Getting What We Wished For

After the first half of the last century when Europeans plunged into bloodletting that exceeded even their earlier centuries of warring with each other, it seemed like a blessing that the Europeans turned to pacifism. The Germans, especially, turned their backs on militarism. Peace within Europe (mostly) was the result.

But Secretary Gates says enough is enough:

"The demilitarization of Europe — where large swaths of the general public and political class are averse to military force and the risks that go with it — has gone from a blessing in the 20th century to an impediment to achieving real security and lasting peace in the 21st," he told an audience filled with uniformed military officers from many of NATO's 28 member countries.

The danger, he added, is that potential future adversaries may view NATO as a paper tiger.

"Not only can real or perceived weakness be a temptation to miscalculation and aggression, but, on a more basic level, the resulting funding and capability shortfalls make it difficult to operate and fight together to confront shared threats," Gates said.

The problem is that the threats to peace no longer originate within Europe. So a Europe unwilling and unable to defend itself is a problem rather than a blessing.

And let's cease that silly talk about how Euroepans really do pull their weight in defense matters.