[Spridgets] Iran, NATO and Europe - obviously no LBC

[Weslake1330]

Chrome but my Sprite doesn't have one to save weight.  I guess if there was
a really nice transfer or sticker I could use I might be tempted to have
one.

On Fri, 20 Mar 2026 at 13:32, Ron Soave <soavero at yahoo.com> wrote:

> What color should the Sprite emblem be on the rear boot?
>
> Ron Soave
>
> On Mar 20, 2026, at 8:44 AM, Larry Macy via Spridgets <
> spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:
>
> 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
> insulting and bitching at NATO countries.
>
> I have been around for nearly 7 decades and this is the absolute worst
> relationship between our NATO allies and the US I have ever seen in those
> decades. Treating Russia as a “friend” over NATO, Iran and Ukraine is the
> bottom of the barrel in my opinion.
>
> This is my opinion, and so far, in the US, I am still allowed to have one.
>
> Spridgeteers, Please don’t t make this a mess. It is simply the opinion of
> an Englishman and an American.
>
> Larry
>
> On Mar 20, 2026, at 6:33 AM, Weslake1330 via Spridgets <
> spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:
>
> Hi List,
>
> I wanted to post some 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 idea of analysis or wider impacts.
>
> The news isn't saying 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 regime supported (English phrase: aided and abetted) over
> decades by Russia and China.  I have heard that Chinese technicians aiding
> Iran firing missiles have been killed.  So if America decides to attack
> Iran that's ok by me in a broad sense.  Iran with nuclear weapons would be
> a disaster for the world.
>
> NATO is about defence and its membership agreement makes that clear.  NATO
> is not a force multiplier to call upon when a member's aggression needs
> some backup.  Yes, the USA 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 USSR 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 threat.  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
> 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 part of aid Russia has given to Iran.
> 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
> European countries (who get very little oil and gas from Iran) 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 countries 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 rushing to the assistance of
> the USA.  What about the European countries in NATO?  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 ought to
> be doing.
>
> It is never good sense to insult your friends and allies, or falsely
> accuse them.  And while you might publicly state they aren't helping and
> are free loaders, 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
> important that is to America but the controversy caused by a fatal road
> accident that made everything connected to that site unpopular.
>
> Regards
>
> Daniel S
> ------------------------
>
> spridgets at autox.team.net
>
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation: $12.75
>
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets
> http://autox.team.net/archive
>
> Unsubscribe/Manage:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/spridgets/lmacy@mac.com
>
>
> —
>
> Larry B. Macy, Ph.D.
> lmacy at mac.com
>
>
> “Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet,” he
> said. “Try 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’t just
> give up.”
> ~Stephen Hawking
>
>
> ------------------------
>
> spridgets at autox.team.net
>
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation: $12.75
>
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/spridgets
> http://autox.team.net/archive
>
> Unsubscribe/Manage:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/spridgets/soavero@yahoo.com
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://autox.team.net/pipermail/spridgets/attachments/20260320/9d886323/attachment.htm>