marlin - Network

Moving to new server. I will now be @marlin@techhub.social.(My address should change automatically in the data of my followers, if...

Moving to new server. I will now be @marlin@techhub.social.
(My address should change automatically in the data of my followers, if everything works as it should.)

Not that I ever had any problems with mastodon.sdf.org (also have so far made shamefully little use of Mastodon😳) – except that now that I was to test text search features of Mastodon 4.2 (released last year, from what I understand), I realized mastodon.sdf.org is still at v4.1.16.

Finally, worth reading about the craziness and tone deafness of Wolfgang Schmidt, Scholz’s right-hand man and head of the Chancellor’s...

Finally, worth reading about the craziness and tone deafness of Wolfgang Schmidt, Scholz’s right-hand man and head of the Chancellor’s office, who seems to have a played a significant part in the horror show that preceded the good news.
https://twitter.com/EHunterChristie/status/1617869823677181953

Does this make Scholz a *good* ally of the US?Cartoon below by @heiko_sakurai.Translated:Hello Russia! We deliver only because the US...

Does this make Scholz a *good* ally of the US?

Cartoon below by @heiko_sakurai.

Translated:
Hello Russia! We deliver only because the US delivers too. Please send any escalations directly to Washington!
– Perhaps we shouldn’t overdo it, Chancellor.
– What?

Then France declared light tanks to be sent, and Britain promised fully-fledged Challeger 2 main battle tanks.But Scholz spat his Western...

Then France declared light tanks to be sent, and Britain promised fully-fledged Challeger 2 main battle tanks.
But Scholz spat his Western European allies too in their faces (metaphorically) and made clear that *all* his European allies are worthless, because only the US counts.

As for “keine Alleingänge” in regard to tanks for Ukraine:Poland and others sent loads of Soviet-based tanks updated with modern...

As for “keine Alleingänge” in regard to tanks for Ukraine:

Poland and others sent loads of Soviet-based tanks updated with modern western tech.
But Scholz spat them in their faces (metaphorically speaking) and said it didn’t count, because only western-made tanks do.

Similarly, Scholz had no problems going it alone with a big economic relief package for Germany, at the expense of all its EU...

Similarly, Scholz had no problems going it alone with a big economic relief package for Germany, at the expense of all its EU allies.
https://twitter.com/bctallis/status/1596548964161142784

When for instance Macron proposed a joint Franco-German visit to China, in order to present a somewhat unified European front, Scholz spat...

When for instance Macron proposed a joint Franco-German visit to China, in order to present a somewhat unified European front, Scholz spat him in the face (metaphorically speaking) and instead did an Alleingang to genocidal Xi, to promote lucrative German business there.

🔸The “keine Alleingänge” (not going it alone) BS.The idea that Scholz only wants to do what his allies do was always a lie.He is an...

🔸The “keine Alleingänge” (not going it alone) BS.

The idea that Scholz only wants to do what his allies do was always a lie.
He is an Alleingänger by nature, doing Alleingang after Alleingang, all the while ridiculously repeating “keine Alleingänge” as if it were a magic spell.

More on the issue:https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/explainer-how-to-correctly-re-export-german-tanks/ar-AA16EF7n

More on the issue:
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/explainer-how-to-correctly-re-export-german-tanks/ar-AA16EF7n

One earlier comment on these disrespectful and cynical German games here:https://twitter.com/bctallis/status/1613451183754194944

One earlier comment on these disrespectful and cynical German games here:
https://twitter.com/bctallis/status/1613451183754194944

Spain did just that in June 2022 but got nothing from Germany. Hence no formal request.Poland eventually went ahead with a formal request...

Spain did just that in June 2022 but got nothing from Germany. Hence no formal request.

Poland eventually went ahead with a formal request AGAINST the obvious wish of Scholz, but only once external and internal pressure on Scholz made it extremely hard for him to say no.

It’s also not how it normally works in the real world.Instead, in order to avoid diplomatic embarrassments, an intention to re-export is...

It’s also not how it normally works in the real world.

Instead, in order to avoid diplomatic embarrassments, an intention to re-export is first declared, informally, on the state-leader level – followed, only after an OK signal from the original exporter, by a formal request.

🔸The “formal request” excuse: Deeply disingenuous from Scholz defenders has been the claim that if Spain, Poland etc. had only...

🔸The “formal request” excuse: Deeply disingenuous from Scholz defenders has been the claim that if Spain, Poland etc. had only correctly filled in the correct forms and sent them in to the German bureaucracy, they would have been rubber-stamped.

No they wouldn’t.

🔸“But Scholz was just democratic by obeying opinion polls”BS. That’s not how representative democracy should work.It’s also not...

🔸“But Scholz was just democratic by obeying opinion polls”
BS. That’s not how representative democracy should work.

It’s also not what anti-leader Scholz has been doing.
He has shaped German public opinion AGAINST Ukraine through Kremlin fearmongering.
https://twitter.com/chriswratil/status/1617420752923271170

So, with things lightening up, there might have been an argument for forgetting past sins and looking forward.Yet I believe the seemingly...

So, with things lightening up, there might have been an argument for forgetting past sins and looking forward.
Yet I believe the seemingly undiminished arrogance of Scholz, his shills and his henchmen (still in power) calls for some clarification of their lies and obfuscation:

Still, short-term, Leopards are what matters; they might be in Ukraine already in March, whereas it’ll be many months before Abrams are in...

Still, short-term, Leopards are what matters; they might be in Ukraine already in March, whereas it’ll be many months before Abrams are in the war.
(That’s if Scholz doesn’t require Leopards holding hands with Abrams for them to go to Ukraine.😬)
https://twitter.com/minna_alander/status/1618139918508912641

That, however, may sooner or later have happened anyway.After months of 🇩🇪 scholzing and stalling @GresselGustav fears the Leopard...

That, however, may sooner or later have happened anyway.
After months of 🇩🇪 scholzing and stalling @GresselGustav fears the Leopard plan as conceived last year might already be effectively dead – making Abrams in any case now inevitable in the long-term.
https://twitter.com/GresselGustav/status/1616723121238835200

And as @michaeldweiss points out – though 31 Abrams (many months in the future) probably won’t do much short-term difference – more...

And as @michaeldweiss points out – though 31 Abrams (many months in the future) probably won’t do much short-term difference – more important is likely the long-term commitment that the US now seems to make to Ukraine, building Abrams infrastructure there.
https://twitter.com/michaeldweiss/status/1618430610015662081

Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great and wonderful relief that the Leopards are finally free, obviously.🐆Germany also isn’t the only...

Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great and wonderful relief that the Leopards are finally free, obviously.🐆
Germany also isn’t the only one to shamefully procrastinate while Ukrainians die. (We are still waiting for ATACMS!)
And perhaps @IAPonomarenko is right:
https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1618024583650770944

And all it took was almost a year, and countless Ukrainian lives (along perhaps with the German defense industry), wasted.A small price to...

And all it took was almost a year, and countless Ukrainian lives (along perhaps with the German defense industry), wasted.

A small price to pay for Olaf and his SPD elite buddies to feel good about themselves for showing “Besonnenheit” and sticking to “keine Alleingänge”.