Friedman on the E.U.
Thomas Friedman has definitely proven to me that he knows more than just why Israelis, Arabs, and Americans are important world players. His recent op-editorial on the E.U.'s recent break in its arms embargo with China is an eye-opener.
...what the U.S. should not countenance is that at a time when the Europeans are spending peanuts on their own defense, making themselves into paper tigers and free riders on America for global policing, that they start exporting arms to a growing tiger - China.
Come on now, seriously, what is Europe thinking?? They are supposed to be our allies in the war on terror, and yet they decide to downsize even more and sell stuff to China? I agree with Friedman that China is a stabilizing force in the region thus far, but arming it with equipment that Europe is deprived of itself does not sound very prudent.
The sale of advanced European weapons to China can only weaken that balance [between China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan].
As if this all doesn't sound ridiculous enough, Friedman goes on to point out a couple of shocking factoids about the E.U.'s armies.
If you put all the E.U. armies together, they total around two million soldiers in uniform - almost the same size as the U.S. armed forces. But there is one huge difference - only about 5 percent of the European troops have the training, weaponry, logistical and intelligence support and airlift capability to fight a modern, hot war outside of Europe. (In the U.S. it is 70 percent in crucial units.)
The Europeans are so short of long-range lift aircraft that they basically have to depend on leased Russian and Ukrainian Antonov transports to get to the battlefield. George Robertson, the former NATO secretary general, used to ask them what they would do if a war broke out during the Christmas season, when most of the Antonovs are leased to toy companies shipping electronic games around the world. Ride, mister?
Fubar! I can't believe what I'm hearing. Don't get me wrong, I am all for de-militarization. But now is simply not the time to do it, with the present state of the world. Terrorists and terrorist states are still alive and well. China is a rising power, and I don't think we need to speed up the process with arms deals. The U.S. needs a strong Europe to help shoulder the burden of liberty in the world. I just hope Europe has the common sense to realize that and stop worrying about making the quick dollar.
...what the U.S. should not countenance is that at a time when the Europeans are spending peanuts on their own defense, making themselves into paper tigers and free riders on America for global policing, that they start exporting arms to a growing tiger - China.
Come on now, seriously, what is Europe thinking?? They are supposed to be our allies in the war on terror, and yet they decide to downsize even more and sell stuff to China? I agree with Friedman that China is a stabilizing force in the region thus far, but arming it with equipment that Europe is deprived of itself does not sound very prudent.
The sale of advanced European weapons to China can only weaken that balance [between China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan].
As if this all doesn't sound ridiculous enough, Friedman goes on to point out a couple of shocking factoids about the E.U.'s armies.
If you put all the E.U. armies together, they total around two million soldiers in uniform - almost the same size as the U.S. armed forces. But there is one huge difference - only about 5 percent of the European troops have the training, weaponry, logistical and intelligence support and airlift capability to fight a modern, hot war outside of Europe. (In the U.S. it is 70 percent in crucial units.)
The Europeans are so short of long-range lift aircraft that they basically have to depend on leased Russian and Ukrainian Antonov transports to get to the battlefield. George Robertson, the former NATO secretary general, used to ask them what they would do if a war broke out during the Christmas season, when most of the Antonovs are leased to toy companies shipping electronic games around the world. Ride, mister?
Fubar! I can't believe what I'm hearing. Don't get me wrong, I am all for de-militarization. But now is simply not the time to do it, with the present state of the world. Terrorists and terrorist states are still alive and well. China is a rising power, and I don't think we need to speed up the process with arms deals. The U.S. needs a strong Europe to help shoulder the burden of liberty in the world. I just hope Europe has the common sense to realize that and stop worrying about making the quick dollar.
posted by Remz Pokorny @ 10:45 PM
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