User Panel
Posted: 8/22/2004 9:00:58 AM EDT
Welcome Back, Europe
Reentering history’s arena. The scheduled partial U.S. troop withdrawals from Europe were long overdue; some of us had become shrill and hoarse in calling for them over the past few years. It was not just that there was no longer any conventional enemy on Old Europe's borders, or that the new hot points are further to the east, or even that in terms of a cost-benefit analysis it made no sense stationing traditional army divisions roughly where Patton and Hodges ended up 60 years ago. The real significance, inasmuch as many airbases and depots will stay, is symbolic and psycho-sociological. Unwittingly, we had created an unhealthy passive-aggressiveness in Europe that clinicians might identify as a classic symptom of dependency. Europe — now larger and more populous than the United States — has reduced defense investment to subsidize a variety of social expenditures found nowhere in the world. So insular had its utopians become under the aegis of NATO's subsidized protection that it was increasingly convinced that the ubiquitous United States was the world's rogue nation, the last impediment to a 35-hour work week, cradle-to-grave subsidies, and wind power the world over. A once-muscular and hallowed NATO has become a Potemkin alliance. The more jetting grandees praised the "historic role of the Trans-Atlantic partnership," the more its logic dictated that it would deploy only where there were no enemies of the West — parading and maneuvering where there were never dangers, bickering and recriminating about going where there always were. Europe, as the perpetual adolescent, took potshots at its doting parent, always with the assumption that Dad would still hand over the keys, ignore the cheap sass, and "be there for me" if the car ended up in the ditch. Expect more partisan hysteria here at home in response to President Bush's courageous announcement, which in fact had been under consideration for years, precisely because there is no legitimate criticism to be offered. The careful strategy of slow withdrawal fits in well with Mr. Kerry's notion of a new, restructured military. The notion of bringing troops home from anywhere is what the new Michael Moore Democrats always wish for when they label America as hegemonic, imperialistic, and meddlesome. Politicos appreciate that only Republicans would have enough foreign policy fides — in the manner that Nixon went to China, but Carter looked deranged when talking about pulling out all Americans from Korea — to pull off long-needed reform. Thus because the move was both measured and sound, and yet could not be claimed by the neo-Democratic establishment, it will be seen as especially grating. Wesley Clark — who once had no problem with appearing on stage with Michael Moore for a cheap endorsement, even as the latter called Clark's commander-in-chief a "traitor" and is on record as praising the fascist killers of Americans as "Minutemen" — was wheeled out to utter a few banalities about "politics." But after a few deer-in-the-headlights appearances, he wisely withdrew, his heart really not in the script presented. Thus in the manner we have seen about Afghanistan, the Patriot Act, the isolation of Yasser Arafat, and Iraq, expect Kerry and company to triangulate, ankle-bite about "unilateral decision-making," "needlessly provocative measures" and "insensitivity to historical allies" — and, of course, in the end not dare to demand we put divisions back into Germany. Such is the new foreign policy of grumbling: "Cowboy Bush wrongly did it, but it's done, and in my infinite sobriety I'll let it be." The real significance of Bush's decision will be felt inside Europe itself. Our gradual departure will bring slow reckoning to the nations of Europe, not just in places like Poland, worried about 10 percent of old Germany inside its borders, but also and especially in the west among nations like Denmark and Holland. Their no-nonsense leaders have ignored the mob's cheap antics and treasured the idea that real Americans in uniform were always nearby, whose sanctity meant their own security, and whose imperilment guaranteed that a $600 billion military would immediately rush to stand side-by-side on their ramparts. So their concerns — as bilateral partners — must be addressed. Anyone old enough to have known the Wehrmacht in the past and the intra-European hounding that goes on in the present does not believe that we are at the end of history — at least not until the nature of man changes and national character is revealed as a mere construct. Germany is united again, but an economic colossus stalled, as its politicians silently gnash about "unfairness" in the EU, and as German Euros go east and south to subsidize "others." Germany, in fact, is in flux, a period of shake-out not seen since the late 1920s, in which the reaction to a failed socialist-pacifist agenda will one day either bring pro-American reform or unpredictable fury, in any direction. In lieu of the Maginot Line and troops in the Ardennes, postmodern France will boast in multilateral tones more and more about its vaunted force de frappe — that is, how lucky the EU is to have the Gallic atomic deterrent at its disposal. Such is the braggadocio that will reveal secret apprehensions that next time America really will not come in for round three, that nuclear deterrence without conventional power has its practical and tactical limitations, and that in times of real crisis any EU country could match France's arsenal in weeks. For most Europeans the idea that the French nuclear deterrent will soon be all that stands between them and