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John Brophy's avatar

Intellectual and moral bankruptcy preceeding the economic collapse, social upheaval and possibly military conflict. Great job EU! I think I am moving to Asia - let me know how that works out for you...

Very insightful discussion Ian & Co. A reality check for young Europeans - I remember the vibrant Brussels atmosphere in the 80s. I loved Moscow in the early 90s even though it was fully in the birth pangs of the New Russia. And strangley the totalitarianism of the Soviet era is now growing like a cancer in Europe.

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Ian Proud's avatar

Thank you. And I agree, the totalitarianism does appear to be growing unchecked.

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pyrrhus's avatar

Indeed! But their egos are too huge to back off from disaster....

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Ian Proud's avatar

I worry rhat you're right.

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StormBlueHull's avatar

Indeed a great debate. Thank you.

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Ian Proud's avatar

Thank you.

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Nancy Pickle's avatar

I watched it the other day, it was good to see you on Neutrality Studies and I finally came to read your Substack!

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Ian Proud's avatar

Welcome, Nancy. Glad you enjoyed it.

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Sladkovian's avatar

Great discussion. I liked Oberg a lot though slightly chastening that a Dane can quote George Bernard Shaw and I can't.

So I looked up some Shaw quotes. Some better than others. But this one is particularly pertinent in the current climate of orchestrated animosity toward Russia:

"Hatred is the coward's revenge for being intimidated"

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Saint Jimmy's avatar

good. The world will applaud the collapse.

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DLehman's avatar

Britain needs to jettison Uncle Sam and head east, Mr Proud.. that’s the only hope!

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Jams O'Donnell's avatar

Too late for that. Russia has been bitten by the west too many times now, and there seems to be a very strong urge to look eastward. Russia may engage with a chastened Europe in future, but it will be only as much as suits them, not Europe. And by then Europe will be in no position to quibble about it.

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DLehman's avatar

I meant China. Russia is Eurasia. It’s just that the Europeans don’t want to invite her to the club. If Britain wants to be economically viable, it has to look towards China.

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Ian Proud's avatar

I agree

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Dmitry's avatar

It's hard to be optimistic about the EU when it rushes to repeat America's mistakes even after seeing the results:

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/eu-china-start-talks-lifting-eu-tariffs-chinese-electric-vehicles-handelsblatt-2025-04-10/

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