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A Test of Maturity: Germany Must Abandon Its Military Reluctance and Lead
Der Spiegel ^ | August 23, 2017 12:55 PM | Anne Applebaum

Posted on 08/26/2017 10:39:49 AM PDT by Olog-hai

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To: Olog-hai
The Treaty of Versailles took the German army down to 100,000 in a population of 68 million, which was regarded as a pretty severe thing to do, even by the understandably vengeful French. It was considered to be the minimum strength that even a defeated nation needed for self-defense in 1919.

According to the Wiki article, as of 28 February 2017, the German Army had a strength of 60,431 soldiers in a population of 82 million. Nobody else did this to Germany, Germany did this to Germany.

This isn't a case of America "turning inward" or abandoning any commitment to democracy. It's a case of other countries riding for free, not making their own committed contributions to the collective defense, preening about being pacifist and moral for having deliberately failed to do so, and cursing those who have had to take up the slack as being warlike. Sorry, Anne, but the game's over.

21 posted on 08/26/2017 12:58:16 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: Olog-hai

Let each country maintain its own independent military and then work together, as allies do, when needed.


22 posted on 08/26/2017 1:07:38 PM PDT by Architect of Avalon
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To: GOPJ

The author of this article is talented though, I mean, typing while goosestepping isn’t easy.


23 posted on 08/26/2017 1:08:57 PM PDT by Architect of Avalon
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To: Billthedrill
The Treaty of Versailles took the German army down to 100,000 in a population of 68 million, which was regarded as a pretty severe thing to do, even by the understandably vengeful French. It was considered to be the minimum strength that even a defeated nation needed for self-defense in 1919.

According to the Wiki article, as of 28 February 2017, the German Army had a strength of 60,431 soldiers in a population of 82 million. Nobody else did this to Germany, Germany did this to Germany.

_______________

Why, that's barely enough to conquer France!

24 posted on 08/26/2017 1:10:18 PM PDT by x
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To: rrrod

Germans do not, as you wrote, need to be exterminated.

You sound like a genocidal leftist posting garbage like that.

Germans need better leadership.


25 posted on 08/26/2017 1:10:41 PM PDT by Architect of Avalon
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To: rrrod

That’s a despicable thing to say.


26 posted on 08/26/2017 1:12:37 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: x

Not to worry ‘x’. That Germany is ‘’vorbei’’ ‘’over’’.


27 posted on 08/26/2017 3:18:52 PM PDT by jmacusa (Dad may be in charge but mom knows whats going on.)
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To: rrrod

Many Americans are descended from Germans, either from Germany directly or through England; those two types primarily built this country. Even at the time of WWI, Germans were the largest minority in this country.


28 posted on 08/26/2017 3:23:54 PM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: Architect of Paradise

That’s what led to the last two World Wars. The powers in Europe have not given up their ambitions of the past.


29 posted on 08/26/2017 4:28:17 PM PDT by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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To: Unam Sanctam

They never explain that bit. They just make the claim.


30 posted on 08/26/2017 4:29:17 PM PDT by Olog-hai ("No Republican, no matter how liberal, is going to woo a Democratic vote." -- Ronald Reagan, 1960)
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To: Olog-hai

A European military does not correlate with a lack of ambition.

It does, however, correlate with an evisceration of the ability of individual European countries to resist the poison ambition of a centralized European authority.


31 posted on 08/26/2017 5:50:38 PM PDT by Architect of Avalon
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To: Architect of Paradise
I mean, typing while goosestepping isn’t easy.

LOL - great line...

32 posted on 08/27/2017 8:49:37 AM PDT by GOPJ (Statues today - books tomorrow - the unmasking of totalitarian elites is starting...)
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To: x

Assuming that the Wiki article is correct, you should also then note that the French Army has more soldiers than the German one.


33 posted on 08/27/2017 5:15:51 PM PDT by Lysandru
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