America’s New Strategy
Excellent video podcast by George Friedman on Aukus, NATO, the EU, and America’s New Strategy.
For background on the following video, please see The Aukus Submarine Crisis Take II, Triumph of the British
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p464WkknYC4
Select Quotes
- When we look at the allies we can count on, they were not the French. They were the British and the Australians. The French weren’t there.
- We ask the question what does NATO do for the problems the US has at this point?
- NATO is weakened by the Europeans. To have a military alliance, you have to have a military.
- The NATO countries don’t have force enough to help up. Nor are they interested in spending the money.
- Germany is the fourth largest country in the world. They should not have to be defended by the United States. They can defend themselves.
- There is no common European foreign policy. So we are looking for a new relationship.
- This [Aukus] is the one that existed since World War II. So naturally they [Australia] bought American submarines instead of French submarines. Life goes on.
- Europe has left us with no choice. First, there is no Europe. There is a bunch of countries in Europe.
- Second, they take actions based on their own national interests.
- It is not a case of the US adopting this strategy [Aukus], it is the strategy of Europe.
- You can only be bilateral, there is no Europe to work with.
Trump’s Vision
The views of Friedman and Trump on bilateral exchanges and NATO are very close.
Trump threatened to pull the US out of NATO. It would not have mattered if he did. The threat of Russia is more than a bit exaggerated and Friedman made that point as well.
With a subtle change, NATO was one of the areas on which Trump was correct.
World’s Policeman Yet Again
Whether or not Germany and the EU contribute 2% to their defense as Trump wanted, US troops do not belong in Germany or Europe in general.
The US cannot afford and should not try to be the world’s policeman. If the EU believes Russia is a threat, it should do something about it.
As long as the US provides all the military support the EU needs, why should the EU do anything?
EU Should Sleep In Its Own Bed
Right or wrong, Germany is more than willing to make natural gas deals with Russia and telecommunication deals with China.
Why should the US be defending Germany and the EU in this setup?
EU Misread Biden and Misjudged Johnson, a Bad Combination
What’s the real story behind Australia’s dumping of French submarines for those built by the US?
Please consider my post What’s the real story behind Australia’s dumping of French submarines for those built by the US?
It ties in nicely with the views of Friedman.
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Mish
Follow the money. The larger the military and the military commitments, the more money (and power) that some people can acquire.