Yeah the European project is really fabulous to behold as an outsider especially.

I actually think we’re bogged down in the quagmire that the US got rid of early. A federal EU would be so, so great but holy Jesus we’ll never, ever get there and that’s a beautiful thing in it’s own way because I love that I can travel for an hour and be in a totally different culture. It happens in the US too but over broader geography.

Still I actually think America will also prevail against this moment

Of that I have no doubt, friend. I’ve spent a decent amount of time over there and I’m very fond of the place and the people. The angry have the microphone at the moment but it’ll pass. I can see it coming. I hope you do too.

I’ve been closely looking at the correlation between 1933 Germany and modern day US and there is a horrifying amount of correlation, but you have stronger safeguards than you think, despite all efforts for the current administration to replicate the Nazis. The first amendment on it’s own could save us all.

You’re very welcome :)

That’s very kind. Thank you. I genuinely don’t see us as outliers, we just use our small country position to make harder stances. The Baltics do the same. Absolutely love them.

I absolutely swear to fuck that we, along with the huge level of very deliberate European integration policies (and I firmly believe that the forward thinking of the Erasmus program is the best money the EU ever spent) will prevent any madness.

I know they’re making gains, but I firmly believe that good sense and education will prevail.

So the verb has a negative declension, or is it just some kind of conjunction that negates the verb?

It’s so long since I used declension that I honestly can’t remember it’s use but you repeat the verb but in the positive or negative form and there are differences if that makes sense?

Like “Do you understand?” is “I understand” and “I do not understand” is a little different.

I’m teaching my youngest lad Irish and I’ll regularly ask him “An dtuigeann tú” (on diggin too) and he’ll respond with “tuigim” (“tig-im” - “I understand” (which is strictly a contraction)).

edit: The negative would be “Ní thuigim” which we would pronounce as “nee higim” (I do not understand) so there’s a definite change in the word for the negative.

edit 2: The answers to “were you?” would be bhí mé “vee may” (I was) and Ní raimh mé “nee r-ow may” (I was not) so it is quite different to answer in the positive or negative.

If history has shown us anything, it’s that right wing parties love war.

To ease your mind a little, the most recent general election in Ireland had us move left and the presidential election was another, fairly hard, shift left.

In what world would European social democracy have been dependent on American military subsidies?

We have given Ukraine more since the get go financially and as purchases of arms from the US while we rebuilt our (naively quiet) arms industry.

The embarrassment is in thinking that a huge amount of trade with Russia would deter invasion and on that I, and everyone else, is rightly embarrassed.

I feel your sentiment, but the reality is straightforward - Arms manufacture in the US is years ahead of the EU. We’re catching up fast (not at wartime rate, but fast) but you guys were so, so far ahead of us that all we could do was look around and naively go “FUCK” then start pumping money into the problem (both supporting Ukraine financially and building our arms industry).

Only parents, priests, those in front of children or those in pleasant company say feck. We’re more or less married to the Aussies with our love of the vulgar words. 🇮🇪 ❤️ 🇦🇺

Eh, that’s a great question. My Irish used to be good enough that I’d be able to answer that but I’m not sure what the direct translation would be. There is a word that’s very close to “no” which is “níl” (neel) but in general it’s short for “níl mé” (neel may - I am not).

In the present tense there is “tá” (taw) which is essentially short for “tá mé” (taw may - I am) but for example the answer to the question “Were you?” is “Ní raimh mé” (nee r-ow may) which is “I was not” but it is contextual. The pronunciation of “raimh” also varies by each of the 4 provinces along with every other word which is confusing as fuck. Some would say “rev” for “raimh”.

In general it’s the positive or negative of the verb though - were you? I was. Did you? I did. Will you? I will. Did she? She did etc.

Someone with better Irish may be along to hopefully make a show of me.

edit: Google translate says “ciallaíonn ní nach bhfuil” is “no means no” but there is no way in hell any actual Irish speaker would say those words when the context is so simple.

“ní nach bhfuil” (nee noch will) is “no is not”, kinda. ciallaíonn is “means” straight up though.

Y’all would love Irish. There is no word for “yes” or “no”.

Oh wow. It looks like it has. That’s very odd timing.

Haha. I had to do it. 😁

🌻

Yeeeeh baahhht!

The issue with this is that knowledge should be it’s own reward. Where I live college costs a pittance. If you want to study fine art, that course should be available and is.

What you’re suggesting sounds great in a very practical respect but would only further benefit capitalism at the cost of wider knowledge. Many of the things that are worth learning in life to so many would immediately disappear from college curriculums.

The goal should be to make third level education cheap enough that anyone can do it without crippling themselves financially.

I’m in the thick of a 90 hour audiobook trilogy on the third Reich which is absolutely incredible (link) and Fuhrer is used liberally, partly to describe his ascent to absolute dictator as opposed to just Reich’s Chancellor.

I’m not defending shitopedia for one second! I’m just not sure it’s as outrageous as other shit that’s taking up our limited attention span at the moment is all.

Yeah I fully agree with this. I am thick in the middle of “Third Reich Trilogy” which gives an enormous amount of context to the word though.

If they changed it, it’s further evidence of scummy behaviour, but on its own it’s not a huge red flag for me with historical context.

Can’t recommend the books enough if you’re into that. The lad must have spent half his life in primary sources.

Thanks so much. I thought that would be the case but I wondered around things like “team leader” or “band leader” or whatever.

My guess was that it was forever tainted so I appreciate the context.

I mean the whole stupid Grokipedia thing is a shit show that will never take off, but Fuhrer is just “leader” in German. In it’s used context for Hitler it straight up means dictator and (iirc) only came into full on use after the plebiscite giving him full dictatorial power after Hindenburg’s death in 1934 (edit: He was already the Reich’s Chancellor and merged in Hindenburg’s powers with the vote to make himself full dictator / Fuhrer).

I’d welcome input from a German national - Is the word still used there?

Wow. Cool picture. Instant transportation to kid me.

The latest versions of it were the hottest thing doing the rounds at those meet ups.