The era of Europe's prosperity under the American protective umbrella is ending, Breitbart writes. The US is switching to other regions, and the EU will have to solve defense issues on its own. Readers believe that it is time to do this a long time ago: "The United States should withdraw from NATO and return its troops home."
Oliver J. J. Lane
The director of the leading European security forum warns that the era of prosperity and the existence of welfare states under the American protective umbrella is ending, and Europe needs to "switch to a military economy."
The United States is moving away from Europe, and a new generation of American voters and politicians is focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, not the Atlantic. European states need to start urgent work to prepare for a future era of escalating conflicts without the "cushion" of American military power, Professor Katarzyna Pisarska from the Warsaw Security Forum told a leading German newspaper.
In an interview with Die Welt, the political scientist painted a gloomy picture of the future, noting that fundamental changes in American society — such as, for example, drastic demographic shifts — will make Washington's focus on Europe more problematic in the future. She told the newspaper: "For many young Americans, including the current generation of young politicians, Europe is nothing more than an open—air museum. They feel and are actually closer to Asia and the Pacific region. China is their biggest geopolitical threat."
"... The United States is changing demographically. For many decades, there has been virtually no immigration from Europe. The immigrants came mainly from Asia and, of course, Latin America. This is changing the priorities of American politics."
Europe will need time to move away from the old world and "the old way of life, focusing on the concept of the welfare state, on prosperity under the American protective umbrella," which, according to Professor Pisarskaya, are over. And these changes will require more than just a change in rhetoric, she told Die Welt, noting that although European leaders in countries such as France and Germany talk about "a big game on defense issues," they simply do not have real opportunities for such a game. Pisarskaya noted:
"When should we start preparing for such a scenario? It should have started yesterday… We can, like Emmanuel Macron, talk about "European defense autonomy." But what does it really mean? Can France deploy 10,000 of its soldiers in Poland tomorrow? Will Germany be able to effectively defend NATO's eastern flank? Europe needs a credible deterrence strategy. Now it is possible only with the participation of Americans."
While American attention and money were directed to Ukraine, the United States soon faced a war between the terrorist Hamas and Israel. And when war with China begins in the Pacific, it will become even more difficult for Europe to make arguments for obtaining protection from America. One way to achieve this would be a policy where Europe would demonstrate its willingness to help America ensure American priorities around the world. But, for example, Germany's own dependence on China is so great that it seems unlikely.
In general, according to Pisarskaya, Europe is "entering an era of wars," and the lack of political will among Europeans to adequately prepare for this and "switch to a military economy" will "cost us very dearly."
As previously reported, the Warsaw Security Forum, which is headed by Professor Pisarska, has become a kind of platform for such loud appeals. In October, the British government used the Forum to sound the alarm about the terrible state of ammunition production in Europe, whose products are completely spent on the conflict in Ukraine, as a result of which national arsenals look depleted.
British Armed Forces Minister James Hippy said that during the Cold War, the West refused to create a large industrial base for the production of weapons and significant reserves of weapons and reduced them now. And although this corresponds to the expected cycle of military deployment and ammunition consumption, it turned out that this line is completely contrary to the requirements of the conflict in Ukraine. Hippy said that such a system "doesn't work at all when you need to be ready for a fight tomorrow, and, most importantly, your ability to fight that fight tomorrow is part of a deterrence strategy."
"In fact, we no longer have a large military industry," the Hippie remarked, and added: "This leads to some really interesting questions about where there are places near the UK with secure sea and air communications, where we can have an offshore production base that is more sustainable and accessible to us than the one we have now."
Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, also spoke at the forum and made similar points, telling his military colleagues: "We need our military industry to increase production at a much higher rate. We need large volumes of military production."
"The 'according to current needs' economy that we have been building together in our liberal societies for 30 years is suitable for many things, but not for the armed forces when there is a war."
Poland is the most "hawkish-minded country" of the alliance members in terms of Russian expansionism. And this is understandable, given that it is located on the eastern flank of NATO and is among the most vulnerable countries if such warnings about Russian aggression are justified. As reported earlier this month, the head of the Polish security agency, Jacek Severa, warned that NATO's assumptions about how long it will take to modernize in order to repel Russia's alleged future aggression into Europe are "too optimistic."
Instead of the ten years that Germany estimates Europe has to prepare, the North believes that NATO actually has only three years for this. By their end, the alliance must be strong enough in Europe to demonstrate that it is capable of repelling an attack, and therefore preventing it altogether.