a rogue Iran is a frightening thought indeed. To the south, in the Mediterranean, history's shoals are everywhere, submerged and unseen as long as American warships dutifully sailed to and fro and ignored the cheap slurs. Turkey and Greece will soon enough "discuss" everything from Cyprus to overflights in the Aegean without U.S. generals on both sides calling for calm, but perhaps lightly remonstrating southern Europe about "inordinate fear" of the old Ottoman Islam. Spanish socialists can work out, on their own, Gibraltar, ties with their Islamic friends across the water, and the angst when a few of their Mediterranean rocks are gratuitously occupied. And so on. So Europe is gradually going to reenter history's arena. Yet this time, what is different from 1914 and 1939 is that the United States is not weak, isolationist, naive, and inexperienced in European affairs. No, it is enormously powerful, fully engaged elsewhere, and knows the European one-eyed Jack only too well. For better or for worse, don't count on American jets to take out another Milosevic in the near future. Yet if there soon arises what the Germans call schadenfreude as we watch them implement continental utopia without retrograde American troops, there is a sense of sadness about it all as well. The Danish, the Dutch, the Italians, and the Eastern Europeans, each according to their station, are engaged in Iraq. They are good and reliable friends, and haven't forgotten the white crosses that dot the European continental landscape. And as smaller nations they sense incipient bullying within the EU, both over their loyal relationships with America and heavy-handed trade politics with France and Germany. Smaller nations may see themselves first as independent Europeans, but privately they realize that it is only so the last two centuries because of the Anglo-Americans in the shadows who, from Wellington to Patton, at the eleventh hour always proved to be about the only ones who fought well for someone else's freedom. So it is also with some trepidation that we are seeing the inevitable end of the old, and the beginning of a new, transatlantic world, as troops on the ground at last reflect the reality of the past 20 years. And as we begin to leave Europe, as NATO mutters and shuffles in its embarrassing dotage, as cracks in an authoritarian and unworkable EU begin to widen, ever so slowly we here in the United States shall start to witness all over Europe both a new sensibleness — and a new furor. Gut-check time is approaching. In places like Brussels, Berlin, and Oslo, in the next half-century citizens will slowly decide who wishes and does not wish to be an ally of the United States of America. Some will prefer opportunistic neutrality and thus go the Swedish and Swiss route. Others in their folly may ape French and Spanish bellicosity, and think isolating the U.S., selling weapons to the Middle East, or going on maneuvers with the Chinese might work. Still more may prefer to remain staunch friends like the Poles and Italians, realizing that, for all the leftist slurs about unilateralism, never in the history of civilization has such a powerful country as the United States sought advice and cooperation from weaker friends about the wisdom, efficacy, and consequences of using its vast military. But this is no parlor game any more. Islamic fascism, scary former Soviet republics, rogue Middle Eastern nuclear states, an ever more proud and muscular China thirsty for oil — these and more specters are all out there and waiting, waiting, waiting... Welcome back to the world, Europe. http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson200408200923.asp Eric The(CuttingAndPasting)Hun |
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I cant wait for the towns and cities around the closed bases to feel the impact of hundred's of thousands of dollars being sucked out of their pockets.
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I've wondered for the last 10 years when the U.S. was finally going to pull the remaining troops out of germany and other western european locations. Seems like a smart move - and especialyl funny if it hurts the germans in the only place they care (their wallet).
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I only wish they could speed it up a bit!
10 years is much too long for this! I know there must be all sorts of logistical problems that have to be overcome, but I say if it can't be moved rapidly.... Detonate it in place! Eric The(DetonateTheWholeFriggingPlace)Hun |
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I know that you must have felt extremely proud, DK-Prof, in seeing honorable mention given to both the Danes and the Dutch in Mr. Hanson's piece! He prolly doesn't know which one you are, either, so he praised both! Eric The(Lachende)Hun |
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Not only that - but I appreciated you highlighting it. It sometimes depresses me when arfcommers rant about how "Europe" sucks, without taking into account that Denmark and Portugal have about as much in common as the U.S. and Nicaragua. So it's especially nice to see someone who draws the correct distinctions between the various countries in europe. I also heard an intersting book review the other day - of a new book by Jeremy Rifkin, called "The European Dream" - where he's looking at the difference between the European model of society and the U.S. model (and "the American Dream"). I ordered a copy, so I'll hopefully have a good read next week. |
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Sometimes at night I pray that Russia and/or China steamrolls over Europe.
