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The Spectacle Blog
Sally McNamara makes the usual misguided charge of “isolationism” for my suggestion that it is time for Europe to defend itself. That would surprise the nation’s founders, who believed in an active America, just one which did not unnecessarily tie its future to the policies of other nations.
As a prescient George Washington warned: “Europe has a set of primary interests which to us have none; or a very remote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves by artificial ties in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities.”
Ms. McNamara allows that the Europeans aren’t doing much on defense, but predicts “disaster” if America pulls its troops out of Europe. Yet she doesn’t demonstrate from what that disaster will stem.
She says Europe matters to us. Of course it does. But what does that have to do with an American defense guarantee of a continent with a larger GDP and population larger than our own? From whence do the dire threats come which Europe cannot handle? Russia, reeling from the financial crisis and possessing less than a tenth of Europe’s GDP and a third of the population, is in no position to attempt a blitzkrieg to the Atlantic. Missile proliferation could be addressed outside of NATO. Islamic extremism is something the Europeans have to fight on their own-after all, it is related to their own immigration policies and demographic trends, not foreign armored divisions.
She worries that Europe won’t do a good job defending itself. Just look at Kosovo, she observes. But the mere existence of a problem does not mean America must act. If the Europeans did not believe it to be in their interest to resolve that tragic but geopolitically minor civil war, there was no need for Washington to intervene. Kosovo never mattered to the U.S. and certainly did not warrant war by the U.S. Instead of treating NATO as a means to prevent war, war became the means to save NATO, perverting its very purpose.
Finally, Ms. McNamara notes that “those East of Berlin need, want and in some cases crave NATO’s sacred Article V guarantee.” True, but so what? Security guarantees should not be tossed about like chocolates as gifts for friends. Rather, a promise to go to war should be reserved for defending America.
It is hard to discern the security justification for Washington promising to go to war over nations that were not only once part of the Soviet Union, but also part of the Russian Empire. Even worse is threatening a confrontation with a nuclear-armed state over issues along its border. Such a risky strategy reduces rather than enhances U.S. security.
Withdrawing U.S. forces would threaten disaster? No, disaster would be going to war against a nuclear power on behalf of unstable, irresponsible states unrelated to our own defense. For instance, Spiegel online reports on the result of an EU commission investigating the Georgia-Russia war:
The confidential investigative commission documents, which SPIEGEL has obtained, show that the task of assigning blame for the conflict has been as much of a challenge for the commission members as it has for the international community. However, a majority of members tend to arrive at the assessment that Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili started the war by attacking South Ossetia on August 7, 2008. The facts assembled on Tagliavini’s desk refute Saakashvili’s claim that his country became the innocent victim of “Russian aggression” on that day.
In summarizing the military fiasco, commission member Christopher Langton, a retired British Army colonel, claims: “Georgia’s dream is shattered, but the country can only blame itself for that.”
Would we really be better off having issued an Article V guarantee to this country and this government? No. To the contrary, that truly would have been “a recipe for disaster.”
Foreign policy should change to fit circumstances. During the Cold War a host of friendly, war-torn states needed defending. Today they are capable of defending themselves. It’s time to cut our foreign welfare dependents loose.
View all comments (30) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Doug Bandow
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/06/19/wheres-the-disaster
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Red Phillips | 6.19.09 @ 2:27PM
Preach on Brother Doug! These Wilsonians obviously need to hear it.
Tim| 6.19.09 @ 3:04PM
Sarajevo 1914.
Phil| 6.19.09 @ 3:25PM
Fearmongering over threats that don't really exist is used to justify over the top defense budgets and bigger government. Europe and the United States must remained linked to promote common values but the idea that Washington should be protecting the rest of the world is ridiculous.
Old Texican| 6.19.09 @ 3:39PM
Doug:
two nouns: Georgia & Ukraine.
Eric Dondero | 6.19.09 @ 4:44PM
Pulling our Troops out of Western Europe may have made some sense in the 1990s, post C0ld War. But now Europe faces a much bigger threat: Islamo-Fascism
It's no longer the Russians we need to worry about, it's Turkish, Moroccan, and other Middle Eastern immigrants who have infiltrated the Netherlands, Britain, France, Germany and other W. Euro Nations.
If we pull out now, Sharia law supporting Muslim madmen could be on our doorstep here in the US within years.
Better we fight the Islam0-Fascists over there, and also protect the Euros at the same time.
Any sensible Libertarian would understand this. Then again, Bandow is neither sensible, nor a Libertarian.
Roy| 6.19.09 @ 5:59PM
It's funny because I agree with Bandow substantively but not philosophically. I think we should stop defending Western Europe but not Eastern Europe. If I could pick up France and Poland and swap their positions, I would.
If Russia reverts to Cold War behavior or even pre-WWI behavior and gets away with it it will send a strong signal around the world: Want your neighbor's territory? Take it! Nobody will stop you.
The US interest in maintaining the global belief that you cannot get away with this behavior is unquantifiable, just as is the US interest in maintaining freedom of the seas, but that does not make it zero.
Red Phillips | 6.19.09 @ 10:48PM
Eric, you are a cartoon character.
"If we pull out now, Sharia law supporting Muslim madmen could be on our doorstep here in the US within years."
That is patently absurd. There is no plausible scenario whereby Muslim madmen will be on our doorstep. Work that out for me. Terrorism in America is an immigration problem, not a military one.
