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2006-05-30 Europe

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Posted by DanNY 2006-05-30 07:43|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 No kidding. NATO has been one big military economic welfare program paid for by the US for the economically gifted for nearly 40 years. Wonder if Europe would have had the cash to pay for all those cradle to grave welfare programs if we had pulled out of that place after only 10 or 15 years instead of still being stationed there.

Posted by Jumble Thromomble5864 2006-05-30 09:16|| 2006-05-30 09:16|| Front Page Top

#2 Nah, they would have been overrun by the Soviets and collapsed when they did.

Posted by DarthVader 2006-05-30 09:37|| 2006-05-30 09:37|| Front Page Top

#3 The larger it grows the hollower it becomes.

This isn't true if the next three admits are Australia, Japan and India.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-05-30 10:07|| 2006-05-30 10:07|| Front Page Top

#4 RBers have noted many times before the lack of airlift capability on the part of most NATO countries. That hasn't changed and won't. Why should they buy transports when Uncle Sam will provide 'em free?

Posted by Spot">Spot 2006-05-30 11:03|| 2006-05-30 11:03|| Front Page Top

#5 What's the fuss. Charter a few airliners and land them in Kuwait.

Posted by ed 2006-05-30 11:06|| 2006-05-30 11:06|| Front Page Top

#6 Nine-stone weakling with knobby knees.

Posted by mojo">mojo 2006-05-30 12:42|| 2006-05-30 12:42|| Front Page Top

#7 The fundamental problem with NATO is that it gave (gives) the Europeans the ability to cut their own defense expenditures while under the U.S. umbrella.

Kosovo was the classic result of this. A European problem that they were incapable of solving because a third world country, Serbia, had zero respect for European military capabilities (correctly, I might add). The U.S. military solved the problem under a NATO banner.

NATO should be dissolved. The U.S. will have less European support in the short run, but Europe will be forced to address its weakness (or fold). In the current scenario the U.S. can not expect any long-term support from Europe because they have no incentive to invest in their military.

Posted by DoDo 2006-05-30 12:52|| 2006-05-30 12:52|| Front Page Top

#8 Welcome back, Rafael! I hope you're feeling better now. :-)

Posted by trailing wife 2006-05-30 13:43|| 2006-05-30 13:43|| Front Page Top

#9 Whoops! Wrong thread, darn it.

Posted by trailing wife 2006-05-30 13:44|| 2006-05-30 13:44|| Front Page Top

#10 What TW sed.

Posted by 6 2006-05-30 14:15|| 2006-05-30 14:15|| Front Page Top

#11 NATO lacks the will or the interest to help the US.

Like everything else in their lives, it's all about them. :-(

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2006-05-30 15:22|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html] 2006-05-30 15:22|| Front Page Top

#12 "Toy armies". A description of NATO used by an officer here and seconded by several others. There are of course good folks in their ranks - think of the independence and intelligence it might take to make the military a career in a place as comfortable in its delusions and moral narcissism as Europe - but the absence of national will renders most of these forces of limited value. There are exceptions - NATO surface units add numbers to maritime operations and help stretch US resources - but generally it's pretty sad. Here in Iraq they're helping with the Iraqi army staff college, which is useful.

NATO was a spectacular success in its core misssion. This is central. Thing is, once its core mission was accomplished, NATO was a distraction or an excuse for failing to rapidly adapt to a very changed world.

Posted by Verlaine in Iraq 2006-05-30 16:30|| 2006-05-30 16:30|| Front Page Top

#13 Nato should have declared victory after the fall of the Soviet Union and self-terminated rather than attempt to find another mission to justify their existence.

Posted by rjschwarz 2006-05-30 17:45|| 2006-05-30 17:45|| Front Page Top

#14 NATO Lacks Muscle To Help US

Ummmmmmm ... no. I's more of a testosterone supply thingy (literally) than locomotion. Barring that, there is still the niggling issue of moral and ethical administration of justice. All of which NATO has had in short supply for some time now.

Posted by Zenster 2006-05-30 20:08|| 2006-05-30 20:08|| Front Page Top

#15 BTW, what's NATO's exit strategy from Kosovo?

Posted by doc 2006-05-30 21:15|| 2006-05-30 21:15|| Front Page Top

08:37 Anon1
00:11 JosephMendiola
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23:49 JosephMendiola
23:23 DarthVader
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23:20 RD
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22:54 Frank G
22:46 RD
22:35 Frank G
22:31 Rafael
22:30 Frank G
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22:22 Seafarious
22:15 3dc
22:14 Besoeker
22:14 DMFD
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