Though the term "world's policeman" is an exaggeration in practicality, this is exactly what I'm talking about. Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq has taught me alot. We have learned that we can't rely on any one but ourselves. When it comes to Europe's defense we are still looked upon as if it is our duty even as late as Bosnia. When it comes to America's defense we are offerred the very bare minimum from those who have had over fifty years to pull their heads out of their asses. We are criticized for what we do and for what we don't do. All the while, those that criticize have enjoyed a free ride of security so that they can focus on medical, social, and infrastructure while we did the heavy labor of the world in the wake of a global crisis their seciond European civil war created. We have provided this free ride for far too long.
Yeah, which countries are the most(top 7) failed states in the world now? And how many of those same countries was top 7 before US involvement, thats what you should look at. You should learn to rely on Europe also, in a new NATO cooperation, heck you should encourage faster integration of the European armed forces and try to help us as much as possible so we can be an even stronger ally of the US. When your civil war breaks out, only Europe will come to help.
What are you talking about? Military service is mandatory in most European countries, making the European population the most military capable region in the world. Aside from that we have 2 million men in service and military technology second only to the US. Combined military spending is 200 billion €, and most peacekeeping forces around the world are European, making European forces deployment second only to the US. Hardly a free ride, get real man.
But we also managed to focus on "focus on medical, social, and infrastructure", making you the lards for not doing so.
1) Should we have to continue to be the world's "policeman" sixty years after WWII?
Are you now, or are you the world bully/criminal?
2) Should we even care about a Europe that obviously doesn't care about us?
Why the heck do you think that? Of course we care about you, we are definitely your closest ally, we just don't agree on everything.
We have a golden path if only our intellectuals and politicians would break from habit.
Perhaps, but right now intellectualism and politicians in the US are declining in record level, lets hope Obama don't turn out to just be another election fraudster and tv man.
In some ways, I believe this economy slump is perfect for us and we will be re-inventing ourselves again.
Perhaps you will, lets hope you will, but right now it looks dark, you need a revolution by the people and a collapse and reinvention of Washington. If you ain't happy, just use your vote to change NOTHING.
We are capable of having the greatest military in history without feeding the fat Defense Industry so that we can focus more on Americans. It is a fact that our security has always been determined on the stability of foriegn regions. This is historical. But this is not a reason to continue having bases in Europe, the Middle East, or Asia. We are beyond those days and the fear of another world war was always about Europe anyway. Let's pull out of NATO and hand Europe's defense and messes off to Europeans.
All of those are a good idea, but lets rather reinvent NATO and let Europe carry a more heavy burden under sigular armed forces. Let those forces be focused on the long term defense of Europe and the US, lets stop offensive movement and pre-emptive bull**** and focus strictly on home defense and renewed strategy.
Let Asia deal with Asia. And relegate the Middle East to a focus of punitive strikes whenever they dare to step out of line. This sense that "we broke it, now we own it" or "globalization brings us closer" is stupid, on purpose, and naive.
Yes, let them. But you did break them and make it into a more volatile regions which is now set on agressive policies, you created terrorism in a way, at least made sure it expanded. Lets prepare for terrorism and defense in the future at home not attack and make things worse by starting genocide against a whole religion..
We can exact our revenge and our punish for screwing with our interests in quick deployment and distant strike fashion and pull out with our guns still smoking.
Thats the capabilities we need, domination, the knowledge that if they do something wrong, we will just bomb them a little and then leave again, do Europe and the US really need anything except an air force abroad to show muscle? We never need to deploy ground forces if we think strategically, except strategic special forces missions.
People just don't realize how much damage and destruction our military can leave in its wake if we ever were unleashed.
Yeah, we saw that in Iraq, but also the vulnerability of the US armed forces. You did a lot of destruction in Iraq but little good.
Iraq was mostly of their own tribal doing. Imagine if we were focused to break people. The entire region would be a smoldering ruin right now. Let the rest of the world deal with their defense in the manner in which they feel is good for them. If they need us, make them declare it on international television, sign a document, and pay us in advance.
The only way to deal with ignorance is long term diplomacy and education.
In the mean time, we can do what Europe has been doing and cater to ourselves and look inward. This, of course, will shove Europe on the burner because unlike us....they can't just go home. Maybe they would learn to appreciate us again. But who really cares anymore? Either way, we would be fine across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans where our greatest enemy is Mexican border jumpers and Canadian Hockey players.
Somewhere along the way, we have taken our American blanket and pulled in Europeans and Asians. Time to fold our blanket up. The a-holes of the world want us out and so do our "allies" in Europe. Let's do them and us a favor and strand them. Our treasure is better spent at home.
Europe is looking more and more outwards, and we always have, but in a completely different way, far less a destructive way. We do appreciate you, but you should also appreciate us.
Yes, your treasure IS better spent at home than useless wars around the world, none of which have made Europe safer, rather endangered the situation, making us squeal for a single strategic armed forces, which is already far on its way. My idea is to block of the eastern front and place a lot of responsibility there to be ready for Russia or any middle eastern or Asian nation. Aside from that we need to place the rest of our military strategically at home able to help with much more important things like natural disaster and relief in Europe, and relief efforts abroad.
Europe should invest heavily in Africa as part of any social security and pension plan for the future and for that we also need to deploy forces in Africa to protect such interest, all of course with the cooperation of African nations.
Imagine how much Africans could benefit from small European colonies of elderly(smart) people and willing younger people with armed forces around them inside African countries. Stablity, education, cultural exchange and understanding, a new European foreign aid package and putting the elderly to use in a situation they would prefer(if they choose to move from their city dwellings in Europe).
Neo-colonization is peaceful and prosperous if done right.
