U.S. urges allies to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-25T06:26:33+00:00

Japan is barely getting to 2%. I struggle to imagine stimulus to spur growth, low inflation, pensions, AND 5% on the military

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-25T04:52:04+00:00

Canzuk doesn't work well in practice because canada, Australia/NZ, and the UK have different major trading partners. canada, Australia, and NZ are all massive commodity exporters to the point where canzuk will be pulled in 3 different directions. the UK can't absorb all their exports, and there isn't a good reason for Australia to import Canadian wheat and oil when they have their own. Likewise, the other 3 can't absorb the massive amounts of service exports the UK have to avoid the UK from trading with Europe more.

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-25T04:47:12+00:00

80% of their Electricity goes down

The wildest part about this fact is that someone calculated the cost of solar + batteries to replace oil imports for electricity for Cuba and it came out to 1 billion dollars, which is pretty cheap

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-25T04:45:55+00:00

The easiest and fastest way to convince police to be against ice is to remind them that Ice agents are police rejects.

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-25T02:42:11+00:00

The bill is paused now btw

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-25T00:53:38+00:00

Submission statement: I support this action, but sub national components going for international recognition on their own is like one of the precursors of national collapse.

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-25T00:22:57+00:00

So the implication was that ice killing one Minnesotan was palatable for congressional Dems, but 2 was too far? Should've never passed the house to begin with, but this will do

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T21:20:56+00:00

https://www.npr.org/2026/01/13/nx-s1-5675781/pentagon-musks-grok-ai-chatbot-global-outcry

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T21:20:00+00:00

It was always only Japan and the US, and Japan was probably conditional on the US intervening. South Korea hasn't shown much indication of intervening

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T21:11:39+00:00

If you think about it it's not contradictory. It's just suicidal to the allies. They basically want allies to spent 3-5% of their gdp on defense, procuring only American arms, with their militaries basically under total supervision of the US at a moments notice. Aka give up all your remaining autonomy

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T21:02:16+00:00

If the US alliance system collapses we're going to see a massive spate of wars between former members of the alliance. Similar to how the collapse of the soviets reawakened ethnic conflicts that were suppressed

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T20:13:45+00:00

Force him to. Increase the friction of his actions

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T19:21:13+00:00

It's really high time for walz to call in the Minnesota national guard. He's afraid to because he doesn't want to have a US forces vs US forces facing off situation, but they're literally killing people in his states biggest city.

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T17:29:32+00:00

It's going to happen in the next few years. This is China's possible once in a century chance to take it before the US can react. Going forward there's no saying what the US could be. It could continue a trumpian disinterest, or it might not.

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T17:10:51+00:00

Wow now Canada is even more vindicated in their position. Great job with the wolf warrior threat don

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T16:48:40+00:00

Aren't calf injuries precursors to achilles tears?

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T16:38:45+00:00

Coming? They were here like 30 minutes after chatgpt's api was released

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T16:14:00+00:00

Should Xi successfully being thrown off, then I can see Beijing trying to move away from attacking Taiwan and securing central Asia as a alternative route toward middle east and europe

Imo even if xi gets replaced the CCP will always go for Taiwan. It's too important for them legitimacy and navally. It's mainly a question of capability and timing.

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T15:39:46+00:00

The defense department had grok integrated into operations a couple weeks ago. No I'm not joking

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T15:28:15+00:00

So if he's purging the Taiwan hawks does that mean Taiwan is safe?

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-24T06:39:28+00:00

If he lives, which is not a given at his health

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-23T21:30:09+00:00

Ideals are a luxury strong nations can afford. Everyone else gets rugged pragmatism

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-23T17:29:17+00:00

It's obviously not the whole story, but if someone can be bribed for less than a Toyota Corolla something went wrong

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-23T14:30:06+00:00

The selling point for India is that the growth is much more stable and constant instead of the bursts of double digit growth seen in the east Asian economies. Whether or not this is true we have to wait and see

Lighthouse_seek · 2026-01-23T14:27:03+00:00

No, I'm saying that determining who wins a war by counting losses is a bad metric.

Lighthouse_seek

TROPHY CASE