The countries of Europe have not fought a war since 1940.
I don’t think they remember how.
The US has protected them since 1945 at tremendous cost to ourselves and our families. We helped free the half of Europe that was under Soviet domination for half a century.
When we went into Iraq to stop Saddam Hussein and the possibility that he had WMDs, all Europe did was get in the way.
That’s because Germany, France(and Russia) were making tons of illegal money in the Oil for Food scandal.
After fifty five years of almost single handedly paying for NATO, they are “helping” in Afghanistan. That why we have to send 3200 Marines there, to help NATO help us out.
As an American taxpayer for 36 years, I’ve had enough of saving Europe and the rest of the world while we are treated like sh#t. No other country in world history has created the freedoms and opportunities and fought with the blood of its own citizens for more people in the world than us.
So, where is our cheap oil? Where is all of our territory and colonies? Where is the loot that oppressor nations like us are supposed to have?
And just where are the statues of the American soldier and the American taxpayer in the town squares across the world?
Could Europe defeat Iran?
Europe will not lift a finger to fight Iran. Europe sat around a table with Iran for three years while Iran danced them dizzy with lies about their nuclear program.
Europe will not lift a finger because they have not had to fight for 65 years, and they have forgotten how.
And this is one poorer taxpayer who won’t shed a tear over them.
- And by no means is that what I’m asking of you.
But in my opinion, your points are valid.
Europe and USA ought to do what Sweden and the US have been up to for a long time:
Developing superior military technology together and sharing knowhow.
We Swedes have, indeed, paid a huge price in the area of taxes for the military strength we have enjoyed since the end of WWII, a strength which we, sadly enough, did not make use of regarding the liberation of our Danish and Norwegian brothers.
Perhaps an army under Swedish command even could have reached Berlin before the Soviet forces did. Millions of Danes, Norwegians and Swedes equipped with excellent weaponry could, possibly, have rescued Eastern Germany from their tragic DDR fate. The only problem was what would have occurred in Finland in this case. The Russian rage would have had to go somewhere, it probably would’ve been directed towards them (what actually took place suggests such a scenario. Soviet attacks against Finland kept on coming until September 1944, despite the Soviet struggle against the Nazi invaders).
Anyhow, I think we could agree that if a tiny nation like Finland could manage pretty well, alone, against a superpower like Soviet, we Europeans of today could afford to do our fair share in the WOT.