Just the whole karmic-payback schadenfreude thing, you know. |
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It might be time for our true friends in Europe to realize what trailer trash (FRANCE, Germany) they are living next to and bail out (emigrate) to the UK or US. The Muslims want continental Europe? Let them have it. Hope the Greens and all the other scolialist a**holes enjoy their new buds. btw, I was watching a special on the Allies establishing an organization to return looted art & property taken by the Nazis - seems the French trash bastards forget about the good stuff we did after wars, nooo, we're just imperialist warmongers. Europe won't realize how fucked they are until they are living in Muslim-dominated countries where they are the minority. One would hope by then our borders will be firmly sealed. |
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Interesting times ahead for Europe in the next 20 years or so.
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The thing about this supposed "European Culture" is how long will it last?
Because of the 11 odd Eastern Bloc countries just admitted into the EU that are far more pro US than they are pro France or German. Besides countries like Denmark, Portugal and England in the "old Europe" what is the effect of Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romainia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland on the attempt to push the French/German/Sweedish pan European Socialist dream? Or will these new countries use the fact they have the ADVANTAGE- so long as the EU retains a Unicamerial parliment that votes by state like our old Congress under the Articles of Confederation- over France/Germany and their partners to force change? Who do these countries want to be like? Will they demand a change to a US style Federal Republic for Europe? With two houses to equalize population size and economic difference and large degree of autonomy for the States? |
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It would seem that with ten years to accomplish this move we might be able to reinforce or expand our presence in countries that are our friends. While still denying the utopian assholes our free security service.
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I'm pretty sure that at some point down the line we'll pretty much be standing alone.
France is already well on it's way to being a muslim dominated country. |
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$5 says within 20 years we're going to get another decent sized war in Asia and/or Europe
1)China taking over Taiwan, which would set of Korea, and maybe a fight in Southeast Asia etc over resources and other stuff. 2)France and Germany trying to run the EU, discovering the smaller countries don't like it, and maybe decideding that they (France and Germany) need to keep the "children" in line (Chirac seems like he wants to do this now, with the way he speaks and his attitude). |
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Excellent article.
Excellent quote: "Still more may prefer to remain staunch friends like the Poles and Italians, realizing that, for all the leftist slurs about unilateralism, never in the history of civilization has such a powerful country as the United States sought advice and cooperation from weaker friends about the wisdom, efficacy, and consequences of using its vast military." |
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I think that a lot of the smaller coutries in the EU - like Denmark and Holland - are increasingly becoming disillusioned with the whole idea of a union. Also, I think that REALLY restrictive immigration laws, like the ones Denmark has now instituted, are going to becomes more and more the norm. (I sure hope so!) ETA: Quite frankly, I'd love to see Scandinavia recreate the Kalmar Union - Sweden, Denmark and Norway as one union. Then Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania could join too - and that would be a nice little economic union that wouldn't have to be pushed around by the EU, the new German-French alliance, or worry about losing or diluting our culture. (Only problem with reviving the Kalmar Union is that ALL of those countries hate the Swedes ). |
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Disallusioned with the idea of a union or the idea of THIS UNION? A European Federal Republic would seem to be in their economic best interest. Can the small countries compete in the global arena on their own or will they be dominated/threatened by Germany, France, and Russia and their recurring dreams of dominating Europe? When we formed our current Constitution it was the big states, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, and Massachusettes (which still owned Maine then) who had the most to lose in the union and the small states who really NEEDED the protection of a stronger goverment. I would think this would be true in Europe too. |
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... good points. I added my fantasy - the Kalmar Union - which kind of answers your point. (I added it to the post above, but you had already quoted it before I edited it. Sorry) |
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HA HA!!!
Now you have to look after your own asses !!!! Oh, you have too many illegals from the Middle East to contend with? Terrorism on the rise??? Feeling bad ,do you bunkie?? TOO BAD , SO SAD!!! Now ya gotta fend for yourselves. |
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Why don't Denmark, Norway & Finland apply to become the 51st through 53rd states? It's been 45 years since we've added any states and we could use some shoreline that isn't overrun with condos and billboards pushing ambulamce chasing lawyers and diet pills. Plus Germany & France would absolutely stroke out. Eventually, all the cool countries in Europe could become "US-Eastern Division" and France and Germany and all the other socialist nutbags could go down the dumper. |
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Hehe - if we did, maybe a Chrysler 300M would get a little cheaper than a $140,000 that it is priced at in Denmark The U.S. could have an open casting call among all the nations in the world - like American Idol, where countries would compete be become the 51st state. That would be hilarious! |
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Yeah, but would the Europeans even notice? |
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Or make it like "Statehood Survivor"... each season France gets it's skanky butt voted off the island first, followed by Germany.... decades would pass, until finally the ENTIRE PLANET is states of the US EXCEPT for France, Germany & Quebec. |
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I agree with the substance of that piece. However, I must also point out that it is a damned fine piece of writing.
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