[jackbill]

First the French and Germans don't have the military assets to spare. They can't even meet their troop commitments in Afghanistan. Both countries are spending less each year as a percentage of GDP on defense because they have to fund their social welfare system and an aging population. Moreobver, I don't think the French and Germans want to put their people in harms way in Iraq. It just wouldn't work domestically.

Exactly. In the year 2000, France had a total military of 294,000 and Germany had a military of 212,000. We had 1,366,000.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/mil_arm_for_per

We spend more money on benefits for our retired military that either France or Germany spends on their active military.

[kabar]

We spend more on defense than all of the rest of NATO combined. All of these countries have been on security welfare for decades. Our security umbrella has given them luxury of holding the distorted view that all of the world's disputes can be solved through negoitiation and the UN. The Europeans especially have lost touch with the real world.