Russia has not represented a credible threat to militarily invade western Europe since the 1950s. Germany hasn’t been a threat to invade anyone since the 1940s. Thinking that absent NATO, or U.S. based in Germany, or the U.S. essentially making defense spending by Germany and company redundant are as outdated as Deustchemarks. The idea that world war is imminent unless the U.S. maintains in perpetuity the same habits as from the 1950s is as wrong as saying the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor. We have been moving for decades from larger conflicts of military forces and technologies to smaller regionalized fights via unconventional warfare, non-state actors, and non military means like cyberwar, disinformation, and IP theft. NATO and the 1950s thinking and spending patterns it represents are the Maginot Line of the 21st century. We need to stop our current practice of building of the weapons, alliances, and strategy of yesterday and focus on the way future conflicts will be fought. That sure as hell ain’t gonna be Russian tanks flowing through the Fulda Gap or battleships lobbing shells at each other in the Pacific.
How are you going so safeguard your way of life? Western life. Democracy?
The future of conflict, IMO, is going to be fought over ideas and trade dominance, and whomever loses will be assimilated.
1. If the major powers has nukes, noone will fire them. Mutual assured destruction.
2. If you dont have nukes or be in a major alliance treaty. Tanks are free to roll. You see this in Ukraine.
You guys are 300 million people on a planet of 7 billion. Wake the fuck up. NATO is the best fucking card you have on hand. Unless you like to pick up Russian or Mandarin.
EU + US ~ 700-800 million people ..Now we are getting read to make a dent..
We need to grow, not dismantle.
EU and US should IMO be in a free trade union right now. Open markets.