Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Play or Pay

Poland continues to raise the issue of German compensation for invading Poland in 1939. Is German unwillingness to help defend NATO ally Poland contributing to this demand?

I don't like this alliance infighting on principle:

Seventy-three years after World War II, people in Poland are still talking about our suffering and our losses. It is a part of our identity, so to say. And in Poland, we think that our losses were much bigger than those of other countries. But if you look at what Germany has compensated other Western European countries for their losses, like France or Belgium, for example, and what it has compensated Poland for our losses, you will see a discrepancy.

I bet this Polish talk would be moot if the Germans were paying their share of NATO defense spending and had actual military power to send to Poland in case of a war with Russia. Helping to defend Poland from losing their independence again would be reparations enough, eh?

But Poland may figure that if it is up to Poland to defend Polish territory despite NATO commitments to be really, really sad if Russia invades, Poland would at least like the money.

The money would buy a lot, including perhaps American combat-ready armored brigades permanently based in Poland.