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Thumbs up from this unheard voice!
On Friday, March 20, 2026 at 09:39:11 AM EDT, Philip Nase via Spridgets=
<spridgets@autox.team.net> wrote: =20
=20
=F0=9F=91=8D=F0=9F=8F=BC
Phil Nase
On Mar 20, 2026, at 8:35=E2=80=AFAM, Larry Macy via Spridgets <spridgets@au=
tox.team.net> wrote:
=EF=BB=BF Daniel,
Well stated and thought from the British POV. I agree with your points, but=
would like to insert one clarification. It is not America that is insultin=
g and bitching at NATO countries.=C2=A0
I have been around for nearly 7 decades and this is the absolute worst rela=
tionship between our NATO allies and the US I have ever seen in those decad=
es. Treating Russia as a =E2=80=9Cfriend=E2=80=9D over NATO, Iran and Ukrai=
ne is the bottom of the barrel in my opinion.=C2=A0
This is my opinion, and so far, in the US, I am still allowed to have one.=
=C2=A0
Spridgeteers, Please don=E2=80=99t t make this a mess. It is simply the opi=
nion of an Englishman and an American. =C2=A0
Larry
On Mar 20, 2026, at 6:33=E2=80=AFAM, Weslake1330 via Spridgets <spridgets@a=
utox.team.net> wrote:
Hi List,
I wanted to post some thoughts on=C2=A0Iran, NATO and Europe that simply ar=
en't being reported on national news, as far as I can tell, whose reporters=
seem to have no idea of analysis or wider impacts.
The news isn't saying much about how much help Iran has had and continues t=
o have from Russia and China, the latter especially.=C2=A0 I believe that I=
ran is an evil regime supported (English phrase: aided and abetted) over de=
cades by Russia and China.=C2=A0 I have heard that Chinese technicians aidi=
ng Iran firing missiles have been killed.=C2=A0 So if America decides to at=
tack Iran that's ok by me in a broad sense.=C2=A0 Iran with nuclear weapons=
would be a disaster for the world.
NATO is about defence and its membership agreement makes that clear.=C2=A0 =
NATO is not a force multiplier to call upon when a member's aggression need=
s some backup.=C2=A0 Yes, the USA puts more money into NATO than any other =
country and arguably it has had the most back.=C2=A0 Europe provided the bu=
ffer for the USA against the USSR and I guess that was a price the USA deci=
ded was worth paying.=C2=A0 Well times change and the USSR not longer exist=
s but former members are a threat.=C2=A0 The flipside to the coin that isn'=
t discussed is not whether all the NATO countries need to spend more (and a=
couple do) but could America spend less?
America has stated that China rather that Russia are the real threats and a=
ttacking Iran weakens China considerably though news commentators aren't sa=
ying so.=C2=A0 America seems to continue to be well disposed to Mr Putin an=
d Russia and seem to ignore the large part of aid Russia has given to Iran.=
=C2=A0 Well I guess it might be in America's interest to say little and not=
state what is close to being obvious.
What makes no sense and is baseless criticism is to insult NATO and Europea=
n countries (who get very little oil and gas from Iran) for not answering a=
call to aid from America.=C2=A0 It is India, China and other eastern count=
ries who are not going their oil from the Gulf, not NATO and European count=
ries.=C2=A0 It's also worth considering what countries are in NATO.=C2=A0 W=
ell Canada is in NATO and so is Denmark (who count Greenland as part of its=
territory) and they have good grounds for not rushing to the assistance of=
the USA.=C2=A0 What about the European countries in NATO?=C2=A0 Well they =
are still very focused on supporting Ukraine and the Arctic where there is =
still Russian aggression and threat - something that America thinks they ou=
ght to be doing.
It is never good sense to insult your friends and allies, or falsely accuse=
them.=C2=A0 And while you might publicly state they aren't helping and are=
free loaders, the truth and reality is quite different.=C2=A0 However, spe=
nd enough time and energy publicly criticising them and there is a real ris=
k you'll discover how much they DID do when they decide to do a lot less or=
nothing for you in the future.=C2=A0 Google RAF Croughton and see not only=
how important that is to America but the controversy caused by a fatal roa=
d accident that made everything connected to that site unpopular.
