[Skybird]

And maybe it wouldn'T be a bad thing, imo it wouldn'T be, if the Europeans, instead of babbling about a Euro army with all the additional costs for double structures, would invest their funds for that into NATO and start "dominating" in it over the next ten years or so, limiting its operational reach at the same time to Europe and the Atlantic, and taking over roles and replacing assets that a more and more pulling-out America would leave behind while it shifts its ressources from NATO and Europe, to AUKUS, Pacific and against China. That imo makes an awesome lot more of sense than this endless debate about having NATO and a EU army with 27 bosses and 27 different strategic orientations parallel to that.
Such an army would suffer the same politically caused inherent weaknesses as NATO today does. But that is true for a European army as well, so no difference on that.



I also would prefer if only the numerically stronger natiosn are present in that to-be-NATO. We need to scratch capitals from the list of debating voices, so to tailor command and making decision making structures fit for quick decision making. Too many chefs spoil the brew. More members not necessarily means stronger clubs. As I see it, having too many chefs paralyse themselves.



I would prefer to have the Brits in, but I think it is necessary and proper to calculate such future developments without them. I would not accept them in if they go split ways in both AUKUS and Europe, their armed force snumbers simpyl are too smal for that shizophrenia. Same is true for France. Unfortunately both nations still cry big tears for lost grandezza of their pasts, and dearly stick to these memores, France even more than Britain (what makes Paris attacks on London over claimed fixiation on past glory even more ridiculous). Why these countrys are not big enogzh in armed forces to pla yin both arenas? Becasue in one arena they are playing against China, and that is a completely different league than what they got used to in military adversaries of the past 60 years. Half-hearted efforts against such a heavy-weight enemy will be terribly punished.


Lesson by the end of the day is always the same. Europe must emergency-scramble on learning how to care for itself, by itself. The US in my view clearly is on the way out of Europe.

And Europe needs to learn that one cannot hug, caress and kiss a Chinese viper without getting bitten and poisoned to death. China does not see Europe as equal, or anyone, for that matter. China is the centre of the universe, and everybody else is expected to kneel and accept that. Else they will make him. And that belief is millenia old.

Appeasement does not work.