If Europeans rearm uncertain of America's intentions, they will increasingly buy their own weapons. And have their own foreign policies. Hilarity may not ensue.
A rapid, uncoordinated U.S. military drawdown from Europe could push key NATO allies further away from American weapons over the long term, according to a new RAND study, a shift the authors say would hurt the U.S. defense industrial base.
Well, yes. America has been telling other NATO members they must do more to defend themselves for decades. And that naturally risks allies building their own weapons if they think they can't count on the U.S. for the spares and ammo to use them.
And if our allies have their own weapons? Well, that alliance feature we have mistaken for a bug could cause problems, eh? This isn't to say Europeans are more prone to war than any other people. But we may not like the war Europeans fight. No more than they like all that we fight.
And if European combatants are stronger, America may not have the strength to quickly intervene--and be forced to watch nervously from afar.
Mind you, if we had maintained our defense industrial base sufficient to remain the Arsenal of Democracy, allied rearmament wouldn't have to mean allies rebuilding of their own defense industries in ways that undercut our own.
Yet this is our wish.
In related areas, the value of Google at war.
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!
NOTE: Map from National Geographic.
NOTE: I used this for a slightly expanded version on Substack.
