Even if I deplore the hesitation to face the changed realities regarding the need for defence, I do agree that the prevailing politico-economic ideology makes it all too likely that the poor will be paying the costs of security policy. This is unjust, unsustainable, and ultimately bad for defence. - ThreadSky

jmkorhonen.fi • 14 hours ago

Even if I deplore the hesitation to face the changed realities regarding the need for defence, I do agree that the prevailing politico-economic ideology makes it all too likely that the poor will be paying the costs of security policy.

This is unjust, unsustainable, and ultimately bad for defence.

Reposted from Ulrike Franke

“Reichinnek is thus playing security policy off against social policy in a populist manner, just like other leading candidates on the left.” - DIE ZEIT on the foreign policy stances of the LINKE

www.zeit.de/politik/deut...

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mikkodurchman.bsky.social•14 hours ago

You can not, will not, have a strong popular defense if not every one bears the burden.

miskaknapek.bsky.social•14 hours ago

Somewhere I don't remember there being an issue with money when funding European participation in the two Gulf wars and Afghanistan...

jmkorhonen.fi•14 hours ago

Cutting from the poor or the middle class to fund now absolutely necessary investments in defence can and probably will backfire very badly.

There is already great resentment against the political system for all the economic squeezes suffered over the decades - while the rich just get richer.

jmkorhonen.fi•14 hours ago

Defence policy HAS to be made patiently and with the long term in mind. Building up capable militaries takes decades.

It would be very short-sighted to make long-term investments without buy-in from the voters.

This is ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT in my opinion for states farther away from Russia.

jmkorhonen.fi•14 hours ago

Strictly speaking, Russia is not and probably never will be an existential threat to any state west of Poland.

Once the war in Ukraine eventually ends and the war scare abates, rest assured that investments in common European defence WILL be questioned.

Propaganda WILL amplify this message.

jmkorhonen.fi•14 hours ago

States near Russia have a pretty good public buy-in for investments in defence: Russia really is a threat, at least to the democracy if not existence of small Eastern European states.

But they are too small to bear the burden if Western European public opinion towards common defence sours.

jmkorhonen.fi•14 hours ago

So if the Western European leaders now rush to invest in common defence, but cut from the long-suffering poor and the middle class to fund it, I think it is very likely that there will be a dangerous backlash in the future. Perhaps in the near future.

Voters will increasingly vote populists.

jmkorhonen.fi•14 hours ago

This way, socially unsustainable defence spending could very well backfire and bring into power pro-Kremlin parties that demolish the common defence from within.

Making investments worthless.

And ultimately INCREASING the risk of war, or the finlandization of E. Europe, rather than reducing it.

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