Coalition of the Useless

American Thinker ^ | 19 Apr, 2026 | Thomas Kolbe

[MtnClimber]

The four leading European states are planning a naval mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz. This much is clear: the hot phase of the conflict appears to be over, and the key players have already made their moves.

The loss of Europe’s geopolitical power is the defining decline narrative of our time. As Europeans, we are condemned to become unwilling witnesses of continental decay. And in no field of politics does the toxic amalgam of eco-socialism, elite arrogance, and rampant infantilism become more visible than at the level of the European Union.

What we are witnessing in Brussels and the leading capitals of the EU are desperate attempts at coordinated foreign policy -- and the realization that the cooperation of powerless individual entities does not necessarily lead to better outcomes than bilateral cooperation.

That this realization must have reached the highest circles of European politics could be observed at the end of this week. The four “big ones” -- Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy -- called for a maritime alliance and the protection of the Strait of Hormuz.

Fifty additional states -- according to the initiators of this rather peculiar political camouflage -- are expected to join the European alliance. Leadership claims are naturally being made by the former maritime powers Britain and France, above all France, whose aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle may stand as the last remaining symbol of Europe’s great naval tradition at the center of these activities -- if one can even approach the Persian Gulf at all.

The situation remains fragile: the currently stable ceasefire ends on Wednesday. And negotiations between the United States, Israel, and Iran are entering their final phase. From a European perspective, our assumptions are once again confirmed: the EU and its slowly re-approaching partner the United Kingdom

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TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: europe; france; germany; italy; straitofhormuz; unitedkingdom

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Through constant media overdrive, Starmer, Macron, Meloni, and Merz present themselves as the decision-makers of the moment -- it is their harvest time, collecting cheap public dividends. But is that really the case? Do they seriously believe that the majority of Europeans are not fully aware of what is happening? That European power is essentially the product of media magic -- permanent propaganda wrapped in moral excess? A shadow of past greatness, reduced to virtual impotence, ultimately dissolving into the very media theatre that we, as embarrassed Europeans, are forced to endure every day.

[Kudsman]

Will Greta lead this floatilla too?

[wildcard_redneck]

How dare you!

The Doom Goblin must be worshipped.

[bert]

The Euro public are serfs who have no ability to act and exert control of their betters.

[Kudsman]

I think she is close to becoming an Admiral by now?

[MtnClimber]

Gretta would be a fearsome leader with her pink hat.

[Williams]

Fox Live Now always has a parade of liberal guests pretending to be analysts.
The one retired military was going on that Iran is not a core mission of NATO and that no NATO country was attacked.
Yeah ok, like Ukraine which is not in NATO and they want us to pour everything into there for them.
And when did allies like England decide their alliance with us is only based on NATO?
Bunch of Muslim surrendering pos leftists.
Europe was under more threat than us.
They can go to hell.

[Robert DeLong]

A brutal, yet honest, assessment of Europe. Jad to share it with friends.Thanks for posting. 😁🤙

[Sirius Lee]

They can go to hell.

No need. muslim hell is coming to them.

[antidemoncrat]

“The four leading European states are planning a naval mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz.”

Typical EU response? ... come in after the fighting is over and take credit for the win?

[chuckee]

The simple fact is the European toadies will NEVER defend shipping in the Hormuz even though they are dependent on it. They made noises about doing it on Friday when they thought there would be no need to do so after Iran agreed not to restrict passage. Now that Iran has changed their mind and sent out a gunboat Europe is shrinking away again. It is comical to watch the performance of a coward in real time.

[Brian Griffin]

“a growing backlog of aging tonnage that is expected to head for the breaking yards in the coming years. Included in the backlog are hundreds of tankers operating in the so-called dark fleet”

https://shipbreakingplatform.org/platform-publishes-list-2025/

There are hundreds of tankers of little value available for Strait transit use.

[catnipman]

Italy and France are the only two of the four that have bona fide blue-water navies ... UK has a single operational destroyer right now, but it has been deployed to Cyprus, and Germany has a few frigates, but that’s it for those two ...

still, the whole chickenshit bunch announced weeks ago that they wouldn’t send any boats to the Strait until a cease-fire had been announced, so no doubt should things heat-up again, they’ll skedaddle ...

[bobbo666]

They have the ability. Just not a pair among ‘em.

[Jacquerie]

<>The United States remains, with its increasingly despised president in Europe, Donald Trump.<>

The UK and France despise PDJT like their ancestors despised Bismark, and for the same reasons.

[clearcarbon]

"Typical EU response? ... come in after the fighting is over and take credit for the win?"

After the apex predator has taken down its prey and departed, the vultures arrive to finish what remains of the carrion.