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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 17, 2023

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Also, NATO isn't just the US. Even if the USA ignores its treaty obligations because ASB, there's still Britain/France/Germany.

It's hard to see Germany lifting a finger to defend Poland without the US in the mix. The only country Poland has more bad blood with is Russia.

Even if there wasn’t decades of cooperation, treaties, and well, friendship, between Poland and Germany, the germans would be shooting themselves in the foot by leaving poland to putin. French strategists like to say that ‘France is an island now’ – meaning there is no realistic scenario where its neighbours invade her. Island status is very valuable, and it is attained by most EU countries. At some point you do run into hostile neighbours though. Poland and Finland are the moat securing the rest, and germany has no desire to take their place.

Even a few fighter jets would stop any Russian advance in it's tracks. I also can't understand how you think the NATO treaty isn't sacrosanct. It is the new religion of the West. Where once mighty Rome and then the Sacred Church stood, now NATO takes their place.

In a situation where the US wasn't honoring its treaty obligations, the NATO treaty clearly would not be sacrosanct.

And if my Grandmother had wheels she'd be a bicycle.

It's not my counterfactual.

The only country Poland has more bad blood with is Russia.

For start that is likely Belarus right now.

There is no ill will against Poland in Germany by and large. Apathy and condescension, yes, but no bad blood. The people from the former eastern territories are dead or soon will be and their descendants don't recognize themselves as such, so basically no one has any real historical grievance against Poland. Negative feelings are reserved for admonishing Poles about LGBT rights or abortion.

There'd be little enthusiasm among the general populace, but if Poland asked and genuinely needed assistance the German government would definitely send help. NATO commitments and ethics aside, they would do it for the sole reason of it being an excellent addition to the post-WW2 German national mythos.

If we're defending Ukraine, we'll definitely defend Poland. It's not even "pro-Poland" (though I'm not sure where you're getting 'bad blood' from; I'm not seeing that in the German media offhand). But Germany is pretty thoroughly committed to the idea of the EU and an attack on one is obviously an attack on all.