this post was submitted on 11 Mar 2025
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Should France and the UK share their nuclear weapons with the rest of Europe?

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[–] seeigel@feddit.org 14 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

How does this pen out? If those weapons are meant to be used defencively, they have to be second-strike weapons.

This means that Germany needs nuclear submarines because everything else could be hit by Russian nuclear bombs in the assumed Russian attack.

Preparing nuclear weapons on fighter jets only helps to make Germany a target.

France and UK rightfully ask for support for their nuclear weapons program but there is no need to be further involved than financing it.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

This means that Germany needs nuclear submarines because everything else could be hit by Russian nuclear bombs in the assumed Russian attack.

If Russia were to nuke Germany at the scale necessary to prevent a retaliatory strike, the entire planet would be fucked indefinitely.

France and UK rightfully ask for support for their nuclear weapons program but there is no need to be further involved than financing it.

There is a (not unreasonable) fear that the same brainworms infecting American politicians would take hold under a Nigel Farrage or Marine Le Pen government. In the same vein, an AfD takeover of the German government could mean Germany becomes a rogue state if it controls a nuclear stockpile. But again, in these kinds of scenarios, nuclear weapons don't benefit anyone.

Even beyond that, what we're talking about is still ICBMs, which functionally amount to a Space Program. And the EU has been fumbling the bag on advanced aeronautics practically since its inception. They're trying to guard against the possibility that Russia throws another 400k of its conscripted civilians into a land war along the Carpathian Mountains to what possible end?

And all the while, you've got guys like Peter Thiel and Bernard Arnault reigniting a transcontinental strain of white supremacy not seen since Henry Ford whipped the first edition of "Protocols of the Elders Of Zion" off the press. While Europeans scramble to bar the gates against Trumpism/Putinism, the evil shit is leeching straight into their well water.

[–] federalreverse@feddit.org 1 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Bernard Arnault reigniting a transcontinental strain of white supremacy

Is there anything that links Arnauld to white supremacy? Or do you mean that he indirectly helps white supremacist viewpoints take hold?

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

Is there anything that links Arnauld to white supremacy?

Other than his constellation of right-wing news journals, including Le Parisien, and Les Echos newspapers, Radio Classique and magazines Challenges and Sciences et Avenir? The guy was literally sharing a table with the Silicon Valley goons at the Trump inauguration.

Or do you mean that he indirectly helps white supremacist viewpoints take hold?

He's about as indirect as the Adelsons, the Mercers, the Murdochs, or the Cheneys in the US. Dude dumps tons of money into right wing political organizations, media, and activist groups across Europe, particularly with regards to anti-union efforts in and around the fashion industry.

[–] falcunculus@jlai.lu 5 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

And the EU has been fumbling the bag on advanced aeronautics practically since its inception.

This is disinformation.

Arianespace pioneered commercial satellite launches and in the 90s peaked at 60% of the market through domestic technology, with the French having developed ICBMs and SLBMs for national security. Meanwhile Airbus drove Northrop and McDonnell-Douglas out of the airliner market and is now out-competing Boeing. And regarding missiles MBDA is competitive as well, with some products like the Meteor leading the way in implementing ramjets.

Jet engines are dominated by the UK and US true, but Safran is still competitive enough to matter (through CFM for commercial or by themselves for military purposes), and although not in the EU Rolls-Royce is much friendlier to cooperation with the EU than American firms.

The EU is currently behind on drones, stealth, and reusable rockets. But that is not indicative of decades-long inability.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

Even beyond that, what we’re talking about is still ICBMs, which functionally amount to a Space Program. And the EU has been fumbling the bag on advanced aeronautics practically since its inception.

They already have a space program, so it's more like a new rocket, really.

They’re trying to guard against the possibility that Russia throws another 400k of its conscripted civilians into a land war along the Carpathian Mountains to what possible end?

Is it really only Russia that you folks worry about? Trump wants Greenland. China will eventually want something.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -3 points 1 day ago (2 children)

If European states rebuild a serious modern army, in another twenty years they'll be bombing one another.

[–] federalreverse@feddit.org 2 points 10 hours ago

Why would you think that?

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

I mean, it's not like they don't have armies to start with. So I guess that happens either way?

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -1 points 14 hours ago

This period of Pax Europa has been an anomaly, to be sure. But Balkanization appears to be coming for them all.

[–] barsoap@lemm.ee 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Germany has nuclear-capable subs. There was a whole thing about exporting subs to Israel because they might put nukes on them.

Nuclear-powered is a whole other thing. Type 212s can't dive as long as nuclear subs but it's definitely sufficient (18 days is publicly known, they probably can do way more), and on the upside they're way less detectable than nuclear subs which are loud AF due to being powered by steam engines on angry steroids.

The Dolphin submarines for Israel are built bz Germany, but they are different because they’re are to launch nukes. German submarines aren’t equipped with the same size launch tubes. Germany could build such subs though.