I thought mild expletives were OK… Do I need to cut down on the F-bombs?
You? I think you dropped an F once I can remember! Usually after I drop one and reread it I feel bad and edit it out, so I try not too unless it’s really necessary 
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I don’t know how accurate the article is but it could still be true the US was involved even if it’s just made up.
To me, it makes no sense for Russia to blow it up. Why would they when they benefit from it and they can just stop pumping through the pipeline if they didn’t want to sell to Germany.
If the Russians did it to say blame the US, they don’t really seem to be pushing that too hard either.
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I do not see it being the Russians nor the Germans. Could be Norway, could be US, could be UK. I still think US is the most likely candidate. Biden did say he would not let the pipeline happen.
Germans should be pissed at whomever did it. This is an act of war. Possibly between NATO members.
Whether they knew beforehand or not, they will say they knew now.
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Let’s say the US did it. What would the Germans response be as they depend so heavily on the US for their defense. Kick US troops out and actually spend money on their defense budget like the US has been pushing them to do for a good decade now?
Maybe Biden admin knows this and are playing 4D chess.
There’s a lot of ways they could make their displeasure known.
I can’t think of any that benefits the Germans off the top of my head.
I also wouldn’t put off the possibility the Germans ok the US to blow it up. After all, the Germans had to get US troops back after Trump pulled them out leaving them shocked.
Buy oil from Iran?
Regardless of who blew it up. Germany should take this as a lesson.
Revisit their energy policies and economic ties
Reconsider their military budget.
Their energy dependence and economic ties are in direct conflict with the US that they depend on for defense. This is leaving them with no direction that benefits themselves when conflicts heat up.
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It would not really be a question of benefiting them. First, it may well become a domestic political necessity.
That’s what I think personally.
I expect we’d (or will) be hearing about it somehow.
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I expect the Germans to do nothing. They’re between a rock and a hard place at this point. And they’d rather strip mine for coal than get their nuclear power up and running again. They’re basically self-destructing.
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There may even have been a prior agreement during the negotiations on it.
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I think it’s quite likely. I just don’t believe it’s the Russians as I’ve mentioned above. The US seems like the most likely party to be at least involved in some way.
My understanding is that US and Germany intelligence are very close. It would be hard to imagine the US could pull this off without the Germans finding out. I also don’t think Bidens administration is brash enough to do this on their own.
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Yeah, not within NATO. I can’t see it. Hersh says something like “the Norwegians stood to make tons of oil money off it” but I think that’s ridiculous.
Spoken like a true Yankee.
Without a Google search the Americans authorised it and the British Special Boat Service did the hard work.
American team had done it, they’d blown up everything else with a 100 mile radius.
Damn straight.
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Honestly, I am going back to “it is an act of war”. If I was ze Germans I would have taken that as an opportunity to call off the crusade against Russia. They could have used it as a chance to get around the table with Russia. Give them face and make a deal. Be anti-US for a while. Start buying Russia gas and oil again. Agree to freeze NATO membership indefinitely. Give them Crimea. Russia would have to pull back from rest of Ukraine obviously and promise not to invade any other East-European countries. Russia would have to pay Ukraine for some of the economic damage they did, but if you were giving them a sweet deal otherwise, they would have agreed. Russia does not gain anything from a hostile Europe. Also, that would have been an opportunity to ask China for closer ties. Europe could have come out stronger and US would have been on the outside.
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I don’t see how Europe would come out stronger as they would be dependent on Putin to keep peace and dependent on China. Both rather dangerous and will require Germany to either be at the will of the Russians or spend money on an actual military.
I’m also not sure this plan will go well with other EU nations. Could be the end of the EU as we know it.
Seems like the plan I put above would actually be better. Make better energy policies and put up for for their military budget so they’re not reliant on others. Your plan just puts them into the position of being the lap dog of the Russians and Chinese. Not sure that’s better.