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Israeli politicians have been advocating nuking Gaza,
Russians have been advocating nuking Ukraine or NATO countries. That's just right-wing bluster. In the case of Israel, nuking Gaza would spread radioactive fallout across Israel. Situations like this favour extremists, Hamas attacks on Israel give right-wing Israeli extremists the propaganda they seek and Israeli attacks on Palestinians give Palestinian militants the propaganda they seek. They bluster and posture, but they all benefit from conflict and seek to discredit anyone who seeks any sort of compromise peace deal.
The big concern for me is if Iran openly gets nuclear weapons and then its leaders have to justify why they don't nuke Israel. To me, the rational thing for Iran to do is to threaten to go nuclear, but not actually do it. It gives them credibility, but they aren't pushed to actually use nukes. Right-wing Israelis might be utter ****s, but they are rational and calculating. I'm not so sure about Iran's leadership.
Good response from Massive Attack
https://twitter.com/massiveattackuk/status/1745765598674518016?s=46&t=qvPR6lBfBXtAWZ-6beFWyA
Hamas may have mistakenly believed that Iran and other countries would join the fight if they showed they could successfully attack Israel.
You keep repeating this. There is absolutely no reason to believe that Hamas thought Iran would attack Israel.
Whatever the case, we have an utter catastrophe for Palestinians and no country is going to openly attack Israel.
The Palestinian catastrophe is the tens of thousands of women and children killed by the IDF. But the catastrophe for Israel is that they walked straight into a trap set for them by Hamas. And the more the IDF kills Palestinians the more they guarantee Israel's eventual demise.
The IDF is currently fighting the children of Gaza that they didn't kill in their military incursions of the previous 20 years. In future years they will be fighting those children which survive their current onslaught.
Add to that the changing political dynamics, regional and globally. Hamas now enjoys more support in Gaza than it did before Oct 7, and considerably more in the West Bank.
Throughout the Middle East support the Palestinian people has grown enormously. And never has support for Israel being lower globally than it is currently.
Internally Israel is a political and economic crisis.
And you think that they are "winning"?
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has posted this on twitter, can't disagree with anything she says
https://twitter.com/sayeedawarsi/status/1745755511021064326?s=46&t=qvPR6lBfBXtAWZ-6beFWyA
The failure of the world to stop the killing in Gaza has triggered an escalation in the region that did not need to happen. Our misplaced and misjudged support for an Israeli government made up of corrupt , self confessed facists, convicted terrorists and now before the ICJ on charges of genocide is a grave error. This was the moment we needed to show leadership and stand up to Netanyahu his genocidal rhetoric and his extremist supporters. Our support for Netanyahu is against British interests-it has damaged our reputation , opened us up to accusations of hypocrisy, now put our armed forces at risk and the UK a target. We will look back at this and be ashamed of how we stood by as a genocide unfolded before our eyes in real time and a regional conflict escalates because we lacked the moral courage to say stop the killing #CeasefireNow
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has posted this on twitter, can’t disagree with anything she says
IMO Jo Biden is doing more lasting damage to the United States globally than Donald Trump ever managed to do.
The United States providing $billions in unlimited weapons to a country actively engaging in genocide, before the eyes of the world, has shot to pieces the United State's globally perceived moral authority. It is something which will not be easily forgotten.
In contrast South Africa is now emerging as leading power with a growing moral authority internationally.
With her Muslim background Warsi is able to see the bigger picture beyond the usual blinkered Western politician attitude.
Internally Israel is a political and economic crisis.
And you think that they are “winning”?
No, it's a catastrophe. Right-wing Israelis and militant Palestinians got what they wanted, everyone else suffers. Israel is worse off, Palestinians are worse off, regional peace is threatened. I don't see any winners in this except hard-line extremists who benefit from conflict.
But to be fair Israel was in a very serious internal political crisis before Oct 7. IIRC tens of thousands of Israeli reservists refused to serve? The crises was particularly serious in the Israeli air force.
This might of course have figured in Hamas's calculations of when to launch their attack which undoubtedly was years in the planning.
Ironically Oct 7 has temporarily at least papered over the cracks in Israeli society
But to be fair Israel was in a very serious internal political crisis before Oct 7. IIRC tens of thousands of Israeli reservists refused to serve? The crises was particularly serious in the Israeli air force.
