers in their own right. Brazil looked set on the trajectory and then it got tripped up in it's own mess.

I don't wager India or Brazil are going to be a credible challenger to American influence, it's a result of the extraordinary set of post-war circumstances which led to the USA's hegemony disappearing with time, much in the same way that Britain's industrial lead disappeared. That the USA spends so much of its resources trying to topple dictators to replace them with terrorists to fund freedom fighters to kill the terrorists who then turn out to be bigger terrorists probably doesn't help

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Look at this sexy chart
The red is overextended trying to maintain its influence versus the yellow and green

Australia & Brazil with the sneak attack



Also Theresa May gave an anxious speech about how what was left of her cabinet ministers yet to resign supported her Brexit plan. The entire time the British public were REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEing in the background which sums up my thoughts on the speech succinctly

[Loud Whispers]

London's city planners building a monumental dildo inside the lunchbox

Also in other news Theresa May is somehow still in power

[smjjames]

Not actually a literal dildo, but I can see where the name could come from, heh.

[hector13]

London's city planners building a monumental dildo inside the lunchbox

Also in other news Theresa May is somehow still in power

I have literally been expecting since last Thursday to wake up to news she’s been ousted.

I guess I’m enjoying/horrified by all the political posturing by the various stripes of cowardly Tory and overconfident Labour until it happens.

... I mean, it’s going to happen, right? Right..?

[scriver]

Meanwhile Sweden is still doing as Belgium

[Kagus]

Meanwhile Sweden is still doing as Belgium

*GASP!* Not the children!

[Dorsidwarf]

London's city planners building a monumental dildo inside the lunchbox

Also in other news Theresa May is somehow still in power

Apparently it won’t have any office space and is basically a mega millennium eye. I’m not convinced that the second tallest skyscraper in the UK will *stay* funded by tourism for long...

[TD1]

 "The Tulip's elegance and soft strength complements the iconic Gherkin."
Soft. Strength.

[Caz]

Oh yay, another useless and ugly building for London's skyline.

[hector13]

Eh?

It... they’re building it just to build it..? ‘cause I’m not sure how a new buding without any history or apparent reason behind it (beyond “we also built next door”) can be a “cultural and social landmark”.

I do like how they’re letting school kids come and see it. Here kids, learn... uh... just learn, okay?

In saying that, maybe it’s just a megaproject... Norman Foster confirmed as Urist?

[Loud Whispers]

Seems more like a noble demand than a megaproject
The baron has mandated the construction of a glass asparagus

[Cathar]

Can we petition to make it from green glass instead? Please please please

[smjjames]

No, it should be made of marmite blocks.


Yes, I'm being silly.