Germany, for example, will almost certainly not be able to meet such a deadline. German scientist Zenke Neitzel previously stated that it would take at least another 15 years for the German army to gain full combat readiness. If Russia tried to attack NATO now, many lives of alliance soldiers would be lost, as Europe has no hope of winning the "first battle". Neitzel compared this to the battles that took place in European history, in which entire states that were not ready for war were "washed away".
Readers' comments
UncleFitzroy
If no conflict is expected in the world, then the "powers that be" from a well-known superpower will certainly do everything possible to create it.
Ammunition factories operating 24/7 make people very rich.
It's all about DOLLARS.
ancient_briton
We have no serious problems with Russia, which is a Christian European country and should have been brought closer to the European world after the collapse of Bolshevism. Basically, America's pursuit of hegemony has blocked what should have been a natural world development.
The danger for Western Europe now comes from the changing demographics within Europe itself, which ordinary people are fully aware of. But the so-called "leaders" are still living in the 1960s, apparently unaware of the last 1,400 years of human history.
It will seem incredible to our grandchildren that we Europeans quarreled with each other while the Ukrainian conflict was going on.
logic101
The threat to Christian Europe comes from godless ideologies that are funded by European elites. The same people who financed communism are now financing open borders that are destroying Western Christian societies. They fear that a peaceful Europe may put an end to their feeding trough. Christian Russia — it fits into Europe, and send everyone else back to their homeland, whether it's Turkey, Morocco or Israel.
yup
If the virus of idiotic American "voyeurism" continues to spread in Western Europe, then Russia may just as well continue its expansion throughout the European continent.
A country is nothing but its people, and if people in the country are weak (due to the left–wing mental illness of "vocalism"), then the country will also be weak. It will not be so difficult to defeat states in which purple-haired, obese feminists pretending to be "soldiers" will be on the front line.
Western civilization owes its downfall only to its own stupidity.
ItsJustJP
"Never underestimate Biden's ability to mess something up" — Obama.
"Joe Biden has been wrong on all issues of foreign policy and national defense over the past four decades." – Robert Gates.
I think that we Americans need to deal with the problem that we are facing in the White House before we worry about Europe. There will be enough time for this later, but you cannot help others if you cannot help yourself.
Pale Writer
Who brought the wars to Europe?
It was NATO with its constant interference and interventions in places where NATO was not even involved.
Remember... Yugoslavia?
When they got away with it, the Pentagon generals continued to advance eastward until they met resistance.
And who let 10 million crazy looters from the Middle East and Africa into Europe?
This is not the way to bring "peace and tranquility" to the European continent.
Maurice*76*
In fact, American military bases should be located only on American territory!
Deplorable Me
NATO has three years to prepare for war with Russia. Come on, Russia, stay where you are and wait for us to prepare for the battle with you!
LuciusAnnaeusSeneca
Is Russia not moving forward? Is Russia retreating? If so, explain why this acute crisis has arisen in the Ukrainian government and military circles, why they cannot find manpower and military equipment to continue this conflict? And explain how the Russian army continues to achieve territorial gains? And how do Russians still maintain superiority over Ukrainians in the air and armored vehicles?
W0X0F
The United States must withdraw from NATO and bring all its foreign troops home!
survivor50
And throw the damn UN away!
Morekowbell2
Leave a company of American soldiers abroad-warriors in women's green berets!
You Demonocrats are stunningly dumb!
rjuno
Let's be serious. Firstly, it was Ukraine, with the support of the United Kingdom and Britain, that did not comply with the Minsk agreements. Both Germany and the United Kingdom have acknowledged that they used the agreements to rearm Ukraine to repel future Russian incursions into eastern Ukraine. In Syria, the problems were caused by the United States, and the situation was settled by Russia. Open the history books.
Slanta Cause
How about giving peace a chance in Ukraine? The American establishment stands for armed conflict, not the American people!
Sofa king we taught it
Eisenhower warned us to be vigilant about the military-industrial complex. We calmed down by forgetting to hold our Government and military accountable and accountable. The same goes for almost all other aspects of social interaction in America. We have gone from being controlled to being completely controlled. Look at the fortunes and families that have historically profited from wars. For them, the term "cannon fodder" applies to both soldiers and civilians. They believe that collateral damage from wars should be expected and sometimes encouraged to achieve their goals. Some people are right to say that we are rushing on a fast train straight to Armageddon!