Yes. Netanyahu has been an utter catastrophe. First step in improving the region is getting rid of him. The Hamas attack just helped him, I don't know what they hoped to achieve, but the result has just been to empower right-wing Israelis and prolong Netanyahu's political career. Utter catastrophe, but not WW3, at least yet.
It all seems to be doing a fine job of keeping us, the west, in a state of pending recession. Just when things seemed to be calming down, I reckon we're in for another bout of economic struggle.
It's just one thing after the other. I don't really remember the world feeling this unsafe in my adult life, and I grew up during the Troubles! (I appreciate that's nothing compared to what is going on now). I know many recall the 80's as a turbulent time. I wish I understood it all better, maybe that would help stop the worry.
I don’t really remember the world feeling this unsafe in my adult life,
The Cold War was much scarier. Doesn't mean that you shouldn't worry about now, but this is pretty much a case of normal service resuming.
but this is pretty much a case of normal service resuming
In terms of just another war in the middle east?
Have we had a stable period in the last 30 years? Maybe the late 90's before 9/11...
The Cold War was much scarier.
I remember growing up in the 80's and everyone kind of taking it as read that it was when, not if, we'd all perish by either being vaporised in a flaming nuclear wind or die a slow lingering death of radiation poisoning on the remains of a scorched planet.
With hindsight the general press and government coverage of the whole thing was pretty hysterical, but there was a general feeling that armageddon was only a potential mistake away.
It seems mental now that the government would actually put out literature on what to do in the event of a nuclear war. Other than die, obviously (fat chance of that by hiding under the kitchen table!). 😳
In terms of just another war in the middle east?
The middle east just seems to me like Europe was during the early part of the 20th century. Loads of competing powers, a lot with colonial ambitions and led by power-crazed nutters with a penchant for invading their neighbours, all absolutely itching to get stuck into each other.
Maybe instead of having these endless proxy wars they should actually get properly stuck into each other and have a full on ding dong. With tens of millions dead they might wind their bloody necks in a bit? The lunatics!
The Middle East has been in a constant flux for centuries, religion has a lot to answer for, Yemen has been in a civil war for over a decade due to this, Iran has played a proxy war in there as well as Gaza, Syria and Palestine, and previous in Iraq and so on, Israel were progressing before October, it actually looked like in a few years the right wingers might actually be pushed out, but again, you get the thought that other 'actors' wanted a different outcome, and then a huge terrorist attack has lit the whole place up again, and the benefactors are those on both sides you wanted to go extinct.
Hopefully it calms down a bit, you can almost see the steps in escalation and what could set it off further, the likes of the Houthis and Hamas are just pawns in the big game going on, and as always, civilians are the ones who suffer the most.
Nuclear weapons don’t scare me at all. I’ve seen that Harrison Ford documentary and I reckon I could fit the whole family in a chest freezer. Combined with the number of hours I’ve put in to Fallout 3 and Pft! Nuclear.
With hindsight the general press and government coverage of the whole thing was pretty hysterical, but there was a general feeling that armageddon was only a potential mistake away.
It wasn't hysterical. The Cold War really was scary, basically 15 minutes from one mistake leading to incineration. Things now are a bit tense, but the Cold War was much worse.
but there was a general feeling that armageddon was only a potential mistake away.
Abel Archer was arguably pretty close: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83
I remember growing up in the 80’s and everyone kind of taking it as read that it was when, not if, we’d all perish by either being vaporised in a flaming nuclear wind or die a slow lingering death of radiation poisoning on the remains of a scorched planet.
Very much this. I'm concerned about the current crises, but survived worse.
Warsi is absolutely correct - we, and the US, had the financial and military influence to rein in the Israelis, and chose not to do so. We have condoned the kind of war crimes that we have condemned Putin for, and lost all right to claim moral superiority.
It's maybe a conspiracy wormhole, but given that the Israelis seem to have had some warnings of the Hamas atrocity, it suited their current government to let attention move on from their internal problems.
Anyway, who is MrsBinners betting on for WWIII? That will decide how worried I am.
I doubt the concept of mass extermination by nuke is going to happen anytime soon because of the moral stance. Any country that uses nuke first will be completely isolated even when the winner(s) set the rules. However, skirmishers are inevitable particularly in the drone warfare.
That’s why Taiwan is so concerning.
