Russia - threadbanned users in OP

and the fact that they are an imperialist, nasty authoritarian dictatorship and pretty much the antithesis of everything Ireland is as a country and society given we live in a free open and for all its warts democratic society.

there is always going to be cat and mouse with this tech but using EW in such a situation would create a diplomatic incident , it would be the same as shooting at a plane, it wouldnt happen in the normal course of events.

Putin propaganda machine is in full swing to stop US aid.

It's not a case of "spending", as in throwing money at NATO. This can be furnished in many ways that don't involve spending money directly on defence. Which people don't seem to realise and throw the "we need money for houses and healthcare" argument out....

Taken from the NATO website:

"Expenditure for the military component of mixed civilian-military activities is included, but only when the military component can be specifically accounted for or estimated. For example, these include airfields, meteorological services, aids to navigation, joint procurement services, research and development.

Research and development (R&D) costs are included in defence expenditure. R&D costs also include expenditure for those projects that do not successfully lead to production of equipment."

NATO - Topic: Defence expenditures and NATO’s 2% guideline

R&D already happens in various multinationals in Ireland, but, aren't accounted for, stopovers/overflights which happen already account towards it... sending troops to Cyprus to train Ukrainian's on EOD measures, counts towards it... KFOR counts towards it, previous presence in nearly every NATO mission since the 90's counts towards it...

All things Ireland is already doing.

Under the new Hybrid warfare domain, Ireland already spends 100's of millions (if not billons) on security in the cyber warfare and critical infrastructure domains. Along with already securing supply technological chains which supply NATO systems manufacturers.

Worked correctly, and letting other companies into Ireland, which don't have to necessarily be weapons, it could be comms systems etc... Ireland could grow income to offset the 2% bill.

Taking this into account, I wouldn't be surprised if Ireland was already past the 1% mark.

He referred to it as '' war'' 26 times in that video, he is currently getting dragged to jail by his wavy locks kicking and screaming like a girl

The TB2 was never meant for high intensity combat its primarily a recon platform with a small payload, though the Turks have already started working on their Ukrainian facilities that should become operational early to mid 2025.

The US is already actively testing the loyal wingman program drones that will fly along side the F35 and the NGAAD 6th generation aircraft for Both target acquisition and bluffing air defences so they can be taken out by long range strikes reducing risk to aircraft, they are also testing swarms of mini drones that can be deployed from cannister on strike aircraft to overload air defence radars

Bayraktar and similar size drones only made sense when opponent have no means of countering them. That is why they were used in Africa or Afghanistan or recently in Armenia/Azeri conflict.

Smaller drones are much better choice as we see in Ukraine or Iraq, Red Sea... They are far cheaper so they can be procured and used in numbers therefore they are more effective.

I do not believe , for one second, that NATO would NOW expect ireland to invest €11 m annually in arms investment - when one considers the side of the Irish economy.

It may have made sense not to join NATO up till now but things have changed big time over the last Number of years eg invasion of UKr; cyber attack on the HSE, interference in USA elections.

Look at Finland and Sweden. Both were staunchly against joining NATO up to recently. But that all changed because of above

i think that it makes perfect sense, IN PRINCIPAL, for Ireland to use a UK service , eg aerial surveillance, that is of benefit to Ireland and the UK . It’s a costly exercise that Irl can ill afford. The service can track submarines, suspected illegal imports, suspicious ships eg cable cutters, likely attacks, etc. The main problem with the service is that the UK do not allow any Irish staff to be part of the crew

Carlson thinks he is doing some kind of a service interviewing a man who blows his internal opponents out of the sky. Throws them out of windows. Poisons them. Bans political rivals from running against him over spelling mistakes on application forms. Arrests old women and little girls for laying flowers and holding placards. What insight will such an interview reveal I wonder? Putin is a proven beyond a shadow of a doubt liar . The words from his mouth have less than zero value and utterly meaningless. We watched him rant and rave in that statement to the world on the eve on the invasion. All meaningless clap trap spouted with his ‘serious’ face on. Stating objectives and grievances that have long disappeared and being discredited. Putin is going to inform us here in the west that our deep state is corrupt and we are only pawns voting for puppet politician's. Meanwhile people flood into our country’s trying to get away from actual corrupt politicians and governments like his. Not buying that .

On the assumption the what questions TC asks Putin are put into the media , the simplest way to establish the balance of the interview is for someone to put up a list of the questions that TC did NOT ask Putin

Fell from a window.

I’m going to have acquaintances of mine spouting that he is the only journalist who would interview Putin and give Putin a hearing. And how it’s important to hear both sides. And this interview is some sort of profound journalistic achievement. That is the spin being put on it. Whether Carlson believes it or not is another matter. Also that take down by Jon Stewart should be amplified more I wasn’t aware of it until I read it here today. Tucker Carlson has largely been irrelevant in my life but I am starting to see him appear more frequently in forwarded what’s app messages etc.

Tucker did have a debate with a Dutch journalist and was also completely destroyed. Tucker isn’t capable of winning a debate against an intelligent person. His persona is careful managed.

Large swathes of America think Tucker is a great man and very intelligent. I rember Joe Rogan described him as a brilliant person. Dont be surprised if he runs for President in the future.