Off topic or not, TIL.

Congratulations, you have been awarded the “Worst Advice of the Month” award. Shame on you.

It also goes away quickly when not addicted.

Source: tried nicotine, was disappointed.

Crimean Combat Seagulls had me actually chortling.

That is a fair point.

I have at least some confidence that the system I would protect is better than the one any realistic invader would offer.

The behavior of attackers toward civilian population is another aspect: I want to ensure my family and friends don’t get subjected to the same kind of treatment as we have seen from various armies.

While I agree with you, a military force used exclusively for territorial defence is kind of a different animal to militaries used to project force in another country.

I think the reason Finland exists as an independent country today is a result of the theoretical ability to field 250-900k strong decently equipped military force. It is a comparatively expensive solution as we have implemented it, and there is an equality issue in an all male conscription, but as a former conscript and current reservist I don’t feel that the elder generations are taking advantage of me in this way. My father and grandfather served in post war FDF and great grandfathers fought in the war.

Even though I’m fine with the system, I do have a few caveats: the FDF currently employs professional military and volunteers in peacekeeping and other international force projection operations. I personally would have a moral objection in operating outside of Finnish borders in all but few situations.

I am happy to expand on the subject if someone has questions.

Putin is probably miffed as the signing of a defence cooperation agreement between Finland and the US looms, which would bring US weapons to Finnish soil on a permanent basis. This is a step towards practical implementation of NATO defense collaboration.

Technically yes, but in practice the goal is to make the practical arrangements implementing of Article 5 security quarantees possible. There is not much use of NATO support, if alliance forces can’t operate in Finland in a practical way.

I am sure there are new operational agreements of similar nature will be made between Finland and Sweden as well as Finland and Estonia. That said, there is already a significant degree of defence cooperation between Finland and Sweden.

Finland is also already part of the british led JEF, and I would be surprised if the Nato framework would not change the nature of that cooperation.

It’s surely possible I’ve been seen by a lynx more times than I’ve seen one.

A pity.

Sadly these things are quite rare, I’ve only ever seen one in nature.