Every government is uncomfortable. News stories about "defence" spending are commonplace.

WWIII has already begun. The only questions now are how many will die and who will be the victors.

I would like to be wrong. If the world can be pulled back from the brink of the existing skirmishes, then what's happening right now won't get the WWIII label, but we sure have a lot of hard-headed megalomaniacs running world-affecting countries these days, don't we? That's never a good sign.

I don’t think there’s much of a mystery to solve here. Basically every country or territory along China’s maritime borders is forming or deepening ties with the U.S. military, buying weapons systems, and even building new bases. A full-blown war between nuclear powers is pretty unthinkable but just a blockade would seriously harm China’s economy.

Of course, everyone talks about just wanting to protect shipping lanes and their territorial sovereignty and shit like that. Peace through strength. Maybe that ultimately turns out to be how it goes. But wars have broken out over some pretty dumb shit that escalated.

Why is there any mystery here. They said they intend on ending their civil war and have shown no indication whatsoever that such a statement is only rhetorical or posturing. Taiwan has never tried to be independent of China. It still claims sovereignty over all of China.

If the US Confederates had retreated to Cuba and others had intervened on their behalf, while the Confederates still claimed dominion over a part of the USA, you can bet your ass the US would invade Cuba as soon as they had the opportunity. We can all decry the whole thing, but it is their conflict. If anything, we should be evacuating anyone and anything that needs to leave and capitulating without further involvement. Like if your neighbor and their spouse are arguing, stay out of it for the benefit of everyone. This is not some mate getting abused that needs help. This involves two bloody parties where all sides have done monstrous things and that needs to get resolved one way or another. Both can't claim dominion over all. The past cannot be bowdlerized for convenience or exploitation for profit of western criminal capitalist abuse. No one needs to fight or die, but a resolution must be found.

Edit: Wow Lemmy is remarkably stupid to the point of incompetent ineptitude at basic fundamental history. Like wtf am I doing here in a room with this insane nonsense.

Even without Taiwan. broadly gestures at everything

Russia has proved to be unreliable. USA are proving to be unreliable. Europe is building up its own armies. India is fighting Pakistan. Who knows how big Israel wants to be, they are already attacking neighbours.

No idea what's happening in Africa. I think most of them are still stuck fighting amongst themselves.

Maybe Australia is just asking the question so that they have an excuse to build up as well.

“what we have seen from China is the single biggest increase in military capability and build up in conventional sense, by any country since the end of the Second World War”

WTF? The USA alone outspends most of the world combined in this area but somehow China is the threat? This guy should at least remove the american balls he's gargling before spouting something like that

Forget to read the brief, Donnie?

Probably too busy shitting in his.

The title stating the obvious concerning the felon not being informed is weird, but the article is a worthwhile read:

Some of the trucks were parked in Siberia, thousands of miles away from Ukraine, according to the report.

About 40 Russian military planes, including strategic bombers, were reportedly struck in the attack.

I cannot begin to imagine what a blow this is to Russia's crumbling air force. And the ingenuity of the attack (some of whose details are omitted in this article - though you may have read more about it in others) is phenomenal.

And don't forget this little tidbit - also a developing story:

Ukraine’s unprecedented drone attack on Russia comes as seven people were killed and 69 more injured after bridges collapsed in separate incidents across Russia.

I imagine the pending defenestrations of some Russian officials might be kept secret.

I don't see why the US should be informed?

There shouldn't be any US equipment in the area, why bother including anyone who doesn't need to know?

Good. Single him out as the one not being informed.

Yes, others were kept in the dark too. But focus on the little rape pig being kept in the dark. Make TACO seethe until that crusty heart gives out.

Another headline said the opposite. But I find this more likely.

Trump: Excuse me, Vlad. I just learned about something you'll want to know about.

Speaking at an anti-vaccine rally in 2022, Malone spread dangerous falsehoods about mRNA COVID-19 vaccines: "These genetic vaccines can damage your children. They may damage their brains, their heart, their immune system and their ability to have children in the future. Many of these damages cannot be repaired."

Malone aligned with the anti-vaccine crowd during the pandemic and has become a mainstay in conspiratorial circles and an ally to Kennedy. He has claimed that vaccines cause a "form of AIDS," amid other nonsense. He has also meddled with responses to the measles outbreak that erupted in West Texas in January. In April, Malone was the first to publicize news that a second child had died from the highly infectious and serious infection, but he did so to falsely claim that measles wasn't the cause and spread other dangerous misinformation.

In a newsletter post earlier this week, Malone proclaimed: "Some people still believe that the term anti-vaxxer is a pejorative. I do not—I view it as high praise."

The phrase "the lunatics have taken over the asylum" never seemed more apt. I know, we've lived in an asylum for awhile. We had a lunatic fringe, but even if we had to interact with them at least sane adults were in charge. Those halcyon days are over.

I just think COVID and social media have allowed people's historical "well-rounded" selves - the crazy bits getting sanded off by friction with sane people, which they've steadily now removed from their lives - to slowly disfigure them until so many of the country have become grotesqueries. Superficially well-rounded people but when you turn them a bit, you see bizarre outgrowths of insane propaganda-fed mutation. And all of those people coalesced this election around Trump.

My neighbor is a nice, friendly person, but was talking about moving out of state during COVID because she didn't want her daughter to have to get the vaccine. I'm sure she is cheering this move. And goddamn, it's depressing.