International relations thread

[DB9]

So we're all supposed to be grateful to Recep Tayyip Erdogan for allowing Sweden & Finland to join NATO.

FFS, has the world flipped on its head?

Erdoğan is not the best NATO "Partner" He looks to the East more than the West, Even though Turkey has been trying to join the EU for ages.

 

[Mr Jinx]

Erdoğan is not the best NATO "Partner" He looks to the East more than the West, Even though Turkey has been trying to join the EU for ages.

Yes, he does play a double headed game quite well. A shame Biden doesn't see that (after saying he was "doing a great job!"). Go back to the basement Joe.

 

[Spoonz Red E]

It's realpolitik.
That doesn't mean to say that the 'free' world couldn't up its game and have a more morally sound long term strategy so that the reality matches up with the myth.
Authoritarian regimes see democracy as a weakness - will we start learning from history instead of spinning it for votes or will we give the authoritarian take more resonance?
I hope it's the former but it's become an uncomfortable balancing act during my lifetime.

 

[Phil Sayers]

So we're all supposed to be grateful to Recep Tayyip Erdogan for allowing Sweden & Finland to join NATO.

FFS, has the world flipped on its head?

A lot of Kurds (and some Arabs as well) in North East Syria have very good reason to be alarmed about whatever might have been agreed behind the scenes. Erdogan has already been beating the war drums about seizing control of more of the Turkey / Syria border area from the US backed SDF and has also said he intends to seize the town of Tel Rifaat which is near Aleppo. The latter is largely to keep the rebel groups he wants to enlist for the broader operation onside because regaining control of that town from the YPG is very important to them (a lot of them used to live there until the YPG opportunistically seized it back in 2016 when the rebels had their hands full dealing with nearby offensives by both the Assad regime and ISIS, something the rebels remain extremely angry about).

Erdogan beating the war drums is far from unusual and it may not amount to anything much (the Russian view will also be important) but he has already launched a number of cross-border operations into Syria resulting in large amounts of territory, nominally under Turkish-backed rebel control, effectively being governed from Ankara - to the general detriment of the Kurdish population living there. The bigger problem the SDF have is that if Turkey / Turkish backed rebels launch an offensive from the North then the IRGC and Iranian proxy militias may launch a simultaneous offensive from the areas they control to the South. Could easily result in the farcical situation of the US turning a blind eye to an invasion from one side but conducting air and artillery strikes on a separate invasion from the other side.

 

[Phil Sayers]

Major symbolic victory for Ukraine as the Russkies stationed on Snake Island have finally had enough of being pummelled by HIMARS / tube artillery fired at max range. They have slinked away on speedboats in the middle of the night after torching their equipment which included multiple advanced SAM systems. They are probably now busy typing furious Trip Adviser reviews while the island presently looks like this:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1542425201023107072

Ukraine may be able to turn a symbolic victory into a practical victory if they deem they can safely garrison the island without coming under sustained bombardment themselves. Stationing land launched Harpoon anti-shipping missiles and air defence systems there would allow them to threaten the Russian naval and air presence in a much wider swathe of the the Black Sea. Could even help with regards securing a 'safe' route for grain exports.

 

[lamrobhero]

I remember reading an article some time ago about the diverse cultures that exist within the country of Turkey. Maybe in the Modern World, the Nation State is the problem. Maybe Transnational Organisations that adhere to Universal Values are the answer - like the EU in fact. Would the progress in Ireland have taken place without the EU context?

 

[Banksy]

I remember reading an article some time ago about the diverse cultures that exist within the country of Turkey. Maybe in the Modern World, the Nation State is the problem. Maybe Transnational Organisations that adhere to Universal Values are the answer - like the EU in fact. Would the progress in Ireland have taken place without the EU context?

Interesting.Will Ireland become one country again in our lifetime I wonder? Well , it might in the lifetimes of the younger folk amongst us.

 

[arthur]

Maybe in the Modern World, the Nation State is the problem. Would the progress in Ireland have taken place without the EU context?

The nation state is a relatively recent invention and is reaching the end of its shelf life. You are quite right about the EU and Ireland - the membership of both ROI and UK was a fundamental underpinning of the peace process. That's why most people in NI voted Remain and the DUP voted leave.

When regional government was proposed for England, this was dismissed as an unnecessary layer of government. Looking at things rationally the unnecessary tier of government is Westminster - too remote for housing, health and education (best dealt with at regional level) and not influential enough for international trade, defence and foreign affairs which are best dealt with at European level. Many EU countries are smaller than English regions, so this proposal is not as radical as it may appear to the blinkered...

 

[arthur]

Something needs to be done about the US Supreme Court.

 

[iscalad]

Something needs to be done about the US Supreme Court.

It's a major problem when politicians appoint the judiciary.