why hate socialism?

Originally Posted by Skybird

you know how the games is played - where there is no demons, there is no justification to demand a rise in defense spendings!

what europe needs, is not so much a rise in defense budgets, but a massive restructuring, reorientation and closer supra-national cooperation, and I say: by exclusion of the US. not becausue of some blind anti-Amerricanism, but becasue european and american views of what NATO should be are very different, and because european forces cannot gain the strength and independance from America, what America always demands!, if always relying on american military power. Also, here in europe eurppean interests are different from American interests in europe, both interests only share some things. The problem is that america may want a stronger military in europe, but wants it to be available globally for american policy. It does not want truly independant eurpean forces - of what use would this be for america, if it is not available to america? It would more be a rival, like economically europe already is (f.e. do you think Boeing is happy that Airbus exists?) That's why they pressed so hard to get US-dominated NATO structures into every effort there has ever been for NATO-independant european military structures, it sometimes led to interventions on highest political level. It's not about sharing resources, and greater efficiency. It is about control and influence. In some way, Europe should serve as america's legion etrangere. especially in Afghanistan it was obvious, when they pressed and finally succeeded in NATO officially accepting a military mandate for operations in that country. If you remember, originally NATO had no interest and no role in Afghanistan, it was a purely American war, american and eurppean missions were tried to kept separate. Which probably was a folly in itself, nevertheless. Not before america shifted troops to the war of choice in Iraq and things in Afghanistan detoriated as a consequence of that, NATO was pressed to embark on the mission.

Nothing to add to that, sums it up pretty nicely.