There will be no war between China and Taiwan but there will be rockets dropping on each others, certainly No nuke. China will be on suicide mission if they try to invade Taiwan in the next 30 years. As the Chinese saying goes "打狗看主人" (check the owner out before punishing the dog), therefore the likelihood of starting a war is simply too costly for China even if they can win. A war with Taiwan can only derail their great plan of influencing the region. They have time on their side and Chairman Xi is not those people that will have sudden urge or emotional upheaval. However, they can put a strangle hold on Taiwan economically and would probably end up "buying" Taiwan without having to go to war. However, if China were to "attack", in order to make the people fatigue, then the most likely ways of attack is using drones or rockets. You know like creating sleepless night.
The Middle East has been in a constant flux for centuries, religion has a lot to answer for
Not really, relatively speaking the Middle East had over 500 years of stability and religious tolerance, where Muslims, Christians, and Jews, lived in peace.
In contrast Europe during the same period was pretty much in a constant state of war, often over religion, and of course Jews were routinely expelled and murdered by Europeans right up until 80 years ago.
What changed in the Middle East was European interference a hundred years ago, primarily from Britian and France.
then the most likely ways of attack is using drones or rockets.
Nope. Probably more like political will, with China sponsoring in the same way the US does and the UK used to do.
The right candidate gets into power, and reunification becomes the goal.
Have we had a stable period in the last 30 years? Maybe the late 90’s before 9/11…
The early 1990s were being billed as “the end of history”: since the western liberal democracy had won, nothing much would happen in the world from then on.
Abel Archer was arguably pretty close: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83/blockquote >Very much so. The German drama Deutschland 83 is largely a fictionalised account of this event, and hits home with how lucky we were that the east did not launch a nuclear attack.
Nope. Probably more like political will, with China sponsoring in the same way the US does and the UK used to do.
Agreed. That's why I used the term "buy" in a political sense i.e. using money politics to buy votes.
So it turns out that Joe Biden violated Article 1 of the US Constitution and that he did not have the legal power to order today's military strikes.
https://news.yahoo.com/unacceptable-violation-constitution-democrats-slam-161509499.html
"These airstrikes have NOT been authorized by Congress. The Constitution is clear: Congress has the sole authority to authorize military involvement in overseas conflicts," Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore., added. "Every president must first come to Congress and ask for military authorization, regardless of party."
How does a US President get away with ignoring the US Constitution and acting illegally?
Northern Ireland
Bosnia
Macedonia
Kosovo
Iraq
Afghanistan
Sierra Leone
Syria
Libya
All against the backdrop of an internal terrorism threat and foreign activity on UK soil.
All in a 24 year span. That's just the conflicts I have had either a direct involvement in a deployed role or supporting/facilitating deployment for others.
That's not including the conflicts where the military wasn't involved, wider in Africa, Chechnya, the ongoing border clashes around Kashmir, Israel/Palestine, Piracy upturn, etc.
I'd offer that undermines the 'stable' comment if I'm honest.
Not saying WW3 is imminent, just humans like a good dust-up and thus we'll always be living with serious conflict of one form or another.
One thing to remember about USA isolationism under Trump. Just as Trump is isolationist, so was Dubya Bush for about 7.5 months. 'Fortress America' and all that ballyx.
He was forced to change his tune radically on the morning of 11th September 2001.
How does a US President get away with ignoring the US Constitution and acting illegally?
Assuming that Val Hoyle is correct in their interpretation (I don't know), it's because the strikes against the Houthis are seen as self-defence of US and UK nationals, shipping, economic and commercial interests.
Arguably, the war between Israel and Palestine is one issue, the Houthi war against "western" shipping is a separate issue. The Houthi's link the two issues, the US and UK don't agree with them.
The difficulty is that the Houthis had been warned several times to leave shipping alone, they didn't and so action was taken. There are other navies in the Red Sea, the two issues would have been more separate if India and France, for example, had taken action.
Not saying WW3 is imminent, just humans like a good dust-up and thus we’ll always be living with serious conflict of one form or another.
+1
This won't develop more because of the US/UK airstrikes, the Houthis had already decided to attack "western" interests.
Saudi Arabia will be happy that US/UK has struck the Houthis because it saves them the effort; there's been conflict between them since 2015
It all seems to be doing a fine job of keeping us, the west, in a state of pending recession.
It's a constant state and usually springs from war, e.g. the 1970s was a bad period. Compare this article to the present day https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/mar/03/1970s-oil-price-shock
President Xi has his hands full. He's currently purging his military
Just as Trump is isolationist, so was Dubya Bush for about 7.5 months.
