What would America fight for?

[vadimivich]

70 years after World War II, it's time to allow and encourage a strong military in Germany. The German military is too small, and their arms production is export focused. The Nazis are long dead and irrelevant, and we need a bulwark against Russia. Germany has the only economy that can finance it properly. France should also strengthen, but they won't. After what happened in WWII Germany will be dedicated to liberty and freedom for centuries. They should be the military protector of Europe. I realize they have a pacifist culture internally, but Putin's conduct should help erode that.

Japan needs to be let off the military leash, too. The Chinese and Russians are harassing them and the Chinese are a real threat to their sovereignty, not to mention North Korea.

Oh hell no. There's far, far too many people still alive here on the continent who heard the stomp of Nazi boots with their own ears. If you want to see Europe burst into flames again, antagonize most of the continent (especially the Slavic parts) by encouraging Germany to re-militarize. Hell, Germany just having as big of an economic influence as it has right now is already causing strife.

As for Japan. That's an even worse idea.

 

[PhDeac]

So who should have a functional military in Europe aside from the Russians?

 

[ImTheCaptain]

that's what i mean, how many generations have to pass?

france and england inflicted as much harm on the planet with their army and navies for centuries and now we're glad to have a few capable powerful allies

 

[vadimivich]

So who should have a functional military in Europe aside from the Russians?

The European Union as a whole has a pretty capable military force - and it's well equipped and trained. The EU as a whole has 1.5 million active military personel, but nobody has more than 225,000 (the largest is France). That's double the size of the Russian military, for example. 21 of the 28 EU nations are also NATO members, so they have deep ties and work together on a regular basis for training and exchange of expertise - and outside of specific NATO related items, they work on projects like the Eurofighter and other technologies together.

The EU really is a capable military entity. This idea that the United States provides all of the deterrence for Europe and the European nations do nothing is just flat out wrong. The EU is not capable of projecting power outside the geographic footprint of the continent the same way the US is, but it's very capable of protecting it's members from outside aggression.

 

[Brangus]

The European Union as a whole has a pretty capable military force - and it's well equipped and trained. The EU as a whole has 1.5 million active military personel, but nobody has more than 225,000 (the largest is France). That's double the size of the Russian military, for example. 21 of the 28 EU nations are also NATO members, so they have deep ties and work together on a regular basis for training and exchange of expertise - and outside of specific NATO related items, they work on projects like the Eurofighter and other technologies together.

The EU really is a capable military entity. This idea that the United States provides all of the deterrence for Europe and the European nations do nothing is just flat out wrong. The EU is not capable of projecting power outside the geographic footprint of the continent the same way the US is, but it's very capable of protecting it's members from outside aggression.

I'm skeptical that group could coherently respond to a rapid crisis. There needs to be one major player who can get out and hold the line while the rest deal with their bureaucratic requirements, squabbling and get their act together. The Germans are the most efficient people on the planet. They were just led down the wrong path by an unfathomably evil man and regime. They know that. They aren't the Weimar Republic now. They are not psychologically vulnerable like they were in the 1920's and 30's. Geographically and economically they are the only answer. NATO is a joke without a major US presence on the continent. The slavs aren't going to do a damn thing about Germany beefing up its military. Those countries are broke.

As for Japan, we desperately need a capable partner in the Pacific. Who else?