Europeans don’t want to be led into another regional war where human suffering is just collateral damage for a new challenge of world powers to further their ideology or capitalist gains.  

Twenty-five EU states sign PESCO defense pact

European Union member states on Monday moved ever closer towards establishing a defense union, after the European Council adopted the creation of a new European defense and security cooperation network known as PESCO.

The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), which was first set out in the Lisbon Treaty, will allow members states to jointly develop military capabilities, invest in shared projects and enhance their respective armed forces.

European defense minister from 23 member states had initially signed a joint notification on PESCO on November 13, and handed it over for review to the EU’s High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, and the European Council.

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Germany is the lead country on the crisis response project, but it has an ultimate link
with Macron's idea to create an intervention force  | Etienne Laurent/EPA |

More below the fold …

On December 7, Portugal and Ireland announced their decision to join, taking the total number of contributing members up to 25. The countries that have chosen not to take part are Malta, Denmark – which has special opt-out status – and the UK (which is set to withdraw from the bloc in March 2019).

Officials have earmarked 17 joint projects …  

Nobel Peace Prize 2017 to ICAN

    Catastrophic effects of nuclear weapons →
    “Nuclear weapons are unique in their destructive power, in the unspeakable human suffering they cause, in the impossibility of controlling their effects in space and time, and in the threat they pose to the environment, to future generations, and indeed to the survival of humanity.”  – International Committee of the Red Cross, 2010

The security case

Nuclear weapons pose a direct and constant threat to people everywhere. Far from keeping the peace, they breed fear and mistrust among nations. These ultimate instruments of terror and mass destruction have no legitimate military or strategic utility, and are useless in addressing any of today’s real security threats, such as terrorism, climate change, extreme poverty, overpopulation and disease.

While many thousands of nuclear weapons have been dismantled since the end of the cold war, the justifications for maintaining them remain largely unchanged. Nations still cling to the misguided idea of “nuclear deterrence”, when it is clear that nuclear weapons only cause national and global insecurity. There have been many documented instances of the near-use of nuclear weapons as a result of miscalculation or accidents.

During the Bush years came the first mistrust between Europe and America, except for the British. The Obama years were at first thought to be a new era of “enlightenment”. However the American nation has lost its bearing and picked Donald Trump to concentrate on America First and Republican isolationism on foreign policy. We have all witnessed how the presidency is run by a Republican Congress and a renewed Israel First policy as a result.

The majority of the rest, 95% of the world, have quite different views on planet earth, climate change and true dangers to our security. Set out a policy to rid the planet of the nuclear threat! Do not enhance the fear or need for an enemy to increae military spending above a fair share and chances for all in a nation seeing increased profit for a few. The spirit of Reagonomics and tax cuts above investment in society Trumps all …

○ Outpour of anger in Palestine as Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israeli capital | Dawn |
○ Macron urges Netanyahu to ‘show courage’ over Palestinian peace process | France24 |
○ The Delusions of Washington-Riyadh Ruling Elite and the Journalists Who Feed Them | Tikun Olam |
○ The view from Tel Aviv is very similar to Riyadh’s | Dawn – Opinion |

In addition …

Germans say Russia is more reliable than the United States

A new survey published by German public broadcaster ARD shows Germans trust Russia more than the US. America’s brand appears to have suffered considerably since the election of Donald Trump as US president last year.

Germans increasingly see Russia as a more reliable partner than the US, a new study released on Saturday has found.
The poll of 1,004 people by research institute Infratest dimap showed that 28 percent of respondents felt Moscow was a reliable partner, compared to 25 percent for Washington.

The result is the first time the public’s trust in the US has fallen below Russia in over a decade. An Infratest survey of public trust in Germany’s global partners in June found both countries tying at 21 percent.

France and Britain fared far better in the German public’s eyes. More than 90 percent said Paris was a reliable partner, while more than 60 percent said Britain, which has been trying to exit the European Union (EU), was a reliable partner.

US favorability falling

The new results align with the findings of an August poll by the Pew Research Center that surveyed the public’s confidence in different world leaders.

Whereas 25 percent of Germans had confidence in Russian President Vladimir Putin, only 11 had confidence in US President Donald Trump.

United States’ global image suffering under Donald Trump’s presidency: survey

‘The Trump effect’

Foreigners’ views of the US worsened considerably compared to 2016, particularly in the category “governance,” where it slipped from spot 19 to spot 23.

The “Trump effect” explains the fall, according to Anholt. “The loss of the US’s image in the governance category is indicative of the Trump effect, which was triggered by President Trump’s policies and his ‘America First’ message,” he said.

Americans themselves nevertheless viewed their country more positively than in 2016.

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