Cold war 2.0

[ceecee]

Russia's Putin hosts leaders of India, China at BRICS summit

India's Modi, China's Xi seek to boost ties at BRICS summit

If India and China become close friends that is basically the instant end of the current world order.





US and NATO confirm North Korean troops are now in Russia

Germany summons North Korea diplomat over Ukraine

Germany has a NK diplomat?

 

[Virtual ghost]

Germany has a NK diplomat?

Probably.
In Europe many countries have developed diplomatic ties with countries that are considered "very bad" in US. In a sense those diplomatic ties are often indirect link between those countries and US since direct diplomatic ties don't exists. What makes Europe to be some sort of middle man in certain situations.

 

[Virtual ghost]

If it is true that Ukraine is starting to strike newly arrived North Korean troops in Russia this is a whole new phase of the war.
Especially since now South Korea is saying something that they will now provide Ukraine with plenty of weapons. So that they can hit those troops 24/7.

 

[ceecee]

Probably.
In Europe many countries have developed diplomatic ties with countries that are considered "very bad" in US. In a sense those diplomatic ties are often indirect link between those countries and US since direct diplomatic ties don't exists. What makes Europe to be some sort of middle man in certain situations.

Yeah I kind of thought it was a workaround. Makes sense.

 

[Red Herring]

Germany has a NK diplomat?

Yes, North Korea has an embassy in Berlin. North Korea has had diplomatic relations with East Germany since 1949. After reunification things got complicated and informal for a while but Germany and North Korea officially agreed on diplomatic relations in 2001. There are also some cooperative agreements that have been initialed in 2002 but are still not in force.

You know Rick from "Magnum P. I."? Magnum's contact to the mafia who knows a guy who knows a guy? Germany has relatively good diplomatic relations to all sorts of countries including some considered enemies of the West. That can quickly become morally shady but also be useful.

Part of this is rational selfinterest (we are heavily dependent on exports), part of it is a sincere belief that no country is beyond redemption or beyond talking to (which might be informed both by our own darkest history and decades at the frontlines of the cold war with nuclear total destruction by either side being a constant threat). Liberal democracies are also a tiny minority on this planet and, so the reasoning goes, we can't always pick who we are working with.

 

[The Cat]

Glad to see there's still good ol fashioned intelligence going on through the wonderful comfy grey cloud that is diplomacy. Makes the world go round. Endlessly fascinating to boot.

 

[The Cat]

Yes, North Korea has an embassy in Berlin. North Korea has had diplomatic relations with East Germany since 1949. After reunification things got complicated and informal for a while but Germany and North Korea officially agreed on diplomatic relations in 2001. There are also some cooperative agreements that have been initialed in 2002 but are still not in force.

You know Rick from "Magnum P. I."? Magnum's contact to the mafia who knows a guy who knows a guy? Germany has relatively good diplomatic relations to all sorts of countries including some considered enemies of the West. That can quickly become morally shady but also be useful.

Part of this is rational selfinterest (we are heavily dependent on exports), part of it is a sincere belief that no country is beyond redemption or beyond talking to (which might be informed both by our own darkest history and decades at the frontlines of the cold war with nuclear total destruction by either side being a constant threat). Liberal democracies are also a tiny minority on this planet and, so the reasoning goes, we can't always pick who we are working with.

serious question that may inadvertently sound sarcastic but: Do you find the attitude in Germany to be any way reminiscent of the phrase: "Well somebody has to?"

 

[The Cat]

Over here too many people get confused by believing in moral absolutes.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Glad to see there's still good ol fashioned intelligence going on through the wonderful comfy grey cloud that is diplomacy. Makes the world go round. Endlessly fascinating to boot.

As at the time chief of European executive branch said: if I would stop talking to authoritarian leaders and countries my work week would end somewhere around 1PM on Tuesday.

 

[The Cat]

As at the time chief of European executive branch said: if I would stop talking to authoritarian leaders and countries my work week would end somewhere around 1PM on Tuesday.

I think a lot of people genuinely think that we wouldnt revert back to warlords if people didnt get out of bed and deal with the unpalatable aspects of civilization on a daily basis. As much as I would like it to be so, peace is not the default state of humanity. So I always wonder how the rest of the world views itself where so many borders have touched for so long.

 

[Virtual ghost]

I think a lot of people genuinely think that we wouldnt revert back to warlords if people didnt get out of bed and deal with the unpalatable aspects of civilization on a daily basis. As much as I would like it to be so, peace is not the default state of humanity. So I always wonder how the rest of the world views itself where so many borders have touched for so long.

You can't really put the rest of the world in one group. Because that is about 200 other countries and every one of them has it's own story. Even the ones that aren't recognized by most of the world. Some parts of the world are quite peaceful, some evidently aren't.

 

[Red Herring]

Over here too many people get confused by believing in moral absolutes.

By pure coincidence, I just came across this quote by Immanuel Kant again a minute or two ago:

From such crooked wood as that which man is made of, nothing straight can be fashioned

 

[The Cat]

You can't really put the rest of the world in one group. Because that is about 200 other countries and every one of them has it's own story. Even the ones that aren't recognized by most of the world. Some parts of the world are quite peaceful, some evidently aren't.

A single diamond is made of many facets. So too is the world. Each facet is its own, but connected inextricably to all the others. That is the metaphorical context of which I speak. I dont think anything so complex as the world can be put into any one box.

 

[Virtual ghost]

I dont think anything so complex as the world can be put into any one box.

Actually that isn't really true .....

 

[The Cat]

Actually that isn't really true .....

I know people will pay top dollar to try. But I remain skeptical to a certain degree. There are different kinds of peace. Still though I appreciate seeing people's efforts to pick up all the grains of rice and lay them out in order. But then who doesn't love a good domino ralley?

Thanks for sharing the chart. ^_^

 

[Virtual ghost]

US ‘concerned’ for citizens after Meloni’s surrogacy ban in Italy

 

[Virtual ghost]

Deadly ‘terrorist attack’ strikes key defense company in Turkey

'Terrorist attack' hits Turkish aerospace firm near Ankara

 

[Virtual ghost]

Is this the end for Georgian Dream?

Venezuela’s opposition wins top EU human rights award

 

[Virtual ghost]

Why Donald Trump went to war with UK’s Keir Starmer — over a LinkedIn post

A Trump win could save Germany’s ailing coalition

 

[Virtual ghost]