NATO: There was officially a Russian plot to kill European weapons chief

[finitebanjo@lemmy.world]

They Sabre Rattled yesterday and they will Sabre Rattle tomorrow, but we cannot just start giving land and human sacrifices to thugs or the thugs will become our kings.

[themightycanuck@sh.itjust.works]

Yes any state sponsored assainations of private citizens (especially indirectly associated citizens) should be protested. Including the US'sactions... But that's not what we're here to talk about now is it?

Also, completely valid to draft plans to invade anyone. Acting on those plans are where the line is crossed.

[themightycanuck@sh.itjust.works]

He's not 'jedi mind tricking' you. He's correcting you moving the goal post to suit your argument.

You stated they had plans. A political threat and drafting invasion plans are two VASTLY different things.

[0x0@infosec.pub]

Weirdly enough Im kinda alright with weapon merchants or anyone similar involved in profiteering from war taking a personal toll in it themselves.

Didnt Ukraine assasinate some russian missile specialist a while back with the west applauding it after finding out? Dont play games you dont want to have a part in seems highly fitting here. There are plenty of other ways to make a decent living.

[ggtdbz@lemmy.dbzer0.com]

I think it’s sick that people downvote this in the name of civility. I understand people not wanting to make a super solid link between wealthy magic bean salesmen and societal issues and seeing it as a slippery slope, but the weapons industry? Fucking come on.

If you profit from the most literal form of human suffering, you are a statistical outlier even among outliers. I can’t think of many less ethical things to enrich yourself from than making the world a deadlier place.

[_cnt0@sh.itjust.works]

It's not out of civility, and I think there are good reasons to dislike Armin Papperger; for example him being a filthy stinking rich CEO and him allowing deals with non-European countries. But, we need our militaries and we need our weapons industry. The military aid we sent to Ukraine did not materialize out of thin air. The pacifist position of "war bad, weapons bad, people making weapons bad" is infantile. If we stopped making weapons, Russia, or someone else, would waltz right in. Our military (and by extension the weapons industry) is what enables any of our diplomacy to not be completely ignored by nuclear bullies like Russia. A Russian plot to kill Armin Papperger is an attack against us, Germany, the west, NATO, not him individually.

[ggtdbz@lemmy.dbzer0.com]

My country is being invaded illegally right now with zero consequences, I know what you are saying. But there should be zero way to profit from war, from an ethical standpoint these industries would ideally be nationalized and kept far far away from profiteers.

I know exactly what “peace” with the apartheid Nazis taking a fresh bite out of my homeland means, I’m not oblivious to that flavor of “pacifism” that gets promoted by the slimiest characters. You’re pushing back against a point I never made. I empathize with a lot of the sentiment supporting Ukraine specifically because I feel like that country’s relationship with Russia is in some ways analogous to our relationship with Hafez and Bashar’s Syria.

Arguably we need the weapons more. The countries controlling the world’s economic and social levers are more than willing to punish Russia, great, but then bend over backwards, and even spit in the face of their commitments to the ICJ, because we’re just in the way of a modern colonial project. I’ll take the guns in a heartbeat. I just believe it’s an unethical thing to privatize, monetize, and eventually promote to keep the numbers going up.

[fallowseed@lemmy.world]

going after billionaires and weapons chiefs... the west will never sing that!

[fuck_the_yanks@endlesstalk.org]

"Any means necessary" is a direct threat toward the Netherlands and if they had any balls they would take it as what it is - a cassus belli.

We should sanction that shit rogue country real quick

[adminsquick@endlesstalk.org]

Wow the admins are fast today. So much enthusiasm to stand up for war profiteering, it's beautiful to see.

I hope the US invade the netherlands lmao imagine all the dead yanks.

[_cnt0@sh.itjust.works]

I tend to mostly agree with what you're saying, but there's no common theme to our comments. I referred to nothing but the first sentence of your previous comment.

That being said, I'm totally in favor of state armories, like Springfield used to be, but that's not what we have right now. And never really had in Germany for the past 100+ years. And whether you privatize the manufacture of weapons or not, everyone involved in it needs to make a decent living. R&D needs to be done and financed, either from profit or tax-payer money. In my book the personal enrichment by a select few on the top is bad, no matter the industry. Allowing arms to be exported where they shouldn't be, is a political "failure"; it's an indirect subsidy that other states pay for to keep your own supply cheap and running. That's not an arms manufacturer's CEO's fault. He is just a regular CEO asshole, and still would be, if "working" in another industry.

[iwishyougetstabbed@endlesstalk.org]

What a bloodthirthy idiot lmao. Average worldist

[iwishyougetstabbed@endlesstalk.org]

That guy?

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/fresh-evidence-to-support-rheinmetalls-contract-with-arms-dealer-to-sell-air-defence-guns-found/articleshow/57583079.cms

[warprofitereersdown@leminal.space]

That guy is wanted in India for corruption.

https://theprint.in/defence/german-minister-defence-firm-off-blacklist-modi-govt-didnt-budge/39667/

Tells you everything you need to know

[warprofitereersdown@leminal.space]

Suuure let's simp for the guy wanted by Interpol for corruption. He surely have our best interests at heart and the political ties to make them happens /s

[warprofitereersdown@leminal.space]

You get it's worse, right? Planning a full-on invasion is worse than planning to kill one war profiteerer?

[warprofitereersdown@leminal.space]

PriVaTe CitiZenS. The guy is no John Doe, he's a war profiteer with corruption and bribery scandals.

[warprofitereersdown@leminal.space]

No it's not. If the dutchies weren't coward they would take it for what it is - a cassus belli.

[warprofitereersdown@leminal.space]

I hope they do invade the haag though. I would enroll in the army real quick so I can personally defend europe.

[warprofitereersdown@leminal.space]

What about the fact he's notoriously in bed with the european commission?