Only after American boots crossed the ocean, once again, and forced you. Until America's involvement, European powers were quite content deliberating over it passing judgement.
Second World War? What about the Cold War? When the Berlin Wall came down an American presence was still in Germany. Bosnia and Kosovo was in the 90s. Today is 2010. What has changed?
Well that's very nice, but a National Guard hiding behind an advanced American machine is hardly something to parade around. Until you can completely defend yourselves, your common defense is the American/British shield and umbrella. Both of which I want back across the ocean for a few decades so that same old lessons can be learned.
What do you mean "what?" Saddam Hussein was a dictator for the West during the Iran/Iraq War. His greatest supplier of weapons came from France. During the 90's he was allowed his throne and his station of oppression because the West wished it so. He was a "western" dictator. The Cold War has more examples. The New Imperialsim era has a plethora of these from Europe alone. The colonial period celebrated this concept of population control. Hussein was one of the last hold outs and he held out because we assured it.
It would be eay if there weren't a World War before that one. Or a Cold War after....Bosnia after....Kosovo after.... Hell, a big part of Clinton's foriegn policy agenda in Europe was ensuring a stable Russia and partnership so that Europe no longer had to be our burden. We are merely waiting for the next trip across the ocean for Europe's sake.
I'm pretty sure that even most of Europe would chastize you greatly for this bout of glorified ignorance. Perhaps you have America confused with a mirror.
Oh we did learn. After two world Wars instigated by Europeans, we learned that left to your own devices the world couldn't be safe and that it would cost American lives in the end. This is why we stuck around for the Cold War and why we have tried to make you play nice with each other since the Berlin Wall came down. With America's youth, you would think that Europe would be more parental instead of childish in your resentments towards the upstarts across the Atlantic.
But perhaps it is Europe that has finally learned the lesson. This attempt to create a "unified" military may be exactly what you have to do in order to ensure your own defense for a change so that America can focus more on our own issues. If only we had a Cold War to primarily look inward at someone else's expense. But we aren't so bad. Due to our culture, we don't have any where near the immigrant and terror issues you have even after your Cold War dedicated focus inward.
Because it absolves you of responsibility and gives you an excuse to turn away. Did you know that the UN labeled Kosovo as "illegal?" Even the high and mighty French chose to ignore this bit of international law. Hmmm...the hypocracy of Europeans is only surpassed by the Arabs in the Middle East.
A dictator in America? Do even think before you type or is emotion such a strong thing for you that you can't contain your absurdity? Every military needs a commander and every country needs a leader. And in 50 years, the nations of Europe will continue to have single leaders. What people "want" and what is practical are often two different things.
The Cold War lasted until 1989 and Bosnia and Kosovo was in the 1990s. I'm pretty sure these dates mean that it was not the 1950s. But please....eduate me as to the latest scheme or dream Europeans have to re-model themsleves. In the end, you are a cycle. Your pacifist "nothing bad can happen" attitudes today existed post World War I and pre-World War II. You spent a Cold War doing nothing but benefitting under the "nothing bad can happen" attitude and the 90's griping that there is a reality outside your borders for which you have to take part in for a change. Please enlighten me of Europe's latest "new" attitude.
Left to Europe, the world would be denied until we can label something World War III.
