So I find this view about our military presence in Europe incredibly short-sighted:
Some analysts criticize a broadening mission for EUCOM and NATO. Christopher A. Preble of the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute said a heavy U.S. presence in Europe currently about 44,000 soldiers and 100,000 total service members — has caused European nations to let their own militaries lag, in effect weakening the “security alliance.”
He added that uncovering and destroying terrorist and insurgent cells are more effectively handled by police than militaries.“It’s hard in my mind to justify the number of troops we have in Europe,” Preble said. “It discourages Europeans from doing more for their own defense.”
The CATO Institute seems to spend all its time arguing that retreat really defends our interests. Many libertarians and inward-looking conservatives oppose our foreign policies as much as our extremist Left. If I focus on the Left it is only because our elites and press sympathize with the Left, amplifying the Left's complaints. Libertarians and the hard Right are marginalized by the same elites and media. The result is that the Left infects both liberal and Democratic thinking over foreign policy in ways that libertarians and hard Right conservatives do not dominate Republican thinking on foreign policy.
Our military already believes EUCOM is too weak to meet all its new missions without reducing it as had been planned just a couple years ago.
Four years ago, I argued in this article for a floor in our Army strength in Europe to carry out our missions. I'm glad our leadership is moving my way on this. I couldn't care less that CATO opposes it.
Defending what we've won seems like it should be an easy decision. We must defend our gains in Europe made possible by victories in 1945 and 1989. If we don't, one day historians may judge us as having repeated the mistake of abandoning Europe in 1918 only to see our sacrifices thrown away with the rise of Nazism in Germany.
But don't underestimate the will to lose that some of us have. Nor should you underestimate their ability to firmly believe that defeat is really victory.
