You can not defend the world, and $19 Trillion in US debt will prove that point.
The underpinnings of the Soviet Union are GONE. You are fighting old wars.
Putin may be a bastard, but he has simply returned to old-style national power politics. His country’s economy is the size of Italy - let Germany and France, if they have the will, oppose him.
Right now, NATO is simply providing protection for EU bankers, Germany’s control of the EU and the fantasy’s of unlimited Muslim migration which will change Europe forever. Time to consider new threats, not old ones.
Phony strawman. I am not saying we should defend the world. A viable, free, functioning Europe is in our strategic national interests. Like most empires in decline, the US is now in the midst of the classic battle between Guns vs Butter. Butter usually wins because it has more constituents. There is no doubt that our military is now being hollowed out. We are trying to rationalize it as being a change in our strategy. We used to have a two and one-half war strategy and constructed our forces to meet it. Over the years, we have redefined the threat down in order to justify reducing the size and cost of the military. This will continue the same way that the UK declined in power and influence. The insatiable welfare state is sucking up all resources in order to tread water. Two thirds of the federal budget is spent on the entitlement programs, other mandatory, and debt servicing costs. With an aging population, we will need more and more resources to keep the welfare state going. Defense is the natural target.
Putin may be a bastard, but he has simply returned to old-style national power politics. His country’s economy is the size of Italy - let Germany and France, if they have the will, oppose him.
The SU was not a great economic power. Russia has the world's second so maybe largest stock of nuclear weapons, depending on how you count them. We used to say that the SU was either the least developed developed country or the most developed developing country. I have been there many times over the past 40 years. It was very apparent when looking at the condition of the infrastructure, housing, hotels, etc. that most of the money was being spent on the military.
Germany and France will not be able to stand up to Russia for many reasons.
Right now, NATO is simply providing protection for EU bankers, Germany’s control of the EU and the fantasy’s of unlimited Muslim migration which will change Europe forever. Time to consider new threats, not old ones.
You sound like the communists who used to attack NATO. How much personal experience do you have with NATO?