No he wasn't. George W Bush and his administration was totally committed to the Project for the New American Century.
In fact of the 25 individuals who signed PNAC's founding statement of principles ten, including Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz went on to serve in George W Bush's adminstration.
The PNAC was most definitely not isolationist. In fact it was the complete opposite - at the very heart of its aims was global "full-spectrum dominance"
it’s because the strikes against the Houthis are seen as self-defence of US and UK nationals, shipping, economic and commercial interests.
That definition would easily cover all US military action ever taken. The claim that Joe Biden acted unconstitutionally by not seeking congressional approval is being made by Democratic politicians as well as Republicans.
On a side note the strikes against Houthis attacks are likely to have been totally ineffective and more likely counterproductive.
The strikes will have been obviously anticipated and the Houthis missiles and drones securely hidden away. The Houthis rebels have welcomed the air strikes saying that they had felt bad that the Palestinians were being targeted but not them. And apparently Yemeni citizens are rallying behind the Houthis rebels hailing them as heros.
This will probably represent yet another Western miscalculation designed primarily to satisfy domestic Western political considerations.
I have no idea how authentic this is but if it is authentic it's quite interesting
https://www.instagram.com/nowinpalestine/reel/C2ASO2juKXN/
The claim that Joe Biden acted unconstitutionally by not seeking congressional approval is being made by Democratic politicians as well as Republicans.
Well that settles it then!
I am not sure if it answers the question but it does seem to suggest that it goes beyond simply "shipping, economic and commercial interests" considerations.
On a side note the strikes against Houthis attacks are likely to have been totally ineffective and more likely counterproductive.
I couldn't agree more. Bombing and missiles in isolation is a particularly crude and blunt tool, but look what happens when you take ground forces in.
Equally you can't let a rebel band deny the Bab-al-Mandeb. 30% of global container shipping transits the strait
ernielynchFull Member
I have no idea how authentic this is but if it is authentic it’s quite interesting
C4 news covered it tonight, along with having having Eylon levy (Israeli government gobshite) on to speak regarding the drone strikes on journalists, Krishnan grilled him over the direct targeting of journalists and Eylon muttered the usual response of "terrorists"
We have reached the point of Israel turning over stones and pointing at woodlice whilst shouting "terrorist"
Eylon Levy
I turned off at that point. I can’t stand that guy. He makes me physically sick.
Eylon Levy is exceptionally hard to stomach, but what I found hugely encouraging was the fact that when repeatedly questioned concerning South Africa's allegations of genocide all he could do was to talk about Hamas.
Whatever Hamas might have done, or not done, is completely irrelevant to whether an army is permitted to commit genocide against a people.
There was in effect no denial in that interview, just an attempt to justify.
The whole point of the charge of genocide is that it is never justifiable, whatever the circumstances.
The whole point of the charge of genocide is that it is never justifiable, whatever the circumstances.
Louder for those at the back!
Eylon levy (Israeli government gobshite)
He's a ****.
Eylon Levy is exceptionally hard to stomach
Its his attitude. The disbelief he portrays that anyone dare question what israel is doing or how they are going about it.
The use of language and rhetoric is interesting too "Terror dungeons" used time and time again.
Meh can't be arsed.
It's unfair to blame Starmer for anything, he just follows the Tories and the US.
Houthi rebels have attacked shipping 27 times since November.
We’re past stirring things up…
And where is the evidence that military strikes will stop them?
Demanding that Israel stops its current slaughter of innocent civilians* is more likely to bring peace and stability to the region.
Edit:* And of course justice for the Palestinian people.
Equally you can’t let a rebel band deny the Bab-al-Mandeb. 30% of global container shipping transits the strait
So one might expect a combined response from more than one country and its lapdog. I get that most don't have the option of a handy aircraft carrier but if the UK can manage it, so could a few others. I guess other countries aren't convinced this is the best response?
Relapsed, the 4/5 ex forces I know fit your description perfectly. 22 years a cook, a ghurka, several RE and Signaler. Don't see them going over the top. Are you one of my mates? 🙂
None of those, although my step-father (ex-RE) has never really resolved his disappointment over me not joining his beloved Corps.
I spent my entire career in a combat arm doing some interesting and fun stuff, the only 'over the top' I ever did was the odd wall or falling over my own feet pissed in a night out.