Regards
Daniel S------------------------
spridgets@autox.team.net
Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets =C2=A0http://autox.team.ne=
t/archive
ac.com
=E2=80=94
Larry B. Macy, Ph.D.
lmacy@mac.com
=E2=80=9CRemember to look up at the stars=C2=A0and not down at your feet,=
=E2=80=9D he said.=C2=A0=E2=80=9CTry to make sense of what you see=C2=A0and=
about what makes the universe=C2=A0exist. Be curious. And however=C2=A0dif=
ficult life may seem, there is always=C2=A0something you can do, and succee=
d=C2=A0at. It matters that you don=E2=80=99t just give=C2=A0up.=E2=80=9D=C2=
=A0
~Stephen Hawking
------------------------
spridgets@autox.team.net
Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets =C2=A0http://autox.team.ne=
t/archive
e.com
------------------------
spridgets@autox.team.net
Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets=C2=A0 http://autox.team.ne=
t/archive
rchuck55@aol.com
=20
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<html><head></head><body><div class=3D"ydp7bda1c63yahoo-style-wrap" style=
=3D"font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:16px=
;"><div></div>
<div>Thumbs up from this unheard voice!</div><div><br></div>
=20
<div id=3D"ydp7bda1c63yahoo_quoted_4811929140" class=3D"ydp7bda1c63=
yahoo_quoted">
<div style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, s=
ans-serif;font-size:13px;color:#26282a;">
=20
<div>
On Friday, March 20, 2026 at 09:39:11 AM EDT, Phili=
p Nase via Spridgets <spridgets@autox.team.net> wrote:
</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
=20
=20
<div><div id=3D"ydp7bda1c63yiv0182898379"><div><span>=F0=9F=
=91=8D=F0=9F=8F=BC</span><br id=3D"ydp7bda1c63yiv0182898379lineBreakAtBegin=
ningOfSignature"><div dir=3D"ltr">Phil Nase</div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br><bloc=
kquote type=3D"cite">On Mar 20, 2026, at 8:35=E2=80=AFAM, Larry Macy via Sp=
ridgets <spridgets@autox.team.net> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><=
blockquote type=3D"cite"><div dir=3D"ltr">=EF=BB=BF Daniel,<div><br></div><=
div>Well stated and thought from the British POV. I agree with your points,=
but would like to insert one clarification. It is not America that is insu=
lting and bitching at NATO countries. </div><div><br></div><div>I have=
been around for nearly 7 decades and this is the absolute worst relationsh=
ip between our NATO allies and the US I have ever seen in those decades. Tr=
eating Russia as a =E2=80=9Cfriend=E2=80=9D over NATO, Iran and Ukraine is =
the bottom of the barrel in my opinion. </div><div><br></div><div>This=
is my opinion, and so far, in the US, I am still allowed to have one. =
;</div><div><br></div><div>Spridgeteers, Please don=E2=80=99t t make this a=
mess. It is simply the opinion of an Englishman and an American. </d=
iv><div><br></div><div>Larry<br id=3D"ydp7bda1c63yiv0182898379lineBreakAtBe=
ginningOfMessage"><div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>On Mar 20, 2026, =
at 6:33=E2=80=AFAM, Weslake1330 via Spridgets <spridgets@autox.team.net&=
gt; wrote:</div><br class=3D"ydp7bda1c63yiv0182898379Apple-interchange-newl=
ine"><div><div dir=3D"ltr">Hi List,<div><br></div><div>I wanted to post som=
e thoughts on Iran, NATO and Europe that simply aren't being reported =
on national news, as far as I can tell, whose reporters seem to have no ide=
a of analysis or wider impacts.</div><div><br></div><div>The news isn't say=
ing much about how much help Iran has had and continues to have from Russia=
and China, the latter especially. I believe that Iran is an evil reg=
ime supported (English phrase: aided and abetted) over decades by Russia an=
d China. I have heard that Chinese technicians aiding Iran firing mis=
siles have been killed. So if America decides to attack Iran that's o=
k by me in a broad sense. Iran with nuclear weapons would be a disast=
er for the world.</div><div><br></div><div>NATO is about defence and its me=
mbership agreement makes that clear. NATO is not a force multiplier t=
o call upon when a member's aggression needs some backup. Yes, the US=
