[throwaway091025]

[flagged]

[mhitza]

A comment that's vague, inflammatory, confrontational, and not at all related to the parent comment.

[ls612]

He's not wrong though. A Europe that has to be responsible for its own defense either has to substantially reform its economy and society, or rely on France with its ASMPA doing the geopolitical equivalent of a drunk guy waving a knife around saying "stay away!".

[blitzar]

Without the United States starting wars all over the world, the military support of the United States would not be needed.

[nradov]

Who was it that invaded Ukraine? Who provided the bulk of protection to Europe during the Cold War? Hmmm...

[mopsi]

  > Whatever social niceties you have are thanks to somebody else protecting you and subsidizing your protection.

Now more than ever, seems like it was just smoke and mirrors all along.

[bgwalter]

That is X propaganda. The U.S. actively prohibits additional EU states getting nuclear weapons and does not really want a super strong EU. The U.S. profits from the military strength and "protection" with an overvalued dollar and people irrationally buying U.S. bonds.

The EU spends at least three times as much on defense as Russia. But hey, perhaps it should spend EUR 1 trillion and get active in the Middle East again, after the U.S. has kicked it out in the Suez crisis.