Or I'm am olympic level Walt, as insinuated by some. 😉
Either way I'm long past my sell by date and if there was a mandatory mobilisation they'd be looking at the younger lads and lasses with intact backs and knees, not grumpy old duffers like me who crack like a Transformer every time they get up off the sofa.
Meh…I’m a worrier about most things but not this. No one will push the button as they are all self serving egomaniacs and they all have far too much to lose themselves. And it they do there is nothing we can do about it anyway and we’ll all be dead fairly sharpish so why worry about it
besides, I was down Kirkcaldy high street yesterday and it resembles a post apocalyptic world already, so if by some chance I survived, I’d probably not notice much difference..
Demanding that Israel stops its current slaughter of innocent civilians* is more likely to bring peace and stability to the region.
But obviously won't as there's too many other vested interests in the region before we even start on the West.
You and the other left wingers on here are getting boring with the Israel bad, Palestinians victims routine. They're all bad, Hamas, Israel, Saudi, Houthis, Hezbollah, Syria etc. etc. All of them have escalated things at different times, all have committed war crimes, all target civilians indiscriminately. Don't know what the answer is but even if Israel is removed form the map (which is the publicly stated genocidal policy from Hamas) the shit will continue, too many nutters, too much money, too much religion.
Yes it would be good if some other world nations stepped up and did something about the Houthi's (India in particular and don't forget China has skin in the game here, they need exports to flow cheaply).
We're getting close to this thread being closed I fear....
Yes it would be good if some other world nations stepped up and did something about the Houthi’s (India in particular and don’t forget China has skin in the game here, they need exports to flow cheaply).<br /><br />
Like Saudi Arabia has?, over 25000 air strikes with 10,000 Yemenis killed with the backing and support of our RAF?, as with all in the Middle East our grubby little fingers are all over the scene such as Britain and Saudi in the 60’s overthrowing the government of Al-Badr who inherited his position from his father who ran the country purely for his own regimes needs which closely aligned with British needs. When the coup by a general in the military was successful against Al-Badr (who only held power for a few days) a new Yemeni republic was declared and forged closer ties to Nasser and the Egyptian government, Nasser was enemy #1 to the British at the time for obvious reasons (suez crisis). The Saudis became involved and backed a Yemeni royalist movement against the coup leaders with Britain backing the Saudis and installing the new royalist government that had “western/British values”
Funnily enough, the Yemeni royalists that we supported and aided back in the early 60’s are aligned with the Zaydi Shia religious sect who are aligned with the Houthis, so what began as a big old British public school circle jerk of ****ers deciding who should rule a Middle East country has come back to bite us in the arse.
A mate is married to a Yemeni and lives a few miles away, it took 5+ years for her to finally get citizenship and many ££££, her brother used to serve in the Yemeni airforce and her father was also in the military, the family still live in Yemen so I’ve absorbed quite a fair amount regarding the place over the previous 15 years.
We’re getting close to this thread being closed I fear….
Why?, everything that has been posted so far has also been reported by the press, whether that be tv, radio, print outlets.
Why?, everything that has been posted so far has also been reported by the press, whether that be tv, radio, print outlets.
Because there is a "no Gaza/Middle East" policy in force on the forum. Because some people cannot help but use inflammatory language on the subject.
Not saying that's the right approach, but people just need to be careful another thread isn't lost.
On a different note then, Sunak's tax return was read out on the radio the other day. A total annual income of £2m, attracting a payment of just 21% yes 21% tax. Let that sink in to the cost of living crises we all face, and the 2% tax break he gave some people.
We’re getting close to this thread being closed I fear….
Yup because the usual suspects start throwing personal insults.
You and the other left wingers on here are getting boring....
Eylon Levy
Agreed he's off the scale.
When he comes on the radio I'm aghast at how good he is at stomping his point all over everything.
Very good media training - unfortunately for everyone else.
Peace and stability? Like there has been for centuries… What’s your real solution?
As was pointed out, there were several centuries of peace and cohabitation until the West started carving things up
There's always been conflicts, one empire against another (Ottoman/Persian/etc), one religion against another or whatever, it was not some Utopian landscape before the west turned up, the west have been turning up for a couple of millennia, it just adds to more empires and religions getting involved.
This thread is just turning into the usual west is bad, middle east good style nonsense as always, as if we've ruined it all for the middle east and would be better off believing in some daft prophet, having sharia law and so on would benefit the world.
