Oh, by the way, in my Roster of prospective Continental Powers (post #36), I seem to have forgotten Western Europe.
Such a shame, Western Europe -- that such a once-great (relatively-powerful, though now demographically-doomed) Fount of Western Law, Culture, and Civilization should now be so utterly forgettable.
Fine, then... if Great Britain has consented to be the "Athens" within the USA's Roman "Anglo-sphere", I am perfectly happy to cut Western Europe loose as a "Franco-German" demesne.
They don't like us anyway, and I don't like them.
Between the two of them, a (has-been) Nuclear Power and a (has-been) Economic Power, France and Germany should be able to field a somewhat-competent Armored Division or two. Possibly even a Fighter Squadron, if they don't kill eachother.
That should keep them from being too laughable after we call the US Troops home for Christmas, or at least re-base them away from Continental Europe and within Great Britain (of which I am entirely in favor -- as we are two "brother countries", albeit "separated by a common language"... grin).
And that, I believe, rounds out my list.