The Muslim problem in Europe is also not a military problem. It is a demographic problem based on their suicidal immigration policies and their refusal to procreate at replacement rates. It is also a loss of Faith problem, not a military problem. Getting the Euros back in Church will go a much longer way to dealing with the Muslim problem than will US tanks and aircraft.
doug| 6.20.09 @ 9:52AM
great aricle!Nato celebrated its 50 yr anniversity by Killing innicent civilians and destroying a sovereign nation infrastructure.There is so much evidence that proves that the "humanitarian war" was that conflicts "WMD".There is BBC documentary called "Dogs of war" where many of the major players admit to lyingto propagate the war.The Rambouillet talks were this conflicts "Austria ultimatum to Serbia" and were written in such a way that Serbia could do nothing but reject them.What FREE nation on earth would allow nato to come into their country and have complete control over their waterways,airspace and roads and not be accountable to this country for any compensation or criminalacts .Thank you Mr bandow.
igor| 6.20.09 @ 5:54PM
I think it is funny and ridicule to blame Georgia starting the war. Who can imagine that small vulnerable Georgia could launch attack against ballistic nuclear Russia? Russia invade Georgia and killed civilians and police officers in 2008 on 7 August in the morning. Georgia responded and tried to protect civilians. What should Georgia do? Must wait how Russians would kill all civilians? everybody has right to protect their homeland. This war was in Georgian territory and not in Siberia or in near Moscow, Russian tanks rolled in Georgia and not vice versa. Russia penetrated its troops and killed more than 200 civilians in Georgia. Russia bombed Georgian villages and killed women, men and children. The operation against Georgia was planned by Putin. It was planned after the recognition of Kosovo independence. Russia punished small nation, because Georgia is toward EU and NATO and not USSR and Putin’s KGB regime. If Russians not get clear message from West to stop aggression, they will go on and rebuild soviet empire “evil empire”
in this case, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldovia will lose their freedom and “by by old Europe”
Basil Plumley| 6.20.09 @ 7:06PM
Red Phillips| 6.19.09 @ 10:48PM
Eric, you are a cartoon character.
"If we pull out now, Sharia law supporting Muslim madmen could be on our doorstep here in the US within years."
That is patently absurd. There is no plausible scenario whereby Muslim madmen will be on our doorstep. Work that out for me. Terrorism in America is an immigration problem, not a military one.
I have to admit, I have read several of your posts on this page w/r/t "neo-cons" and interventionism. I refrained from posting; until now.
Outside of having no idea what you are talking about, you also resort to insulting people when you have run out of tangible ideas and facts.
I thought only the loony Left had a pre-9/11 mentality; I stand corrected. It appears that there are some loony-tunes who wear the mantle of being "conservative"/libertarian who maintain the same mindset. You should replay the events of 9/11 unless you are quite unhinged to believe that the events of 9/11 were part of a plot by the US Government.
You have the mindset that we can solve Islamo-Fascism through the Criminal Justice system. Unfortunately, you are serious.
Habeus Corpus and Miranda for the world terrorists; yee-haw.
Arrest the terrorists and put them in jail where they can recruit willing minds; yee-haw.
Gee Red, what will you think of next? Tell us Red, what is the difference between your views and a "moonbat"?
BTW, Red, have you yet figured out where Jefferson got the constitutional authority to make the Louisianna Purchase?
If you are going to be a strict constructionist of the Constitution, try to make the case.
doug| 6.21.09 @ 11:19AM
"Basil Plumley| 6.20.09 @ 7:06PM
Red Phillips| 6.19.09 @ 10:48PM
Eric, you are a cartoon character.
"If we pull out now, Sharia law supporting Muslim madmen could be on our doorstep here in the US within years."
That is patently absurd. There is no plausible scenario whereby Muslim madmen will be on our doorstep. Work that out for me. Terrorism in America is an immigration problem, not a military one.
Maybe you should talk about something you understand .I live in Canada and they have already tried to push through sharia law fortunetly they lost but for how long? In the balkans you have given them 2 new islamic countries Bosna and Kosovo ,WHY?
Red Phillips | 6.21.09 @ 4:52PM
Igor, Georgia invaded South Ossetia first.
Basil, 9/11 is a perfect illustration of my statement that terrorism on our shores is an immigration problem, not a military problem. How many of the terrorist were US citizens?
And I never said the Louisiana Purchase was constitutional. I don't recall you asking me that. It wasn't, and Jefferson knew it wasn't. He did it anyway in the name of expediency.
Basil Plumley| 6.21.09 @ 10:28PM
@ Doug
You said- In the balkans you have given them 2 new islamic countries Bosna and Kosovo ,WHY?
Doug, that is a question to ask the US State Department. For quite of while they have had a policy of rewarding our enemies and smacking down our allies.
The issue of immigration w/r/t terrorism is a red herring (no pun intended). A terrorist could easily enter the country as a tourist and disappear. How many visas were/are issued in countries like Saudi Arabia?
These people have declared war on this country and there are still people who want to treat this issue as a law enforcement problem.
That did not work in the 1990's and it will not work going forward.
Red, I have asked you about the Louisianna Purchase before. It had to do with your desire to follow Washington's advice and the Constitution. The point was that if what Jefferson did was unconstitutional (it was), how do you put the genie back in the bottle?
If you are going to strictly apply the Constitution today, how do you not apply it to past events/acts?
Yuri| 6.22.09 @ 4:59PM
Dear Igor:
You must be well over 50 years old based on your views. I have news for you The Word has changed since you last checked it. Russia is not the USSR as South Ocetia is not part of Gerogia, at least from early 1990. Wars are not started by countires, they are started by mad leaders and Saakashvili is defenately one of them. One has to realize, that brain washed generations of 40s, 50s and somewhat 60s on either site are confused and should not be listened to as long as we want to progress into the future and not turn the history back to mid 20th century.
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