@stumpyjon makes a good point. The majority of any population just want to have a peaceful life. It's the extremists (largely politicians) who create friction and conflict. I'm reminded of a quotation from somewhere - "Extremists are like shit. Spread out they do a lot of good but in a heap they stink".
You are determined to make this about religion, aren’t you? When all else fails attack Islam.
So you're saying religion has nothing to do with the violence and misery in the middle east?
As the above post mentions, extremists and those with power use religion for their own gain, rewriting the words to suit their aims.
p.s, i have the same disdain for all the US subsets of christianity who use it to wield their will.
In comparison to Europe which was constantly at war, often over religion, the Middle East had centuries of relative peace with Muslims, Jews, and Christians, living side by side.
It all changed a hundred years ago when Europeans decided to wade in for the first time since the crusades, but just dismiss it as a coincidence.
The current conflict in Palestine has nothing to do with religion, it is to do with "settlers", colonialism, and appalling injustices.
Do you think that Native Americans were butchered and had their lands stolen because of "religion"? There is fundamentally no difference between the treatment that Palestinians are currently experiencing and that of Native Americans 150 years ago.
The world might have moved forward but not in the Middle East.
As the above post mentions, extremists and those with power use religion for their own gain
Exactly. It's not religion per se that is the cause, it is the appropriation of religion by trouble makers.
In comparison to Europe which was at war, often over religion, the Middle East had centuries of relative peace with Muslims, Jews, and Christians, living side by side.
Ernie, what's your definition of relative peace?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conflicts_in_the_Near_East#Conflicts_involving_the_Ottoman_empire Scroll down from the 16th Century to the 20th (as I understand it Middle East is essentially the modern term for Near East)
Relative to Europe. Have you any idea how many people died in the Napoleonic Wars? Check how French died in WW1. And Europeans were murdering Jews by their millions 80 years ago. Imagine Arabs doing that? No I can't either.
Ernie you're at it again, stop trying to compare atrocities, Europe, Muddle East doesnt matter, loads of people died, combatantscand civilans in unending conflict. Trying to make out the West is worse because mire have died is stupid, technology has made it easier to kill people in grester numbers, if twentieth century weapons had been available in the middle east earlier many more would have died.
As for religion not being involved, hello, Judasim is the justification for Israel. And your analogy with the westward expansion in the States was driven as much by religion as economics. Where do you think the bible belt came from? Persecution and genocide of the indigenous population was as much about Christanity vs the heathen as it was land grab. You can't seperate the two, same in the middle east today.
The Groundhog Day thread.
stop trying to compare atrocities
Sorry mate you brought up the subject, not me:
They’re all bad, Hamas, Israel, Saudi, Houthis, Hezbollah, Syria etc. etc. All of them have escalated things at different times, all have committed war crimes, all target civilians indiscriminately.
And I totally agree that no ethnoreligious group should be singled out as being particularly bad, so let's not do that, okay?
I have issues with zionism which a political ideology, in the same way as the white supremacists in South Africa had Apartheid as their political ideology, or anti-semitic Germans had Nazism. Judaism is not the issue, as the presence of many Jews on today's huge demo in London testified.
Deleted
E: Demanding that Israel stops its current slaughter of innocent civilians* is more likely to bring peace and stability to the region.
T: Peace and stability? Like there has been for centuries… What’s your real solution?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conflicts_in_the_Near_East#Conflicts_involving_the_Ottoman_empire
Ernie, having accepted that the Middle East hasn't had peace and stability for centuries, merely "relative to Europe", what's your realistic, workable solution to Houthi rebels attacking international shipping?
(You can use US strikes if that's part of your solution, "But provisions in U.S. law give the White House the authority to launch limited foreign military action, experts say. "There's not actually a strong case to prevent Biden from this kind of action," said Michael O'Hanlon, director of research in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution." https://www.reuters.com/world/us/did-biden-break-law-by-ordering-yemen-airstrikes-2024-01-12/ )
I'll go a little off topic by going on topic.😁
Interesting piece on the Beeb a few mins ago.
Germany is looking to recommission many of its thousands of civil nuclear shelters after recent events in Ukraine.
It's probably a prudent move but I wonder how much difference such a move makes in reality? Tiny isolated communities surviving past the initial war only to be wiped out by thirst/ starvation during a nuclear winter.
If mankind survives such an even at all, we'll be back to the stone age but worse as we'll Jhave long forgotten all the survival techniques we knew in those times.