A puts more money into NATO than any other country and arguably it has had =
the most back. Europe provided the buffer for the USA against the USS=
R and I guess that was a price the USA decided was worth paying. Well=
times change and the USSR not longer exists but former members are a threa=
t. The flipside to the coin that isn't discussed is not whether all t=
he NATO countries need to spend more (and a couple do) but could America sp=
end less?</div><div><br></div><div>America has stated that China rather tha=
t Russia are the real threats and attacking Iran weakens China considerably=
though news commentators aren't saying so. America seems to continue=
to be well disposed to Mr Putin and Russia and seem to ignore the large pa=
rt of aid Russia has given to Iran. Well I guess it might be in Ameri=
ca's interest to say little and not state what is close to being obvious.</=
div><div><br></div><div>What makes no sense and is baseless criticism is to=
insult NATO and European countries (who get very little oil and gas from I=
ran) for not answering a call to aid from America. It is India, China=
and other eastern countries who are not going their oil from the Gulf, not=
NATO and European countries. It's also worth considering what countr=
ies are in NATO. Well Canada is in NATO and so is Denmark (who count =
Greenland as part of its territory) and they have good grounds for not rush=
ing to the assistance of the USA. What about the European countries i=
n NATO? Well they are still very focused on supporting Ukraine and th=
e Arctic where there is still Russian aggression and threat - something tha=
t America thinks they ought to be doing.</div><div><br></div><div>It is nev=
er good sense to insult your friends and allies, or falsely accuse them.&nb=
sp; And while you might publicly state they aren't helping and are free loa=
ders, the truth and reality is quite different. However, spend enough=
time and energy publicly criticising them and there is a real risk you'll =
discover how much they DID do when they decide to do a lot less or nothing =
for you in the future. Google RAF Croughton and see not only how impo=
rtant that is to America but the controversy caused by a fatal road acciden=
t that made everything connected to that site unpopular.</div><div><br></di=
v><div>Regards</div><div><br></div><div>Daniel S</div></div>
------------------------<br><br>spridgets@autox.team.net<br><br>Donate: htt=
p://www.team.net/donate.html<br>Suggested annual donation: $12.75<br><br>Ar=
chive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets http://autox.team.net/=
archive<br><br>Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/sp=
ridgets/lmacy@mac.com<br></div></blockquote></div><br><div>
<div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;=
font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-inde=
nt: 0px; text-transform: none; word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none;">=
=E2=80=94<br><br>Larry B. Macy, Ph.D.<br>lmacy@mac.com<br><br><br>=E2=80=9C=
Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet,=E2=80=9D h=
e said. =E2=80=9CTry to make sense of what you see and about what=
makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life=
may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. =
It matters that you don=E2=80=99t just give up.=E2=80=9D <br>~Ste=
phen Hawking<br><br></div>
</div>
<br></div><span>------------------------</span><br><span></span><br><span>s=
pridgets@autox.team.net</span><br><span></span><br><span>Donate: http://www=
.team.net/donate.html</span><br><span>Suggested annual donation: $12.75</sp=
an><br><span></span><br><span>Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridg=
ets http://autox.team.net/archive</span><br><span></span><br><span>Un=
subscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/spridgets/pnase@me.=
com</span><br></div></blockquote></div></div>------------------------<br><b=
r><a href=3D"mailto:spridgets@autox.team.net"; rel=3D"nofollow" target=3D"_b=
lank">spridgets@autox.team.net</a><br><br>Donate: <a href=3D"http://www.tea=
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