America is Not Defending Europe
Europe protects America
America has a small but critical role in defending Europe. Europeans are doing more on the spending metric; and would do the vast majority of the dying if there is a war with Russia. Never forget Europe is an objective that America needs as a shield and a power projection platform.
What is this author talking about?
President Donald Trump should act now to end European defense dependence.
The author points to specific small countries with tiny absolute defense expenditures as a reason to dismiss the contribution European nations as a whole contribute to European defense. That is dishonest. You might as well condemn Vermont for slacking off on contributing to America's defense.
Take into account that Europeans don't have a lot of expenditure categories that America needs to fight in Europe and to be a global super power.
Nor should you forget that Europe is an objective and not a charity case.
Europe's statistics indicate it should be able to rival America in power. It does not. But Europe's vast potential for hard power indicates why America must fight for Europe even if Europe doesn't want to participate that much.
This survey of European power and resentment is a valuable reminder of just how much broad power Europe has despite its long decline in hard power and global influence[.]
America needs Europe as a shield against direct attack and as a power projection platform.
Further, if you want America to continue having only a small role in the defense of Europe, Russia needs to be stopped right now:
Trump cannot allow Russia to emerge as victorious; his decision to disengage from Europe is predicated on the assumption that Russia is no longer a threat to Europe, at least not one that Europe can’t handle on its own.
But somehow spending enough to bolster the Europeans who would sacrifice much more blood and treasure to defend Europe in war is the conservative, Patriotic position for Americans? How did opposing the effing Russians suddenly become a thing conservatives don't support?
American help to hold Europe is unnecessary only if Russia pulls its head out of its Putin to face its real threat.
NOTE: I made the image with the Substack capability.