In the enraging and wholly vacuous phrase so beloved by European
decision-makers and analysts, I simply don't believe - using the last 20
years of data as my guide - that the continent will ever do its
homework and move away from free-riding off the American military, for
the compelling reason that Europe simply does not want to.
So for the last time, let's shred the paper-thin argument of Europe's NATO cheerleaders. After the Cold War ended, the excuse put forward for why defense spending on the continent was being cut is that there was no longer a clear and present danger compelling such spending; with the demise of the USSR it simply was not possible to rouse European publics to defend themselves against a foe that did not exist.
Europe would learn to do more with less, to work together to create economies of scale, thereby making up for the peace dividend in terms of defense spending.
Read more: Europe will never do its defense homework | Europe | DW.DE | 06.05.2015
So for the last time, let's shred the paper-thin argument of Europe's NATO cheerleaders. After the Cold War ended, the excuse put forward for why defense spending on the continent was being cut is that there was no longer a clear and present danger compelling such spending; with the demise of the USSR it simply was not possible to rouse European publics to defend themselves against a foe that did not exist.
Europe would learn to do more with less, to work together to create economies of scale, thereby making up for the peace dividend in terms of defense spending.
Read more: Europe will never do its defense homework | Europe | DW.DE | 06.05.2015
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